Henry Jacob Sumner was born July 24, 2013. He is 7 lbs, 3 oz, and 21 inches long.
Super Moon, 2013
Taking photos like these teaches me more about how to use a camera than the subject itself. What I really learned was that I need a tripod, a better camera, and a better lens, and far more practice. But this is the best I could get using a Canon T3, shooting at f/16 and s/s 1/200, with a EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens. Here’s the site I used for advice.
Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper at Merriweather Post Pavilion
Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper played at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Monday. Manson opened for Cooper (well, technically Gwar opened for them), and the two performed a duet of ‘I’m 18’ for the final song. Manson even kissed Cooper’s boots on stage.
I was lucky enough to get the first seat in front of the pit, one of the best seats I’ve ever had at a show.
Marilyn Manson
Alice Cooper
Gwar: Worst Band Ever?
I saw the band Gwar at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Monday. Having only heard rumors that it’s the worst band ever, I was there to verify it myself. Then again, that’s part of the joke, though kudos to them for spraying fake blood all over fans and telling them to shut up after songs. They played on the small stage in the back, which was the first time I saw it put to use at this venue. Most folks showed up to see Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper, anyway, which I’ll post about later.
Other than the band, the only other interesting thing I saw that I likely won’t forget was an actual skinhead (apparently by himself) being escorted out by security. Apparently, he was ‘being way to aggressive,’ but found that arguing about it was in his best interest. He was one of the scariest people I’ve ever seen. Intense, profane, built like a rock with a Nazi eagle back tattoo… crazy… One of the security guards, Josh Burdette, aka ‘That guy from 9:30 Club” (who I went to college with) showed remarkable professionalism in dealing with this nitwit. I told him this. He died a few months later.
“Thank you, sir. That situation could have easily gotten ugly,” he told me over Facebook. It was one of the few times I spoke with Josh, in person or online. “I’m glad we were able to resolve it without anyone getting hurt.”
(Post updated Sept. 4, 2013 in light of Josh Burdette’s death on Sept. 1.)
Why I Don’t Watch Dr. Who
This is likely the worst life story I’ll ever write about, but the more I hear about Dr. Who, the more I feel compelled to share why I don’t watch it.
When I was in first or second grade, at Beltsville elementary, one of my classmates was a tall, slow-witted blond kid. As I remember it, he was a friend of mine, but as a 6-year-old, it was apparent that he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. To give a clearer picture of how I remember him at the age of six, see Tom ‘M-O-O-N’ Cullen from Steven King’s The Stand, though I’ll admit that’s unfair and not nice.
Anyway, the teacher asked us all if we had done our homework from the night before. We all had, except for him.
“Well I had to watch Dr. Who,” he said.
And with that, I promised myself I would never watch Dr. Who.
Again, I don’t claim to have any superiority over this guy, and I certainly watch my fair share of silly television, but his endorsement of the show and the fact that he didn’t do his homework because of it awakened a prejudice within me that permanently turned me off from ever watching that show. Glad he didn’t say the same thing about Ancient Aliens.