Random crap with Uno.

[Buster's Uncle]

To be clear, "$10 fix per toy" is cheap and reasonable in this context, yes?

[Unorthodox]

Well, considering the number, it's not exactly cheap on a realistic level, but considering the alternatives, it would save half a mil or so. 

[Buster's Uncle]

You in the Cost+ contract bidnezz, ain't you?  Weren't axin 'bout no REASONable level...

[E_T]

"But we want the big shiny thing that will make my name and keep me in clover for several years!!  To heck with that cost"

[Unorthodox]

You in the Cost+ contract bidnezz, ain't you?  Weren't axin 'bout no REASONable level...

Obama killed those.  Most everything was Fixed under him.  I haven't been in a new contract under this administration.  This happens to be a level of effort contract, however, so there ain't no money to be made on toys. 

The trouble is a LOT of folks in this bidness have been on a cost + contract for over 40 years.  Some are having a difficult adjustment. 

[Geo]

So, you reckon to enter the Monkey club then?
Do you have a choice on the matter?

[E_T]

civilize them durn monkeys!!

[Buster's Uncle]

So, past time to tell us about your Halloween theme...

[Unorthodox]

I know what you're really wanting.






But, theme this year is really nothing to write home about.  I made the decision late during setup last year that I needed to do a 3 year plan for the yard from a strictly yard care point of view.  So, I'm planning everything around the project I term "Return of the Living Mounds Bars". 

This is really designed to repair the damage to the lawn over time more than it is about the Halloween aspects. 

I wasn't totally satisfied with the mounds of coconut coir for graves last year, though I could have made it work with a little more effort this year, I had set the plan in motion for the return of Trevor already. 

I'm going back to the ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL plan on Trevor, which was not a fog machine, but having it surrounded by breathing graves.  To my knowledge no one has massed breathing graves in that nature before, and I don't know how it will look exactly.  It presents some challenges with lighting. 

The rest of the front is just refurbished 'tombstones' from the last time I had Trevor out with a couple newer ones tossed in to replace damaged ones.  This is all planned to move towards the spider woman temple theme, which I'm shifting from Mayan over to a Celtic/Germanic nature to fit in with pithenge.  I'm most likely going to be making casts of pithenge stones and duplicating for many more in the yard in the coming years as a result.  There's 2 companion pieces to Trevor planned as well. 

The ultimate culmination is a rather bold project I've been flirting with for several years that I'm not ready to divulge, even though none of the other Halloween artists would dare be so bold as it requires a rather bizarre mindset.

Ultimately, the goal is to have this all blend seamlessly with the party, which has become our central focus over the last 5 years.  Yes, I've been doing it for 10, but it's become the centerpiece rather than a fun aside.

[Buster's Uncle]

That sounds workable.

-I've long wanted to see you do something grandly ambitious, Aztec-theme, avec a pretty big pyramid and sacrifices, but that wasn't feasible back when you had a lot more backyard to work with, what with y'all gotta live there the rest of the time and not spend all the money in the world on Halloween...

[Unorthodox]

I'm very seriously considering starting to set up.  Something I've steadfastly refused to do in the past till my vacation at the end of the month.  This would leave my vacation more fiddling with final touches and possibly building a few last minute things, and much more relaxed.   

[Buster's Uncle]

Maybe trying something different to see how it works is a good idea...

[E_T]

I know what you're really wanting.

Dang, she's gotten all grown up.  How old is she now?

But, theme this year is really nothing to write home about.  I made the decision late during setup last year that I needed to do a 3 year plan for the yard from a strictly yard care point of view.  So, I'm planning everything around the project I term "Return of the Living Mounds Bars". 

This is really designed to repair the damage to the lawn over time more than it is about the Halloween aspects. 

I wasn't totally satisfied with the mounds of coconut coir for graves last year, though I could have made it work with a little more effort this year, I had set the plan in motion for the return of Trevor already. 

I'm going back to the ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL plan on Trevor, which was not a fog machine, but having it surrounded by breathing graves.  To my knowledge no one has massed breathing graves in that nature before, and I don't know how it will look exactly.  It presents some challenges with lighting. 

Maybe some laser lighting, that is if you can find it cheep enough

The rest of the front is just refurbished 'tombstones' from the last time I had Trevor out with a couple newer ones tossed in to replace damaged ones.  This is all planned to move towards the spider woman temple theme, which I'm shifting from Mayan over to a Celtic/Germanic nature to fit in with pithenge.  I'm most likely going to be making casts of pithenge stones and duplicating for many more in the yard in the coming years as a result.  There's 2 companion pieces to Trevor planned as well. 

The ultimate culmination is a rather bold project I've been flirting with for several years that I'm not ready to divulge, even though none of the other Halloween artists would dare be so bold as it requires a rather bizarre mindset.

Ultimately, the goal is to have this all blend seamlessly with the party, which has become our central focus over the last 5 years.  Yes, I've been doing it for 10, but it's become the centerpiece rather than a fun aside.

I'm going to try to get a pic taken and post it here, but down the road from me, The owners of a new house (tore down two houses and built new one on the lots) has put in some "Modern Art" on his front lawn.  It's a bright red tall, thin, spike that leans at about 20-25 degree from plumb angle out towards the corner.  It just begs for a paper mishet(sp) manican(sp) dummy impaled on it, with dyed (Blood Red) cloth streamers come out if the point of impailment.  I might try to get one made and put it on it very early Halloween Morning, so that it's visible all day (if they keep it up, that is).

[Unorthodox]

She’s 12 now. 

Lasers aren’t right for the job, though a laser swamp would look fabulous in the future with some standing stones.

[Unorthodox]

Ricoh just announced a new aps-c flagship for Pentax.  This out of left field.  Not announced but put a prototype out in a camera expo. 

Coupled with an announcement by sigma cancelling support of k mount.

So.  Pentax is officially dying without 3rd party support, and loyalists will scramble for the new shiny, Ill be watching for a K3 price crash. 

While Clarence is fabulous as a walk around, the K3 really emphasized hitting people with limited experience being able to just shoot.  Plus it’s wifi capable so potentially easier to get images off.  Or even a k3 ii for picture blending which would open up a whole WORLD for Halloween photos.