Taking Requests

[Buster's Uncle]

Green1, when he downloaded GIMP a few days ago, called it an "aircraft control panel" -and it is.  All high-end graphic editors I've seen are.  But you wanna hear something funny?

Yesterday, I downloaded and installed GIMP on my Momma's laptop.  She's 72, and has the normal mental blocks seniors do about adapting to new tech.  She's brighter than most seniors, mind you, as well as an extremely young 72.  And her son likes to teach, and has been teaching her to operate new tech since the 80's, so she gets by with email and basic computer stuff like the top 10% percent of people in her age range who geek any at all - I only take partial credit for that.  She's gifted, naturally - I'm my parent's son, not a mutant.

When I first started teaching her computers, she had trouble doing something so basic as to select my name in my hotmail address sign-in so she could type her own.  (Protip: start your senior out playing Solitaire, to practice the hand-eye coordination - I wish I had, 'cause she loves computer solitaire, and when I finally got her on that, the hand-eye problems went right away) But the first time she sat down to try Lexmark Photo Editor (a very limited-purpose user-friendly program well designed to be idiot-proof, but still) she got photo cropping right on the first try!  She'd picked that up just watching me do it a lot (after Gramma died, I spent two months scanning old photos, doing a lot of cropping.)

Now, she IS of her generation, and it's a constant struggle to build her confidence with the computer stuff, and allay her frustration with all the bullcrap stuff that comes with sophisticated, mercurial, modern systems - stuff that bugs you and me, too, and makes her plum crazy.  But she loves the computer for her genology hobby, for email and video Skyping, and when she's on a tear of working with old photos, man, she ain't too bad.  In fact, here's a shoop she did a couple of years ago merging two photos of her father's parents. 


None of you are impressed except maybe accounting for her age, right? 

Well, she did that in Lexmark Photo Editor and MSPaint.  And I didn't help her.



So anyway, the punch line of this story is that yes, it's an aircraft panel, and old people are afraid of computers, Mom being no exception;  I thought I'd get her started cropping photos, the most basic thing you need working with snapshots of any vintage, and the easiest, then leave her to practicing.  Well, she's been in her room for about three hours now, retouching a horribly-mangled early 40's toddler picture with the Smudge Tool (and a touch of Dodge/Burn), feeling like she's getting the hang of it, and doing good enough work that the shot's worth saving instead of starting over now that she's learned how.

I didn't get my talent from nowhere.

[Unorthodox]

Latest photoshop. 

This is actually going on Tshirts for a group of runners in a charity race for breast cancer, so it gets cut into circles for the sleeves.     

The letters are like 5 layers deep to get the glow/fading/color right.  I struggled with the curvature of the arcs, however.  Still not 100%, but it's a last minute thing and I run outta time. 

[Buster's Uncle]

That is not bad.  Not bad at all, and I don't know how to do it, either.


-Incidentally, when I went upstairs to take my medicine about two hours ago, Mom had tired of the presidential debate and was at the computer, GIMPing away on that baby picture.

[Mylochka]

I'm still in awe that Mom figured out how to combine those two pictures.  Maybe you should post the "un-combined" originals to show what she was working with...

[Buster's Uncle]

I don't have them on my machine, but no sweat getting them, I guess.

BTW, welcome to AC2, BAunt.  How did you find us?  Have you had a look at the Self Portrait thread?

[Green1]

Do not underestimate elders. As one who works with elders on a regular basis, you must realize even with aging, learning is still possible!

Maybe some wish to challenge my reading (which may be wrong) due to the need for the scam that is a continual paycheck for the nusing home association, But, I continue to be impressed with example I see in day to day life. Age is a number. i come under attack because i agree with Dr. deGray on some of the things dealing with aging mostly because this affects continual paychecks. I see Michio Kaku's future of 60 year olds associating with 30 somethings and no detectable differences coming shortly if those not beholden to the system do not sabotage this coming shortly.

[Buster's Uncle]

But the system has a way of totally doing that, as you know.

[Green1]

Yes... my plans as an OT come directly in oposition to that. In STW's wiki which this particular handle was involved in, I wrote about this travesty. But, since STW is YIPPIE, it is aimed towards young folks which do not care. Do you know I got friggin FIRED for providing a paraplegic with a way to live online through an avatar?

Deal with me again if I have a MA, I am fixing to destroy these people. Screw you NPs as a MAOT, I will be god. Sorry for my hatred. But, after katrina I was forced to enter in as a grunt to medical after years working in the hospitality field. I am passionate about this and have encountered significant opression because of my beliefs. if it needs a separate topic, fine. But, I have encountered lots of oppression.

[Buster's Uncle]

It sounds like it needs a separate topic...

WAY too much alphabet soup that time.

[Green1]

Related.. no need for separate.

But, I do need to elaborate for those not in industry. We do have our own language. Point taken.

[Unorthodox]

too. many. acronyms.

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm still in awe that Mom figured out how to combine those two pictures.  Maybe you should post the "un-combined" originals to show what she was working with...

I did teach her the basic technique - I was still doing everything I could in simpler programs back then, and it wasn't hard to do transparent-background pasting in MSPaint (make white, or whatever color, transparent - easy), though I don't think you can in the W7 version.

Here's the raw material, as requested - the part that's impressive to me is that she got the respective sizes right on the shoop; I bet that took a lot of patient trial and error.  She must've really wanted it.

[Unorthodox]

I love old photos.  That lady in white in the first one looks like she's about ready to murder someone. 
Then, my family ain't much better on that count.

[Buster's Uncle]

I think you're talking about my great grandmother, and I gather that she was indeed a bad woman to cross.  She had an illegitimate daughter in about 1915, and I bet nobody ever said anything about it in her hearing twice.

Did anyone else notice what fine, fine dressers both my great grandparents were?  Both of them could even walk around a church in those outfits now and not stand out.  She made her dress herself, too.  Family of artists, most of whom never knew they were.

[Buster's Uncle]

Then, my family ain't much better on that count.

I see a bit of your features on the two younger ones standing...