Raymond St Arnaud

Polar Night

2008-05-16T18:19:00.001-07:00

drifting on a floe
false dawn on every horizon
Polar night endures

High Lights in a Vacuum

2008-05-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

the days fall
handles are illusions
Without edges

Clearance

2008-05-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

accepts my memories
rendered obsolete
The second hand store

Childhood Memories

2008-04-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

sharp intense reflection
random recollections
Appear as shards

Mortality

2008-04-21T15:41:00.001-07:00

brushes my head
just a reminder
A crow from nowhere

Horse Latitudes

2008-04-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

seeking the premise
to be sacrificed to the Sargasso
Searching the horizon

Praise

2008-04-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

crumbs per square meter
redeemed by salivation
Manna scattered

A Family Tradition

2008-04-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

from brother to cousin
fruit of our sheet metal loins
Touring the new car

Respite

2008-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

from cessation
boredom survives
Relief comes

Fork In The Road

2008-03-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

end somwhere
menu at a diner
All Roads

Drifting

2008-03-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

secure from now
nightmares are the new present
The abyss of sleep

Hibernation

2008-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

and eat their own
only Pavlov salivates
Bears awake

Horse Latitudes

2008-03-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

no wind for the sails
caught in a conundrum
Better weather

The Sun Behind Me

2008-03-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

searching for answers
revealed in self destruction
Chasing shadows

From Meeting To Vacum

2008-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

everything is a good idea
seated face to face
Meeting a politician

The Nature Of The Beast

2008-03-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

I probe a nemesis
there is no substance
With remote sensing

Seekers

2008-03-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

seeking the sun
I am daffodil
Daffodils bloom

Return Of The Miracle Man

2008-03-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

miracles performed daily
did anyone care
Travelling to the when

Ship's Master

2008-03-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

wind in my face
where is this thing going
Standing on the bridge

Reunion

2008-03-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

progress announcements
arrival today
Like Santa Claus

Traveling Among The Uber

2008-03-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

I am ignored
always wear yellow
I am accepted

Socialization

2008-03-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

says hello
I am fulfilled
The post office

Faced Book

2008-03-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

linked forever
total strangers
Best of friends

The Health Club Promise

2008-03-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

the perfect mind
only Leonard can deliver
The perfect body

Border Guards

2008-03-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

enter a Zen state
maybe bribery
Consciously

Dialogue

2008-03-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

there is no war
only information
Peace isn't neccessary

Searching For The Exit

2008-03-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

in this painting
I am serching
She announced real pepper corns

A Decision

2008-03-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

fog of doubt
does it change
Final resolution

Life Paths

2008-02-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

four destinies
perhaps my own
How to choose

Searching For Karma

2008-02-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

selling at half price
what return
Buying at full price

Progress

2008-02-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

bad news
small step
Good news

The Lions

2008-02-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

roar from the past
lived by others
Caged dreams

The Insulator

2008-02-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

times present
translucent glass
Times past

Self Promotion

2008-02-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

internal combustion
i mentioned the name
Celcius rising

Sirens

2008-02-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

bound for glory
rocks are calling
Setting sail

On Perfection

2008-02-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

on the search
at what cost
The curtain rises

Street Lights

2008-02-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

cast in light
perpetual pursuit
Twin shadows

Serendipity Envelope

2008-02-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

at the tide line
living on an island
Serendipity ends

Shared Environment

2008-02-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

innocent pretense
unknown victim
Class validation

Memory

2008-02-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

else from column B
fictional recall
Something from column A

Barrier

2008-02-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

wanted to do
resistance
Able to do

On Goals

2008-02-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

opportunity approaches
nebulous alternate, a glowing attractor
An indefinite intention

Eldest Daughter

2008-02-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

multiple time zones
call to duty
Mother's range

Coffee Breaks

2008-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

possessed by experience
we cannot speak
Confrontation of two cups

Returning

2008-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

tasks demand
fresh signage is blank
Path resumes

Winner

2008-02-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

comforts
success
Victory

Recovery

2008-02-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

now equals
the irritant
The protector

The Week

2008-02-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

either suits
metaphor
Elba, St Helena

Boredom

2008-02-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

stemmed from neglect
lost hours
The greatest danger

Deadlines

2008-02-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

in a small space
compression
Small tasks

Today

2008-02-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

seeking the past
as a substitute
Immobility

The Schedule

2008-02-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

living a life
in three days
Imminent event

A Delivery

2008-02-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

exhibition through chance
deliverance breeds anxiety
Shroud discarded

The Samaritans

2008-02-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

seeking solutions
for others exotica
Gathered in our comfort

On Importance

2008-02-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

important yesterday
forgotten this afternoon
Important today

On Advice From A Friend

2008-01-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

false promises
litter in a mailbox
Recommended

Memory

2008-01-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

name recall comes
three weeks later
A chance encounter

Spasm

2008-01-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

of past experience
no relief for the present
Shared anguish

The Ascension

2008-01-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

dysfunctional ceiling
retrenchment
A rising star

Weather Channel

2008-01-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

roof tops turn monochrome
where is the warmth of rain
Sidewalks painted with frost

Power Glitch

2008-01-26T14:16:00.000-08:00

furnace hesitates and drones on
consumption continues freely
Lights dim and return

The Investor

2008-01-25T13:02:00.001-08:00

triumph of system
desperation to recover
Exuberance of victory

Panic

2008-01-24T11:39:00.000-08:00

promises broken
relief at the Hollywood moment
The deadline approaches

The Prisoner

2008-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

wonder at the sameness
return to the present
The familiar becomes new

Rulers

2008-01-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

the ruler and the ruled
the game passes him by
Once he was king

Night Wind Returns

2008-01-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

by her sleeping presence
the night wind returns
The cat honours me

The Visit

2008-01-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

windows choke the light
they wait for the shades
Reminiscence becomes the present

About Paths

2008-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

bamboo is everywhere
bamboo whispers
Bamboo is patient

Choices

2008-01-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

is final
is under review
The decision

The Waiting Room

2008-01-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

faces change
I become the familiar
Faces become familiar

Vitality

2008-01-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

still trickles
minimal replenishment
The stream

Living With A Button

2008-01-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

a battery
green goes red
I am driven

The Sound Machine

2008-01-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

perceptual intrusion
entrapped by circumstance
Random starts

Advent

2008-01-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

immortal presence
relief through departure
The advent

Screen Resolution For Image Galleries

2008-01-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

I installed
http://www.statcounter.com/
Stat Counter on my 3 blogs a few weeks ago.

http://thedysfunctionalphotographer.blogspot.com/
http://theforcedmarch.blogspot.com/
http://raymondstarnaud.blogspot.com/

They confirm my sense, from other uses, that 1024x768 is the most popular screen res in use. This is just one of many useful background statistics available when I installed Stat Counter, and then visit the web site and check the status of visitors to the blogs. Only a very small number of users are coming in at a lower resolution.

This is the free version. I do not get any kick backs from suggesting them as a statistics generator.

Still working on the new image galleries.

Ray

Re-constructing Image Galleries

2008-01-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

I have started re-constructing the Image Galleries. I hope to have them completed over the weekend.

Ray

Night Winds

2008-01-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

sleepless windows
black dogs are waking
The night winds

Otherwise Occupied

2008-01-09T11:20:00.001-08:00

the alternative
the interuption prevails
The phone calls

Snow

2008-01-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

snow falls
filled with quiet
The cold front

Listening to the Bamboo #3

2008-01-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

the birds answer
cat's ears rotate
The bamboo rustles

Is That All There Is

2008-01-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

A nice piece on post exhibition depression by Edward Winkelman.
http://edwardwinkleman.blogspot.com/

I am adding him to my blog list. I have been reading his site for a few weeks and found it of interest.

Regards
Ray

Listening to the Bamboo #2

2008-01-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

the bamboo bends
the oak scatters firewood
The wind blows

New Build In The Works - Goodby Flash, Hello HTML

2008-01-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Acting on several key feedback coments, I am re-building the image content pages.

Dizzying Effect of the Thumbnails

One observer found the interaction of the mini thumbnails and the mid size thumbs dizzying and difficult to control. This is Flash programming and my life is too short to get involved in dealing with it. Another case to encorage me to move to a more traditional thumbnail arrangement.

Ipod Couldn't Read the Contents.

The iPod could open the basic home page but not the image content pages, as it did not have a Flash reader installed. This was a brand new unit. This may not, in itself be a big deal, but it is a bleeding edge effect. Users are moving to Ipod like devices and cell phones that can browse the web, so, a site shouldn't be hostile to those users. However, I am some distance from creating a web site specifically for those users.

Changes to the Images on the Content Pages, Quality And Size.

A very strong comment from Benny Shaboy, publisher of Art Opportunities Monthly,
http://www.artopportunitiesmonthly.com/
that has convinced me to improve the size and quality of the images, as well as remove or reduce the annoyance of the copyright text overlay.

This is now in process and should take a few days to complete. I am basing the pages on a 1024x768 screen, and trying to create a flow from image to image that does not require scrolling to see the balance of the image or the navigation buttons. As of now, only one image is proving to be a scrolling problem. If it's the only one, I may just leave it.

Thanks Benny.

Regards
Ray

Listening to the bamboo

2008-01-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

Bamboo

the leaves rustle
Only the birds understand
The wind blows

More Negatives on PDF

2008-01-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

PDF files to go

I have had additional comments on pdfs, all negative. Several reporting system crashes with recent editions of Acrobat. They will be replaced with hypertext.

Copyright Over Images

A very strong comment on the use of copyright text over the images. This will have to change in the next version.

As the material is registered with the Copyright Office, Library Of Congress, an infraction could be lucrative under current US law. So making the material easier to scalp may be to my ultimate benefit. Just trying to put a positive spin of an awkward change of attitude on my part.

Regards
Ray

Suggested Changes

2008-01-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

PDF files

Several viewers report irritation with the pdf files. I will change this in the final version to an HTML page with menus and anchors.

The pdfs were convenient, in that they seperated information into discrete bits, which made it easier to choose what should be on the page and what should not.

The Copyright Text Over Images

This is a tough one. There is a strong attitude on the web that anything that is posted is free. This is contrary to all copyright laws, but I can understand the visual irritation with the strong text overlay.

I will examine rebuilding the image pages with lower resolution images and saved to lower quality and perhaps smaller images. Any copyright info will be more subtle.

The Size of the Thumbnails

There are two tumbnails. The mini thumbs that are always live under the current pick and the mid size thumbs that come up when a user rolls over a mini thumb. The mini thumbs are fixed and cannot be changed. The mid size can be made bigger, but this creates a new problem with vertically oriented images, in that the some of the thumbnails get pushed of screen on monitors set to an 800x600 screen resolution.

One solution is to ignore users with 800x600 resolution, just as most web sites ignore the 640x480 res users.

Another solution is to break up the Image Collections into smaller groups, say 20 images.

Outside The Box would then be 2 seprate pages. Reflections: The Pre-Millenium Landscapes would become 6 pages.

I would like to hear some feedback on this concept.

Regards
Ray

The Website is up

2008-01-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

A test version of the website

http://raymondstarnaud.com/

is up. It has a temporary Home Page. I want viewers to test the links, the image content pages and the PDF files.

Does everything work?

What doesn't?

Is there enough information or more information required?

Regards
Ray

Welcome

2008-01-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

A test of this blog site.

I will be activating a test version of the web site in a few days into 2008

Ray