My Virtual Viper

*Updated*

[via Battlestar Galactica social networking site, here]

*Update*: After entertaining myself with finishing up last week’s task in time this morning as well as getting help to learn how to accomplish this week’s task, I got to put the virtual viper back in and out of the shop over and over at various times when I was online and had time to do so today and this evening, with the end result being the following:

[via Battlestar Galactica social networking site, here]

Hockneyized Photo

Did the above using the Hockneyizer:

Create a simulated collage from a single photograph

[via BigHuge Labs, fd's Flickr Toys]

Create a unique “collage” from a single photograph. Choose one of two styles: a “joiner” style image without frames or an image created from simulated Polaroids. Every generated image is unique. This toy was inspired by the photo collages of the artist David Hockney.

Old Photos

Three old photos of me (the second photo is of me and my father George), which an aunt of mine just sent along:

Saturday Chores: Laundry Day (old stock photos)

Among my personal errands to get done this afternoon, besides checking
my mail and then an online session at the local library to check my
e-mail, etc., today is laundry day:

Brown Family Civil War Dress Sword Handover

Thus far I have received initial reports of one form or another from three different family members concerning yesterday’s (Sunday, October 15, 2006) annual event held to remember the last one room schoolhouse in town, which each of them as well as other family members (nine in all) attended, during which my uncle (Erling) and my aunt (his sister) were invited to formally present the sword to the town historical society on behalf of myself and the rest of the entire family.

Within his e-mail to me this morning on the subject, my uncle mentioned that the sword will be stored in the Town Hall while they prepare the Historical Society’s display case (currently under construction). Then it will be placed there with related documents concerning G.W.B. Later on it will be transferred to their new building when restoration is complete. [...].

He and I will both be notified when these things happen.

It all sounds great to me, I am well pleased that the family civil war dress sword is finally somewhere my father was generally hoping it would eventually end up and, even better, that so many family members were involved in one manner or another.

For those whom have not already done so, read my initial post on the subject posted last month, here (Saturday, September 23, 2006).

Photo Credits: Erling O. Brown.

*Note*: made a couple of, mostly minor, edits both within the first and fourth paragraphs for the purposes of clarification and readability; also added a fifth paragraph; last updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2006.

Flat Top: An Old School Photo

An old school photo of yours truly shown sporting a recent flat top hair cut (am not sure of what year it was taken or how I was at the time), which my aunt just sent my way.

The hair cut was my idea. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, my father gave me the money to go get a hair cut, so when I got there I told the barber what I wanted and the rest is history.

Truth be told, what was actually behind my getting the crew cut was that I could not stand having to have my hair cut so often, like my father insisted upon.

This way it would be a little while more between hair cuts and, it seemed to work like a charm too.

Brown Family Civil War Dress Sword: Part 2

As I reported within my initial post on the subject last month (here; Saturday, September 23, 2006), after I made an inquiry to an official of the town in R.I. where my family is from, a representative of the historical society contacted me and indicated that they would be proud to accept possession and display it proudly in our Historical Society premises, along with the history of the sword and owner/family.

Hence, as the serving steward of the Brown Family civil war dress sword (upon the death of my father in 1993), my decision to hand it over to this particular historical society was easily made.

Have just learned the good news today that my uncle (who has been holding onto it for me from the time my aunt gave it to him when she went abroad years ago) will be delivering the sword in person on later this month, having accepted on my behalf a recent invitation offered to me and the family to attend an annual event the historical society holds, since I will be unable to make the trip at this time. He will be doing so along with my aunts (i.e., including his wife and his sister) and other family members who will be able to attend as well.

Like I mentioned within my previous post concerning the sword, it is my hope to visit the town and historical society as well as view the display sometime next year when I am able make the trip down there.

Photo Credits: Erling O. Brown.

Old Family Photos & Memories

Recently my aunt (my father’s sister) and I have reconnected via e-mail and, she has been e-mailing me several old family photos, including these I received from her today.

The top photo is of my father and I living in Providence, R.I., possibly during 1957 — during my terrible two’s phase.

2nd and 3rd photos of me were taken during Christmas of 1957 in Providence.

This second photo shows how I am barely tolerating having to pause long enough to have my photo taken and, also an indication I was probably badly in need for either a nap or bedtime, just as long as no one suggested such to me at the time.

Regarding this particular photo (3rd one posted), my aunt suspects that I did not want any interruption from playing with a new toy.

What, who me, spoiled with too many great toys for one child to possibly play with? Nah, no way!

Speaking of great toys of mine from so long ago, I’ll never forget how (sometime maybe a year or two or so later on — whether it was for my birthday or Christmas or whenever) I was given one of those little toy crash cars that came out that you could roll and, when it was crashed against the wall or whatever, it blew apart with the various pieces of it flying everywhere.

If memory serves me correctly I was at my cousins house and, just about everyone hushed up, while I was given the car and encouraged by several family members to roll it very hard and fast toward an area of the room.

Not doing it hard enough so it would crash right and, not being in on the joke myself, one of my eager cousins took a try.

When the thing crashed against the wall as was intended, the car flew apart with pieces flying off in the air and you should have seen the look on my face.

Everyone thought it was funny, except for yours truly of course, who thought my new prize toy was now broken; at least until someone showed me that it could be put together no problem.

The only problem they had not counted on is that I would keep coming back to have someone fix it so I could crash it, over and over again, non-stop. The joke was now on them and, as I vaguely recall, some of them were not so pleased with the result.

Eventually someone figured out to tell me it was broken, yet I did not buy it at first and, merely went begging to others until someone would put it back together for me.

Then someone finally hid one of the pieces or whatever so it could not work any longer, at least until I got home with the piece delivered later so it could function once more, much to my surprise.

It goes without saying of course that no one was trying to be mean and, it was just part of family fun, Brown style.

This last photo of me was, according to my aunt, taken by my father at a quick photo somewhere.

She guesses I may have been four at the time, which since I was born in mid-November of 1955, either sometime during late 1959 or 1960.

Rainy Autumn Sunday: Laundry Day (old stock photos)

Brown Family Civil War Dress Sword

*Updated*: 6 Photos of Sword Added
Photo Credits: Erling O. Brown

Within my post concerning being back in Montpelier posted last week (here; Saturday, September 16, 2006), I mentioned how the uncle of mine who lives down where I had been visiting gave me a ride to the bus station.

During our conversations on a variety of subjects during that brief trip, he reminded me that he had the family civil war dress sword.

My uncle recounted the story of how when they were boys, their paternal grandfather lined the boys up and gave them certain items. Since my father was named after their paternal great grandfather, my father received the civil war dress sword that the former had passed down to his son, etc. When my father died in 1993, the sword of course became mine.

Upon the news of my father’s death, I quickly traveled down to Rhode Island to take care of his affairs, the funeral arrangements and the like. Since I was traveling by bus, as much as I wanted to keep the sword in my possession, it seemed best to leave it behind in the care of my aunt.

Later, when my aunt was traveling abroad, she gave the sword to my uncle for him to hold onto for me.

Much like what I believe my father felt about the sword, I never felt the sword was truly mine so much as I was merely the steward of what is a treasured piece of family history. Yet, being its current steward, the decision about its fate is entirely mine and, mine alone; something my uncle also reminded me about in his own way when I was bouncing some of my ideas regarding it off of him.

The fact is that the sword is not in the greatest of condition and also does not hold any actual value (i.e., financially or materially speaking), other than possibly being of historical or sentimental significance both to family members and the town within the home state the family came from.

While my inclination is to keep the sword within the family and, not have it either be sold or trashed or whatever; because I can no longer be certain of its fate after it were to leave my stewardship at some point in time in the future and due to such things not always having a particular value to others in the family as they might have to my father and myself, during my conversation with my uncle on the subject it came to mind to consider donating it to either a local or state (i.e., Rhode Island) civil war or historical society that might appreciate receiving it and keeping it for display.

It was my desire to return the sword to the area the Brown side of my family came from in honor of my family name and history in the region if at all possible or, otherwise some official civil war or historical society within the state of Rhode Island whom may be interested in being entrusted with it.

Last Saturday I e-mailed the town manager with an inquiry about the matter and earlier this week they replied, letting me know they had passed on my e-mail to the town historical society.

Yesterday (Friday, September 23rd) I received an e-mail from a representative of the historical society indicating that they would be proud to accept possession and display it proudly in our Historical Society premises, along with the history of the sword and owner/family.

Thus, my decision is made and the sword will be sent to them.

Since the sword and, potentially other Brown family information or material (e.g., copies of family photos), would be on display there; if it is possible for me to do so, it is my hope that I will be able to travel down to the town for a visit to view it on display, maybe next year either during the Summer or Autumn.

*Note*: made several, mostly minor, edits and changes within paragraphs 6, 7, 11 and 13 for the sole purposes of clarification and readability; last updated on Monday, September 25, 2006 at 12:10 AM [EDT].