kbobam

What a difference a day makes!

Is marble #5 in picture #1 a 'Christmasy-named' marble? Looks like it ought to be. Nuts. I'll have to be fashionably late, but hope to go to Jabo Land this weekend and see if I've cleared things up.

I'm just... so stunned!

Yes!

I'll never drink again!

Oh man! The baby really is funny! And so is the laughing kitten. Just realized that both of these have a combination of lolspeak and straight talk. I like the 'dynamic' of the two together. ( :

Are you really watching the show? Do you like it? I kind of enjoyed the sitcom/documentary combo style. From what I've seen so far, internet television is pretty crappy at this point. Have tried several variations, and either the picture stinks, or it's badly user-unfriendly. The lolspeak doesn't seem so bad so often anymore. But how about your bat picture? It's perfect without it. ( :

I thought the 'Friends Forever' shot was a really great one of those. Have seen the shot in Winnie's post before, and think it's one of the best pictures I've ever seen, no cute animal category required. Ditto with the monkey and tiger cub. But haven't seen it before. The young woman and cat in bed set is freaky mind-blowing, And although I've loosened up considerably about the kitty pidgin English that LOLcats use, really think this one would be better without it. Something like "We really need to get up!" But better than that. ( :

P.S. If you're into it, you'll have a better experience watching the first episode on Hulu rather than at the link above. ( :

I'm assuming you guys know all about this new show, but just in case. http://www.bravotv.com/lolwork

I kneel before the teal! ( :

The laughing/jumping teal marbles graphic is perfect here! I don't own a single Marble King. I hope to, some day. There's a certain 'look' that's impressive. If it's polite to shift the topic at this point I'd like to ask about the Marble King 'Superman'. (I think.) (Maybe 'Spiderman'.) I'm under the impression, but haven't confirmed, that some of the 'older' versions of these have a similar pattern to picture #3 in Steph's response. I call this a 'striped patch' but don't know what others do. Saw one years ago with beautiful oxblood, and unfortunately it became the 'one that got away'. If anyone's familiar with the history of these marbles I'd appreciate hearing about it. Thanks, Bob ( :

Hey, wediscount2! Normally I would have expected a person or two here to have given you a good-natured jab about your 'shameless plugs' by now. But maybe I'm not really surprised, because personally I've really enjoyed them. Straight forward before/afters, which show what can be done for modest expense. Informative and fun. Looking forward to seeing if there're going to be any 'one dollar' and 'ten dollar and up' repair demos. Bob

Dear Killermarbles, As an attorney for Hershey, makers of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, I must advise you that your forum title 'Two Great Handmades That Look Great Together' is in danger of being considered a violation of our copyrighted term "Two Great Tastes That Go Great Together". Please refrain from using this term in the future.

Hey Di! Cambridge! Nice. Would have liked to have grown up there. Got stuck with New York City. It had its good points, but glad to be in Annapolis now. As for this very moment, I guess I lied. Right now I'd rather be in L.A. ( :

There's a strange feeling on the Maryland shores right now. It's kind of like there's nowhere to run. Go North and things might wind up worse than here. East would require a boat and just be silly. South is just tempting fate quickly. And West is colder and I really feel for people out that way. Bob

Irfanview isn't what most people would call an 'editor' but it's one of the greatest programs ever made and totally free. You can make a lot of adjustments to your photos, and it's very easy to use. Anyone who doesn't have it as their default photo viewer in Windows doesn't know what they're missing. What the.... Oh! Just got passed on the inside by Steph while I was being slow in responding! Anyway, you won't be able to use it to erase telephone lines, but anyone who isn't familiar with it really ought to check it out. ( : http://www.irfanview.com/

Aren't those something! I spent the 60's in Greenwich Village, but wasn't quite old enough to frequent record shops until the start of the 70's. Apparently I never found his place. Would have enjoyed the marbles, if I'd known. Thanks for the interesting and fun history. ( :

Like 'em! ( :

Thank you both for the compliments. The hummingbirds and the still scene are both great. I've tried shooting hummingbirds a few times without much success. Was starting to talk too much last night, but wanted to say that anyone who follows 'zaboo's auctions' (and you should!) knows how excellent both the photos and marbles are. And will be impressed with how minimalist the equipment mentioned earlier is. Megapixels are overrated. Here's another shot from the Lumix, which, like the 'bee and cats', also features zaboo marbles. 'Horse Hairs' hint-hint in this case.

Wasn't of much help before, so let me add another two cents. If you want to blow your budget, you could find a terrific used macro lens from one of the top makes, add a used body, and you'd have a serious 'dedicated' marble camera. But to tell you the truth, I did this about a year ago and have yet to take a shot that I enjoy as much as shots I've taken with my other camera. The new photos are technically a little better, at least when you blow them up to 13x19 prints, shine a spot light on them, and put on your reading glasses. Valid, but geesh. My favorite 'overall' camera of all time is the Lumix (Panasonic) FZ-30. Its 'macro setting' quality is outstanding. In normal use it has a focal length zoom equivalent of 35-420mm. Lens designed by Leica. It's relatively small, lightweight, and a total instinctive joy to use. You can find a used one for a song, and it's the bargain of all time. ( : Here are some shots.

Great story!

Nice stuff! Think I may be agreeing with something Steph said in another thread when I say that I'm particularly fond of those copper-colored bands. Like the dark speckles too! ( :

Nice tripod, Catfish! A necessity for the 'make us drool' Canon telephoto. And also for close-up marble photos. I think a lot of people don't realize how touchy and precise things get when you're coming in close. Being rock-steady is crucial. ( :

It's hard to tell what would serve you well with so little information. But Edna's mention of a tripod is the most important advice you need to know. Get one that has consistent good reviews, and pay a little more than you might like if necessary. Until you get a decent tripod it won't matter much which camera you get. ( :