Five-Photo Friday #7… Favorite Birds!

I don’t know why I put this on myself. It’s so hard to narrow down my favorite bird photos from my “Only Birds” Portfolio. Check out all the images in that link and let me know if there are any you like better than the following…

Woody. This is a woodpecker (not the same kind as Woody but let’s just move on…) as you can tell by the red head. But I wanted something more pastel-like, so with a little editing, this is the final presentation.

Briefly. Pelicans are special to me because of a moment that happened on a boat a long time ago. My grandfather had just passed and there were these two pelicans flying side by side and I watched them for a long time, even while the boat was motoring on towards land. There’s more to that story but for now, here’s one of my favorite pelican pics.

New. Eggs in my favorite color and a newborn bird hungry for its next meal. This was a little nest in the bushes right at the front of my house in Nashville when I used to live there. I monitored this nest for weeks and it was a pretty cool moment when the hatching started.

Wing-Span. I was still pretty new to having a professional camera so I sort of messed up the settings of this shot but thankfully the juvenile eagle flew around enough for me to get a few pictures worth hanging on to. This one will always be a favorite because of the colors, the wings as the eagle made a turn, and just the overall composition, which isn’t much with the blueish sky in the background. I guess that helps keep attention on the features of this big bird.

Simplicity. This one has a bit more going on than the others. Isn’t it a great reminder from kids that life’s simple things can bring so much happiness? Chasing birds and watching as they scatter in all directions. It’s the beach. It’s the sun. It’s the little things that become what we cherish most, I think.

I’m curious to know which other pictures you enjoy too, so check out “Only Birds” and let me know in the comments!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Jourdan Blue Audition Intro Song, Performance, and More

We all know singers are the most common audition on America’s Got Talent (which annoys me because of the vast amount of other talents out there that could/should be showcased). Actually, I don’t even watch the show but when I do, it’s because of talent like this. A guy named Jourdan Blue, who has at least 3 qualities I wish I did– beautiful hair, a girlfriend, and a singing voice that I had to hear to believe– and he got a golden buzzer for his performance. Check it out.

For anyone asking, the song on the intro of Jourdan’s piece is “Ordinary” by Alex Warren. But irony is on full display because Jourdan’s talent is not ordinary at all. That distinct voice is pretty rare. Which is what no-one has ever said about my singing even though, not to brag, but I was once in a church choir in Nashville. 😎

If you liked today’s post, consider a $1 donation to help me continue posting daily. Thanks for stopping by…

Donate to Out of the Wilderness here

-Out of the Wilderness

Motorola Razr Flip Phone or Samsung Galaxy Flip 6?

If you’re following along with my blogs, you’re aware that my current phone is running on fumes. The battery drains rather quickly but the two biggest issues are the screen wearing and not being able to fold the phone closed without it powering off completely. That last one is not super fun because now I just have a normal phone like everyone else. Folding it was everything!

Verizon offered a great deal for the phone so I’m trying to wait until November 2025 when it’s completely paid off before trading it in. Every day it’s getting more difficult, though. I think I’ll be lucky to make it to the end of June, to be honest. I’ve been scoping out new phones for the scenario where my phone decides it just doesn’t want to turn back on ever again. The two stand-outs at the moment are the Galaxy Flip 6 and the Motorola Razr, which is a flip phone, too.

I think I’ll get more of the same with the Flip 6, albeit with a much bigger outer screen. Most people probably like a bigger screen but remember when the Flip first came out? They said flipping the phone closed was to disconnect (metaphorically) and be “present”. Yes. I love that. In other words, When the phone is closed I’m cutoff from apps and gaming and all that distracting stuff. But as the new versions came out, the outside screen got bigger and bigger. So then what was all that chatter about being in the moment? The large outer screen allows the user (me, in this case) to be as connected as I’d be with the phone open. Lame.

The Motorola is a lot like the Flip but with more negative reviews than I care to admit. Also, what makes either of these phones immune to what’s going on now with my Flip 4? Will the screen wear away? Will the phone shut off when I close the phone? No one wants those kinds of headaches. Which leads us to the secret third option.

Nothing. That’s right. Nothing brand phones are actually at the top of my list. The only drawback I can think of at this very moment is having to switch carriers. Kind of like when you have to move out of your house. It’s a big chore packing everything up, isn’t it? I don’t know if I have the will and/or patience to close my Verizon account and go through the entire process of signing up for Google Fi (which allegedly works with the Nothing phones), waiting for the phone to arrive, transferring whatever I can from my old phone, etc, etc, etc.

But seriously, the Nothing phones look pretty great. Innovation that’s refreshing when most phones look identical. I guess it’s just a matter of time before I have to close down the Flip 4 for the last time. The questions are when and what will replace it? Your guess is as good as mine right now.

-Out of the Wilderness

Juno on YouTube is a Problem for Liberals

The synopsis of the movie Juno made me laugh the other day. Since I’ve given up all paid movie streaming subscriptions (and yes, it’s been tough!), I’ve been scanning YouTube and Roku for whatever free movies and shows they offer. The former recently added Juno, a movie I watched back when it was first released… sometime around 2007. I clicked on the YouTube link to find out how they navigated the synopsis of the movie since the woman who starred in it is now calling herself a man (Where and Who Is Elliot Page?). The movie is about a teenage girl getting pregnant which is just about the worst script for any male actor playing the part of the teenage girl, wouldn’t you think? Robin Williams playing Mrs. Doubtfire had to be hard enough, imagine trying to be young and pregnant! Maybe the White Chicks Wayans brothers could pull it off but just imagine the conundrum of having to write up the plot of this movie starring the dudette formerly known as Ellen Page. Here’s how YouTube worded it.

Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she’s faced with an unplanned pregnancy-and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby. With the help of her charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera), supportive dad (J.K. Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney), Juno sets her sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) longing to adopt their first child.

Knowing that Elliot was a woman at the time of the movie takes the edge off of all the she’s and her’s but substitute any other actor in Elliot’s spot and see how goofy it sounds.

Juno MacGuff (Glen Powell) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she’s faced with an unplanned pregnancy-and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby….

I think the people at YouTube did a great job, actually. I mean, what are they supposed to do in this situation? They can’t use “he” and “his,” which is probably what the extreme left would prefer. That would sound crazier than it already does. It would read like this…

Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when he’s faced with an unplanned pregnancy-and sets out to find the perfect parents for his baby. With the help of his charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera), supportive dad (J.K. Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney), Juno sets his sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) longing to adopt their first child.

The further you get into the mindset of a typical progressive liberal, the more tangled up you get. The YouTube description of Juno is a great example. But Kudos to YouTube for just going with it, even if there’s no good way to describe this movie anymore. See also: Elliot Page Goes Back To Being A Woman After Learning White Men Aren’t Allowed To Have An Opinion On Anything.

-Out of the Wilderness

Know When to Fold ‘Em – My Galaxy Flip 4 is Dying

You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk way, know when to run.

Wait… know when to fold ’em?? I can’t even fold my Flip 4 anymore without it shutting off completely… I guess I know when NOT to fold it. All the time!

Those lyrics from the Kenny Rogers song “The Gambler” are eerily similar to my phone experience for the last few weeks. I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 for a few years and it’s become a love/hate relationship. Do you ever watch YouTube for phone review videos and notice that everyone is like, “I’ve been using this phone as my daily driver for a month and it’s incredible! Battery is great, screen is great, this one is so durable!” Umm, you’ve had it for 4 weeks, calm down. I’d like to see reviews once they’ve had the phone for a year or two or three. I say that because my once-beloved flip phone is kind of just hanging on by a thread at this point, which means I’m hanging on by a thread, too.

OK I’m being a little dramatic. The phone is still functioning pretty good. But there are a couple of things going on that are making me think I’ll be upgrading before the phone is fully paid off in November. First, the flexible screen is wearing down and it shows. Kind of like that leathery guy you see at the beach. Too much sun. Too much everything. The plastic screen (because you can’t fold glass) is starting to peel and streak. This isn’t really noticeable when the screen’s on but when it’s off, the screen looks hideous. Secondly, like I said earlier, the phone powers off when I fold it closed. I’m pretty sure that’s not a feature, Samsung!!! I have a folding phone that I can’t fold anymore. I feel so…. regular. Gross.

I’m not sure I can make it 5 or 6 more months. Actually, this might be the point in my journey with the Flip 4 that I walk away… or run.

-Out of the Wilderness