The image on the front page of Pixelog right now has to be one of the best macro shots I’ve taken to date with my G2. If you view the larger image, you can see rust flakes even - I love the detail. Now if only there was more time in the day to just wander and take photographs.

By the way - if you visit Pixelog and you like it, could you vote for me at Photoblogs.org? It’s fast and easy - there is a link on every page! (Also, Pixelog is a comment friendly zone. Feedback is always welcome!)

Just a reminder - if you’ve been playing BlogShares, you have less than 12 hours or so (since it is 1pm GMT already) to cash out all your stocks so that you can take your cash over to the game when it leaves beta mode to go live.

Or you can do what I’m doing, scoop up some good stock cheap, and continue making money. You know, whatever works for you…

I’ve been doing some Feng Shui rearranging around here for the past day or two, behind the scenes, and it feels good. The sharp angles aren’t in spots where they hurt when you bump in to them, and there are fish and plants. Ok, not really, but it still feels good to do some housekeeping.

As I was poking around, I discovered something. There are a lot of you out there that link to this site that I have never heard of. I’m assuming that if you link to me, you just might travel through here every once in awhile. This is your open invitation to say hi and let me know you’re around. I can’t read your site if I don’t know about your site, can I? Come on … tell me who you are. I don’t bite. Well, not unless you ask me to…

Just yesterday I was complaining about the concept of a Reality TV channel. Then the TiVo, always looking out for me, shared a clip of Manor House, currently airing on PBS. Nineteen volunteers move in to a house set in Edwardian Britian and live out life as servants and masters. They have to live by the rules of Edwardian society, where people know their place and do as is expected of them.

Taking Manderston (an authentic Edwardian pleasure palace in the Scottish Borders), a family of five and a newly formed staff of 14 - this six-part series turns back the clock to re-create life as it was for the new rich and their servants during the halcyon period in British social history before the First World War.

For those of us that love things such as “Sense & Sensibility” and “Pride & Prejudice”, this looks like it will be quite perfect. I’ve already set the Tivo to start recording it today!

And yes, there is a Snob-o-Meter on the site so you can test your snob powers and determine if you would have ended up upstairs or downstairs!

My Tiny Garden is breathtaking and amazing. I dream of someday being able to take photographs like that. [via alyshajane.com]

There it is. Photographic evidence that J-Mo and I met in person Friday night. Well, the picture was actually snapped in the wee hours of Saturday morning, but do you still call that Friday? Or is it Saturday? I think if I haven’t slept yet, it counts as Friday. Right?

I’ve had the good fortune over the past several months to get a glimpse of the woman the world knows as Heather Champ. From the first time I contacted her regarding PictureYourself, she has been incredibly supportive. Having the opportunity to spend time with her at SXSW this year was nothing but a pure delight. She is an amazing and talented woman, and I just can’t say that often enough.

So on this day, when I’m sure she wouldn’t want a fuss to be made or much attention at all … I just have to say …

Happy Birthday, Heather. May many moments of happiness and joy cross your path time and time again in the future.

I thought I posted this earlier, but a look further down the page made me realize I didn’t. Oops! Meryl and Paul had their baby! He was born on Monday, April 28, after an eventful day at the hospital. His name is Zachary Raimi, and I’ll let Meryl fill you in on the rest of the details. Mother & baby are fine. Much love to all of the Evans family! You are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Whoo hoo! Zachary has arrived!

Feel the need to beat your head on the wall? Then read Sen. Rick Santorum’s comments on homosexuality in an AP interview. I thought the man was slightly whacked at first. Then I got to this:

It all comes from, I would argue, this right to privacy that doesn’t exist in my opinion in the United States Constitution, this right that was created, it was created in Griswold — Griswold was the contraceptive case — and abortion. And now we’re just extending it out. And the further you extend it out, the more you — this freedom actually intervenes and affects the family. You say, well, it’s my individual freedom. Yes, but it destroys the basic unit of our society because it condones behavior that’s antithetical to strong, healthy families. Whether it’s polygamy, whether it’s adultery, where it’s sodomy, all of those things, are antithetical to a healthy, stable, traditional family.

Sen. Santorum, may I introduce you to a copy of the Old Testament? You know, where the Ten Commandments are established? Yeah… polygamy was a big thing back in the day. Sure, it’s not your normal every day family in today’s society, but it was pretty normal 2000 years ago, and even more recently, around the globe.

Dude, we have come a long ways from the days of the Old Testament. What happens in my bedroom is my business. The government has better things to be doing with their time. Whether or not I take birth control, NOT your business.

The idea is that the state doesn’t have rights to limit individuals’ wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire. And we’re seeing it in our society.

Oh. Dear. Lord.

Someone, please … tell me this interview was a joke. It’s something that was just copied from The Onion, right? Because I really, really, really hope that our society is not coming to this point…

[via Ugga Bugga]

I saw it on the Captivate screen in the elevator, and I really hoped it wasn’t true … but it is. A Reality TV Channel is in the works. Come on people, enough is enough! I turn on my TV to get away from reality - I don’t need a reality channel! Well, unless they promise to air The Amazing Race. I really, really miss TAR! Bring back TAR! Bring back TAR!

The always faboo Donna has created the Blogging Evolution Exam. I think some code guru genius needs to make this baby interactive so we can score it online and post our scores on our sites, just like the Blogger code! I’ll let you know what my score is as soon as I tally it up, but I can already tell you that I kept saying “yes” over and over and over again as I read through the exam. I wonder if I’ll get a perfect score?

Edited: 45 before the extra credit, 49 afterwards, and a perfect 5-0 if you count my “restricted access” posts as being password protected. If you don’t see me for a few weeks, I’ll be at blogger rehab…

The party went well yesterday and the boys all had a good time. Mike came over after EJ & Sherry’s wedding - I had to miss it for the birthday party, but I didn’t want him to miss it too. He said it was really nice, and I wish I could have been there for it. They make such a wonderful couple - I wish them nothing but the best in their life ahead together.

Today I have been busy on several different projects around the house, and even a few web related ones. Lots of photos added to PictureYourself (getting closer to the 1000 mark!) and working on privacy policy related documents for other projects.

I finally finished Jemima J today too, and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! I read at least half of it in one sitting, and it was nice to take some time to enjoy reading a good book. I was so inspired by the time I was done! Has anyone else read it? What did you think of it?

Jen said more about the evening and put it so much better than I ever could. Yes, I was coincidentally wearing pink. Yes, I took a Picture Yourself style photo, I will share it tonight. Yes, we really did talk about all of you. But we didn’t say, anything bad. I promise.

Yes, J-Mo is no longer a blogger virgin. Perfect for the Blogger Love-in, and a great way to kick off the weekend! Now we just have to get together more often!

Now if you will excuse me, I have Jason’s birthday party day to attend today and I have to get the camera ready…

Yes, yes, it’s true. J-Mo and I got together for a few hours. I tell you… she is all that and a bag of chips! Wow. We must get together again soon.

Just for Jen, I think she’ll be amused … Bang, Banq, Bang. Now where is that waiter at… [via Geoffrey]