Michael's View: November 2009

We can all learn from Rosie the Riveter...

Of all the images and posters  generated during the WWII era, none is more famous than Rosie the Riveter. IMHO, Rosie embodied the true grit and gumption that this nation was founded upon. The embodiment that yes, when we ALL work together, as a NATION, there is nothing that WE cannot accomplish.

It saddens me when I look upon this Nation's state of affairs. The hardships that American people, families, and business are having to endure is frightning. We can blame whomever we want. The right, the left or those in the middle. Pointing the finger of blame will not and has not ever accomplished much.

Like Rosie, maybe it is time that the Presidency, Congress and the American People get on the same page. Spending trillions of dollars and generating a deficit that God only knows how we will repay is not the answer to our economic woes. 

Maybe, just maybe, if we all roll up our sleeves; and made the decision to let our own personal agendas go; start thinking about what is right for our country and not our political party affiliation; then maybe, just maybe, as a Nation we can be prosperous again.

Like Rosie the Riveter, are you willing to roll up your sleeves, pitch in and be a part of the solution?

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Good-bye Fall 2009...

In most parts of this great nation, fall 2009 is a mere memory. Gone are the brilliant colors. Gone is the crunch of leaves under one's feet. Gone are the squeals of children, jumping in the piles you so worked so hard to rake. Yes, fall 2009 is just a memory.

While looking through the many pictures I took this year, this is one of the few that I took on the Scenic Harpeth River that meanders through Franklin, Williamson County and Metro Nashville. In Tennessee, the "Scenic" designation means that it is a protected water way... 

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Knob & Tube Wiring...

has been around for several years, and is quite prevalent in many of the older, more established neighborhoods in Nashville, TN and other markets across the country. These are relatively safe systems IF, like sleeping dogs, you let them lie.

However, folks just L-O-O-OVE to tinker. And for some reason, they just L-O-O-OVE to tinker with electricity. ((sigh)) They just get out the tape and wire nuts and go at it and leaving things as they are. Talk about dangling participles... 

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Plumbers Rock...

Now this statement can be taken several different ways. Such as in Plumbers Rock! They are cool! Hip beyond belief and all that other raz-ma-taz. Yeah Buddy!!!

Or you can say plumbers rock. That pile of stones used to hold up sagging pipes because they were out of plumbers strap or just too lazy to crawl out and get some. P-FFT! The home owner will never know. Either way, what can I say? Plumbers Rock... 

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Just because they are a licensed electrician...

doesn't mean that the job has been done right. While inspecting a property in the Nashville real estate market the other day, I came upon several wiring inconsistencies. The property owner stated that a friend of theirs was a licensed electrician, and they made several "repairs and updates" to the electrical system. 

HUH?  Well I guess that these folks will either need to get a new friend or a REAL licensed electrician out to address the many repairs that were written up in the report. These are just a few. So you still think that you don't need that home inspection? 

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Keying on the right color...

Chroma-Key or green screen technology is a studio technology that has been around for awhile and is constantly improving. When I got my MAC, I was fascinated that iMovie had the ability to do chroma-key or green screen. As quickly as I was enamored, I was just as quickly dissatisfied with this program due to its lack of control and functions.

Good quality video requires good quality software. Period! Making decisions based on the computer platform (MAC), software capabilities, and business plan, I settled on Final Cut Pro. Now started the up-hill battle, the learning curve. 

Chroma-key lighting has to be precise. If your artist is too close to the screen, backwash, will create a corona, that will be difficult if not impossible to key out.

Your project will need to be layered. By that, I mean, that your background picture or video needs to be the bottom layer. Your "keyed" artist needs to be the next. By using the chroma-key tool, adjust the bandwidth, saturation, illumination to remove the bulk of the interference from your background. Use the thin edge and smoothing tools to "round out" the effects and enhance your artist.

Although this is a quick overview, by a lot of practice and tons of mistakes you will be able to put together videos similar to the one that I produced for ActiveRain's own Anthea Click from Fresh Perspectives Home Staging...

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...


© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Friday's Fotos - Rain drops on a rose...

There is something about a nice gentle rain that soothes the soul. The air has been cleaned, and the lighting conditions are just perfect to capture photo ops such as the water droplets on this rose. Kinda puts you in your right mind doesn't it?

Join, Friday's Fotos... The end of the week foto group...

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Photo blogging is more than taking pictures...

Most folks who know me, know that I love photography. That being said, is it any wonder that I would join William Johnson's ActiveRain Photo Blogger Group?...

Photo blogging takes on another dimension when one couples all the segments of video, photography and of course, paid for, royalty free music. In this video for the Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce, I sped the video segments up 500% to create high speed action to augment the music.

The one second pictures, were added to show a blend of people and places.

Motion text created in Motion3 adds another dimension of intensity to the movie. Many of these same techniques can be created with Sony Vegas for those PC users...

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

(not so) Wordless Wednesday ~ Having a distorted point of view...

Ever met one of those folks that are really weird? You know the ones I'm talking about.  The ones that have that mentality where they seem to live in a world of grays. Most folks say that they have a distorted point of view...

To the photographer, having a distorted point of view of the world is considered art. While walking through the "Arcades" section of downtown Nashville, TN the other day, I got fascinated by the distortions of the buildings reflected in the windows.

Does this mean that I am sick and demented? I hope not! Sometimes having a distorted point of view is not all that bad...

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

I can remember falling in love with the Disney characters Chip & Dale when I was a kid. However; as cute they may be in on the silver screen, in the back yard they can be very destructive.

Having created a backyard natural area with the water features and plants, the setting was a perfect invitation for critters of all types. And yes, the chips, thinking that this was prime real estate in which to raise a fam, moved in - lock, stock and barrel.

While cute to see at first, cuteness soon wore away when I discovered that they were gnawing holes in the underground pump lines. And, who wudda thunk that they would chew holes in the pond liner? Gr-r-r-r! Several hundred dollars and much aggravation later, the decision was made. Cute or not, the chipper relocation program had to commence.

Humane, small animal traps can be purchased rather inexpensively from many on-line retailers. Once an animal is trapped, they will be frightened. During the trip to their new home, cover the cage with a towel or blanket. This gives them security and comfort during the ride to their new home.

As always, wear leather gloves when handling cages that contain wild animals. Many have rabies, and wild animals big or small bite when frightened. 

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...