Don't Let This Be You!

An Ounce of Prevention. (Read the tags! Read everything! This thing is chock full of entertainment! And information, too. :P)

 

This thing was Photoshopped to hell and back, and I did this for a variety of reasons: 1) to isolate me from the rest of the image, because 2) I wanted to saturate that shirt all to hell (I think I did a reasonably acceptable job of making it look totally obnoxious :P LOL — actually, I wanted the shirt and the background to be as vibrant as possible), and 3) I wanted to experiment with a different method of masking, using some instruction I'd found in Ben Willmore's fabulous book, Adobe Photoshop CS2 Studio Techniques. When viewed at full-resolution, the result wasn't perfect, but it also wasn't too bad considering that it was my first effort using the Extraction Filter. Good stuff! ^.^

 

I also learned a technique that will make the processing of any future images in which I apply a texture to my face much, much easier, and that's a good thing! :D

_____

 

Now, some travel advice for my U.S. contacts. There are several things you should do before traveling abroad. Much of what follows you can learn at www.usps.com/passport, so if you read nothing else, at least read items 4-10. However, I've included in items 1-3 a few tips that neither the State Department nor the U.S. Postal Service will tell you until it's too late, so you might want to consider perusing this list if you've any upcoming plans to travel abroad.

 

1. Make sure you have a valid passport. U.S. passports are valid for 10 years from the date of issue. If you need a new passport, it's best to apply a few months before you plan to travel. It generally takes 5-6 weeks for an application to be processed, but applying early ensures that your plans aren't ruined by any delays in processing your application.

 

2. If the date of your passport's expiration is less than 6 months away, apply for a new one. Some countries will not grant you a visa if your passport is that close to expiration.

 

3. If you need a new passport, you'll need the following when applying:

 

Passport Application:

* Passport Application Form DS-11 (unsigned; you will sign it when you present it to the postal clerk).

 

Proof of U.S. Citizenship (one of the following):

* Previous U.S. passport (this works best! and, surprisingly, even an expired passport will work better than a birth certificate—see below)

* Certified U.S. birth certificate (I learned when I applied that my birth certificate was not good enough to prove my citizenship, even though it had been signed by the Clerk of County in the State and County of my birth; I was even told that most birth certificates are not acceptable... supposedly because they're not certified, whatever the hell that's supposed to mean—personally, I think it's just a conspiracy to make the passport application process as difficult and as inconvenient as possible... typical government bullshit)

* Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth

* Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship

 

Proof of Identity (provide one of the following):

* Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship

* Current, valid driver's license

* Government ID

* Military ID

* For minors under 14 years of age, each child must appear in person and both parents or legal guardians must present evidence of identity

 

Two Identical Passport Photos (taken at a location other than the Post Office; you can get these easily and affordably at your nearest Kinko's):

* 2 x 2 inches in size

* Taken within the past 6 months

* Colour preferred

* Full-face, front view with a plain white or off-white background (Kinko's knows exactly what to do and has everything set up for these; just tell them what you want and they'll get it done)

* Normal street attire, no hats or headgear (I also suggest a clear complexion, and I'm very serious because my face was all aflame with my psoriasis when I got mine done; passport photos are as bad as those on a driver's license, and there's no need to make it any worse than it already is)

* Select Post Office locations offer passport photo services, but there is an additional $15 fee (this is no more expensive than the fee charged by Kinko's, so it makes no difference where you go to get this done)

 

Passport fees:

* U.S. Department of State Passport Fee: $55 age 16 and older/$40 age 15 or younger

* Security Surcharge Fee: $12 all ages

* USPS Acceptance Fee: $30 all ages

 

4. Once your passport arrives, photocopy the page with your signature and photo. This is just in case you lose your passport. It provides you with papers to show local authorities, if necessary. This is unlikely, but why tempt fate? It also gives the U.S. Embassy/Consulate vital information needed if they need to help you in replacing a lost passport. When traveling, keep this separate from your passport. If you lose this along with your passport, then what's the point, right? Duh!

 

5. Along with your passport, you'll receive a "Passport Services — Information Card." Fill it out with your passport number and expiration date. On the back of this card are several phone numbers, and the URL for the State Department, so that you can locate your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate, if need be. Keep this separate, too, along with that page you photocopied in item #4.

 

6. It's best to register certain personal items with Customs before departing the U.S., lest you be forced to pay Import Taxes when you re-enter the country. Register items such as cameras, lenses, any camera accessories that are high priced and have identifying serial numbers, iPods (or any MP3 player), laptop computers. Go to this page at the Customs and Border Patrol web site, and scroll down to find and download CBP Form 4457. Fill this form out, then take it to the Customs office at your local airport to have it stamped and signed by a Customs official. You can do this prior to your departure (which is what I plan to do for all my new camera gear), or you can leave extra early for the airport on the date of your departure and get it done before you board your plane.

 

7. Call your credit card companies so that they can put a travel alert on your accounts for the dates that you'll be out of the country. Credit cards and ATM cards have pretty much made traveler's cheques obsolete. Most banks charge only a 1% fee for currency conversion when making purchases or withdrawals abroad. Also, find the phone numbers on the backs of your credit cards, and write them down. Keep them along with that passport page you photocopied. This way, if your credit cards get lost or stolen, you have contact information so that you can have the cards cancelled and prevent any charges against your account. In fact, when you call to notify your credit card companies of your travel dates, they'll provide you with a toll-free number to call when out of country. Remember that you'll have to use the prefix for international dialing of the country you're visiting when calling the U.S. from abroad. This can vary, so check before you leave which prefix will be necessary in the countries you'll be visiting.

 

8. Because I love to travel, I made sure I bought a quad-band phone (mine's a Nokia) from my provider (T-Mobile). Quad-band phones work anywhere in the world. If you have one, call your provider and let them know of your travel plans, this way they can make sure your account is set up to allow for your phone to be used overseas. How much are calls overseas? With T-Mobile, my calls are 99¢ per minute, and SMSs (text messages) are 35¢ per message. Other carriers' charges are probably very similar.

 

9. Have fun and, for crying out loud, try the local cuisine! (And since my girlfriend mentioned it, I'll add that you should also try local drinks, too, alcoholic or otherwise. I'll also add that whenever I've gone to Portugal, I've never had as much Diet Coke as I do when I'm home. :P) There's nothing more ridiculous, in my opinion, than Americans who travel abroad and then spend all their time looking for a McDonald's. Sheesh! I've got a story on that subject alone, but I'll save that for another time. Yes, there are people who do this, believe it or not. When I travel abroad, I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to eat anything American!

 

10. Respect the people and the culture of the place you are visiting. I have met untold numbers of Americans (military and civilian alike) who have the most arrogant attitudes, thinking things like America is the best and everyone should cater to their every whim and desire. (Believe it or not, there ARE things about other cultures that are better than things you'll find here in the U.S. We are NOT the centre of the fucking universe, but that's another personal rant I'll save for later.) Even if you do believe such things, try to swallow that shit for the duration of your trip, and I promise you it'll be a far more pleasant experience.

 

If you do all of the above, then you won't be pulling your hair out like me in my silly photo for today. :P :D LOL!

Done