Over the past months I’ve been writing a series of articles about photography using a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera from the beginner’s point of view. The series is called ’The Postulant Photographer’ and it has been a lot of fun to write.

One of the nice things about writing a series like that is that you are more or less forced into discovering aspects of a subject you may not have otherwise bothered to look at. For instance, in one of the Postulant Photographer articles I discussed post processing software - software you use to adjust your digital photos - and I mentioned an application called The GIMP. (The name is actually an acronym for General Image Manipulation Program which is so mundane, but you get what you get.)

The GIMP is free, Open Source, and very powerful; it can do much of what Photoshop Elements can do, and some will claim that it rivals Photoshop in capability. Unfortunately neither applications are easy to learn. Not to worry though, I’ve found some podcasts that should help in that regard.

Meet The GIMP is a video podcast series created by German teacher, Rolf Steinort, that starts us off by jumping right into editing photos for use on the Internet, so we learn by example. Subsequent podcasts - there six in total so far- talks about other basic tasks like color correction, sharpening, and straightening photos.

It’s a great series so far, and I look forward to seeing more of Meet The GIMP, I think you will too.

If you are a Photoshop fan, don’t worry, I got you covered too. Photoshop User TV is a new series of podcasts created by Dave Cross, Matt Kloskowski, and Scott Kelby of The National Association of Photoshop Professionals (woo hoo!) and it is dedicated to helping you get the most out of Photoshop.

This should be a great series because these guys are suppose to be the best in the business, and has been my experience that it is always best to lean from the best. What nice about this series is that they not only discuss Photoshop techniques, but other photography techniques as well. If you’re looking for straight tutorials like those on Meet The GIMP then you might be a bit frustrated with Photoshop User TV, they cover a lot of stuff, some of which is only loosely related to Photoshop, but they look like they are having a great time. Check it out.

OK, on to a completely different subject: Martial Arts.

If you’re like me you then you likely have more than a passing interest in martial arts. I enjoy martial arts, I really do, I can watch people do it all day long. I personally could not karate chop, tae kwan do throw, or judo flip a 58 pound paraplegic even if she threatened my life with harsh language. It’s sad, I know, but that doesn’t stop me from imagining I can kick Jason Statham’s butt if he looks at me wrong. (You want somma me Jason? Huh? That’s right! You best keep walking!)

Whether your martial arts skills are real or imagined you are bound to get a kick (Get it? ’...get a kick..." Sometimes I crack myself up.) out of the podcast series, Inside Martial Arts. This is a well produced series which takes you into the many different aspects of martial art. The show doesn’t focus on any particular style but attempts to give us a broad view of what’s happening in the martial arts world today.

Episode 17 highlights a grappling match, which is not as exciting as some of the other disciplines to watch, but it is interesting in its own right.

Grappling is kind of like wrestling except you get to grab hold and use the other person’s clothes. You can take him down to the mat then attempt to get him in a hold that he cannot escape from. Of course, the opponent is trying to do the same thing.

Looks painful, but it’s fun to watch. Take a look at Inside Martial Arts.

Speaking of painful; have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a teen living in Orange County California? Well, if the kids in Newport Harbor are any indication then you would be blonde (of course), physically hot (naturally), and spend your days either lying on the beach catching some rays and sullen looks from the not-so-bonde and not-so-hot crowd, or shopping.

That’s the girls, the guys are buff, clean-cut, and lead an equally fulfilling life centered around the girls and sports. They never worry about anything except the possibility of getting an inopportune pimple and who is hooking up with whom. It’s a tough existence, but someone has to live it.

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Yes, Newport Harbor is YARS (yet another reality show). The iTunes Store offers a free download that highlights the kids in this show. After watching these people talk about themselves I am at once sad for them and envious: Sad because they live in a cocoon which is so isolated from the real world that they would likely explode if they were even faced with a real situation.

I’m envious because I would loved to be in such a cocoon, even for a little while. Ah well, that ain’t gonna happen, but if you are into watching how other people live their lives then you may get some enjoyment from Newport Harbor.

OK, time for me to take my bitter not-so-blonde and not-so-hot butt out of here. Please be sure to check out Road To Recovery, a free Discovery Download available this week at the iTunes Store.

Road To Recovery is from the Road to Recovery album by the Australian group, Midnight Juggernauts, and it has a great beat that even a club-footed Neanderthal can dance to. It rocks and it’s free; a great combination.

Other freebies at the iTunes Store (with direct links):

Vern Seward is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He’s been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.