Photo via the United Nations photo stream on flickr.

The latest news and the images coming out of Haiti are absolutely tragic and indescribable. My heart goes out to those affected by the earthquake. I wish there was more that we could do. For now the best thing to do is donate toward the relief and recovery efforts. Google also has a pretty comprehensive page for Haitian disaster relief.

You can see some of the latest images from Port-au-Prince here (via flickr).

Photo via U.S. Department of Defense on flickr.

Photo via U.S. Air Force on flickr.

A new year, and a new decade are upon us! Here is my annual photographic review of the year. More travels, moving, a new job. So sit down and come along for the ride.

You can also see my past year in reviews for 2008 and 2007.

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Seriously!

It’s 50 degrees in here right now! I shouldn’t have to bundle up like this just to use my computer. San Francisco can be unpleasantly cold.

Now that the holiday shopping season is underway, I was recently reminded of an experience I had while working in Apple’s retail division during the holidays a number of years ago.

A customer came in and wanted demanded an iPod nano in a specific color and capacity that we didn’t offer. I told him that this product didn’t exist, and helpfully pointed him to the area where our iPods were on display.

He became rather irritated, and then yelled at me.

“You guys are nothing but a bunch of fucktards!”¹

And he stormed out.

Happy holidays to you, sir!

Addendum: The guy was in his early fourties.

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¹ According to the Urban Dictionary, a fucktard is a contraction of “fucking retard.”

Oh man, I don’t even know what to say. I’ve been sitting on this post for a few days, trying to think of the right things to say. I’m still shocked, sad, and angry that a friend decided to take her own life.

No one can ever understand why someone would go through with this and we all wish we could have done something more for her. But what? The worst part of it is that no one had ever expected this, especially not from Kate.

As I was looking back through some posts and archives on her Facebook page, I found this ironic and spooky comment I left after she mentioned she was going to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time a few weeks ago.

Two weeks later, she would wind up taking her own life. This comment is probably what has been bothering me the most about this whole thing and I can’t stop thinking about it. Did she foresee herself doing something like that then?

So long Kate. I hope that wherever you are now, you’ve found what you were looking for. You’ll be missed.

We’re getting to crazy-mad-scientist lengths here.

Posted via email from Dave Schumaker’s Posterous

For some reason, we thought it was a good idea to jump into the freezing cold Bitterroot River to start the morning in Hamilton, Montana.

Posted via email from Dave Schumaker’s Posterous

Obviously, they must think I’m a colorful person…

Posted via email from Dave Schumaker’s Posterous

I’m always shocked when I go to other states and see people riding without helmets.

Posted via email from Dave Schumaker’s Posterous

At the beginning of 2008, I wrote a post summarizing my year in review (2007) – featuring photos I took throughout the year. 2008 has been an equally busy year, with a lot happening. Follow along as I do a photographic year in review for 2008!

Click below to read more and see all the photos!

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