City Hall, Portland, ME
Originally uploaded by rustedrobot.

I’m always touting the impact of what the internet has brought to our lives. It is now simply a utility that most of us must have, right up there with electricity and automobiles. I’m also always touting the frivolous, too. Last.FM, Twitter and other internet candy is just fun to use. There are other tools I find to be both a utility AND a bout of frivolous. Flickr, for example, is one of the best ideas for a website I think I’ve ever seen. I have the ability to take pictures and instantly share them with friends and family. They can even leave comments for each picture (though it’s rare anyone does).

However, sometimes the old meets the new. The picture here is of Portland, Maine, a town that Stephanie and I spent New Years Eve and New Years Day in 2005-2006 – and loved. I took a bunch of photos, including this one, which shows downtown Portland with City Hall in the background. It’s one of nearly 1200 pictures I’ve posted to Flickr.

Well, lo and behold, I get an email last week that someone in Portland saw this photos and wants to use it in a City Guide for visitors to Portland! I’ll be damned! I granted my permission, of course. I’m not charging anything and the person didn’t offer anything, but that’s ok. That’s part of what makes the internet great. Sharing. Plus, as I told Stephanie, I can now brag that I’m the 104th most popular published photographer in Portland. So there (sticking tongue out).