Travels and Thoughts

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Travels and Images

WEEK 21 2005

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Saturday 28 May 2005

Saturday - on holiday. The trip down was uneventful - for us. People heading north on the I-15 had this to content with:

It looks to have been a grass fire, that stretched for a hundred yards or so.

Friday 27 May 2005

Friday - I'm off to San Diego for the weekend - no posting until I get back, probably.

In other news, the other night I installed the WRT54G router that I bought a few weeks back. My old access point had failed, at least the wireless portion had, but I put off the installation of the new box because I just assumed that setting up the WPA security protocol would be harder than WEP. Actually it's about the same. So, that's done. This router also has big feet, that should allow airflow underneath, which will help keep the electronics cooler. I knew that the old router was going to go south when it started weeping some mysterious oily liquid.

Weird link of the day: hidden art (vandalism?) on walls, behind those boring prints in hotel rooms. People are strange. [via AmyLovesBooks ].

Thursday 26 May 2005

Thursday - I am thinking about a new digital camera. Specifically the Pentax Optio WP, which is waterproof to about 5 feet. That doesn't sound like much, but it means that I could bring it when kayaking or boating without worry. It is actually water proof, rather than just water resistant, which is cool - you can actually take pictures underwater! I always fall in the water when kayaking, and it's a pain to leave the camera on shore and miss the good shots. It's 5 megapixels, which is a decent resolution ( my current camera is 3.2 ) and has a moderately good review here , another here, and people in the forums seem to like it - other than the waterproofing it's a fairly middle-of-the-road ultra-compact camera. The compact form factor means I can also put it in a pocket or fanny pack if bicycling or hiking.

They are asking about $320, so it's a bit pricey - I don't go kayaking that often. A weather resistant camera would cost less. Still...

A waterproof case is often available for many land cameras, but start at $250 and head up. If I was a professional photographer that might be an interesting option, letting me put an expensive camera to sea - but again, it's an option that makes things big and heavy.

I also have the urge to buy a prosumer style camera - eight megapixel range, built in zoom, lots of manual controls and so on. A Olympus C-7070 or C-8080 would do. The 7070 is a smaller form factor, and less expensive, the 8080 is bigger, but has a few extra features. There are also some decent Nikon's and Canon's in the same category.

The digital SLR's are nice, but they are also pricey, big, and heavy.

Close up, from Dad's hummingbird cam.

Heh. I mentioned it yesterday, now it is on Yahoo! news - dummies who set themselves on fire with fake light sabers. Fake, but deadly. There is apparently a video of this - with any luck it'll be on the extended edition release of ROTS.

Wednesday 25 May 2005

Wednesday - Embarrassing things that might happen to you while using a light saber. Apropos of this - if I can find the link, there was a story going around about some fans who made their own light sabers out of fluorescent bulbs and gasoline...with about the results you might expect.

Dad has his hummingbird cam up and running again. I saw a pic the other day - fabulous shot of a HUGE hummingbird, very colorful.

Tuesday 24 May 2005

Tuesday - This is cool: a homemade sextant using an AOL disk. [via Natali Solent]

Monday 23 May 2005

Monday - went to see Return of the Sith. I had avoided spoilers ( except for episodes IV, V, and VI ;-) ) so it was great. I think Lucas is owed a great debt of gratitude, having created an entirely fabulous universe for the rest of us to enjoy on the big screen.

Of course, it's OK to make fun: The Parade of Unfortunate Star Wars Costumes. [ via Sheila O'malley]

People are just too critical - if you want 'art' or 'meaning', chill out, then go rent 'The Seventh Seal' or 'The Matrix'.

Sunday 22 May 2005

Sunday - went out with my brother for a bit of trail biking in the hills above Palmdale. We got out early - 7ish by the time we arrived, and it was a lot of fun. It wasn't as abusive to the body as I had imagined, and we had a great time. Coming back - downhill - was a blast. But it was all fun, and it was nice having the place almost to ourselves!

It was a warm day, so it was good to get there early. Something to remember next time.

Picture of the Week

Photo Notes: Are owls wise? According to the nature expert, no. Too much of their skull is spent making room for eyes and ears...

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