Because the camera is currently in Florida (I am a very nice guy and sent it along on a company trip), I of course saw two things that inspired me to shoot this morning: the 95 overpass against a really deep slice of blue sky, and a broke-down AMC Pacer by the side of the road.
Jen and I woke on Sunday, had breakfast, and journeyed to the Home Depot for supplies. We came home, donned our gloves, and began Backyard Patio: The Sequel. In about four hours we mixed, poured and set about 200 bricks back over the hole from the sewer repair. With three bags of cement, we got all the floor brick back down, the wall to the south planter rebuilt, and had just enough to complete the whole job. Sometimes things work out just right. We celebrated with an Easter dinner of steak and blue cheese, fresh green beans and a tasty Malbec from Argentina. I’d show you pictures of my backyard (as if you haven’t seen enough of those) but my camera… You get the idea.
There are days when software works right, and there are days when it doesn’t. Today, ImageReady is being a buggy pile of crap, and it’s adding hours on to a job that should only take minutes. Arrrrggghh! Days like this only exacerbate my potty mouth. Sorry, everybody.
flower, 3.29
We took a detour on our way to Ellicott City yesterday afternoon, and took a whole slew of pictures. More to come tomorrow.
keyboard, 3.25
This camera is the shiznit. I bought a camera bag for it last night, but will most likely have to hunt for a bigger one, as the camera and all its fittings don’t quite fit in this one.
Jen and I are entering a pair of logos in the DC Art Director’s Club competition; I think we have a very good chance of winning something. We’re still waiting with bated breath to see what the Oakleaf work looks like (when we get the whole package, I’ll post it for you to see) but the logo itself is ready to be judged.
I think I may take an hour or two tonight and redesign the Scout page, as it still accounts for 30-40% of the visitors to this site. (yeah, how’s that for irony? You love my truck more than my boring ramblings or crappy drawings. Where’s the love, man? Where’s the love?!?)
→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.
cayuga lake, 3.16
Jen sent me this link to a story on Shane McGowan, the toothy, drunken ex-frontman for the Pogues. It’s funny, I didn’t think he was still alive, but aparently this woman made a documentary about the band which will air on TV. God bless, Shane.
Continuing to do work on the camera front, I’ve narrowed the search down to the Canon model, and made recommendations to the company for the accessories. I’ve also been doing work researching solar recharging and power options for laptops, thinking that I may be visiting more than one overseas destination. There are several premade solutions, and they all hover around the $200 mark for panels, charge converter, inverter, and DC meter. There are also several sites which offer tips on building your own solution, which to me is a little riskier.
I also added a set of pictures from the weekend in the sidebar at left.
peter's inn, 3.8
We had a good weekend. Freelance work is out the door, we did some volunteer work for the AIGA, and bought some nice clothes for Jen. And ate lots of sushi. She also takes over the digital camera this week in hopes that it will spark a little creative energy. I have to dig out the cables and manual for her tomorrow morning.
You may need to register to read this (it’s free) but I think it’s right on the mark. I still remain unconvinced that war is the only option, and frankly, I’m embarrassed by our current foreign policy.
Also, seen downtown, Saturday morning: a plane towing a sign that read: THOU SHALT NOT KILL. —GOD
Keep your fingers crossed for Jen; she has a piece selected as a finalist for the Baltimore Addys this year. She’s listed as designer, copywriter and illustrator, and the piece is a contender. I just hope that this year is not a repeat of last year. One of the things that annoys me though is that there’s no site I can find with a listing of any of the finalists, an event schedule, or even an invite online. Nice going, guys.
john w. brown, canton waterfront, 3.4
Today Slashdot provided a link to an article by Robert L. Park, who wrote a book on voodoo science. The article discusses “seven warning signs of bogus science“, and it remarkably has many connotations outside its intended realm. (I have not read the book, but provide a link for your information.)
Also from Slashdot, this excellent summary of the Internet. I found this point interesting, until I read the explanation: 4. Adding value to the Internet lowers its value. Stop and think about it for a minute, then read the explanation. It does make sense.
From the ever-knowledgable Macintouch, this article on printing from PCs to Apple printers contains a ton of good information.
28th street bridge, 2.26
I got the eyes checked this afternoon, and it turns out that my prescription is just a wee bit stronger than last time, but no marked difference. Here’s to that. While at the mall, I also stopped in to the Apple Store and bought an Airport card for Jen’s Powerbook, so we’ll both be wireless from here on out.
As it stands now, we may get a foot of snow tonight through tomorrow, or we may get an inch. It’s hard to say, because the local forecasters admit that they just don’t know. Meanwhile, I spent $20 putting a little more than 9 gallons of gas in the Scout this afternoon, just in case.
Via Kottke, here’s a great link to an idea I wish I had: Using a peephole for a fisheye lens on a camera. I may have to unscrew the peephole on the back door to try this out for myself. Also from the same source: The Lomoizer, for all of us who can’t afford the camera right now.
Ok, I’m stupid. What I didn’t do was set the Base Station up as a bridge;, I left it in its original configuration as a DHCP/NAT router, so in effect I had two machines (the SMC broadband router in the basement and the Base Station) battling over the right to serve the machines on the network. No wonder I couldn’t see the other machines on the network, or the printer. And I think this will allow the autosensing features in OSX to work as advertised. Jen’s computer is up and running flawlessly, after a brief detour to the network to download Airport 2.04 for OS9 (it was not included on the enclosed disk).
One final bit of good news: We ordered tickets to see David Sedaris at the Lisner Auditorium in April. It promises to be a funny and interesting evening. Jen hopes he’ll talk about the Rooster. (I think the last time I was at the Lisner was to see 10,000 Maniacs back in about 1990 or so.)
4-lo, 2.21
Airport is working flawlessly at the house, no problems at all. All is right with the world, and (maybe) I can pick up another Airport card tomorrow for Jen’s machine.
fearsome snow leopard, 2.16
It’s 6:30 ond there’s somewhere around a foot of snow outside (probably more). The talking heads are claiming it won’t let up until tomorrow noon. We have plenty of booze, food and a broadband connection, so we’re looking good. Plus, the temps are supposed to climb up to the 50’s by Friday.
Happy shoveling!