Canon 10D for Sale

If you're interested in digital photography, a friend of mine has a Canon 10D digital SLR for sale. You can read an indepth review of the camera at DPReview and you can write my friend Sarah to ask her any questions. Some examples of her photography are on the Net at this location . If you're looking to move up from the tinier digicams to something that can produce large prints, this might be the ticket for you, and it gives you the added flexibility of using different lenses for your photography.

Quote of the Day
Mitch Hedberg - I like swiss cheese. It's the only cheese you can draw with a pencil and identify. You can draw American cheese, but someone will think it's cheddar. Swiss cheese is the only cheese you can bite and miss. "Hey Mitch - does that sandwich have cheese on it?" "Every now and then!" I got some swiss air on that bite.

A Clever Idea

Saw this in David Pogue's column today . I agree with him, it's pretty neat device. It twists and you can plug it directly into a usb port without needing a card reader or having to plug your camera into the computer.

It turns out that SanDisk's SD Plus is a card with a twist--or, rather, a fold. Even though the card itself is smaller than a postage stamp, it's been built with teeny, tiny hinges. And when you fold it back on itself, you reveal a set of metal contacts that you can insert directly into the U.S.B. jack of your Mac or PC.

The card doesn't have an actual U.S.B. connector of the sort you find at the end of your camera's cable; it dispenses with the outer rectangle frame. All that really counts, it turns out, is those metal contacts.

That's it. The computer sees the card as an external drive--a flash drive, just as though you'd inserted the card into a card reader--and you can download the photos just as you always do. Except you've completely eliminated the need for an additional piece of gear that bridges your camera and your computer.

Photo of the Day

Shot this looking directly into sun. Was expecting a lot of flare as I didn't have a lens hood on, but was pleasantly surprised. Canon 20D 100mm EF2.8 USM Macro; 1/2500th @ f4, iso 800.

Quote of the Day
Mitch Hedberg - Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. "Goddamn it Otto, you are an alcoholic." "Goddamn it Otto, you have Lupus" ... one of those two doesn't sound right.

Audible

I've recently updated my Audible section in the sidebar, to show my favorite selections over the past few years, as well as to show the book I'm currently reading. If you're a commuter, as I've said many times before, this is something you should check out. Or if you like to work out and tire of just constant music and actually want to learn something, then you need to investigate this. I've read well over 25 books in the last year alone, something I never would have done otherwise.

Fun with MachineTranslation

You will note that under each post now, there is a link to various languages, so if, for example, you wish to read the post in German, you would click on Deutsche. Sometimes the translations aren't bad, sometimes they're pretty funny. (the only one I can speak besides English is German, so your guess is as good as mine about the others. I suspect German is not an easy one for the automatic translation device. Perhaps some of you who speak the other languages can comment on the those. Check the sidebarfor more information about this (under Google Translation Links).

Dana Reeve (44) has Lung Cancer

Man, this is NOT what you deserve after all this poor woman has gone through. You have to wonder how much stress contributed to this. I don't think she smoked, so you have to ponder what caused this. Prognosis is not generally good once you get tagged with this, despite one's positive attitude,etc. Let's hope she can be the exception to the rule. She was a true warrior during his illness. Stress is one of those things you need to get rid of in your life if at all possible, because it is the bringer of only bad things when it comes to health. And if you smoke, well maybe Peter Jenning's death and even hearing of Dana's situation, will prompt you to stop the stupid habit before it is too late. Last I heard, dying of cancer is not a pleasant way to go.

Bidu - boo

Glad I bailed early on BIDU yesterday - down another 10% today at $103 as I post this. I feel sorry for those who bought at $158 yesterday, if they didn't pay attention after they bought. Oil stocks continue to percolate, which is might fine by me, owning 1 of those gems myself. It may not be a good thing overall, but it is handsomely paying off for my otherwise stupid plunges into things like BIDU.

Quote of the Day
Mitch Hedberg - This product that was on TV was available for four easy payments of $19.95. I would like a product that was available for three easy payments and one fucking complicated payment. We can't tell you which payment it is, but one of these payments is going to be a bitch. The mailman will get shot to death, the envelope will not seal, and the stamp will be in the wrong denomination. Good luck fucker. The last payment must be made in wampum Sorry about the x-rated language - that's Mitch, not me!

BIDU anyone?

China's new "Google" has taken off like a rocketship, blasting from $27 to a current $142. You do the math - that's a huge increase. I jumped in to the fray as well - too late? Probably, if my track record is any thing. Then on the other hand, perhaps it will head towards $300 and I'll make a tidy profit. Ha!

Baidu has grown impressively since being founded five years ago and is currently the second most popular Web site in China. For the current quarter, the company expects to report a nearly 400% earnings increase to $1.5 million on $8.4 million in revenue....."The speculators are looking at it as another Google and right now the fast money is taking over," Randy Diamond, sales trader at Miller Tabak, said. "Individual investors should stay far away from this stock until it cools off."

Yeh, well Randy that's probably what you said about Google when it was at $100, too. We shall see.

***"Follow up to this - maybe ol' Randy wasn't so stupid after all. Shortly after I bought, stock started to sink. Cratered out at the end of the day at $115.50. Fortunately, I had set a stop/loss and only took a small loss. Of course tomorrow, it will go up 100%. LOL

You'd Better Get Up Early

Discovery is scheduled to glide to the ground as early as 4:46 a.m. Eastern time Monday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The time is dictated by the way the shuttle's orbit brings it in line with the approach to Cape Canaveral; if necessary, a second opportunity will come slightly later in the morning, at 6:21.

TV Shows
Saw a great episode of Six Feet under tonight - outstanding acting - truly one of the better programs on TV today. Was introduced to a "Green Burial ", something I hadn't really heard much about - sort of makes sense in a way. It's a shame that's it's going off the air so soon. Some of the other really great TV I miss still today - Northern Exposure and Once and Again. What are some of the great shows you miss?