My Amoeba Sized Bit of the Web

Shooting with an old broken camera.

2012-01-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

So not every photo is perfect. To make life fun I decided to put one last film through my granddad's camera. I decided to get some black and white.

The camera has shutter speeds of 200, 100, 50, 25 and B. However it only shoots somewhere around 1/50th on the 1/200th setting. You can also see some darkening around the corners, another artifact of its aging.

Of course, for the last 20 years I've been shooting SLRs, and have always been able to see if I'm close to being in focus. Prior to that I'd always had fixed focus, and more recently I've been using auto focus. So to go back to a camera where I have a viewfinder offset from the lens, and to have to estimate distance to the subject, and dial it into the focus ring was fun, and frustrating. It did give some interesting results, and wasted a few frames as well.

The following photo was taken on this camera 20+ years ago.

This last photo was taken on my cell phone, and is of the camera that was used for the rest.

Pony Tails(2)

2011-06-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Pony Tails(1)

2011-06-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Two doors to San Francisco

2011-05-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Please use center door?

Bliss Dance - her new home on Treasure Island

2011-05-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you rush. Bliss Dance is a 40ft tall sculpture, and I had the place to myself. I'd just walked back to the car to change lenses, and I saw this other guy walk up to the statue and start looking at her. I fired off a quick shot, then continued changing lenses as he started to walk away. Now I see I made the statue stand on the table, and the guy seems to be looking at a street light. Oh well!

Buried Treasure - San Francisco

2011-05-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

A crossroads in my life

2011-05-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Alviso again

2011-05-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ooops!

2011-03-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

Interesting shop names

2011-03-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

If you ever forget whihc country you are in...

2011-03-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

It seems that Pandora can tell you what country you are in, unless they provide service there, in which case they can provide soothing music.

Another Hsin Chu temple/shrine at night

2011-03-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Three Wheels

2011-03-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

Three wheeler motorcycle "roach coach", laden with delicious smelling food.

Three wheel motorcycle "pick up" truck.

I am convinced this scooter is carrying a spare!

Temple at night

2011-03-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

101x3

2011-03-03T01:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, I cheated. I took these photos in Jan/Feb when I came to Taiwan just before new year. I haven't been to Taipei yet this trip.

Things not to do at SFO

2011-03-03T00:55:00.000-08:00

Train ride.

2011-03-03T00:54:00.000-08:00

This is an automatic mag lev train system at SFO, so that kid is looking out the front window. As a kid I was always so dissapointed I could never look out the front window of a train. The old DMUs that rattled along between Manchester and Chester sometimes had the blinds open, and you could see the track ahead, that was always so cool.

SFO - The Forrest Airport

2011-03-03T00:40:00.000-08:00

Not all airlines are equal

2011-03-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

So SFO international check in is in a beautifully architectured building. Once you get to face the stainless steel panelled check-in desks though, it starts to get darker, claustrophobic, and dare I say drab.

Virgin Atlantic bring a little splash of verve to it though. The have by far and above the most self help terminals. You will also note that they add a splash of color in the form flower arrangements. Again Virgin raise the bar.

Hsin Chu Train Station

2011-03-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning I took a stroll down to the railway station, which is in the heart of town. I was somewhat surprised at how European the architecture was. It was a foggy morning, but I'm sure the building would have been as grey in good sun light as it's covered with soot, as everything is in this area.

Inside was no surprise too, a busy commuter station, as busy as the ones in Manchester.

One for Mike

2011-02-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

This is what you do with a light box when you stop having negatives to look at.

That Camelia Again

2011-02-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

Same flower as the other day, but new lens, and later in the week.

And just a good flower.

New Lens - a quick trial

2011-02-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Tokina 35mm f2.8 macro for Nikon DX

For the first time in ages I have a macro lens, and am having to re-learn things like how shallow my depth of field is.

But sometimes shallow is good, as above.

But this one needed more depth of field.

Is this what people mean by nice bokeh?

Sun Sets Over Cisco

2011-02-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

Camelia, but which one?

2011-02-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, three seeminly identical photos of the same flower. One was taken with a flash (middle I believe). I am having a disagreement with my friend over which one is the best. I like the center on mostly, and she prefers the top. I find the left edge of the top one a little soft and bleached, but she claims that thre is more visible detail.

I know neither of us is wrong, but I thought others would like to weigh in and comment, or at least question themselves.

Old sketches - recently found

2011-01-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

I recently surprised a friend with some of my older sketches, and promised I'd show her some of the others. I think this is a reasonable selection of my pencil crayon and pen sketches. The only other medium I work in typically is pencil, like this drawing which used to be my blog banner.

Citroen Avant, sketched from a photograph I took back in 1990. Pencil crayons.

Honda motorcycle with extended front forks and a few other twiddlies. Based on a auto mag photo of a Honda, but with some customizations. Drawn back in the early 1990's. Ballpoint pen.

Landrover Series 2, 90". Drawn from memory, pen sketch. Drawn in the corner of some not paper.

Mercedes Unimog with Schmidt plough, salter and sweeper. Copied from a Mercedes catalogue, actually drawn on A4 paper, so is reasonably big.

Fordson tractor. Drawn from one of my photos again. Also sometime in the early 1990's.

Graphics Tablet. Should I get one.

2011-01-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

Years ago, actually decades ago, we got a Wacom graphics tablet at work. We used it for digitizing maps in a very clunky - non professional way. Tablets have come a long way since then, and I've started wondering about the merits and demerits of such a device.

As you all know I have an RSI, tendinitis in the knuckles of my middle three fingers on my right hand. That's why I have that "crazy" gold touch keyboard, and I use a left handed mouse. As part of the Ergo Eval when I first joined Big Company I was offered a graphics tablet. Since deskspace was limited, and diagrams are only a small part of my work load I declined. Maybe I was wrong to, because I'd have a Wacom Intuos on my desk now and I'd know how well they'd work for me.

What is a Wacom Intuos? It's a professional grade graphics tablet. You draw on the tablet with a special pen, and the result rends itself on-screen. It's very accurate, and there are varying tablet sizes. They are quite large, the small being pretty much the size of A4 (letter) paper, but having an active area of 6"x5", the large is 2' x 18", and has an active area of 19" x 12". I mean this is about as big as a 15" laptop when it's folded flat open.

The small is still $230 list price, and the big one, $790. The wireless one is a good compromise in at $400, 8x5 active area and 14x10 overall.

So what are the alternatives? The Bamboo is the consumer level one and tops out at $200, which is about the size of the $400 pro version, but has half the line resolution and 2/3 the sample rate. Is that good enough? Well, depends what I do with it.

And on the other end. Professional so far has meant as a generic input device to a PC in the context of an office. The Cintiq is pro level for artists and graphics designers. There are two versions. For $1000 I can get a 12" screen that I can draw on, and double that price for the 21" screen. Drawing direct on the screen gives you a virtual canvas, and direct feedback.

A $1000 sounds like a lot of money, and for most of us at home, saving on paper, or wanting to sketch in MS Paint, well, this is a luxury. For someone who uses this for their bread and butter job, well amortize of 50 weeks thats $20 per week, or 4 dollars per work day. Pretty cheap. To use once or twice a year, that becomes more like $200 per sketch. Is it worth it.

So what would I use it for? I never get time to draw. Sure I sometimes use lack of space as an excuse, but I don't even have the energy to make the space before I use it. Since this thing is its own space, would I use it more often? Good questions. I also take a heap of photos, but I never post process them. I wonder if I would with one of these kicking around.

All good questions. I have a couple of gift certificates burning a hole in my pocket. Maybe I should throw them towards a tablet.

Translation Required

2011-01-25T00:03:00.000-08:00

Rudy, Jessica, Cathy, Joe, Anyone...

Taipei at night

2011-01-20T09:02:00.000-08:00

Morning commute

2011-01-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

Scooters galore. Very few bicycles, and no motor cycles or mopeds. Just scooters!

Maybe, it's just Hsinchu, but not too many busses around. I guess everyone prefers their scooters.

And there are schools, and school crossing guards too.

And the inevitable Starbucks.

Will I need an AC Adaptor?

2011-01-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

The answer is no. This one will take pretty much any that I've seen!

Arrival

2011-01-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

Apart from the language, these airports all start to look the same...

San Francisco International Airport

2011-01-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to San Francisco International Airport. It's been a few years since I was last here, and a few things have changed.

Last couple of times I've not really had much chance to poke around and see what's going on. But today I put that right. I finally got to have a look around the museum. The decor is wonderful, and they have lots of interesting paraphernalia, especially about Pan Am. I guess that makes sense.

They also have an extensive library of aviation literature. It's all in locked cases, but I believe the public can have access to the material, just not for casual browsing, but proper research.

I keep forgetting they flew flying boats out of here, as they also did at Oakland, Alameda and Treasure Island. I was also reading about Oakland International last night, and it seems you could actually fly from SFO to Oakland in the '60s.

Cell Phone Photos

2010-12-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

There is a reason for carrying that thing with me. All these are off of my cell phone, no touch up.

Bay Farm Island

I like the stormy sky and the bright sun.

San Leandro Channel
Taken on my early morning bike ride.

Cisco Way
The parking lot at work

Alameda
In response to Rays wonderous cloudscapes, a typical Bay Area sky.

San Francisco
An evening quick stop at the end of my commute, nearly home.

My new movie blog

2010-11-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yet another movie blog?

Yes, another movie blog. See my boss was lampooning me at work the other day, claiming I had a questionable taste in films, because I'd just been watching "Whisper of the Heart", which in a disposable description could be termed an anime chick flick. Then I mentioned seeing the bonus disk for "M" by Fritz Lang, which he labeled as morbid, then on learning of the kinder-murder aspect of that film others added in "morbid, need psychological evaluation" etc.

So here I am, defending my taste in movies with the intent of blogging every film I watch....

How not to photograph a firestation...

2010-09-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was walking down the street the other day, and I saw this lovely old fire station. They even had what looked like a vintage fire truck there.

So I just had to take some photographs. I like shooting the trucks from low down, there are two reasons for this. The first is that you can really get some fun details, like the eagle or phoenix atop the bell, the chrome around the head lights reflecting a neighbouring truck, of the texture of the radiator, or klaxon. The second reason for shooting low is to get a kids eye view. Grownups look at fire trucks where kids look up to them, in every sense of the phrase. You can add to the size by being low, you can re-kindle memories.

I'm definitely happy when all I'm exploring the details of a fire-engine, every nuance of design, be it a Mack, Pearce, La France, Seagrave or whatever. Sometimes I get a little too focused.

But usually I notice when the engine starts up, or the firemen shout at me to get out of the way.

Citroen Avant

2010-09-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

Our new small library

2010-09-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

I found this at Alameda Point. It's a small public library, rather a high tech solution, still we are in The Bay Area. Bookmobiles only come around once a week, this is here always. Don't think I'll get to use it often though.

Again, San Francisco.

2010-09-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

San Fransico at the far side of the runway.

The domed city of San Francisco

2010-09-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a real photo, all I did was crop and dust removal. Geodesic dome over the city

Pelican Goes Fishing...

2010-09-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Alameda Naval Airstation is a great place to go pelican spotting.

Niles Canyon Railroad

2010-09-04T00:40:00.000-07:00

They were obviously getting ready for the Labor day weekend, when they use the steam engines to pull the tourist trains through Niles Canyon. I never thought of that and just ended up in Niles on a whim this morning (Friday 2nd Sept).

DS has got the modelling bug

2010-09-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

My eldest (12) has restarted painting wargaming 28mm figures. He's opted for Warhammer Orks, and is doing an excellent job of it all.

He did do Warhammer 40K Kroot a few years ago, no where near as polished as these guys.

Architecture of Emergency (my new blog)

2010-09-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, I've decided I need a new blog with a new agenda. This one will be recording the styling I like in buildings and vehicles associated with the emergency services.


This picture of Chesters old fire station is one example, as is the following image of a Pearce engine below

The long way home

2010-07-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week or two or actually a long month at work this month, and since we all did jolly well our boss kicked us out of the office early. For me that is a blessing and a curse, facing 30 miles of rush hour I-880 can take it out of you. So I decided to take 130 home instead.

130 will take you past some interesting sights, like this tree that a woodpecker had taken a fancy to. The holes are not restricted to the upper levels either, this was comfortably taken at my height.

So after looking at this tree and wondering at majesty of nature I also noticed that I was getting close enough to get meaningful snapshots of the observatory on top of Mt Hamilton. This is one of the places mentioned in H.G. Well's "The War Of The Worlds". I did also stroll a little distance to see over a ridge, looking to see if I could see The Bay, I couldn't, but I did see a coyote, first one in 12 years, and never one this close before. Sorry, no photo, he was too quick, I did get pictures of blurry grass though.

And I got a self portrait, maybe replace my Skype avatar with this one.

So the rest of the drive was wonderful, I got a view from near the top - the observatory was closed for a special function. However I did get to see the Bay. It looks like a silvery cloud in this picture.

I also got to see parts of the observatory.

The rest of the drive was a pleasant valley, seeing an hawk of some sort, wild quail, which was a first for me, an another coyote, this time from the car. In the 60 miles only one person overtook me and I only saw about 6 vehicles. Fantastic, but it took about 3 hours by the time I made it through Livermore, and over the Dublin Grade back home.

View Larger Map

Livermore Night Life

2010-03-26T23:38:00.000-07:00

So Livermore, California, has all you need for a Friday night out. There were art galleries open, and bars, and restaurants. This city has apparently reinvented itself in the last 10 years.

Some of the reinvention is a tastefully presented sex shop. I don't think they are catering to the same audience as say Berkeley or San Francisco, but not scrag end of Oakland either. A step in the progressive direction.

Also like the rest of the Bay Area there are protests. This was a pretty militant Christian group. Quite a bit of hellfire and brimstone really. I kinda like the composition with the Stop sign in there.

So a little bit of everything, and some night photography from me, something that's easier to do with a DSLR.

Diverging Diamond Interchanges

2010-03-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

So I took one look at the front cover of this months "Roads and Bridges" magazine and thought the proverbial WTF.
(http://www.roadsbridges.com/Diamond-de-Triumph-article8447)

It's called a Diverging Diamond Interchange. For the span of the overpass the traffic lanes are reversed, but otherwise looks like a traditional Cloverleaf. They say it's safer, but it makes the freeway on-ramp left exit, and the offramp merges into lane 1. Neither are expected modus operandi of a freeway interchange.

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a roomy great roundabout that you don't even slow to enter.

To show it's not just a concept, here's real video of one in use.

Next week - Single Point intersections.

Cellphones

2010-03-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was just tidying up around the office and I found one of our old cell phones. It's a Motorola Transportable phone of the late 80's, early 90's. I put my comparatively large Samsung Alias 2 on top for comparison.
Why is it so large? Well, all cellphones are composed of radio, battery and hand set.

This is one of two batteries in the Motorola. Yes, the phone needed two of these!

The sizable battery compartment, with one battery removed.

Here we have the handset, keypad on the back, and yes a two line display.

Color display? Of course blue backlit LCD.

These are some of the vintage radio I was using in Callbox applications in the day. Left to right, Oki, Motorola 3W OEM ,Motorola OEM. Also for reference a handset and my Samsung. We used to be able to achieve 9600bps data over the analogue network with an MNP10 modem. We also were authorized by Motorola to use their command interface, the 3-wire bus.

Now we have three more modern radios. These, two Enforas, and one MultiTech are all data capable and digital. It's strange, instead of waiting 2 minutes for the modem to train we can now establish a IP connection in a mere second.

Pi Day

2010-03-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

As you will all undoubtedly know, 14th March is Pi Day, best celebrated with a pie at served 1:59 or there abouts.

More Red, Less Green..

2010-02-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

So when I first got my camera I played with its black and white mode. These photos show how the red and green "filters" work. Let's start with the original black and white.

No photoshop, these are all direct from the camera.

So this second one is with the green filter turned on. So we get to see all the red orange text on the trailer. And the cab becomes paler. (Come on, we all remember this one from about 40 years ago, we all wanted it).

The third picture is with the red filter on, all the reds pale away. The red filter also makes the green darker, almost black.

For those of you who don't remember this Matchbox classic, here is the original.

Risk Cavalry

2010-02-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Ever played Risk?

Ever thought the play figures were a little monochromatic?

Me too, so I had to paint up a set. These are a couple of cavalry that I painted up. On and off for the last year I've been painting up a complete army. It was long work, and I don't think I'll be doing any more though.

Funny FX

2010-01-06T21:34:00.001-08:00

I like this one. It's hand held, obviously, low ISO film speed, sodium lighting.
The top layer is clear enough we can see what it is, and the blur adds a thickness to the sign.

All pretty good.
Look at it closely. It's almost as if there were a strobe light going, there appear to be "slices" of sign, as shown in the detail below. Now the lighting was high pressure sodium as far as I can tell, you know, regular parking lot lighting. I guess there is an oscillation in the brightness going with the AC power delivery. I just wasn't expecting it in a night shot like this.

It could also be the camera processed several samples of image in the fraction of a second it took this photo. So the question is, is this a camera artifact, or an environmental influence? Either way around I like it, just not on all my night shots

Christmas! Yay!

2009-12-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, what a wonderful time for my laptop to fail, and leave me unable to shout out a big something to everyone.

Christmas is a time for taking stock, so here goes.

CD collection, Christmas songs:-

Christmas with the devil - Spinal Tap.
The very best of Charlie Brown (which includes some Christmas music).
The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.

DVD Collection:-

Hudsucker Proxy (though more about New Year).
Love Actually
Blackadders Christmas Carol
Charlie Brown Christmas episode
Dinner Ladies (there seem to be three different Christmas episodes in one boxed set)
The Snowman

Books:-
The Hogfather

So there you go, not very Christmassy, but that's life.

New Picasa Web Albums Activity

2009-11-30T19:31:00.001-08:00

Recent Uploads

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Nov 29, 2009 6:56:48 PM


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Two favourite French films

2009-11-29T23:38:00.000-08:00

Lego Black Cabs

2009-11-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Firstly, my apologies, these are "Black Cabs", and so are black, which makes it hard to show details. Hope you can tell what's going on okay.

This is the Mk II, it's very much FX-4 inspired, but as a 4 wide car, this is hard to pull off.

The final result is a mix between a WWII gun tractor and a squished hummer. Still, it does look taxi-ish enough for now.

Here we have my Mk I black cab. It just wasn't rounded enough for my tastes. The rear licence plate too big, and the translucent yellow for the sign was just too hard to see, and too yellow.

I was also disapointed in how slopey the from was.

Lego Houses

2009-11-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

This is a typical English semi-detatched house, about 100 years old. Judging by the amount of space to the side we can see it's in a more rural location. Very much like my grandparents house for location, however the L shape of each house is more like the ones I grew up in, which was on the edge of town.

This one was intended to be a more modern American house, probably about 30 years old now. Actually, I built this one first, then DW suggested I build the UK homes.

There is a Lego building style called "Micropolis" which is scaled such that a city block is on a 16x16 base, and a car can be made by using a 2x1 "jumper" (plate with single stud) and a 1x1 plate (preferably studless). The American house is a smaller scale than Micropolis, but the UK house would probably be acceptable.

These were quick builds, but unfortunately exhausted my supply of 1x1 slope bricks, so I can't make any more at this scale.

Does the camera make the photo?

2009-11-22T10:43:00.000-08:00

So I was just thinking of photography, and cameras. How does the quality of the camera impact the quality of the photography?

I use a fairly good amateur camera, by that I mean a DSLR which was within my budget, and suits my printing and publishing needs - that is, printing up to 8x10 and blogging on-line. I don't think this precludes me selling prints, so long as I use the right quality printer, papers and ink (or toner, or whatever they use in dye sublimation printing).

I know there are smaller, cheaper cameras which can yield the same resolution, and in most lighting conditions probably match colour quality. But my question is, are photos from a DSLR necessarily better than those from say an box brownie, or instamatic? I'm thinking aesthetically, not technically.

I know from personal experience that the better camera allows more opportunity, a selection of lenses, or a good zoom lens, allows more framing opportunity. Iris control allows depth of field to be changed, be this by selecting a mode button, or by dialing aperture in directly. However, I still believed that you can take good pictures with your dumb old camera, as long as you know its capabilities, and you had an eye for balance and composition.

But more recently another idea came to mind. I have this vague notion that once I was holding an SLR for the first time I felt obliged to try new things. Sure, some didn't work as well, others were academic exercises and repetitions of text book examples, but still I felt I had to go the extra mile. I was no longer a snap happy tourist, but a photographer.

I also think that a "real" camera legitimizes things. With a pocket camera I believe people look at you a little weird if you are crouched low to shoot a building, or stand on a bench to photograph the sidewalk. With an SLR you can do all sorts of strange things and people look at you, then try to find your subject, then get on with life. I was in San Juan Bautista a few years ago, second to last outing with a film camera, and I was stood on a bench, trying to frame the hotels roofline with a tree and the eaves of the barn. There was a school field trip there, and a couple of kids kinda couldn't work out what this grown up was doing, but one of them said "oh, he's a photographer", and everything became kosher.

Of course all these things happend outside the UK, or before 9/11 where the press would have us believe all photographers are at best terrorists and at worst paedophiles.

I do have a friend who is a street photographer. I agree with him, its sometimes hard to take candid shots when you have a big clunky piece of kit. For that you want something more shoot from the him, wide angle, fixed focal length, so you can get the "moment".

So yes I now believe that the camera does make a difference, but more on a social level than a technical level.

(photos will be added to this post).

Mystery Bug

2009-10-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Found this chap in the pond this morning.

If I had to estimate, I'd say about 1.5" long.

When upset he looks like this.

When really angry two whitish triangles appeared at the tip of his tale, probably a sting.

He was released away from the houses.

Any ideas what this is? Thanks.

How my family see me...

2009-10-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

This is how my parents see me. I've noticed that a lot of candid photos are cropping up showing me photographing something. There's this one my dad took earlier this year at the Jack London Estate up in the wine country.

One of my favourite pictures of me was taken by my wife up in Yosemite. I really should find it, it's very good.

The Rug That I Made

2009-10-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was just looking at some of the pictures my youngest had taken, and found this amongst them. It's the rug I made last winter.

I half promised to make one for someone else, I'd better get started, it's only 8 weeks to Christmas.

The Pond, Stage 3

2009-10-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

So the holes are dug. The raised planter built and the liner placed.

Looks like "The Attack of the Killer Bin Bags".

I did tidy up the garden

2009-10-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

Yeah, sure it's just a hose reel, what's the whoop? the whoop is the three bags of pea gravel and one bag of bark that changed a muddy messy weed garden into an almost presentable garden border.

This will probably make more sense to my parents as they helped me start this project in March, when we split the young lavendar from the parent, and found some small self set rosemary plants.

By mid September I finally found the time and energy to sort it all out.

Besides, I had to tidy this up before I could start in on the pool, and railway on the other side.

That is the full 15' of our garden there, from the house to the garage. Yes, it extends 19' the other way, but that is all "under construction.

We broke "Translation Party"

2009-10-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Start with an English phrase:

let's go!

No, no, no, not like that. Let me do it.

into Japanese

いや、いや、いや、そうでないような。私にやってみましょう。

back into English

No, no, no, that do not. Let me try.

back into Japanese

いや、いや、いや、それはありません。私にしてみましょう。

back into English

No, no, no, it is not. Let's me.

back into Japanese

いや、いや、いや、そうではありません。聞かせは私です。

back into English

No, no, no, this is not true. Is tell me.

back into Japanese

いや、いや、ない真実ではない、これは。教えてくださいです。

back into English

No, no, there is no truth in this. Please tell me you.

back into Japanese

いいえ、ありませんが、このには真実がある。どうぞ私に教えてください。

back into English

No, not some truth to this. Please let me know.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これにはいくつかの真実。してください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。してくださいてください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

It is doubtful that this phrase will ever reach equilibrium.

Link to this party | Keep partying! | Crash other parties |

Translation party answers the question...

2009-10-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Donkey, ass, mule; what's the difference?

into Japanese

ロバ、ろば、ラバが、どう違うのか？

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, what's the difference?

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバ、ラバ、何が違うのか？

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, or the difference?

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバ、ラバ、または違いは？

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, or different?

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバ、ラバ、または違うのか。

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, or whether different.

back into Japanese

お尻、ロバ、ラバのかどうか、異なる。

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule whether different.

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバのかどうか、別のラバ。

back into English

Donkey is whether the donkeys, mules another.

back into Japanese

ロバのかどうかのロバは、別のミュールです。

back into English

Whether the donkey's ass is another mule.

back into Japanese

かどうか、ロバのお尻、別のラバです。

back into English

Whether, ass ass, is another mule.

back into Japanese

かどうか、お尻お尻、別のラバです。

back into English

Whether, ass ass, is another mule.

New Old Western Town

2009-09-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

So this is another quick look at parts of the Bay Area. Today, the East Coast, in the near forgotten town of Union City.

What we are looking at here is the new expansion on the West side of Union City Blvd, a road which starts as Hysperian in Hayward, and runs down into Newark as Newark Blvd. This small business park was built in the last couple of years in a faux 1850's look. First impressions is that it's a repainted old area, but no, I saw them going up on a vacant lot.

On the corner of Alvarado and Union City Blvd is an old, probably bank, building which has a NW aspect, and so fails to catch the morning light. It's fence however plays with the low sun in a most delightful manner.

Towns of this vintage seem to all come with a typical hyspanic styled church. This is no exception. Not a large one, just a humble clean church. I like the palm, it adds to the fun of things.

This old street light in itself shows the clash between new and old; looking like it was possibly an old gas lamp, it is sporting two compact florescent bulbs.

Finally, some great light through these leaves, I believe it was a row of zucchini planted along a hurricane fence. Shadows of tendrils and wire dark against the veins of the leaf itself.

The Pelican and Cormorant

2009-09-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had occasion to pass by San Leandro Channel, and there were some pelicans at rest. I made an effort to get back out there as soon as I had some free time.

I am still lamenting the lack of long lens on my new camera, but hey, that's what digital zoom is for.

The Pelican and Cormorant seems like an unlikely name for a pub, but here we see that the two go hand in hand quite well.

It's strange that my two favourite local birds are the very large and almost ungainly, and the perilously small humming birds. One day I will get photos of humming birds in our lavender.

Oakland's Scenic Tour

2009-09-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

This evening I decided to checkout Oaklands "Scenic Tour", visiting the most impressive locations in the city.

Back lit by the setting sun looks okay, but I think in full light you can see the full splendour.

Actually, to be honest, the corner of Cooke and Boeing is right next to the Western Aerospace Museum, alongside some of the old airport buildings on Earhart; so there is some impressive stuff to see.

My collection (so far)

2009-09-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

I owe you a list of publishers and artists. I will also list which has extra text and by who.

Strangely one of the least interesting covers it the lower right red oversized book. This is the graphic novel by Ian Edginton and D'Israeli, published by Black Horse. The book to the left of it contains the text and then a dozen essays by learned persons and science fiction authors.

My oldest copy is the Penguin, though I'm not sure how old it is.

The middle bottom was a bonus too, it has the original Pearsons Magazine edition, with illustrations, some essays and the full text of the Orson Welles production. The accompanying CD includes the full play, and interviews with Orson Welles and HG Wells.

The purple and green one in the top right is a reprint of the Edward Gorey illustrated edition.

As well as the books I also have the full Scarlet Traces, copies of all four movies, and I have the Jeff Wayne musical on tape, vinyl, CD and also the CD boxed set.

New cover for War of the Worlds.

2009-09-07T15:06:00.001-07:00

This one is new to me, and I believe new to everyone. The book is printed to look aged.

Publisher Tor Doherty Associates, LLC. Artist Anthony Schiavino.

So this has all the classic elements. Houses of Parliament, with the tripod brandishing the heat ray. What makes it so distinctive, other than the aging? I think the hue of the heat ray, definitely green, but so powerful it is bleached to whiteness. This colour also looks very 1940's paperback. The second thing I like is the styling of the tripod. Yes, very classical ornate legs, hinting at Victorian styling, but something softer in the carapace. Could it possibly that it evokes the shape of the George Pal film version flying machines, whilst holding onto an almost organic tripod form?

The book has extra text by James Gunn. Intro, bio and afterword. The biography is not really illuminating, but the intro spent more time showing the inspiration to SF of later years than other intros do. They typically favour illustrating Wells humanitarian attitudes, and how they fit in the novel.

For reference I have added the previous image used by Tor. Sure, a powerful Tripod, but just a garish and annoying cover. I may add this to the collection one day, but I have limited space to keep them all, so...

My new "Art" site.

2009-08-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

I have just created a new Art Blog, the latest in the Montgomery Productions series. I trust you will at least get a smirk out of it.

I want a garden railway!

2009-08-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I finally have a desire for a railway.

That's not a fair statement. I've had inklings towards a railway for some time.

My childhood 'N'-gauge never really got far. A freight train, and a passenger train with one diesel and one tank engine, and a couple of buildings.

The concept of a 'Z'-gauge briefcase railway was appealing. Can you imagine a layout of flex track building a simple diorama. All in a compact form. Great fun, uses some creativity, and would satisfy the urge. But have you tried buying for a 'Z' gauge system?

Another idea was just to build some static dioramas. Display cases about a foot long, and 4" deep. That would give the option of say putting a streetcar on a high street. A painted or printed backdrop of mill chimneys, and frontages for the buildings. Tracks set on cobbles. Could work. How about a deep picture frame and put a logging train, or Swiss train hugging a mountain side with trees and trestle bridges?

The next obvious one for me is a Lego system. That sounds great, but it would just take up space, and the boys would want to borrow parts. Who could blame them?

So, garden gauge? How about that? We have a yard that is 15'x19'. I can do something with that. I am thinking of running it at ground level. There is nowhere really to bank up earth or terrace it. I would like to use this as an excuse for a shallow water feature too. No one uses our back yard. It's too small to run, or ride a bike. The basketball hoop is unused. The sand box is retired. It's too hot in the noon sun, it's too dark and closed in the evenings, and we're close enough that partying outside at night would disturb the neighbours.

So my next question is what do I go with? I'd love live steam. I'd like Lego. I want ease of maintenance. The electricity out there is completely in the wrong place. And I want to keep it low budget.

The other thing, since the sandbox is coming out, I think I'll pull out the bench too. I have carte blanche in one wall of the garden and an eccentric shape of soil. I can see pea gravel, alpines, and miniatures. I can see moss and baby's breath. I don't see banzai though.

Are my ideas above my energies and skills? Only time will tell.

Fremont

2009-07-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Saturn sat sulking in the back of the garage. Abandoned for a week it seemed, no daily jaunt to the nucleus of the high tech industry. Next to it the Explorer ticked smugly as it cooled, the sweat of it’s labors dripping from the condenser of its air conditioner. It had done it’s work, two kids to school, a run to Starbucks, then home again by way of the grocery store.

The 2 ½ car garage stood sentinel in front of the 2.5 bath, 3 beds and large family room that made up part of the half million dollar single family home. The house quietly sucked electricity into its Tivo, its fridge, its air conditioner and the PC. It breathed out a quiet hum of perfume scented laundry air. It listened inattentively to the bumble bee hum of the gas powered leaf blower at the end of the close. It sheltered Meredith from the heat of the day, a quiet seclusion for her work from home, self sufficient self employment. Her cell phone rang with the pomp of Elgar, her 10 am phone conference with Sally.

“So where’s Martin?” inquired Meredith’s marketing department.
“He’s gone to Austin for customer integration, they’re going live this month” Sally had an implicit NDA as the friend of the wife, and so far had either rewarded the trust, or not known what to do with the information she didn’t realize she had.
“While the cat’s away…?” Sally was eager for a girls night out, they both deserved it she reckoned. Silicon Valley widows, collecting the wages at the cost of losing their husbands to the incessant grind of the techno mills.

The evening was planned and sitters secured. A girls night of vino, karaoke and maybe a visit to a club.

Just some random excerpt from my novel.

Del Valle Regional Park

2009-06-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I intended posting these at Montgomery Pictures, but I sent them here by mistake. That's fine as I just wanted to mention this fun looking regional park near where I work, over in Livermore, CA.

Firstly you will see I was treated to near perfect weather. A storm system rolled through a couple of days ago, and it's still cloudy in the wake of it, with temperatures in the mid sixties, not the normal upper 80's. I was also there in early evening, so the sun had lowered.

I was also by myself, well me and my Nikon, so we could take our time. Considering it was a lake, there wasn't an easy lakeside stroll. It's a reservoir, and the lake shore tips steeply into the water. The trails are not remnants of a path from one village to another, as they are in Britain, so they meander pointlessly, and are not afraid of jumping up and down steep hillocks. It's almost like they are service roads which went through gaps in the trees rather than cut from A to B.

On either side of the lake there are swim beaches. Judging by the number of lifeguard chairs it must get pretty crowded, and be very different on the weekend daytime compared to a weekday evening. I can't see us getting a cool summer weekend, so I think I'll leave it until fall before I try bringing the kids out here. I also want to scope out some of the other trails, the one I did today was tiring for the fat and flabby me. I need to get back into shape.

These are digital zooms of some of the birds I saw. Not only turkey vultures, but also real live turkeys, and no cranberries. There were also some deer, but my crunching feet on the dry leaves and gravel denied me a chance to see more than a few vanishing "be-hinds".

They even have huge pine cones, either that or I have a tiny cell phone.

I know what I'll be doing 3 days before my birthday...

2009-06-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

It looks like, from the trailer, a post apocalypse movie with a new form of being replacing man. Those new beings are rag dolls.

The cause of the apocalypse is quite interesting too, there seems to be a diesel punk feel to the mecha we see.

I think I took a different approach to finding Burton than most did. The first film of his I remember seeing was Ed Wood, about the legendary movie maker. I really enjoyed the film as it related the passion behind films like "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and "Glen or Glenda". That same evening the TV station ran Burtons "Vincent", a wonderful short tribute to Vincent Price, and the shadowy world of Gothic horror.

My next Burton was to be Planet of the Apes, a film that I enjoyed, but struck me most for its use of the color red. After that I strayed back to Corpse Bride, then Sweeney Todd, before coming to realize common threads like Johnny Depp and dramatic lighting, and an oft Victorian backdrop to black humor.

'9' seems like it could be a Mad Max/Terminator on one front and a Toy Story on another. The doll characters are in a CG world of rapid attacks echoing the groundbreaking Final Fantasy. Seeing this promo I feel I want Burton to film Scarlet Traces, and maybe even War of the Worlds.

The short was too short to tell, but the "stick more in" philosophy of "Captain Sky" and "Finding Nemo" (jellies scenes) doesn't exist here.

Roll on September (but let's relax and enjoy summer first).

Turns out, Burton is one of the Producers for this movie. While it certainly looks Burtonesque, it did have a hint much of a war story, but then again, Planet of the Apes.

Still looking forward to it. AND Alice must be out soon.

Wind Farms, Livermore CA

2009-05-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

The interesting thing to note here is the shadows. On the left the shadows of the windmills lie almost horizontal, very cool. On the right they are almost vertical.

The coloration is not differing stone or crop, but time of year. Turns out I hit on the junction of two satellite images tiled together.

Oh what fun.

(Click image to see full size)

My first LDD SNOT.

2009-05-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in ones life when one has to try something new. Lego Digital Designer (LDD) 2.0 had just come our, and the placement tools were working a lot better than the earlier version. I decided to make a space ship, and to make it a smooth as possible.

To get a smooth build you need to eliminate studs on top. I have since learnt that this technique is called Studs Not On Top (SNOT). There is one brick that helps a lot wiht that in this build. It is a double high 2x4 brick with an array of 2x4 studs on the two largest sides. With a cunning arangement of these built into the core of the ship I ended up with studs pointing to the cokpit, atop a stack of 2x2 cylinders, and studs facing the rear, as well as studs to top and bottom. I even had side facing studs, the red lattice piece just before the engine pods.

LDD has a ray tracing engine built in, and a series of back drops, so after building your virtual model you can rend it. Then you can buy it. Of course you can't buy this one, it's too old and the parts library has changed. Hey ho, that's life.

A past life.

2009-05-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

Used to be I was a modeler. I painted up 1/25th scale model cars. There is a box full at my parent house, and two boxes at mine. The trouble is two fold; firstly I have no decent place to display them, and secondly I elected to use a liquid glue which has failed with time.

This natty looking '34 Ford is actually in pieces, hence the back wheel looking crooked. The radiator has fallen off the engine, and the suspension is hosed. Can't put it in a display case without a lot of re-work.

Here you can see the care I took, and the extent of the damage, the whole suspension for the left wheel has gone, radiator/fan assmebly missing and the body completely come off.

The handles were stick on, but the dash was hand painted, taking a bit of care.

And professionally built it would look like this. I believe there is a disclaimer on AMT boxes saying they use a retouched photograph anyway.

It was nice finding this old car in the box, but I just don't have the energy or passion for a restoration job.

This blue Mustang has a few notes of personal import about it. Firstly, it was the first time I spray painted a body. I'd been doing brushed bodies for the longest time. I actually started with a brush again, but couldn't get it smooth enough, at 15 I'd had no trouble with a good brush job, but at age 20 I wanted it better.
I had actually stripped it a couple of times and restarted, a mistake as you can see the top of the door here started deacaying; the solvent was eating the plastic. That was when I committed to a spray can.

Again, the glue has failed me. Revel liquid glue if I remember, or was it Humbrol. The car is a wreck now, wheels and suspension falling off, mirrors, tail lights all come loose. That and the dodgy door edge as explained before.

I actually had a '93 Mustang as a rental when I first lived in California. It was a rag top, same blue as this one here. It was kinda nice driving a car and having people oohing and ahhing over it. I remember a couple of 12 year olds walking by and saying "cool ride", and there was a girl, my age, driving an '89 Mustang filling gas at the next pump, and she was checking it out. I took that car out for a photo shoot. I used almost two rolls. When I took the film to be developed I remember one of the girls at the camera shop not comprehending taking a whole roll of one car. I'll dig out those photos and scan them for a separte blog entry.
This classic late '60s was only part built. I silvered the door trim myself. I'm not sure I'm happy with the brush work there. This was my last car build to use enamel paint (indeed, I haven't painted cars since). I guess it's silly of me, but while I was painting this we had a 12 week miscarriage. I don't think there was a connection, but you never can tell. Since then I've hardly touched enamels, using them once on a Warhammer 40K dreadnought for some high gloss. Otherwise it's all been acrylics.

One last car. I was first exposed to Holden pick-up in the early 80's when Matchbox released a model of the Holden Ute with a couple of dirt bikes in the back. On arriving in Yankeeland I found that GM had such tucks both in the US and Australia. Here in the US they were called El Caminos. The Chevy Imapala, which is the right size car to base a Holden Ute or El Camino on was just being retired as a muscle car. Sure Impalas still exist today, but they are family mid sized sedans, or fleet cars. In those days they were effectively a Chevy Caprice on steroids.
I took my interest of the El Camino/Holden Ute one step further and extrapolated what they may look like if they carried on past the 1980's. My first idea was to do a retro look with a step side bed. The donor model was a Ford Courier pickup. Later I decided to go fleet side, using a Dodge Ram as a donor. The project got shelved when work got too busy. About a year or two later Chevy release the SSR, a retro car derived pick up. I found Holden still make Utes, a big one called a Crewman and a small one called a Maloo. The Maloo is coming to the US in 2009, not as a Chevy, but as a Pontiac. So in the final years of the Pontiac Buggy company they will have a pick up.

I seldom do any modelling now. The busted up cars above are in the dumpster. Time to move on.

Ever wish...

2009-05-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

... that you'd brought your full camera bag. I've got a split field adapter for my camera, and been looking for the ideal subject to try it on. This would have been it.

The purpose of the split field is that it puts a +2 close up lens over half your lens, and so you can shoot half the field 6" away, and the rest 60' away, or so the theory goes. You can keep the bug and the background too. I'd forgotten I had it, until I previewed this photo in my camera, then realized I was half a mile from my bag.

Collage. Good or bad idea?

2009-05-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

So I was just playing with Picasa, and I hit a button I hadn't hit before; Collage.

So I dragged some pics into the collage, and piddled around for about five minutes, and decided to share. It may be a good way to introduce a set of pictures, but then again maybe not.

These were taken on an hour long stroll around my extended neighbourhood. Peaceful "rivers", rugged "beach", the wonders of a terraformed landscape.

Oh, just click on the above for the 8x10 original.

Red London

2009-05-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

Just cleaning up and I found these two pictures. Very red, very London (the capitol of England, not the author ;-)

I was wondering how would they advertise such an exhibition in San Francisco? Surely not with this bus board.

Breakfast

2009-04-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Black Pudding

Pork sausages (bangers)

Back bacon (lean)

Served with mushrooms egg and fried slice, and of course a lovely hot cup of tea.

TV Tie Ins

2009-04-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

From my personal toy car collection

City of Metropolis Taxi	Batmobile	Starsky & Hutch Ford Gran Torino	Jerrys Banger	Drax Helicopter Stromberg Helicopter	Corgi James Bond Aston Martin	Drax Shuttle	Drax Shuttle
Kojak Buick Regal	Chopper Squad	Blake's 7Liberator	Goodyear Blimp	James Bond Lotus	James Bond Lotus	James Bond Lotus	Huskey James Bond Aston Martin
City of Metropolis PD (Superman boxed set)	Bat Copter	Captain America Porsche	BMW or Heinkle 3 wheeler	Return of the Saint	Return of the Saint	Husky Chitty Chitty Bang Bang	James Bond Citroes 2CV

I keep forgetting how much I've still got at my parents house.

Martin Luther King, Regional Shoreline

2009-04-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

So there were meant to be about 12 photos here, but I see Picasa can only send 4 photos at a time to Blogger. That's a bit of a let down. I uploaded the 1600pixel images to here. I also have an entry over at Montgomery Pictures, my photo only blog.

Nestled between an industrial park and the Airport, this is an unlikely area for a nature reserve, but indeed that is what we have. This park, opened in 1998, is a wetland restoration project.

The land lies between an industrial park whose growth was limited by San Leandro Channel, the Estuary, an Airport (employee) parking lot on Swan way, and the San Leandro Estuary and the the old aerodrome on the other side.

Apart from the interesting sculptures, a model of the Bay Bridge (?) and two huge steel dishes, there is a great deal of nature (walking to sculpture, with camera to eye, I almost fell down at least a dozen gopher holes. I was trying to be careful. The wetlands are doing their job, though I must confess the Canada Geese seem to prefer the populous Lake Merrit, only two being present here. Still, billions of little waders and assorted water fowl.

The following image is just a couple of kids playing on the dishes, but for some reason it looks like some people emerging from a flying saucer that has crash landed. I like it. There is also a play area for the kids, as if acres of gopher holes to fall into wasn't enough fun. This is the sort of play structure that's popular in a regional park, a whale breaking out of the Pacific.

Bunty Muffin, Turkey Slayer.

2009-04-22T17:14:00.001-07:00

Every time she saw a pub like this, she found part of her drifting back to the early eighties. We all knew this pub, there was one near you, and you've been there, often. It's the whitewashed one on the bend of the old 'A' road, the Nags Head, the Royal Oak, The White Hart, never a modern name. There's a pasture behind it with a couple of old horses, the beer garden is under a couple of oaks, with a swing or two alongside, and the car park always seems to have the same Ford Cortina and Austin Princess parked in it.

Those summer afternoons, dizzy with swinging and fizzy with R Whites lemonade. The tables sticky with beer slops and that one overturned pint pot with a wasp in it. Fingers dusty with salt from the peanuts or greasy from the crisps, the ground littered with little blue sachets from the salt and matches and dog ends. The air full of those smells which talk of adventure to us townies, either the dusty, sweet, dry air near a corn field, or the pungent manure hum, or simply the sweat of the horses, or the acrid taste of an oast house. Mum in a floral print dress, dad without a tie and sleeves rolled up, big brother in brown corduroy pants and paisly shirt.

For Bunty those afternoons also meant Grandad. He'd be sat there, pin stripes on his cotton shirt, braces, flat cap, pipe. He'd be sat there, warm smiling eyes, silly stories, and a couple of shillings extra pocket money. Gramma had moved on years ago. After a pint or two Bunty would help grandad carry the flowers down the bridal path which lead across the canal to the parish church half a mile away.

The bridal path met the B road at the corner of the churchyard where a rickety lych gate gave admittance through an ivy covered stone wall. The sandy gravel path led past a couple of impressive marble headstone to the church, and then forked providing passage around the Norman structure to a quiet grave yard shaded by apple trees. There they talk to Gramma for a while tidying the grave. Buntys job was to get the trowel and watering can from the shed at the back corner, while giving Grandad a few private minutes, then the two of them would get busy, pulling weeds, and replacing last weeks flowers. They would only be there half an hour, but Grammas grave was the tidiest there, looking much as it did when first laid there 10 years earlier.

You just can't trust modern technology. I was testing the auto posting from Google Docs to Blogger, and was sending this to my online twin blog. It somehow ended up here.

The above is just a few paragraphs writing exercise. I have a new character I want to work into a series of stories. Since she is a mid 30's English gal I have plenty I could write about her. Who knows what will happen.

Snot Racing Car

2009-04-20T21:46:00.001-07:00

So here's a nice little convertible. Do you know Lego? Okay then, check out the headlights.

That's right, the headlights are regular 2x2 slopes, turned so their studs are to the front. They make good headlights like that. The internal cylinder looks like a lens element.

You can also see the windshield is the old double height 6 wide truck windshield, again studs forward.

The tail light configuration, licence plate and bumper all show studs to the front too. Interesting styling, a little square, but still different.

The plan view shows a folded back rag top. Studs on the top of the model this time. There is actually a 4x1 beam with side studs which provide the mounting point for the roof piece.

The bottom view is most telling. You can see the model is built from bumper up (actually I started at the nose). You can see studs just behind the tires. There is also a Technic beam, it has four snap to stud elements in it, and this is the mount point for the seats. You want seats to have a single stud width between them so you can get two minifigs side by side. Two studs is too wide, and no studs means the arms bump into each other. Actually, I find 7 wide cars to be great for two minifigs to share, but are not the easiest build option. One can always just use jumpers (2x1 plates with a single stud in the middle) to get the seats apart, but that is messy.

So this is my first SNOT (Studs Not On Top) car. I have built some small space ships this way before, but cars, this is number one.

Some New MOC's

2009-04-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

So here are some MOC's (My Own Creations) that we've put together. The first one is a rather natty fire truck. I designed it onLDD (Lego Digital Designer), and since I'd used a few new parts, bought it from Lego Factory.

I didn't use the chrome spoked wheels myself, they have a neat reversible hub with lugnuts on one side and finer spokes on the other. The kids switched wheels on me a few months ago.

I actually came up with a truck chassis/cab first time around, then I added the fire engine parts. When submitted to Lego Factory it actually got tagged as a "cool creation", one small claim to fame.

These Three critters, we're not sure what they are, but they are cute, and are the work of my 11 year old. They almost got re-used for parts the other day, but were too cute to take apart. We now have the photos, so I guess building can continue.

The following space ship was a quick build epic scale space ship. I started by building a couple of micro schips, and decided they need a mother ship to dock onto.

Yes the rockets on the wing are really minifigure binoculars, but they are comonly used as boosters, or gun barrels in the Star Wars tie in sets.

Keen observers will notice the nose is on at 45deg to the main body on the shuttles.

120 Degrees of Separation

2009-04-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Less than a minute apart.

New Colours

2009-03-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

New colour scheme. What do you reckon? The plain white was a bit stark. I still want to keep it fairly simple for now though.

I've also fixed the hometown slide show. It was overflowing the sidebar.

I finally found out how to get rid of the little orange box in the title to the page too. Looks much cleaner now.

Your faith in your friends is your own.

2009-03-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

I kinda like this quote, especially taken out of context.

It seems like it wants to be some sagely wisdom, maybe from a fortune cookie. It is actually a quote from Star Wars, don't ask which one, I think it was Luke and Siddius having an argument. Luke told the Emperor "Your confidence is your downfall" and the Emperor replied "Your faith in your friends is yours".

I took it at face value. If you have faith in your friends, you trust them and rely on them, then that is your doing. No one can force you to trust them, no one can take that trust away. It's something that comes from your relationship.

I haven't been getting much sleep this week.

London

2009-03-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

So I just thought I'd share some fence pictures with you. I often have difficulty choosing what to photograph, and now I'm digital I have deferred the selection to "what to share".

A nice contrasty bit of sun dried fencing always makes a nice image, full of texture and shadow, but at times I cannot decide quite which composition.

I think I like the black and white better, and the potrait aspect ratio rather than landscape here today.

These photos were take at Jack Londons estate in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, CA.

This place is a pigsty...

2009-02-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

Whenever I used to hear that phrase, I used to make some attempt at tidying up. However, in this case, this old stone structure is a pig sty, quite literally.

Although remembered as an author and adventurer Jack London was also a farmer. He took his time to learn how to farm properly. Some land that he started with had been overworked by previous tennants. London adopted a more scientific approach. Learning how to tend the soil, terracing the valley sides so water erosion didn't wash away nutrients, and how to feed soil.

One of his other triumphs was the hygene of his "Pig Palace". Local farmers lost their herds to disease, London's estate had a clean concrete sty which was easy to clean, and added the precaution of footbaths for all visitors. This is common practice now, but London was a pioneer.

There are 17 pens around the central feed store. The curcular design not only afforded protection from the weather, but also reduced labor needs, each pen being the same short walk from the feedstock.

Marin Civic Center

2009-02-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

Who, living in America, has not heard of Frank Lloyd Wright? Remember the architect who brought us House At Fallingwater, I believe he also architected a building that was a mile high, though that was never built. So why do I mention FLW in this post? Simply because he was the architect behind the Marin Civic Center. The building featured here.

The Civic Center's main building houses courts, the library and the sheriffs department, even a jail. It is constructed between two hillocks, and a part of the building is subterranean. The building has a unique bold style, full of arches and circular motifs. The roof is ablaze with rounds. Inside the concourses are smoothed and rounded. It's a tribute to the late 60's, and rightfully respected.

Students of Science Fiction will probably be familiar with this building, but more because of another Marin County resident, George Lucas. Parts of his first Sci-Fi film, THX-1138, were filmed in this building; though we never saw the extensive parks and gardens which contain the main building, the auditorium, and the post office.

Back from my hol's

2009-02-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

I just had a three day getaway in the wine country.

If I get chance I'll share my adventures, but for now I thought I'd let you see a picture from the beautiful scenic Marin County.

That's funny, Windows showed that picture rotated -90 deg by accident. I liked it that way, but here it's upright.

Stormy Weather

2009-02-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

I Just found these photos on my hard drive. Taken in the fall of 2002. I remember that night, on the way home there was a fire engine half blocking the street and a tree down. These photos were the morning after.

This was a brand VW Jetta. That was the 2003 body shape, so it had to be a matter of weeks old.

This was a different tree around the corner. I guess a 35 year old neighbourhood should expect tree issues.

Which Way Up

2009-02-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

So here is an interesting question. Which of these two looks better? Right way up, or upside down? For the last 18 years I've always shown this one upside down, giving a dramatic sky. Is that too gimicky? Who knows. Lets put it to the vote.

Update:- a quick Google Image search shows that this is one of the older images of the mill available on-line, the words Milns Seeds still appear on the sign. The old seed mill was converted in the early 90's to office space and a wine bar. At that time the sign was changed to read "Steam Mill". Apparently it is now the home of a radio station, and an art house cinema!

I feel like I need to blog!

2009-02-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Okay everyone (if indeed there is anyone), I've been busy doing things which are not really blogable. However I think I will just make a few notable mentions.

1) My eldest nephew now has is own e-mail address. Congrats to, well you know who you are. Seems like it's a modern right of passage, and when should it happen? It's the key to the door, start to having new pen pals and other wondrous stuff.

2) An on-line associate started blogging, but ran afoul of thoughtless comments early on, and they have quit blogging. I hope they start again, but nudge themselves into it differently. There are several reasons to blog, IMHO.

a) Keep friends "in the loop", like a family "new service".
b) To share your opinions - expect flamers and weirdos here if you go public.
c) To inform a community of ongoing events. Great for providing marketing on the cheap.
d) To boost your ego, whoring yourself out there so all can say "you are wonderful" or to know 10,000 people follow your blog.

For me this blog is reason a). It includes people who stray here after finding my comments on other blogs. I seem to only really visit blogs of friends or friends of friends.

I do have another blog of type c), and there is a community that follow it. I know to keep the two separate, as do friends in the crossover.

3) My parents are coming to visit. Anyone who is a parent, or a spouse, will know that visits from parents bring a multitude of things. Mostly they bring visitors, eager to share the latest news, and see first hand that you really are well.

The other things parental visits bring are the typical stresses of "Is the house tidy?", "Will they be judging me/my spouse/my kids?", "What can we feed them?", "This will throw our schedules out...".

I believe most of these stresses are paranoia, but all the sitcoms and soaps leave us to believe it as fact. It's not that sitcoms or soaps are convincing media, but they are "funny because they're true" type deals, so you know that the writers prevailing belief is that it's based on fact, which means at some level it's true.

Paranoid ramblings? Yup.

4) It's raining. Last week we were having brush fires down in Morgan Hill, a little rain like this can only add to the fire risk. A lot of rain will mean my parents will be here for real weather. Still, since it's been upper 60's for the last week, and the UK has just had "worst snows in 20 years" they should be glad of the change.

Enough prattling on for now.

TTFN

Me

Computer Art

2009-01-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

This rather jolly picture was done by my eldest back in 2000, when he was about 3. I just thought I'd share...

Why software is so bad these days

2008-12-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

I believe the problems leading to poor software is not in the C++ or Perl or Java, but in the "English", the language the original problem was specified in.

I just read this post on another blog, "coding horrors".

The question is Let's say, hypothetically speaking, you met someone who told you they had two children, and one of them is a girl. What are the odds that person has a boy and a girl?

Now in a conversation we would make the intuitive leap that the other is a boy, but it may be a man or woman. Looking at the parent would probably fill in the blanks.

There are some 500+ replies to that post. Most debating 50% or 66.6% as the correct answer, pulling in permutations and probabilities. All nice and mathematical. A few pedants in the crowd start being smart about XY XX chromosome and shared father stats'. If they want to get into that, it's going beyond the information we have. 50% chance for a child being a boy is an accepted fact, it may be more like 55% for a girl. Is this a global given value?

Since it's on a programming forum I'd like to think it's pointing out how people miss hear/interpret information. Everyone thinks it's a rephrasing of a standard problem, and are solving that.

You know what they say about assume, it makes an Ass out of U and Me.

Happy New Year all...

What to do with my Christmas money?

2008-12-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

So between my parents and my in-laws I now have a bit of extra spending money. Thanks guys.

Anyway, the question is, what to do with it? I really want to get a camera lens, but which one?

The options include

zoom lens - 55-200ish for my DSLR.
perspective correction lens
3-D lens
pinhole lens.

Now what can these do for me?

Well, until I switched to Nikon I had a telephoto zoom lens, it was a 75-200 for my regular SLR. It was what I used for more than half my photo's, picking out detail in architecture, getting closer to wildlife etc. I really don't think I can go much longer without adding one of these to my camera kit. I can just do a digital zoom when I offload the picture to the PC, that does for on-line displaying of photos, but a proper zoom would be an asset.

A perspective correction lens will reduce or eliminate converging verticals on photos of buildings. I take a lot of photos of buildings, so this should be an asset. I've never had one before, and I don't know if I have the patience to use one. You can also use perspective correction software after the fact too.

3-D lens. This is actually a pair of lenses that give a stereoscopic view of the world. When the photos are done, those of us with the right sort of vision can see some depth in these photos. It sounds like a fun deal. There again, my wife and a few other people I know cannot look at 3-D images without getting put off balance, and feeling queasy. Where is the fun in taking photos you cannot share?

Pinhole cameras are an interesting breed. They are meant to offer excellent depth of field, but due to the ridiculously small aperture they require careful use, and cannot really capture action scenes. I still think it would be fun to try one. Of course you can make your own pinhole. They never end up perfectly round, and the rough edge gives each pinhole camera a unique feel. I somehow think a laser cut pin hole takes some of the charm away from the image, but it will give a clearer image I believe.

These are just the camera related options. Other options include a new rocking chair (glider), or something towards the computer, or a new car stereo - the old one is having trouble ejecting discs now, and having a Bluetooth capable stereo for hands free cell usage sounds like a good idea.