Sony DSC H9
This is a new camera from Sony I've been eyeing. That's a high-res 3" tilt screen there. Canon will likely counter with an upgrade to their S3 model sometime soon.



Images from Digital Photography Review.

  posted by John : 2:23 PM

 
Spring has sprung
The spring-fed creek that runs across our property is flowing strong today.



We've had a few periods of rain with three to four inches at a time in the past few weeks, so hopefully the springs will last awhile. Downside is the discovery of erosion at the drainage fields of the wastewater treatment plant upstream. Here's today's photo exposé on that topic. I've sent this with an email to a contact at the local city hall to see if they can put the boots to the developers of this project.

  posted by John : 1:03 PM

 
Sabana Grande
There has been some real, positive change that I've been able to see. The boulevard Sabana Grande spans three subway stations and was completely filled with street vendors on my first trip to Caracas last November. Since the start of the year police have forced the "buhoneros" out. Now they're going to have the symphony play on the street every Saturday. Here's a PDF of an article from the English paper The Daily Journal.

  posted by John : 9:33 AM

 
Viva
An article in the newspaper El Universal provides a good indicator of the status of change in Venezuela these days. Newly appointed governer of Carabobo state General Acosta Carles said, "Are you telling me that us revolutionaries don't have the right to have a Hummer or a car. If we make the dough, we can do it, or is that exclusive to only some?" Here's the commentary from The Devil's Excrement. Acosta Carles is the same 'burping' General who threatened to take over the Magellanes baseball club, Chavez's favorite team in the Venezuelan winter league, because they lost in the playoffs (from Caracas Chronicles).

  posted by John : 7:25 AM

 
Bad batch of gluten
NY Times article. A Streetsville, Ontario company "Menu Foods" is recalling cans of dog and cat food that they made in the past 3 months. Here's the list of the dog food brands, oddly enough all made at the same plant:

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets

Authority

Award

Best Choice

Big Bet

Big Red

Bloom

Bruiser

Cadillac

Companion

Demoulas Market Basket

Eukanuba

Food Lion

Giant Companion

Great Choice

Hannaford

Hill Country Fare

Hy-Vee

Iams

Laura Lynn

Loving Meals

Meijers Main Choice

Mighty Dog Pouch

Mixables

Nutriplan

Nutro Max

Nutro Natural Choice

Nutro Ultra

Nutro

Ol'Roy Canada

Ol'Roy US

Paws

Pet Essentials

Pet Pride - Good n Meaty

Presidents Choice

Price Chopper

Priority

Publix

Roche Bros

Save-A-Lot

Schnucks

Shep Dog

Springsfield Prize

Sprout

Stater Bros

Total Pet

Western Family

White Rose

Winn Dixie

Your Pet

  posted by John : 9:45 AM

 
Scott Walker
I've always been a music lover. The depth that one delves into artistic appreciation often seems bounded, like you can only go so far before you've heard/read/seen a representative sample of all there is to be offered. Then a new portal opens to something overlooked that is in another realm altogether. This depth is relative - anyone's experience can appear superficial to another person. I've written before about the plus-side of ignorance being that it offers potential to realize something we didn't know before - the opportunity to learn. I do feel jealous of someone who has yet to see some film that had a strong impact on me. Like thinking The Pink Panther was basically all Peter Seller's had done, then seeing Lolita or Dr. Strangelove for the first time (at the Fox or the Bloor in the 80s, back when they showed classic films). Eventually one finds their way to the highly experimental films of Stan Brakhage. For me this was a nice place to visit, but I didn't feel at home there and so went off to explore other as yet unseen realms. My exploration of music has gone in various directions, but likewise hasn't tended to persist in going to absolute extremes. This perhaps is why it was only last night that I learned about an artist I'd totally missed in the documentary Scott Walker : 30th Century Man. Had I listened farther to artists in the trajectory of David Bowie -> Brian Eno -> ... he would have been there. But my teenage brain was more than satisfied with the discovery of Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets or Music for Airports. One of the highlights to my first trip to Europe was in Hamburg where wandering alone I came across an Eno light and sound installation in Hamburg. But that was eclectic enough for me, so from there I bounced off and went in other directions. Scott Walker's music, from the sampling I heard last night is more like Music for Nightmares. It would have gone well as a seque from King Crimson or Tom Waits at our all night wine & music parties of my late high school and early college years. Probably some of you were listening to his Nite Flights or Climate of Hunter albums. Today his music, still several years between album releases, is perhaps more of an exploration of the sonic and the emotion found in dischord than the baroque expression of his earlier work. I don't feel compelled to rush out an buy his catalogue - though I might have some years ago. But I really ought to get a copy of The Drift.

  posted by John : 7:37 AM

 
Films
Steal A Pencil For Me

Just saw this wonderful documentary film about a couple who conducted their courtship through letter writing while they were in the same concentration camps in Holland. Incredible story, very well told.

  posted by John : 11:28 AM

 
Coney Island
Saw an strong set of short films this morning. In the process I learned that after this summer Coney Island will undergo a major redevelopment soon. The director of a short piece of docu-fiction about a carney on the midway said that this summer would be basically the last year to see this iconic park. We went about 20 years ago for a day, and it would be great to go again this year.


  posted by John : 11:38 AM

 
SXSW2007
Here's the ambitious calendar of films Sharon, Svend and I have plotted to see this week, with an [X] marking the ones I've actually been able to see (or expect to see). Opinion and experiences to follow!

Saturday, 10 March 2007

  [X] 11:00AM Steal a Pencil for Me (Alamo Downtown)
  [X] 05:00PM Cat Dancers (ACC)

Sunday, 11 March 2007

  [X] 01:30PM Hell on Wheels (Paramount)
  [X] 04:30PM He Was A Quiet Man (Paramount)
  [X] 09:00PM Billy the Kid (ACC)

Monday, 12 March 2007

  [X] 11:00AM Reel Shorts 1 (Alamo Lamar 2)
  [X] 02:00PM King Corn (Alamo Lamar 1)

Tuesday, 13 March 2007

  [X] 11:00AM Steal a Pencil for Me (Alamo Lamar 1)
  [X] 01:45PM The Devil Came on Horseback (Alamo Lamar 2)
  [X] 04:00PM Run Granny Run (ACC)
  [X] 07:15PM Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (Alamo Downtown)

Wednesday, 14 March 2007

  [X] 01:30PM Inside the Circle (Alamo Lamar 2)
  [X] 04:30PM Truth in Terms of Beauty (Alamo Downtown)
  [X] 07:00PM Ya Basta (Alamo Downtown)
  [X] 09:45PM The King of Kong (Alamo Lamar 1)

Thursday, 15 March 2007

  [X] 11:15AM Animated Shorts (Alamo Lamar 1)
  [X] 01:30PM Imagine the Sound (Alamo Lamar 1)
  [X] 07:00PM Helvetica (ACC)
  [X] 09:30PM Confessions of a Superhero (ACC)

Friday, 16 March 2007

  [X] 01:30PM Hard Road Home (Paramount)
  [X] 04:00PM After the Wedding (Alamo Lamar 2)
  [X] 06:30PM The Unforeseen (Paramount)
  [X] 09:30PM Audience of One (Paramount)

Saturday, 17 March 2007

  [X] 11:00AM Manufacturing Dissent (Alamo Lamar 2)
  [X] 01:45PM Trailer Park Boys (Alamo Lamar 2)

  posted by John : 11:06 AM

 
I never did like that dog
Seen on austin.craigslist

We have a lot of exercise equipment that has been stored. It's old and dusty. Some good pieces. Any interest? We need to move it all for one price. Not interested in selling piece by piece. $300 or make us an offer. Bring a trailer. We will help load it. Take what you need, and resell the rest. Will trade for something you don't want like a gun, tiny, long haired dog, bird in a cage, furniture, jewelry, goats, patio furniture, glass display cases, small boat, you name it, not electrical. Thanks

  posted by John : 5:42 AM