Tuesday, October 27, 2009

In Memoriam: My Kodak Z710

 

 

The camera you see above is the dead carcass of my old friend, my Kodak Z710. This camera has been a workhorse, recording just over 18,000 images and videos (some videos over an hour long) since I bought it to replace a Z710 that had greatly impressed me with it's stamina and rock-steady dependable performance. 

I've had it since 2007 and it will be (already has been) missed.

 

I have not yet decided what to replace it with. The Kodak Z1015 IS is certainly at the top of a very short list. I am also considering making the jump to an entry level DSLR camera, but even the entry level cameras are either too expensive, or there are too many negative reviews of them that have scared me off choosing them. If you know of one that is good for under $300 and has the ability to leave the shutter open as long as I want (for long exposures), and is VERY dependable and rugged, drop me a line.

With my KOdak Z710's, I've recorded images like those below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess you can tell that I got better over time taking photos with this camera, but I give the majority of the credit to the camera itself. I'll miss you, Kodak Z710...you've been a dependable friend.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

In Memoriam: My Kodak Z710

 

 

The camera you see above is the dead carcass of my old friend, my Kodak Z710. This camera has been a workhorse, recording just over 18,000 images and videos (some videos over an hour long) since I bought it to replace a Z710 that had greatly impressed me with it's stamina and rock-steady dependable performance. 

I've had it since 2007 and it will be (already has been) missed.

 

I have not yet decided what to replace it with. The Kodak Z1015 IS is certainly at the top of a very short list. I am also considering making the jump to an entry level DSLR camera, but even the entry level cameras are either too expensive, or there are too many negative reviews of them that have scared me off choosing them. If you know of one that is good for under $300 and has the ability to leave the shutter open as long as I want (for long exposures), and is VERY dependable and rugged, drop me a line.

With my KOdak Z710's, I've recorded images like those below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess you can tell that I got better over time taking photos with this camera, but I give the majority of the credit to the camera itself. I'll miss you, Kodak Z710...you've been a dependable friend.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Oct 27---Twitter is Down

I established this account as a backup way to get information out while Twitter was down, and this is the first time Twitter has gone down...so here goes....

 

I've got a live player of the Ares I-X Test Flight on Thunder Pig, and have posted about the recent Pumpkinfest in Franklin this past weekend at my photoblog, WNC Citizens Blog. [1] [2] [3]

Here are the first two videos from that event:

 

 

 

Part One

 

Part Two

 

 

 

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Oct 27---Twitter is Down

I established this account as a backup way to get information out while Twitter was down, and this is the first time Twitter has gone down...so here goes....

 

I've got a live player of the Ares I-X Test Flight on Thunder Pig, and have posted about the recent Pumpkinfest in Franklin this past weekend at my photoblog, WNC Citizens Blog. [1] [2] [3]

Here are the first two videos from that event:

 

 

 

Part One

 

Part Two

 

 

 

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Monday, October 19, 2009

Winter Reading Project

It has been a tradition for me the past few years to undertake a reading project for the long cold months of winter, usually a series of history books or a long Science Fiction or series of Historical Fiction novels. 

This year, I am currently undecided which of two book series to tackle, Will and Ariel Durant's "The Story of Civilization" (pictured above) or the Encyclopedia "Great Book of the Western World". 

I already own The Story of Civilization, having purchased them over a period of years at yard sales, used book stores and discarded book sales from regional libraries. (For the life of me, I cannot comprehend why a library would get rid of these books).

I have read bits and pieces of both before, but to tackle the whole series of either at once seems like more than I can chew. 

 

Right now, I'm reading my way through the Honorverse series of Science Fiction books...so I'll have a couple of weeks to make up my mind.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Winter Reading Project

It has been a tradition for me the past few years to undertake a reading project for the long cold months of winter, usually a series of history books or a long Science Fiction or series of Historical Fiction novels. 

This year, I am currently undecided which of two book series to tackle, Will and Ariel Durant's "The Story of Civilization" (pictured above) or the Encyclopedia "Great Book of the Western World". 

I already own The Story of Civilization, having purchased them over a period of years at yard sales, used book stores and discarded book sales from regional libraries. (For the life of me, I cannot comprehend why a library would get rid of these books).

I have read bits and pieces of both before, but to tackle the whole series of either at once seems like more than I can chew. 

 

Right now, I'm reading my way through the Honorverse series of Science Fiction books...so I'll have a couple of weeks to make up my mind.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Replica of Vietnam Memorial Visits Dillsboro, NC

There are two half-scale replicas of the Vietnam Memorial Wall that travel the country, and one of them came to Dillsboro recently. Here is a video/slide show I made of my experience there on Saturday...

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Replica of Vietnam Memorial Visits Dillsboro, NC

There are two half-scale replicas of the Vietnam Memorial Wall that travel the country, and one of them came to Dillsboro recently. Here is a video/slide show I made of my experience there on Saturday...

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Monday, October 12, 2009

Yahoo accused of being pure evil

This is from ZD Net:

 

Overnight one of our bloggers, Richard Koman, reported that Yahoo handed over user names to the Iranian government. We’re retracting the blog post. Here’s what went wrong.

First, the post was based on a single source who had a clear agenda. That source wasn’t properly filtered and his charges weren’t verifiable by credible sources.

Second, we never called Yahoo to verify the report or get an appropriate response. Blog networks still need to follow journalism 101 and Yahoo should have been called. In summary, our checks and balances went awry. We put a lot of trust in our bloggers to get it right and frankly we let you down with this report.

 

Source: ZD Net

Hat Tip: @mpoppel

 

Commentary

Yahoo! itself might not be pure evil, but I happen to think that it's seach engine is useless. It might even be evil, because I can never find anything useful with it.

 

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Yahoo accused of being pure evil

This is from ZD Net:

 

Overnight one of our bloggers, Richard Koman, reported that Yahoo handed over user names to the Iranian government. We’re retracting the blog post. Here’s what went wrong.

First, the post was based on a single source who had a clear agenda. That source wasn’t properly filtered and his charges weren’t verifiable by credible sources.

Second, we never called Yahoo to verify the report or get an appropriate response. Blog networks still need to follow journalism 101 and Yahoo should have been called. In summary, our checks and balances went awry. We put a lot of trust in our bloggers to get it right and frankly we let you down with this report.

 

Source: ZD Net

Hat Tip: @mpoppel

 

Commentary

Yahoo! itself might not be pure evil, but I happen to think that it's seach engine is useless. It might even be evil, because I can never find anything useful with it.

 

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

HIspanic Heritage Month Celebrated in Franklin

I had fun at this celebration, and wished that I could have stayed for the whole thing. Everyone was friendly, and the food was very tasty. This is one festival that I will return to next year!

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

HIspanic Heritage Month Celebrated in Franklin

I had fun at this celebration, and wished that I could have stayed for the whole thing. Everyone was friendly, and the food was very tasty. This is one festival that I will return to next year!

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Columbus Day Has Many Names, Many Parades

Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendarand October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday. The day is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as Día de la Raza (Day of the Hispanic People) in many countries in America, as Día de las Culturas (Day of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas, as Día de la Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional inSpain, as Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay and as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century, and officially in various countries since the early 20th century.
That is from Wikipedia, and the article goes into detail about the holiday.





This is a video from a Columbus Day Parade in Brooklyn, New York.
You can also watch a parade from Westerly, RI that has been uploaded in short segments to YouTube, and you can also visit a website set up for the annual event.

Here is a short video from the History Channel on Columbus Day:




In recent years, there has been an attempt by Cultural Marxists (who hide their agenda under the umbrella of 'multiculturalism') to demonize the holiday that means so much to the Italian community in America, and has been celebrated for generations as part of the heritage of Western Civilization. It was a big deal when I was in school, but not any more. A big chunk of our history and culture is being washed away.

Travis Rwley has an article at Intellectual Diversity about the successful attempt by Progressive students to change the name of the holiday on Brown University's calender that is a good encapsulation of what is happening to the holiday today.

It will be interesting to see whether or not President Obama will recognize the holiday, and if he does, what spin he will put on it.

Here is a video of President Bush observing the holiday in 2003:




HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!!!

Columbus Day Has Many Names, Many Parades

Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendarand October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday. The day is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as Día de la Raza (Day of the Hispanic People) in many countries in America, as Día de las Culturas (Day of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas, as Día de la Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional inSpain, as Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay and as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century, and officially in various countries since the early 20th century.

That is from Wikipedia, and the article goes into detail about the holiday.

 


This is a video from a Columbus Day Parade in Brooklyn, New York.

You can also watch a parade from Westerly, RI that has been uploaded in short segments to YouTube, and you can also visit a website set up for the annual event. 

 

Here is a short video from the History Channel on Columbus Day:

 

 

In recent years, there has been an attempt by Cultural Marxists (who hide their agenda under the umbrella of 'multiculturalism') to demonize the holiday that means so much to the Italian community in America, and has been celebrated for generations as part of the heritage of Western Civilization. It was a big deal when I was in school, but not any more. A big chunk of our history and culture is being washed away. 

 

Travis Rwley has an article at Intellectual Diversity about the successful attempt by Progressive students to change the name of the holiday on Brown University's calender that is a good encapsulation of what is happening to the holiday today.

 

It will be interesting to see whether or not President Obama will recognize the holiday, and if he does, what spin he will put on it. 

 

Here is a video of President Bush observing the holiday in 2003:

 

 

HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!!!

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

Followers