Intriguing
Engadget reports,
C-Mount lenses (commonly used on 16mm film cameras) have already found a bit of new life on Micro Four Thirds cameras thanks to adapters, and it look like the compact lenses are now also found another fan in the form of Japanese camera manufacturer Kenko. It's now showing a new compact camera that will apparently accomodate C-mount lenses directly, and be available in Japan this summer for [yen] 32,000, or about $370 (it's not clear if that includes any lenses).
A new camera line with a not new mount. Intriguing.
Das Auto
This is a perfect way to build up to the relaunch of the iconic car.
The Blizzard that Never Was
Last night was the first time I can recall hearing a blizzard warning for anywhere around the St. Louis metro region. For days there has been talk about the destructive ice, snow and wind headed to the area. There was enough fear with the storm presently crossing the midwest that many businesses closed today that usually would not for mere snow. We as a city were prepared.
But, the blizzard did not come and only a few inches of accumulation happened.
I didn't want to get hit by anything severe that did great damage, but somehow after all the hype, this little snow storm seemed anticlimactic — like a story that builds up great drama only to invoke deus ex machina to fix it all in a most sensational and unsatisfying of fashions.
Oh, well, the snowfall was pretty today.
Snow on Snow on Snow
Rossetti seems fitting tonight,
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
There is something contemplative about watching the snow fall. Tonight it is falling briskly.
Huckleberry Finn
The San Francisco Chronicle gets it exactly right in its editorial concerning the censoring of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
The moral hinge of the novel centers on Huck's realization that Jim's freedom is as important as his own. The rest of the country made this realization in a bloody but necessary way - and trying to deny that history is an insult to all of us.
Ironically, the censoring of Huck Finn removes a crucial element in Twain's biting attack on racist stereotypes. Making the characters appear to be more respectful of Jim is as effective of means for stopping racism as denying parts of the Holocaust would be for reducing anti-semetism. Could it be that those who find Huckleberry Finn most offensive are those for whom the novel's critique hits closest to home?
Happy Ninth Day of Christmas!
I hope everyone has a good day, today. Don't forget that there are still 3 2 official days of Christmas left!
The Matrix
Well, eleven years later, I finally watched the Matrix. The symbolism and allegory are fascinating. In the realm of drama and story, it seems like allegory is an under appreciated form, albeit one that is still richly rewarding. It is nice to see it used.
I think it is one of those films I will need to chew on for awhile. I cannot say I ever had much of a desire to see it… But I think it was good that I now have.
On the Eighth Day of Christmas...
I spent time on the phone with HP tech support, helping a friend get his MediaSmart home server back up and running. Working with it, I am struck that it seems to run far more quietly than the Netgear ReadyNAS I returned last summer (because of the ReadyNAS's malfunctioning fans producing noise). The unit is also a lot more hardware for the buck.
Yet, while Windows Home Server is a relatively interesting product, it feels somewhat rough around the edges. I cannot help but wonder if the fact that the system needed to be factory reset speaks of the unreliability of Windows being carried over into something on the verge of being a consumer electronics-type device. I really wish Apple would offer a full fledged NAS-like product done right.
Happy New Year!
Sorry to be scarce this week. Since Christmas things have been a little different than I expected or would have hoped. But, on this seventh day of Christmas, let me wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with joy and the best sorts of excitement.
I'll try to resume regular blogging, so stay tuned.
