My dinner table sits at a window from which I can see a real tall tree. I’m comfortable calling it the tallest tree in the neighborhood. Perched on top was a bird. The very top. A bird just chilling. I’m not sure what kind it was because my eyes are not that of an eagle, but it just sat the for a handful of minutes. Then dove out of sight only to return moments later. It was still there when I finished dinner. Watching.
The other day there were six birds in the bird bath together. Definitely rubbing shoulders. I’m pretty sure they were European Starlings but I’m pretty amateur at this. They also had a significant pre-bath feast on my lawn.
Western Scrub Jays like to hang out in the bath as well. And drink. They are quite the drinkers. And Song Sparrows.
I’ve been thinking about wings a bit lately and what it might be like if I was able to fund the construction of a spacecraft and all the related science of getting me to another world.
Every time I think I’m done writing here I end up with a flurry of posts. Every time I think I’m going to start doing more here I end up with silence. Maybe it should be a quarterly.
]]>Every 2 years in order to renew my vehicle registration an emissions test is required. Metro regions have their unique hassles. 13% of vehicles fail this test. Mine does not. I’m on a 3 test winning streak.
I don’t feel I generate that much waste. I don’t particularly go out of my way to be non-waste generating rather I think it comes more from a lack of general consumption. Remodeling tasks generate waste. The most environmentally friendly material? That which is already installed.
I tore out some dingy carpet and hauled it away. The actual dumping was depressing. There I am dumping my carpet in the designated carpet section (presumable to be transferred in as efficient a means as possible) while others are dumping mattresses, toys, glass, wood, furniture onto massive piles to be pushed around by bulldozers. I don’t know the extent of sorting that happens in order to avoid those piles from living forever but no matter, it was a not awesome site.
Maybe part of it was the exhaust of the idling truck next to me.
]]>Then I got a phone that can take acceptable photos in perfect conditions, reasonable photos in less than perfect conditions and terrible photos in terrible conditions. And then filter the pants off them with a variety of applications. And make panoramas. And make them look like a toy camera from the 60s processed them. Low fidelity.
The last time I looked at a photo printed from film I was actually a bit stunned. I’d become so used the to quality of photos captured by a low quality digital camera and rendered on screen. I’d like to have that quality in every photo I take.
It’ll never happen.
Instead I’ll have a library full of photos that aren’t technically sound, have blurred subjects, are layered with trendy layers and pixelate long before due. I’ll actually have the photos though.
Or so I once again talked myself out of a real camera. Though taking photos in low light and at shows will always make me said until I talk myself into it for good. Related, the feature most likely to convince me to upgrade my phone is the lens quality of its successors.
]]>iBooks was automatically placed on my phone. Thanks, Apple. It isn’t perfect though. Those page turns are annoying. Loading the book was sluggish. Orientation changes were dreadfully sluggish. Why no light on dark text option? But I used it and mostly felt good about it. I hear the Kindle app is amazing. Maybe I will have to give in a little more, only if I don’t have to give my soul to Amazon though. I’ve also browsed books in Stanza. Moving a file from a computer to iBooks on a phone is simple; the way it should be. And the only way that makes it useful for me.
For the most part, I don’t buy books. I go to libraries. This had been somewhat of a barrier to consuming books on my phone. Sure there are lots of off copyright books that are amazing but often it’s a particular book that gives me enough excitement to make me actually want to read. Often one that isn’t available freely for digital consumption. It seems like that may slowly change.
In other news, seems I’m reading again. That’s sort of exciting.
]]>I work with computers. I look at pixels all day. There was a time when I was never satisfied with the quantity of pixels I had. More more more. As pixels got cheaper I hit the magic number and orientation. I no longer want more pixels (and have even turned them down) and no longer need them to match.
Pixel perfection is built on two screens: a MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display and a Dell Ultrasharp 2007WFP in portrait with black tape over the logo. Yes, that is a 4 year old monitor. Yes, the tape is required.
My work with computers involves a lot of debugging webpages. Having a monitor that leaves enough space to view a webpage is one thing but being able to efficiently view debugging tools with it is another story. It’s one of my gripes about widescreens, particularly on 13″ model. The vertical count matters too and 1680 is about perfect without feeling like you are constantly looking up to see the top.
Colors on a glossy MacBook screen make me happy. Watching videos on it makes me happy. A text editors with a light on dark color scheme on it makes me happy. The hi-res version makes things the perfect size and leaves plenty of room of Photoshop tool bars. Which makes me happy. All that said, a 13″ machine would be a lot nicer than a 15″ but the resolution is sort of a bummer.
What about those iMacs or 30″-ers with 80 gazillion pixels? Too many. Not only is it too many period, it’s too many in a single plain. The split works for me. It keeps me organized. Most importantly, it lets me see beyond my screen making it feel less like staring at a wall.
Also, your vertical pixels always go on the left. That’s the rule.
]]>I’ve taken a liking bears. But don’t. Please. Seriously. I want to continue liking bears. In fact, pretend I am sharing this only out of my distaste for bears and want nothing to do with them.
It might have started with polar bears (which I also dug as a kid) but has expanding to all bears. Brown. Black. Grizzly. Whatever. They just want hugs.
Bears where even in on the nerd websites today. I build websites. Other people build devices to record animals in arctic climates.
]]>The demo shows two versions: example usage on white and contrasting to show how the shadows layer. This requires a solid background and overflow:hidden if other elements are close in order to prevent bleed.
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