This little camera/camcorder is incredible.  I have been planning to get one with my REI dividend+membership sale, and with videos like this, it’s easy to see why…

Sugar Cane GoPro HD PPG from Brett Paull on Vimeo.

A good review for the camera can be seen here ENGADGET REVIEW
I don’t really want to go into all of the pros and cons of this little gadget except to say, I am completely impressed. The design leaves a lot to be desired in my view. The boxy look, depth, and weight could be better…common GoPro…everyone else is doing streamlined bullet-cam-styled cams…why still the box? The top latch seems very flimsy to me too, but I hear the package holds up well, and they have a very loyal following both with the new HD version, and older standard definition one.


The thing can go up to something like 170ft deep in water, has a heater (that’s right I said heater) to keep the battery functioning in cold temperatures, can take 5mp photos both manually and at intervals, and can take HD video at up to 60fps!!! The attraction for me is the ability to mount it anywhere…for example, check this video out…this fellow turned it into a “chase cam” by putting it in a little wind-sock sort of device that follows behind his paraglider (attached to the trailing edge break lines)…

Or this one, where another person has attached it to the top of his wing…

Again, after seeing it in person, I was a little disappointed at the physical design of it, but it’s easy to forget when you weigh that with it’s good sides…this camera/camcorder has truly been impressive so far, with features, and applications that seem too good to be true for the price…
…almost forgot to mention…”early 2010″ GoPro plans to add accessories to the GoPro HD that hook into the back, which will allow it to have an; lcd screen, extended battery, and who knows what else…

Anyone have any personal opinions on it, or have used it themselves?…please feel free to leave comments!
Cheers,
Justin

Went skiing this weekend with pop’s, and took along the Suunto X6-HR.  Starting from Spokane, skiing at Mt. Spokane, and then returning again to the city is shown in the below altitude graph….pretty cool!  Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Day skiing at Mt. Spokane

I decided to get a whole flat of wheatgrass today and juice it. I didn’t measure how many “shots” it ended up making, but it was a LOT. As I write this, I’m drinking it…and the more I have, the worse I feel. But it’s worth it to be…healthier, or something….right?

I almost feel bad telling this story, but it’s so wild, it would be a shame to keep it to myself…the kind of stuff you’d think only happens on TV.

The other day at work things were a little slow, so I walked over to my coworkers station to bug him for a while and pass a little time. The conversation started like usual, talking about how long a day it was going to be with the slow product flow etc…but he seemed distracted with something else and said he’d be leaving as early as possible anyway. A little jealous at that point, I tried to persuade him to tell me how he got vacation on such short notice…he didn’t want to talk about it…

Of course this just made me want to bug him more, but I went and did some work for a while until the job brought me back into his area, at which time he seemed even more spaced out on something other than the job at hand. Naturally I asked him again, and with a wave at his neck to keep quiet about what he was going to tell me, he began with “don’t laugh…I’m serious.” He’s not a serious fellow, so I was locked in on what was about to come.

He’d been looking for houses for a while, and finally landed on one he liked enough to get approved from the bank…after getting the papers though, there was a little surprise he hadn’t expected…he’d been MARRIED for 3 YEARS and had no idea!!! Of course I laughed my ass off (who wouldn’t). He likes to drink, so I figured he’d just had a really…REALLY good night, and neither of them remembered what had happened.

Of course I’m a man of my word, and wasn’t going to tell anyone, but the reason he got the vacation off the same day he requested it is because he told our boss about the story…and of course having done that, our boss told the entire plant. Now there are posters around his workstation talking about how he should “stop drinking” and their “condolences” and that we should have a bachelors party to make up for the one he never had…etc….

Anyway, it turns out this chick is 19 now and lives in Florida…there were no signed documents for any marriage, and neither have ever met…IT WAS A MISTAKE…..how would you like to wake up one day and find out you had been married for 3 years, and never knew? Now that’s something to loose some sleep over!

A few days ago I took a trip to Rosauers (sp?) supermarket.  I hadn’t been there for a long time, and wanted to see if they had added the Huckleberry’s natural foods market to it….THEY HAD!  Next to the store though was a Hollywood Video that had a “store closing” sign.  It’s always sad to see that a store is closing, but for some reason, this one was particularly sad to me.  It seems like the end of an era or something…   I remember it being so exciting as a kid to go to rent a movie…to be able to see them all physically layed out on shelves and pick one to take home.  These days we have On Demand, instant Netflix, and Amazon on demand.  It’s not the same though.  Some of these options cost a rediculous amount, can only be used for one viewing, and the selection in some cases is limited.

I’m not sure if their entire chain is going out of business or not…two of theme here have left anyway…but it’s not looking good.  I’m told Blockbuster is having troubles as well.

I suppose stores like Hastings that sell other things will still exist where you can rent videos, but it isn’t the same as the dedicated rental stores.

Does anyone know if they are all going out of business?