I just though I’d share a web page I check out every morning. It’s called the Astronomy Picture of the Day (click on that for the link). They have an astronomy related picture every day with an explanation from an expert in the field. There are some absolutely mind blowing pictures…my favorite so far is the one from April 3rd…although today’s is pretty insane too!!!
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
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?
I was actually searching through a WordPress support forum for the theme I’m using when I ran across this WP site. I have always been a big fan of projectors over their big screen counterparts, but they cost a pretty penny to keep them running. When I went to the University of Washington, they allowed you to rent out these things free of charge. My buddies and I would rent them for parties at the house to watch movies and play games on…sometimes having a couple in different rooms. Free = awesome, but if you own one, you know that when you have to replace the bulb, it will cost you!
Enter the world of laser projectors. It goes without saying, they will be more energy efficient, and will certainly have a life span that will trump the old bulb projectors.
I sure am getting bad at staying up to date on this…and getting worse. Of course since I’m in my second semester of the year now, maybe I’ll tend to do more in the spirit of procrastination 
Back on November 4th, 09, I went to a presentation on the Gonzaga campus. The presentation was titled “An Evening With Dawes Eddy” and was his slide show on his successful summit of Everest. You’re probably thinking that must have been pretty cool…oh there’s more…on May 20th, 2009, Dawes became the oldest American to summit Everest! Turns out he’s just the average Joe, working at a cement factory in Spokane WA!…well sort of…
After the presentation, the doctor who studied him both before, and after the expedition gave a summary of his findings, and it turns out Dawes was built for the task. I believe the first thing he said in beginning his presentation was that he wanted to “Thank his parents for giving him good genes”…and rightly so! Not everyone is built to function like Dawes at altitude…he is able to absorb oxygen into his blood stream more efficiently than normal, and has the physical stamina to do it (also because he has been fit nearly his entire life). One of his main messages was to stay fit, so you will live long, and be able to happily take on any adventure that might come across your path.
This isn’t to say it’s a healthy thing to climb Everest though…the doctor mentioned a few things (that escape me after such a gap in time) but one I remember was that his body had actually began to destroy his heart itself to get energy. His body-fat stores were so low, his body had began to literally eat itself in an act of survival. This isn’t due to his age either I should mention…it’s what happens to people in the “death zone.”
The pictures were absolutely incredible, and I have to say, it was a view on Everest I have never seen in any book or movie…dramatized or factual. One of his pictures showed the Khumbu icefall with a large cornice above it that Dawes himself had only been on a day beforehand (I believe). Then a few pictures just moments later that showed the entire mass cascading down over the icefall, “dusting” a few climbers, and killing a sherpa. I’m sure it was more to him than just another tragedy, but the way he mentioned it, made it seem like although extremely tragic, it was part of the gambling game…as if it were a battle or something. It was a sobering section of his show to say the least.
Another shocking portion was his last camp before the summit. I’ve seen pictures and movies of this camp, but never before like this. I had never fully grasped the placement of this camp until seeing his pictures. It appeared as though they were camped on a vertical snow slope…like the ledges they had cut in were only just barely keeping the tents there, and nothing more. I remember hearing a story of a woman (I believe) falling to her death in the night after leaving her tent with only booties on, and sliding uncontrollably thousands of feet…from this picture I now understand why.
The last picture that made a lasting impression was his slide of the Hillary Step. This is the crux of the climb…a ~40ft-nearly vertical climb of rock just before the summit. This is generally an aided climb with fixed ropes that the climbers can then Jumar up, but it was a sight to see. He told us about how he navigated it with a climb, then traverse, then climb…it made me nervous watching it…all at 28,840ft! Most would have trouble with this on the ground at sea level, but at 66years old, Dawes tackled this at more than 5 miles above sea level!!!
He told us he spent almost an hour (I believe…maybe 40mins?) at the summit watching the sun rise, and I can only imagine what he was feeling…must have been the most beautiful sight and feeling a human can experience…CONGRATULATIONS DAWES!!!
It turns out he only held the title two days before someone a year older (67) from America summited, and became the new oldest American to summit, but no bother…I am still rediculously impressed (it didn’t seem to hurt Dawes’ excitement over the achievement much either). One of the best pictures was of Dawes (the oldest American), and Johnny Collinson (the youngest American at 17 from Utah) standing together.
(Image was taken from this page LINK)
What an awesome thing to have seen Dawes in person…and that he lives in the same city is such a coincidence.
* I wrote this so long after the presentation that my facts may not be totally correct, but if anyone has any corrections please let me know.
