My Amoeba Sized Bit of the Web

Christmas! Yay!

2009-12-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, what a wonderful time for my laptop to fail, and leave me unable to shout out a big something to everyone.

Christmas is a time for taking stock, so here goes.

CD collection, Christmas songs:-

Christmas with the devil - Spinal Tap.
The very best of Charlie Brown (which includes some Christmas music).
The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.

DVD Collection:-

Hudsucker Proxy (though more about New Year).
Love Actually
Blackadders Christmas Carol
Charlie Brown Christmas episode
Dinner Ladies (there seem to be three different Christmas episodes in one boxed set)
The Snowman

Books:-
The Hogfather

So there you go, not very Christmassy, but that's life.

New Picasa Web Albums Activity

2009-11-30T19:31:00.001-08:00

Recent Uploads

Alex added 18 photos to Grand Marina

Nov 29, 2009 6:56:48 PM


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Two favourite French films

2009-11-29T23:38:00.000-08:00

Lego Black Cabs

2009-11-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Firstly, my apologies, these are "Black Cabs", and so are black, which makes it hard to show details. Hope you can tell what's going on okay.

This is the Mk II, it's very much FX-4 inspired, but as a 4 wide car, this is hard to pull off.

The final result is a mix between a WWII gun tractor and a squished hummer. Still, it does look taxi-ish enough for now.

Here we have my Mk I black cab. It just wasn't rounded enough for my tastes. The rear licence plate too big, and the translucent yellow for the sign was just too hard to see, and too yellow.

I was also disapointed in how slopey the from was.

Lego Houses

2009-11-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

This is a typical English semi-detatched house, about 100 years old. Judging by the amount of space to the side we can see it's in a more rural location. Very much like my grandparents house for location, however the L shape of each house is more like the ones I grew up in, which was on the edge of town.

This one was intended to be a more modern American house, probably about 30 years old now. Actually, I built this one first, then DW suggested I build the UK homes.

There is a Lego building style called "Micropolis" which is scaled such that a city block is on a 16x16 base, and a car can be made by using a 2x1 "jumper" (plate with single stud) and a 1x1 plate (preferably studless). The American house is a smaller scale than Micropolis, but the UK house would probably be acceptable.

These were quick builds, but unfortunately exhausted my supply of 1x1 slope bricks, so I can't make any more at this scale.

Does the camera make the photo?

2009-11-22T10:43:00.000-08:00

So I was just thinking of photography, and cameras. How does the quality of the camera impact the quality of the photography?

I use a fairly good amateur camera, by that I mean a DSLR which was within my budget, and suits my printing and publishing needs - that is, printing up to 8x10 and blogging on-line. I don't think this precludes me selling prints, so long as I use the right quality printer, papers and ink (or toner, or whatever they use in dye sublimation printing).

I know there are smaller, cheaper cameras which can yield the same resolution, and in most lighting conditions probably match colour quality. But my question is, are photos from a DSLR necessarily better than those from say an box brownie, or instamatic? I'm thinking aesthetically, not technically.

I know from personal experience that the better camera allows more opportunity, a selection of lenses, or a good zoom lens, allows more framing opportunity. Iris control allows depth of field to be changed, be this by selecting a mode button, or by dialing aperture in directly. However, I still believed that you can take good pictures with your dumb old camera, as long as you know its capabilities, and you had an eye for balance and composition.

But more recently another idea came to mind. I have this vague notion that once I was holding an SLR for the first time I felt obliged to try new things. Sure, some didn't work as well, others were academic exercises and repetitions of text book examples, but still I felt I had to go the extra mile. I was no longer a snap happy tourist, but a photographer.

I also think that a "real" camera legitimizes things. With a pocket camera I believe people look at you a little weird if you are crouched low to shoot a building, or stand on a bench to photograph the sidewalk. With an SLR you can do all sorts of strange things and people look at you, then try to find your subject, then get on with life. I was in San Juan Bautista a few years ago, second to last outing with a film camera, and I was stood on a bench, trying to frame the hotels roofline with a tree and the eaves of the barn. There was a school field trip there, and a couple of kids kinda couldn't work out what this grown up was doing, but one of them said "oh, he's a photographer", and everything became kosher.

Of course all these things happend outside the UK, or before 9/11 where the press would have us believe all photographers are at best terrorists and at worst paedophiles.

I do have a friend who is a street photographer. I agree with him, its sometimes hard to take candid shots when you have a big clunky piece of kit. For that you want something more shoot from the him, wide angle, fixed focal length, so you can get the "moment".

So yes I now believe that the camera does make a difference, but more on a social level than a technical level.

(photos will be added to this post).

Mystery Bug

2009-10-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Found this chap in the pond this morning.

If I had to estimate, I'd say about 1.5" long.

When upset he looks like this.

When really angry two whitish triangles appeared at the tip of his tale, probably a sting.

He was released away from the houses.

Any ideas what this is? Thanks.

How my family see me...

2009-10-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

This is how my parents see me. I've noticed that a lot of candid photos are cropping up showing me photographing something. There's this one my dad took earlier this year at the Jack London Estate up in the wine country.

One of my favourite pictures of me was taken by my wife up in Yosemite. I really should find it, it's very good.

The Rug That I Made

2009-10-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was just looking at some of the pictures my youngest had taken, and found this amongst them. It's the rug I made last winter.

I half promised to make one for someone else, I'd better get started, it's only 8 weeks to Christmas.

The Pond, Stage 3

2009-10-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

So the holes are dug. The raised planter built and the liner placed.

Looks like "The Attack of the Killer Bin Bags".

I did tidy up the garden

2009-10-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

Yeah, sure it's just a hose reel, what's the whoop? the whoop is the three bags of pea gravel and one bag of bark that changed a muddy messy weed garden into an almost presentable garden border.

This will probably make more sense to my parents as they helped me start this project in March, when we split the young lavendar from the parent, and found some small self set rosemary plants.

By mid September I finally found the time and energy to sort it all out.

Besides, I had to tidy this up before I could start in on the pool, and railway on the other side.

That is the full 15' of our garden there, from the house to the garage. Yes, it extends 19' the other way, but that is all "under construction.

We broke "Translation Party"

2009-10-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Start with an English phrase:

let's go!

No, no, no, not like that. Let me do it.

into Japanese

いや、いや、いや、そうでないような。私にやってみましょう。

back into English

No, no, no, that do not. Let me try.

back into Japanese

いや、いや、いや、それはありません。私にしてみましょう。

back into English

No, no, no, it is not. Let's me.

back into Japanese

いや、いや、いや、そうではありません。聞かせは私です。

back into English

No, no, no, this is not true. Is tell me.

back into Japanese

いや、いや、ない真実ではない、これは。教えてくださいです。

back into English

No, no, there is no truth in this. Please tell me you.

back into Japanese

いいえ、ありませんが、このには真実がある。どうぞ私に教えてください。

back into English

No, not some truth to this. Please let me know.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これにはいくつかの真実。してください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。してくださいてください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please please please please please please please please tell me.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

back into Japanese

いいえ、これはいくつかの真実があります。くださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいくださいください教えてください。

back into English

No, this has some truth. Please tell me please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.

It is doubtful that this phrase will ever reach equilibrium.

Link to this party | Keep partying! | Crash other parties |

Translation party answers the question...

2009-10-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Donkey, ass, mule; what's the difference?

into Japanese

ロバ、ろば、ラバが、どう違うのか？

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, what's the difference?

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバ、ラバ、何が違うのか？

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, or the difference?

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバ、ラバ、または違いは？

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, or different?

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバ、ラバ、または違うのか。

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule, or whether different.

back into Japanese

お尻、ロバ、ラバのかどうか、異なる。

back into English

Ass, donkey, mule whether different.

back into Japanese

ロバは、ロバのかどうか、別のラバ。

back into English

Donkey is whether the donkeys, mules another.

back into Japanese

ロバのかどうかのロバは、別のミュールです。

back into English

Whether the donkey's ass is another mule.

back into Japanese

かどうか、ロバのお尻、別のラバです。

back into English

Whether, ass ass, is another mule.

back into Japanese

かどうか、お尻お尻、別のラバです。

back into English

Whether, ass ass, is another mule.

New Old Western Town

2009-09-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

So this is another quick look at parts of the Bay Area. Today, the East Coast, in the near forgotten town of Union City.

What we are looking at here is the new expansion on the West side of Union City Blvd, a road which starts as Hysperian in Hayward, and runs down into Newark as Newark Blvd. This small business park was built in the last couple of years in a faux 1850's look. First impressions is that it's a repainted old area, but no, I saw them going up on a vacant lot.

On the corner of Alvarado and Union City Blvd is an old, probably bank, building which has a NW aspect, and so fails to catch the morning light. It's fence however plays with the low sun in a most delightful manner.

Towns of this vintage seem to all come with a typical hyspanic styled church. This is no exception. Not a large one, just a humble clean church. I like the palm, it adds to the fun of things.

This old street light in itself shows the clash between new and old; looking like it was possibly an old gas lamp, it is sporting two compact florescent bulbs.

Finally, some great light through these leaves, I believe it was a row of zucchini planted along a hurricane fence. Shadows of tendrils and wire dark against the veins of the leaf itself.

The Pelican and Cormorant

2009-09-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had occasion to pass by San Leandro Channel, and there were some pelicans at rest. I made an effort to get back out there as soon as I had some free time.

I am still lamenting the lack of long lens on my new camera, but hey, that's what digital zoom is for.

The Pelican and Cormorant seems like an unlikely name for a pub, but here we see that the two go hand in hand quite well.

It's strange that my two favourite local birds are the very large and almost ungainly, and the perilously small humming birds. One day I will get photos of humming birds in our lavender.

Oakland's Scenic Tour

2009-09-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

This evening I decided to checkout Oaklands "Scenic Tour", visiting the most impressive locations in the city.

Back lit by the setting sun looks okay, but I think in full light you can see the full splendour.

Actually, to be honest, the corner of Cooke and Boeing is right next to the Western Aerospace Museum, alongside some of the old airport buildings on Earhart; so there is some impressive stuff to see.

My collection (so far)

2009-09-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

I owe you a list of publishers and artists. I will also list which has extra text and by who.

Strangely one of the least interesting covers it the lower right red oversized book. This is the graphic novel by Ian Edginton and D'Israeli, published by Black Horse. The book to the left of it contains the text and then a dozen essays by learned persons and science fiction authors.

My oldest copy is the Penguin, though I'm not sure how old it is.

The middle bottom was a bonus too, it has the original Pearsons Magazine edition, with illustrations, some essays and the full text of the Orson Welles production. The accompanying CD includes the full play, and interviews with Orson Welles and HG Wells.

The purple and green one in the top right is a reprint of the Edward Gorey illustrated edition.

As well as the books I also have the full Scarlet Traces, copies of all four movies, and I have the Jeff Wayne musical on tape, vinyl, CD and also the CD boxed set.

New cover for War of the Worlds.

2009-09-07T15:06:00.001-07:00

This one is new to me, and I believe new to everyone. The book is printed to look aged.

Publisher Tor Doherty Associates, LLC. Artist Anthony Schiavino.

So this has all the classic elements. Houses of Parliament, with the tripod brandishing the heat ray. What makes it so distinctive, other than the aging? I think the hue of the heat ray, definitely green, but so powerful it is bleached to whiteness. This colour also looks very 1940's paperback. The second thing I like is the styling of the tripod. Yes, very classical ornate legs, hinting at Victorian styling, but something softer in the carapace. Could it possibly that it evokes the shape of the George Pal film version flying machines, whilst holding onto an almost organic tripod form?

The book has extra text by James Gunn. Intro, bio and afterword. The biography is not really illuminating, but the intro spent more time showing the inspiration to SF of later years than other intros do. They typically favour illustrating Wells humanitarian attitudes, and how they fit in the novel.

For reference I have added the previous image used by Tor. Sure, a powerful Tripod, but just a garish and annoying cover. I may add this to the collection one day, but I have limited space to keep them all, so...

My new "Art" site.

2009-08-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

I have just created a new Art Blog, the latest in the Montgomery Productions series. I trust you will at least get a smirk out of it.

I want a garden railway!

2009-08-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I finally have a desire for a railway.

That's not a fair statement. I've had inklings towards a railway for some time.

My childhood 'N'-gauge never really got far. A freight train, and a passenger train with one diesel and one tank engine, and a couple of buildings.

The concept of a 'Z'-gauge briefcase railway was appealing. Can you imagine a layout of flex track building a simple diorama. All in a compact form. Great fun, uses some creativity, and would satisfy the urge. But have you tried buying for a 'Z' gauge system?

Another idea was just to build some static dioramas. Display cases about a foot long, and 4" deep. That would give the option of say putting a streetcar on a high street. A painted or printed backdrop of mill chimneys, and frontages for the buildings. Tracks set on cobbles. Could work. How about a deep picture frame and put a logging train, or Swiss train hugging a mountain side with trees and trestle bridges?

The next obvious one for me is a Lego system. That sounds great, but it would just take up space, and the boys would want to borrow parts. Who could blame them?

So, garden gauge? How about that? We have a yard that is 15'x19'. I can do something with that. I am thinking of running it at ground level. There is nowhere really to bank up earth or terrace it. I would like to use this as an excuse for a shallow water feature too. No one uses our back yard. It's too small to run, or ride a bike. The basketball hoop is unused. The sand box is retired. It's too hot in the noon sun, it's too dark and closed in the evenings, and we're close enough that partying outside at night would disturb the neighbours.

So my next question is what do I go with? I'd love live steam. I'd like Lego. I want ease of maintenance. The electricity out there is completely in the wrong place. And I want to keep it low budget.

The other thing, since the sandbox is coming out, I think I'll pull out the bench too. I have carte blanche in one wall of the garden and an eccentric shape of soil. I can see pea gravel, alpines, and miniatures. I can see moss and baby's breath. I don't see banzai though.

Are my ideas above my energies and skills? Only time will tell.

Fremont

2009-07-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Saturn sat sulking in the back of the garage. Abandoned for a week it seemed, no daily jaunt to the nucleus of the high tech industry. Next to it the Explorer ticked smugly as it cooled, the sweat of it’s labors dripping from the condenser of its air conditioner. It had done it’s work, two kids to school, a run to Starbucks, then home again by way of the grocery store.

The 2 ½ car garage stood sentinel in front of the 2.5 bath, 3 beds and large family room that made up part of the half million dollar single family home. The house quietly sucked electricity into its Tivo, its fridge, its air conditioner and the PC. It breathed out a quiet hum of perfume scented laundry air. It listened inattentively to the bumble bee hum of the gas powered leaf blower at the end of the close. It sheltered Meredith from the heat of the day, a quiet seclusion for her work from home, self sufficient self employment. Her cell phone rang with the pomp of Elgar, her 10 am phone conference with Sally.

“So where’s Martin?” inquired Meredith’s marketing department.
“He’s gone to Austin for customer integration, they’re going live this month” Sally had an implicit NDA as the friend of the wife, and so far had either rewarded the trust, or not known what to do with the information she didn’t realize she had.
“While the cat’s away…?” Sally was eager for a girls night out, they both deserved it she reckoned. Silicon Valley widows, collecting the wages at the cost of losing their husbands to the incessant grind of the techno mills.

The evening was planned and sitters secured. A girls night of vino, karaoke and maybe a visit to a club.

Just some random excerpt from my novel.

Del Valle Regional Park

2009-06-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I intended posting these at Montgomery Pictures, but I sent them here by mistake. That's fine as I just wanted to mention this fun looking regional park near where I work, over in Livermore, CA.

Firstly you will see I was treated to near perfect weather. A storm system rolled through a couple of days ago, and it's still cloudy in the wake of it, with temperatures in the mid sixties, not the normal upper 80's. I was also there in early evening, so the sun had lowered.

I was also by myself, well me and my Nikon, so we could take our time. Considering it was a lake, there wasn't an easy lakeside stroll. It's a reservoir, and the lake shore tips steeply into the water. The trails are not remnants of a path from one village to another, as they are in Britain, so they meander pointlessly, and are not afraid of jumping up and down steep hillocks. It's almost like they are service roads which went through gaps in the trees rather than cut from A to B.

On either side of the lake there are swim beaches. Judging by the number of lifeguard chairs it must get pretty crowded, and be very different on the weekend daytime compared to a weekday evening. I can't see us getting a cool summer weekend, so I think I'll leave it until fall before I try bringing the kids out here. I also want to scope out some of the other trails, the one I did today was tiring for the fat and flabby me. I need to get back into shape.

These are digital zooms of some of the birds I saw. Not only turkey vultures, but also real live turkeys, and no cranberries. There were also some deer, but my crunching feet on the dry leaves and gravel denied me a chance to see more than a few vanishing "be-hinds".

They even have huge pine cones, either that or I have a tiny cell phone.

I know what I'll be doing 3 days before my birthday...

2009-06-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

It looks like, from the trailer, a post apocalypse movie with a new form of being replacing man. Those new beings are rag dolls.

The cause of the apocalypse is quite interesting too, there seems to be a diesel punk feel to the mecha we see.

I think I took a different approach to finding Burton than most did. The first film of his I remember seeing was Ed Wood, about the legendary movie maker. I really enjoyed the film as it related the passion behind films like "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and "Glen or Glenda". That same evening the TV station ran Burtons "Vincent", a wonderful short tribute to Vincent Price, and the shadowy world of Gothic horror.

My next Burton was to be Planet of the Apes, a film that I enjoyed, but struck me most for its use of the color red. After that I strayed back to Corpse Bride, then Sweeney Todd, before coming to realize common threads like Johnny Depp and dramatic lighting, and an oft Victorian backdrop to black humor.

'9' seems like it could be a Mad Max/Terminator on one front and a Toy Story on another. The doll characters are in a CG world of rapid attacks echoing the groundbreaking Final Fantasy. Seeing this promo I feel I want Burton to film Scarlet Traces, and maybe even War of the Worlds.

The short was too short to tell, but the "stick more in" philosophy of "Captain Sky" and "Finding Nemo" (jellies scenes) doesn't exist here.

Roll on September (but let's relax and enjoy summer first).

Turns out, Burton is one of the Producers for this movie. While it certainly looks Burtonesque, it did have a hint much of a war story, but then again, Planet of the Apes.

Still looking forward to it. AND Alice must be out soon.

Wind Farms, Livermore CA

2009-05-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

The interesting thing to note here is the shadows. On the left the shadows of the windmills lie almost horizontal, very cool. On the right they are almost vertical.

The coloration is not differing stone or crop, but time of year. Turns out I hit on the junction of two satellite images tiled together.

Oh what fun.

(Click image to see full size)

My first LDD SNOT.

2009-05-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in ones life when one has to try something new. Lego Digital Designer (LDD) 2.0 had just come our, and the placement tools were working a lot better than the earlier version. I decided to make a space ship, and to make it a smooth as possible.

To get a smooth build you need to eliminate studs on top. I have since learnt that this technique is called Studs Not On Top (SNOT). There is one brick that helps a lot wiht that in this build. It is a double high 2x4 brick with an array of 2x4 studs on the two largest sides. With a cunning arangement of these built into the core of the ship I ended up with studs pointing to the cokpit, atop a stack of 2x2 cylinders, and studs facing the rear, as well as studs to top and bottom. I even had side facing studs, the red lattice piece just before the engine pods.

LDD has a ray tracing engine built in, and a series of back drops, so after building your virtual model you can rend it. Then you can buy it. Of course you can't buy this one, it's too old and the parts library has changed. Hey ho, that's life.