Snail trail (updated twice)

[Update: data in the comments about how slugs and maggots are good for you. Comes from a doctor, so probably not a joke.]

Imagine what a desert trek this must be for a snail. It wanders on and on and on, without at least the sense to go towards the light. (But that would not make sense in nature, I guess.)
I've seen one before, they are these tiny, black things, without a house, so small they can get under the garden door. [Update: seems this one is not so black and slightly bigger. Also, by "house" I meant "shell", I was thinking in Danish there, it's called a "snail's house" in Danish.]


Coming in from my early morning constitutional today, I found another of the little Fokkers, not just trails this time. Or maybe the same one, because as you can see, I did salt the entrance yesterday. ... Maybe I locked it in! (Anyway, I found a leaf outside and carried him out.)
They're really small, less than an inch and thin.

"Black Books" and "Spaced"

My food was just done (it had arrived and I'd paid), and I needed some light comedy to watch while eating (it gives pleasure with the least chance of aggravation, something I feel aids the digestion and relaxation). I didn't have something ready, so in desperation I grabbed the first season of Black Books. I thought I was taking a chance, because I've already watched it at least twice before.
But no, it's still glorious. Episode One alone is worth the price. I was on the floor so many times. If you like off-beat comedy shows, don't miss it. (US link and UK link.)

Bernard: "I didn't realize you were gay."
Manny: "But I'm not."
Bernard: "But you're interested in lamps."
Manny: "But I like women. And lamps. ...I actually thought you were gay."
Bernard: "So did I, for a bit. But then I found out about the prohibitive standards of hygiene. And all that dancing!"
--------
Bernard: "I am gonna have to let you go."
Manny: "But I sold a lot of books and I got on well with the customers."
Bernard: "It's not that kind of operation."

========
Another great show is Spaced. And hooray, you can finally buy it in the US! (Or here in UK/Europe.) What I said about Black Books also applies here. A classic. Must-see-TV, as they say.

Avatar, Cameron

Imagine being so big in your field that you can go away for over a decade, and when you come back, not only are you remembered, but you have everybody's attention.

James Cameron's Avatar (trailer) looks to me a little comic-booky visually (once we get to the blue aliens in action), but I'll reserve judgment for now. Even if I'd rather shave a porcupine than watch Titanic, I respect him for Terminator I and II.

M Pipolo said:
What about that little 80s film -- what was it called -- "Aliens"!? ;) Very, very good as well.
Also, keep in mind that the rendering for the trailer was quite likely farmed out to a specialized "quickie" team, and there are still months of rendering to do on the actual film before completion. They have the two major effects studios working on it (WETA and ILM), as well as some smaller ones, and I hear it will still be a close call for its December release. 24 hours of rendering per frame per machine. :)
Apparently, those who have seen completed footage from the film say that we should not be judging it by the look of the trailer.

Alien too, yes. (Not Aliens Two, no.) I'd forgotten that was Cameron, not Scott. No wait, One was Scott, Two was Cameron. Admittedly it's been years, but I think I liked One better in this case.

3D, yes. I've never seen it! And certainly not in the posh new versions. It might get me out of the couch.

Design (updated)

There's a likkle discussion on Mike's site about camera design and "wunderplastik".

It can be small things that make a difference. For instance the two versions of the Nikon F2 Photomic below probably looks the same to most people, but to me the lower version is far better looking.
I mean, to me it makes such a difference that I bought the second one on eBay just for pleasure of having it on my desk, but I wouldn't have paid a cent for the first one.



Steve White said...
"The plain prism F2 (no built in light meter) was the most beautiful of this series."

I have a weakness for the huge light-meter finders, but I can certainly see the argument for the other side. Very pretty too, and a more elegant beauty whereas the big-finder version is kinda "brutal".

By the way, below is the F6, the film-model which amazingly came out as late as 2004, well after it was clear that film is moribund. (I'm sure it had been in development for many years, and probably Nikon saw it as a status thing to bring out a new pro film camera, to show they still take the old pros seriously.) I think it looks nice, and I'm sure it's an awesome camera.

What is the third world?

Bert wrote to me:
Do find 20 minutes to watch this Swede shatter many common conceptions about the state of the world.
Made me applaud a couple of times (watching a video on my computer!!).

There is this version on TED's site, or this one on youtube, has better picture (helps with seeing his moving graphs). Seems to be roughly same speech, but recorded at different times/place.
Highly interesting. The world picture today is totally different than 98% of us are aware of.

Sony A850, and a New Price Barrier Broken

Sony A850, and a New Price Barrier Broken (on full-frame cameras), tOP article.
Last year Sony shattered the price on full frame high-res cameras (down from Canon's $7,000 to Sony's $3,000), and now they do it again. Heck of a bargain. In the US at least. Why is everything so much cheaper in the US? It seems to have become worse recently, with prices on many products being about the same number in Pounds Sterling as in dollar, despite the 1 to 1.6 exchange relationship in the currencies. (And in many cases the dealers are even forbidden to ship across the Atlantic.)

Become a guru

How to become a tech guru in ten minutes, flow chart, thanks to Eric.

Animator vs Animation

Ron also sent this, which has been circulating for a while, but it's really a very clever little bit of animation and bears repeating.

Animator vs Animation by Alan Becker. (Notice: the sound is very loud.)

Dave points out there's a quite funny sequel. Hey, I found it it the original big format (Flash, not video). Mark II is longer, and has video controls, nice.

Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Eyes of Nostradamus

(The video has a static picture, but a classic song.)

Run Fat Boy Run

I've only watched half yet, but I gotta recommend Simon Pegg's Run, Fat Boy, Run (US link and UK link).
It's just a wonderful comedy and story on so many levels.

Big toy division

[Thanks to Uncle Ron.]

Biggest remote control plane I ever heard of, and it's a jet! (The video is a bit loosely edited, but hang in there, it does fly.) (Remember the HQ button, some of the new videos can get really big.)
Man, I think that thing could demolish a small building if it came down wrong.

This Tee is da bomb

[Thanks to TidBITS.]

One Apple geek tee-shirt feature the old-timey bomb symbol that Macs showed before OS X to hint that your computer had gone belly-up.

Apart from the (in retrospect) morbidity of the symbol, I find it amusing that you will not be allowed to board an airplane in an American airport if you are wearing this tee-shirt visibly. Seriously. Admittedly that's not a confirmed fact, it's an educated guess based on what kind of shirts people have been blocked for wearing. I know I wouldn't try it, these people have no sense of humor.