As I mentioned a few days ago, I’ve been taking a basic camera operation course at one of the local community colleges. I had taken some rather pathetic photos while working through all the exercises (depth of field, shutter speed, light) but all of it came together last weekend during a photo shoot. Below are […]
For my birthday dinner last night, I went to an “Asian Wraps” cooking seminar. There were four dishes, all of them excellent. I did most of the preparation and cooking of the shrimp gyoza below.
I’m officially middle-aged today, and am feeling a lot better about this than my taste buds. On this day in… 1821, Mexico declared its independence from Spain. I know, you were thinking this was what Cinco de Mayo was all about. Actually, Cinco de Mayo commemorates General Zaragoza in the 1862 Battle of Puebla against
Last month, I was musing about my phone bill. One mystery was why I was being charged $0.02 more for the Federal Excise Tax than the 3% mandated. I called the phone company, but they were unable to provide any explanation. I asked the public utility commission, who provided the information below. The legal interpretation
My two cents (of Federal Excise Tax) Read More »
I’m taking a photography class in hopes that I can improve my technique. We have an exhibition in a couple of weeks, and I’m behind on the number of “exhibitable” (ahem) prints. This weekend I rented a fisheye (16mm f2.8) and a macro (105mm f2.8) lens and set out to take a bunch of photos
Self-checkout kiosks have been appearing in various stores over the last couple of years. Businesses believe they can save money by having one employee monitor mulyiple registers. Customers are sold these as a convenience. Here’s how it’s supposed to work: You place all of your items on the input tray While there are items on
Home Depot’s Self-Checkout Doesn’t Work Read More »
Among the hidden costs of parenting are the sacks of nickels and dimes embedded in various childrens’ extracurricular activities. You’ll learn about them once your kids are emotionally committed to whatever it is they’re doing. The experience feels a bit like buying a car because they’re expenses for things a rational human being might assume
Bowling and a Pizza Read More »
I received an invite to join a group of friends in Orkut, “an online community that connects people through a network of trusted friends.” My first reaction was oh, brother, yet another linking portal. I already have entries on Friendster, the “online community that connects people through networks of friends” and LinkedIn, where you can
How many degrees of Kevin Bacon can be sliced? Read More »