R.I.P.

What do Nikon and now Konica Minolta both have in common? Venerable camera companies who've recently announced they're abandoning the film camera business. Sign'o'the times...

Have fun, wish you were here.

Now this little ditty, while not available yet, is a novel idea. Of course, the question is how long before pornographers latch onto it?

A new personal record

Yesterday I drove from Cambridge to DC. Nothing particularly remarkable about that except it set a new record for the number of states I been in in one trip: MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, DC. Whether one counts the District as a "state" or not, 7 states is till my personal best. 8 makes it only moreso.

And yes, I got to Fish Brewing. The Mother Ship of Beer. In fact, I met not one but two couples who were also there on a Beer Pilgrimage. Both implored me to abandon plans to push on to DC and stay the night drinking with them. Turns out one couple just moved from Seattle. In fact, the woman (also African-American) lived in West Seattle! Against my impaired judgement I set out for DC anyway. We did exchange contact info so there's a really good chance we'll meet up again. I did walk away with a bottle of their vodka and rum. Saving them both for Seattle sampling. Mmmmm...

Some don't age well

No, I'm not talking about me (though I am unsettled about having to select such an "old" category in surveys). Barley wine.

For those of you not familiar with this high-alcohol content malted'n'hopped beverage think high octane with a murky/musky growl. OK, just try it.

The reason age and barley wine are on my mind of late is that Lisa and I have tapped several from my cellar of late only to be disappointed by how poorly most of them have stood up against the ravages of time. (Again, unlike moi.) To date, offerings from smaller brewers have bombed almost unanimously. I have a couple from Fish Brewing and Lagunitas awaiting trial.

Salvation may be at hand: I'm on the East Coast right now ready to descend upon Dogfish Head tomorrow. Not only one of my all-time favorite brewers but rumor has it they're also doing microdistilling, now have two establishments, tomorrow is their monthly brewer's dinner, and they close the DE facility Tue for remodeling. Wish me luck.

Meanwhile the spirit shopping in Beantown ain't that bad. I finally caught up with a bottle of Tito's Vodka only to have the cashier gush over how good it was and tell me to ignore the VT and Nantucket.

Oh yeah, I caught up with some blood orange bitters and imported rose water too. Given the rain in Seatown, I may never go back!

DIY mouse scanner

No, we're not on the lookout for rodents. Rat season isn't for another couple of months. What we're talking about here is someone hacking their optical mouse into a ghetto b&w scanner.

DVD annoyance

You know what bugs me? What sets me off disproportionate to the event? Starting up a DVD and having it display subtitles. Then I gotta stop the movie, go to the menu, turn subtitles off, and start it up again. Shit...

Fotos anyone?

Got a minute? Read this.

No more marked socks.

Tyler's dad is also into the 'matching your white socks' thing. He uses colour! What a concept.

Funny how "dating" in one's fifties is so different from high school puppy love. In a good way.

Blogging this time isn't about internet self-publishing personal angst. I'm not sure just what it is but it ain't what I was doing 3 or 4 years ago. You can count on that.

So now it's 2006.

It's aught six. I've even written my first check. And didn't mess up the date either.

New Year's Eve was as mellow as Xmas Eve. Both spent in Mukilteo. A pleasant time was had by all. Low key, private, and intimate. Slept like a dead man. Near catatonic sleep for hours on end. Quick, put a mirror under his nose. Is the body still warm?

The kids need to check back in to school. I need to finish moving into this house. I need to think about where next. The juicer needs to make a reappearance.

I've looked at dictionary.reference.com and m-w.com and I still stand by my use earlier of the word "volatile".

All said and done, it should be a great year. Not just a good one, a great. Going to Boston, DC, and NYC 13jan-19jan. Yes, a much needed solo East Coast road trip. Lots of photo exhibits and a trip to beer mecca, Dogfish Head!

Camera hack for privacy's sake

Read this about this.

Whoa.

Leap Second

Have you given serious consideration as to what you'll do with your Leap Second this New Year's Eve?

Don't waste it now.

Reflections on a year

As 2005 comes to a close, the shortest day behind us as is my solar return, reflection is in order.

All said and done, the family seems somewhat resiliant and faring well in spite of the kids' less-than-stellar academic performance (or lack thereof). I smell three New Year's Resolutions in quick succession. One clone actually.

Speaking of children, now we have two with seizures. Different Dx, different Tx, and different Rx. Got that SEA/OAK round trip in a day thaing down pat. Big shoutout to Miki.

The Frau and I continue. The extended family seems to get along smoother than us. I'm not sure there's been another year I've used the word "volatile" as much. Ahhh, love...

Join AARP this year. Killed a startup too. Photography again. With a renewed vigor.

Fortunately strangers still send me money for barcode software. The boutique survives. Prospers actually. Still a killer view. Recycled faces. And still seriously PT post-sabbatical.

And now on to aught six.

New Windows wallpaper images available

JetCityOrange now sports a trio of new screensavers. Come and git em! Right click on each image, download it to your machine, and have at it.

Have a very Tampon Christmas

So did having a digital camera inspire someone to do this site or did they buy the camera just to capture these images? What would Grandma say? Or Grandpa for that matter? Boy or a girl responsible? Was Santa impressed?

And the URL matches the subject matter a little too well.

Did I mention that I'm a little compulsive? For one, I think socks age and mature in pairs if you wear them in pairs. You can also isolate that deviant pair missing one of its members. Given that I'm from Cleveland, I wear an white socks with shocking regularity. I buy a bag of six, snag my permament magic marker, and set about creating pairs. Relax, I'm harmless.

Truth stranger than fiction. Again!

Now I quit going to church years and years ago, except to accompany my mother when I go back home.

Now if I went to this church my Sunday morning habits might be a bit different.

I'll take the high road here and not make obvious cracks about priests...

Pringle can macro lens

Now this is something I can get behind. A pringle can macro lens. Sorta puts those WiFi hackers to shame don't it?

B'day

I woke up today. Therefore I'm 52.

I'm back!

I'm back.

We're not going to focus on where I've been or what JetCityOrange became in the interim or how long since I've had an active blog. None of that matters now. I'm back.

Photo galleries, screensavers, and wallpaper images as well as other digital toys will reside on JetCityOrange, my photo web site. The blog you're reading now will be my day to day mouthpiece. They'll work tgether in tandem. Doing what? Keeping me sane and you amused. Or not.

Since you're reading the very first post of this incarnation of my blog (there have been countless others before over the years) I'll be uncharacteristicly revelatory. Never again so autobiographical, especially after those nasty girls used my other blog to "research" me. Some dating tactic that was. Offensive, invasive, and reeking more than a little of unfair trade practices if you ask me.

Day after tomorrow I turn 52. I'm the father of three teenaged boys - Michael, Coleman, and Bryan. I live in Seattle and own a small, boutique software company. I'm a nerd's nerd but more importantly I have a sharp tongue and a wicked eye behind a camera. 30-odd year vegetarian, I've only voted for a Republican once and I knew him personally, and I'll take cake over pie, beer over wine, and I raise herps and orchids. For now, that's all you need to know.