Random Musings and Nicknacks

I am almost 10 months now. As matter of fact, I will be ten months old tomorrow. I can’t wait till I am 12 months old…I will be older than my brother Tim. He is only 11.

I’m a well behaved boy now. My mom and dad are quite pleased with me. Last weekends, they rewarded me by taking me out twice. Saturday, we went to the Kerrisdale carnival. I got to say Hi to many other dogs. Mommy got me a fancy suspender earlier that morning. They put it on me. It was very comfortable. I felt good when I was wearing it. I felt like I had grown up already. So I walked like a grown-up. My parents were really impressed, kept telling me that I was a good boy. Oh…on our way back, I saw two giant dogs standing in the middle of the street with a big cart attached to them. I was so scared. I never saw any dog that size before. They were huuuuuuge and had weird smell…I was’t sure if I wanted to lick them.

On Sunday, we went to the Steveston Gary Point Park. We walked along the Dike. I ran into many other dogs along the way. I said hello to most of them.

My parents are really into photograph these days ( I have to apologize to my mom. I ate her book last week because I was bored…). They carry their cameras with them all the time and constantly shooting photos…

My brother Tim didn’t come with us both days. He went to some other places by himself. I wish I could go somewhere by myself too…mmm, I have to be really good from now on…

–Punky

So it turns out our speculation was right –

Melamine frequently used in animal feed: Chinese companies

The manager of a feed company in China on Monday said it’s common practice to add melamine — a chemical used to make fertilizers and plastics — to farm feed, but he claimed that in proper doses it will not harm animals.

“We’ve been running the melamine feed business for about 15 years…

Well, I haven’t wrote for a long time… I was busy getting kit-kats. But most of them melted in my pocket, but I told myself, I was just taking a break.
I’m sick, and I feel like I actually have the weight of the world on my shoulders. My head is throbbing, and my neck is horribly sore. I don’t think I could feel any worse.
My nose is surely plugged up, and my voice sounds like it’s modified. I also feel a deep echo in my throat every time I talk, but today I’ve only spent about 5 hours indoors. I went to Lansdowne Mall and Richmond Centre today, I fell really great standing in the sun though, I felt like I could run around!!! Little did I know my legs were going to give out every time I tried to run, though.
I feel stuffed with food, and don’t want to eat. I know I have to though, so I feel bloated. I want to just sit down, but I keep thrashing and moving. I need a break… so that’s why I want kit-kats.
I’m so tired… maybe I should go to bed early… WHAT? What am I saying? I MUST be sick.

Tym at my work got us whitecaps game tickets. So we went to the Swangard stadium tonight to see the game. It was Whitcaps vs California Victory. This was the first time we watched soccer match in a stadium with big crowds.

It turned out that Tim’s soccer coach Peter was the radio commentator for Team 1040 tonight. On the way home, we listened part of his show. He was great!

Camera: DiMAGE Z1
Aperture: 3.5
Focal Lengh: 58.00 mm
Exposure: Normal Program
Shutter Speed: 1/60
ISO: 200

After comparing this photo with Chris’s below, I found:
1. The color in my photo does not jump out. The green pitch does not look green — Don’t know why?
2. My photo does not have good clarity — Chris’s lens has image stablization
3. Motion capture is not good. some of players’s movement is blurred — Chris camera can use much higher ISO

A chance — missed by the whitecaps, taken by us

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: Manual
Focal Length: 190 mm
Aperture: F/5.6
Shutter: 1/180
ISO: 1250

We bought a new lens this weekend (55 – 200 F/4.0 Image Stabilized) preparing for the vacation, and got to see a Whitecaps game (2 – 2 draw). What better way to stress test a new lens than trying night time sports photography from up in the stands?

The game should have been 5 – 1 based on the chances but the ‘Caps just couldn’t capitalize.

(no that ISO is not a typo)

This was the drink we had at a greek resturant last Sunday. It was lovely.

Camera: DiMAGE Z1
Focal Length: 9.7mm
Aperture: f 3.2
Shutter: 1/10
ISO: 200

I guess I have to learn all these camera terminology now. I know that I have been lazy about this stuff.
From now on, all the photos I post should have above info.

Oh my gosh!!! I’m so tired… yawn… But this time I’m not going to fall asleep. I’m going to make it! I’m going to stay up and make it until this end of the game. I have a friend named Kenny, he’s probably watching the game right now, hoping that we win. He’s a real freak when it comes to hockey. But he’s funny in that way…
Yawn… sorry, I’m just really tired. The end of this game is still far from over. I’m in the 4th intermission, and people on the screen also look like they are suffering from fatigue. Well, be back at the end of the game. I bet I’ll be typing by then.

A lonely meeting on the trail (all my photos can be enlarged by clicking)

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: Aperture priority
Focal Length: 70 mm
Aperture: F/4.5
Shutter: 1/180
ISO: 100

Sometimes it is interesting to reflect, with all the new technology we are surrounded by, on how some things have not changed nearly as much as it would initially appear.

This thought struck me while reading the second book of Ansel Adams’ trilogy on photographic technique. The applicability of techniques that were developed as far back as the 1930’s to today’s digital cameras is a fascinating study. (more…)

Ling taking a picture of Vancouver skyline from Lonsdale Quay (click to enlarge)

We had a lot of cloud cover on the expedition, I was working all day on trying to ensure I didn’t blow out the highlights on the clouds. I did reasonably well, but this one the texture in the clouds really struck me.

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: Manual
Focal Length: 34 mm
Aperture: F/4.2
Shutter: 1/1000
ISO 100