No Grumpy People Here Please

December 26th, 2011 Thomasso

Oh yes, ’tis the season of anger and unpleasantries, and with all those who focus on the martial rather than the seasonal time off to spend with friends and family I say to you, “go get a life, and spoil someone else’s good time.”  I am referring to the unruly shoppers, and consumers who want to be first in the line-ups; those who demand that they be given first priority when seeking customer services; those who push and shove other people on the sidewalls as they walk through. I am shacking my head at just but a few who cast a shadow of darkness on festive environment. But my list goes on.

To add to the horror show of the Canadian Christmas Season, I witnessed in the Langley City in Walmart the pathetic stench of selfishness and snobbery – in Walmart of all places. I seen a lady, who was no Goddess of goodness her self, cursing at another patron regarding her two year old child who was crying becuase she was not happy standing in a line up. Yes, the young woman lost it, and would not you if a 150 kilogram woman told you to shut your two year old up because she was trying to talk on her cell phone while waiting in the line-up?

A man at the Esso gas station in Fort Langley freaking out becuase another person parked in the stall that he wanted. Rather than waiting, the man decided to run over to the lady in the small car and tell her that she was a “stupid @#!* blond Bimbo who can’t drive.” She won the spot fare and square. A real man would be more than happy to allow the lady to have her fill of gasoline, but not today (Dec. 23), it is “me first,” and “look after number one” rules of social conduct. Intimidation are the tactics of some consumers now days that I see. Thankfully not all are like this.

Perhaps it is my age, and I have reached a point in my life when I see beyond the child-like rose coloured glasses that I once wore, and I see the real images around me now. Maybe I am more sensitive to the chaos that erupts around the down town core this time of year when shoppers scramble into their buying frenzy this time of year?

In hindsight, I make it a point to stay away from the crowds and the chaos we call the Christmas Holiday Season. Even though I do not celebrate it myself, Christmas is the dominant religion in Canada, and our culture is based on this, so this locus of buying takes precedence and all follow it as our economic lives depend upon it. The best part about all of this is that by tomorrow everything will be back to normal. My commute to work will be the same, the down town core will be the same, and people in general will be the same. Was it all worth it?

Posted in Around Town, Diatribe, Events, General, Social economics, Social Justice, Story Telling | 1 Comment »

The Crow and My Nissan Pathfinder

December 25th, 2011 Thomasso

While I was doing my morning chores, I heard the familiar sounds of the gang of Crows perched on the trees cawing away. As usual, they were making their morning racket of noise. This means that they are anticipating food, or one of my deviant neighbours had just fed them peanuts. Either way we go to great lengths to scare them away becuase they cause havoc for the rest of us – the Crows leave their droppings on everything.

Sadly the authorities cannot do anything about the offending people who feed them, so some have devised other means of keeping them away without harming them (the neighbour), and the Crows.

By the way, this post was not suppose to be about issues of bird droppings, but I guess it turned out this way. And, I also do not endorse the harming of any living thing, even Crows – they were here long before we humans were.

So here are some shots of the Crows, doing what Crows do best:

The above image is the Crow that left his gift on my Nissan Pathfinder after I took this photograph. He landed right on the Pathfinder and did his business.

Side note: One of our older neighbours invented a “Sonic Cannon.” He got the idea from the RCMP, who had something similar used for the 2010 Winter Olympics to use on protesters. The device sends out a powerful, yet very narrow, sonic wave that is so loud that your ears ring afterwards. You cannot hear it unless it is aimed right at you. Only a 2 sec long, 120 decibel treatment, is enough to send the birds on their way. They only need one session with it, and after that they only need to see it and they fly away – classical conditioning!

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More Photography Jargon: Bokeh, and the Rule of Thirds.

December 24th, 2011 Thomasso

With every specialised field, there comes its specialised jargon. So, enter the world of photography with its complete specialised language and slang that would make any non-photographer’s head spin. After a couple of hours reading on the subject, and referring to a number of on-line videos, I found two very important topics that have always intrigued me. First, the concept of the focusing depth of field in a photograph, which as I found out today, has a really weird name called bokeh. The second is the concept called the Rule of Thirds, which helps makes the photograph more interesting by framing up the subject in the photo with the background.

After spending most of the morning reading on these two topics, I decided that I should do some experimenting with my camera. Hey, it was rainy and cold outside, so doing indoor shots was more appealing to me. My camera has in its viewfinder and eye piece display an option that divides the view finder with the guidelines that shows me the four points from the rule of thirds method. All you are doing is dividing up the image into three horizontal and three vertical areas, and where the lines connect you will have four points. It is on one of the point(s) that you place your subject. I have to agree that placing the subject in the centre of the image is boring. The rule of thirds method is far more interesting to look at in a photograph.

Next is blurring out the foreground and background in my shot. Now that I understand the concept, is seems logical now. Lower the F number, the more specific the rang of focusing in the image is, and the higher the F number, the sharper the image, and everything is generally in focus. This is called bokeh, which is Japanese for blurring. Bokeh, seems to also mean the depth of field. The F Stop, or aperture setting, also controls the amount of light reaching the camera. Thanks goodness for the auto settings eh!

Here is my example of using the rule of thirds, and using bokeh, in my shot of my plant(s) on my work table.

I have also done the White Balance for this image too becuase most of the light is coming from a lamp that has a compact florescent light bulb inside it. I did use the flash, but I would rather have the natural light from the room, but that is me. Maybe, perhaps, my next investment will be studio lighting?

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Just Did a Firmware Update on My Camera

December 23rd, 2011 Thomasso

This morning I did the firmware update on my Sony a33 camera which added some very cool effects on top of the cool scene choices I had with it before. Of the eleven new “picture effect” options that the firmware update added, the colour partial effects are so far my favourites.

What you get with these partial colour effects are a black and white image with only the primary colour you choose as the only colour in the image. In the above image, I chose Red. My website’s logo is not part of the original photo, by the way. In this case, you are looking at a red SADA cable on top of a brown wooden table. Only the red colour is produced. The red also shows up in the view finder too!

The firmware for the Sony A33 now brings me up to version 2.0 from 1.2. There are some other changes that the firmware has done to the camera such as, eleven new effect to the Mode Dial “SCN,” Added some customisation to the “D-Range button,”  Sets display in the finder, and changed the menu selection to last menu selected, or the top menu selection. Sony’s E Support Page.

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Hiding During the Holidays

December 22nd, 2011 Thomasso

A strange little habit that I have this time of year (during the Statutory Holiday) is hiding in my home, turning off all the lights, except for my bedroom, and read. This is the only time that I truly get to catch up on all those interesting passages and stories that I have filed away during the previous months, but never had time to read them. My little pile consists of four books: three textbooks that I bought, and one science fiction story (I downloaded it) that I heard about on the radio. Also in this pile are about fifteen papers and articles from a seminar I attended back in September on Crime and Justice, sponsored by Corrections Canada.

My goal is to have them read by the end of Saturday, so that I can start a new pile. There about three subjects that I really want to blog about too. I figure that if I can have everything read by Saturday, then I can start posting some articles on Sunday and Monday afterwards. This could be a marathon.

I will also be doing some volunteer work with the gang, doing some workshops with Corrections Canada on and around the twenty-fifth.  Right now it is up in the air, but I should be getting some instructions soon, then I can put together a timetable.

I have also stocked up on some munchies and other various supplies because I do not even want to leave the house for as long as possible to avoid the holiday chaos. When I leave work to go home on Friday that is it for me until I have to go back on the following Tuesday, I want to stay off the roads during this period.

I will leave my phone on. Last year there was a small emergency and I had turned everything off, so in the middle of the night, 2:30am, there were the sounds of pounding on my door. So, to avoid that, friends and foe can reach me by phone this year.

I know I must sound like the hermit who hates everything this time of year, but this is furthest from the truth. I am in fact embracing it. This is “my time,” and I need it. I am also flexible this time of year too. If I have to, and it is fun, I will venture out, but I highly doubt that this will happen this year.

Where I live, it is quiet and usually uneventful during the holiday period. Several years ago there was this incident that happened with a guy we labeled a “Drug Dealer” who had the Police, Fire department, and Emergency vehicles all lined up along our driveway, as he used his wife as a hostage because he was being arrested. I sure as heck do not want that to happen again! That scared a lot of people back then in the neighbourhood, so I am kind of hoping I, or we, never see that again. But how can you control that?

One more sleep until I bury myself with books and papers.

Oh oh, I almost forgot – my new camera! I may go outside after all to shoot some photos with it if the weather is good. I completely forgot about that!  *shock*

I am happy. Happy holidays!

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To Wreck a View

December 21st, 2011 Thomasso

As the population of humans grows ever more uncontrolled, our encroachment on the habitable land becomes ever more dense. The housing boom here in the Lower Mainland, also known as the Metro Vancouver Area, and Fraser Valley, has not really shown any signs of slowing, even with the global melt-down around us. In my little town, nestled along the banks of the Fraser River, practically in the heart of the Fraser Valley, construction is going at full speed, comparing it to the pre-meltdown of 2007.

Some call this gentrification, while others call it progress, but the one common dominator as I see it is change. In the shimmering backdrop of my front yard I once had the greenery of trees and the mountains. Then as progress crept in, I had a waterfront view of the Fraser River when the brush was cleared for development, and an entire forest and more mountains were revealed. Today, I have a view of a few dozen living room windows facing me, and people creeping me out with their binoculars from within them, on top of this, more low-rise building under construction that are even closer. The result is that ever changing view from nature to human habitation, from space and openness to walls and concrete, it is all artificial now.

Two things are for certain, besides my death, and taxes, that is my inevitable move from Fort Langley, and the peace and enjoyment that I once had here. Both seem to complement each other while offering the final solution to my relationship to Fort Langley in the future. In a matter of months I will no longer have the title as the Fort Langley Blogger.

So for now, I have the ability to capture my views, from the bushes to river water, and to the rooftops of today, I can see them all on digital film. Not as great as the real thing, but I can sit back and reminisce on the once enjoyable views from once upon a time on my porch.

The image is of a worker smearing roofing tar on one of the latest condo buildings in the Bedford Landing development, along with the Golden Ears Mountain in the background, looking Northward from my place.

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Happy Solstice!

December 21st, 2011 Thomasso

Finally made it. Today, Solstice, is like Hump-day, everything starts to get better once you pass it. I am so looking forward to the nights getting shorter that it is not even funny any more. Sadly, the depressing thoughts linger as we now enter in the new season, called winter, and we all know that there is still four more months of grey cold days ahead. But to be optimistic, the days are getting shorter from now on for the next six months.

Like an old wise person once told me, “it is always sunny on the Solstice,” and today holds that belief to be true. All day was marked with wonderful sun shine, and an almost perfect blue sky in Langley City. It felt nice to have Sun on my face. I even feel ten times better after I was catching the rays.

Oddly, this fall has not deterred some plants from thriving. I think we only have had a dozen nights that have been below freezing. And if this year is going to be like the last one, then we should see more mild nights to come.

Tonight I am going to a light festival to celebrate the Solstice. I will try and capture this on my camera, and post it?

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I Captured Orion

December 20th, 2011 Thomasso

After five painful weeks of waiting for good weather, tonight unexpectedly gave way to clear skies, and the constellation Orion above my home. I finally captured Orion on my DLSR. Without further ado, Je présente, Orion.

Again, like I said in my December 17, 2011 post, I will put this image in my photo gallery becuase you really need to see it in a larger size to see the colours and detail that this image does not show in this size. I am very imporessed with this! I am getting closer.

The image was taken at ISO300, f4, 10 second exposure, using my 18-55mm lens. Anything longer than 10 seconds trails started to appear from the stars moving across the sky. I am also dealing with a lot of light pollution too in my neighbourhood, and there is a tree in lower right corner of this shot.

This is close to what I am aiming for with my night sky photography.

Posted in Astronomy, Events, General, Photographs | 2 Comments »

Why I Think Canadian Retailers Are Losing Out On On-Line Sales

December 19th, 2011 Thomasso

Last week, I really wanted to buy some accessories for my new camera. As usual, I scoured the net to see what my options were; you know, doing some research for what is out there, and where I could get it.  As a rule, I hit my local retailers’ websites first to see what they have in their stock. If I do not see it there locally, then I expand my search and widen the net to include nondomestic sources such as the U.S. and the Asian markets. Sadly, as in this case, I finally bought my accessory from a company down in California, for what was a really great price.

The next day while I was shopping for food, I decided to stop in at one of the electronic stores in Langley City to brows around. To my surprise, I seen the exact item that I had just purchased from off of the internet, sitting there right in the (local) store.  Although I had paid slightly less for it from the California retailer, I was shocked nonetheless to see it sitting there on the store shelf in Langley City (close to where I live).

I asked the salesperson why they did not list this on their website. His reply made about as much sense as Federal Civil Servant justifying spending on why HB pencils are used instead of H2 pencils – it stunned me!

“It’s our policy. We only post certain items, stock items that are on sale, or items that we want to compete with from the other retailers…, we post those on line. And super sale items are also not listed” The sales person said.

I told him that I just bought this particular item from a store in California because I could not find anywhere else.

The salesperson’s reply: “Well, you should have gone down here and looked first. We have carried this item for a very long time. Everyone should know that we do not post all of our stock on line – we just cannot do it.”

I replied, “That is too bad. It is more convenient for me to do online shopping than it is driving around wasting gas and time, plus fighting traffic down town. I guess your company will suffer. It is a shame; you are missing out on a lot of sales. The Internet is just so convenient”

To which the salesperson shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

I guess it is that kind of attitude among local business here in British Columbia that will cause them to suffer further economic losses in the long term. I, as a consumer, will take full advantage of using the net for my shopping needs, and if local retailers are not going to cater to me, then they will lose out on my sales as I seek them further abroad.

I heard on CBC news this morning that Canadians have spent over 30 billion dollars on online shopping this year alone. This must be sending a message out to all local retailers here in Canada if we are buying that much volume? If not, will feel bad for them? No, probably not because they know.

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Getting my Camera Workout: The Hike.

December 17th, 2011 Thomasso

Although it was cloudy, yet warming up for a mid December day, I took the camera with me for a little hike over to Brea Island to go ballistic with it, snapping photos of all the neat and interesting things that I could find. For a brief time the Sun came out, which nature gave me about a twenty minute window for some optimum light conditions (that I have been waiting for over three weeks now) then it was back to dull, grey and boring.

So without further ado, here are but a sample of the 142 photos I snapped off today.

These, by the way, are in chronological order, over an one hour hike. I spent more time taking photos than actually doing any serious hiking.

The image above, I was shooting for the contrast between the clouds and fog along the trees. The clouds looked awesome. I know it is hard to see the colours in this tiny image, but I will put it in my photo gallery soon in a larger size.

Above image is a neat photo of the Fraser River completely fogged over, looking at the Bedford Landing housing development from Brea Island. The image below is what I call the “Face in the Sand,” becuase I seen a face when I was taking this shot. The zoom lens, 55-200mm, really took a good shot of this. There was noway I could have taken this shot with a wide angle lens. I did not touch the sand, OK, this is all natural.

Above, the fog rolling in as layers; looking at Bedford Landing, near Fort Langley. Below is a Holly bush. I did not know this, but Holly grows here naturally. Whether the Holly trees were brought here by man, or this is their natural habitat, they are everywhere on this island.

Above, I call these, “Weird Creepy White Berries” becuase they look, well, weird and creepy. I do not know what they really are-I have no idea. I think they look like aged Blue Berries that somehow turned white once the cooler weather took over, but I could be wrong. They are extremely mushy, and they have a bad odour once you touch them.

So there you have it, a sample of my photo shoot along Brea Island today, using my fancy new Sony 55-200mm zoom lens.

ADDED: If you want to see the posted full gallery, 96 out of the 140 photos I took today, go here to: GALLERY 16. Let me know what you think, or tell me which is your favourite photo?

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