We, Humans, are supposed to be sinners. The lot of us. That is, according to religious folk.
But me being me, I have thought things over a touch and came to the conclusion that we, Humans, can never be sinners, at least, not in the religious sense.
Because there's only two possibilities.
One, god, with his ability of foresight in combination with his greater plan, has measured out our lives, for every single person which was ever born and for every person that still has to be born: all our lives are written in stone because that's what god has planned.
So, if god has planned our lives for us, how on earth can we sin? Since whatever we do was in god's plan?
Two, god's plan includes free will for each and everyone of us. Thus, god has no control over most of what we do. If we, in our capacity of free-willed beings, should do something which religious folk call a sin, then they should blame god since he gave us a free will. When using our free will we fulfill god's wish and thus cannot sin.
So, you see, religious people should do their homework and stop calling everybody who doesn't think along their lines a sinner, because, guess what, we are unable to sin, since however you look at it, whatever we do, it's god's will.
But, while we're at it, let's also have a look at those so-called religious people. When we take a real close look, we must conclude that they are not religious at all. No siree. Because, 99.9% of religious people are mistaking church for religion.
That's right. There are no religious people. Only folks who are part of a church and follow the dogmas of that church. Since those people lost the ability to think for themselves, they let their church leaders do the thinking. And those church leaders have only one thing in mind and that is to further their private non god-inspired agenda and keep on fooling their flock into thinking that the church holds the truth and nothing but the truth, amen.
Thou shalt not falter is one of the cherished retorts from the church. Why? Because when people veer from the path, the church loses its grip and there's a big chance the people start thinking for themselves again. The church --whatever church-- can't have that. That's tantamount to blasphemy, treason even. No, no, you *have* to keep the faith. Otherwise the church would lose its reason of existence...
Because, in the end, the church has but one goal and that goal is to secure it's own existence, its own future.
And that, to finish with a contradicto in terminis, is a real sin.
JJ
Friday, August 23, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Seagate Constellation
A recently ordered package from AlleKabels (literally meaning All Cables) has finally arrived from Holland. It contains a few cables -a 20m HDMI cable and -important!- a 22-pins SATA SAS cable for a nifty Seagate 4TB Constellation hard disk that I bought on ebay for a very nice price. Constellation disks are quite a bit more expensive than "regular" disks (read, double to almost thrice the price) because the former are made much more sturdy for use in servers, since in servers disks are constantly severely in use 24-hours a day, seven days a week...
Problem is that this Constellation disks appears to be of the SAS variety. SAS is a variation on the SATA connection (PATA was Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment and had a 4-pins molex for power and a 40-pins flat-cable for data; SATA is Serial Advanced Technology and has a 15-pins power cable and a 7-pins data cable)
PATA and SATA (as well as SAS) are protocols used to communicate between mainboard/operating system and the hard drive.
SAS (which stands for Serial Attached SCSI) has the possibility to attach more than one hard drive to the same mainboard connection, while SATA is always one-on-one. Normally, the difference is the kind of cable: instead of a one-on-one cable, you have, for example a one (for the mainboard) on four cable (for four SAS hard drives).
But that isn't the problem. Where the shoe wrings in my case, is that SAS hard drives have two sets of connections: the regular 15- plus 7-pins and a 22-pins. Now, the amount of pins and their purpose are the same, but with regular SATA and/or SAS, you have the pins on the hard drive sitting under an L-shaped ledge, with the short end of the "L" sitting left for the data cable and right for thepower cable.
The second type of SAS is just one connector with one long, straight ledge on the drive. Which means there's no way you can fit the regular L-shaped plugs on the drive. That's why I had to order this 22-pins cable...
Second slight inconvenience is that my mainboard doesn't have the SAS protocol. That means of course that, even with the right connector now in my possession, I won't be able to use the Constellation hard drive since the latter can't communicate with the operating system -and vice versa- because the mainboard lacks the needed hard- and software.
Only thing I can do -besides reselling the drive- is to buy a new mainboard. Since I already wanted to buy a new mainboard because of having run out on SATA connectors (got ten connectors on the current AsRock P67 Fatal1ty Pro board and have eight hard drives and two burners).
But the baord I was going to get would normally have been a so-called socket 2011 board. The socket (also called LGA -Land Grid Array) is the space where the CPU (Central Processing Unit) is sitting and is mentioned by way of the amount of copper connections it has on the bottom. For the "Pentium IV" it was first 416 and later 478 copper pins or Socket 478. For the Pentium D and then the Core Duo processors, it was 775 contacts (they did away with the pins because sometimes, when swapping a processor, the CPU got stuck on the back of the cooling block through the cooling paste you have to apply in order to get smooth, overall cooling, and when removing said block you pulled the CPU out of its socket before you could shift the handle that blocks the CPU in its place, sometimes resulting in one or more CPU pins breaking off and you could throw away the CPU).
For the i7 generation it was first the socket 1366 (X58 chipset, running on triple-channel DDR3 RAM) and later the socket 1156 (P55 chipset, running on dual-channel DDR3 RAM). For the LGA1156, new i5 and i3 processors where developed.
Then came the i7 Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge which have a socket 1155 or 2011 and the latest are the socket 1150 boards...
So, back to the socket 2011 board I wanted to buy, the AsRock X79 Extreme 11. This a board would entice that I also buy a new processor, since I own an Intel i7 Sandy Bridge 2600K CPU. The thing is that the three processors in the socket 2011 range are either the same price as my 2600K and perform the same too, or are much more expensive and don't give enough of an advantage over my 2600K to warrant the exessive investment.
Problem was that this socket 2011 board was the only one that had more than ten SATA connectors (14, to be exact). But AsRock came to my rescue when releasing that Extreme 11 mainboard for the socket 1155. Which means I don't have to buy a new processor.
To complete my joy, the AsRock Z77 Extreme 11 has fourteen! SATA connectors, of which four support the aformentioned SAS protocol. It is (was?) also the only board which had the SATA controller under one Intel driver, as to where before the Intel driver supported only part of the SATA connectors and an other part was supported by Marvell.
I must add that I experienced problems with both drivers from Intel and Marvell when all 10 connectors are occupied. After reading a round-up of the Extreme 11 board on Tom's Hardware, I was pleased to learn that the sole Intel driver was more than capable of steering all 14 connectors, which is exactly what I need.
Now, I'll probably have to find some kind of sponsorship -or go down to the pub and sing for a few pop a song- as that AsRock Z77 Extreme 11 motherboard costs over 400 euro...
Wish me luck.
JJ
Problem is that this Constellation disks appears to be of the SAS variety. SAS is a variation on the SATA connection (PATA was Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment and had a 4-pins molex for power and a 40-pins flat-cable for data; SATA is Serial Advanced Technology and has a 15-pins power cable and a 7-pins data cable)
PATA and SATA (as well as SAS) are protocols used to communicate between mainboard/operating system and the hard drive.
SAS (which stands for Serial Attached SCSI) has the possibility to attach more than one hard drive to the same mainboard connection, while SATA is always one-on-one. Normally, the difference is the kind of cable: instead of a one-on-one cable, you have, for example a one (for the mainboard) on four cable (for four SAS hard drives).
But that isn't the problem. Where the shoe wrings in my case, is that SAS hard drives have two sets of connections: the regular 15- plus 7-pins and a 22-pins. Now, the amount of pins and their purpose are the same, but with regular SATA and/or SAS, you have the pins on the hard drive sitting under an L-shaped ledge, with the short end of the "L" sitting left for the data cable and right for thepower cable.
The second type of SAS is just one connector with one long, straight ledge on the drive. Which means there's no way you can fit the regular L-shaped plugs on the drive. That's why I had to order this 22-pins cable...
Second slight inconvenience is that my mainboard doesn't have the SAS protocol. That means of course that, even with the right connector now in my possession, I won't be able to use the Constellation hard drive since the latter can't communicate with the operating system -and vice versa- because the mainboard lacks the needed hard- and software.
Only thing I can do -besides reselling the drive- is to buy a new mainboard. Since I already wanted to buy a new mainboard because of having run out on SATA connectors (got ten connectors on the current AsRock P67 Fatal1ty Pro board and have eight hard drives and two burners).
But the baord I was going to get would normally have been a so-called socket 2011 board. The socket (also called LGA -Land Grid Array) is the space where the CPU (Central Processing Unit) is sitting and is mentioned by way of the amount of copper connections it has on the bottom. For the "Pentium IV" it was first 416 and later 478 copper pins or Socket 478. For the Pentium D and then the Core Duo processors, it was 775 contacts (they did away with the pins because sometimes, when swapping a processor, the CPU got stuck on the back of the cooling block through the cooling paste you have to apply in order to get smooth, overall cooling, and when removing said block you pulled the CPU out of its socket before you could shift the handle that blocks the CPU in its place, sometimes resulting in one or more CPU pins breaking off and you could throw away the CPU).
For the i7 generation it was first the socket 1366 (X58 chipset, running on triple-channel DDR3 RAM) and later the socket 1156 (P55 chipset, running on dual-channel DDR3 RAM). For the LGA1156, new i5 and i3 processors where developed.
Then came the i7 Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge which have a socket 1155 or 2011 and the latest are the socket 1150 boards...
So, back to the socket 2011 board I wanted to buy, the AsRock X79 Extreme 11. This a board would entice that I also buy a new processor, since I own an Intel i7 Sandy Bridge 2600K CPU. The thing is that the three processors in the socket 2011 range are either the same price as my 2600K and perform the same too, or are much more expensive and don't give enough of an advantage over my 2600K to warrant the exessive investment.
Problem was that this socket 2011 board was the only one that had more than ten SATA connectors (14, to be exact). But AsRock came to my rescue when releasing that Extreme 11 mainboard for the socket 1155. Which means I don't have to buy a new processor.
To complete my joy, the AsRock Z77 Extreme 11 has fourteen! SATA connectors, of which four support the aformentioned SAS protocol. It is (was?) also the only board which had the SATA controller under one Intel driver, as to where before the Intel driver supported only part of the SATA connectors and an other part was supported by Marvell.
I must add that I experienced problems with both drivers from Intel and Marvell when all 10 connectors are occupied. After reading a round-up of the Extreme 11 board on Tom's Hardware, I was pleased to learn that the sole Intel driver was more than capable of steering all 14 connectors, which is exactly what I need.
Now, I'll probably have to find some kind of sponsorship -or go down to the pub and sing for a few pop a song- as that AsRock Z77 Extreme 11 motherboard costs over 400 euro...
Wish me luck.
JJ
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Pioneer VSX 422K Surround Receiver
Got this little bugger on ebay from a German retailer, brand new in the box, for a hundred and ten Euro less than what I would have paid in Belgium: €186 (plus €20 for p&p) against €300 (plus €15 for p&p).
I had the 422K in my sights for a while, although I would have liked its bigger brother more, but that one (the VSX 922K) is priced at €550 -almost twice the amount for the VSX 422k.
Once I had the 422K set- and hooked-up, I remembered why I would rather have bought the 922K. First off, the 422K -like the 922K- has an on-screen display with a menu, except that with the 922K this menu is sent through the HDMI cable, but with my receiver it's not. You have to hang the receiver to the TV with a yellow-red-white cable (of which the yellow is the important one, since that's the one providing the picture) and plug the yellow cable into the "monitor" inlet of the receiver.
There's no problem with that -luckily- since my Samsung 46" LED TV has a whole bunch of possible connections, the y-r-w connection being one of them. The inconvenience is that you need the remote of the tv to switch incoming sources to see the display of the receiver -and more importantly, find the needed cable first.
Normally, one doesn't need the receiver's on-screen display, except for the annoying announcement which keeps scrolling across the receiver's display, telling you about some automatic sound set-up called MCACC or Multi-Channel ACoustic Calibration (something like Technic's "Pink-Noise", years ago). This announcement can only gotten rid of after having disabled it through the receiver's menu, for which of course you first must look for that damned y-r-w cable and wring yerself behind the TV and receiver to make the connection.
Normally I never use such nifty gadgets because usually they don't amount to much. But I read some good things about this auto-calibration thing when informing myself on the net about the 422K and decided to have a go.
What you do is, get the microphone which comes with the receiver, plug it into the VSX 422K -mini-jack is conveniently placed at the front- and then sit in the chair you usually use for watching TV and place the microphone as close to your ears as possible -I placed it on top of my head- and start the self-diagnostic sequences.
All the receiver does is first test the room for environmental noises (it even tells you it stops the test when there's too much background noise and even advises to reduce the noise for the receiver to be able to restart testing) then it sends a white noise to all the available channels (six) to determine how many speakers are connected.
After this first test, the receiver's MCACC tests the acoustics of the room, determines where the speakers are situated in regard to where the microphone -and thus you- sits and on that basis it sets the noise levels for the different speakers as well as adapting the settings for the built-in equalizer and it's pre-sets.
I must confess that there's a huge difference in sound quality with the settings after the auto-calibration. I fiddled around with the manual settings for the speakers -the latter sadly overruns the auto-calibration settings- and had a go at some sweet tunes (Iced Earth's three-piece "Gettysburg 1864" suite on the bonus disc for their 2004 album "The Glorious Burden"), then I re-calibrated with the receiver's MCACC and was blown away with the difference in sound (speaking of sound: don't do the calibrating at night, like I did the first time around, because the test noises grow seriously in decibels along the way, making unsuspecting neighbours unhappy).
It's really the difference between day and night. I mean, the receiver sounds pretty good for such a low priced, entry level apparatus, but after the auto-calibration, the VSX 422K sounds like a million bucks.
Okay, so I've been out of the hifi-loop for a while. Bar my Logitech Z5500 5.1 surround system, the last stand-alone receiver I had was the Pioneer VSX 809. A 4.1 receiver bought in 1994 which sounded okay-ish.
Compared to the VSX 422K, that older Pioneer sounds like a mid-sixties handheld AM radio. Sure, there's almost 20 years between them, but the difference in sound quality is mind boggling.
But back to my gripes with the 422K. So, like I said, the on-screen display can only be seen with the right cable. Another letdown is that the VSX 422K doesn't have a J45 network connection. Not really necessary, but mighty handy for upgrading the software for the receiver.
Third inconvenience is that there's no USB connection either. Furthermore, there's only one set of stereo speakers that can be hooked up. My VSX 809 had, besides the surround channels, an extra pair of speaker connectors. Usually both sets are marked as "A" and "B". Such a second set can be handy when wanting to use speakers in a different room other than where the main speakers are situated, like in the kitchen or even a bedroom: it keeps you from having to buy a second amp/receiver. Simply switch from speaker set A to speaker set B and yer done.
Last inconvenience -and the most important to me- is the tiny buttons on the remote. With my deteriorating eyesight, I need a flashlight to shine over the buttons to be able to see what's written underneath the lot. If there's even something written underneath. Most buttons have some little sign for which you need the manual in order to decipher what the meaning of those glyphs is. But, there's no paper manual with the receiver. So, you need the disc that came with the 422K and a computer nearby to be able to read the manual...
To help you out with the result of some button pushing, there's markings on the front of the receiver, underneath some ill-fed LEDs. Problem is that the explanatory text is so small that you need to kneel in front of the receiver and stick yer nose against it -preferably armed with aformentioned flashlight- to again be able to make out what exactly is being communicated here.
To make a long story short: the Pioneer VSX 422K has a great sound for its price, but it seriously lacks in the user-friendly department. But do I care? Not really, no. Which makes this slab of text rather pointless, now doesn't it...
JJ
I had the 422K in my sights for a while, although I would have liked its bigger brother more, but that one (the VSX 922K) is priced at €550 -almost twice the amount for the VSX 422k.
Once I had the 422K set- and hooked-up, I remembered why I would rather have bought the 922K. First off, the 422K -like the 922K- has an on-screen display with a menu, except that with the 922K this menu is sent through the HDMI cable, but with my receiver it's not. You have to hang the receiver to the TV with a yellow-red-white cable (of which the yellow is the important one, since that's the one providing the picture) and plug the yellow cable into the "monitor" inlet of the receiver.
There's no problem with that -luckily- since my Samsung 46" LED TV has a whole bunch of possible connections, the y-r-w connection being one of them. The inconvenience is that you need the remote of the tv to switch incoming sources to see the display of the receiver -and more importantly, find the needed cable first.
Normally, one doesn't need the receiver's on-screen display, except for the annoying announcement which keeps scrolling across the receiver's display, telling you about some automatic sound set-up called MCACC or Multi-Channel ACoustic Calibration (something like Technic's "Pink-Noise", years ago). This announcement can only gotten rid of after having disabled it through the receiver's menu, for which of course you first must look for that damned y-r-w cable and wring yerself behind the TV and receiver to make the connection.
Normally I never use such nifty gadgets because usually they don't amount to much. But I read some good things about this auto-calibration thing when informing myself on the net about the 422K and decided to have a go.
What you do is, get the microphone which comes with the receiver, plug it into the VSX 422K -mini-jack is conveniently placed at the front- and then sit in the chair you usually use for watching TV and place the microphone as close to your ears as possible -I placed it on top of my head- and start the self-diagnostic sequences.
All the receiver does is first test the room for environmental noises (it even tells you it stops the test when there's too much background noise and even advises to reduce the noise for the receiver to be able to restart testing) then it sends a white noise to all the available channels (six) to determine how many speakers are connected.
After this first test, the receiver's MCACC tests the acoustics of the room, determines where the speakers are situated in regard to where the microphone -and thus you- sits and on that basis it sets the noise levels for the different speakers as well as adapting the settings for the built-in equalizer and it's pre-sets.
I must confess that there's a huge difference in sound quality with the settings after the auto-calibration. I fiddled around with the manual settings for the speakers -the latter sadly overruns the auto-calibration settings- and had a go at some sweet tunes (Iced Earth's three-piece "Gettysburg 1864" suite on the bonus disc for their 2004 album "The Glorious Burden"), then I re-calibrated with the receiver's MCACC and was blown away with the difference in sound (speaking of sound: don't do the calibrating at night, like I did the first time around, because the test noises grow seriously in decibels along the way, making unsuspecting neighbours unhappy).
It's really the difference between day and night. I mean, the receiver sounds pretty good for such a low priced, entry level apparatus, but after the auto-calibration, the VSX 422K sounds like a million bucks.
Okay, so I've been out of the hifi-loop for a while. Bar my Logitech Z5500 5.1 surround system, the last stand-alone receiver I had was the Pioneer VSX 809. A 4.1 receiver bought in 1994 which sounded okay-ish.
Compared to the VSX 422K, that older Pioneer sounds like a mid-sixties handheld AM radio. Sure, there's almost 20 years between them, but the difference in sound quality is mind boggling.
But back to my gripes with the 422K. So, like I said, the on-screen display can only be seen with the right cable. Another letdown is that the VSX 422K doesn't have a J45 network connection. Not really necessary, but mighty handy for upgrading the software for the receiver.
Third inconvenience is that there's no USB connection either. Furthermore, there's only one set of stereo speakers that can be hooked up. My VSX 809 had, besides the surround channels, an extra pair of speaker connectors. Usually both sets are marked as "A" and "B". Such a second set can be handy when wanting to use speakers in a different room other than where the main speakers are situated, like in the kitchen or even a bedroom: it keeps you from having to buy a second amp/receiver. Simply switch from speaker set A to speaker set B and yer done.
Last inconvenience -and the most important to me- is the tiny buttons on the remote. With my deteriorating eyesight, I need a flashlight to shine over the buttons to be able to see what's written underneath the lot. If there's even something written underneath. Most buttons have some little sign for which you need the manual in order to decipher what the meaning of those glyphs is. But, there's no paper manual with the receiver. So, you need the disc that came with the 422K and a computer nearby to be able to read the manual...
To help you out with the result of some button pushing, there's markings on the front of the receiver, underneath some ill-fed LEDs. Problem is that the explanatory text is so small that you need to kneel in front of the receiver and stick yer nose against it -preferably armed with aformentioned flashlight- to again be able to make out what exactly is being communicated here.
To make a long story short: the Pioneer VSX 422K has a great sound for its price, but it seriously lacks in the user-friendly department. But do I care? Not really, no. Which makes this slab of text rather pointless, now doesn't it...
JJ
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
New place, old me...
Well, I'm finally starting to settle in my new place. It's quite fun to be needing something and not knowing where you've actually put it.
New appartment is about three times the space I used to live and still I seem to lack room. Okay, so I bought an extra cupboard and put my dinner table with it's six chairs together -something I couldn't do in the "old" place- and I've also bought that four-doors wardrobe. The latter is sitting in the bedroom (no kidding) which is spacious enough to hold the wardrobe and the matching double bed plus an extra small linen cupboard.
It's the living area which seems to get cramped. Maybe because I divided it in two with a self-made two meters by two meters loose CD-storage (or what this "wall" was originally used for): one side holds the dining table and the chairs -plus two cupboards- and the other side has my Samsung 46" TV on a new, small table and three Ikea easy chairs plus two telescopic tripods for the rear speakers of my JBL XTi20 surround system.
For the latter I found a half-decent surround receiver, the Pioneer VSX-422, which got its place underneath the TV set, with my Samsung BluRay player on top of the receiver and the JBL center speaker on the floor underneath the receiver.
Must say that the JBL speakers give a really nice sound but are lacking in the bass department. Mainly because there was no subwoofer included in the set, but also because the Pioneer receiver hasn't got that much bass to play with. Instead of a knob on the receiver, it's a button on the remote which can go "six" up and/or down from the standard "zero" level. Since the surround set is mainly going to be used for watching movies, the lack in lower levels isn't that much of a problem.
For music, I use my computer with a Logitech Z5500 5.1 surround set anyway, hooked-up to a Creative Fatality XFi Titanium soundcard. Plus, should I really want to, I could always sell the Pioneer/JBL combo on ebay and use my second Logitech Z5500 set for the TV. I bought that second set on ebay for "spare parts" should I run into trouble with my original Z5500, since the latter isn't manufactured any longer and was replaced by the Z906 of which the build quality of the electronic components is rather dubious in my opinion.
But I seriously doubt I would sell the JBL speakers. They give an impressively crisp sound, even on that "cheapish" Pioneer and without a subwoofer. I have always been satisfied with the Logitech Z5500's sound -especially the subwoofer is tremendous- until I started using those JBL XTi20 speakers. That is to say, I am still satisfied with the Z5500 set, but those JBL's are so much nicer to the ears. Well, to mine anyway...
I'll be back,
JJ
New appartment is about three times the space I used to live and still I seem to lack room. Okay, so I bought an extra cupboard and put my dinner table with it's six chairs together -something I couldn't do in the "old" place- and I've also bought that four-doors wardrobe. The latter is sitting in the bedroom (no kidding) which is spacious enough to hold the wardrobe and the matching double bed plus an extra small linen cupboard.
It's the living area which seems to get cramped. Maybe because I divided it in two with a self-made two meters by two meters loose CD-storage (or what this "wall" was originally used for): one side holds the dining table and the chairs -plus two cupboards- and the other side has my Samsung 46" TV on a new, small table and three Ikea easy chairs plus two telescopic tripods for the rear speakers of my JBL XTi20 surround system.
For the latter I found a half-decent surround receiver, the Pioneer VSX-422, which got its place underneath the TV set, with my Samsung BluRay player on top of the receiver and the JBL center speaker on the floor underneath the receiver.
Must say that the JBL speakers give a really nice sound but are lacking in the bass department. Mainly because there was no subwoofer included in the set, but also because the Pioneer receiver hasn't got that much bass to play with. Instead of a knob on the receiver, it's a button on the remote which can go "six" up and/or down from the standard "zero" level. Since the surround set is mainly going to be used for watching movies, the lack in lower levels isn't that much of a problem.
For music, I use my computer with a Logitech Z5500 5.1 surround set anyway, hooked-up to a Creative Fatality XFi Titanium soundcard. Plus, should I really want to, I could always sell the Pioneer/JBL combo on ebay and use my second Logitech Z5500 set for the TV. I bought that second set on ebay for "spare parts" should I run into trouble with my original Z5500, since the latter isn't manufactured any longer and was replaced by the Z906 of which the build quality of the electronic components is rather dubious in my opinion.
But I seriously doubt I would sell the JBL speakers. They give an impressively crisp sound, even on that "cheapish" Pioneer and without a subwoofer. I have always been satisfied with the Logitech Z5500's sound -especially the subwoofer is tremendous- until I started using those JBL XTi20 speakers. That is to say, I am still satisfied with the Z5500 set, but those JBL's are so much nicer to the ears. Well, to mine anyway...
I'll be back,
JJ
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Stowing Your Life Away...
The big day is arriving fast now. I hope. That's what they've been telling me for weeks, anyway. "They" are the housing company from which I rent an apartment. The same people who are selling the block where I currently live and as a consequence have provided me with a new place to stay.
All I need to get sorted out is the warranty of the new apartment. Is almost double of what I had to cash-out for where I live right now. A good thing that I get to collect the warranty from this apartment and can carry it over to the new one. Which means I only need an extra threehundred-and-peanuts on top of the fivehundred and sixty I paid four and a half years ago.
Once the warranty is settled, I'll get the keys and some time after that I'll sign the new lease. Then, the housing company will give me a call about the exact date the moving company will arrive.
Another good thing is that, since we're being forced out because the housing company sells the apartment block, it's a case of "force majeure" and as such we don't have to pay zilch. All the costs of moving are for the wallet of the housing company. They painted the new apartment and even put some new carpet on the floor.
Problem is I'll have to buy half a football field's worth of curtains. Much more and larger windows than in my current studio. With the cash I've spent on ebay lately, buying my DSLR and lenses and filters and whatnot, I guess I'll have to dress one window per month. Which will take me close to a year before I'll have curtains everywhere...
But who cares, except maybe for the neigbours across the street. Main thing is I'll finally move and leave this rabbithole behind me. Not that I didn't like it here. Its' just that I've been buying so many pieces of furniture over the last four and a half years that I haven't got any room left to move around.
Packing is almost done. Funny how you collect a lot of stuff over a short period of time. I mean, I practically left everything behind back in 2007 when I went to New York City. When I came back to Belgium, all I had was my computer, some clothes and a fairly decent music collection. Oficially, I was homeless until the first of October 2008 (slept on the floor at my mother's place for one and a half years) when I got this here studio.
Bit by bit I bought some furniture and stuff and now the place is so crammed it's bursting at the seams. Some furniture like my bed I bought new. A couple of weeks ago, i was finally able to buy the wardrobe that goes with the bed -at the time, I was unable to fit the wardrobe into the smallish bedroom, but the new apartment is spaceous enough -with two bedrooms- to fit everything I have and then some.
Like I said, I'll be glad when I'll finally be able to move. So, let's move it.
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
All I need to get sorted out is the warranty of the new apartment. Is almost double of what I had to cash-out for where I live right now. A good thing that I get to collect the warranty from this apartment and can carry it over to the new one. Which means I only need an extra threehundred-and-peanuts on top of the fivehundred and sixty I paid four and a half years ago.
Once the warranty is settled, I'll get the keys and some time after that I'll sign the new lease. Then, the housing company will give me a call about the exact date the moving company will arrive.
Another good thing is that, since we're being forced out because the housing company sells the apartment block, it's a case of "force majeure" and as such we don't have to pay zilch. All the costs of moving are for the wallet of the housing company. They painted the new apartment and even put some new carpet on the floor.
Problem is I'll have to buy half a football field's worth of curtains. Much more and larger windows than in my current studio. With the cash I've spent on ebay lately, buying my DSLR and lenses and filters and whatnot, I guess I'll have to dress one window per month. Which will take me close to a year before I'll have curtains everywhere...
But who cares, except maybe for the neigbours across the street. Main thing is I'll finally move and leave this rabbithole behind me. Not that I didn't like it here. Its' just that I've been buying so many pieces of furniture over the last four and a half years that I haven't got any room left to move around.
Packing is almost done. Funny how you collect a lot of stuff over a short period of time. I mean, I practically left everything behind back in 2007 when I went to New York City. When I came back to Belgium, all I had was my computer, some clothes and a fairly decent music collection. Oficially, I was homeless until the first of October 2008 (slept on the floor at my mother's place for one and a half years) when I got this here studio.
Bit by bit I bought some furniture and stuff and now the place is so crammed it's bursting at the seams. Some furniture like my bed I bought new. A couple of weeks ago, i was finally able to buy the wardrobe that goes with the bed -at the time, I was unable to fit the wardrobe into the smallish bedroom, but the new apartment is spaceous enough -with two bedrooms- to fit everything I have and then some.
Like I said, I'll be glad when I'll finally be able to move. So, let's move it.
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Mum Goes Nuts, Too...
Last friday -February 8- my mother took about two hours to get out of bed. Not because she went out on the town the night before and was suffering a hangover- no, she was in pain for some or other reason and was unable to use her legs and as a consequence couldn't get up.
Saturday went reasonably well. Mother could walk, albeit very carefully and very slowly, but at least she was able to get around the apartment.
Sunday however, things went from bad to worse and mom was again unable to get up. She didn't even make it to bed the night before and slept on the couch. Since I had to help her get on and off the toilet bowl and didn't see me doing this every hour (my mother suffers from water in the lower legs and takes medication to get rid of that water, so she has to go pee at least once every hour) I only saw one solution and that was to get her to the hospital.
So, that's what we -my sis, brother in law and me- did. Went to the Middelheim Hospital in Antwerp and took her into the "Urgency" center. Urgent is a bit of an idle word at Middelheim, or so it seems, since we had to wait from half-past one until a quarter past four before mom was admitted.
The doctors did some tests -which altogether took until roundabout nine PM- and came to the conclusion that mom suffered from an infected tendon in her right upper tigh. That's why she was in such pain trying to stand and in fact couldn't stand at all.
Mom's being taken care of with antibiotics and stuff. How long it's gonna take until she'll be able to more or less walk again is rather murky. Doctors can't -or won't- put a time on it. fact is that mom's also going to need some "movement therapy", which is just another term for excersising. She'll be very happy with that.
Anyway, for the time being it's a question of being able to keep mom in the hospital, because she doesn't like it there and wants to go home. I can understand that. I don't like hospitals either for the main reason that you get bored stiff over there. Nothing to do in so many diferent ways.
Am off. Gotta go pay mom a visit.
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Saturday went reasonably well. Mother could walk, albeit very carefully and very slowly, but at least she was able to get around the apartment.
Sunday however, things went from bad to worse and mom was again unable to get up. She didn't even make it to bed the night before and slept on the couch. Since I had to help her get on and off the toilet bowl and didn't see me doing this every hour (my mother suffers from water in the lower legs and takes medication to get rid of that water, so she has to go pee at least once every hour) I only saw one solution and that was to get her to the hospital.
So, that's what we -my sis, brother in law and me- did. Went to the Middelheim Hospital in Antwerp and took her into the "Urgency" center. Urgent is a bit of an idle word at Middelheim, or so it seems, since we had to wait from half-past one until a quarter past four before mom was admitted.
The doctors did some tests -which altogether took until roundabout nine PM- and came to the conclusion that mom suffered from an infected tendon in her right upper tigh. That's why she was in such pain trying to stand and in fact couldn't stand at all.
Mom's being taken care of with antibiotics and stuff. How long it's gonna take until she'll be able to more or less walk again is rather murky. Doctors can't -or won't- put a time on it. fact is that mom's also going to need some "movement therapy", which is just another term for excersising. She'll be very happy with that.
Anyway, for the time being it's a question of being able to keep mom in the hospital, because she doesn't like it there and wants to go home. I can understand that. I don't like hospitals either for the main reason that you get bored stiff over there. Nothing to do in so many diferent ways.
Am off. Gotta go pay mom a visit.
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Filtering The Filters...
Oh boy. Been having a go at some filters on ebay. Mainly UV (Ultraviolet) and Polarisation (anti-reflection) filters in both 52mm and 58mm for my Canon SX1 and EOS 600D respectively.
Problem is I placed bids on several offers and have been very lucky since I won them all. Now I have a whole bunch of 'em from different brands like Hoya, Kenko and Jessop.
On the other hand, having several of the same filters might come in handy when owning more than one lens. That way, I can leave this or that filter on those lenses. It never hurts -on the contrary- to leave an UV filter on a lens, since it not only ameliorates your photos: it also protects the innards of the lens and even the mirror of your DSLR.
Also found a nice canvas shoulderbag from a brand called Courser. Didn't find a shop in Belgium which sells them, so I got it from ebay too. A shop in the U.K. which has several different sizes and shapes. Decent prices too, except -again- for the Royal Mail fee. My guess is the Royal Mail charges these enormous amounts (in comparison to other countries) to compensate for the damages they have to pay: the Royal Mail is notorious for "accidentally" losing stuff.
Losing stuff by means of some mailmen who think they have first choice when packs are being sent and as a consequence deliver the goods to their own doorstep instead of to the recipient's adress on the box...
Anyway, until now I have no complaints. Got a couple of things underway (Filters!). Hope it gets across the Channel unscathed.
I'll keep you, well, posted...
JJ
Problem is I placed bids on several offers and have been very lucky since I won them all. Now I have a whole bunch of 'em from different brands like Hoya, Kenko and Jessop.
On the other hand, having several of the same filters might come in handy when owning more than one lens. That way, I can leave this or that filter on those lenses. It never hurts -on the contrary- to leave an UV filter on a lens, since it not only ameliorates your photos: it also protects the innards of the lens and even the mirror of your DSLR.
Also found a nice canvas shoulderbag from a brand called Courser. Didn't find a shop in Belgium which sells them, so I got it from ebay too. A shop in the U.K. which has several different sizes and shapes. Decent prices too, except -again- for the Royal Mail fee. My guess is the Royal Mail charges these enormous amounts (in comparison to other countries) to compensate for the damages they have to pay: the Royal Mail is notorious for "accidentally" losing stuff.
Losing stuff by means of some mailmen who think they have first choice when packs are being sent and as a consequence deliver the goods to their own doorstep instead of to the recipient's adress on the box...
Anyway, until now I have no complaints. Got a couple of things underway (Filters!). Hope it gets across the Channel unscathed.
I'll keep you, well, posted...
JJ
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Nose At The Window
That's what I'm doing all the time, for the last couple of days. Walking up to the window and sticking my nose against the glass.
"Why?" I hear you thinking. Well, I'm constantly checking the weather and waiting for a break in the clouds large enough to allow me to go out and use my new DSLR camera in the dry.
Since the weather-gods seem to conspire against me -or they are simply on a vacation in Ibiza- I'm doomed to keep on sticking my nose to the glass and gazing up at the clouds.
In between staring at clouds, I check ebay for some more gadgets. Found a very nice Courser khaki camera bag for a decent price. Comes from a shop in the United Kingdom. The bag's price is alright, but the postage & packaging fee is a touch on the steep side and gives an idea why the post in England is called Royal Mail: they must have a bank-account the size of that of the Royal Family by now with the prices they ask. A few quid more and I could take a ferry across the channel to get the item myself.
Oh, and I also found some filters for both my Canon SX1 and the EOS600D. At a ridiculous price too, I might add. A set of four Hoya filters including a double-coated polarisation one for five pounds. The latter would set me back around seventy five euro when buying it new, so, you can imagine I'm pretty satisfied with the purchase. Even when the Royal Mail tries to rain on my parade.
Speaking of rain: I just stuck my nose to the window for the 298th time today and it's raining right now. So, I'll better come back later.
I'll keep you posted,
JJ
"Why?" I hear you thinking. Well, I'm constantly checking the weather and waiting for a break in the clouds large enough to allow me to go out and use my new DSLR camera in the dry.
Since the weather-gods seem to conspire against me -or they are simply on a vacation in Ibiza- I'm doomed to keep on sticking my nose to the glass and gazing up at the clouds.
In between staring at clouds, I check ebay for some more gadgets. Found a very nice Courser khaki camera bag for a decent price. Comes from a shop in the United Kingdom. The bag's price is alright, but the postage & packaging fee is a touch on the steep side and gives an idea why the post in England is called Royal Mail: they must have a bank-account the size of that of the Royal Family by now with the prices they ask. A few quid more and I could take a ferry across the channel to get the item myself.
Oh, and I also found some filters for both my Canon SX1 and the EOS600D. At a ridiculous price too, I might add. A set of four Hoya filters including a double-coated polarisation one for five pounds. The latter would set me back around seventy five euro when buying it new, so, you can imagine I'm pretty satisfied with the purchase. Even when the Royal Mail tries to rain on my parade.
Speaking of rain: I just stuck my nose to the window for the 298th time today and it's raining right now. So, I'll better come back later.
I'll keep you posted,
JJ
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Postage And Packaging
Just as I checked my mailbox this morning (the real-world one, not my e-mail) the mailman arrived. We said "hi", exchanged some pleasanteries and we both went our separate ways; me upstairs to my studio, he to continue his round.
Jus as I sat down, I heard a "dum-dumdumdumdum-dum-dum" on the window and whaddayakno, there was the mailman again. Seemed he forgot a delivery for me. So, the good man handed me a package the size of a small shoebox, we shared some more pleasanteries and I went back inside and he, well, he continued his service.
From the minute I saw the marking "Royal Mail" on the box, I knew my lenses had arrived, since the guy I bought 'em from lives near London, U.K. I of course already thought so, since I wasn't expecting anything else.
Lenses were very neatly packaged with probably a complete British newspaper crammed around and between the lenses. Good. Unpacked 'em both, saw that the filters for the Tamron 500mm were included and tried them on the camera. The Tamron was a touch reluctant to get fitted, which was more due to me not being used to swap lenses on a DSLR: I missed the red marker on the lens, which has to correspond to the red marker on the camera in order to fit the lens smoothly.
Once I noticed those markers, switching goes without a glitch and both lenses -the Tamron and te Canon 75-300mm USM lens- fit and work properly. Must say that working with the Tamron mirror lens is going to take some getting used to. Indeed, working with the Canon EOS600D is going to need some adapting on my part, me being used to the point-and-shoot Canon SX1-iS...
All I need now is some proper casings for the lenses and off we go into the wilderness to harass the natives by pointing my lenses in their general direction...
I'll keep you posted...
JJ
Jus as I sat down, I heard a "dum-dumdumdumdum-dum-dum" on the window and whaddayakno, there was the mailman again. Seemed he forgot a delivery for me. So, the good man handed me a package the size of a small shoebox, we shared some more pleasanteries and I went back inside and he, well, he continued his service.
Lenses were very neatly packaged with probably a complete British newspaper crammed around and between the lenses. Good. Unpacked 'em both, saw that the filters for the Tamron 500mm were included and tried them on the camera. The Tamron was a touch reluctant to get fitted, which was more due to me not being used to swap lenses on a DSLR: I missed the red marker on the lens, which has to correspond to the red marker on the camera in order to fit the lens smoothly.Once I noticed those markers, switching goes without a glitch and both lenses -the Tamron and te Canon 75-300mm USM lens- fit and work properly. Must say that working with the Tamron mirror lens is going to take some getting used to. Indeed, working with the Canon EOS600D is going to need some adapting on my part, me being used to the point-and-shoot Canon SX1-iS...
All I need now is some proper casings for the lenses and off we go into the wilderness to harass the natives by pointing my lenses in their general direction...I'll keep you posted...
JJ
The Camera Eye
Yesterday, my new second-hand Canon EOS600D (Rebel T3i) arrived from Cottbus, Germany, courtesy of Hermes Paket International.
Usually things from Germany arrive through DHL courrier. Hermes is cheaper, but their track and trace system isn't as accurate. It was still announced on their website as just having been sorted at their hub in Cottbus while someone was already on my doorstep with the package.
Wasn't home, but a neigbour signed for it and left a note (Hermes guy also left a note, must add) and brought me the package as soon as he saw me.
No problems with the content. Everything was inside the original box, as advertised by the seller on ebay. The guy even threw-in an adapter to hang the camera directly on the mains through a wall-socket.
My first surprise however, was that the EOS600D is actually lighter than my Canon PowerShot SX1-iS, even with the EFS 18-55mm lens attached to the former. My guess is that this is due to the different batteries: a single 7.5volts one for the EOS600D, while the SX1 has four AA/HR6 1.5volt batteries. Although I must add that the SX1 has a more sturdy feel to it. Must be because of the slightly more compact size.
Due to its bigger size, the 600D feels better in the hand. I've got fairly large hands, so the 600D's bigger size comes in, well, handy, as the buttons are spaced more evenly so there's less of a chance to accidentally hit something while manipulating the camera.
A few buttons also have different naming, which had me dive into the manual a few times already. First and foremost to learn how I could actually switch the display from informative text to seeing what I saw through the viewfinder.
There's a "Display" button on top of the camera, but all it does is turn the display off or on, not switch between picture and menu. After having checked the manual, I foud out that I had to hit the one button I'd been avoiding altogether. Didn't wanna touch that button, because it's red. A similar red button on the SX1 is for filming, so, I thought that it would be the same on the 600D. Not so: that red button on the 600D is to switch to so-called "Live Mode". In Live Mode you are indeed able to see on the display what you see through the viewfinder. Only negative about this is that Live Mode is switched off everytime the camera goes into stand-by. For now, that stand-by modus kicks in after 30 seconds. Annoying thing is that you have to hit the red button again, everytime the camera has been in stand-by...
Maybe there's a way around it, but I haven't come across one in the manual, so far.
Anyway, seems I'll have to do a bit of studying. Can't wait to go out and use the camera, though. I bought a couple of lenses too -a 75-300mm USM and a Tamron 500mm mirrorlens- so I'm waiting til they've arrived. Then I'll have to buy enclosures for the lenses and then I'll have a walkabout through the port, see what's pleasing to the eye and the camera...
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Usually things from Germany arrive through DHL courrier. Hermes is cheaper, but their track and trace system isn't as accurate. It was still announced on their website as just having been sorted at their hub in Cottbus while someone was already on my doorstep with the package.
Wasn't home, but a neigbour signed for it and left a note (Hermes guy also left a note, must add) and brought me the package as soon as he saw me.
No problems with the content. Everything was inside the original box, as advertised by the seller on ebay. The guy even threw-in an adapter to hang the camera directly on the mains through a wall-socket.
My first surprise however, was that the EOS600D is actually lighter than my Canon PowerShot SX1-iS, even with the EFS 18-55mm lens attached to the former. My guess is that this is due to the different batteries: a single 7.5volts one for the EOS600D, while the SX1 has four AA/HR6 1.5volt batteries. Although I must add that the SX1 has a more sturdy feel to it. Must be because of the slightly more compact size.
Due to its bigger size, the 600D feels better in the hand. I've got fairly large hands, so the 600D's bigger size comes in, well, handy, as the buttons are spaced more evenly so there's less of a chance to accidentally hit something while manipulating the camera.
A few buttons also have different naming, which had me dive into the manual a few times already. First and foremost to learn how I could actually switch the display from informative text to seeing what I saw through the viewfinder.
There's a "Display" button on top of the camera, but all it does is turn the display off or on, not switch between picture and menu. After having checked the manual, I foud out that I had to hit the one button I'd been avoiding altogether. Didn't wanna touch that button, because it's red. A similar red button on the SX1 is for filming, so, I thought that it would be the same on the 600D. Not so: that red button on the 600D is to switch to so-called "Live Mode". In Live Mode you are indeed able to see on the display what you see through the viewfinder. Only negative about this is that Live Mode is switched off everytime the camera goes into stand-by. For now, that stand-by modus kicks in after 30 seconds. Annoying thing is that you have to hit the red button again, everytime the camera has been in stand-by...
Maybe there's a way around it, but I haven't come across one in the manual, so far.
Anyway, seems I'll have to do a bit of studying. Can't wait to go out and use the camera, though. I bought a couple of lenses too -a 75-300mm USM and a Tamron 500mm mirrorlens- so I'm waiting til they've arrived. Then I'll have to buy enclosures for the lenses and then I'll have a walkabout through the port, see what's pleasing to the eye and the camera...
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Yes I'm moving on, moving on from town to town...
Well, not exactly from town to town, as Bad Company sang in 1974. But I'm moving anyway, albeit only 300 meters in birdflight.
Been living here for only four years, since October first 2008. Social Housing is what we call it in Belgium. Is a company which owns several thousands of apartments and rents them to people who subscribed for such an apartment -when one is free, that is.
Rent is calculated according to income, which is very fine by me.
My current "residence" is a bit on the small size, an overgrown studio, really. Thirty-six square meters. That's it. Just room enough for me to turn around in-between the furniture I've stacked-up over the last couple of years.
The apartment I'm moving to is more than three times as large, with just under one-hundred and twenty square meters. Is going to be a nice change to be able to actually walk around in my apartment, instead of shuffling along a narrow pathway in-between boxes and furniture.
Must say I overdid the buying in recent years -with the knowledge I was going to move "soon", I kept on acquiring stuff. And the more things you buy, the smaller the apartment becomes, of course.
I also -finally- bought the wardrobe that goes with the bed I bought two years ago. At the time, I couldn't buy the wardrobe -well I could, but then it didn't fit in the bedroom because of lack of space.
I went to see the apartment a couple of weeks ago. Looks exactly the same as the one my mom is getting. Which is kinda logical, since it's in the apartment block just next to mine. And since the blocks were all built around the same time, it kinda fits that the apartments lay-outs are the same.
The housing company is now going to improve the apartment. I get new kitchen furniture as the cupboards that were there were kind of tacky and looked old and used. The walls are getting a fresh lick of paint and the floor gets new carpetry too.
The only thing which bothers me a tad is that I'll have to spend a small fortune on draperies. I've got around twenty-eight square meters of window, so I'll have to do some decent window dressing.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting out of this place and moving into the new apartment. Need some breathing space, desperately. On the other hand, it's a bit of a shame we have to move. With "we" I mean all the other folks who live in "my" block. It's not exactly a block, since the housing consists of a U-shaped building with a ground floor and one storey and with a large, grassy open space in the centre.
You reach your apartment via a gallery, which means that when I go outside and stand on the gallery, I look out over the grassy centre of the block -hey! I can even see the front door of my mom's apartment from where I live.
Living in such a tucked-away area also means that you have lots of contact with the other residents. In the summer, people put chairs and small tables outside on the -broad- gallery, so there's lots of contact -a small friendly community of around 35 people.
That is lost now. An apartment block isn't the same. You go out of the apartment and you're in stairway hall, with a door across the landing that leads to your neigbour's apartment -a neighbour you only encounter sporadically when both happen to go out at the same time.
But I don't mind too much either. Bit of a loner by nature, so I don't specifically need to get in touch with the surrounding natives. But it's still a pity that our small community is being split up. Especially since a lot of the folks around here are elderly people, for which others -including myself- were always at the ready to help 'em out.
But, like I said; I can't wait to get out and move in. If that makes sense.
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Been living here for only four years, since October first 2008. Social Housing is what we call it in Belgium. Is a company which owns several thousands of apartments and rents them to people who subscribed for such an apartment -when one is free, that is.
Rent is calculated according to income, which is very fine by me.
My current "residence" is a bit on the small size, an overgrown studio, really. Thirty-six square meters. That's it. Just room enough for me to turn around in-between the furniture I've stacked-up over the last couple of years.
The apartment I'm moving to is more than three times as large, with just under one-hundred and twenty square meters. Is going to be a nice change to be able to actually walk around in my apartment, instead of shuffling along a narrow pathway in-between boxes and furniture.
Must say I overdid the buying in recent years -with the knowledge I was going to move "soon", I kept on acquiring stuff. And the more things you buy, the smaller the apartment becomes, of course.
I also -finally- bought the wardrobe that goes with the bed I bought two years ago. At the time, I couldn't buy the wardrobe -well I could, but then it didn't fit in the bedroom because of lack of space.
I went to see the apartment a couple of weeks ago. Looks exactly the same as the one my mom is getting. Which is kinda logical, since it's in the apartment block just next to mine. And since the blocks were all built around the same time, it kinda fits that the apartments lay-outs are the same.
The housing company is now going to improve the apartment. I get new kitchen furniture as the cupboards that were there were kind of tacky and looked old and used. The walls are getting a fresh lick of paint and the floor gets new carpetry too.
The only thing which bothers me a tad is that I'll have to spend a small fortune on draperies. I've got around twenty-eight square meters of window, so I'll have to do some decent window dressing.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting out of this place and moving into the new apartment. Need some breathing space, desperately. On the other hand, it's a bit of a shame we have to move. With "we" I mean all the other folks who live in "my" block. It's not exactly a block, since the housing consists of a U-shaped building with a ground floor and one storey and with a large, grassy open space in the centre.
You reach your apartment via a gallery, which means that when I go outside and stand on the gallery, I look out over the grassy centre of the block -hey! I can even see the front door of my mom's apartment from where I live.
Living in such a tucked-away area also means that you have lots of contact with the other residents. In the summer, people put chairs and small tables outside on the -broad- gallery, so there's lots of contact -a small friendly community of around 35 people.
That is lost now. An apartment block isn't the same. You go out of the apartment and you're in stairway hall, with a door across the landing that leads to your neigbour's apartment -a neighbour you only encounter sporadically when both happen to go out at the same time.
But I don't mind too much either. Bit of a loner by nature, so I don't specifically need to get in touch with the surrounding natives. But it's still a pity that our small community is being split up. Especially since a lot of the folks around here are elderly people, for which others -including myself- were always at the ready to help 'em out.
But, like I said; I can't wait to get out and move in. If that makes sense.
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Say cheese...
Photography. You know, the act of pointing a camera at some or other object and clicking away until the batteries wear out; that kind of thing.
I like that. Taking pictures I mean -not the batteries running out.
I started off way back in the early eighties of the last century, with a clunky Zenit 35mm mirror-reflex camera. Mainly taking pictures at rock gigs, using the most sensitive film available at the time: 400ASA dia-film from AGVA-Gevaert.
Sadly, most of my negatives have gone missing over the years -thanks to moving places every so often and everytime leaving more and more stuff behind you deem not worth the trouble of shlepping around any longer. Of course, once in a while you leave behind a box of "junk" which also containes stuff you'd never want to throw away.
As in most cases, you only notice something is missing when it's too late.
I took up photography once more when I went to New York City, spring of 2007. Got a small digital compact from my sis; an HP PhotoSmart C935. Not too bad a camera, that one. Fairly compact and very easy to use, with satisfying results.
The reason I got it from my sis was because she in the meantime had bought a Canon PowerShot S2 iS, a compact with DSLR features.
Now, while I was walking around at J&B on Park Row -just across from City Hall Park, I saw a Canon PowerShot S3 iS for $300, including a Lamborghini bag, a 1GB SD card, four AA batteries with speed charger and a miniature tripod.
Having checked prices back in Belgium, I was amazed that this camera would cost me the equivalent of $600 back home.
So, I did the only reasonable thing an irrational man would do and I bought that Canon S3 iS, with a little (read: big!) help from my sister, I must add. Never regretted it either. My sister on the other hand...
In 2010 I stepped up a notch and bought the Canon PowerShot SX1 iS, which carried a 20x zoom and a DIGIC 4 sensor -the same sensor most DSLR cameras have. Was a little less satisfied with that SX1 though. Quality of pictures was slightly better than with the S3, but it is slightly bulkier (didn't fit in the Lamborghini case) and most buttons were switched around which made holding the camera without altering the settings a bit of a sport. I've got fairly big hands, you see, so I inadvertedly hit this or that button every time I took a hold of the camera.
Just the other day, I found a Canon EOS600D -in the USA & Canada also known as the Rebel T3i- on ebay. Came with a standard 18-55mm lens and everythig that was in the original box: manuals, three disks with software, belt, the lot.
Also found a 75-300mm USM zoom from Canon and a 500mm mirror lens (MTO MC 3M-5CA 500mm f8). The latter seems to be one of the best 500mm mirror lenses that money can buy, according to some research I did.
Anyway, everything is in the mail and I expect the camera and the lenses to arrive sometime next week. So, it'll be snapping time again...
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
I like that. Taking pictures I mean -not the batteries running out.
I started off way back in the early eighties of the last century, with a clunky Zenit 35mm mirror-reflex camera. Mainly taking pictures at rock gigs, using the most sensitive film available at the time: 400ASA dia-film from AGVA-Gevaert.
Sadly, most of my negatives have gone missing over the years -thanks to moving places every so often and everytime leaving more and more stuff behind you deem not worth the trouble of shlepping around any longer. Of course, once in a while you leave behind a box of "junk" which also containes stuff you'd never want to throw away.
As in most cases, you only notice something is missing when it's too late.
I took up photography once more when I went to New York City, spring of 2007. Got a small digital compact from my sis; an HP PhotoSmart C935. Not too bad a camera, that one. Fairly compact and very easy to use, with satisfying results.
The reason I got it from my sis was because she in the meantime had bought a Canon PowerShot S2 iS, a compact with DSLR features.
Now, while I was walking around at J&B on Park Row -just across from City Hall Park, I saw a Canon PowerShot S3 iS for $300, including a Lamborghini bag, a 1GB SD card, four AA batteries with speed charger and a miniature tripod.
Having checked prices back in Belgium, I was amazed that this camera would cost me the equivalent of $600 back home.
So, I did the only reasonable thing an irrational man would do and I bought that Canon S3 iS, with a little (read: big!) help from my sister, I must add. Never regretted it either. My sister on the other hand...
In 2010 I stepped up a notch and bought the Canon PowerShot SX1 iS, which carried a 20x zoom and a DIGIC 4 sensor -the same sensor most DSLR cameras have. Was a little less satisfied with that SX1 though. Quality of pictures was slightly better than with the S3, but it is slightly bulkier (didn't fit in the Lamborghini case) and most buttons were switched around which made holding the camera without altering the settings a bit of a sport. I've got fairly big hands, you see, so I inadvertedly hit this or that button every time I took a hold of the camera.
Just the other day, I found a Canon EOS600D -in the USA & Canada also known as the Rebel T3i- on ebay. Came with a standard 18-55mm lens and everythig that was in the original box: manuals, three disks with software, belt, the lot.
Also found a 75-300mm USM zoom from Canon and a 500mm mirror lens (MTO MC 3M-5CA 500mm f8). The latter seems to be one of the best 500mm mirror lenses that money can buy, according to some research I did.
Anyway, everything is in the mail and I expect the camera and the lenses to arrive sometime next week. So, it'll be snapping time again...
I'll keep you posted.
JJ
Wow... over a year already...!
Although The Rolling Stones claimed that time was on their side, it doesn't seem to be on mine and it sure floats fleetingly fast...
To be honest (aren't we all, at some point) I'm not such a Blog-nut -although I promised myself -very furtively- to post regularly here.
Okay, so, once every ten years is also regularly; but I meant to visit and post at least once a week. Funny how one can get distracted to a point that you forget all about such trivialities as a web Blog. Well, not exactly forgetting -the thought of it is always floating about in the mind, albeit in some deep, dark recess, so obscure your everyday conciousness doesn't reach it, or, when it does, that thought gets waved back to where it came from.
But I'll post more often, I promise. Which could mean, of course, that my next post will be in about 15 months from now...
To be honest (aren't we all, at some point) I'm not such a Blog-nut -although I promised myself -very furtively- to post regularly here.
Okay, so, once every ten years is also regularly; but I meant to visit and post at least once a week. Funny how one can get distracted to a point that you forget all about such trivialities as a web Blog. Well, not exactly forgetting -the thought of it is always floating about in the mind, albeit in some deep, dark recess, so obscure your everyday conciousness doesn't reach it, or, when it does, that thought gets waved back to where it came from.
But I'll post more often, I promise. Which could mean, of course, that my next post will be in about 15 months from now...
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