I just finished a solid two weeks of climbing/vacation - including my first experience seconding (10+ pitches) trad, and my first time leading trad (3+ pitches). Besides the obvious conclusion (trad climbing is a lot of fun), I came out of this absolutely loving the Black Diamond ATC-Guide.
I picked mine up on a whim when I lost my regular ATC (Black Diamond XP). The Guide feels very solid and I thought I might get around to using the extended capabilities eventually. For a fewdollars more, it was a no-brainer.
It was when I led my first trad climb that I realized how this thing really shines. The auto-locking capability is awesome, and it only needs an extra carabiner to realize. With this properly set up there’s no worry about having to hold tightly during cruxes or accidentally dropping the second due to fatigue or poor footing. This also allows for a more flexible top belay, as the anchors can be back from the edge and you can stand closer to the edge and minimize rope drag (and better see the second).
Like my previous ATC (the XP), the variable friction modes of this work especially well for rappels on thin ropes. The openings are a little bit tighter than the XP’s, so this device has a lot of friction on thicker (think gym) ropes. For anything you’ll be dragging up behind you, however, the walls are very nicely spaced.
The only downsides I can see are the weight (it’s a bit heavier, but the extra weight is a minimal portion of the full rack) and that it’s hard to lower someone (the auto-lock is very aggressive).
Lowering IS possible, it’s just a lot trickier than with a normal non-locking ATC. Black Diamond also has instructions for using the device in this manner:
All in all, this is the best accidental climbing purchase I’ve made yet.
The television show Bones comes through again with another great song and another great artist. This time it’s more of a hip-hop piece, although you can’t quite tell that from the short bit that’s played on the show. No, what grabbed my attention was the singing and the beautiful sample played in the background.
The song is “Sea Lion” by Sage Francis. Enjoy:
I love the opening melody, but the song quickly goes from there as Francis starts speaking/singing. The man has a great sense of rhythm and can certainly keep up. The lyrics are full of metaphor and are worth at least few listens (and a read-through or two). The full YouTube pages for both of these videos contain the lyrics to the songs as well.
Paul “Sage” Francis (born November 2, 1977 in Miami, Florida) is a hip-hop artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. Sage Francis’ style blends a varying tone and delivery with subject matter that focuses on intricate sequences of widely varying imagery, metaphors, the occasional pun, absurdism, word play often times in the form of phonetic mix-ups and rhetorical excursions, and pop culture references, while including touchstones of traditional hip hop such as storytelling and self-promotion. -Wikipedia article on Sage Francis
This has everything I love about hip-hop. It’s the stories, the rhyming, the metaphor, and the visuals that have always appealed to me. Sadly, I got tired of the “bitches and hos” and money talk pretty early on and drifted away from the genre. It still has a lot of appeal, and artists like this renew my interest in the genre.
Unlike my last article on music found on this show, this artist’s works are quite available on the usual sources. Amazon is still my dealer of choice, and a couple of the albums have made it to my hard-drive already. Damn you, Amazon, for making high quality DRM-free MP3s so easy to obtain.
Actually, it’s more like the tortoise and the other tortoise, but I took some artistic liberty.
Last week when the temperatures were soaring to the upper 90s I went for my semi-regular run at the local Sugarloaf Mountain. On the weekends Sugarloaf is home to an excessive number of otherwise exclusively urban explorers out looking to have a little fun in the wild unknown. During the week, however, it is a local treasure that I’m overjoyed to have been able to live near for the past year. This (relatively) small park is home to some awesome running trails, climbable rock, and a lot of wildlife. All within just about 10 minutes fun drive for me.
This last time, despite the heat, I decided to reenact an old fable. The contestants:
This was taken post-run. It was hot.
Sadly, I think my opponent won, but I can’t be entirely sure, as I saw him only after I finished.
These were all taken with my Canon SD870. I am having a really hard time getting it to focus on macro shots. The last picture, for example, is focused really well, just not on the object I want. I guess I should get a DSLR, but I don’t remember it being quite as difficult with my old SD800.
Still, these were some good shots of a very photogenic animal.
I’ve been riding my motorcycle a lot more recently. Logically I can attribute this to the rising gas prices, but I don’t want to complain about that. Honestly, it is lot a more about the enjoyment I get from riding it. Riding the bike is so much unlike driving a car that it’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced it. You’re not just traveling along through the landscape, you are part of it. The weather affects you directly (there’s no avoiding it), and the road is just mere inches away from your feet.
In the car, the transportation is something you participate in. In the motorcycle, you are the vehicle. In the car turns and bumps jolt throw you around, but on the motorcycle you and the machine move as one over the bumps and through the turns as if you are a single entity. It’s easy to step outside and look at the entire endeavor as simple thrill-seeking, but it’s not as simple as that. It’s liberation, it’s power, and it’s wonderful. Riding a motorcycle through the countryside through the turns and hills, it must be like what a bird feels.
Commuting on a bike isn’t quite as nice as all of that, but it’s still a lot better than driving a car. Even in the oppressively hot summer, the drenching cold rain, the deluge of dusk-released bugs, and the occasional fear-inspiring lightening blasts, I’d rather be on the bike. That’s not to say there aren’t challenges…
Take, for example, transportation of items other than yourself. Space on my bike is very limited. This morning, I wanted bagels. I had to resort to desperate measures.
People are often offended by motorcyclists. The few bad apples are remembered, and so people resent all of us. Perhaps there’s a twinge of jealousy behind the resentment as well. This arrangement at least gives me an opportunity to spread good will. Maybe I will toss bagels at people who give me cross grumpy morning stares… I will NOT attempt to spread cream cheese, though - that would be unsafe.
I really need a better luggage situation. Laptop, clothes, climbing gear, and a five pound bag of rice stress the limits of that Nelson Rigg bag…
Yesterday I rode to lunch without anything on the back for the first time in a while. If you commute daily, unload sometime and just go have fun. It really is a different beast without the load. I don’t know how people enjoy riding with a backpack - especially the long distance - and especially in the twisties:
I was recently going through some backups I created back in early 2000, when I discovered some pictures I’d taken with my first digital camera. I have no idea what the model of the camera was, but it was very much first generation. My grandfather loved technology, and I would often get hand-me-downs from him, one of which was this camera. It’s shocking how far the technology has come since that time. The pictures below are not spectacular, and were at full resolution only 420×240 (.1008MP) pixels, 24bit color, and only about 30kB in size. In comparison, my current phone takes pictures many times larger than that (5MP), with better color depth, and with a bigger lens.
The pictures are all from, I think, Cypresss Gardens (SWAMP), a place my mom and I visited on one of our many trips to Folly Beach, SC. I have many fond memories of going to the beach with her, and it’s a shame these are the only pictures that I know of. Neither of us is actually pictured, as I think we both felt about the same way about cameras.
I’m pretty sure the location where these were all taken is somewhere around here: Cypress Gardens Information
I’ve been a long time happy owner of the SD800 camera. Despite my objections about the megapixel inflation game that Canon is playing right alongside all of the other manufacturers, it’s been an awesome camera for me. Sadly, my SD800 was stolen over the past weekend and I was forced to purchase a new SD870. My initial thoughts on this camera are below - these are as a comparison to the SD800 I purchased before.
In a nutshell, I love the Canon SD series (”Digital ELPH“). They have small lenses and small sensors, but they can take some awesome pictures. They are small enough to be in your pocket at all times, so you end up taking a lot of shots with them that you’d never get with a bigger camera. Do they match up to a DSLR (or even a bigger “prosumer” camera)? Of course not, but they hold their own quite well.
Canon in general has had my support for quite a while for a variety of reasons. This is my fourth Canon digital camera (I’ve also owned an SD230 and Powershot S1), and I’m sticking with the company. Besides making good sensors and lenses, I am very happy that they also tend to use standard memory formats, unlike other companies.
On a side note, my mother’s Powershot S1 (my old camera) recently exhibited some odd behavior that was obviously due to sensor problems. It turns out Canon is well aware of this issue and is repairing/replacing all cameras affected by the problem free of charge (including shipping) out of warranty. For more details: http://www.imaging-resource.com/badccds.html. In my mom’s case, the S1 was replaced by an S5 free of charge. Thank you, Canon!
In short, the SD870is is the direct upgrade to the SD800is, but with a bigger screen (3″ vs. 2.5″). Canon’s SD line is confusing to follow, and the model numbers don’t necessarily make sense. Just because it has a bigger number doesn’t mean it’s a better camera. The SD800/SD870 both share the wider angle lens, which I’ve grown quite accustomed to. On the face the SD870 just seems like a minor upgrade (with the exception of the screen).
Initial impressions:
The new 3″ screen is awesome. It’s huge, and it provides a LOT of detail. The colors look great. Losing the optical viewfinder is not even an issue, as it’s always been a weak viewfinder on the entire SD line. I don’t ever see people using viewfinders on this form-factor camera, so props to Canon for dropping it. The new screen is perfectly big enough for composing and reviewing your picture. Get a screen protector.
The power button is larger and protrudes more. This is actually bad, as it allows for easier turning on of the camera in your pocket. This is probably the biggest weakness, and I wish Canon had not done this. The old design was perfect.
The auto and manual modes have been consolidated to the same physical switch. Previously I was constantly switching modes pulling the camera out of my pocket. Now it stays in the same mode unless I change it manually (through the set button menu). This means switching from auto to digital macro is easier as well.
Focusing and general responsiveness seems faster. Not much.
Low light support seems better.
The 8MP is probably useless. Less pictures on my 2GB card now.
It feels a bit less sturdy than the SD800. Not flimsy, just not as much of a tank as before.
I really like that the ISO being used, even when on “Auto” or “Hi” ISO mode, is displayed on the screen now. I don’t know that this helps at all, but I like seeing this info. The ISO chosen is now displayed in the review information as well. This used to only be show if you manually selected an ISO value. I don’t know if it’s recorded in the EXIF information.
The battery meter is now always displayed instead of only when the power is low.
ISO shift. If you turn it on and put it on the print button, the print button flashes blue if the ISO is too low for the lighting conditions. Press the print button, and it shifts the ISO up to the lowest value that’ll work. So 80 might become 120 or 250. You can also set it to “auto ISO shift”, and it always shifts it up. Not sure how the latter differs from “Auto” or “Hi”.
The (previously absolutely useless) print button can be assigned functions now. Most useful function is screen blank, but there are a couple of others - for example, toggle the display overlay on and off.
Reviewing mode is now a button you press on the front of the camera instead of an option on the mode switch. This is a great move in my mind, as previously I would consistently switch to review mode while pulling the camera out of my pocket.
The four-way pad has become a method for selecting the camera mode as well. If you roll your finger around the wing, the mode changes. It’s kind of like the ipod, only less sensitive, and I haven’t really decided if it’s a gimmick or not.
Canon still hasn’t fixed some issues that have bugged me - like the fact the camera forgets you’re in burst mode when you turn the camera off, but over all this is a good improvement. If they’d only left the power button alone, I’d have no real complaints about this upgrade to the SD800.
If you search Google for Syntax - Pride, you’ll find quite a few blog posts mentioning the song; most of which found it by watching Nip Tuck or Bones. The latter is where I first heard it (Season 1 Episode 16, I believe), and I immediately fell in love. Imagine my dismay to find out the group only lasted a year, and the album is not easy to find.
Sure, I can buy it from Amazon (and other stores), but as an import, at $25-$30, and only as a physical copy. I’ve tried to stop purchasing physical copies of music, and the fact that arbitrary limitations keep me from getting this CD at a reasonable price frustrates me. The label, for whatever reason, doesn’t want to sell this digitally, and so I’m forced to decide between not getting the music (ethically right), buying it as an import (it’s too expensive to justify), or resorting to other methods. I really do believe I should pay for the music I download (if for no reason other than to vote with my money), and I’ve all but stopped downloading music without without buying it (or it being released by the copyright holder), so it’s hard to decide what to do. If I feel strongly enough about supporting the artists and paying for the music I get, then the answer should be simple. Is music important enough to violate your own ethical code, or is it so important that to do so is deeply wrong? I am perfectly comfortable with sharing mix tapes, but downloading the whole album is acknowledging the worth of the music to you. If it’s worth something, why wouldn’t you want to help support the person who made it happen?
The song Pride is beautiful (although I’d drop the bit in the middle) and you should give it a listen. I anticipate hearing the rest of the album… somehow.
I recently had another opportunity to visit Ireland for business and again (due mostly to the price of tickets over the weekend) I was able to spend the weekend in Dublin. This is my third visit that included a weekend, so I decided this time to roam outside the city. Ideally, I would have liked to rent a vehicle and travel the countryside myself, but this time I didn’t think I had the time and/or resources to do such. Instead, I turned to the professionals to show me the sights.
The tour started off with a two hour train ride to Limerick, on the western coast of Ireland. There we switched to the bus that drove us around for the majority of the day. The dark red light is our path for the day, with the trip starting off going the southern route and then returning by the northern route.
The first stop on the bus tour was at Bunratty Castle, which wasn’t really what I had previously thought of when I heard the word castle. It’s an impressive building, sure, but just not what I was expecting.
Although it’s not very big, it was complete with a dungeon, turrets, and beautiful stained glass windows. The majority of the adornments are authentic from the same time as the castle, but actually came from other castles. This includes the furniture and glass windows.
Outside the castle is a folk park designed to mimic the style of the time when the castle was in active use.
This features reconstructions of historical cottages and buildings, recreating the general feel of the 19th century with a period style village main street. Old tools, furniture and artefacts are displayed, with the village kept alive by some inhabited shops, an old home bakery and peat fires in cottages. –Wikipedia
This included thatched roofs, waterwheels, and a church.
After the castle we started the part of the tour I really was interested in - seeing the Cliffs of Moher and then the countryside. The first stop was at a O’ Connor’s pub in Doolin, where I had an unexpected surprise:
Yes, that sticker is from the very pub I mentioned in a previous post - one of my favorite Irish pubs in the DC area!
The view outside the pub was awesome, even despite the bad weather:
The Cliffs of Moher were incredibly crowded, but were very impressive to see. Careful examination leads me to believe these would be very climbable, except for the lack of somewhere to stand at the bottom. With some proper traditional gear and a little gumption, these would prove to be an enjoyable climb.
The Irish, apparently, do not always follow directions. The paths past the “do not cross” signs were very well trampled. The guards also seemed to ignore the trespass.
After the cliffs the bus proceeded down some very narrow and very twisty roads. Quite a few times we had issues passing other traffic, including one very close incident with a huge excavator that prompted the entire bus to applaud when the driver made it through without incident.
After a little while on these roads we arrived at The Burren, a very barren part of the west coast of Ireland where large limestone fields dominate the landscape. We got a chance to see some of these, and they proved to be quite photogenic:
Our guide told us that a large variety of species end up growing in the cracks between the limestone, likely due to deposits left by the various birds. Plants that wouldn’t be normally found in Ireland can be found here, including some very nice flowers.
Our bus is off in the distance in this picture:
I spy rock climbers!
After that, it was more coastline driving and a few more scenic shots.
All in all, the rail tour was a lot of fun, but I probably won’t go for that sort of thing again. Rail Tours Ireland was nothing but professional, but I’m just not really suited for that type of adventure. I’m too independent when it comes to travel, and I’d rather not be directed everywhere. Schedules don’t belong on vacations, either, and we were definitely constrained by time the entire tour.
I ended up leaving my hotel at about 0600 on Saturday morning and didn’t return until 2200. I was lucky that the hotel was right beside the train station where the tour started and stopped, or my day would have been even longer. Next time I’ll rent a vehicle or get a cheap flight to somewhere else in Europe.
On Sunday I took a quick bus and walking tour of the city where I took a few more interesting pictures.
Spring is finally here, and the weather has been taunting us with beautiful days and yet we’ve been spending most of our time in the climbing gym instead of going out on real rock. By yesterday we’d had enough - the weather was perfect and the rock was calling out to us. Forget pesky work (that’s what vacation time is for), we were going climbing. The crew this time was my original partner in climb, Nick, and our new climbing partner Vivian.
Legend: Nick is in the blue shirt and I am in the orange.
When I say the weather was awesome, I mean it. Mid 70s, clear sky, nice breeze, few bugs. We couldn’t ask for a nicer first day of the season outside.
Great Falls Park is a a National Park split by the Potomac river and it extends on both the Maryland and Virginia sides of the river. Here Nick is surveying the route ahead. The rock you see in the picture is on the Maryland side and, despite looking pretty steep from this angle, is not that amazing for climbing. The river is significantly higher than it was last year, so we were a little worried about finding a good place to stand on the bottom.
Before shots
We start the abseil down, with Nick going first. There’s a path we can walk around, but it’s good to go this way when the water’s high. We also want to become as comfortable with doing so as possible on the small pitches as we might have to finish out long multi-pitch climbs with an abseil down.
And the climbing begins!
Vivian coming back down after successfully reaching the top
Random candid shot
Nick forgot his climbing shoes, and sneakers are almost useless for this sort of stuff, so barefoot it was. He did remarkably well, despite the obvious painful nature of such climbing:
I belayed Nick mostly, due to Vivian being much lighter than him. Although she can handle the weight difference, it does lift her off of the ground if either of us falls, which can be a little treacherous on the rock.
Towards the end of the day I started to get artistic
Who watches the watchers?
The last climb up was after it already started getting dark.
Finishing up
You must be this tall to ride this ride
Finally, the Great Falls of Great Falls Park
We finished it off with a few cold pints of beer at an awesome Irish Pub in Great Falls, VA.
I recently had another opportunity to visit Ireland for business and again (due mostly to the price of tickets over the weekend) I was able to spend the weekend in Dublin. This is my third visit that included a weekend, so I decided this time to roam outside the city. Ideally, I would have liked to rent a vehicle and travel the countryside myself, but this time I didn’t think I had the time and/or resources to do such. Instead, I turned to the professionals to show me the sights.
