The new camera has arrived

The new camera arrived, just in the nick of time.

Our new Fuji arrived

Our new Fuji arrived

The camera case that has a reason to exist now

The camera case that has a reason to exist now

It’s pretty decent for a little over a $100. The shutter lag is probably going to annoying over time, but for now, this is good enough. What’s even better? My wife bought me a camera case to keep the old Canon safe last Christmas, but the camera was too bulky to fit. The camera case has been sitting here all this time. This camera fits the camera case, so booyah.

Can you imagine?  11 months later, we finally have a use for this camera case. My wife can now stop being mad at me for trashing the receipt back in January (without trying to fit the camera), and thereby preventing us from exchanging it.

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Bungling burglars disguise themselves in black marker

Stories of dumb criminals warm my heart.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Did you hear that Stu Rasmussen is running for Mayor of Silverton?

Did you hear that Stu Rasmussen is running for Mayor of Silverton? I happened to have been browsing this evening, and completely and utterly stumbled onto his…. uh….. her website. Check out his Reality Check page.

Stu Rasmussen is running for mayor of Silverton, Oregon!

Stu Rasmussen is running for mayor of Silverton, Oregon!

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Pretty cool countermeasures being added to merchant ships to combat modern day piracy

I just watch this news video about the pretty cool countermeasures being added to merchant ships to combat modern day piracy.

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People are living in cages in Hong Kong?

If you are really down on your luck in Hong Kong, you can live in a “cage” for dirt cheap rent.  $150 USD for a bottom bunk, and $100 USD for a top bunk. Crazy. People are living like this?  Did you see that bathroom?

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Our camera is broken

Canon Powershot S80

Canon Powershot S80

Ah, our beloved Canon Powershot S80.  We knew ye well.  Yes, it is dead.  And now, for a little background history. Many moons ago, we used to own a a Sony Powershot camera, and it was our first digital camera.  Over four years, I beat the crap out of it, and dropped it numerous times — all accidentally, of course.

In 2006, we finally saved up for a new camera, with our sights on the Canon S80.  Lots of great features, and we took very good care of it.  About three weeks ago at a Diwali party, I accidentally dropped it for the first (and last time) on the hardwood floor, and right on the lens.  The motor was broken, giving the famous Canon E18 error. If you get the E18 error on your Canon digital camera, see ya later.

Fujifilm Finepix J38

Fujifilm Finepix J38

We checked with two Best Buy stores and an independent camera shop, but they all stated it wasn’t worth repairing.  The camera shop stated it would cost starting at $150 and higher.  Best Buy quoted me a price around $600 or so, for a camera that cost us about $400 three years ago!

Although we were in desperate need of a camera (can’t keeping missing those big moments in life), we didn’t want to invest in an expensive new camera right away.  Heck, regardless of whether it is $ or $$$$, you drop it, you’re done. We just ordered the Fujifilm Finepix J38, a decent little point-and-shoot camera that hopefully will be a good workhorse camera.  Ordered it via Amazon with one-day shipping, so I hope to see it on Friday, and in time for Halloween!

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Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)

This week, I rented Green Lantern: First Flight, a 2009 direct-to-DVD animated movie about DC Comics Green Lantern superhero. Basically, an origin story for the Hal Jordan version of Earth’s Green Latern. Good cast: Christopher Meloni, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen, John Larroquette, the always cool Kurtwood Smith, and even a brief cameo by Olivia d’Abo.

I wish I could say this movie was great, but it wasn’t.  It was your run-of-the-mill animated movie that could have just been broadcast on TV. The story was underwhelming, and you will say “Eh.” at the end.  I know I did.  I’ve been introducing Josh to all the superheroes (Marvel and DC), and all things sci-fi.  I thought he’d enjoy this movie, but it’s actually PG-13.  I watched the entire first to evaluate it, but it wasn’t age appropriate.  I did let him watch the last 5-10 minutes of the finale, as that was safer for his young eyes and ears.

Man, I just looked back into the website archives, and I was looking forward to this movie way back in July.  That’s a long time to wait to watch an underwhelming movie.

Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)

Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)

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The Wedding Date (2005)

Last week, we watched The Wedding Date, a 2005 rom-com movie starring Debra Messing and that Dermot Mulroney fellow. The plot itself was the usual romantic comedy BS that you see these days, but you have to remove more of the interest you normally would express.  Debra Messing’s character hires an male escort to pretend to be her wonderful boyfriend and accompany her to England, in order to to attend her sister’s wedding.

I’d go into more detail, but really, what else do you need to know?  Will sparks fly between Messing and Mulroney’s respective characters?  Will hilarious situations ensue? Will they start to feel attraction for each other? Will they make up in the end?  Frankly, it wasn’t all that good a movie, and Debra Messing is not a good actress.  I never really watched her Will & Grace show, but from what I’ve seen, it’s the exact same character. Not a good sign of a great actress.

The Wedding Date (2005)

The Wedding Date (2005)

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Wired.com: Inside Peter Jackson’s Heaven On The Lovely Bones Set

Wired Magazine takes us behind the scenes and shows us how Jackson is transforming Alice Sebold’s novel into unforgettable visuals. This looks to be a fantastic movie. I can’t wait to see it. There’s more about the movie here.

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CNN: Mom accused of DUI as kids walk looking for help

This is just nuts.  This could have ended so badly, but by the grace of God it didn’t. I hope this woman gets some help fast.

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