So, the unfortunate has happened and my trusty digicam has bit the bucket. Technically, I can still take pictures with it, but none of the buttons actually do anything anymore, so I am forced to just be happy with the default settings. Clearly, this will not do.
So I need recommendations on what I should purchase as its replacement. I'm going to buy something this month, so no advice to wait for the new year... The list of things that are important to me is relatively short, but here they are anyways in rank order:
1. SIZE: I am primarily a spontaneous photographer, and the last thing I want is something that requires effort/planning to carry along.
2. PRICE: I'd like to keep this under the $300 mark if possible.
3. PICTURE QUALITY: I've heard a little about the Image Stabilization stuff some cameras have... Sounds pretty useful, but I don't know how well it works, anyone that has tried it - please chime in!
4. MEMORY TYPE: It would be really nice if it used compact flash so that I could just use my current memory card, but that's not a huge requirement.
Other than that, I don't think I have many specifications. I'm not looking for something ultra-professional, I hardly used all the features on the one I had - the Canon Powershot S410. Speaking of which, if anyone has any advice on how to just fix my current camera, that would be very useful as well.
Okay, I know most of you have lots of experience and opinions with cameras, please help! :)
12.12.2006
11.23.2006
Thanksgiving
So today is Thanksgiving, a holiday so uniquely American. Eating till you can't see your feet, followed by crazy, crowded, deal hunting shopping? Truly American. :) While I can't say I celebrate it with the traditional turkey-induced coma, I won't complain about the vacation days, or the general festive mood it puts everyone in in preparation for Christmas and the end of the year.
One thing I do embrace about the holiday is the idea of thinking of things you're thankful for. We're all thankful for the basics, so I won't repeat those. But I have to say, in particular this year, I'm thankful for getting back in touch with friends. Whether through this blog, Flickr, Facebook or a random street sighting (it's true!), I am really happy to have gotten back in touch with so many old friends. Facebook is especially fun - I'm too old to deal with the mess of MySpace, but Facebook I like. If you don't have an account, you should really sign up just to see what all the fuss is about. And add me as a friend once you do. :)
Gobble gobble!
sangeet
11.05.2006
Diwali
First off, Happy Belated Diwali!
So, I'm just now getting around to watching some of last week's television, and in my normal fashion, I never watch commercials/promos/etc so I had no clue as to the theme of this past week's episode of The Office. Wow, I was completely unprepared for an entire episode, not only titled Diwali, but with Diwali/Indians as its central theme.
I have to say, my knee-jerk reaction was to cringe. In what fashion is mainstream American television going to slay my culture? Not to mention one of THE most important and widely celebrated holidays in the year for Indians. Instead, I was completely and pleasantly surprised.
(Just for reference, Diwali was on October 21st this year. The show aired on Nov 2, so it was just a touch late... but I'm really nitpicking here.)
It was strangely exhilarating to watch the episode unfold. It was a great blend of cultural tension (and therefore perfect for The Office's slightly uncomfortable, squirm-in-your-seat brand of humor): equal parts mockery of both Indian sterotypes of Americans, and American sterotypes of Indians. Bonus were the "inside jokes" for the Indians watching.
Thank you Mindy Kaling (and of course the rest of the head honchos at the show) for even putting this holiday on the map in American culture, let alone writing/acting in this wonderful episode. Brava, chica. How can it be that you and I are about the same age? I feel so unaccomplished. But never mind me, keep doing what you're doing!
(I tried really hard not to give anything in the episode away for those that haven't watched it. If you don't watch the show at all... you're sorely missing out.)
So, I'm just now getting around to watching some of last week's television, and in my normal fashion, I never watch commercials/promos/etc so I had no clue as to the theme of this past week's episode of The Office. Wow, I was completely unprepared for an entire episode, not only titled Diwali, but with Diwali/Indians as its central theme.
I have to say, my knee-jerk reaction was to cringe. In what fashion is mainstream American television going to slay my culture? Not to mention one of THE most important and widely celebrated holidays in the year for Indians. Instead, I was completely and pleasantly surprised.
(Just for reference, Diwali was on October 21st this year. The show aired on Nov 2, so it was just a touch late... but I'm really nitpicking here.)
It was strangely exhilarating to watch the episode unfold. It was a great blend of cultural tension (and therefore perfect for The Office's slightly uncomfortable, squirm-in-your-seat brand of humor): equal parts mockery of both Indian sterotypes of Americans, and American sterotypes of Indians. Bonus were the "inside jokes" for the Indians watching.
Thank you Mindy Kaling (and of course the rest of the head honchos at the show) for even putting this holiday on the map in American culture, let alone writing/acting in this wonderful episode. Brava, chica. How can it be that you and I are about the same age? I feel so unaccomplished. But never mind me, keep doing what you're doing!
(I tried really hard not to give anything in the episode away for those that haven't watched it. If you don't watch the show at all... you're sorely missing out.)
10.18.2006
justice
In class today, my professor gave an offhand example of the power of the size of the market, that still has me thinking.
Imagine that your significant other has just been diagnosed with an extremely rare debilitating disease that only affects about a 1000 people a year around the world. For you and yours, finding the cure for this affliction is paramount. Even a drug to treat the symptoms would be preferable to nothing. Fortunately, a compound X has been discovered that will dramatically improve the patient's condition.
But what incentive does the pharmaceutical company have to create this medicine? The amount of time and money that goes into researching and developming a new drug is non-trivial. Add in the costs of patents, and you begin to see why the pharmas make sure to fully research the potential of the market before launching a new product.
If the disease that your loved one has is only shared by 999 other people, how is the pharma company going to recoup their costs? There's simply not enough sales volume, and therefore, drug X will never get produced. Not until, that is, this disease suddenly goes from affecting 1000 people to 1,000,000. Or perhaps even that isn't high enough.
How many people have to suffer before drug X will prove profitable enough to produce? Will it ever happen? Sad to say, not necessarily.
Imagine that your significant other has just been diagnosed with an extremely rare debilitating disease that only affects about a 1000 people a year around the world. For you and yours, finding the cure for this affliction is paramount. Even a drug to treat the symptoms would be preferable to nothing. Fortunately, a compound X has been discovered that will dramatically improve the patient's condition.
But what incentive does the pharmaceutical company have to create this medicine? The amount of time and money that goes into researching and developming a new drug is non-trivial. Add in the costs of patents, and you begin to see why the pharmas make sure to fully research the potential of the market before launching a new product.
If the disease that your loved one has is only shared by 999 other people, how is the pharma company going to recoup their costs? There's simply not enough sales volume, and therefore, drug X will never get produced. Not until, that is, this disease suddenly goes from affecting 1000 people to 1,000,000. Or perhaps even that isn't high enough.
How many people have to suffer before drug X will prove profitable enough to produce? Will it ever happen? Sad to say, not necessarily.
10.11.2006
PCLoadLetter
In business school, there's a lot of reading. I don't mean law school amounts, but its pretty substantial. As much as I love the peecee, I'm not one for reading 30 page pdfs on a laptop screen. So I print. This, as you may imagine, turns into a lot of printing and in turn, time, paper, and ink. So much so, that when I recently found a really good deal on a laser printer, I told myself it was worth it. And it definitely has been - I haven't bought ink in months.
So why am I writing a post about this? It's because of the nightly techno club that I host in my living room. You see, the mighty printer that it is, it seems to tax the circuit pretty heavily. So, in addition to the charming sounds of the printer gurgling up my professors' manuscripts, my lamps like to play backup by flickering to its beat. Since I can't do anything about it, I like to add to this joyous experience by punctuating the symphony with my beloved Tivo noises. My neighbors must think I have some sort of tribal ritual every night involving unmentionable sacrifices.
It finally occurred to me tonight that I could try plugging the lamp into a different socket. But that would just ruin all the fun, wouldn't it?
So why am I writing a post about this? It's because of the nightly techno club that I host in my living room. You see, the mighty printer that it is, it seems to tax the circuit pretty heavily. So, in addition to the charming sounds of the printer gurgling up my professors' manuscripts, my lamps like to play backup by flickering to its beat. Since I can't do anything about it, I like to add to this joyous experience by punctuating the symphony with my beloved Tivo noises. My neighbors must think I have some sort of tribal ritual every night involving unmentionable sacrifices.
It finally occurred to me tonight that I could try plugging the lamp into a different socket. But that would just ruin all the fun, wouldn't it?
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