My house is full of books. There are bookshelves full of them in my living room, my bedroom and my office, and I always have a running list of books that I want to read that I haven’t had time yet to add to the home collection. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve run out of space for more, and since I can’t imagine parting with any more of my current stash, I needed to find a solution. I’d heard about the kindle, but there was just something unappealing about the large white surface and the keyboard. It seemed, so… clinical. I like the size of my books. I like the smell of a new book, the feel of the pages, and the sound the pages make when I turn them. I like books. How could an electronic device give me that same feeling?
Last fall, as my book ownership was reaching the limit of my apartment and my husband’s tolerance, and I was sneaking books into the house and hiding them so it would appear they’d been there all along, Barnes and Noble announced that they were coming out with an ereader, a competitor to the kindle. I’d already decided that I wasn’t interested in the kindle, but the new ereader, named nook, had a different look and feel. It was smaller than the kindle in length and width, sized about the same as a thin trade paperback. Instead of a keyboard, which seemed silly to me on a “book”, there was a small touchscreen that would show images of the covers of the books in my collection. And it was from Barnes and Noble, my national book haven, the place that I could go, no matter where I was in the US, and feel at home. It was as if the book gods where sending me help in my time of need. How could I not at least give it a chance?
Not being one to rush in lightly, I waited until the sample nook arrived in-store to make a decision. Excitedly I arrived at my local B&N and bee-lined my way to the giant “NOOK” sign in the middle of the store. I couldn’t believe how small and sharp-looking the nook was, but I also couldn’t believe all the issues the salesperson was having with the display device. It seemed to take forever to turn the pages and to navigate the menu. I asked if the contrast on the e-ink screen was adjustable, and the staff went back and forth, unable to give me an answer. I left frustrated, deciding to wait until some of the issues were resolved before I made my decision.
A few weeks later, on December 26th, I was back in Barnes and Noble, taking another look. I’d heard that there’d been a software fix, and sure enough, the page turning and navigation were much faster. I placed my order, and anxiously awaited my nook, scheduled to ship on February 2. In the meantime, I read the nook forums an a lot of online reviews, and I started to worry. The reviews were bad, and the nook owners had a lot of complaints – issues registering, freeze-ups, losing their pages, parts of the book being cut off, sideloading issues, etc. I started to think I should just get a kindle. But I waited it out, wanting to see for myself if my nook would have issues.
Continue reading Review: Barnes and Noble Nook eReader »
Yesterday is ashes, tomorrow is wood.
Only today does the fire burn brightly.
-Old Inuit Proverb
My copy of Widdershins arrived today. Widdershins, by Charles de Lint, is the sequel to The Onion Girl, which I read recently and loved. This quote was on the inside, next to the table of contents, and when I read it I felt my eyes fill with tears. I’m not quite sure why. I think there’s just something about living in the moment, remembering that today is the only reality that we have, that makes me feel nostalgic. It seems like that’s the opposite of the reaction I should have, I should want to seize the day, but instead I get a sense of how precious this very moment is, and a strange sadness that we never truly get to experience anything twice.
This short, created by Olympus, tells the story of the Olympus PEN camera, which lives on in the new micro four-thirds digital camera, the Olympus EP-1. As you probably know, I’m a Canon girl, but I’m finding very hard to resist the pull of this cute little camera.
The video above was created entirely with stop motion, no video camera involved, just stills! As per the creators, they took all the photographs, developed them, and then arranged them frame by frame for the video, which is compiled of 1800 individual stills (outside of the stills IN the video!). To me, part of the beauty of stop-motion is the simplicity, but what really impresses me is the patience and time that goes into each individual frame. In a time where most everything we see is about time-saving and flash, I like the idea that a company is willing to take the time to sell a still camera with just that, the stills.
From November 2007 to November 2008, Christoph Rehage trekked across China, taking video as he went. But this was not your typical tourist video. Before he left he shaved his head and his face, and then recorded himself as he went along on his journey. The final edited project is an amazing time-lapse film showing scenes and people he passed along the route, but showcasing the way his hair and beard grew throughout the trip. It’s a wild ride, and definitely worthy of watching at least twice to catch all the background scenery and captions.
Christoph has posted more information about the video at vimeo. He also has a website, thelongestway.com, with a travel diary of his trek, but the site has been down the couple of times I’ve checked in. Hopefully he’ll be able to get it back up and running. Christoph – great video and amazing trek, you have my respect!
If you’re not watching this show yet, why not? True Blood is gaining in popularity every week, so check out this great fan video and tune in to HBO for the next episode on Sunday!
This awesome fan video posted by saroufim93 (youtube) features the song Timebomb by Beck, which was the ending credits song for the episode with the same name. If you like the video and want to thank the author, click through to comment directly on youtube.
This past Friday I went to see the newest Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was fantastic. But I was just as excited about the previews. I got to see the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are on the big screen, and it looked so good it almost brought tears to my eyes.
Another film that I’ve been impatiently waiting for is Sherlock Holmes, and I saw the full trailer for the first time on Friday. It looks fantastic!
Note: If you have the internet connection to support it, make sure to click the HD button to watch the trailer in HD. It makes a big difference.
Florian Schulz is a professional nature photographer and a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). His Freedom to Roam Project chronicles wildlife migration corridors and shows how each piece of the conservation puzzle connects with the others. This project documents the affects of global warming and human encroachment on wild spaces and makes clear the need for protected wildlife corridors to allow migrating species to be able to move throughout their ranges safely and freely.
Phase one of the Freedom to Roam project documents the wildlife corridor that runs from the arctic down along the coast and through the mountains of North America. The photography from this phase, known as Y2Y or Yellowstone to Yukon, was compiled into a book and selected photos are also on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. Schultz is now starting work on phase two, B2B or Baja to the Beaufort Sea.
The stunning video above puts a face to the conservation efforts and shows just what it is scientists and other conservationists are working to protect. The caribou in this video migrate over proposed oil drilling land, pristine wilderness that the oil companies would have us believe is barren and purposeless but for the oil that lies beneath it. With the effects of global warming diminishing arctic habitat it is more important than ever to protect that habitat, and to make more habitat accessible to arctic wildlife.
For more information on the Freedom to Roam project and award-winning photographer Florian Shulz visit visionsofthewild.com. The NY Times article Home on the Range also provides information on the proposed protection of the Y2Y wildlife corridor.
Today is World Oceans Day, a day to honor our oceans and all they have given us, and to raise awareness for the current plight of our oceans and those that live there. Our oceans are facing issues from global warming to pollution, and the truth is that we cannot survive on this planet without everything the oceans give us.
“The End of the Line” is a documentary about the issues of overfishing that was released in theaters today. This film, hailed by “The Economist” as “The Inconvenient Truth about the oceans,” shows the appalling overfishing that is currently happening in our oceans and will make you think twice about what you order the next time you head out for seafood. Visit the film’s website for more information on tickets or the campaign to prevent overfishing.
Global warming is considered the biggest threat to the oceans (overfishing is number two), with wide ranging impacts from the warming of the oceans, creating inhospitable conditions for fragile ecosystems including coral reefs, to ocean acidification. Thus the more we do to prevent climate change, the better the oceans will be protected.
Greenpeace has a plan to protect 40 percent of the earth’s oceans as marine reserves. This plan would help to protect the oceans against overfishing and pollution and would allow our marine ecosystems a chance to recover. You can sign the petition or learn more about the plan at the Greenpeace campaign page.
This film by Nick Broomfield tells the story of a small group of Greenpeace activists that shut down the UK’s Kingsnorth power station to protest the government’s plan to build new coal-fired power plants. The six activists climbed through the tower to the top and then two members lowered themselves over the side to write a message on the tower. Their actions brought national and international attention to the issue, but the attention they brought wasn’t the real victory – their acquittal of criminal damage was. The message this acquittal sends is clear. The people of the UK will not stand by and allow their government to ignore the issues surrounding climate change.
While I tend to agree with the ideals of Greenpeace, I’ve always had mixed feelings on direct action campaigns. I’ve often wondered if they have any real impact. Often actions of small groups of activists are seen as a bit crazy, and sometimes they even generate sympathy for the opposition. But this is one case in which it’s clear that direct action can make a difference. As of April 23, no new power plants will be built in Britian that do not have carbon capture technology in place. Would this have happened without the shutdown of Kingsnorth? I think not.
Philip Bloom shot this beautiful video with a Canon 5D mkII while on a short trip to Sophia, Bulgaria to teach filmmakers about 35mm adaptors and DSLRs with HD video capabilities. If you haven’t seen video from the 5D mkII yet, it’s pretty amazing. Bloom states in his article Video DSLRs, the death of 35mm adaptors? that there are still quite a few issues to be worked out with the HD video DSLRs, but this video shows that a lot can be done with a camera ultimately designed to take amazing stills.
I’ve been a bit of a purist when in came to HD video in a DSLR, believing that adding video was just a publicity stunt and that the quality wouldn’t be there, but my view is starting to change. It would be really nice to have video on my next trip, and it’d be great not to have to carry a separate video camera. If they can improve the video capabilities without sacrificing anything in the core still shots, then maybe the camera companies are on to something after all.
February 15, 2010, at 3:11 pm
