DOA

I wrote earlier about my digital camera not working after me carrying it with me at the Four on the 4th Race. Evidently, my sweat fried something in the camera. I hoped it would work once it dried out, but no luck. I took it apart and have had it lying here by the computer. Every so often, I put the battery and memory card in it and try to power it up to no avail. I am officially calling an end to the code blue. The time of death has been recorded and I am awaiting the coroner to haul it away.

It served me well. We witnessed a lot of good times together, but all good things must come to an end - so they say.

I have been reading camera reviews and looking at message boards in an effort to find a successor to my Canon Powershot Digital Elph S110. I purchased it in 2001. At the time, 2.1 megapixels was a lot. I want to stay with Canon and they are highly rated.

My pick is the Canon S2 IS If you are interested in the stats, follow the link. The thing I like is the 12X optical zoom, which translates to having a 430 mm lens.

I really need two cameras. One like the one I had; that can fit in my pocket and another bigger one with lots of bells and whistles like the S2. If money were no object, I would get a digital SLR, like the XT.

If you are in the market for another camera, here are two great sites:
Steve's Digital Cams
Digital Photography Review

I haven't ordered it yet, but I plan to very soon.

Until the next time
John Strain

Life is Fragile

Skateboarders, freestyle climbers, mountain bikers, hang gliders, surfers, and bull runners reach out and grab life by the nads. They feel that to live is to teeter on the line between life and death.

Tragically, a 24 year-old man from New Orleans died in the running of the bulls Monday in Pamplona, Spain. He wasn't gored like four other participants, but he fell 80 feet off of a wall.

Life is a gift and it can be delicate, yet some live as though it is indestructible. Sometimes we must take risks. I would hope that I would run into traffic to save a toddler from being run down or throw myself on a gernade to save my buddies. This sort of thing is more sacrificial and noble. To gamble with your life for a thrill, however is a different story.

With the X-Games and Xtreme Sports a false notion of indestructibility is presented and some gamble with their lives just to do a flip on a bike or to run next to a bull. I remember cartoons and Three Stooges episodes being criticized because of the impression they might make on young people. Still, as a child, I never dropped a safe on one of my enemies or blew them up expecting them to be OK.

I fear that with the advent and promotion of Xtreme sports, people believe they can defy gravity and body crushing physics. I crashed on my bike doing 20 mph a couple of years ago and it took me a while to get up. I suspect it would hurt falling off of a mountain as well.

Life can be boring if one never takes risks, but the wrong kind of risk can result in you spending the rest of your life in a wheel chair. The wrong kind of risk can kill you for no better reason than to say, "I ran next to a bull in Pamplona."

Life is fragile; even more so when one tempts the fates.

Until the next time
John Strain

Huricane Dennis

It looks like Louisiana is dodging another bullet in the form of a nasty category 4 hurricane. For my area, 30-50 mph winds are predicted from the north. This is nothing compared to the folks just to our east. Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida will receive the brunt of Dennis' fury. This storm will still be a hurricane way inland. Hattisburg, MS will experience hurricane conditions.

On my agenda today:

• Drink some coffee


• Walk Bear


• Run 14 miles (if I run south it should be easy, but how do I get back?)


• Mope around because I did not cut my grass yesterday and I can't do it today because of the hurricane

Poor Bear has an ear infection from swimming. He has been flopping his ears more than usual, so I took him to the vet. The vet cleaned his ears out and gave me antibiotics to give him for the next ten days. Then I have some "swimmer's ear" stuff to give him once a week to keep them clean and dry.

I had better get to my list before the wind and rain start picking up.

Have a nice Sunday.

We fared just fine from the likes of Dennis. It hit well to our east. We had a little rain and some wind gusts, but nothing approaching serious. We were very fortunate. The poor folks in Pensacola and Navarre Beach are the ones who took the brunt. Their lives will be disrupted for a long time.

Until the next time
John Strain

What are they doing?

It's the weekend. I hope you enjoy yourself.

Until the next time
John Strain

Four on the 4th

Every 4th of July, our local running club hosts a four-mile race. This year I wanted to run the four miles in less than 28 minutes. I made it, just barely, with a time of 27:54. That time placed me 29th out of 320 and 6th in my age group.

Barbara, on the other hand, won her age group for walkers. Here is a photo of her receiving her prize.

I brought my camera to the race and ran holding it. Evidently, my sweating seeped into the camera and killed it. It is non responsive. I guess I am going to have to lay it to rest. Now, I need a new camera, muahahahaha. I would love a Canon 350D, but $1,000 is a bit steep. I am burning up Steve's Digital Camera site reading reviews. I cannot go very long without a camera.

Now, it is time to walk Bear one more time then hit the sack. Have a nice Thursday folks.

Until the next time
John Strain