September 2004 Archives

On Saturday Middle Names Productions proudly hosted the premiere of "The Great Crane-Off 2004" at the historic Hollywood Theatre. I was excited to share something Mike and I had been working on for so long with everyone--and especially anxious to hear what Cabel and Jona thought of it.

Thanks to everyone who made it out (especially those of you with bad hangovers!). To everyone else who couldn't make it, we should have some DVDs ready in a few months, although Jona's touring schedule makes it difficult to carry out our plan for multiple commentaries.

One of the main reasons we embarked on this project was to learn Final Cut Pro, and with these new skills I am motivated to tackle new and bigger ideas.

(Hope to share some photos from the event courtesy of our press photographer, Daniel Peterson.)

As far back as I can remember I've been fascinated and enamored with turtles. Their ability to hide in a protective shell, live for many years and the slow, peaceful way they operate are just some of the traits I find appealing about these reptiles. Oh, and this is way before the mutant ninja stuff hit...anyone who has seen my collection of turtle figurines will understand my level of turtle appreciation. I can't begin to count the number of friends and relatives who have presented me with turtle-related gifts over the years.

I love a turtle.

So, without further adieu, I'd like to introduce my newest flatmate, Elmer. Elmer is an Eastern box turtle, believed to be at least 20 years old, and she was kindly delivered to me by my loving parents a couple weeks ago.

Elmer has been in my family for the past 15 years, and her first name was Beans. I'll admit she hasn't had the best luck in the nomenclature department, but as a young boy I was misled about the status of her gender (females have flat plastrons ((bottom shells)), while males have curved plastrons). Makes for easier mounting while trying to maintain the species.

I've been doing a lot of research, trying to figure out new things to introduce into her diet--she rarely eats, and when she does it is mostly a protein substance called "monkey chow." I remember feeding her crickets and mealworms once, but the crickets kept escaping and my sister wasn't so happy about the live insects in the house and fridge. Looks like some vegetables and fruits would be a nice addition.

Anyone who wants to know more about these awesome creatures should check these sites out:
Bill's Box Turtles

Turtle Times

Box Turtle Site.org

One of the great joys in my life is spending hours on the Web conducting research for my next gadget purchase. I waited not so patiently for the DVSpot review of my camcorder last winter, and now I am back again to find out what digital camera I want.

Two sites I have been using are dealcam.com (for the best prices) and dcresource.com for the most informative, in-depth reviews (the editor writes for MacWorld). I'm leaning towards the sleek Canon PowerShot SD10 Digital ELPH.

While on the dealcam site I was a bit curious to find out there was a company listed as "Oregon" that made digital cameras, and here is what I found: Oregon Scientific creates a variety of timepieces, telecommunication devices and health and fitness products, and also happens to be a proud supporter of the US Sailing Team. However, what caught my eye was their partnership with Philippe Starck, renowned designer of artistic home and office products previously found at Target stores.

I love this guy's quotes:
"You wanna talk design? I hate that! You might as well go home"

"I create things with which I surround myself, and which allow me to exist. When I Stop producing, I will disappear"

I posted about our great experience showing the Crane-Off to a group of kids on the MNP site.