Snapshots

I'm back. Along with the usual backlog of stuff to deal with, other oddities have accumulated. For example, parts of the blog have been misbehaving. So annoying, will try to fix. Then there's the mess in Washington, more on this in a bit. That situation has me feeling rant-y, so if gentle readers prefer to avoid un-pleasantries, read down to the birdie, then skip to the (nonviolent) sock.

While I was away I acquired a new digicam, a Nikon, pictured with my old digicam, a Canon. It's 12 years and several generations more advanced, with faster electronics, more megapixels, and more zoom, all of which are very nice. I've never had strong feelings about Nikon versus Canon, but I can see why some people do. (Obviously, I fail at rampant consumerism.)

Wait, if both digicams are in the photo, what's taking the picture???

One review indicates the new digicam excels at photos of birds and buildings in bright light. That would seem to be true. Here's a pic of a kolea, or Pacific golden plover. Gotta love the zoom. The bird is supposed to be a shorebird, but I've never seen any at the beach, only on lawns and driveways.



And here's a pic of the entrance to the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites (it says so on the blue sign in the middle distance), including the USS Arizona Memorial, which was closed due to the federal government shutdown. The last time the memorial was closed was because of terrorism. I can't begin to express how angry the Republican-manufactured fiscal crisis makes me. (Or, as Jon Stewart says to Republicans who pretend innocence, "Own it. Don't fart and point at the dog.") It's estimated the shutdown, which started October 1, costs USD $160 million per day, so the cumulative total is almost USD $2 billion as of today.



This Halloween there is nothing scarier than the prospect of continued Republican ignorance, intransigence, and complacency as the U.S. slides closer to default, a separate crisis from the shutdown. The first effects are already happening; the big shocks will start next week in anticipation of Default Day, October 17, and will worsen as the month goes on. What could happen if there's a default? I earnestly pray we don't find out. Thus endeth the rant.



Back to the digicam and Actual Knitting Content: In less than bright light, the new digicam tends to take pix that are very blue, as my sock in progress (the background is white, but looks blue). With all its fancy electronics, the camera oughta be able to compensate, but I haven't read that far in the manual yet.

Whilst I read the manual, head over to Heather's blog and sign up for her SHAWLoween Mystery KAL. I'm too much of a control freak to enjoy mystery KALs, but I'd never spoil others' fun – it looks to be a good one!