I just finished my Extended Essay! 13 pages and 4000 words of tasty information, analysis, and discussion. The best part? I got to talk about robots in the military as my topic.
I predict this will turn into a fail of my day next week as I fill up my laptop hard drive on a daily basis, and am constantly having to archive and delete shit.
Can't you just get a cheap external 2.5 inch drive?
I have many cheap external hard drives. I have three with me now. One is purely a Time Machine backup, one is purely for archive purposes, and the last is an archive AND a Time Machine backup. I'll post the third home to Berlin in a few days.
However, I'm currently about four weeks into an eight week trip, and spending that long away from home makes a 120GB hard drive very small, especially as I'm working on a large video project that is taking up about 30GB. It isn't the backing up to the external hard drives that I mind, it is how often I have to do it. Shooting RAW files with my DSLR, plus video files which, due to the nature of my video project, are sometimes huge, means I can fill up a card in a day. Having a larger card in my camera will simply mean deleting less as I go, and putting more onto my laptop. Which means more often archiving, the thing which will become a fail.
I just finished myExtended Essay! 13 pages and 4000 words of tasty information, analysis, and discussion. The best part? I got to talk about robots in the military as my topic.
Yay another IB student, (Don't you think that TOK sucks?)
TOK is such a lame class. I can see it being useful for people who aren't able to think critically but all of my friends agree that it feels like a waste of time. The discussions that arise in that class can be interesting, but having to relate it to the ways of knowing and areas of knowledge is quite contrived and makes me glad that it's only 2 days a week.
Also, a friend told me that the Extended Essays are actually sent a long time from now; my school collects them early. When do you have to hand in yours?
About what can be expected for a college student. I mean, my savings are apparently far better than most of my friends, but even if I was going to outright splurge on a camera body, I could only spend 500-700 USD on it, which makes for some weaksauce gear. Not to mention lenses, which can be astronomically expensive in comparison to the bodies (especially macro lenses), as I'm sure you know. Even if I could pull together a decent digital SLR outfit, it'd mean no monies for any of the other stuff I've been eying. I'm more or less stuck until i get a job come the summer.
W00t! I successfully negotiated my way out of academic suspension! (I missed a shit-ton of school last quarter because of illness and transportation) Now I'm officially a fully, 100% RIT student.
Second w00t! I just swept and tidied my entire apartment! It was getting really messy, and I was in a slump, so I didn't bother to put things away/take out the recycling/etc. Now it's all clean! I can have guests over!
Third almost-w00t! I had a great interview yesterday, and have another tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have a job by the weekend!
Even if I could pull together a decent digital SLR outfit, it'd mean no monies for any of the other stuff I've been eying. I'm more or less stuck until i get a job come the summer.
I'd suggest looking for second hand camera bodies. Second hand lenses are very hard to come by, as you pretty much stick with them until they break. But camera bodies lose value much quicker. A three or four year old DSLR body is something you can pick up really cheaply these days.
As for macro photography, a good lens is very expensive. I'd suggest using a cheap point and shoot and play with it as much as possible. The tiny lens and sensor of these cheap camera means you can actually get much closer with a compact digital than a DSLR with a non specialist lens, and it will only cost you 100 dollars. The key to good macro is good lighting and backdrops, which sounds tricky but you can get away with different coloured cardboard, a sheet of glass, and three desk lamps. Not only get away with, but by concentrating on these important elements, all of which are under your direct control, you'll get very impressive results very quickly.
If macro still appeals to you after this (it doesn't interest me at all to be honest) you can think about a new camera and lens in a year.
Also, a friend told me that the Extended Essays are actually sent a long time from now; my school collects them early. When do you have to hand in yours?
Well I have to hand mine in about January 2011, but I am in lower IB now and I have yet to start it. What subjects are you taking, I do:
Third almost-w00t! I had a great interview yesterday, and have another tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have a job by the weekend!
Awesome! I got the job, and it sounds a lot better than the ad made it seem. I'm half done with the second interview, but at least I should have a steady income now.
It's snowing here too, but it's only 32. I'm waiting for real winter to come to get really excited. On the 15th I head home for a month of break, so I'm hoping for crazy-awesome-cold Chicago winter weather, the kind where you can't board the buses from the sidewalks because the snowdrifts from the plows are up to your waist.
It's supposed to snow today in Rochacha, but right now it's nice and sunny. I'm bracing for the bad weather. Maybe I'll just stay inside and play Civ IV today.
It's supposed to snow today in Rochacha, but right now it's nice and sunny. I'm bracing for the bad weather. Maybe I'll just stay inside and play Civ IV today.
I am heading out to Rochester tonight. It looked like a mild snow and the temperatures aren't getting low enough for much to stick.
About four days ago, I went out job-hunting as per usual since I got fired from my job a while ago. One of the places I went to was a video rental store called Hollywood Video. As a side note, they are almost always paired with a game store called GameCrazy which is so much better than Gamestop in many ways. Anyway, I went in to hand in a job application and the clerk seemed very impressed by my credentials if the body language she expressed was any indication. I did the usual routine of asking if I could speak to the manager. He wasn't there that night, but she said that he would want me to call him today, she also mentioned that he would enjoy talking to me. I knew exactly what she was talking about when she said that because about a year ago in the summer, I worked at a very eminent, renowned, and independently run video store called Best Video. I think the link speaks for itself, but it is basically the film buff/movie lover's video store. Anyway, I'm waiting until 3:30 PM to call him and I've got a really good feeling! I'll update whether the cards play in my favor or not in the appropriate thread.
If you have a digital DSLR just invert the lens and shoot away, you wont be able to look at what you are shooting but a bit of trial and error and you've got an improvised macro.
Congrats! In related Booh yah, my football team won our conference championship for the second year in a row. We're going to a bowl game as well! I'm excited because being in the band, it means I'll get paid to go on a trip to Memphis for New Years.
I'm excited because being in the band, it means I'll get paid to go on a trip to Memphis for New Years.
Arkansas or ECU? I play in the GT Band and there is nothing better when it comes to college football than playing in the band. Great seats, free swag, free food, free travel, and all you have to do is play the greatest fight song in the world!
I'm excited because being in the band, it means I'll get paid to go on a trip to Memphis for New Years.
Arkansas or ECU? I play in the GT Band and there is nothing better when it comes to college football than playing in the band. Great seats, free swag, free food, free travel, and all you have to do is play the greatest fight song in the world!
ECU. We're basically awesome. Yeah, marching band is the single greatest student organization ever. All those perks you mentioned, plus a great social opportunity and great music. Also, Arkansas... is where our marching band director from last year went. He's directing that band now, ironically.
One of my friends is going to start a live rap crew, and has invited me to play drums and rap for them. If I can teach myself to do both at the same time, and they don't mind the fact that I won't be able to play late gigs, this could turn out totally awesome.
One of my friends is going to start a live rap crew, and has invited me to play drums and rap for them. If I can teach myself to do both at the same time, and they don't mind the fact that I won't be able to play late gigs, this could turn out totally awesome.
Fuck yeahhhhhhh.
Why wouldn't you be able to play "late" gigs? School? I've grown accustomed to always being sleepy at school by now
Why wouldn't you be able to play "late" gigs? School? I've grown accustomed to always being sleepy at school by now
I can't drive, I'm under-age, and unfortunately I have overly-protective parents (which is, coincidentally, why I can't drive yet) who see this guy as the "wild, irresponsible type". Don't get me wrong; he's practically the reason that stereotype is associated with the pastor's son, but he's all business when it comes to music. Hopefully it'll work out.
It took 4 hours (would have only taken two, but I've been flipping back and forth between it and BoingBoing/Facebook/the forums), but I've remarkably finished my chem studying for the evening ahead of schedule. It really only consisted of buzzing through one old test and making sure I understood where I went wrong and how to do better on the same material come Friday, but I feel a LOT better about the exam. The added bonus is that I've got some time to finish my Christmas list and get it off to my mom, talk to friends, and maybe give my family a call.
Sometimes, I forget the benefits of even small amounts of self-control, especially when said self-control means the TV gets left off in our dorm.
After feeling depressed and withdrawn for the last week or so, I woke up today ready to kick life in the balls! I then proceeded to tidy a bunch of my room, buy a bunch of stuff from town, and get a refined and distinguished haircut.
There was also a shop in the market selling five wolf, no moon and two wolf, one moon t-shirts but no three wolf moon.
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However, I'm currently about four weeks into an eight week trip, and spending that long away from home makes a 120GB hard drive very small, especially as I'm working on a large video project that is taking up about 30GB. It isn't the backing up to the external hard drives that I mind, it is how often I have to do it. Shooting RAW files with my DSLR, plus video files which, due to the nature of my video project, are sometimes huge, means I can fill up a card in a day. Having a larger card in my camera will simply mean deleting less as I go, and putting more onto my laptop. Which means more often archiving, the thing which will become a fail.
Also, a friend told me that the Extended Essays are actually sent a long time from now; my school collects them early. When do you have to hand in yours?
Second w00t! I just swept and tidied my entire apartment! It was getting really messy, and I was in a slump, so I didn't bother to put things away/take out the recycling/etc. Now it's all clean! I can have guests over!
Third almost-w00t! I had a great interview yesterday, and have another tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have a job by the weekend!
As for macro photography, a good lens is very expensive. I'd suggest using a cheap point and shoot and play with it as much as possible. The tiny lens and sensor of these cheap camera means you can actually get much closer with a compact digital than a DSLR with a non specialist lens, and it will only cost you 100 dollars. The key to good macro is good lighting and backdrops, which sounds tricky but you can get away with different coloured cardboard, a sheet of glass, and three desk lamps. Not only get away with, but by concentrating on these important elements, all of which are under your direct control, you'll get very impressive results very quickly.
If macro still appeals to you after this (it doesn't interest me at all to be honest) you can think about a new camera and lens in a year.
ACC Champs bitches! Orange Bowl bound!
In related Booh yah, my football team won our conference championship for the second year in a row. We're going to a bowl game as well! I'm excited because being in the band, it means I'll get paid to go on a trip to Memphis for New Years.
Yeah, marching band is the single greatest student organization ever. All those perks you mentioned, plus a great social opportunity and great music.
Also, Arkansas... is where our marching band director from last year went. He's directing that band now, ironically.
Why wouldn't you be able to play "late" gigs? School? I've grown accustomed to always being sleepy at school by now
Sometimes, I forget the benefits of even small amounts of self-control, especially when said self-control means the TV gets left off in our dorm.
There was also a shop in the market selling five wolf, no moon and two wolf, one moon t-shirts but no three wolf moon.