My first ever 35mm adapter arrived today. It is built by Worley, and I think I was the last person who got one, as he sadly — but understandably — closed the shop a few days ago.

The adapter has an achromat and it’s vibrated. I tried it with a 50/1.8 Canon EOS lens, but I must have assembled it wrong as the ground glass rotates when I turn the lens’ focus ring. I am waiting for my JBQ to come back from work and have a look for me.

And thanks to reader Josh for letting me know of these cheap rails designed specifically for the HV20/HV30, going for just $125 (with shipping). That’s dirt cheap if you think how much rails usually cost.

A few years ago I said that Nokia’s Symbian-based S60 platform will definitely go touchscreen for its 4.0 version. I saw the trend back then, and it’s coming true now.

Now that Nokia has released some video and screenshots of their upcoming interface I can only say (without having used one) that it’s nowhere as good as an iPhone. If you look very carefully you will notice that their new interface is nothing but their old interface, re-arranged and with touch support. It still has what it feels to be touch-based soft-keys (jeez), it still uses a stylus for many operations including input (I type much faster with my iphone than any traditional full keyboard stylus-based input), while the overall look and feel just doesn’t seem as clean and straight forward as an iPhone’s. Plus, it’s so easy to walk on Apple’s patents, that would make it impossible for them to innovate in any big way interface-wise.

It is my opinion that when it comes to interfaces and feel-good vibe, Apple has zero competition. Just zero. I have yet to see any touchscreen device from either Motorola, Samsung, LG, MS or Nokia that even touch Apple’s superiority in usability and looks.

And I am not even an iPhone fangirl. I guess this chart of mine won’t change a lot for the years to come.

I just saw this picture of the ’70s Hulk, bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. His nipples are leaking. According to Google, two things are happening: either he has breast cancer (very rare for men), or his hormones are having a break-dance because of steroids.

Steroids are bad for you. Stay away. I don’t understand why people do these kinds of things to themselves. I try to even stay away from aspirins when I have a headache, let alone get any other kind of drugs that I can live without.

A year ago I wrote my little wish-list blog post about the iPhone 2.0. In there, I listed a number of features that I needed, and according to online discussions some of these features are wanted by everybody (e.g. file picker, cut/copy/paste, Flash, etc). At the end of my blog post, I wrote: “Overall, I am impressed so far with the iPhone, for a v1.0 product. I will have my bar higher for v2.0 though.”

And the time has come to rate the new iPhone 3G. This is a product that doesn’t meet my expectations. Absolutely none of my software needs were met, and only two out of my seven hardware requirements were met. Heck, Apple didn’t even bother upgrading their 2 MP camera which is shitty and its controlling software is under-featured for a luxury phone like the iPhone is.

And no, the upcoming “App Store” won’t fix these needs that I have because either many of my needs require true integration so they need to be delivered by Apple, or the restrictive license agreement for the SDK prevents the creation of such apps from third parties. In other words, it fucking sucks.

This is not to say that the new iPhone 3G doesn’t have some nice additions, like Exchange (which I personally don’t need), MobileMe Push (which I personally don’t need), 3G (which I personally need only occasionally as EDGE/WiFi are more than enough for my needs), GPS (twice a year need), little additions here and there. So where are the things I need daily, like cut/copy/paste and Flash?!? The iPhone 3G’s software still feels like a fix v1.2 release rather than a real v2.0. This Apple announcement today was very underwhelming for me. There is no way in hell I will be upgrading my iPhone hardware, and I will think twice before going in to the pain of upgrading the software (especially as my unlocked iPhone will get locked if I do). There is nothing for me there.

Update: “Apple shares fell 4% after the iPhone announcement, as some investors were left wanting more from the gadget maker,” reports CNN. Good to hear that there are others who felt the same way as I did.

* Magic Bullet Looks for Vegas is now out. The new version is a bit faster and adds more looks and control over the way you can grade, plus a “blur the background” template that I actually used in two shots of my HIJK video (I was a beta tester for Vegas’ version of MB Looks so I had access to it some months ago). Overall, this is a software package that deserves the money it costs. Color grading is not something you should be forgetting on your work.

* I recently started writing some music CD reviews for The OWL Magazine. I am only reviewing local bands, so through this opportunity I got to know the Dangermaker. Amazing band! One of the top-5 indie bands in the whole of the Bay Area (which has over 350 rock bands). Go to their site to download four of their songs for free.

* I decided to not buy the Sony DVP-FX820 external monitor for now, but to use the Linux-based Pontis PMP that I had in my closet for 3 years. Apparently, it has an AV-in, so I could use that for focusing and framing with the 35mm adapter. The good thing about this device is that it’s light and easily rotateable, although its 3.5″ QVGA screen and battery life are not ideal. I wish my Archos had on-board AV-in, that would have kicked ass, as the Archos has a much better resolution, 16:9 screen, and battery life.

* I have found over 10 bugs on Windows Live Mail in the month I am using it. I hate its guts.

One of my favorite indie rock bands is “Rantings of Eva“. These guys write amazing music, and their recent album is one of the best I ever heard. So I made a fan music video for them, made out of a picture slideshow, and featuring samples from four of their songs.

And the obligatory South Park icons. Click for a larger view.

Below I am also re-printing my interview with Dusty Watts, guitarist of the band.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s just sad. There is absolutely nothing in the market that’s actually affordable and usable. I am talking about an external monitor for your camera while shooting.

The only affordable solution that was created with camera work in mind is LCD4Video. But its resolution is embarrassingly low, has no high quality input jacks for us HD users, the battery is external, and I hear that its shoe mount is flimsy to the point of being unusable.

So what an honest hard working indie filmmaker to do? I hear that people are buying LCD kits (with their electronics dangling out like a slaughtered pig), and even car LCD kits (e.g. Ikan, Lilliput, Xenarc) that they will have to modify and build holders for. There’s a lot of DIY involved.

In other words, there is no “good” solution today for external monitors. There is no monitor that has a 960×540 (1/4th 1080p) resolution at 8″ size, has a proper flip function, enough controls, HDMI/component/composite inputs, has a built-in 6 hour battery, has an optional sun hood and a car charger, and it comes with a special tripod mount with two “strong rotateable arms” that lets you mount the camera on one side and the LCD on the other. The right price is $300 for something like that. It’s economically doable, and with profit.

Instead, people have to improvise. The latest craze among videographers and even professional indie filmmakers is to buy the Sony DVP-FX820 (DVP-FX850 for PAL countries) portable DVD player. It comes with a rotateable swivel 800×480 8″ LCD, 6 hours of battery and an RCA input jack (requires extra $6 adapter to connect your camera to it). Then, you will have to either build yourself a monitor holder, or buy this (not sure it will fit nicely with this device). It’s stupid. It works alright, although the LCD resolution via composite is not fantastic, it’s just that it’s not a device that was designed for this job. Unfortunately, I will have to buy one, as my 35mm adapter is on the way here, and I need a bigger screen for focusing (it’s impossible to use shallow focus on the HV20’s 2.7″ screen). Overall, this DVD player with the tripod mount and the adapter will cost me $320. For something that’s not ideal. Simply because there is nothing better in the market right now.

And then they talk to me about market demand. I can tell you that this DVD player sells like crazy among filmmakers right now. There is demand, there’s just no one to sit down his a$$ and create the right product for us.

And don’t let me start as to how much overpriced tripod rails/rods are. I haven’t seen anything below $600. Because I don’t have any tripod rails I will be limited to be using my 35mm adapter with a single small lens, that won’t break my HV20 apart because of the added weight of the adapter. I am not the Black&Decker type you see to built it myself.

I found this on YouTube today, about the city I am living in, Foster City.

The creator of the video also says in the comments that: “the reason this series of videos was posted because i discovered a large community of reptilians in the foster city area… including several on the police force in foster city.”

Yeah, I guess there are a lot of Mexicans in the police force over here. I am an alien too. I am from Greece.

Jeez.

It occurred to me earlier today, after remembering Locke’s assertion in the season finale that the island “is not an island“. I think it’s a spaceship!

It is not weird the idea of a biosphere to travel the galaxy and appear as of magic by bending space and time on compatible planets. This would explain why the island can “move” itself. It explains why the island has surrounding “walls” (aka force fields) that Desmond could not escape with his boat, unless he was to take a very specific route.

It also explains the four toe statue, which is a remnant of that old human-like civilization that built the island/spaceship. When they arrived to Earth, some stayed in the island (e.g. the ageless Richard), but others scattered around the planet and had children and took a taste of our civilization. The descendants of these aliens are some of the “special” people in the show, e.g. Walt, Locke, maybe even Jack, that the island now “demands back” after thousands or hundreds of years.

This theory doesn’t contradict my other theory last week btw. I still believe we are dealing with an AI entity that keeps the island in shape for the return of its original inhabitants and their descendants. Maybe this is what Charlotte meant when she said that the island is her birthplace. Maybe this is why the island feels like a purgatory, and why the AI computer named Jacob creates lists: because only the worthy will be allowed back.

UPDATE: My theory was posted over at DarkUFO’s “Lost” fan site. You can discuss it there.

Disclaimer: Before trying to take apart my arguments, please do some research first about the boundaries of free speech and hate speech. It’s a centuries old problem with no easy solution. Therefore, what I present here is just my opinion as I take one of the two sides. No matter which side you take, it’s a problem without a clear solution, so there’s no much point debating my position. It’s been debated to death already.

Yesterday, a French court has fined former film star Brigitte Bardot 15,000 euros for inciting racial hatred. She said she was “tired of being led by the nose by this population that is destroying us, destroying our country by imposing its acts“, referring to a mass sheep slaughter/eating tradition by Muslims (similar to the one us Greeks have for our Easter too).

Personally, I disagree with her that people should not eat lamb and that this is a tradition that can ‘destroy’ France. However, I also disagree with the court’s decision to deem that opinion as “hate speech”. I agree that “defamation” should be something that should exist on a law system, but not “hate speech”. I don’t think that “hate speech” even exists in the vast majority of the cases that do get prosecuted. According to Wikipedia, “hate speech is a term for speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a person or group of people”.

Honestly, I don’t think that Bardot’s reasoning was to intimidate or incite violence against the Muslims of France. Instead, she simply loves animals, and she has the opinion that allowing people from other cultures to enter France changes the French way of life in a way that she doesn’t wanna let go. It’s an opinion. She is a French citizen, she grew in the traditional French culture, and she doesn’t like to see things incompatible to her culture taking place in her own country. You agree with it or not, it’s just her opinion. In fact, in EVERY country there are countless people who feel similarly (e.g. Americans about the Mexicans, Greeks about the Albanians, Germans about the Turks etc), and when people feel something like this, they should speak out EVEN if they are wrong about it. If they can’t take it out of their chests, it’s ALSO wrong you see. If you don’t agree with these views, simply IGNORE them.

France has hate speech laws that restrict the open expression of anti-Semitism, and ethnic bias in public, according to Wikipedia. If that’s true, then France has no free speech in my opinion. USA is the only major country to not have regulation for hate speech, but only for defamation or intention to riot. I have to hand it to the Americans here, that’s the way to go, and I kneel before its forefathers. It’s very sad to see all these EU countries on the Wikipedia article not guaranteeing free speech.

You see, when I listen to Pat Condell’s videos, taking apart the whole Muslim culture, 10 times more vigorously than Bardot, I just feel bad for her for living in a country that doesn’t guarantee free speech. Condell was once accused of hate speech last year, but he doesn’t seem to take shit about it. The thing with Condell is that he is able to articulate the opinions of countless people that simply don’t have the strength to say it for themselves because of fear of lawsuits. When I watch Condell’s videos, I don’t just see someone who rips apart religions and cultures, but I see true free speech. I see someone who is not afraid to speak his mind. And same goes for all those religious activists who reply to his videos either with comments or with video responses disagreeing with him! That’s how our civilization and culture can grow, free speech is essential.

So if Condell can (thank God) speak his mind and not get punished by anything and anyone, why Bardot can’t? Is the blame on a restrictive French law, or he is simply luckier that his videos are hosted in USA, or is it the fact that he masquerades his opinions with stand-up comedy helps his cause? Whatever the answer is, people should not be fined for their opinions.

And btw, I love lamb. My mom told me on the phone the other day that when we finally go back to Greece she will slaughter a lamb for us and roast it. Yummy.