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Pragmatic Wisdom of Wes Johnson

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BLOG SPAM

Posted by on Jul 31, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

SPAM seems to be a problem wherever you go on the internet.  Unless you’ve never used email before, you’ve probably received at least one SPAM email.  You know those unwanted emails that try to sell you performance enhancing drugs, get rich quick schemes, and phishing scams.

You would never expect to see this kind of thing appear in blogs.  Unfortunately, if the default blog settings allow comments to appear, the SPAMMERS will have a field day with it.  They post the same kind of stuff that gets sent via email.

One tool that helps fight SPAM is to require admin approval for any comment.  Enabling this filter helps prevent the end user from being exposed to SPAM, but the administrator must still deal with the SPAM comments.

Another tool that helps WordPress bloggers fight SPAM is the Akismet plugin.  This is a wonderful tool that in my experience has kept up with the attempts of SPAMMERS to fool the system.

One more tool that I plan to utilize soon is the CAPTCHA mechanism that tries to determine if the user is human or a robot before it accepts a comment or Form submission.  I’ve heard about some that aren’t so smart so robots can work around them.  Before I commit, I’ll be evaluating the available plugins for the most effective solution.

Special thanks goes out to the developer of Akismet.  You have done a wonderful job of detecting and blocking SPAM in WordPress.

If my blog ever gets as popular as your commercial limit, I would be happy to pay.

Till next time,  I’ll be evaluating the latest WordPress SPAM fighting solutions

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Technorati post

Posted by on Jul 31, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

The purpose of this post is to claim my blog in Technorati [qyme5w76kf]

This is for computer consumption only.  For all you humans reading my blog, you can ignore the Technorati post.

I’ll be posting my blog for human consumption after this one.

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Olympus C-3000 Zoom more thoughts

Posted by on Jul 30, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

In my previous blog on Olympus C-3000 Zoom I forgot to mention two other features that are on my list of must have list.

Rose up close and personal

Rose up close and personal

Additional must have features: 

1. The Macro Mode is a must have for taking really close-up pictures.  The picture “Rose up close and personal” was taken using a macro lens on my current camera.  There are many times when you want to capture the minute details of an object.  The Olympus C-3000 Zoom does this very nicely.  The next camera I get needs to at least meet the quality of this camera.

2. The built-in lens hood is another must have.  Ever since purchasing my camera we have had a constant battle with keeping track of the lens cap.  My next camera, I want less to think about.  Not having to worry about the lens cap will be a definite plus.

The size of the camera doesn’t really matter as much, as long as I can have all the other features I’m looking for in a similar form factor as my current camera the Olympus C-3000 Zoom.  I’ve already seen many cameras that come really close to my ideal camera.  I’m sure I won’t have to wait much longer for my entire feature wishlist to be fulfilled.

Till next time, I’ll still be using my camera to capture life around me.

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Sightseeing at Sundial Bridge, Redding California

Posted by on Jul 29, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

Sundial Bridge

Sundial Tower, Redding, California

Sundial Tower, Redding, California

A year ago, I watched a TV show about places to visit in California.  They talked about the Sundial Bridge located in sunny Redding, California.  This looked like a place I would like to visit in person.  It looked really cool and they talked a lot about the making of the bridge.On our way back home, we planned to visit the bridge.  On the day we were there the temperature was somewhere between 112 and 115 degrees fahrenheit.  Even with the blazing temperature, it was a sight to see.  The tip of tower is pointing North.  The time was 3:30pm so I didn’t get to see the shadow cross the markers.

 
 

 

 

Sundial Tower 11am marker

Sundial Tower 11am marker

Sundial Tower 3pm marker

Sundial Tower 3pm marker

At a distance away from the tower, maybe 50 feet, I saw markers that marked the time between 11pm and 3pm.  Of course the best time to view the shadow travel is between 11am and 3pm.  The best day to view the sundial movement is on June 21 the Summer Solstice.

 

  
 
 
 
 
Turtle Bay Attractions
Before you visit the Sundial Bridge, don’t forget to visit http://www.turtlebay.org/Attractions.php to see all the other attractions at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.  The attractions are: a Museum, an Arboretum, Botanical Gardens plus other Exhibitions.
 
We usually take a trip to Oregon about once a year.  The next time we do it, the Turtle Bay Exploration Park will be the destination.  We’ll visit the various Attractions and visit the Sundial Bridge at various times of the day to watch the gnomon (shadow maker) do it’s thing.
Till then, I’ll be checking out other nearby sites to visit while we’re in the area
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Olympus C-3000 Zoom

Posted by on Jul 28, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

Our camera has served us well for nearly a decade.  The Olympus C-3000 Zoom was a state of the art camera in its day.  We have brought it with us on many a vacation and recorded many happy memories.

Some of the features which were state of the art at the time, are now beginning to pale in comparison to the entry level cameras of today.

  • 3x Optical zoom
    • still gives many compact digital cameras a run for the money
    • it just doesn’t seem to cut it anymore, I want more detail in my pictures
  • 3.3 Megapixel
    • Basically around 5″x7″ pictures without cropping
    • Need to be careful with cropping or the image suffers
  • Removable Media card
    • SmartMedia cards have some limitations
      • The cards are limited to 128MB
      • The cards are no longer manufactured
  • Replaceable batteries
    • This is always a good thing – It takes AA batteries either alkaline batteries or rechargeable
  • USB
    • Not full USB, inconvenient to download pictures without Olympus software
    • A good Media card reader works around this limitation
  • LCD display
    • small display compared to other offerings in the same class

Will we replace this camera right away?  NO;  the camera still works. 

When will I seriously consider replacing this camera? Here’s my criteria:

  • 10x optical zoom or better
  • 10 megapixel or better
  • SD Card
    • This means some of the cameras will be out of the running
    • I won’t be caught again with a non-standard media card
  • Replaceable batteries or battery pack
    • Never get caught with your camera not charged
  • Video
    • Ability to record video in JPEG format
  • USB
    • Full USB support as a storage device
  • Great user interface
    • Easy to use, but access to power features for experienced users
  • Affordable
    • My current definition of affordable is below $150

There are some cameras that are approaching my criteria, but still have a little ways to go on price.

In the meantime, I’ll be looking for a camera that meets my critera to go on sale

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