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Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Once per year at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse they shut down the weak insipid modern (presumably electric) light and switch over the the 5 kerosene lamps and fresnel lens of the original, as it was 135 years ago.

Last night was the night, and it's really quite a sight. When they fire it up there's really a collective sense of "whoa!" from the audience (which was WAY bigger than I expected - I probably had to park a mile away and I was there an hour early).

Capturing a shot like this is tricky because the lens itself actually rotates, which looks great but is tough for long exposures. But for the first 5 minutes they leave it static to indulge all of the photographers who turn out and want this shot (this highly unique and one-of-a-kind shot of course). When they switched to this light my camera still had about a minute of noise reduction to do on my final test shot to get the exposure right, so I missed the first minute. Then I started this shot which was about 2 minutes long, followed by 2 minutes of noise reduction again. So by the time I had my shot it was too late for a do-over. So this is it, I only got to take one photo and this is what I got, so I hope it worked out.

It's also noteworthy that the fog last night was insane, even for a San Francisco local. On the drive home there were times when I couldn't see the road in front of me, only the orange reflectors in the middle of the road (for about 60ft). It worked out beautifully for viewing the lighthouse, though I also found that if I backed away much further than this I'd lose sight of the lighthouse itself. The unfortunately consequence of all the fog was that it was almost impossible to keep the lens and camera dry, so the lesson learned was to always keep towels with you when shooting the California coast.

And in case you're wondering, that is the moon in the upper left.

AquaMaker – Generating Water from Air!

The Houston based Company AquaMaker aims to address two pressing global problems – the growing shortage in fresh water sources and the increasing pollution of these water sources.

The AquaMaker AM10 has an air filter that removes and oxidizes compounds from contaminated air. The bio- air filter contains Ziolite (a mineral that has a micro-porous structure, and is therefore often used in water filters), coated with a solution of Oxychloride. The minerals utilize the principles of chelating, effectively destroying organic life forms and micro organisms present in the air. When air passes through the filter, target pollutants diffuse into the ziolite, as absorption and instantaneous oxidation occur.

The AM10 features a digital display microcomputer that is easy to read and ensures the system is working properly. Electronic sensors are attached to different parts of the machine in order to alert the owner of scheduled maintenance check-ups and of performance irregularities.

In order to save energy, the AM10 automatically stops producing water when it has reached its storage capacity. The built-in air filter not only cleans its air intake in order to generate pure water, but also returns clean air to the environment. The AM10 is designed to prevent the growth of bacteria and provides a continuous effective protective agent in the water. The machine operates quietly thanks to a fan system that reduces noise during water production.

According to AquaMaker, because the AM10 converts the humidity in the air into water, it can work practically anywhere in the world, even the desert (although with reduced efficiency, of course). Currently, the company offers relatively large (water cooler sized) models starting at $1,200. These machines can produce about 36 liters of water within 48 hours. AquaMaker is planning on releasing a much smaller countertop model for home use in the near future (no price given at this stage).

The 25 Coolest (and Most Unconventional) Keyboards

Keyboards come in all shapes and sizes, from the standard ten dollar gray board to something straight out of a science fiction movie. Here’s a list of some of the coolest and strangest keyboards out there.

1. The WristPC Keyboard: This keyboard is designed for “portable and wearable” computer applications, whatever that means.


2. The Comfort Keyboard: This one can be split into three separate section, supposedly for added comfort. It also features key reprogramming and a programmable “rest period indicator.”


3. Orbitouch keyless keyboard: This one is a little hard to explain. It was designed for people with “repetitive stress injuries” like carpal tunnel. As you can see, there are no keys.


4. The Roll-Up Keyboard: This standard 104 key keyboard takes portability to a new level while providing surprisingly good tactile feedback.


5. The Optimus Maximus keyboard: Little OLED displays on each key let you customize the layout. Probably the most talked about keyboard ever.


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Best frozen pizzas

This article is about the best frozen pizzas...the deep dish one from chicago looks really good. I'm so hungry now.




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Girl, 7, shot 6 times saving mom

DETROIT -- A 7-year-old-girl is being hailed as an "angel from heaven" and a hero for jumping in front of an enraged gunman, who pumped six bullets into the child as she used her body as a shield to save her mother's life.

Alexis Goggins, a first-grader at Campbell Elementary School, is in stable condition at Children's Hospital in Detroit recovering from gunshot wounds to the eye, left temple, chin, cheek, chest and right arm.

"She is an angel from heaven," said Aisha Ford, a family friend for 15 years who also was caught up in the evening of terror.

The girl's mother, Selietha Parker, 30, was shot in the left side of her head and her bicep by a former boyfriend, who police said was trying to kill Parker. The gunman was disarmed by police and arrested at the scene of the shooting, a Detroit gas station. Police identified him as Calvin Tillie, 29, a four-time convicted felon whom Parker had dated for six months.

Parker, who was treated and released at Detroit Receiving Hospital, is now at her daughter's bedside. She declined to comment Tuesday.

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Adsense videos suck!

I tell google to put up a comedy video and this is the crap they send! The crap you see may be different from the crap I see but I gaurantee that it's crap.

crap (krāp)
n.
1. Cheap or shoddy material.
2. Miscellaneous or disorganized items; clutter

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Wachovia Bank Tells Man He Owes $211 Trillion

COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- It’s one thing to bounce a check and it’s another to be so far in the red Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump combined couldn’t come close to bailing you out. A Cobb County man got a letter from his bank with that very shocking news.

“And I open up the letter and I look at it and I’m like, ‘No, you’ve got to be kidding me,’ said Joe Martins.

Martins said he recently closed an account at Wachovia Bank and made good on an outstanding check. He just got a letter about the closure and his negative balance -- $211,010,028,257,303.00. That’s $211 trillion.

The letter includes the clarification, “no cents.”

“I didn’t know what to think. Obviously $211 trillion is a little above what I put in my bank account,” said Martins.

$211 trillion is more than 70 times the entire federal budget.

Still, the letter said Wachovia was reporting him to an agency that rates risky bank customers.

“I don’t own $211 trillion but because it is automated and reported to check systems, I assume it will be reported to my credit at some point,” said Martins.

He said Wachovia had made mistakes on his accounts before so he called Channel 2 first. Wachovia blamed the letter on a word processing error and the office of the president is sending a letter of apology.

“They tell me it’s going to be resolved but I’m not sure that it will,” said Martins. “I closed my account today.”

Since it is a closed account it is now safe to say the dollar figure in the letter matched the account number.

Martins said Wachovia told him late Friday afternoon they never did report him for his negative balance. Wachovia vice president David Oliver told Channel 2, “We can certainly understand how our recent correspondence with Mr. Martins about his account would be cause for great concern. I can confirm that there will be no adverse effect on Mr. Martins’ credit report related to the letter he received. Also, I can confirm that this was an isolated error specifically related to his account.”

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you...

A crocodile at a zoo in the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung holds the forearm of a zoo veterinarian in between its teeth, April 11, 2007. The crocodile bit off the arm of the zoo veterinarian treating it, an official reported.

Court says sperm donor liable for child support

***This is crazy...Sometimes I think you have to walk around 24/7 with a lawyer so I don't make any dumb mistakes, or at least to know what I'm really getting myself into. *sigh* Where's Johnny Cochran when you need him?***


A Nassau County man who said he donated sperm to a female co-worker as a friendly gesture -- and then sent presents and cards to the child over the years -- is legally considered the father and may have to pay child support for the college-bound teenager, according to a judge's ruling.

"What's the saying? No good deed goes unpunished," said Deborah Kelly, a Garden City lawyer for the man, who acknowledged that he is named as the father on the child's birth certificate.

Like all the involved parties, the man remains anonymous because of privacy concerns.

Nassau County Family Court Judge Ellen Greenberg ruled on Nov. 16 that despite the mother's willingness to have the child's DNA tested, the man was barred from seeking a paternity test to determine if he is truly the father because the results could have a "traumatic effect" upon the child, who is now 18 years old and lives in Oregon with the mother. The next step is a meeting with a support magistrate to determine the amount of child support payments -- if any -- the man would have to pay until the teen turns 21, Kelly said.

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