Review: Fuji XP20 Waterproof Camera

Last year I bought a Samsung camera off woot.com, it was actually my first real digital camera and I was excited for it. I like to document stuff and for the past couple of years I had mainly used my cellphone and video cameras to keep track of things. Cellphone's take terrible pictures, no matter how many megapixels they say they are every picture looks like a grainy piece of garbage on a good day. The camcorder is decent at pictures but bulky and usually not available when I am out and about.

I was slowly getting the hang of the Samsung, it had a screen on the front for taking the profile shot which was a nice gimmick. I think the "was" in the previous sentence is a sign that the camera was not long for this world. The screen was punctured by my keys when shoving it in my pocket. Here is a picture of my former cowriter in the broken viewfinder:

Five months after the Samsung died I was ready for love again. But finding the suitable partner was a problem. I had given myself a budget of 150 or under, as I don't know what I'm doing and just want something that can take a picture of what I point it at. With a Super Saturday ad bringing double discounts I decided to take a chance on the Fuji Film XP20. Reviews online ranged from Meh to pretty good and best of all it was waterproof and shockproof (probably key proof). I think the "was" in the previous sentence is a sign that the camera was not long for this world. In my ownership the XP20 showed no signs of dying, but it also showed no signs of being able to take a decent picture under any type of condition. Most settings I knew how to use on a camera were hidden away, and the ones available to use seem to be worthless. SLEEPY CRICKET said the photos had a nice "70's look" in an effort to affirm my purchase, I returned the favor by telling him it was a good idea to drink out of the doggie drinking fountain that we saw at the beach.

After wasting my time with it over memorial day weekend it was immediately returned and taken off my credit card. I'm not mourning the fact this camera didn't work out though. I'm jumping right back on that camera owning horse. There was a low-end Canon on sale at Radio Shack (I thought the chain went out of business) and I impulsively picked one up. Initial signs are positive but things don't fail on me until I need them so I'll have to report back on my next important occasion.

Have a good day

The look on the young girl’s face while she brought the pregnancy test to the counter brought a tear to my eye and a prayer to my heart.

I saw in her eyes friends, education, careers, and a life of joy cowering in fear of diapers, crying, doctors visits, and constant attention.

I saw on her lips an attempt at bravery, but on her brow worry.

I sensed the crossroads and indecision. The choice as well as the choicless.

I felt her load, weighing down the air around us.

I thought of a hundred comforting words to say, but chose only four.

I said “Have a good day.”

And meant every word.

Auto-Facetagging is Creepy

I got a new camera and a desperately seeking subjects while I learn to use it (or until I break it). After putting my first photo set on my computer I decided to tag some faces, this is one of the random but increasingly frequent times that technology made me feel sick.

My computer went through my other pictures and guessed what other ones had my people in it. While the results were laughably 50% accurate on person and gender, I imagine Google and Facebook have this thing down to a science. I'm usually not one to care about surrendering my rights and privacy to the machine, but for some reason my computer seeking out my 3 year old nephew without consent is scary.

It not only went through my pictures but my videos as well. I think to protect myself I am going to make sure that every picture I take is blurry beyond recognition of human or machine. Maybe I will do one better and return the camera (I think it might actually suck anyway) and just invest the money in stickynotes which I would use to draw pictures of the memories (cleavage) that I want documentation of.

Ok I'm done. Have you noticed I don't update as often? It's because I have lost my creative drive. Enjoy these poorly planned scraps while I'm still able to poop them out.

in this post I fix the secondary education system

I'm in a mood and dreading work tomorrow so let's pull this post out of my noggin. You may have heard this in real life or I may have just glared the plan in your direction.

Without further ado.

How to fix the public education system.

The five day school week is now cut down to four days a week per student. If you really need the time to "teach" (you don't) you can tack another hour on the top keeping the punks off the street till 4. The days will rotate by grade or student specialization (more on that later).

Ok so the kids and select teachers have the day off. But they don't. Day 5 of each week is "co-op day" where they either have an out of school project or a job. This job could be something to help with future college/career goals if the student is motivated or special, or it could be a public works project if the student is normal-below average.

The work projects would be menial labor/tasks and be managed by our newly freed up teachers. It could be anything from cleaning up public campgrounds and parks or working in the school lunch room. This would show the students and more importantly teachers what its like to work a day a week and prepare them to do a real job once they hit adult hood.

Works projects would get a grade and a letter of recommendation at the end of the semester. Both could be used to help secure post school opportunities. They could also use these as spring boards for actual summer employment for teachers and students. During the school year student's would get some minimum-wage or sub minimum wage stipend placed into an education trust.

So far we have reduced the amount of students in each school/classroom. Either gained some work or cut some staff of public employees. And finally taught everyone in the public education system what a real job is. Maybe we have even opened up some new career options for students.

My plan may sound disrespectful to teachers. That's mainly because I don't really have much respect for teachers. The education system is insulated from the real world. This plan would help breakdown the soap box that teachers and school administrators are standing on.

That's my idea. I think it would work. Saving jobs and giving some real world education for a change.

Ok I'm done, feel free to throw a fit about how I hate children.

A service I would pay a premium for

I hate debt and I hate bills. I have been known to go without just to avoid a recurring fee. I lived at home for the past 2 years mainly to avoid the 300-600 a month in "independence" expenses. I told people that living at home gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted with my life, which was a lie because I worked at a job I CENSORED mainly to avoid the feeling that I would be trapped in my current living situation forever.

But that's what I wasn't willing to pay for. Here is what I am willing to pay for.

I currently pay 90 dollars a month for phone service, 40 for the calling plan (which I use maybe 10% of), 30 for internet (now tolerable with 3G) and 20 for texting. I would pay 180 dollars a month if I had a written guarantee that people would pick up my calls or at least return my messages. I'm not some stalker or anything, I think most of the people I try to communicate with appreciate my existence in their life, but they are either lazy or feel that they are better than me.

Case in point: I do you a favor and ask for feedback on favor. "Is this good enough?" I asked someone this a while ago and it was something that they were reasonably concerned about. I hear nothing. Not only do I hear nothing but I see them wasting time posting frivolous bullshot on facebook. Listen lady this is part 1 of 5 unpaid obligations I'm doing for you and you can't even tell me if I'm on the right track? I will double the 40 dollars a month I pay for home Internet if the Internet promises me that my recipeients would treat me with at least the same respect they treat cat macros (this rant is against a composite person and its not you or anyone you know so get off your high horse).

Case in double point: I apply for a job and here nothing back. This is worse than the form rejection letter that 10% of companies have the decency to cut and paste to me. I would pay a ten dollar admission fee for every job I apply to (this would be thousands of dollars) if two things were promised:

1. A live human with the authority to move me anywhere forward in the HR process looked at my resume/cover letter for more than 30 seconds.

2. The job exists and is actually available to outside hires.

3. I get a YES, NO, or TRY BACK LATER response in 30 days of applying.

Ok I'm done. How far did everyone make it on the poem that was posted yesterday? I made it to the third line. I bookmarked it and will try to read it sober some time.

Also: I ate a bunch of rasins and I think its starting to catch up with my waste management system.

The girl without the dragon tatoo

The look on the young girl’s face while she brought the pregnancy test to the counter brought a tear to my eye and a prayer to my heart.
I saw in her eyes friends, education, careers, and a life of joy cowering in fear of diapers, crying, doctors visits, and constant attention.
I saw on her lips an attempt at bravery, but on her brow worry.
I sensed the crossroads and indecision.
The choice as well as the choicless.
I felt her load, weighing down the air around us.
I thought of a hundred comforting words to say, but chose only four.
I said “Have a good day.”
And meant every word.