Graph Paper Notebooks.

Hi loyal readers, thank you for returning to my blog!

As a comeback post, I thought I'd write about something I've recently acquired-a nice new Rhodia reversebook from Blick. The paper's so smooth and perfect! Since it's a graph paper notebook, I figured that I might as well write a little about all my graph paper notebooks.

I saved the best for first.

RHODIA reversebook

What can I say that hasn't already been said? First off, this paper beats Moleskine up and shoves it into a trash can. Rhodia's 80g grid-lined paper is out of this world in smoothness and quality (and price, but that's beside the point, since this is the notebook equivalent of buying a blood red Ferrari 360 spider). The square design means that it can be used with the spiral at the top or on the side-whichever way you feel like at the moment. I've been waiting for a notebook worthy of my Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils, and I think I found it!

Office Depot dual-sized graph notebook

I found this one laying around in my math classroom for about 5 months, and decided on the last day to take it...what a bizarre notebook! Firstly, it's a wireless notebook-(no internet though)-and it's got 2 different sized grids on each sheet-4 squares / inch on the front and 5 on the back! Interesting. You can see this in the pic.

Mead Quad/College Ruled Composition book

Got this one from school for use in engineering class, but I just saved it and used my old one, which I'll write about next. I thought this was an interesting idea-have a diagram or picture in the grid section and notes on said diagram on the lines below. Haven't found a practical use for it yet, so on my shelf it sits. Maybe I can use it for designing parts or stuff like that, or writing what's on the whiteboard on the top and lecture notes on the bottom. Opportunities abound.

Office Depot graph composition book

We received these notebooks on the first day of Intro to Engineering/Design, and it's got some of the designs I came up with then, for projects and the like. I've also written some notes about what we learned and included some programs we wrote in Computer Integrated Manufacturing, which I took last year. I've only used about 1/2 the pages, though...maybe I'll use it next year in Digital Electronics!

Moleskine cahiers and Piccadilly Small Notebook graph

I got both of these at different times from Border's, before the location near my house closed. They caught my eye not only because they have a yellow insert (**side note: that's my favorite color) but because they're so small and full of utility value. I can take them anywhere in my pocket, and write down notes and draw things.

(Duh, that's what notebooks are for, Vikram.) When I finish up the blank Piccadilly small notebook I'm currently using, one of these will see some action.

AWESOME CONCLUSION:

So, there's my superfab comeback post. Stay tuned, I've got a bunch of topics in mind for future posts!
(ideas for future posts:)

Hiatus.

Hi readers,
Things have been getting really busy around here, with junior year finally coming to an end. AP tests are, thankfully, over, but I still have a film research paper to write that's due in a week and another test also coming up on the 19th and 20th.
So, I am making it official:
No more posts can be expected here until about June 15, when school lets out.
Then, a barrage of posts will follow. I promise. :)

Back from a brief break.

Hi all who read my blog,
I have been on a brief break due to intense schoolwork. After all, AP tests are less than a month away, and the homework load is relentless. I think there is not one night in the last two weeks in which I have gone to sleep before 11:30. Keep in mind that my normal bedtime is somewhere around 9PM.

In any case, just wanted to let you know that there is no intention from me to stop posting on this blog, just  a break. After all, I just got my pics back from Costco that I took with my Pokemon camera! Once I scan in all of the pictures at school (since I haven't got a scanner) I will post about my 11 year old quasi relic. :-) Stay tuned!

V

Fujica AX-3 Film SLR. [Retro Series Part III]

So, I was given this great looking camera at school from a friend, and knew instantly it was a bad idea. I generally tend to jump onto new stuff I get, and couldn't wait to get my hands on some film to try it. Couple problems: 1) it's not exactly sunny, so the pics I would get wouldn't be so great, and 2) film and processing is expensive. And of course I have that awesome DSC-HX1 (which I reviewed as this site's first post).
But I finally convinced my parents to get me some film, and the film processing (w/ prints) at Costco is only $5.99 for 2 rolls of 24 exp. 35mm film. Awesome.
I have yet to try the camera but I have been wanting to write for a while about it, so here goes.

I'm taking my digital camera (Sony) everywhere and reading up on tips on how to become a better photographer, in books and on the net. So I think that this camera will be a nice way for me to see just how good my pics turn out when I can't see them on the spot.

^floating in Polaroid camera bag

The Fujica AX-3 is an aperture priority, 35mm SLR camera. It was released in 1980 as the mid-line model, not cheap, but not too expensive. The all-metal construction makes it feel much more solid than any camera I have previously used or held; it's not the plastic junk that they tend to sell today!  This was built to last. After all, it's made in Japan.

^through the viewfinder

A battery controls the exposure settings; you pick an aperture and the camera selects a shutter speed. If the aperture value is too high or too low, a little red light flashes in the viewfinder, signaling you to change the aperture. Film advance and film rewind are manual; the battery fires the shutter and operates the light meter. Unlike other older cameras with batteries, this one needs the battery to operate, so if that battery dies, you're out of luck.
(Some older cameras, like the Nikon FM-2, only need a battery for the light meter. They have manual exposure, so if the light meter battery dies, you can still shoot forever, provided you have enough film.) This one is good, though, since I can just load the film, and let the camera do the thinking for me. :)

Specifications:
-Shutter Speed: B, 2sec -1/1000sec
-Aperture: (X-Fujinon 1:1.9 50mm lens) F1.9-F16
-Exposure: adjustable +/- 1 (ASA 12-3200)
-Focus: 0.6m-infinity
-Battery Type: A544
-Film Advance: Manual
-Film Rewind: Manual
-Self Timer: 24 beeps (~12 sec)

I have done some "dry shooting" (took pics w/o film) and it is great fun focusing manually and hearing the satisfying "clack" of the mirror flipping up to expose the (nonexistent) film. Can't wait for some sunny weather to load in some of that Kodak UltraMax 400 and start shooting!

UPDATE: 4/17/2011--
I went on a couple of college visits and brought this beast along. However, even after replacing the light seal foam, the camera did not function properly; maybe I loaded the film wrong, or maybe the mirror didn't snap up properly...but only 9 pictures out of the 24 I had turned out. I'll post them later.
In any case, I'm not going to load any more film in here until the time that I can have it professionally repaired. But the good news is that I have another film camera---the Pokemon camera! Sitting dormant in my closet for 11 years, I finally cracked it out a couple of weeks ago. Once I finish the roll, I will post the pics. Hopefully they turn out!

Old Cell Phones and Related Miscellany... [Retro Series Part II]

Hello. I know it's been a while, but what can I say? It's just been pretty busy lately.

Anyway, I just became the fortunate recipient of some pretty unusual retro communications devices, presumably from the 90s, if my carbon-dating was accurate.

Let's begin with the Palm VII. Introduced for the exorbitant price of $699, it was plainly meant for business execs or civilians with too much money. That antenna you see on the right hand side actually worked; it was one of the first devices from which you could wirelessly access the internet! Of course, it was a Palm service, known as Palm.net, which was discontinued as of 2004. So, I have no way of connecting this thing, but it was text only, and you could only do stuff like check the weather, check your email, and maybe do some stock research.
I remember getting my dad's old one when I was little. Don't know where that one is, but here's another one...It runs on 2 AAA batteries, so it will continue to power on as long as batteries exist. But, of course, I don't have the cradle for it, so I cannot synchronize it with my computer. Even if I did, though, my computer is so new that there is no more serial port-the precursor to USB-that the cradle used.

The next goody here is a Sprint-Qualcomm Palm phone. Yes, this is a cell phone with a Palm PDA built in! As you can see, it was a brick. Nevertheless, as evidenced by my friends' reactions to their first sight of this monstrosity, it has a cool factor (as in, "Wow. What is that?").
Unfortunately I can't turn this thing on, since I have no charger. :(

And some more cell phones here; the ones on the left are Motorola Timeport flip phones and the one on the right is a Sprint. None of these have working chargers, so I can't use them at all. (Not that I would want to even if I had the chargers.)

Finally, my favorite of the bunch. This is a Motorola Timeport 2000X pager. Awesome name, huh? I actually have the charger for this one, so after some frustration getting it to work, I charged it up and typed a couple of lines in the Notepad app. Unfortunately, the battery life is poor, (10 min.) so I have to use it while on the charger. And again, the thing uses a serial connection to connect with the computer, so it is now a standalone device.
There are a few apps on it, some of which are normal, like a to-do-list manager and notepad. But I've got the game 21 and a version of minesweeper, so if I ever get bored enough I can charge up this thing and play some 21! It's also got a cool-looking backlight, and the date defaults to 2001. Interesting.

Anyway, there are my retro communications devices. Hope you enjoyed seeing them! Another retro device coming up.

My Typewriter. [Retro Series Part I]

So I've been pondering my interest in retro stuff, old technology from the 80's and before, and wanted to write a post about something that I not only love, but use relatively often. I figured, "Hey, my Walkman sits around most of the time, as does my slide rule and old film SLR camera, but my typewriter is still pretty active." Hence, the first part in my retro series about my typewriter.

The first thing I am asked when I am seen using my typewriter is, "Why?" Well, for one thing, it's old and awesome, and it helps me improve my accuracy. (Whiting out every mistake is not something you want to have to do with any amount of frequency.) Plus, I don't have a printer, and will welcome anything that will allow me the freedom of having to lug my laptop to school and print on the lone printer outside the library. (The school library isn't open until 10 min. AFTER my class starts.) Now that I've got the intro out of the way, let's get to the machine itself.

Model: 1971 Hermes Rocket, Serial No. 9219863
Type: Portable, marketed as Hermes' most portable typewriter, at a nifty 11 lbs.

Some things I like about it:
-The sound it makes is just great to hear. Now I've always enjoyed the clack-clack of old computer keyboards being typed on at high speed, so the typewriter is just great.
-Convenience. I know this may sound strange in a world of electronic documents, but hey. If you need to get a paper typed at school when there's no computer open, and you don't have your laptop (or it ran out of battery) you've got no options left. This way I've got a last-ditch option, should I "über-procrastinate" or just not have a computer at hand.
-The look and feel of a Swiss made machine is just great. It feels as though I am actually putting in effort to get the words on the page, and that retro look cannot be replicated by even the most high-resolution printer.
-Making folder labels. Isn't it a pain to have to download that template for your printer every time you want to make one for a file folder or tab divider? It's much easier to type those on a typewriter, since you can choose exactly where the letters will show up; positioning the paper is much easier than in a printer.
-I LOVE RETRO STUFF.

Acknowledged Limitations--When NOT to use a typewriter:
-when it's needed to submit a paper online
-when you know you'll need to revise or rewrite
-if there's any chance you'll need to do more in-the-moment editing than just a letter, for example rearranging whole paragraphs
-if you need to use multiple fonts or different font sizes
-etc. etc.

It lives on my desk, except when I use it at school:

But for fun, like writing journal entries, or for a final reflection, final draft, or just what would be normally handwritten (like history outlines or lecture notes), the typewriter is a retro alternative. I love using mine, and think it's pretty cool to have.

Snow.

As is obvious to anyone around here, in good ol' Chicago, there has been a bunch of snowfall. I spent 2 1/2 hours shoveling out half my driveway along with my parents to get our car out. The snowdrifts were pretty high and it was a challenge just to get to my garage through the snowed up driveway. But there is one fact that everyone here has to keep in mind: if the weather was nice year-round, everyone would want to live here.
And two snow days in a row is definitely worth this price. Here are a few pictures I took around my house of the snow, just for kicks. (Low resolution 640x480 so they load fast)