Claude Clemmons » Electronics and Technology

Star Trek at Night

Claude — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:11:04 +0000

If you ever have a bout with insomnia and need something to do, turn on CBS and watch the old reruns of the Star Trek series. What is running right now is the Star Trek – The Next Generation series, with Captain Piccard.

It is amazing to realize that this series came out over 20 years ago. Can we really be that old?

New Camera

Claude — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:27:52 +0000

Sometimes you come across a good deal and even if you didn’t want the thing you have to buy it. Because it is a good deal. At least that’s what my ex-wife used to say. Well, I have to admit that it came true for me today. I had the chance to buy a nice digital camera for just $30. It was brand new in the box and I have no reason to suspect it was stolen. The previous owner just told me that it was a gift and they didn’t want that particular camera, but he had no way to take it for exchange. So I bought it for $30 and now I have an awesome new Sony digital camera.

Got a Pen?

Claude — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:34:50 +0000

My handwriting is getting really bad. I tried to write down directions to a friends house and I know I was in a hurry. But dang, this scribble is almost impossible to read and I just wrote it this morning! I’m spoiled with a keyboard and almost write anything anymore. I wonder if everyone has lost their penmanship?

Put That Down

Claude — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:00:55 +0000

BlackBerry prayer: The hunched over posture common among the PDA-addicted, absorbed in using their mobile devices, similar to the pose of someone deep in prayer.

Sprites are Real

Claude — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:12:11 +0000

I’m the first to admit that I am obsessed with the weather. I keep an ear and an eye out for weather alerts and watch the skies for signs of rain or storms. I’m especially cautious when it comes to lightning, as a good friend of mine was killed in a lightning strike just a couple years ago.

For years pilots and other non-scientists have known about a natural phenomenon with lightning, called Sprites. These are short bursts of light that rise up above the storm clouds and then fall back down into the cloud. They last for just the blink of an eye, so it was hard to capture them on film until this past decade or so. Now we do have cameras and video of the sprites and they look like amazingly like jellyfish for their short violent lives. I saw a video of sprites on the LiveScience web site.

Righteous

Claude — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:57:21 +0000

Just bought the DeNiro and Pacino movie that came out on DVD called “Righteous Kill.”I always beef up my DVD collection over the summer when there’s nothing worth a hoot on TV at night.

It’s a good story line but I have to take issue with the writer giving these guys the nicknames. I don’t think every grown man needs a nickname, espcially cops. The name “Turk” and “Rooster” sound more like comedic biker names than tough guy cops.

It was written by Russell Gewirts, if you remember “Inside Man.” So I’m looking for a few more hit thrillers from this guy in the future.

Taste Test

Claude — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:57:28 +0000

As much as I like Starbucks coffee, it is an acquired taste and I wonder if drinking Starbucks coffee exclusively is depriving me of other coffee tasting adventures. There are other coffee shops around town besides Starbucks. Almost all of them have free wi-fi, so I can sit at a small cafe table or in a booth with my laptop and sip on a fresh cup of java. I think today I will try one of the other local shops and give their coffee a taste test. It might be time for a change.