I feel all boxed up

Taken with the 30mm f2.8 Sony lens.

She has such beautiful eyesI

 My little Ziva the Diva!

Taken with the Minolta 50mm f1.4 lens.

You know you're getting older when....

You sit down to relieve yourself first thing in the morning and you throw out your back. I'm not kidding. That act of sitting down just seized my back. I've been lying in bed since and pretty pissed. I had all sorts of things planned and well, I had to lie in bed.  UGH. So I'm been taking ibuprofen and rubbing tiger balm on my lower back.

I just realized

One of the long black sweaters I bought at Old Navy years ago, is made of 5% Camel hair. 

Useless fact no one needs to know but I thought I'd share anyways.

It's coming on 2 years and no resolution in Syria

It's almost the 2nd anniversary of the Syria uprising and no resolution seems likely anytime soon. It's really pitiful to realize that almost 2 years of government pounding on the people has not changed a thing. I knew when it started that it would go to it's logical end, I didn't expect it to last this long. I didn't think the Syrian Regime would rather die in power then do what's good for it's people. 

Nearly 2 years into the conflict, and there seems to be little good guys left. Article this morning on Al Jazeera suggests that atrocities have been committed both by the regime and now by the rebels.

I pray that soon all the Syrians will be free.... but it doesn't look good :(

Jethro can be incredibly Goofy

 Taken with my  Minolta 50mm f1.4 lens.

Idle No More

She attacks my undergarnments!

I am an allly! I am Canadian!

Sneak preview at my drive by shootings

Some project, taking random photos on the way to work... and eventually on the way home, when I come home in daylight. 

I enjoy taking photos of snowstorms too. 

Ansleme Lavigne Street in DDO

Arragon street in Pierrefonds

St Regis blvd in Dorval

I have such lens envy it's not even funny

Despite the fact that I now own  5 alpha mount lenses, 3 Sony and 2 Minolta's I still have lens envy.  I LOVE my newest new lens, the Sony SAL1650 f2.8. It takes amazing photos in dim lighting. The downside is that it's heavy. I actually spend time typing on my laptop wearing weights to strengthen my wrists, so that when I spend time outside taking photos I don't tire too fast!

One of the lenses I want is a Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5, real nice wide-angle lens, for taking northern light photos.  I also want a fish-eye lens for northern lights as well. Then I want a paparazzi lens, the Tamron 200-500mm  f5. -6.3. Weighs  1.2kg, like close to 3 lbs.  It needs it's own tripod, and best used when you don't have to lug it for 3 hours. However, I'm sure it would be awesome for taking photos of birds and other wild life.

Oh ThinkPad Edge, how I have missed you!

I'm finally back on my laptop after almost 4 weeks. 

The replacement drive for the DOA drive took 2 weeks to arrive. I was wondering at that point if the drive was being walked from Toronto! I picked it up after work during a snow storm Friday. I don't think I've been to Canada Computers when it wasn't a massive snow storm.  I think by now the woman at the cash probably remembers me by name, I've been there so often, 4 times alone just for the hard disk, at least 3 or 4 other times for other things.

I missed my laptop. It helps me sleep!

All fans going happily

My old clunky desktop is happily purring now that it has a new PSU and new fans.  On the photo you can see the PSU on the top left. Underneath you can see the fan on the CPU, and you can see the chassis fan.

My desktop  PC. 

It looks really nice in the dark!

Is it a scam? Sure feels like it.

So was perusing the web to look to see if there was any Maine Coon kittens to adopt in Montreal.  Maine Coons are generally hard to find in Montreal and last time it took me weeks to find one. 

So I landed on this site : http://ca.catsadoptions.com/ and saw all sorts of Maine coon kittens for adoption for FREE. Right there, that's something fishy. Pure breeds unless found at a shelter are never free. Even at a shelter they are rarely free. Generally they ask for donations so they can keep taking care of animals.

So I emailed one person to ask about Maine coons, and they message back with an email off the site. That's fine. People do that on Kijiji all the time. The woman sends me photos of the Maine Coons and somewhere in the email I read she's in the YUKON. At first I thought it was me who was clueless, I go back and check the ad, no the add clearly says that she's in "Greater Montreal".  I respond back I was expecting her to be in Montreal, she has this long SOB story about why she's in Yukon, and she's willing to ship me a cat for $180. So the kitten if free, it's the shipping. Uhuh.

I figured she was a scammer, so I respond to a 2nd ad. This time checking to make sure it's also in Montreal.  Again I get a response to with an email to contact off the site. I do that. This one is in Calgary, and will ship me free kitten for $120.  Again I enquire, saying I responded to a MONTREAL ad and she has a story as well. 

Meanwhile I get email from first lady saying that if I want 2 kittens it's special price $300.  At that point it felt like I was going to be taken for a ride. Especially since both seemed really EAGER to have all my personal data "To register the cat". RIGHT....

So I responded nicely to both ladies, saying that I never buy cats without seeing them first.  I can see it now. I send the money and suddenly their email address doesn't work anymore. And if I called the cops they would laugh at why I would send a cheque to a total stranger!!!!

My android can haz fishies :)

My android with fishies background :)

Minolta lenses

Minolta 50mm f1.4 lens

Minolta 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 lens

These are the lenses I bought 2nd hand. So far I like them. I used each lens to take picture of the other.

Minolta lenses for my Sony Alpha

Today I picked up 2 new lenses to use with my dSLR's. the first is a Minolta AF DT Zoom 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 and the second is a Minolta AF 50mm F 1.4.  He warned me not to be too disappointed with the 50mm @ 1.4, that there's not much depth of field at 1.4. So far I like it. It's a good portrait lens for low lighting. The other one is a practical lens for drive by shootings :)  That's when someone else drives and I just take photos.

I spent all of January on Kijji drooling over those lenses. I figured by the time I had the spare cash the lenses would no longer be available but this time it worked out. 

It sucks that my sewing machine was for sale on some website and I missed it. I hope someone finds my ad and I get a new old machine.  If you live in the Montreal area and have a Pfaff Calanda 3000 sewing machine leave me a message.