Motorola Droid

First, I want to say something regarding ad campaigns. As a general rule, I dislike ad campaigns that compare (and ultimately denounce) their competitor’s products. I prefer to see advertising that props the product up on its own merits instead of deriding the competition. With that said, however, I can’t entirely fault Droid for antagonizing the iPhone. No, not because I necessarily think it deserves to be called “better”; it’s because Apple’s slanderous Mac commercials have annoyed me for years. (Seriously, Apple, I’d respect your marketing division ten times more if you had unique, innovative commercials befitting your products instead of defaulting to self-defeating nonsense.) So with that out of the way, we can move on to my initial thoughts regarding the Droid.

I’m going to skip the preemptive technical spec list and dive into the impressions. To start, this is a hefty piece of hardware. I mean that figuratively and literally: with a 3.7″ screen and a slider, it’s a big, heavy phone. … continue

Chicken Pot Pie

In my childhood, the only pot pies I ever ate were the frozen store-bought kind. They always tasted too manufactured, even the fancy-style pies. This is a delicious home-style pot pie, excellent for cold evenings in the fall and winter when you need something hot and hearty.

I include my favorite veggies, but you can switch them up as you see fit. Keep in mind that the recipe will fill a 9″ pie to the brim, but can also accommodate deep-dish nicely, especially if you have additional veggies to add. I often prefer to use pre-made pie crusts to cut down on preparation time, but a home-made crust is also fantastic. … continue

Springfield XD9 Subcompact

This post is in the interests of recreational, competition, and defensive shooters. If you own a Springfield XD/XDM (or similar) and are looking to get it modified, look no further than Springer Precision. Scott Springer does custom work on XDs as well as a number of other handguns, and he does a bang-up job. Apart from my own personal experience (which is limited to a combat/carry trigger job), the testimonies on his website and various shooting forums around the internet are good resources to look at if you’d like indicators of his skill. The big three for XD mods seem to be Canyon Creek Custom, Springfield Custom (Springfield’s official custom shop), and Springer Precision. I went with Mr. Springer and couldn’t be happier … continue

Breadou™ Torto

Ah, the Breadou. These ingenious little pieces of art look like bread. They feel like bread. They even smell like bread. However, they’re… wrist-rests. Loaves, slices, croissants, swiss rolls, iced donuts, animals (like the Torto pictured here): you name it. Ever since I came across a give-away for some donut Breadous in a design blog, I’ve been hankering for one. What can I say? Cute tech will almost always appeal to me. (Additionally, being a CTS, RSI, and lateral epicondylitis -sufferer with a computer-related career, I am constantly on the look-out for things like this.) I was browsing the Breadou™ website trying to decide which one I should get when I saw the Torto. Now, it’s important to note here that I love turtles. I am a biologist as well as a webhead (surprise!) and I … continue

Harvest Moon, October 2009

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox. It often appears larger and more luminous than other full moons throughout the year. I caught it a little late this year, both by date and by time of night: the phenomenon known as the “Moon Illusion” causes the moon to appear larger than usual when it is close to the horizon (around sunset and sunrise). This particular Harvest Moon is one day waning (ie. the night after the full moon) and wasn’t photographed until well after 9 PM. While these aren’t ideal conditions for viewing this type of moon, it still creates a decent photo-op on a clear night. To view a larger version, please click on the image above. If you’re interested in learning more, visit NASA’s Watch Out for the Harvest Moon. If you missed the Harvest Moon this year, you can still keep an eye out for the Hunter’s Moon: the first full moon after the Harvest Moon.

Canon Digital EOS, 200mm
Photo © The Metanomicon