Chris Crews

Killer this Killer that

Sun, 31 May 2009 02:17:48 -0700

One over used bit of tech cliché is KILLER. For example, this new product that is not even on the market yet will be an “iPod Killer”. I just googled that and got 177,000 hits with that exact phrase.

The iPod when introduced in its first iteration in late 2001, it quickly subdued the mp3 market and vanquished all comers including the well established market leader Nomad line of mp3 players.
Now that is what I call a Killer product.

Fast forward to 2009, we have had several generations of iPod pass by included in those various versions were upgrades and changes to storage capacity, touchwheel, color screen, photo storage and playback, windows compatibility, video playback, and touchscreen models. It goes without saying that the iPod line is firmly entrenched in the marketplace thanks in no small part to iTunes and the iTunes Music Store.

“What are you listening to?”   “it’s my new P3”   “huh?”

What you mean you have never heard of the P3? It comes as no surprise to me neither had I untill tonight. It was touted at CES in January of this year as an “iPod Killer”. Again with that phrase. It has gotten to the point that I truly believe that the phrase “iPod Killer” is now just marketing speak for “I hope we sell enough of these to break even, let’s try to catch someone’s attention by claiming to be an ‘iPod Killer’”.

Now the next wave is cresting. What is that you ask? It is the wave of “iPhone Killers” that is now upon us. Let’s see there has been the Blackberry Storm, HTC touch, G1, Instinct, Android, Satio, and most recently the Palm Pre.

Please, if someone knows how to filter my web browser of all these so called Killer devices let me know. For now I will stick with my iPhone 3g and iPod, the only true Killer products out there.

Tell me a Story

Sun, 24 May 2009 20:33:24 -0700

Tonight after church, my daughters and i played a bit of catch and then as the sun went down we came inside where they asked me to tell them stories of my childhood. I regaled them with how I rode my bike to the ACE hardware store to cash in a few bottles and buy 25¢ worth of that 79¢ slurpee at the 7-11.

Then Lesleigh asked me all about the Royal Rangers and what it was like. I eventually got around to how I made an appearance on the local after school program known as the Buckskin Bill show. The host of the show Bill Black wore... you guessed it buckskins.

The program aired twice each day once in the morning “Storyland” and again in the afternoon as “The Buckskin Bill Show”. They had the Monday Morning March, Batman and Robin, a puppet show, and the Little Rascals.

Bill Black and the Children of Baton Rouge collected pennies to raise enough money for the first two elephants in the zoo. I think that is why we were on the show that afternoon. I remember leaving school early that day and telling all my friends to be watching for me after school on the Buckskin Bill show.

Great memories as a child that I hope to carry with me always, as they make me smile.

Remington 700 5R Mil-Spec .308

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:50:55 -0800

Haven’t posted anything since before Christmas so here is an update on how I have been passing my time.

I began looking for a bolt action rifle by googling Remington 700 since that was probably the only brand of bolt action I could think of off the top of my head before beginning this quest. I knew I would find out the good and the bad of this model based on numerous posts on message boards and I could integrate this information with what I had already gleaned from the Remington website.

One thing that popped up on the radar of my search a few times was that Remington was the maker of the M24SWS (Sniper Weapon System) used by the U.S. military. Additionally I found pages referring to the 5R but I could not find anything on the Remington site itself related to this product. I began to wonder if they were still making them at all.

When I finally searched “Remington 700 5R”, I got 2 hits that gave me a wealth of information on this gun. A Sniper Country review and a blog page called Toby’s Tactical. These pages reported the 5R as very accurate, and also informed me that these were a limited production each year by Remington.

The reviews are quite accurate regarding this gun in that out of the box performance is something else. Sub - MOA (minute of angle) ,that’s 1” at 100 Yards, out of the box is to be expected and even better in trained hands. I do not consider myself in that category (yet) having less than 250 rounds fired from this gun but here are my results at 100 yards.

This 3 shot grouping reads .5365” again this is out of the box having broken in the barrel and zeroing the scope. This was shot using some cheap 150 grain rounds that were sold at the range. There are no iron sights from the factory unless you can have the Remington custom shop or a gunsmith add them for you.

The factory stock is a H.S. Precision kevlar composite in black with green webbing. It stays ‘warm’ to the touch on the coldest of days. As far as accuracy, it supports the action in a full aluminum bedding block and free floats the barrel, both good things in my book. About the only thing I would do to the stock is add an adjustable comb to support my big head when shooting from a bench such as the Karsten Kydex model A found here.

Bellflower Symphony Orchestra

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:31:03 -0800

Took the family to the Bellflower Symphony Orchestra last night. It was swell. The musicians performance was quite good for community level entertainment. They played several pieces and were at one point accompanied by an Elite Cellist for a rousing movement.

A friend of mine got us some complementary tickets to the event and we ended up in some great seats. His mother is one of the Violinist and he is on the board of organizers for the orchestra.
Thanks Heath!

After intermission, things seemed of to a rough start for some members of the orchestra (Clarinet, Oboe, Trumpet, and horn) but after a bit of play, things got back on track.

The final pieces were from the movie Hook and with exception to the opening number were probably the best preformed for the evening and were used to close out the show.

This type of quality entertainment comes highly recommended by myself and adds a bit of enriching culture to the bland day-to-day routine.

Photos

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:36:55 -0800

Been trying to take more photos lately here are some of my favorite picks.

DIV III Water Polo @ Cerritos College

Immature Bald Eagle @ El Dorado Park

CCHS Homecoming Game

Div III Women’s Soccer

NLCS Game 5 Dodgers @ Phillies

You can see more of my shots on my FLICKR page.

FCC Closed Caption - rant

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 07:42:31 -0800

Friends, I would like to clear up a few things here. I work in the field of broadcast on a national level and work with the Deaf in my community. Thus I hold a unique qualification to comment on this topic knowledgeably.

I would like to address the video. The rules at the FCC have not been bent or broken by the 'two' programs, they followed the rules and applied for a waiver or exemption requiring broadcasters to gradually increase captioning leading up to 2008. To apply for a waiver, the program must meet the 3 requirements listed in the video (non-profit, not paid for the program or the program makers must pay to get on air, and financial hardship).

The two programs that were approved on Sept. 12, 2006 are both religious shows, in fact many of the other applicants for waiver are also religious programing. I am not saying that the Deaf community doesn't need this type of programing, in fact I am a member at a Deaf Church and think quite the opposite.

However the current cost to add closed captions to a 30 min program is close to $350. Now growing up in Church, I can tell you that for most the $350 to add captioning to a program that will air locally or on a public access channel is not in the budget.

Networks as of Jan 1, 2008, have been required to maintain a 95% level of captioned shows. Now, before you go complaining about the missing 5% let me say that we strive for 100%, the 5% buffer is there to account for equipment failures. There are equipment failures, that is a fact of life.

2nd the Video states that the "consumers did not get an opportunity to comment about these requests for no captions.". Actually you could have and still can! FCC rules require the application and all supporting information to be made available to the public upon request. In fact, the FCC has gone the extra mile for you the Deaf community and posted the applications for exemption on their web site.

You can find the list of applications on the FCC web site at this address:  http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/caption_exemptions.html
They have been there on Public Notice all this time.

3rd, Did the FCC violate the CC rules...NO they did not. Were they bent? NO they were not. Sorry to say but these rules have been in place since 1997 when the gradual increase in CC content transition period began. As with any Government program striving to attain 100% coverage, there has to be room for exceptions. This is why the application process was established.

I like many of you have received the emails that say this show or that will be removed by the FCC, or that the FCC is changing this rule or that. I urge you to investigate these emails on www.snopes.com or on your own and find the truth that most of them are SPAM and not true.

Your confidence in the TV industry & FCC should be greater than ever as this year 2008 represents the dawn of an era of increased CC on all broadcast networks.

Should you continue to proposition the FCC to have ALL shows on Cable and Broadcast captioned without exemption? Sure.

The proponent in the video believes that the Deaf community is important and that the FCC and Broadcasters do not realize this... Possibly, but the way to be taken seriously and understood, is not with half thought out calls and emails that are not even representative of the current rules, NO, that will not work.

The way to be recognized is by lobbying the FCC in a proper manner. By filing legitimate appeals regarding request for exemptions that are right under our noses on the FCC website. The way is not to ask for the FCC to reverse their decision, but rather to propose a rule change or new rule that would begin a transition period to close the window on exemption applications.

If the Deaf community is serious about this issue, they should begin to go about it in a manner that will bring about change.

A possible roadmap to this change should include the following:

1. A website that clearly explains the current FCC rules regarding CC to the Deaf in ASL videos.
2. The creation of an advocacy group that has the sole purpose of lobbying the FCC & Congress in Washington DC.
3. A community that intelligently voices its desires for change in the approved forum.

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think.

NLCS Phillies Dodgers Game 5

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:18:32 -0700

A buddy at work, Kevin, asked me to join him at the game on Wednesday night and take some pictures. After a few phone calls things were arranged and we had media rightsholder passes waiting for us.

We made our way to parking lot P and picked up our credentials and entered thru the blue gate. Batting practice was under way so we headed straight to the field and began shooting. It seemed like no time had passed when they began clearing the field so we went up 1 level to stake out our position for game time shooting.

Kevin informed me that there would be mostly right handed batters so we should find a spot behind the Phillies bench so that we should be shooting face on. several spots were reserved for different agencies but we easily found a riser that hadn’t been claimed and planted ourselves there.

It was a warm night and the small breeze blowing in from the field was inadaquate to say the least. By the 5th inning we were both quite thirsty so we made our way up to the press box for some refreshments courtesy of the Dodgers. A few cokes, a Dodger Dog, and a cookie, mmm I’m ready for more.

Back to our spot which was still open and we began shooting again. along came the 7th inning and I wanted a few more close-ups from field level so I went to the dugout steps and shot the 7th inning from there.

We were well out lensed by everyone there shooting with 400, 500, 600mm 2.8’s but we had fun anyway. We left at the middle of the 8th inning since the Dodgers were loosing so badly to beat the traffic and made our way home.

You can view my pictures on flickr using the link below to take you to the first in the set.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccrews/2946548880/

Something of a Downer

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 14:45:35 -0700

Back from vacation and I have been feeling like I’m sluggish, moving in a slo-motion time warp. So I got to thinking what am I gonna do? Nothing came to mind. Is it that my trip was so utterly fantastic that everyday life leaves me planning the next get away? or is it that my everyday life is so mundane that I am left longing? Is it something in between? Is there some spiritual calling unfulfilled?

I know God is there, He is still speaking and answering.

I recently finished the book Wild at Heart and found many things there, that were reflected in my life. The book specifically speaks to God’s design of a mans need for adventure. The longing to fulfill these needs take many different shapes as well. I took these revelations and began to act on them, and began instilling them into other young men as well. Aaahh, that felt good.

There’s another book that I am going to read soon. Gotta order it, 2 different bookstores did not have it. Other than that, I got a plan. Gonna re-dig some wells, get some fresh water, and that’s all I’m gonna say for now.

Iphone 3G

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:19:51 -0700

Finally got mine, only 6 hours in line. Almost sold my spot for $200 when a guy came around asking for takers but I was getting sun burned a bit and was getting closer to the front so he moved on.

The day after I look at my bare wrist where I have that patch of white skin that is normally covered by a watch and it is red today. I wasn’t wearing a watch while I was in line yesterday and that white patch was just toasted.

The 3g speed is OK, and the GPS is cool, but I have a few complaints, here are 3 just to keep the list short.

1. Many existing accessories will no longer work to charge the new iPhone as Apple changed the pin-out on the dock connector by removing the firewire charging pins and only leaving the USB charging pins. Its not that it really has anything to do with firewire at this point, since Apple removed Firewire syncing a few generations ago when it succumbed to iPod weilding Windows users whose PeeSee’s had no 6-pin firewire connectors and had become dependent on the SLOWER, USB connection. What it really boils down to is $$$, yup you guessed it Apple gets a licensing fee for all those accessories that use the iPod/iPhone dock connection. So now many do you think will be out looking for a new charger or adaptor or cable to make their new iPhones work the way their old one did. 
2. Apple is often referred to as a company who likes to control the user experience. Well from my take the user experience involved in getting the 3g totally stank. Servers overloaded, long lines, in-store activations slowing the whole process... Just very unApple. I mean didn’t they learn anything back when they were selling for $599, I mean drop the price to $199 and what do you expect? They should have ramped up for it a bit better. If they need some advise on the next roll out, I am here. 
3. MobileMe was a dismal failure in terms of the .Mac roll-over. Many of my web paged didn’t make it and iWeb is not publishing properly and will probably need an update to fix the problem. The Me.com website is so stinking slow to respond it’s useless at the moment, so forget updating your address book or calendar online for now.

Ok thats it for now, I am gonna go play with my new iphone.

Our Trip pt. 15

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 02:07:42 -0700

Home Sweet Home

We made it home with little to note other than the food on the plane which Lorella has already covered. I took us to Chili’s before we even got home. Iced drinks were on order along with some fajitas. After we arrived home, I went right to sleep and did a little catch up since I would be working tomorrow at 5AM.

Lorella left for MO the next morning while I was at work so I came home to an empty house. Lonely. They have since all come home and things are getting back to normal. I just finished emptying out my suitcase this morning, so that only took 2 weeks.

All in all, it was a most excellent vacation and I would defiantly not mind going back for another visit, but that may be a while...It took us 15 years to get there the first time for vacation, and there are so many other places to see.

Our Trip pt. 14

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:57:00 -0700

We headed out and for a day of fun. The 2 Morrow girls joined us in our car and seemed fascinated by rolling down the windows even tho I had the A/C on 68°F in the car. The rest of the family followed in their van no doubt getting a laugh at my right handed driving on the left side of the road.

We visited this castle first and what impressed me most was the fact that the castle had toilets that went outside via a stone chute within the wall. And that the King’s room had a urinal built into the wall. I told Lorella thats what that hole in the wall was and she verified it via the audio guide. Nice, he didn’t have to leave his room if he awoke at night needing to go.

I had great fun hiding in the shadows and then yelling boo at the kids. That continued on for a while until the ultimate hiding place was found, a large oven or stove at the top level of the castle. I was the first to arrive and quickly made my way inside once I heard the voices of our gang. I was expecting Lorella first and had my camera ready but little Cedwryck was first and I think the pictures explain his reaction well.

The preceding pictures took place in less that 1 second if you can imagine the sequence that way.

Notice how he is reversing his motion to haul out of there. LOL How naughty of me scaring a little kid.

On to the next castle we went. We entered and played a game of lawn chess, and then made our way up onto the walls. After going around the walls we were ready for lunch and had a stop over at a pub for a bite. Lorella got the Fish & Chips, so those of you wondering what authentic Fish & Chips looks like, this is it.

I finally got around to adding in the pictures so take heart, there is nothing wrong with your computer. We said our goodbyes and were off to the hotel near the airport. Tomorrow we will be making our way home.

Here is the photos in movie form at half speed. Enjoy.

Our Trip pt. 13

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:31:30 -0700

On the road again, we head toward our next stop the home of Bob and Shari Morrow. While driving along a bird comes out of nowhere and flies straight down in front of our car. I am expecting a thud but there isn’t one. I see the fruity bird fly off to my right. We continue driving and happen upon the Wellington Air Museum and decide a U-turn is in order so we can pay a visit. £2 ea. We get out and see the turth of the near miss with the bird, we scared the mess out of it. Literally.

Once inside we are greeted by a kindly old fellow who worked at the airfield back during WW2. He tells us all about the planes and answers our questions of curiosity and invites us to the back garden where the tail section of an old British plane is the centerpiece. We say our goodbyes and return to the road.

We next happen upon a quaint township and stop for brunch at a local tea house. The photo to the right is called the plowman’s lunch. We have a look around town and visit the local Cathedral St. James where the Priest informs us that the ladies will be back at 2pm if we would care to go in. We are not hanging out for that so just a nice walk around the grounds will have to do.

We had planned on finding another small town for some more tea and a late lunch but as it happened our navigation system didn’t know the plan so it took us right to the highway and on to Shari’s. We decided to hit BK before we got there just incase all of Bob’s kids had eaten all the food or if Shari doesn’t know how to cook. (HAHA)

We arrived and they were watching out for us at the window. We went in and made ourselves at home there. We are the First family members to come and visit so the pressure is on the rest of you to go and visit. And as I recall we were the first to go and visit Karen and Gary when they were in El Salvador.

Shari had prepared and Bob stuck in the oven I think, some delicious enchiladas. We had dinner, Bible time, discussed our plans for the next day, and then it was off to bed.   Thanks Bob and Shari for your hospitality to us and making our stay comfortable. You truly lived Romans 12:10 with us while we were there, Thank You! I pray that God will continue to bless your family.

Our Trip pt. 12

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:33:39 -0700

We slept late and continued recuperation from our days in France and Italy. After breakfast we pushed onward to Stonehenge where traffic was slowed by the throng of visitors leaving after sunrise was a flop for them due to the cloudy skys.

We drove on to Avebury, about 20 miles north to another location of a stone circle. We got off the beaten path and away from the crowds here and then I attempted to push over some of the stones as see in the pictures that follow.

Looking to another website afterward, I found that the larger stone probably weighs nearly 30 tons and was anchored 24-48” below the surface. I moved to a medium sized one and couldn’t move it either. The small one moved and could have been toppled with a bit of rocking. I did leave it in place however.

We drove on to our next stop watching out for any tanks that happened to be crossing the road.

Our Trip pt. 11

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:08:07 -0700

We woke up and took a short walk from our hotel into the village of Canterbury. There were lots of little shops and places to see. After a short while here we began our scenic drive to the next destination along the way, Leeds Castle.

The Castle is on two islands surrounded by a lake, and had a duckery and large grounds which was in preparation for a rose festival. Each of the interior rooms was fragrantly adorned with different types of roses, matching the decor of the room its self and often becoming the object of fascination for many.

Next, on to Igtham Mote. The manor including a tower, opposite side of the photo, is surrounded by a mote. The lovely views at this location was a draw to a group of water color painters as well as ourselves.

We ended our day here and drove on to our next hotel for another lovely stay.

Our Trip pt. 10

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:50:18 -0700

Only a few hours in Paris before taking the Eurostar to London under the English channel. Just enough time to catch the Statue of Liberty in Paris.

I had forgotten this was here and you probably wont find it in many guide books or tourist maps. But I had just watched National Treasure 2 on Blu-Ray a few days before we left and it is featured in this film. It is obviously not as big as the one on Liberty Island in New York standing only 35 feet compared to 151 feet. This monument to liberty was given to France by the American community living in Paris on July 4, 1889 a few years after the Statue in New York was built. A little known fact is that the internal structure of the statue of Liberty was designed by Alexandre Eiffel.

On to Gare du Nord for our Eurostar connection into London. Once we arrived we took a taxi to Heathrow £55 to the Hertz rental car we upgraded to an Audi A4 after realizing our luggage probably wouldn’t fit in the Beetle we had reserved.

After a drive of about 75 miles we arrived at our hotel which was quite nice, with a large room, soft bed, and big bathroom and tub. Perfect for relaxing after being on the go for so many days.