I'm in the process of moving my website to another host provider. So there may be some up and down of the website as the process moves along.
I've added a Wordpress blog to the site. This is where all my pointless and dull rambling will be found, rather then here. You can get to the blog using the "Blog" menu item on the left here.
My Firefox web browser denied me access to my (this) personal website. I guess the latest version of Firefox supports some kind of Google add-in that prevents you from accessing websites that they think might have some kind of malware installed on it. I looked into my site and sure enough there were all kinds of files that I had never seen. Luckily, I keep a full site image on my home computer and it was a simple matter to reload the site.
This incident brings up two things I need to consider:
1. Why didn't my website provider detect this and warn me?
2. How did they hack my site?
Well I haven't had much to say here lately. I decided in September that it was time to go back to work. I had been off for more then two years. I was worried that if I waited much longer, my skills wouldn't be worth as much. I could tell that I needed to hustle if I wanted to generate any interest in potential employers. All along, I had been applying for jobs at Boeing. For some reason, I really wanted to work for Boeing. I mean, these guys make rockets and jet planes. How cool is that. I also remember getting to fly in a B-52 (made by Boeing) bomber while I was in the Air Force. Boeing also makes the Apache helicopter, one of the coolest aircraft and my personal favorite. I think a combination of an improving economy and my persistence in sending in applications finally paid off and so I got a job at Boeing on January 06, 2006.
This company is big, I mean really big. Despite that, the people are friendly and happy to help you out even though they're very busy and there's no lack of work. The thing that surprised me the most is the learning curve. Boeing is so large that they have their own meta-language, liberally sprinkled with acronyms. After 3 months, I feel like I'm finally starting to get a handle on it and can understand most of what people are saying. It's been frustrating at times, but what new job isn't.
The job hunting and of course the working for a living has really taken a bite out of my personal time so I haven't been writing as much. Not that I think anyone actually reads this site but me.
Backpack
to Thunder Mountain
Even
though I consider myself to be a serious lightweight backpacker, I
really enjoy taking along a digital camera and taking pictures so
I'll have something to remind me of all the wonderful places I've
been to, after I'm old and decrepit.
I had an old Olympus C2000Z (1.1lbs). It was a fairly small point and shoot (PS) camera and took good pictures, but I wanted a newer camera that had better resolution and more exposure control. I got a Nikon D70 Digital SLR which at 1.6lbs, was only slightly heavier then the Olympus (much to my surprise). This still kept me within my lightweight pack limit of 15lbs.
I was planning a backpacking trip into the Enchantments in Washington State and I absolutely wanted to take my D70 with me to photography this unique and beautiful place. (I think it's wonderful that we still have places like this that require a little sweat equity to enjoy.)
I mostly shoot nature and landscapes and for the sharpest photos you really need a tripod but that would really be pushing me over my 15 lb lightweight pack limit, so I decided I would try out a monopole camera support. I wanted a pole that I could use as a hiking staff, that was reasonably sturdy, that could double as a tent pole, as well as support my camera.
After researching many hiking poles/monopoles, I purchased the Gitzo Monotrek primarily because it was made by Gitzo, known for the outstanding quality of their tripods.
My first impression on taking the pole out of the box was that the pole was well made, sturdy, and heavy. I only have myself to blame here. Gitzo clearly lists the weights of their products on their web page. I knew the pole weighed about 1.6 lbs when I bought it but, I figured that since I was holding it in my hands rather then carrying it in my pack, the weight wouldn't count.
The pole easily expands long enough for my height (5' 10") on uneven terrain and the two pole sections lock tight. The ball head has a heavy plastic cap that snaps on top which protects the head from getting banged around and it gives you something more comfortable to hang on to. The ball head is small, but locks solidly. I was able to mount my D70 with the 18-70mm kit lens and take sharp pictures down to about 1/8 of a second without problems. The pole has a rubber corklike handle that is very comfortable to hold.
On the negative side, I think the cap needs some kind of retaining strap. I can see the pole getting banged and having the cap come flying off and disappearing down the side of a mountain. The ball head can't handle a lot of torque without drooping so I couldn't just put the pole (with mounted camera) over my shoulder and walk up and down steep hills with it. Each time, I had to stop and re-level the camera. The rubber comfort handle is held on by a friction fit rather then being glued. After climbing up steep mountain slopes all day, the handle slides down the pole so I have to stop periodically and slide the handle back up the pole.
The last thing that bothered me about this pole was the steel tip. It was just too smooth and too slippery. I have a set of 12 year old hiking poles from Leki. The tip on these poles is made of a pointed carbide material. Even after all of these years, the tip on the Leki poles is still sharp. I can cross ice covered rocks and moss covered logs with complete confidence that the Leki poles won't slip, but the steel tip on the Monotrek was virtually guaranteed to slip and slide. At one point, I borrowed my hiking buddy's carbide tipped pole to cross an ice covered log over a stream because I knew the Monotrek would slip and down into the water I would go. After 5 days of hiking up trails covered in granite rocks, the steel tip on the Monotrek got scratched up enough that it lost the shiny look and the pole did a little better job of gripping. Still, I decided that the pole would be left behind on my next hiking trip.
To be fair, I hike rough steep trails in Washington State where ice and moss covered rocks and logs abound. In my opinion, the Monotrek just wasn't made for this kind of rough outdoor trekking. The pole is well made and sturdy, but it's really designed for moderate trails and museum or zoo walks, not for banging around steep mountain trails with below freezing nights and hot granite strewn trails.
Stevens
to Snoqualmie, seven day backpack on the Pacific Crest Trail.
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