The next time some S.O.B. from the Democrat or Republican Party calls to solicit a Campaign Donation, tell them where to go ( you know where ) and do something useful with your extra cash. Kiva.org makes it easy for you to make micro- loans to the working poor in Developing Countries.
From their site:
By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence.
Twenty Five Dollars might buy you a new pair of sunglasses or a used light stand, but the same amount could help some man or woman in a developing country start a life-changing business. Each Kiva Sponsor is pre-screened and counseled on good business practices and the stats on the repayment of loans make American Borrowers look like swindlers. The micro - loans are disbursed by local Kiva Field Partners who must have an established history of accountability and credibility with Kiva.org. Each sponsored business repays their debt thru the Field Partner who is held accountable for maintaining a journal of progress for each loan recipient. When the loans have been repaid, the Field Partner returns the funds to the lender ( You ) who may withdraw his funds or re-loan.
Personal Note: I would describe myself as a hard- core, Ronald Reagan, pull yourself up by your bootstraps kinda guy. This organization has met my standards for the "Teach a man to fish" life Philosophy.
Check it out.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Kiva.org...... Loans To Entrepreneurs In Developing Countries
Response to The Abe Vigoda Edition CF Cards is Amazing!
Who could have guessed that the Abe Vigoda Edition CF Cards would be such a hot property! I might even have to cut Abe in on the deal.
Keep those orders coming!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Fastest CF Card Ever?
After posting about the new SanDisk CF / SD cards, I got to thinking. Does it really matter what Corporate Sponsorship brands any new Digital Product, especially when they are both in different fields? Could SanDisk have released the new Extreme Yugo edition. Would you really care?
While you're thinking about that. I present to you the latest and greatest offering in Portable Digital Media..........The Abe Vigoda Extreme 1X !
On Sale Now:
Get them while you can!
Sandisk Extreme Ducati
SanDisk has just released the specs on its new Extreme Ducati CF and SD Cards. The line-up consists of 4- and 8- gigabyte (GB) capacities for the SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition Compact Flash card and 4GB for the SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition SD Plus card. The SD Plus card features a snap-open connector that enables the card to be plugged directly into the USB port of a personal computer without the need for a cable or reader. Read / Write speeds are quoted at 45 megabytes per second for the Compact Flash cards and 20MB/sec for the SD Plus card. Those specs put the CF Card at twice the speed of the SanDisk Extreme III and 5MB faster than the new SanDisk Extreme IV card.
Because the new CF cards move data faster than the transfer rate supported by most card readers, SanDisk offers the optional SanDisk Extreme FireWire Reader, which supports Fire Wire 400 and 800 connectivity.
Suggested retail prices are $164.99 for the 4GB Compact Flash card, $314.99 for the 8GB Compact Flash card and $129.99 for the 4GB SD Plus card. They will also be available for pre-order on the SanDisk website at www.sandisk.com/Ducati.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Canon Issues Press Release on Mark III
Canon USA has issued a press release partially addressing some of the concerns over Auto Focus reliability and other glitches in the new EOS 1Ds Mark III. They will release a firmware update ( Version 1.0.9 ) at the end of July to resolve some of the known problems with Auto Focus, LCD viewing and other minor software issues.
Press Release from Canon USA July 20 2007:
Canon EOS-1D Mark III Firmware Update, Version 1.0.9
In the interests of better customer support, Canon has developed new Version 1.0.9 firmware for the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR camera. This firmware update incorporates the following improvements and fixes:
- Improves the look of images when enlarged on the LCD monitor
Applies a slightly stronger sharpness setting to the LCD monitor when images are enlarged.
- Improves the consistency of AI Servo AF under certain conditions
Reduces the tendency of the camera to autofocus on high-contrast backgrounds when shooting in conditions where AF detection is difficult, such as when the main subject is not completely covered by the AF frames or if the main subject's contrast is low.
- Provides countermeasures for Main Dial response errors (Main, Quick Control, Vertical-grip Main)
Fixes a rare response error in the Main Dials in which they either did not respond when rotated or would change several clicks worth even if only clicked once.
- Corrects errors in the Italian and Simplified Chinese menu screens.
Please note that Version 1.0.9 firmware is currently scheduled to be made available for download from the Web at the end of July. It is NOT currently available for download. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, Canon U.S.A. Factory Service Centers in Jamesburg, NJ and Irvine, CA can install the updated firmware as of now. EOS-1D Mark III customers who wish to send their cameras into a Canon Factory Service Center for this upgrade are welcome to do so at their own expense. (Customer pays shipping to the Factory Service Center; Canon installs the firmware update and ships the camera back to the customer at no charge.) On the other hand, if the customer prefers, he or she can wait until version 1.0.9 is available for download at no charge from Canon's web site. If a customer sends his or her camera into the service department now, and firmware is upgraded by the service department, the soon-to-be-available download will not add any additional functionality to the camera -- there will be no need to perform a further firmware update when version 1.0.9 is made available for download on Canon's web site.
U.S. residents are kindly directed to contact the Canon Customer Support Center for further assistance at 1-800-828-4040. Support hours are Monday thru Friday - 8:00 AM to 12:00 midnight; and Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (all times EST). Alternatively, if electronic support is preferred, please send your email to carecenter@cits.canon.com
This information is for residents of the United States of America and Puerto Rico only. If you do not reside in the USA or Puerto Rico, please contact the Canon Customer Support Center in your region.
We appreciate your understanding in this matter. Thank you for your support and patronage of Canon products.
--- End Press Release.Anyone interested in reading the full story on the Auto Focus problems with the EOS 1Ds Mark III can follow this link to Rob Galbraith's site to read his detailed report on the camera.
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Saturday, July 21, 2007
Frank Lloyd Wright
Once while testifying in court, Frank Lloyd Wright referred to himself as the world's greatest architect. Asked later how he could make such an excessive claim, he replied, “Well, I was under oath, wasn't I?” (Secrest, 1998, p. 376).
Maybe like me, you sometimes fantasize about greatness, recognition, the respect of your peers, maybe even fame and fortune. I wonder sometimes if I will ever have the success in my career and life that I hope for. I get caught up in the daily struggle to move forward, personally and professionally. Depending on the day of the week or who knows what, my assessment of my progress is unsure and very fickle. Today I am the greatest photographer that ever lived, tomorrow I can't find a good photo to save my life. If there was a pill I could take when I wake up in the morning to push me in the direction of the former as opposed to the latter. Oh well!
Could it be that the truly great photographers, architects, artists etc... are cursed / blessed with a greater measure of arrogance and narcissism than your average joe? Do they get up in the morning with the idea that the world is holding it's breath waiting for their next move? Do they let failure get in the way of their opinion of themselves?
This ought to give you plenty to think about the next time you pick up your camera.
Well, I better get going.....the world is holding its breath.
The excerpt above this post is from an article in the Annual of Psychoanalysis (2005), written by James William Anderson Ph.d.
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