Holy Boners

Here’s the re-entry guidance beacon I propose constructing on Crystal Lake for the Year of the Rabbit New Year Party. The moon is only 6% illuminated and sets by 8:30 pm, so we can expect a dark night perfect for spotting and being spotted by approaching spacecraft. Note the moon will actually set behind this POV. We still have to work out a feasible technique for under the ice illumination, suggestions welcome. We have approximately 300 ft of high gauge extension cord.

We’ll be watching the aurora borealis forecast too.

“Encounters at the End of the World” is my first encounter with Werner Herzog. The title of the movie has a double meaning, referring both to Herzog’s NSF sponsored visit to Antartica, and his cliche assertion that humanity is doomed. By filling the screen with field researchers, he attempts to borrow scientific imprimatur for his soured perspective.  “Encounters” is a kind of ego porn in which Werner manages to be both trite AND pretentious. There’s certainly beauty in the work, but much of it seems accidental, as if Werner himself doesn’t know what he’s pointing the camera at or why. His ugly observations keep anything authentic from emerging on the screen. Extracting the merest nugget of pleasure required constant effort – untangling the hokey mishmash of condescending interviews, eye candy and reverb heavy choral music.

In the distant past I had posted about Grizzly Man, another Herzog project which I have yet to see. It’s supposedly about a kid who get’s eaten by the bears he loves. Since “Grizzly” isn’t an instant watch on Netflix, I figured “Encounters” would be a tasty appetizer. Now I’m really not looking forward to the entree.

This brings me to why I want to have parties. I’m all aglow about community building here in Michigan, about pooling artistic resources to become more than the sum of our parts. Making movies requires diverse talent. Gathering and taking inventory of regional creatives is key. It’s simple really. Who can have fun, who’s into living life? Parties are about social play and digging the moment. I know I can build a future with folks who like to laugh.

We’ve got a world to save, we’ve got to evolve and how. Sad old boors like Werner Herzog are not going to get the job done. We need vital folks for that, folks who have the human game sussed. Party people.

Every year or two, I replace and upgrade gear to stay current with emerging technology. I used the Vixia HF-S10 exclusively for the 2009 and 2010 expeditions of Around Lake Michigan, Search for Sustainable Civilizations, shooting 100s of hours of video. All components were stored in waterproof bags and protected from dust and sand. Along with the HF-S10, I have two HF-100s that were not used on the expeditions. The only difference between the two models is that the HF-S10 has 32 BG of internal memory. Both models use Series 6 or above SDHC cards.

Kit 1 – $800 or best offer

Vixia HF-S10 Camera standard package
Remote
AC Power (CA-570)
(1) Battery Canon (BP-807)
USB cable (IFC-400PCU)
Stereo video and audio cable (STV-250N)
Component video (CTC-100/S)
Box
Manual as PDF

(3) 16 GB SDHC memory
Battery Charger (CG800)
(4) Battery Canon (BP-819)
Century Optics Reversible .55 Wide Angle and Fish Eye Adapter (small scuff on lens)
Century Optics Digital Sunshade
Tenba bag

Kit 2 – $600 or best offer

Vixia HF-S100 Camera standard package
Remote
AC Power (CA-570)
(1) Battery Canon (BP-807)
USB cable (IFC-400PCU)
Stereo video and audio cable (STV-250N)
Component video (CTC-100/S)
Box
Manual as PDF

(1) 16 GB SDHC memory
Century Optics Reversible .55 Wide Angle and Fish Eye Adapter
Century Optics Digital Sunshade

Kit 3 – $500 or best offer

Vixia HF-S100 Camera standard package
Remote
AC Power (CA-570)
(1) Battery Canon (BP-807)
USB cable (IFC-400PCU)
Stereo video and audio cable (STV-250N)
Component video (CTC-100/S)
Box
Manual as PDF

(1) 16 GB SDHC memory