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Cranberry Sauce

Andrew Fawcett — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:02:57 +0000

With the holidays coming up, there's no excuse to use canned cranberry sauce.

Ingredients

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
12 oz package of cranberries

Time to cook: 10 minutes

Flip Mino HD: Bootleg-friendly

Andrew Fawcett — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:57:17 +0000

There's a constant arms race between concert security and concert-goers when it comes to recording. Most venues have a no-recording policy. Reading between the lines, this really means "No camcorders or professional equipment, but digital cameras and cell phones are OK." This has led to a phenomenon where everyone in the crowd holds up their camera throughout the whole show. The iPhone has replaced the lighter.

Which brings me to the Flip Mino HD. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works for recording concerts.

The Flip looks more like a cell phone than a camera. Unlike a camcorder, security doesn't get suspicious. I got padded down before entering the venue and security didn't raise an eyebrow.
The audio didn't distort (much). Rock concerts are obscenely loud and the cheap mic on my digital camera distorts, making video clips useless. The Flip did an decent job.
It records in 720p high definition. The quality is great for such a small device.

That said, there are a few thing which could be improved.

Add the ability to turn off the screen while recording. Not only would it save battery life, it's less conspicuous.
Remove the red light. Nothing says "I'm recording" more than a red light. Short of desoldering it yourself, there's no way to disable it.
There's no stabilization. The Flip is so lightweight that any little hand movement will produce shaky video.

Seattle's HopScotch Festival: Disappointing

Andrew Fawcett — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:34:39 +0000

Not being a beer guy, I headed to the HopScotch Festival yesterday with high hopes for the scotch tasting. The website claims "a flight of 5-¼ oz. single malt Scotches is available for just $10." But the "scotch tasting" was anything but.

Bulleit Bourbon: Bourbon is not scotch.
Crown Royal Reserve: This is a blend, not a single malt.
Bushmills Black Bush: Another blend.
Johnnie Walker Green Label: Another blend.
Talisker 10: Single malt, but it's a whisky.

Each was served in a thimble-sized plastic cup -- far from the claimed 5¼ ounces.

I know this is a benefit for the Seattle International Film Festival, but I demand a refund. I will be staging a silent protest of the SIFF and encourage everyone within the sound of my voice to do the same.

Fortunatly, I found solace at Brouwer's. (The pommes frites are amazing.)