Movie Minute: Percy Jackson…The Lightning Thief
Yesterday was a rainy day in LA, so we decided to visit the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City and then see a movie at the theater across the street.
The Annenberg Space had a great career retrospective up for two of the best sports photographers of the 20th century (and both are still working), Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer. The exhibit was a treat for me, as a huge sports fan (and lifelong Sports Illustrated subscriber, as the two contributed much of their work to that magazine) and budding photographer, but I think the rest of our group enjoyed it as well.
The movie, however, was not to the same level. Metacritic gave it a 47 rating, in the yellow zone, which usually means "mediocre but enjoyable." I think the rating should have been more around 35, in the red. Not worth the time. There was a ridiculous cross-country treasure hunt (which Vanessa reports was not in the book), a "hip, urban sidekick" satyr who cracked wise to obnoxious effect and some tiresome "missing daddy" Psych 101 plot elements. Oh well. For Vanessa's sake, since she enjoyed the books, I hope the second book is better and has different screenwriters.
Tasty pastries from Tartine
As Vanessa and I wind down our time in SF, we are trying to visit old favorites one more time. On Friday morning, I went by Tartine, the awesome bakery in the Mission, picked up some treats and met Vanessa near her office in the financial district. This allowed us to avoid the weekend crowds.
We had a gougere, this amazing puff pastry, that is very light. This was made with gruyere and pepper. See photos 1 and 3, below.
I had a frangipane tart with seasonal fruit on top. It was super tasty, but unfortunately V had to avoid it due to her food allergies. See photo 2.
V also got a currant scone, great as well.
I'll miss Tartine. Shame I didn't go more during my time in the city, although that is probably good news for my waistline.
links for 2010-02-27
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Very cool.
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Some notes on the latest version of Instapaper on the iPhone, including the reasoning behind the addition of pagination support. Plus, a built-in dictionary!
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I think this is a great game, so the success is deserved. I'd guess that Blake and Vanessa agree, based on how much they were playing it on their iPhones over the weekend.
links for 2010-02-26
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Nice to see some hard numbers on revenue (I guess I could have looked this up myself, since there are publicly listed ski companies, but oh well), especially after talking to a ski patrolman who works at Squaw. He had very specific ideas on how to improve Squaw's operations (such as lift ticket pricing reductions to drive greater ticket sales). Seems like he was on the right track to focus on that area, as lift tickets represent the majority of revenues.
links for 2010-02-25
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Some tips on getting better coffee out of a mediocre setting.
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From Wired's Gadget Lab blog.
My Review of Osprey Porter 46 Travel Pack
A champion for adventure travel, the affordable Osprey Porter 46 provides basic gear-hauling ability in a stylish, organized package.
Back panel and straps let down the bag
Gift: No
Pros: Durable, Strong Zippers
Cons: Uncomfortable suspension, Uncomfortable back panel
Best Uses: Airline Travel
I took this pack on a nine-day trip to Rome last fall in conjunction with a small backpack, as part of a "no checked luggage" plan.
As with all Osprey products, the bag is very well made and has some thoughtful touches, including the compression straps, external document pocket, small pocket at the top, good shoulder strap attachment points, and the ability to interface with Osprey accessories (including the small day pack that came with my Osprey camping backpack). The size is just right for either a week-or-so trip or a One Bag, One World manner of traveling.
However, if you fully load the bag with clothes, shoes, computer cables, etc., it gets a bit too heavy to be comfortable for use with a shoulder strap, even the super-comfy straps advocated by the main OBOW sites. So then you turn to the hideaway backpack, and the real problems begin. The straps themselves are very flimsy with little padding, and the "hip belt" is just a piece of nylon webbing--these were clearly not a design priority, as Osprey chose to prioritize a slimmer profile over better straps.
Worse, the design of the hip strap and lower mounting points for the shoulder straps, in conjunction with the back panel design, causes the lower mounting points to pull up on the back panel and create a bulge right at the small of your back. After about 15 minutes, this is pretty uncomfortable. From what I can tell, the lower mounting points for the shoulder straps aren't secured sufficiently.
I returned the bag and wound up getting an MEI Flying Scotsman I. It's of similar quality and also meets carry-on requirements, but it has a super-comfortable backpack setup, easier-access interior and a detachable, high-quality daypack. It's double the price, unfortunately, but it's worth it if you want a carry-on sized pack for extended traveling. American-made, should last as long as your adventures.
(legalese)
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