Twitter is Over

6FPS V1#8

Welcome to the new issue of 6FPS. As I write this, we're already 2/3 of the way through January. I've been fairly deep into a project at work so my other writing hasn't gotten as many cycles. Oh, and I got a Nintendo Switch for Christmas and Zelda is kicking my butt some, too.

The government shutdown has caused me to reschedule my SCVAS Merced trip into February, and I've stopped going to the refuges for the duration to not have to deal with the lack of maintenance or sanitation updates. Oh, and also, we're having a fairly typical winter, and it's raining, which has limited my ability to go out on weekends with the camera.

I have been doing pretty well with my goals of doing more birding, succeeding at the at least once a week challenge, and so far, I'm at 61 species in county for the year from four different locations. I've put up a page tracking this personal challenge so those that care can follow me here as it moves forward. The phototography side of the challenges aren't going as well yet, but that's a combination of lack of time to be patient for shots and the weather, and some limitations on my walking around I'm working through.

I've been limiting my walking for a bit because the knees have been grumpy. A week ago, we changed out my arthritis med (Relafin to Meloxicam), and the initial response is quite positive. Now, my walking is limited more because I'm way out of shape from not walking, and the fix to that is, surprise, more walking, not staying off the knees. So that's at least some progress. I'm also back to a basic dose of the Meloxicam vs. a max dose of the Relafin, which gives me some flexibility again.

Broken Camera Update

I sent off the X-T3 to be repaired on December 29, and it was signed for by Fujifilm Repair on January 2. On January 19 I got the estimate in the mail (paper mail), which I've approved (online). It is in the ballpark of what I figured it'd cost me.

No estimate yet on when it'll be back in my hands, but at least progress is happening. I'll have more to say about this whole process once I've got it back and verified the repair.

Morro Bay time

Once this issue goes out, I'll be headed out to Morro Bay for a long weekend, a primary goal getting up to the Elephant Seals to photograph them. I haven't been able to do that for a couple of years, so I'm looking forward to it. I'll also bird a few areas, especially the marina paths and Sweet Springs, and see what I can find.

My favorite hotel down there reinvented itself and stopped being a Best Western, and the Tripadvisor reviews on it are a bit mixed. I've decided this is a good time to audition new places. the Airbnb I stayed at last year (was it just last year?) is booked, so I'm going to try one of two I plan on auditioning in the next few trips. More on this depending on whether I like it or not...


And with that, on with the show! And thank you for being part of this.

This issue brought to you almost live, from a secret lair deep within a secret volcano in the bowels of Silicon Valley...

What's New?

Here is what I've written since the last issue:

  • Why I'm Leaving Instagram and Returning to Flickr

  • Thoughts on Jim Goldstein's Best of the year 2018

Photo Friday


An image taken during our fall trip to Newport Oregon from the yard outside our motel room. That's Yaquina head, and the Yaquina head lighthouse is just out of site behind that bluff.

I'm finding this kind of landscape work -- late into blue hour, with NDs for long exposure, is something I really love once I do it, but I rarely seem to schedule myself to actually do it. For 2019, I need to use the ND filters a lot more.

One Thing: Twitter is Over

Stephen Hackett of RelayFM and 512Pixels reads the latest interview of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and comes to the conclusion that Twitter is Over. 

I can't disagree, and people who follow me will know I've been calling for his replacement and a new leadership team to take Twitter over for a while. Nothing he's said recently makes me feel confident in his ability to run Twitter. 

That said, there has been noticeable improvement in how they're handling abuse and spam -- with much, much more needed, but I should acknowledge the progress with the criticisms. 

In my mind, Twitter is twitter, and right now, I still get enough out of it that I don't feel like quitting; I am enjoying it a lot less, than a year or two ago, though, so I've recently slimmed down what I do there so I'm spending less time keeping up, too. We'll see what happens over time with the service, but I am still waiting to see some alternative appear that I'd rather be using. So far, I haven't found it. 

For Your Consideration

  • Birds and Birding

  • Photography

    • Peter McKinnon's Emergency Pouch, that set of things he always carries with him to solve the problems that crop up when out and about. I've done various things like this, but never this organized, so I'm planning on borrowing heavily from this and putting one together. The pouch he uses looks perfect for this, so I'll start with that once I get back from Morro Bay.

    • Nicolesy: Returning to Flickr: For another view of the changes happening at Flickr, read Nicolesy's post on it. I was considering writing one, but she covered my views on it quite well, so I don't need to.

    • David duChemin: 10 Upgrades for 2019: a great list of things to consider to improve your photography over the next year. "Make this the year you never once blame the camera"

  • Apple and Technology

    • Tom Bridge: Supraventricular Tachycardia: Or, A Trip to the ER with my Apple Watch. You may have started seeing the new reports about how "An Apple Watch saved this person's life". This happened to someone I know, and he wrote about his experience. As an aside, his doctor says the data off his watched saved him more than enough in unneeded tests to pay for the watch...

  • Other Interesting Stuff

About 6FPS and Chuq

6FPS (Six Frames Per Second) is a newsletter of interesting things and commentary from Chuq Von Rospach (6fsp@chuqui.com).

Coming out about every two weeks, I will place in your inbox a few things I hope will inform and delight you. There is too much mediocre, forgettable stuff attacking your eyeballs every day you're online; this is my little way to help you cut through the noise to some interesting things you might otherwise not find.

See you in a couple of weeks


And with that, I'll see you in a couple of weeks with the next issue. I'd love feedback on this, what you like, what you want more of, what you want less of. And if you have something interesting you think I might want to talk about, please pass it along.

Until then, take care, and have fun.

Chuq

Copyright © 2019 Chuq Von Rospach, All rights reserved.