For the past two weeks my computer has been operating like a dog. Specifically, it was my USB mouse. It's a Logitech MX500 (the model is not really important in this lesson).

Lately, I would be moving the cursor with the mouse and then suddenly the computer would stop detecting its movement. The disk would run a bit and then half a second later would pick it up again. Other times it would get worse and worse until it would stop detecting it at all. Plugging and unplugging the mouse from the USB port would not help; the problem would be the same. Changing ports did not help.

Yes, this was very frustrating. If I was still a hard core gamer I'm sure I would have kicked the computer off the desk by now. At work during my breaks I began pricing a whole new computer while at the same time poring over the web trying to find a solution. There were just too many variables.

As I'm still waiting for my next camera platform to get here -- don't get too excited, it's nothing new -- I decided to make an attempt of fixing the bellows on my Ansco.

Liquid electrical tape
One page advised using something called liquid electrical tape. I did a search and found a local dealer -- a marine supplies store -- and purchased their own brand of the stuff in a can. The liquid electrical tape is used to patch up electrical wiring, anything that has that flexible plasticky/rubber compound.

The New Yorker has some selections from Platon's recent series on soldiers, veterans and other people associated with the Iraq war. What I like about it -- besides Platon's 'look' -- is that they are not all his signature portraits. He has some photojournalism work in here as well that still look like "Platon".

After receiving my last batch of film back with low-res scans I decided to try my next batch with medium-res. This is the best of the bunch that came back -- all during a phase when I was trying out many different B&W film. Unfortunately, it also came before I realized that my Ansco bellows had all kinds of light leaks. I know why I didn't think it had light leaks before; it's because in inside shots like this there isn't a lot of light coming from above.

This is the creepiest thing I saw yesterday on my net wanders. A pinhole camera made from the skull of a thirteen year old girl who died 150 years ago (no mention of how she died). Interesting idea by Wayne Martin Bleger. It takes creepy photos too.

From BoinBoing.

My beloved 30D is finally back from Canon-land where it was having its shutter replaced. Although I had been warned of the bill to expect (see above), I wasn't quite prepared for the laundry list of items that the Canon techs had replaced along with the shutter assembly.

What to make of: "FPC Ass'y MD" or "PCB Ass'y DC/DC", neither of which I had asked to be looked at even if I had known what they were.