defocus·blog

Pepsi Throwback Is Back

Back in April 2009, PepsiCo released Pepsi Throwback, which is Pepsi made like they used to make it, with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The stuff was so good, and so many people told them so, that they stopped selling it after eight weeks. We all know the fate of good products, right?

The good news is that Throwback is back, as of yesterday, 28 December 2009. The post I made about it at the time has been getting a lot of Google traffic for the past two days from people trying to find a place to buy some.

As they did last time, they are threatening to take this wonderful product away from us after another eight weeks. Also as with last time, I get the impression that this is one Pepsi executive's pet project that no one else at the company cares to see succeed: it's even more difficult to find this time, and there seems to be even less publicity (and there was almost none last time). After looking in three different stores I finally found one lonely 12-pack on the shelf at Stop & Shop. It's got the old-fashioned red, white, and blue packaging this time, though they may also be using the blue packaging as well.

I'm not sure about the packaging, or anything else, because although there is supposed to be a Throwback website, it's been down since at least yesterday.

If you're on Facebook, you can join the Pepsi Throwback group there, where some people are talking about it.

Pepsi has a poorly-implemented store locator you can use, but it is definitely incomplete, so check your grocery stores even if they aren't listed. The store I found it at is not listed. My old post has more information about the product itself.

Also of interest may be Pepsi Natural, which is made with real sugar, but it's only available in ten cities because the folks at PepsiCo hate people who don't live in Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas or New York, and don't want their money.

Update: Now that I've consumed a bunch of cans of this stuff, it's clear that this is a different formula than the one we had in the spring. It's still good, mind, but it absolutely doesn't taste the same and isn't as as good. Others are noticing the same thing and reporting it on Facebook. Dang. Why must good products always be ruined? It's almost as if they want the product to fail, to validate their use of high-fructose corn syrup.

Update 2: The Throwback website is back up.

Lightning: The Hidden Danger

When I travel, I go by car if at all possible. This isn't because I'm afraid of flying – I admit to being uneasy about it, but I also know that, statistically, it's not horribly dangerous. I don't like flying because it's a miserable experience, you can't bring anything you want, you don't see anything on the way, and a variety of other reasons.

Now, with the Christmas bombing attempt on a commercial airliner, people are afraid of going out in a terrorist attack on an airplane. Nate Silver, master of statistics, ran the numbers and found:

Therefore, the odds of being on given departure which is the subject of a terrorist incident have been 1 in 10,408,947 over the past decade. By contrast, the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are about 1 in 500,000. This means that you could board 20 flights per year and still be less likely to be the subject of an attempted terrorist attack than to be struck by lightning.

So relax, you're more likely to be struck by lightning than to be in a terrorist attack on an airplane!

Wait – really? Yes. Did you know that you're more likely to be struck by lightning than killed by a tornado or a hurricane? You're more likely to be struck by lightning than killed in an amusement park ride accident, or an accidental plane crash. Your child is more likely to be struck by lightning than abducted by a stranger.

Wow, this lightning stuff is dangerous. Aren't we worrying about the wrong thing here?

You're more likely to be killed by lightning than a falling coconut (falling coconuts only kill some 150 people per year), a shark attack, a dog, a meteorite, or, I think, any kind of terrorist attack at all.

The National Weather Service actually has a lightning safety website, and even a slogan: “When thunder roars, go indoors!” Who knew? Why is this danger being kept from us? What are they hiding? Some facts:

• Virtually all victims of the lightning menace are outdoors at the time of the strike. Stay inside.
• If you're close enough to hear thunder you are within the lightning's striking distance. Run away!
• 70% of lightning injuries and deaths occur in the afternoon. Sleep really late.
• Florida has more lightning strikes than any other US state. Don't go there.
• The Democratic Republic of Congo has more lightning strikes than any other country. You probably weren't going there anyway.
• Being under a tree is the second most frequent activity during which to be struck by lightning. Trees: bad. Chop 'em down.
• Lightning often strikes in the same place twice. Don't listen to your mom.

So, don't worry about someone bombing your airplane. You've got far more serious threats to worry about!

Neon

I am perversely attracted to neon. The bright light, strong color, interesting designs, and the way they bathe the scene in saturated color. When I see a nice neon sign I just want to point my camera at it.

Often I feel silly doing it. Where's the creativity in taking a picture of a sign? But, like sunsets, it may usually be easy, but I like the resulting images. Crank open the aperture to get some nice defocused backgrounds, and away I go. Lots of them end up on the proverbial cutting-room floor for being boring, but I end up with lots of images I rather like.

If you point a camera at a neon sign you're getting a lot of light, and probably fooling your light meter to boot. You probably can't guess the right exposure, but using automatic mode and dialing in a stop or so of overexposure usually gets it right.

It's best to do this at night, of course. I am as much a “night person” as you're ever likely to meet – I think the technical term is “vampire.” At night the city is full of light and shadow, color, mood and mystery, all of which disappear in the harsh light of day. I try to capture the mood of the city, the experience of the nighthawk, the life the city takes on after midnight.

Shadowy figures bathed in neon light; what are they doing? Where are they going? How do you get the shot, at a tattoo parlor of all places, without creating a confrontation?

This is one of my favorites, taken outside a bar; I call it “Pickup Line.” In New York City bars, smokers are welcome to light up in designated areas known as “outside.” This has created a whole new social scene, as the sidewalk becomes an extension of the bar, a place for quiet conversation with an automatic ice-breaking topic. I wonder how many people smoke more, or haven't quit, because of the new habits created by this policy.

What sort of place lies downstairs, beneath the glow, open so late? Would you dare enter? The neon sets the mood of the night, the color, the energy, the mystery. Ugly sodium vapor lights can't compete.

This shot attracted one of the most random comments I've ever gotten on Flickr:

This Spartan Bail Bonds storefront is the nicest window display on 81 Baxter Street, in Downtown Manhattan opposite the Manhattan criminal court and the Manhattan Detention Center jail. Situated between Little Italy and China town the owner keeps the windows and sidewalk clean and clear. For a bail company this storefront really brightens-up the street 24 hrs a day 365 days a year unlike the other store fronts on the block which are mostly dingy and dirty.

I guess it's true, but I've wondered since it appeared why someone chose to post such a great caption on one of my photos. Perhaps he, too, is a vampire, and simply appreciates some nice neon light.

Such A Fine Sight: Winslow's Route 66 Plaza

Last summer I wrote about stopping in Winslow, Arizona, the town made famous in the song “Take it Easy” by the Eagles. I lamented the fact that Winslow isn't a very nice place, and wondered why they couldn't take advantage of their fame and Route 66 connection to benefit the town.

Well, the news came a couple weeks ago, but I missed it until now: ground has been broken on Winslow's years-in-the-planning Route 66 Plaza, which will extend the Standing On The Corner Park into the area formerly occupied by the JC Penny's store that was destroyed by a fire.

After the site was cleared, the remaining walls, one of which bears the mural, needed to be stabilized. And now, finally, the plaza will be built. An arch will be tunneled through the wall, leading to a walkway made from “actual Route 66 concrete,” extending from a mural of Chicago, tracing the Route 66 route westward and ending at a mural of the Santa Monica Pier. The park, of course, will feature 1950s-style neon. A Route 66 logo will cover the intersection of Kinsley and Second.

No word on when this thing will be finished, but I'll make sure to pass through next time I'm in the area. In the meantime we have the artist's rendering, and my photographic rendering of what it looks like now.

Read more at AzJournal.com and RoadsideAmerica.com.

Verizon MiFi Firmware Update (on a Mac)

This past summer I reviewed the MiFi 2200 “portable hotspot” on Verizon Wireless. Now, stuck at home, I haven't been using it much, just for the occasional outing, so I never bothered to look into the firmware update that became available about two months ago.

You may have heard about the snowstorm we had in the Northeast over the weekend. It was quite epic. And, probably not at all coincidentally, Verizon's DSL service has been non-functional, apparently for my entire town, for a couple of days now, which leaves me using the MiFi for internet access at home. So, I decided to look at this firmware update.

If you're using the Sprint version of the MiFi, you can update the firmware from the administration interface. But because Verizon hates you, their version doesn't have this feature. The firmware must be updated from the VZW Access application with the device plugged into your computer via USB.

You may recall the VZW Access application from when you got your MiFi. It's Verizon's “connection management” software, and it's an unmitigated, worthless piece of garbage. Luckily, at least on the Mac, you don't need this software installed at all in order to use the MiFi – only to activate the device initially – and I recommended immediately removing this turd from your computer after doing so, because it isn't just an application, it installs tentacles all over your system, including kernel extensions. It can't even set up a connection for you unless you're running it on an administrator account.

So now you're thinking that, okay, you'll just have to reinstall this software briefly to do the update. Well, not so fast. Verizon doesn't just hate you, they really, really hate you, so the Mac version of VZW Access does not offer the ability to update the firmware. That's right: Verizon offers no way to perform the firmware update without Windows. Don't even bother installing the latest VZW Access version on your Mac to make sure this madness is true: I just did, and it's true.

(Seriously, why does Verizon insist on having the best cellular network in the country? Everything else about them sucks mightily. The only reason to be with them is the network, but unfortunately it is so much better than any other cellular provider that it's a very compelling reason.)

But if, as many Mac users do, you have a Windows installation running in a virtual machine using VMware Fusion (or another similar product, probably) then you are in luck. You can update your MiFi's firmware from a Windows installation running in VMWare. Read on for instructions.

Rockefeller Center Doesn't Rock

What are you supposed to do in New York City in December? Go to Rockefeller Center and see the Christmas tree, of course. Dutifully, I made the trip so you don't have to.

I'll cut right to the chase: it's a Christmas tree. Sure, it's a big one, with lights and everything, but in the end, you've walked blocks in the freezing cold and done battle with fierce crowds just to see a Christmas tree. If that's the sort of thing that gets your blood flowing, okay, but otherwise it might be a bit of a letdown.

There are other things going on, of course, and it might not be a complete waste of time, unlike, say, Times Square on New Years Eve, which is best experienced on television if at all. (Really, if you think that would be fun, you are wrong.)

The crowd is elbow-to-elbow, of course. If you're used to New York, this is no big deal – part of the fun, really. There are extravagant Christmas displays, some street performers, and of course the NBC Store. If you ever wanted a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company t-shirt, here's your chance. And, of course, there is the other well-known attraction, the ice skating rink, where you can fall on your butt while thousands look on.

I have no idea how long you have to wait on line to skate here, but don't expect to be in a hurry. I had to wait a few minutes just for the opportunity to take this picture. The line for the Top of the Rock observation deck is also unbearable this time of year, but if you're the type to plan ahead, you can buy tickets for a specified date and time online.

What I was unable to find despite being determined was a public bathroom. If there are any, they are well-hidden – and the line would probably be distressingly long anyway. I hoped to find one in the NBC Store, but no luck there. I ended up leaving and walking the few blocks to Times Square, where public restrooms are provided by Charmin (who else?) during the holiday season.

If you want to go to this thing, and you're not familiar with New York, I just took the subway to Times Square and walked from there. Go up to 49th Street, head east a block, and you'll know it when you see it. The B/D/F/V line stops closer.

This sign should be familiar from “30 Rock.”

Nice Work If You Can Get It

Pete Souza, the official White House photographer, has one of the best jobs I can think of. To be present for all the moments, to have access where almost no one has access but everyone wants to be, to be able to capture those moments and share them. To be there when Robert Gibbs shares a funny Youtube video with President Obama and the team.

I bet it's hard work, long hours, and pitiful pay. But yeah, I'd take that job in a New York minute.

(White House photo by Pete Souza, 14 November 2009, on board Air Force One. Click to enlarge.)

Get Off My Lawn

Camera manufacturers, led by Canon and Nikon, continue to push digital SLR development to new levels, with ever increasing image quality and more features. As a photographer, I don't care any more.

I drank the digital Kool-Aid for a few years, sure. I have a DSLR, high-end, though a few years old, and continue to use it, particularly for things like landscapes where with film I might use medium format. Of course, for what I paid for it, I could have had a nice medium format kit, film scanner to go with it, and a couple years worth of film, and ended up with something that wouldn't be obsolete after a few years. But film was supposed to be dead, so that's not what I did.

The image quality with digital is great. But with it, the manufacturers have finally discovered a way to get us to buy a new camera every couple of years, spending more money while simultaneously thinking digital is cheaper. 35mm film isn't as bad as they've convinced us to remember – it's actually astonishingly good by comparison, and I'm picky about that sort of thing. Landscapes were never its strong point, but medium format film will give today's DSLRs a run for their money (lots of money) in that regard.

When I decided to shoot film again, I thought it would be a side project, with most shooting still in digital. What I discovered, though, was that I enjoyed photography a whole lot more shooting film with a fully-manual SLR. The hand-held computers we use as cameras now just get in the way. I didn't fully realize that until I got it out of the way. It turns out that all those shiny features are things I don't need to do photography.

How quickly we were convinced they were necessary! When shooting digital, how are we supposed to determine exposure? We use test shots, look at histograms, depend on the instant-review LCD, and suddenly think we need that to get the shot right. Have we really forgotten, just a few years ago, when we didn't have any of that stuff, and got it right anyway?

I remember the day when, still shooting digital, I remembered that, in direct sunlight, the exposure is always the same. Yes, it works for digital, too. What do I need that 1005-point 3D Color Matrix Meter for, again?

Unlike many curmudgeons, I understand the newfangled technology better than most, and I continue to pull out the digital camera for landscapes or quick snapshots; and my film cameras don't have autofocus or image stabilization and can't shoot hundreds of frames without reloading, so if I need those things, I know where to go. But all these developments in the world of digital photography have stopped being interesting to me. They don't have anything to do with photography, and I just don't care.

Sometimes, 35mm film can do landscapes, too.

That Visited States Map

Being stuck at home, not traveling as I might prefer, my thoughts inevitably turn to the road. When can I return? Where will I go? How will I pay for it?

RV travelers like to create these “visited states” maps showing where they have been. Although I don't have an RV just yet, surely a car traveler can make a map too?

The problem with these maps is that they can easily overstate the case. If I drive straight through a state, barely stopping or seeing anything, does it still count? How, with a straight face, can I fill in Minnesota, where I don't even think I stopped for gas, the same as Nevada or South Dakota, where I have stayed for weeks at a stretch on multiple visits?

So I decided to color-code the states. In the map you see here, the green states are the ones where I've actually spent a lot of time. The blue ones are the ones where I've spent some time, but not that much – slept there, visited places, etc. Amber means I've not not spent much time there, but I've at least slept there and seen some things. Red means I've passed through, probably stopped, but really haven't seen much.

Visualizing the data that way, it's clear that I have a lot of work ahead of me. Filling it all in the same would make it seem like I've been everywhere already, and I haven't. Take California, for example: I went to Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Park, but I basically just passed through to see what it was like for future reference, so, red for California. I've been to San Jose and the surrounding area, but I flew in on business, and flying doesn't count.

I've spent some time in the Texas Panhandle, but does that really count for all of Texas? Sure, I spent a couple nights in Austin, but I flew in on business, and flying doesn't count. So, amber for Texas.

So, it's an honest map. Having most of the states filled in doesn't mean I'm not just getting started.

This post was inspired by Jim's map post, but I made mine in Adobe Illustrator.

I could have been an actor, but I wound up here

If you travel a lot, you're already used to people not quite understanding how you choose to live. You may even have stock answers to some of the questions you hear over and over.

But one of the most puzzling questions I hear a lot is, “When you're traveling for that long, how do you do your laundry?”

Have we actually reached the point where people don't know about laundromats?