Testosterone, in rest and in motion

Distractions, Tech, Toronto

We’re having the February blahs two weeks early, folks. Both the weather, the job stress from December and the fact that Disney is 135 days away (That’s almost half a year to an overly dramatic teen ager or an infantile adult), has got me curmudgeonly. SharkBoy to the rescue! He produces two tickets to…

Monster Jam 2009, Toronto, Rogers Centre.

eradicator-mid-flightThe closest I’ve ever come to one of these displays of manlymanness was a tractor pull in Tillsonburg back when we were campers. Note the head of the bald daddy that wanders past in the video above-that was basically the flavour of the evening, including the hairy butt crack we could glimpse at every “jump up and shout” moment. Those moments made me feel like I was returning to church after years being away: it was the same awkwardness when everyone rose to their feet and pumped the air with their fists when a monster truck… did something… Oh? Am I to genuflect now? Yes it was “redneck”, if there is such a thing in Canada, yes they had a shameless display of post-911 patriotism, yes a car caught fire. The whole thing reminded me of where the Fleshfair scene from Spielberg’s A.I. was borne. The crowd was cheering for blood (motor oil?) at the mere rev of an engine. At one point the woman behind me was ready to run down to the field and rip the heart out of one of the drivers for doing so poorly. Poorly? For driving in circles and doing the odd jump? I use to do that when I borrowed Dad’s car as a teen.

casio-exilim-ex-s10-digital-camera-black-3I also got a new camera. We ditched the Canon A640 for something less powerful and more compact: the Casio Eilixim. SharkBoy’s new compact Canon made me envious of his portability and after some research I found a deal over on Kijiji for one, which is a whole other blog post about crap falling off a truck, but I digress. Anywhoo, this is a sweet little, thin camera, nearly half the width of SharkBoy’s Canon. I tried many pre-sets last night, including the “YouTube Opitimized video” setting. At a distance, the focus ain’t the greatest, you lose it when you zoom in or out. In fact, the digital zoom is quite grainy. But what I gave up in power, I certainly gained in compressed bulk and ease of use. I think I’ll get the hang of it fast.

11 thoughts on “Testosterone, in rest and in motion

  1. Dead Robot

    Michael: Coming from such a larger, more powerful camera is a bit of a letdown on the image quality. Though I haven’t found a point and shoot camera who’s digital zoom wasn’t crappy. I’m not regretting changing cameras though. Love the size and it does what I want.

  2. Michael

    I just got the Casio as well and at first didn’t enjoy it but I do now. Perhaps you should turn of the “digital zoom” and just use the optical – it’s not the greatest but at least it’s not grainy.

  3. Dead Robot

    cb: Yes they are. We have Wal Marts and trailer parks too. Just odd to see so many of them in one place. And judging by the drama that was happening all around us at 10 minutes after the show started, no redneck understands the concept of “numbered seats on their tickets”.

    Madame: Its “holy crap can I touch it?” thin. But like I said, the pictures aren’t as good and takes a little more care for image set up. Meh. I’m happy.

    Mike: there were a bevvy of breakdowns in the first half of the “show”. The sponsors were probably nervously huffing back Jim Beam up in the Skyboxes.

    SharkBoy: I spells em like I wants them to be.

    Mutant: We have Larry the Cable Guy. Isnt that enough? I like the idea of ute musters… curious…

  4. The Mutant

    Wait, do you mean to tell me there is something wrong with being a redneck, or bogan as we call ’em over here? I’m so proud of my intact boginity though! Tractor pulls, monster trucks, motor cross stunts, ute musters (you don’t get them, but imagine as many redneck pick-up trucks as you can in one spot).

    Okay so it might not be everyone’s cup of Jim Beam, but you have to admit, you liked it just a little bit right, hairy butt-crack and all?

  5. Mike

    I dunno – after seeing how easily the wheel came off that truck, I wonder if the mechanic of that truck is the same one that I’ve encountered when I’ve taken my car to get it fixed (at least that was the intent) at Canadian Tire.

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