So, I bid adieu to the Casio today, returning it to Target. Turning its sleek body over in my hand, I felt some hesitation, but in the end, I think I made the right choice. I didn't save too much, net, however, since I bought some diploma frames (see Flickr page). I also didn't return the shuffle, which is happily charging off this machine even as I type. It's cute and I am excusing the impulse purchase on health grounds. It's good for working out. Now I will work out daily, better than ever, and drop 10 by Chrimbo. Believe me?

I stopped to play with some other cameras after seeing an Olympus advertised on sale. Played with this one a bit. Still not macrofied adequately for my tastes. Played with the Coolpix L3 and L6 - both had shortcomings, sadly.

Here's what I think I want most:

1.) Killer macro abilities - as good as my current coolpix 2100. Does more megapixels = decreased macro ability?

2.) Wheel-type (as opposed to digital on-screen menu) function selection. (There can still be some in the camera accessible via the menu, but you know what I mean, right?)

3.) Runs on batteries. The regular kind, not the wall-charged kind. From a practical point of view, having to stop to plug in and recharge just doesn't jive with the reasons one purchases a quality point-and-shoot. For world travelers, it's a recipe for mains-frustration. Again, my current Nikon runs for a long, long time on the special, camera quality CRV-3 battery, or passably well (and conveniently) on regular AAs.

4.) Easy macro selection. Shouldn't take more than two movements. That little flower better be stamped right on the case. I should be able to hit it, select it, and shoot. Done. Period. That bug might not be on the flower long enough for me to scroll, scroll, select, scroll, select into macro mode.

5.) More megapixels.

Is that asking too much? Someone else out there must be a macro lover like me, right? What's the heir to the Coolpix 2100? I love my Nikon a little more tonight, 1600x1200 and all. Tiny screen? No problem - it still has a view finder. Smudged lens? Okay, that should be fixed, but at least I didn't melt it with the candle shots. (again, see flickr.)

By the way: I don't need nearly as many words to describe what I want in a man. I don't need any words at all, as a matter of fact - unless you count the 1000 this description is worth.

So this show is good, but crappy BBC America seems to show only part of a series at any one point with no indication of when the rest might air. To wit - the above linked show aired only about 3 day's worth and now, this Friday, the first episode of the 2d series. Never saw the end of the first, but nevermind that, right?

Then there's the half-aired Prime Suspect I watched yesterday. Was barely sure if the ending I saw was the end or just the end of a first part. The info box didn't indicate it was the first of several parts. Never saw another part advertised. So what gives?

Perhaps this is an argument for re-upping my netflix subscription. Then again, no, probably not.

So this weekend I battled awful crowds at two Targets to acquire a Casio Exilim Z60. It's sleek and sexy and shiny and new. But I'm not sure it's going to stay with me very long. Is it all flash and no function? Perhaps.

Check out the new Flickr page dedicated to the camera. You can even select "macro photos" from the drop down menu. This will become important in a moment.

Here's the background: I love my Nikon, it's small, well loved, takes great shots, and especially great macro shots. This puppy can focus from about yay-far off. Closer than whatever the manual says, I can tell you that. But it has just 2 megapixels. It maxes out at 1600x1200. Fine for most everything, really, except probably posters. I've enlarged shots up to 11x16 with little degredation of the image. But more pixels are better, right? JPG Magazine and all that.

Now for the problems with the Casio: Sure it has 6 megapixels, but does it matter if the macro sucks in comparison to the Nikon? The super close-up flower and food shots are my favorite things - can I do without the ability to bury my lens in a flower and snap away. The Nikon has a dial on the top that allows me to change between functions (landscape, action, portrait, etc) with just the flick of my thumb. To change between an even greater range of pre-sets on the Casio requires navigating through an extensive menu. There may be softkeys, but I haven't found them yet. To get to macro? Button pushing again. To use the filters? Sepia, b&w, red, green, blue, yellow? More menus and scrolling and buttons. There's no viewfinder. That's not such a big deal. The Casio's screen is huge - but not necessarily sharper than my Nikon's. The menu buttons are close to the screen. The camera is thin and I'm a bit clumsy with nice toys.

Oh, but that macro problem.

My former roomie said to avoid Nikon point-and-shoots and to go with Casios (granted, he suggested a different Casio, a much more expensive one). But if the progeny of my coolpix has the macro power of my current Nikon, plus more megapixels, then I'll trade it in.

Or just get over the need for more megapixels. Tell 'em all to stuff it on their more-pixels-the-better attitude?

Rambling post over.

I suppose it would be generally regarded as unduly egocentric to sit around googling oneself all day. I don't, generally, google myself. I do sometimes, just to know what's out there. Once, someone posted a comment in response to one I posted where he clearly googled me and thought he scored some number of devious-points for spilling the beans about things that aren't secret because they are on the internet. And I put them there.

Anyway - tonight, while looking around flickr, I decided to search for my name. Just my first name. There aren't many of me in the world. Don't try it yourself unless you try it on your name. Turns out, there are a bunch of "Christiana" photos. I am a self-involved clavical fan. I'm many babies, which is heartening as perhaps it signifies a spike in my popularity. Or at least in my popularity among parents with cameras and too much time on their hands. I am a foot fetishist, apparently (ooh, can't wait for the spam I get from using that phrase). I am a pretty dancer. I am a city in Denmark. And on in Delaware.

I am an immigrant in a sepia photo. I am celebrating my birthday in Vancouver and drinking beer and wine and martinis with my friends while someone lights candles on my cake in my office. I am arm-wrestling. I am a street. I've been to Singapore. I need a haircut. I am getting married in a beautiful satin gown. I am a bridesmaid. I have braces.

I am a theater in Oslo.

I am at the Olympics in Turin. I am a saint, and a vollyball player, and a bunny rabbit. There's a swan in me. There are clouds over me. There are friends with me. I am alone. I am staring at the camera, eyes wide, grasping at rattles, teething.

Today: Dry-cleaners.

More specifically, dry cleaning. Because the clothes usually come back smelling funny and things never look as good after. Or sometimes they do - but then you're just lulled into a false sense of security, like every time they'll clean the clothes and not eff them up. But then, that new sweater you're real keen for, well, they botch it and it comes out not exactly ruined, just, well, different. So now your once-favorite sweater, barely a month old, looks as tired as you do, most of the mornings you crawl into it. That wasn't its purpose. It's purpose was to make you look better, effortlessly better. But now it looks like effort itself - like someone wove effort into the knit. And you're just $28 poorer, with no nice sweater to show for it.

Dammit.

Due to some nasty spam attacks lately, I've had to enable comment moderation on Phar. This means whatever comment you leave won't appear until I allow it to appear. I'll get notification of comments left, so I can go in an publish them, but it might take a bit of time.

I'm oddly attracted to this luggage. I first saw this fetching little wheeled duffel and then I found all its little friends. They're sexy. They're wheeled. They're raspberry.

Seriously though, I don't need any damn luggage. But I want THIS luggage anyway. It's not even that practical. Except I think I could almost fit one of the Christmas gifts I need to get to England in one. But no. That's not a good reason. I'll just take black luggage. Its available and it probably doesn't show dirt as much. Luggage should never come in pink or white or light blue (like in that one Debra Messing movie). Maybe raspberry would work. But black is a safer bet.

Plus, why sell a range that includes a 20" duffel, a 21" case, and then a 24" and 27"? Can those even nest for easy storage? They aren't that different! The shapes of the 20 and 21 or 24 differ - okay - but is the 20" duffel really functional? All the clothes would be all buried. And with today's fluctuating security standards . . . .

But its kind of that perfect balance of girly color and practical durable color, right?

It has some suede trim.

In other Target news - Halloween having come and gone, Target is now decked out in Deck-the-Halls-worthy Christmas decor. Natch. There's a cute range (that's Brit for set or series or collection or line) of peacock themed decorative items. I may invest in a few feathered tree decorations. Lovely blue plumes with a few pecock feathers. Pointless, yet cute.

I wonder if I'll get myself a real little tree. Upside - pine fresh scent fills apartment. Downside: bugs and potential fire hazard. We'll see. There's a great spot for it, though. Right between the never-used armchair and the audio pier. I'll be here until almost Christmas, but then gone for the actual holidays. I haven't even busted out the good dishes over the past few years. And with my success so far in convincing people to come to my apartment so I can give them free food and alcohol while entertaining them - well, the Christmas Party ain't looking so promising. We can hope . . . .

Though the holidays are invariably rushed by retailers hoping to have a happy Christmas themselves, the rush doesn't bother me this year. Holidays are happy. Happy is good. So rush away with your holiday themed commercials and aisles of tinsel and trimmings. I've already begun my shopping.