Website Updates
I've had a look around and was thinking how I can improve my site in simple ways without going via a database. One simple change was to put boxes not
around all the content, just around every article and then adding a reference to that article. By that I can now easily reference to that shot through
Anhalter Bahnhof I took a few weeks ago. A commenting feature is more difficult, because I'd have to alter the page
itself.
I suppose no one noticed that I had uploaded a damaged version of the index file in November. That just goes to prove that it's always good to have
a backup - you will never know when you'll need it. Thanks to the backup I hadn't lost any data, but the corruption of files is still odd.
Monday, December 2nd 2009
Kindergarten
A few weeks ago we found out that a new bilingual Kindergarten (English/German) would be opening just around the corner from where we live.
First of all we had to help renovating the rooms. It opened Monday November 2nd. I haven't got any photos from our renovating, because I didn't
want my camera to get painted. But Dylan did help too. It was a lot of fun (for him). I did take photographs on the first day and more last
Saturday when we had an opening party. They started with 3 boys. A week later a girl joined in. From today on there should be 7 or 8 children. They
are permitted to have 15 children.
Nathalie (German speaker) and Lisa (English speaker) are very nice and Dylan absolutely loves going there every morning. Something he had not been
doing at the other place.
The photos are on the Picasa site.
Monday, November 16th 2009
No Title
I've been thinking about switching this home brew pure HTML site to blogger.com. I've got an account there but I'm still fiddling with the
whole thing. But I might never change and if I do no one should notice.
Tomorrow is Dylan's first day at the new Kindergarten Trompete (Site in German).
It's bilingual English/German, so there is no a far chance that his English will improve heavily.
Tempodrom as seen through the Gateway of Anhalter Bahnhof
Oct 28th 2009 (20:05) NIKON D70, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G (1/8sec, f=3.2, ISO:1600, No Flash, WB:Auto)
It's Autumn and there's plenty of colour out there. I'm carrying the camera to work every day, but when leaving the light has gone.
So the only good shots are taken before arriving. Except this one of course. While heading for out local Aldi
market I spotted this couple through the doorway of the Anhalter Bahnhof.
Still Life: A view to the right of my Monitor
Oct 31st 2009 (17:11) NIKON D70, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G (1/60sec, f=1.4, ISO:320, No Flash, WB:Auto)
This shot was taken at last night. For those who know me it might come at a surprise that that is actually my desk. I got myself an
extra Billy book shelf and put everything that was always clustering my desk there. Now my desk is visible
where I had been hiding it.
Sunday, November 1st 2009
Abseiling
I've been looking forward to using this word in English.
Abseiling from Helicopter
Sep 23th 2009 (16:24) NIKON D70, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED @66.0 mm (1/100sec, f=18.0, ISO:250, No Flash, WB:Auto)
This shot shows two policemen that are abseiling from a police helicopter. I'm sure many had their cameras out, but my shot shows the motion of the
rotor blades. The trick is shutter speed of about 1/100 seconds. Anything shorter and the movement of the blades is frozen. Unfortunately my lens was
covered with tiny raindrops. So I had to retouch the shot as it was covered with little dark dots.
Saturday, October 17th 2009
Wisdom by Dylan
Yesterday Dylan wanted strawberries with his ice cream. We told him that strawberries were now out of season. He accepted that. Today we told him
that we hadn't bought any chocolate. I noted his answer on todays newspaper: "Ist jetzt die Jahreszeit von Schokolade vorbei?" (for those who don't
understand German: "Is the season for chocolate over?"
Saturday, October 10th 2009
Getting Dylan away from the Playground
It has been raining most of today. But when I went to pick Dylan up from Kindergarten the remaining three kids were at the playground enjoying
the few rays of sun light that the day had on offer. I managed to lure Dylan away straight off: "Would you like to see some men using a theodolite?"
(he has seen one at the Museum) The two gentlemen were halfway between Kindergarten and home. Dylan asked many
questions. He knew that there must be a laser and continued asking where it was. Hardly home it was my delight to fulfil his next wish - help him
build one.
Dylan using his self made Theodolite
Oct 8th 2009 (16:27) NIKON D70, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G (1/80sec, f=1.4, ISO:1600, No Flash, WB:Auto) cropped
Thursday, October 8th 2009
Sommerfest MI 2009
At work we have an annual party put up by one of the departments. This year it was IV, therefore the party was accompanied by various police and
fire brigade vehicles including a police helicopter landing on the roof of one of the buildings. I brought Dylan to work in the morning to join in the
party at three. After chatting up some members of the police orchestra he went to the closest vehicle trying to get a stop sign. He got one, but I had
to promise to bring it back at the end of the day, which we did. Later we both were hydraulically lifted to 30m height at the top of a fire engine.
Therefore Dylan added a helmet to this gear:
Dylan as a cross-over between Fireman and Policeman
Sep 23th 2009 (17:10) NIKON D70, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED @70.0 mm (1/80sec, f=5.6, ISO:800, No Flash, WB:Auto)
Thursday, September 24th 2009
Depot
The Depot for Public Transport, a depot of the Technic Museum, opens a few times a year to have a look what they hide there. If you ever
been to the Technic Museum here in Berlin you'll notice the entire lack of cars. They have got plenty, but they haven't got room for them.
So last Sunday was one of those special days where they open the depots. They didn't open the vintage car depot, but they did open the one with all
the buses, trams, S-Bahn trains etc. Hardly in through the door Dylan saw something he liked and there were wooden steps leading up to it. Some kids
were climbing over it, but no one was inside - until Dylan came!
Dylan driving a T34 Tank
Sep 6th 2009 (13:29) NIKON D70, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED @18.0 mm (1/60sec, f=3.5, ISO:800, external Flash, WB:Auto)
So Dylan went straight to the drivers seat of a T34 tank! Luckily I had my whole gear (regards to Ken Rockwell) with me and therefore the big external flash. Dylan was all smiles throughout.
Later we were in buses, Trams and an old S-Bahn Triebwagen (LEO says "Railcar"):
Dylan driving S-Bahn
Sep 6th 2009 (14:17) NIKON D70, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED @22.0 mm (1/160sec, f=3.8, ISO:800, external Flash, WB:Auto)
Waiting for a Train
I travel from Kreuzberg to Potsdam every morning by train (S-Bahn). Since July trains were scarce and short. Instead
of keeping up repairs they closed the repair shops. That brought nice revenue for a few years. Since July they're checking and replacing wheels. They
wanted to be finished by December. Since today they are now also replacing the brakes in nearly all the wagons. On differing reports about 1/4 to 1/3
of all trains are in use. All others are parked - waiting for brake or wheel replacements that they can't get because they closed too many of the repair
shops. Hurray!
Tuesday, September 8th 2009
Rain
When do you know for sure that the summer is over and autumn is with us? When you arrive at work very, very soggy.
Berlin was fair and dry, although it had rained during the night. Thinking no harm I boarded my train to Potsdam. It was still fair and dry in
Wannsee - the last stop in Berlin. From then on in poured and bucketed. I only have a 5 Minute bicycle ride from the train station, but it was enough
to soak me through. So now it's Autumn.
Looking out of the window the other day I noticed a dog looking out of another window directly in my direction. So here's a quick snapshot of
the dog. I think the same dog gave Dylan a wet kiss yesterday. Dylan was alone in the yard and came running up the stairs screaming, more startled
than hurt.
Dog in Window
Sep 1nd 2009 (16:53) NIKON D70, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED @135.0 mm (1/250sec, f=5.6, ISO:800, No Flash, WB:Auto)
Wednesday, September 3rd 2009
All you need is Sand
My wife has been working longer hours for the last few weeks. So I've had to pick Dylan up from Kindergarten every day since I'm back to work.
In other words I'm spending masses of time with Dylan. Most of it is spent on play grounds. The trouble is that I have to continue working on most
days, so play grounds are ideal - with Dylan nicely occupied I can get some work done! I still often take my camera and if it's just for a little
snapshot like this one.
Dylan in "All I need is Sand"
Aug 31nd 2009 (16:12) NIKON D70, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED @66.0 mm (1/250sec, f=5.3, ISO:800, No Flash, WB:Auto)
Monday, August 31st 2009
Daddy the Pirate
This is - as far as I know - the first time that Dylan has drawn a picture of his Daddy.
"Daddy the Pirate" caption on the picture itself was added in the Kindergarten
Friday, August 28th 2009
More Photos
As the summer is slowly going to an end and I've been back at work for two weeks, I have now published some of the last photos from my holidays. I
published them on Picasa in the same folder as the photos from the seaside. Page through and look at the baby beaver.
Sunday, August 23rd 2009
A Quote from Dylan
Daddy: "What time is it?"
Dylan: "It's one-one"
Being that Dylan is four and can neither read nor write I think that was quite a feat. It was of course about ten to eleven.
Sunday, August 16th 2009
Binz and the rest of my free days
Dylan will be back in Kindergarten on Monday and I'll be back at the office. After shooting 700 photographs during the week in Binz I have
only shot about 350 in the two weeks since. So I have, by request, put our choice of Holiday photographs
(39) all on Picasa.
Saturday, August 8th 2009
Binz
We spent a one week summer holiday in Binz on the island of
Rügen on the Baltic Sea. I'll publish a few photos here over the next few weeks
but will publish more to Picasa.
We travelled by bicycle and train, i.e. cycling to and from the train stations. There's a direct link from Berlin to Binz. It only takes
four and half hours.
Dylan enduring the Train ride to the Baltic
Jul 17th 2009 (16:04) NIKON D70, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G (1/400sec, f=2.0, ISO:800, No Flash, WB:Auto)
There were many other children travelling almost just as far, so that I rarely got Dylan alone in front of the camera.
First impression of Binz on a Stormy first evening
Jul 17th 2009 (18:45) NIKON D70, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G (1/160sec, f=8.0, ISO:800, No Flash, WB:Auto)
After unloading at the our hotel, we headed straight for the beach although it was clear,
that the weather was not it's best.
Tuesday, July 28th 2009
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This version of this site created May 3rd 2009, but partially updated since.
