Jeffrey Zeldman finds a rare pleasure in the much-maligned drop shadow. You go Jeff! Drop shadows are cool. Don’t let anyone tell you differently!

Zim is at training for a month, and I miss the little bugger even more than I thought I would. I got word today that John, the breeder at Shafer Lake Kennels, posted one of Zim’s pictures on his site. The page is here. Scroll down a bit, it’s the one with Jessica in the leaves.

And here’s one of the fam, just to hold me over.

Leica, just a month or two ago, were holding the line that a digital rangefinder accepting their legendary “M” lenses was impossible. Then, last week they announced that they were actively working on a “Digital M”, due in two years.

Then Epson and Cosina blew everyone away when this showed up under glass at PMA…

It took almost 2 whole days before everyone believed that this new digital rangefinder from Cosina/Epson wasn’t just a cruel photoshop joke.

Based on the Bessa R2 body, it appears that it will indeed accept M lenses and is due out in May. The chronograph-looking thing on the top is actually a combination of battery guage and something else. Yes, that’s a rewind lever and film advance, used for image review and shutter cocking. Coolest thing ever.

What this means to me? I can now buy more Leica lenses without worrying that they’ll eventually end up in a closet when they stop making film. How much for that Noctilux?

Paraskevidekatriaphobia , in some dictionaries, means an irrational, morbid fear of Friday the 13th.

There seem to be several theories as to its origins (the fear, not the word). Most seem to be based on the combination of the number 13 being seen as a “bad” number, and Fridays being the day with the most religious undertones.

One prevalent theory suggests it started with the decimation of the Knights Templar on Friday October 13, 1307. Basically, one of the first military orders became too powerful, and France’s King Philip the Fair decided to put an end to their little club - on that particular friday.

Another more popular theory says that Friday the 13th is unlucky because Christ was crucified on a Friday and there were 13 people at the last supper. This is the theory accepted by most people, but I’m guessing that the reason is not that it’s more accurate, but that it’s easier to understand. And we all know that anything Christ-centric tends to catch on quickly.

Speaking of the number 13, my full name, Jack Allen Baty, has exactly 13 letters, which is supposed to give me Devil’s Luck. Is that good or bad do you think? I should ask Tracy.

In 1959, after watching her daughter, Barbara playing with paper dolls, Ruth Handler invented the Barbie doll. 351,000 were sold the first year and more than one billion more have been sold since. Oh, and the name of Ruth’s son? Yep, it was Ken. In 1961, Barbie met Ken and they’ve been together ever since.

Until now that is. Apparently they’ve split up. What hope do any of us have after this?

I do not have, want, need or understand the desire for any type of Social Network Web Site

I don’t even have enough time for my few real friends. Maybe I’m just put off by the fact that I haven’t gotten my Orkut invitation yet.

I usually ignore those all-too-cute forwards that I regularly get , but the following hit so close to home that I thought I’d share. Apologies in advance if you’ve seen it already….

I decide to wash my car. As I start toward to the

garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail

in the trash can under the table, and notice that the

trash can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and

take out the trash first, but then I think that since

I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take out the

trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table and see that there

is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk

in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the can

of Coke that I had been drinking.

I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to

push the Coke aside so that I don’t accidentally knock

it over.

I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I

should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of

flowers on the counter catches my eye–they need to be

watered.

I set the Coke down on the counter and I discover my

reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all

morning.

I decide I’d better put them back on my desk, but

first I’m going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a

container with water, and suddenly I spot the TV

remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight, when we go to watch TV, we

will be looking for the remote, but nobody will

remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide

to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first

I’ll water the flowers.

I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it

spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on

the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I

was planning to do.

At the end of the day; the car isn’t washed, the bills

aren’t paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on

the counter, the flowers aren’t watered, there is

still only one check in my checkbook, I can’t find the

remote, I can’t find my glasses, and I don’t remember

what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done

today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy

all day long and I’m really tired.

Prediction: The Segway, as mobile as it is, will never go anywhere. I’ve always been a closet doubter, but also secretly hopeful that it would catch on. No signs of that happening yet.

According to a Disney turns away visitors on Segways Feb. 9, 2004” href=”http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/02/09/disney.nosegways.ap/index.html”>CNN.com article, Disney is turning them away, even when ridden by paraplegics. Maybe disabled folks should ride one of Kamen’s other wheelchairs instead.

When the hell is Kevin going to do a comic bo…. uh, I mean Graphic Novel?

I’m sure it’ll be phat!

So far, What To Rent has nailed it with recent recommendations of which movie to rent.

There’s also Movielens , which I haven’t tried.

Anyone remember Firefly?