SmugMug vs. Zenfolio

After processing the pictures from our Banff and Jasper trip, I feel it's time to move my photo gallery to an online photo hosting service, because I think the current presentation of my gallery website is not up to my standard and the accessing speed is slow. Flickr and Picasa…

Banff and Jasper – Banff Town

Banff town is like a small city, which offers all kinds of shops, restaurants and hotels. The only downside is that it's a little far from the center of the park.

Canon 2x EF Extender II (Teleconverter)

Having a Canon EF 70-200 F/2.8L USM IS len only gave me the quality but not the range long enough for wildlife shooting, so I bought a Canon 2x Teleconverter to allow me to reach 400mm range. As the focal length is doubled, the maximum aperture is cut half, the…

Apple: An Innovator or Control Maniac?

I don't make many cellphone calls every day and I am not a salesman who travels all the time, so I always asked myself, "Why do I need an iPhone?" ... until recently. iPhone has evovled several generations now. Technically there should be nothing to worry about. Almost everyone has…

Sarah Chang’s Concert in Napa

Sarah Chang, although not as well-known as Itzhak Perlman or Yo-Yo Ma, is recognized as one of the most talented and influential performers of the world. She earned her celebrity status in classic music since she was 10. By age 15, she has already collaborated with most major orchestras. Her…

Replacing Sprinkler Valve

The sprinkler valves in front of our house have been leaking water since we moved in. Later in this spring, they were totally broken, not passing water at all. After manually watering the lawn for 4 months, I finally decide to replace them. If you don't want to replace the…

Canon EF 70-200 F/2.8L USM IS vs. 75-300 F/4-5.6

I haven't upgraded my photo gears for 5 years. Especially in a condition when a telephoto lens is required, I feel my capability to capture the scene is limited because my current 75-300 f/4-5.6 lens could only do f/5.6 at the long end. I finally decided to buy a Canon…

Michael Jackson: a genius, a cultural icon, a legend

I was speechless and felt so sad when I heard Michael Jackson passed away. The first time I listened to his song, 'Bad', was when I went to Xiangshan (香山) Park. A couple of 20-something youths played his cassette through the tape recorder. It's like nothing I'd ever heard. It's totally…

Yard Work

We are trying to clean up some areas to plant vegetables. Here is to remove the Potato Vine to give space for green beans. As seen in the picutres, some patao vines grow through the AC fan.