My Olympus OM-D E-M5

Let me start off first with saying that I love my Olympus OM-D E-M5.  My wife wasn't sold on full frame cameras such as the Canon 5D Mark III or Nikon due to the sheer size and weight so we ventured in the next best thing; Micro Four Thirds.  The Sony NEX-7 was heavily delayed and hadn't arrived yet but it's little brother, the NEX-5N was just released.  As enticing as it was, I just didn't "love" either camera nor did I care for the operating system.  With a modest budget and a baby looming, I needed a camera and lens that I could quickly acquire and learn.  One major hurdle was that the camera needed to have an autofocus hence eliminating the coveted Leica M9, and the available glass ecosystem had to be great.  At the time, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 was proved to be the answer.  I paired it with the Panasonic/Leica 25 1.4 Summilux and haven't taken it off since.  Here are a few pictures that my wife and I took at the San Diego Safari Zoo the day of our daughter's first birthday.

Since then, Olympus has released two amazing micro four-thirds cameras. The E-P5 and the E-PL5 with the former being the Pen series flagship. Highly capable and pocketable depending on which lens you attach, they both make for a very portable and pleasurable experience. They have also become my recommendations to my peers that are looking to get into photography. It's a perfect starting point especially for those that want something smaller and don't want to lug around the bulk of the full frame cameras and lens combo.

Steve Huff posted an amazing and thorough review of the OM-D E-M5 which I highly recommend you check out.  He also recently reviewed the amazing Panasonic 20 1.7 II lens while equipped on the E-P5 (pictured above).  I guarantee, if you're getting into photography, his website is amazing start!  I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned from him.  Of course, I couldn't have even thought of Steve Huff as a reference without the guidance of Mr. Range Traveler himself, Gage Caudell.

The Medium Espro Press

My post yesterday "Save Money, Save the Environment, Pour Your Own Coffee", received a few comments on facebook from friends telling me that their choice of brew method is the french press. Coincidently, my Kickstarter Edition Medium Espro Press was dropped off yesterday afternoon and I couldn't have been more excited about this beautiful piece of hardware!  I was so excited that I actually took the time to record a video. http://youtu.be/1Enff99VJLM

Without a doubt, the Espro Press produced the cleanest cup of french pressed coffee I've ever had. Paired with my bag of Tonx, my mornings just got upgraded.  I cleaned and detailed my Bodum Chambord Coffee Press, then while placing it up high in the cabinet, my wife asked me,"Are you retiring that one now?"  I gave her a slight nod along with a huge sinister-like grin.

I've also included the Kickstarter video below.

Shot using my Olympus OM-D E-M5 paired with the Panasonic Lumix G Leica 25mm 1.4 mounted on my Joby GorillaPod.

Why I Tonx

So if you haven't read the previous article, you should do so especially if you are of the single serving cup / pod type. Secondly, if you haven't had the chance to sample Tonx, please do so! I've gone through 4 amazing varieties of their coffees which I received as a gift form my wife and am fresh out. Come subscribe with me!

http://instagram.com/p/c43b-IO4bv/

Save Money, Save the Environment, Pour Your Own Coffee

I was at Sur La Table Fashion Valley the other day, taking advantage of the free knife sharpening, when I got the chance to speak to a very awesome sales lady. The biggest hype are not only the amazing Jura and De'Longhi espresso makers but the Nespresso Machines. "They are all the rage!" I have friends that swear by their K-Cup machines and pods proclaiming the value of "only $0.61" a cup and the necessity for speed. But we have to come and realize the bigger picture. There's not that much coffee in them!

When it comes down to it, I thoroughly enjoy sampling freshly roasted beans from places like Bird Rock Coffee, Intelligentsia, Dark Horse, Philz, Tonx, grinding them fresh using my Baratza Virtuoso and executing a fine Hario v60 pour over which yes does require a goose neck kettle (Hario Buono).  It's calming and an art I strive to perfect every morning I'm home. I also only end up producing one paper filter of waste compared to the non-bidegrable k-cups / pods that have been filling up our landfills at an estimated one billion per year. 

Whether it's delicious or not, single-cup coffee is expensive. In fact, pound-for-pound, it costs consumers far more than the finest artisanal coffee available in the Bay Area. A 24-pack of Folgers Gourmet Selections K-Cup, for example, typically retails for $16.49. The capsules each hold roughly 8 grams of coffee, which means that the 24-pack works out to about $39 a pound. A 24-pack of Starbucks House Blend typically costs $22.49, or about $53 a pound. By contrast, the same Starbucks roast costs just $12 a pound when sold in a single bag. An artisanal bean, like Four Barrel Coffee's Kenya Gatomboya, a shade-grown coffee from a 700-member cooperative, costs $18 for a 12-ounce bag, or about $24 a pound.

But as expensive as single-cup coffee is for consumers, the costs to the environment are even higher.

via Vanessa Rancaño for Eastbay Express

A Great 1st Birthday Party

Over the weekend, my wife organized an awesome birthday party for our daughter Norah Renée. We had a lot of help from cousins, aunts and uncles and close friends. Thanks to everyone for coming out and celebrating the special day with us!

Thanks to James for capturing this awesome moment!

San Diego and Attractive People

San Diego in another top ten. This time its for "Most Attractive" and I'll take the number two ranking. Miami is number one but I won't start an argument here. If you know me, you already know how I feel about the city. Of course, there's always the beach which just adds to the awesomeness!

http://instagram.com/p/cphVGeu4bg/

Tastemade-ing on Anniversary at Underbelly

Adelle and I decided to keep it fancy but simple. She knew that I loved ramen so we headed down to Little Italy to enjoy Underbelly. While there, I decided that we could make a quick Tastemade video. It's the first of many and we're just learning the trade. Check it out!

21 8.2013

 

I know that the title and post are redundant but it marks the day that I said the special two words, "I do" to my lovely wife.  We've actually been dating for over ten years (wow time flies) but only married for three of those.  Things have only gotten better and it couldn't be more perfect especially with the added bunting.  Happy anniversary sweetie!

Twelve Months of Sprinkles Cupcakes

Celebrating month number one is exciting for new parents.  Adelle and I also thought this would be a great idea.  Who knew that cupcakes, representing each month in celebration of our daughter's special day, would amount to just a little over $270 in the course of a year!!!  It was expensive but in the end, we got to gorge on cupcakes, take great photos and celebrate with friends and family! Here are each one of Norah Renée's photos along with her wonderful cupcakes from Sprinkles.  We learned that the S'mores cupcake is our favorite, vanilla with sprinkles is a great treat but sometimes too sweet, and that if we invested the $270 dollars in Tesla stock instead, we would have quintupled our cash.

[gallery link="file" ids="4080,4081,4082,4083,4084,4085,4086,4087,4088,4089,4090,4091"]

On another note, if you haven't tried out Wolfram Alpha, you should give it a shot.  I used the summation formula from Wolfram Alpha for a quick figure.

Looking Back at Norah Renée

Exactly one year ago to the date and time, we welcomed my daughter into this world.  Everyday since then, my wife and I have been living a truly blessed life with such a vibrant, loving, huggable, and curious little munchkin.  As cliché as it sounds,  I really can't believe how fast time has gone by.  Happy Birthday to you Ms. Norah Renée.  Momma and I can't wait to celebrate and share more life experiences with you! Here's a photo of Norah at six months pushing herself up and staring back at me.  Not staged, not planned, my wife captured this wonderful moment.  The photo below is also unedited.

I've also just entered the photo into the I Shot It Child Competition 2013 No 3 for kicks and giggles. So far, with my entry, I'm at number 470. Ends in five days and there are so many great photos!!!  Wish us luck.

If you really want to know more about the composition and the photo, check out Jeffrey's Exif Viewer.  Here are the basic details: Olympus OM-D E-M5 ISO 800 1/40 f1.4 25mm

What's in Your Pockets?

Now this is an amazing jacket. I've been seriously considering a Scottevest for quite sometime and this might be the winner. Watch the video below. http://youtu.be/oY7elyTHWMk

You can hide both an iPad and a MacBook Air 13" and not have to bring cases makes this the ultimate coffee shop tech vest. Co-designed with #1 New York Times Best Selling author Brad Thor, it's set to debut next month in September. I was on a Mitch Rapp kick for a while but I'll have to start-up his series too when I'm finally done with Game of Thrones!

Coffee in San Diego

It's exciting when San Diego makes it into the top ten of anything and this time my beautiful home town squeaked into the top ten best coffee cities in America.  This of course comes without surprise that the Travel and Leisure article mentions Bird Rock Coffee Roasters.

While you're here, I also wanted to add Dark Horse Coffee Roasters to the mix.  Just a few days ago, I was able to take a trip down to Daniel's lovely shop where he was roasting on site.  Let me tell you, the smell was intoxicating!  I ordered a satisfying cold brew which was steeped 24 hours in a Toddy.  If I didn't come off a mile walk, I would have easily gone for a hot cup where they use a Bee House Coffee Drip for their pour overs.  Come check it out and grab a cup!

via Travel And Leisure

Cheap Tickets, Airline Tickets

Yes you read the title right. airline tickets are cheaper than ever before.  We might feel like we are paying more these days and complain about the cheap, no-frills experience but what do you want and how much are you willing to pay for it?  Bottom line is this: tickets are on the rise, pilot pay is at an all time low with some companies asking for more concessions and the airplanes have never been this full.  Can the ticket prices get any higher?

Unfortunately, maybe.  Even my buddy passes have either disappeared or are impossible to use because of the high load factors.

In 1974, it was illegal for an airline to charge less than $1,442 in inflation-adjusted dollars for a flight between New York City and Los Angeles. On Kayak, just now, I found one for $278.

via The Atlantic: How Airline Ticket Prices Fell 50% in 30 Years (and Why Nobody Noticed)