Here are a few things you might enjoy reading or watching while I'm off saving democracy:
Read about the senate recount at Bitch PhD
Look at pretty pictures from Kenya.
Watch the funny cop video HERE at The Science Pundit.
Find out about the Next Species Predicted to Be Lost to Climate Change.
Consider, and comment on, the links between Science and Science Fiction. Here and here.
I'm thinking about buying a slide scanner for the Blog Basement. What should I do?
Comments
so while counting votes, do you just count the actual ballots, or is there a comparison between the ballots and the people who signed there names to a register?
Posted by: Rob | November 19, 2008 10:07 AM
I see two viable options for a slide scanner. I use a 24Mpx Nikon Super CoolScan 4000ED, which was replaced by the 5000ED. They also make the less expensive V ED if your grant money doesn't cover $1200 for a film scanner. I'm not sure if there's a Linux driver for it or not, but VueScan from Hamrick Software supports it if I recall correctly. (I suppose I could turn it on and check...)
Option 2 is a macro lens for your SLR, a light table or strobe-on-a-rope and a tripod. That gets you scans at whatever the resolution of your camera is.
Posted by: Ben Zvan | November 22, 2008 11:25 AM
Rob: This is a recount of each and every actual ballot. Indeed, this recount is THE count. Any prior info from machines, audits, etc. is irrelevant. This. is. the. count.
(a phrase apparently not totally understood by all involved in the process, or so I hear)
Ben, thanks for the info. This is not grant money. This would be a personal scanner. I'm wondering about the used market.
Posted by: Greg Laden | November 22, 2008 11:43 AM
We all have different definitions of grant money. For example, if I am granted the money, then I can buy stuff.
If you can find/purchase the bulk slide attachment for my CoolScan 4000, you're welcome to use it for a while. Actually, you're probably welcome to use it for a while, but the bulk loader would be nice.
Posted by: Ben Zvan | November 22, 2008 11:52 AM
How much does a bulk attachment cost?
Posted by: Greg Laden | November 22, 2008 11:57 AM
Discontinued and half what it used to cost, but still not cheap. Might be worth it to be able to load 50 slides at a time, though.
Posted by: Stephanie Z | November 22, 2008 12:25 PM
Well, this then becomes a philosophical issue. One hand I value the idea of being able to pop a slide in to a slide scanner whenever I feel like it. On the other hand, I like the idea of spending several hours a day for several days scanning several thousand slides efficiently. On the third hand, maybe I need both, and can have the scan-on demand by simply using my existing scanner to scan the occassinal slide, that scanner being good enough for web-use with its little slide attachment thingie (which I think I have somewhere)
Posted by: Greg Laden | November 22, 2008 12:28 PM
Greg, ask around. Advertise on Freecycle for your city. With slides being "old technology" there have to be some out there that people want to get rid of, especially to someone who will use them.
Or maybe there's a photography club that will lend you one in exchange for a lecture on taking good wildlife photos or specimen photos.
Posted by: Monado in Toronto | November 22, 2008 12:36 PM
At the very least, Greg, I recommend borrowing ours for a bit. Whether you do the bulk scanning, you'll get an idea of what you like and don't in a slide scanner.
You'll also know what kind of quality to aim for in a permanent scanner, because really, our scanner is highly excessive for most purposes. It was worth paying what we did because we were able to stop paying for professional drum scanning of advertising photos.
Posted by: Stephanie Z | November 22, 2008 1:28 PM