The Endeavor Flyover

On September 21, the space shuttle Endeavor flew over Los Angeles.  I made my way to Griffith Observatory to watch it fly by.


This kid got a lot of attention.

Endeavor was scheduled to fly by around 11am.  I got there around 9am and it was already very crowded.  I parked at the lot for the Greek Theater and took a shuttle to the top.  I would have hiked to the Observatory, but I brought my mom.  The line for the shuttles took about 30 minutes.


Lots of TV crews were there.

Endeavor didn't arrive until about noon.  Everyone expected it to arrive from the west, but it's first approach was from the southeast.  Most people didn't see it because it was so low, it was hidden by the Observatory and some trees.



Endeavor looped around and came in from the west like everyone expected and flew directly overhead. 


Even my Nokia 808 Pureview's full zoom doesn't quite capture how close overhead Endeavor was on the second pass.



Endeavor started another loop towards JPL in Pasadena.  Then it flew behind Mount Lee where the Hollywood Sign is.  After cornering around Universal Studios, it made one more pass for the Observatory.


This is a favorite of mine.


Perfect!


I had my mom had my old N8 and turned the video on.  The video came out awful.


There were plenty of people who watched from Mount Hollywood.  Someone fell and an LAFD helicopter had to rescue them.


I shot this video of the rescue in 360P to get full use of the Nokia 808 Pureview's zoom capability.

Dethklok at the Hollywood Palladium

I saw Dethklok last Tuesday at the Hollywood Palladium. Here's some photos.

I used my html skills to make a table.


Look for the clown who likes cocaine.



These videos came out amazing.  I found a nice spot with a barrier to rest my arm on to get very stable video.

Machine Head at the Hollywood Palladium

Here's some photos from Machine Head at the Hollywood Palladium last night.








Machine Head opened with "This is the End". While the Palladium was incredibly loud, the sound recorded on my Nokia 808 Pureview is remarkably clear.

Betrayal

Last Friday, I was playing Betrayal At House On The Hill. I was revealed as the traitor of the group.In service to the Demon Lord, I turned their bodies into a throne of flesh.


Nokia 808 Pureview | Meet the Demon Lord

Butterflies at the Pacfic Science Center

After visiting King Tut, I visited the Butterfly garden at the Pacific Science Center. This was quite a challenge for me and my Nokia 808 Pureview.   Setting up close up shots with rapidly moving subjects was quite difficult. 


I got the focus wrong on this one.


A still butterfly and a blurry one in mid-flight.


I use this one as a background on my main homescreen.


Lots of species were in the garden.


The butterflies had plenty to eat.


It was very warm and humid in the garden. I guess to simulate a rainforest.


More feeding and another blurry butterfly in flight.


Here's a good one.


Couldn't get good shot of that blue one.

King Tut at the Pacific Science Center

I visited the Pacific Science Center to see their Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs exhibit. I was not allowed to use my Nokia 808 Pureview's flash in these photos.

Here's some statues.

Some heads.

More statues.

A relief of a woman.

A toilet seat.

A cat sarcophagus.

Left, a stela. Right, a relief of a pharaoh.

Large relief fragments.

Left, a very large statue.  Right, a queen's coffin.

A golden mask.

A cup and a vase.

A collar and a diadem.

A tiny statue, a necklace and a ring.

A boat.

A little bird statue.

Emblem poles.

Close up of the first one.

Fancy gold work.

Gold fingers.

Gold shoes.

This is a replica of King Tut's mummy. It was made using x-rays. This is the last thing you see after exiting the gift shop.