Got this from my friend, Tom, a while back and forgot to share it. Give it a try — it can’t make things any worse.

Apparently, once protected cell phone numbers have been released to telemarketing companies. Their calls are not only annoying, but depending on your call plan, you can be charged for their intrusion.

To help prevent this, call the National Do Not Call list, from your cell phone, at:

888-382-1222

It’s very easy, and blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked.

Pass this on to others you know too… Tom

I’m cleaning house these days, trying to get rid of items I no longer use or need.

It’s tragic, in a way. You spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on an item, use it for a few years (if that long) and find that it’s value had dropped to a fraction of what you paid for it. That’s not bad if you still use it. But if you’ve replaced it with a newer or better model, you’re stuck with something that has no value to you.

And that’s the key: no value. Once you realize that something is nearly worthless to you, it’s easy to put it on eBay to see what it’s worth to someone else.

That’s what I’ve been doing this week: putting my old stuff on eBay.

As I write this, the following items are up to bid:

• Dual G5 PowerMac computer
• 20″ Sony Triniton monitor
• 2 USB/Firewire Hubs
• Olympus microrecorder
• Nikon 6006 Camera body (see photo above)
• 2 USB Bluetooth Adapters

My old stuff can be your new treasure. Stop by and see what’s currently up for grabs.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know I’ve been spending a lot of time with photographers lately in some of the most outstanding scenic areas of Arizona. I’ve had a lot of downtime on these trips, waiting for passengers, etc. I brought along my Nikon D80 camera with the 3 lenses I used to use on my old film cameras, a pair of Nikon 6006s. (I still have those camera bodies in excellent condition. They’re great for anyone interested in working with film. Make me an offer.)

Again, I’m not a great photographer, but I do get lucky once in a while. It’s hard to come away without any good photos when you’re in a beautiful place and have a camera capable of storing 300+ 10-megapixel images on a single card. Digital cameras give us the luxury of experimentation without cost. We can try different lenses and different aperture or shutter speed settings. We can shoot a dozen photos of the same thing at different times of the day. Something has to come out okay or even — dare I say it? — good.

A lot of the photographers I’ve been working with — Mike Reyfman and Jon Davison come to mind — do a lot of work with wide angle lenses. The photos look great, the curvature gives the images a certain character. And Jon even showed me how to remove the curvature when it isn’t wanted (although I admit I forgot how; I’ll have to research that again in Photoshop documentation).

Although lens collection includes a 28-85 mm zoom lens, I only recently discovered that a 28 mm lens for a film camera doesn’t give you a 28 mm focal length on a digital camera. There’s a conversion factor, which I looked up for my camera: 1.5. That means the focal length of my lens is 1.5 times whatever the lens is labeled. So, for example, a 28 mm lens is resulting in a 42 mm focal length. (Please, someone, correct me if I’m getting this wrong. This is my understanding and I’m not an optics expert.)

This explains why I’m not getting the curvature effect I was looking for with my “wide angle” lens.

So I did some research and found that Nikon makes a 18-55 mm lens. I saw the retail price and decided to see if I could do better on eBay. I did. I bought a used lens in pretty good (but not “mint,” as advertised) condition on eBay for $81 including shipping. I got to play with it on Sunday when we were goofing off at the local airport. The photos you see with this post are examples. I didn’t have much to work with in the way of subject matter, so I took a few shots of my car (parked in front of my hangar) and a cool little airplane sitting out on the ramp.

But, as I expected, this curvature wasn’t enough. I wanted more. It looked like I’d have to go with a fisheye lens, which I’d already been researching and bidding on on eBay. I kept losing the auctions. The lenses were going for $700+ and one used one slipped out of my grasp for $620. My top bid was in the low $500s, and even that was more money than I wanted to spend.

Then there’s the condition of the lens that arrived on Saturday. The seller said it was used, but also said it was in “mint” condition. In my mind, “mint” condition means perfect. It doesn’t mean dusty, like it’s been sitting on a shelf for half a year. It doesn’t mean accompanied by a skylight filter that has dust on both sides. And it certainly doesn’t mean dust on either end of the lens. This was not mint. I couldn’t complain because I thought I’d gotten a good deal, but I wasn’t about to spend $700 on another lens and have it arrive in the same condition. For that kind of money, I wanted a brand new lens in a box.

I lost my most recent bid on a 10.5 mm lens on eBay. Just for the hell of it, I decided to check Amazon.com. And guess what? They had the same lens, brand new in a box from a camera dealer, for $589 with free shipping.

So what the hell was I doing on eBay?

I bought the lens on Amazon.com.

I also learned a few valuable lessons here:

• eBay should be the discount seller of last resort when buying an expensive item.
• Buy used only when condition is not vitally important. (To me, it’s vital that photographic equipment be in pristine condition.)
• Do your homework on an item’s pricing in at least four other places before placing any eBay bids.
• And of course, the rule we should all know: don’t get auction fever when bidding on eBay.

The good news of all this is that I still have about $300 left from some “found money.” (I unexpectedly sold some post-level advertising on this site, resulting in a little windfall of mad money.) And when the new lens arrives, I know it’ll really be in “mint” condition.

I just wanted to take a minute to share one of my Grand Canyon secrets: The low-budget rooms at Bright Angel Lodge.

I’m sitting in one now. It’s small — perhaps 10 x 12 — and features a neat full-sized bed with a single night table, four drawer dresser, desk, and chair. There are two windows overlooking a deserted area filled with bushes and wildflowers. There’s a toilet, a sink, and a telephone. There’s heat if I’m cold and a fan if I’m hot. There’s a small closet, too.

But what there isn’t is what makes this room less desirable to the average American tourist, thus keeping the price down: there’s no shower, television, or air conditioning.

The shower is down the hall in a private, lockable, two-part room that includes a dressing area and a shower. That’s not a big deal — how many showers does a person take during an 18-hour hotel stay?

As for television, who needs that when the Grand Canyon’s South Rim (see photo) is less than 50 paces out the door?

And air conditioning? The Grand Canyon seldom gets hot enough to need that. (I do expect to make use of the baseboard heater tonight.)

The price for all this non-luxury steps away from one of the most awesome sights on earth: $61.91 per night, including all taxes.

Hell, I’ve paid more than that at a Motel 6.

Best of all, the housekeeping staff didn’t spray a whole bottle of room freshener in here.