If you’re still reading this blog you must be a real fan. Or just plain bored. So I’ll indulge you with some entertainment.

You would’ve noticed by now how rebelpixel.com looks very different to how it has always been for some years now. I always liked it grey. Now though, it’s in boring white that I think is quite a refreshing change. (You wouldn’t know that though if you’re reading this in an RSS reader.) But I guess “fresh” wouldn’t be staying for long.

If you’re reading this on a Mac with a fairly recent browser, you’d think the new minimalistic look blends well with the @font-face embedded font I’m using: Museo Sans. This works in Firefox 3.5 (and the recently released 3.6), Safari, and Google Chrome. Unfortunately, if you’re on Linux or Windows, @font-face rendering can go bad. In my current case, really bad. Look:

Firefox/Mac text rendering just blows aways its Firefox/Windows counterpart, though I honestly feel it’s more of the operating system’s fault. Google Chrome shows us the same trend:

Note how Chrome (and Safari as shown below) renders the text inside <blockquote> tag. It’s supposed to be in italic as defined in CSS though I did not declare an italic sub–font for Museo Sans. Firefox tries to make italics out of the single embedded font file while it’s ignored in Webkit–based browsers. What should be the right behavior? I honestly have no clue.

Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 paints a different picture: it ignored my EOT–encoded fonts and simply rendered text using the next available typeface in the CSS font stack. It’s broken and familiar; silently I think I’d rather take that compared to the rendering inconsistencies in embedded fonts.

Welcome to web design in 2010—it’s almost just like a decade ago.

Now I should really fix this design.

@font-face css3 web typography
2010.01.30

Last week, Conan O’Brien’s run with NBC’s “The Tonight Show” abruptly came to a halt after what many consider a wrong move by the network’s top executives. It was a sweet seven–month run, and I don’t think the show will ever be as fun again. Not with Leno doing it. But you’ve got to give it to Coco for saying the right thing as everything ends:

I hate cynicism. It’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.

Now what’s left for me to watch with Conan off the air until at least September 1? I firmly believe Conan’s coming back big with a show worthy of all this drama. He’s always been known for his weird brand of comedy, and I’ll be looking forward to it. And it will somehow feel like this commencement address he gave to the Harvard class of 2000:

I’ve dwelled on my failures today because, as graduates of Harvard, your biggest liability is your need to succeed. Your need to always find yourself on the sweet side of the bell curve. Because success is a lot like a bright, white tuxedo. You feel terrific when you get it, but then you’re desperately afraid of getting it dirty, of spoiling it in any way.

I left the cocoon of Harvard, I left the cocoon of Saturday Night Live, I left the cocoon of The Simpsons. And each time it was bruising and tumultuous. And yet, every failure was freeing, and today I’m as nostalgic for the bad as I am for the good.

So, that’s what I wish for all of you: the bad as well as the good. Fall down, make a mess, break something occasionally. And remember that the story is never over. If it’s all right, I’d like to read a little something from just this year: “Somehow, Conan O’Brien has transformed himself into the brightest star in the Late Night firmament. His comedy is the gold standard and Conan himself is not only the quickest and most inventive wit of his generation, but quite possible the greatest host ever.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, Class of 2000, I wrote that this morning, as proof that, when all else fails, there’s always delusion.

I’ll go now, to make bigger mistakes and to embarrass this fine institution even more. But let me leave you with one last thought: If you can laugh at yourself loud and hard every time you fall, people will think you’re drunk.

Surely, amazing things will happen.

conan obrien the tonight show the tonight show with conan obrien
2010.01.26

Around this time last year, I posted some Sinulog photos from way back 2008. Now here’s the rest of them, taken a day before at the Basilica del Santo Niño.

Though I grew up in Cebu until I was five, I could hardly remember if I got to watch it before. So when my mom and dad offered me to join their almost–annual trip for Sinulog, I gladly obliged.

I remember losing my phone (and very my old globe number/SIM); I was distraught about it that I was so hesitant about getting a new number or a postpaid subscription. Globe gladly gave me a custom number I want though, but now I realize I hardly use all of my G–Flex consumable credits.

I would’ve wanted to take the 5Dmk2 for this year’s Sinulog if not for the busy sked. On second thought, it’s rather scary if tragedy decides to strikes twice with me holding a few–days–old camera. Yikes.

Most of these photos were taken in color with my 400D, and they would’ve looked nice, though I think Sinulog in color is too common that I’d rather see them differently. But instead of giving them the Photoshop treatment, I chose Picasa’s basic editing and B&W conversion. I think they turned out well.

Read more →

400d festivals photos sinulog
2010.01.21

The last time I ran an FoF installment was around four months ago, but today’s a fine day for the very first one of 2010. After all, the main star of this blog entry screams “five” quite loudly: the Canon EOS–5D Mark II. Christmas came a few weeks late though there’s reason for me to complain now, except for the sad fact that I’m almost dirt–poor once more.

I have no regrets acquiring this camera though it took me quite some time to go over the psychological barrier of purchasing something this lewdly expensive. But I think it’s worth every peso, and peso, and peso, and peso, and peso…

If you’ve set your eyes on a 5D Mark II yourself, let me give you five good reasons to make your decision reasonable:

• Image Quality. I’ve always thought Canon digital SLR cameras produce excellent images, and my 40D and 400D always proved that. The 5Dmk2 though is a different beast. Everything looks smoother yet sharper, with almost no noticeable noise at ISO 1600.
• ISO Range. The 5Dmk2 goes up to ISO 6400 with an expansion option providing an albeit noisy 12800. At 2500 (and 3200), images are just as good as 1600 from previous Canon DSLRs. Pairing the cheap 50mm f1/.8 with the 5Dmk2 at ISO 6400, we finally have a camera that can see more than the naked eye in barely–lit environments. Yes, that’s no joke, but you’d have to focus it manually of course.
• Top–notch Metering. My older 40D was no slouch at metering, but the 5Dmk2 meters as if it reads what your eyes and brain want to see.
• Excellent Ergonomics and Handling. Just like most recent Canon digital SLR cameras, the 5Dmk2 has almost every button on the right spot. Intuitive controls in a solid body that feels like it can take a good beating. My only complaint is the power switch, which is better positioned in the more recent 7D.
• Full HD Video Shooting. Though I’m no good at video editing, it’s still a pleasure to have a tool that shoots 1080P movies right at your hands. With a good prime lens, you can play with selective focusing and blur that makes you feel like you’re shooting a cinematic epic.

There you have it, the 5Dmk2 on Five on Friday. How about you, what did you get yourself for Christmas?

5dmk2 five on friday lx3 photos
2010.01.08

I’m just glad to finally see 2009 go. I don’t know about you, but that last year of the decade turned out to be at least tragic for a lot of us and it’s nice to know we’re finally starting a new decade. The noughties was definitely tumultuous.

2009 wasn’t a good blogging year for me either:

With stats like this clearly showing my blogging decline in the last five years, I’m better off sticking to Plurk and Twitter for microblogging. Oh, but I’m terribly bad at that too.

Last year, I had great plans to turn this blog around and do better blogging. This year though, I might as well just do things as they come and make no promises. Maybe that will work. I hope.

Anyway, here’s to a great year and decade ahead of us. We all need it.

2009 noughties stats year-in-stats
2010.01.07

photos
2009.12.04

If it’s not rage that burns in your heart, then what is it?

2009.11.26