Long ago there was a post regarding my camera and its handy memory card. Well, that camera finally filled itself with so much sawdust that it was no longer able to take a recognizable picture.  I didn't want to be wasteful and just chuck it, so I sent it back to Nikon and asked them to please repair it.  Unfortunately, the economics made no sense: when the quote came, it was for 50% more than a factory refurbished model.  Alas. 
So I asked that they send it back to me (still en route).  Now that I know that it's economically irreparable, I'll be a little braver about trying my own lens disassembly/cleaning/reassembly.  In the meantime I bought one of those factory refurbs.  It just arrived!  However, as is sometimes the case with refurbs, the quality isn't max-tops.  There are some little scratches on the housing, which is no big deal, totally understandable.  Also, though, when I went to insert the battery, the little battery restraint tab broke and flew across the room!  Noooooooooooo!  The associated spring is seemingly unfindable.
Nevertheless, the camera is still usable, and the pictures are much clearer than those taken with the the old one.  So this is progress.
reflects well upon me?
That's the new camera, reflected in the screen of the phone that has served as my camera since the other one went terminally blurry.  The bits in the foreground are the broken battery restraint.
So here's what I like about this camera: it's cheap, small, light, did I mention cheap?  Yet it still can take a decent close-up, which is what I usually get excited about when documenting our handiwork.
[Jennifer]    So, a few weeks back we mentioned that AKT HQ has been under siege by squirrels.  I think maybe some of you suspect hyperbolation is at work.  Please understand, we're not kidding around.  This is serious business.  

A little back-story may help set this situation in context:  Our office is located in a lovely wooded area in East Tennessee.  We're surrounded by trees, plants, birds, turtles, etc - it's a fantastic little ecosystem at work.  Adan does computer work at his desk in the yellow office next to a window.  When we remember, we like to hang up some birdfeed to attract birds, because Adan's into bird watching.  Birdfeed attracts birds, birds attract cats, cats attract hilarity.  

We're still new to this bird-baiting business, and Adan has observed that different types of suet seemed to attract different types of birds.  Recently, he tried a peanut flavored suet in the bird cage.  Wow.  Not sure what kinds of birds are particularly fond of peanuts, but I know for sure that the squirrels went bananas over this stuff.  The suet was like Sirius Black crumbling into a million little ice crystals at the climax of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  (At least I think that's how that one ended.  Who can rememeber that stuff?)  Anyway, it was gone in minutes, without a trace.  We were left to wonder what happens when one squirrel eats that much food that quickly.  And also, we were left with an empty bird cage and no birds.

Almost immediately, the punk squirrel started demanding more peanut crack suet.  He climbed all over the tree, shook the empty bird feeder, pointed to it, gesticulated wildly, and generally carried on as you would expect a tiny little addict going into peanut withdrawal to behave.  Then he went on the offensive:  
Anyone know if squirrels are strong enough to break through 1/8" thick non-tempered glass?  

Next:  We need to set out some kind of food that would attract an animal that will chase away the squirrels.  Suggestions are welcome.  Maybe mountain lion bait?