The Bat in the Room

Last night I came home from work to discover a bat sitting in the middle of the floor.  I'd actually finished my supper before I even noticed it.  There it was, a little black and brown hairy ball blended in perfectly with the polished concrete floors.  I wasn't sure what it was at first, just that I didn't want it there.  Gross.

I grabbed a broom to poke what was now clearly a bat and just as the bristles approached his body he turned his little head and let out a soft hiss.  OH SH*T!  This thing is still alive! As though I wasn't already grossed out by this veiny armed little rodent, now I had to be concerned that I was going to piss him off. 

You might think I'm just being a baby about this, but this isn't actually the first time I've had my run in with a bat.  No, back in the summer of 2006 when I was working one of my summer jobs I came across a bat hiding in the crease of a bag in the storage shed.  Same type deal.  I poked him, he hissed, and in a final effort to get him off the bag he took flight and lunged in my direction.  I can't remember ever running so fast.

With this story still fresh in my mind I was pretty sure I didn't want this little guy flying around my loft and getting lost behind the ducts or in one of my bookshelves.  It's the ducts, by the way, that I assume allowed him in in the first place.  Like I said, I live in a loft and all of the duct work is exposed with small screwable covers that allow the air in.  Somehow he found himself in the ducts and then fell out into my apartment.  FYI, I've now screwed all of the covers closed.

Anyway, so with the poking a no go, I opted for the home exterminators most versatile tool, the mighty plastic bucket.  I actually taped it to the end of my broom and gently lowered it on top of him.  Then I removed the broom, holding the bucket in place, and used a thin piece of cardboard to gently tuck underneath.  This pissed off my furry friend.  Although I knew there was no way he could get out, as soon as the cardboard reached him he began loudly hissing, then squeaking, then moving about.  Feeling the movement probably grossed me out the most.

My biggest fear the entire time was that he was going to start flying around, which was why I was probably more hesitant and cautious than I really needed to be.

Now holding the cardboard and the bucket, I had the bat in a makeshift prison and was on the move.  I had already gone through the trouble of opening my door as well as the door at the end of the hallway so there was no chance that I'd drop this guy and have to do this again.  He started flapping and I could feel my adrenaline surge as I became increasingly nervous that I'd slip up and he'd escape the bucket in a fit of rage, thirsty for revenge, out for the kill, with the taste of blood fresh in his mind!  That, or I was just genuinely scared of this thing.  One or the other.

I got him outside and left the bucket behind the dumpster.  If he wasn't already near death from the heat, he'll have escaped and should be fine.  Really, I'm just glad that I didn't wake up in the middle of the night to something flapping around my place.  I would've had to pull out the Nerf gun and that's a more complicated strategy than the one with the bucket. Yup, it was just another day in the life of a video editor.

Vintage View-Master (1950s)

Tucked away in a basement cabinet at my folks place I found my mom's old View-Master from the early fifties.  I remember we had the red plastic ones when I was a kid - my first time working with film reels (sorta).  I never actually used this one, but I'm pretty sure my older brother must have as there were reels from several decades.   

The collection of reels included everything from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation ceremony.  I always loved storybooks on my View-Master, especially the ones where the scenes had been constructed like stop motion animations.  When you added the 3D element, it was a really neat visual toy that made you want to explore as many reels as possible.

This vintage View-Master (Model C) was made out of metal and was manufactured between 1946 and 1955.  In contrast to the plastic ones of my childhood, this ones metal shutter felt far more mechanical.  

It's been kept in a neat little wooden box.  The reels are stored on one side, and a small cubby provides a place for the View-Master to sit. This box was obviously custom made as the original view-master packaging was a cardboard box.

Reels of historical events or world wonders like Niagara Falls were particularly interesting to find.  I saw Niagara Falls over a decade ago in 2000, and I always find it fascinating to compare how much things have changed, or how you remember something and then see it differently.

Some of the View-Master reels were showing their age and were a bit fragile, but much like the coins I collect, I actually prefer stuff like this when it's clear that it's had a history. Especially when it's involving my family. 

I imagine they still make View-Masters, however there's a lot more competition out there these days.  It is still a pretty charming and unique toy though. I appreciate the novelty of it even more now than I did when I was little.

Problems With Avid Studio

While I still stand by my initial review of Avid Studio in saying what a great product it is, I thought it might be worth while to write about a few of the things that I'd like to see improved upon for the next version.  This is probably useful information for any of you considering Avid Studio as one of your editing platforms.

1.  No Archive Feature

In the latest version of Pinnacle 15 an archive restore feature was introduced that oddly wasn't included in the more prosumer and 'upgraded' package of Avid Studio.  Pinnacle 15 lacks the unlimited tracks and technical finesse that Avid does, however it seems like a strange decision not to include this new tool that prosumers or corporate editors like myself would gravitate towards, in a package more costly than the standard Pinnacle software.  

2. Slow Rendering Time

While not the slowest editing software I've ever used, Avid Studio could still use some improvement in this area.  Even with a powerful video card and more memory than I need, Avid doesn't always pack enough punch to render filters or transitions as quickly as you'd hope - especially in the live viewing mode.  

3. Slow Start Up

When I'm moving files around on my computer and I want to pop open Avid Studio to get to work, I'm generally annoyed with how long the program takes to open up.  It loads and refreshes, and generally takes its sweet time.

4. A Few Bugs

This is more of a general complaint as the program hasn't been nearly as buggy as previous Pinnacle studio products I've used, however Avid Studio still isn't perfect.  On occasion the program gets bogged down and the live renders kind of skip and glitch in preview mode.  The renders themselves are fine, but it's frustrating when you can't preview beforehand. 

5. Not 64-Bit (Technically)

Although it's said that Avid Studio is optimized for 64-bit, it's still not a native 64-bit program.  This one actually doesn't bother me personally, but I know others have expressed concern about this.

6. No Multi-Trim Tool

One feature I've enjoyed in other programs is a multi-trim tool that allows you to set your in and out points on a clip without having to cut it into multiple pieces to remove something from the middle of a piece of footage.  At the moment, Avid Studio doesn't have this.

Overall however, Avid Studio is still a very capable and well rounded piece of software.  I've used it numerous times for various styles of editing and I've yet to regret the investment.  There's always room for improvement though, isn't there?