So, the squirrel-proof birdfeeder comprises two hemispheres, hung via a string, with the sphere being held open by a spring. The idea is that when the Evil Mr. Squirrel decides to plunder the birdseed, he’ll have to put his weight on the upper hemisphere, thereby compressing the spring, thereby closing the gap and leaving him bereft of plunder opportunity. Birds, on the other hand, can alight directly on the rim of the lower hemisphere or enter inside. Here’s a picture of proper operation:

Squirrel-resistant birdfeeder in operation, as per design

Alas, Evil Mr. Squirrel has two attacks on this system. The first is to climb onto the string, and swing violently back and forth until the seed falls from the feeder, then he harvests from below.

The second attack is to climb down the string, and jump repeatedly until he manages to catch the edge of the lower hemisphere, and somehow vault himself up. His Evil agility scarcely believable…

Inside the defenses.

Caught in the act!

So in the middle of taking a set of pictures, I noticed that my D90 was not actually saving the pictures I took. The mirror would flip up, the shutter would click, but the display would show the same older picture again.

I tried the usual suspects. Turning the camera off and on. Changing the directory on the card where files were supposed to save. Swapping out memory cards. Reformatting memory cards. Doing the two-button reset. Doing the menu reset. Pulling out and then replacing the battery.

I could shoot a picture with a blank memory card installed, and the display would say “Folder contains no images.”

I searched on the internet for this symptom, and found no other reports of it.

Here’s what finally cured it:
* switch into LiveView mode
* take a picture – this will fail
* take another picture – this will succeed
* switch out of LiveView mode

Et voila! Now it works. I don’t know if this is reproducible, nor if I’m just heading down a path toward permanent issues, but I figured it would be worth posting just in case anyone else has the same issue.

Well, the screen issues continue, but at least the missing pixel columns are in designer colors:



Resetting the graphics subsystem sometimes cures it, sometimes just changes the color. Thus far, it’s always cured itself eventually.

So, in the middle of working on something, the balance of luminiferous ether in the universe must have come unhinged, because every other column of pixels on my screen went black:

View at full resolution to see detail

I tried the usual tricks, to no avail. I figured it was a hardware connector issue, so got an appointment at the Apple store. However, to my annoyance and chagrin, the problem has proved intermittent. It “cures itself” and then recurs. This supported my theory that it was a connector issue, or so I thought.

The Apple Genius, however, taught me a trick to reset the graphics subsystem: shift + control + eject

The last time the problem arose, this trick *did* cure it.

So the question is – is my graphics card going south? Is this some bug in recently installed software (Snow Leopard, the new version of iStat Menus, or Final Cut Express)? Could it be entirely due to my attitude? Or was the reset cure also a coincidence? Only time will tell.

I was private-messaged this morning. I’ve redacted the nick-name of the person contacting me, and made a few minor typo fixes. Unfortunately, this is not all that unusual…

[09:56] [redacted]: [link to bug report]
[09:57] [redacted]: I need these features.. 🙂
[09:57] _SjG_: hi
[09:57] [redacted]: very good module but not working.. 🙁
[09:58] _SjG_: it’s been a long time since I’ve done any work on the module
[09:58] [redacted]: any other guys?
[09:58] _SjG_: well, I do intend to do some upgrades on it, but paying work keeps getting higher priority
[09:59] [redacted]: i see
[09:59] [redacted]: it is method to get money? 🙂 leave small bugs and do works for money?
[10:00] [redacted]: i see this not first time
[10:00] _SjG_: no, it’s just that I only have so many hours in a day
[10:01] [redacted]: i am not asking you to do this
[10:01] [redacted]: just asking wht to do?
[10:01] [redacted]: its not working..
[10:01] _SjG_: I understand. It’s on my list of things to fix
[10:02] [redacted]: any other solution? other developer who can finish this small thing?
[10:02] _SjG_: you can ask
[10:03] _SjG_: I don’t know if anyone’s working on it
[10:03] _SjG_: Maybe [redacted] — he was doing some FormBuilder work
[10:05] [redacted]: strange..
[10:06] [redacted]: i had so much doubt about choosing this cms..
[10:06] [redacted]: now i see
[10:07] _SjG_: if you’re trying to make me feel guilty for not immediately fixing the problem, you’re not going to succeed. I do this as a volunteer. I have a full-time job in addition.
[10:09] _SjG_: You can try Joomla, and see if they’re more responsive.
[10:09] [redacted]: so other have too 🙂 but they not publishing modules with bugs I spent so much time and now i see that i should do everything with other cms
[10:10] _SjG_: You can always fix it yourself, and be a contributor
[10:10] [redacted]: i am not programmer thanks god 🙂
[10:12] _SjG_: no, you’re just a person with an unreasonable expectation of everybody doing your work for you. Sorry. Try being a contributor (in any way whatsoever), and I’d be more sympathetic.
[10:13] [redacted]: what?
[10:13] _SjG_: but coming in with a sense of entitlement and insults isn’t going to win you much support.
[10:13] [redacted]: i am just person who choose product like idiot
[10:14] [redacted]: i made a research it fits my need or not
[10:14] [redacted]: and that damn module is buged
[10:14] [redacted]: thats it
[10:14] _SjG_: yes, and it’s on the list of things to be fixed. what’s your point?
[10:14] _SjG_: I’m not dropping everything to make you happy?
[10:14] [redacted]: and developer say that he need money for this or i can fuck off
[10:14] _SjG_: That’s actually not what I said
[10:15] [redacted]: ha ha 🙂
[10:15] _SjG_: I said that it’s on my list of things to fix, but paid projects have taken priority
[10:15] _SjG_: I have bills to pay, you know
[10:15] [redacted]: you think other is too stupid?
[10:15] [redacted]: ok
[10:15] [redacted]: now i see situation
[10:16] _SjG_: I have a list of projects, each of which I go through and fix bugs as I have the time
[10:16] [redacted]: i will do some work in forums and so on to clear the situation for other people who can be fished like this
[10:16] _SjG_: I also get hundreds of feature requests
[10:17] _SjG_: and everyone is just like you, thinking that their project more important than my life, so I should just do their work for them and thank them
[10:17] [redacted]: so i am guilty to choose not working module ? 🙂
[10:17] _SjG_: no, you’re guilty of being impatient
[10:18] _SjG_: and insulting me when I try to explain the situation
[10:18] [redacted]: 🙂 ok
[10:18] _SjG_: accusing me of extortion by intentionally leaving in bugs
[10:18] _SjG_: do you know how many hour a week I put into writing this stuff?
[10:18] [redacted]: how much do you want for fixing this?
[10:19] _SjG_: it’s on the list to be fixed. I have several paying jobs I’m working on now. It will be done after I complete them.
[10:20] [redacted]: i talk with you just 10 min, but i understand that it will be fixed in 5 years 🙂
[10:20] _SjG_: well, there’s just one of me
[10:21] _SjG_: I’d work faster, but I do occasionally like to sleep, talk to my wife, etc
[10:22] [redacted]: maybe do the work till the end? 🙂
[10:22] [redacted]: and only then post them?
[10:22] [redacted]: or dont think that other stupid? 🙂
[10:23] [redacted]: ok i will find some person and pay the money
[10:23] [redacted]: but not for you mtf
[10:24] _SjG_: Dude, with your attitude, I would have charged you the “go to hell” price anyway