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[quote=spdrun]

I’d agree — don’t have cameras in my apartment. Even if I did catch a face, unless the thief was local and known to the local precinct, how likely would the police be to find him/her?
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That’s what the license plate camera is for. 🙂

And so far, for the two arrestable events, we are batting 50%.

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I do miss that show Paramount.

It was a classic.

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I just did a pretty complete investigation and purchase of a new system.

If you buy the cheap systems at Costco et. al. about all you’ll be able to tell is someone was there. Quality sucks so getting a clear face shot is pretty impossible unless the camera is within 10-15 feet of the subject.

I had one of these systems that I ditched the first time it recorded an important event – frustration is high when you’ve bought a system then it turns out its value during an event is minimal believe me.

Here is what I consider to be the bare minimum:

– HD 1080 full color cameras with IR night mode in the 3MB+ range
– 3 Weeks of recording space on hard drive (about a TB per camera) with ability to support up to 16 cameras
– A good software package with motion detection, zoom, and ability to handle up to 16 cameras
– PoE to minimumize wire running

It does fairly well at night and excellent in the daytime. My system can read license plates up to about 30 feet for slow moving or stationary cars.

If you need license plate reading at a longer distance or a speed greater than about 20 MPH, you’ll need a special purpose camera….I am currently studying getting at least one of these.

I’ve mounted my cameras indoors to avoid detection, to avoid vandalism, to minimize running wires, and to avoid water damage. I think this is a great way to go. Be aware of what I gave up to mount inside my windows: camera angles can be limited in some applications (though mine worked out fine), and the IR lights reflect off the glass making the cameras useless at night (I turned off the active IR to avoid the reflect – results are still pretty good). Note that the IR lights only work up to about 25-30 feet anyway, so it was no big loss.

I record *everything* the camera sees because motion detection is only so good. I don’t want the camera to filter what it records via motion detection (MD), I want everything sent to the hard drive so that if something happens, I can review everything. MD at the SW level gives me some clues as to where to look, but if MD didn’t pick it up I still have it recorded and can find it myself. And I have had to do this.

MD can be set off my moving shadows (as the sun moves across the sky), leaves blowing across the ground, trees shaking, birds flying, etc. So the false alarm to event that I care about ratio is about 10 to 1 at certain times of day. (It can be as low as 1 to 1 at other times of day)

Cameras that fit the bill are $300-400 each and the NVR is about $800. Then there are the incidentals (CAT6, wireless router, etc).

Personally, I would avoid the off-brand things because from what I’ve read many times reliability is an issue.

Two companies that have first-rate products are:

http://www.axis.com/

http://www2.acti.com/corpweb/home/index.aspx

My opinion is that if you don’t go with one of these, expect frustration and repurchase. 🙂

You would be shocked at what I’ve caught on camera in the last 6 months. Theft, vandalism, things we didn’t even know was going on near our property! I thought the neighbors would be creeped out by the cams – no, they’ve actually come over to see if I caught x or y on my hard drive. It has been very helpful.

And let me tell you this: odd, odd things get caught on video between 1 and 4 AM. Very odd indeed.

Finally, life is about to get very difficult for crooks. I’ve noticed that not a week goes by that our local news sources don’t show a clip of what someone recorded with their surveillance cameras. It won’t be long before they will be so common that your every move is logged somewhere by someone from the time you walk out your door until you walk into the next building.

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Isn’t “semi-retire” another word for “work part-time”?

In that case, I was semi-retired through high school and college.

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[quote=UCGal]San Diego county only gets 5% of its water from the California water project (aqueducts from Oroville). [/quote]

The aqueduct does not actually go to Oroville Dam.

It starts at the San Joaquin Delta, the Clifton Court Forebay actually.

You could argue that the water in the delta came from the water behind Oroville Dam, but at that point water from Oroville has been mixed with water from rivers as well.

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The HOA CC&Rs probably didn’t mention playsets specifically, but almost all have clauses that state you can’t modify, construct, or otherwise alter the lot or dwelling exterior without approval from the HOA. That is likely the clause you are violating.

If you are going to do anything to alter your yard or the exterior of your home, give the HOA a quick phone call and see if you need to go through the approval process. That’s what I do and it works well. I haven’t had a problem with my HOA.

To all you piss and moaners telling her how to antagonize her HOA: not a smart move and pretty immature. She bought into the community knowing there were CC&Rs. She apparently misconstrued their application. She should take the time to learn their correct interpretation.

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Follow up from me also.

I can say without doubt that my eyes are very very sensitive. Won’t go into the reasons why but there are some.

The reflective coating? Get it. Well worth the $$. You will notice it not only in what you can see, but also when your photo is taken. You can actually see you eyeballs in pics when you get it, while you’ll just see reflection when you don’t.

Scratch resistance? Hard to tell because I’m much easier on my lenses now that I’m older. But I can tell you this: I never get new glasses because of scratches now that I get scratch resistance. I get new glasses cuz the frames wear out. Also note that using lense wipes with SOFT rubbing is the way to go.

Bifocals versus progressive? Progressive without a doubt!!! And insist on Varilux without a doubt. The narrow part of the hourglass is MUCH wider on Varilux and that is very, very important. I have zero adjustment time with Varilux while other brands cause me to have weeks or even worse *never* adjustment time.

This stuff does matter. Your eyes are very important. Don’t skimp.

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Well spoken, articulate, unflappable.

I would really like to here her on a wider range of topics, but I’m intrigued so far.

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I find it amusing that so many think that humans are unquestionably the superior species and all others are unimportant or subserviant.

It is a mindset I don’t quite understand. The us versus them mentality. You’re either one of us or you’re not. Protect things similar to me first.

Would you save someone with the same hair color as you first?

What about the Fuhrer who put forth that Germans were superior?

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There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.

The trouble with the maples,
(And they’re quite convinced they’re right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can’t help their feelings
If they like the way they’re made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can’t be happy in their shade.

There is trouble in the forest,
And the creatures all have fled,
As the maples scream “Oppression!”
And the oaks just shake their heads

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights.
“The oaks are just too greedy;
We will make them give us light.”
Now there’s no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.

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[quote=paramount][quote=svelte].

But churches collect money tax free while using public services such as streets and infrastructure.

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That’s a myth, churches do pay taxes.[/quote]

Myth my ass.

http://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/pub48.pdf

states:

California property tax laws provide for three exemptions that may be claimed on church property:

– The church exemption, for property that is owned, leased, or rented by a religious organization and used exclusively for religious worship services.

– The religious exemption, for property owned by a religious organization and used exclusively for religious worship services, and certain school activities. The exemption may also apply to leased personal property.

– The welfare exemption, for property owned by a religious organization and used exclusively for one or more of the above activities with any other religious activities. The exemption may also apply to leased property if both the lessor and lessee qualify.

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[quote=paramount][quote=CA renter] But you can’t do it on the taxpayer’s dime.[/quote]

I don’t want to teach any of those things on the taxpayers dime, just mine. Refund my confiscatory school tax dollars that fuels the religion of the secular-progressive , so I can use that money to send my kids where I want.[/quote]

Personally, I don’t use churches.

But churches collect money tax free while using public services such as streets and infrastructure.

I think churches should have to pay their fair share like the rest of us. You want a refund of your unused dollars in schools? I want infrastructure usage fees on churches.

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There is no Douglas County in California. The Douglas County being discussed is in Colorado.

So I looked it up. It contains Highlands Ranch (home of the most recent school shooter) and is just north of Colorado Springs – one of the most religious communities I’ve seen in quite awhile based on my experience with residents there.

That got me suspicious that the real reason for the vouchers was to fund religious teaching – so I did some Google searches and it appears the ACLU agrees with me:

The ACLU said Thursday the program, called the Choice Scholarship Program, violates the state constitution because it provides money to religious schools.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/aclu-petitions-colorado-supreme-court-to-overturn-douglas-county-school-voucher-decision

If you want to teach your kids about your religion, do it on your own dime. Not my tax dollars.

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The itsy bitsy spider came out the water spout
Out came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider walked up the spout again

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I watched the whole thing thanks.

I’m still processing what was said, but great points were made.

[Author]

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