Stephen Skory

My birthday wish list was a bit excessive, I know, so here’s a much more reasonable xmas list. Some of these items will need to be mail ordered if you want to get exactly what I link to.

• ($10-$20) I have a fairly useless 64 MB USB dongle. Something with 1GB or more would be much more useful and not very expensive.
• ($35) I like helicopters. I’ve heard that the super micro helis like this are kind of fun and nearly indestructible. They’re also not very expensive. I don’t need this exact model, of course.
• ($25-$200?) I want a really cheap and compact digital camera to strap on my helicopter to take aerial images. Ideally it would have a built-in intervalometer (like this one, but it is too much for what I’m thinking). I’d like it to have a movie mode, too. Otherwise, I’d like a really, truly cheap digital camera that I can strip down and wire it for remote trigger (I have a spare channel on my radio).
• ($20) If you’d like to buy me a book, I’m getting interested in the Cold War. I’m currently reading a book about Nikita Khrushchev.
• ($35) I’d like a cheap, durable foam flying wing. I actually already have nearly all the parts needed to put one together.
• ($20) I’d like a new Cal baseball cap, size 7 1/4. My current one is getting old and grimy. Here is a picture of it from five years ago looking a bit cleaner (naturally).

There ya go. That ought to get you started.

In just over one month I will turn 28. An anniversary of this magnitude deserves appropriate celebration and grandeur. You can make your contribution to this in quite a few ways:

• One T-REX 600 Nitro model helicopter & Spektrum DX7 radio kit, plus a nitro starter.
• I would love to have my own personal helicopter.
• I’ve had my current road bicycle for six years. I think it’s time for a new ride. This bike will do. 60cm, please. (Note: I know I asked for this last year. Ahem.)
• I’m hoping and praying that my Golden Bears will make it to the Rose Bowl this year. They haven’t since 1959. I would like to attend the event. Two tickets will do, thanks.
• I don’t really need it, but I won’t turn down a new car.
• I really liked making the cycling video. I would like a high definition video camera of my own to make more videos with.
• As long as you’re buying me a high definition video camera, you might as well buy me a HDTV that has full 1080i resolution. I need to see my videos in all their glory – I want none of that 720p junk.
• Full HD video requires a fast computer and nice monitors to work with it properly. Thank you.
• My cell phone contract is ending soon. I hear that the iPhone is a nice gadget.

If you think everything on that list is too expensive, here’s one more thing I’ll accept:

• A tasty cake that is exactly the same as the one pictured above, down to the sprinkle.

This is my 28th birthday, people, either you’re gonna spend some money on me or put in some ridiculous effort.