Perspective
The Tour de France is a bicycle race of 2000 miles in three weeks. I have no desire to photograph it. Some people wait/camp along the route for weeks before the bikers pass. Then 100 riders go by at 28 miles an hour and it’s over. Too little bang for your buck. A British royal wedding? I’m not related. So, I would be among millions lining a street for a glimpse. If I lived there overlooking the parade route… My good buddy, Charlie (Bell 47 helicopter), loves the whole picture. Get the whole thing (ship). But, if you include the whole ship (helicopter) with its rotors, you lose detail.
There are times when detail (close-up) is better. It means you were there. You saw the finer details. And the whole (ship) can be discerned from its part. It’s a fine point. And, it’s an opinion. When film was limited, I shot frugally. I did not shoot well. Now that digital is plentiful, I shoot lots. I still don’t always shoot well. More is not more. Nor is more less. I find that I shoot more. I shoot wide angle and telephoto. It takes a second. But, lately I find that zooming in I utilize the camera’s capability to fulfill my vision better. No, Photoshop will not save you if you are lazy. You can crop the hell out of a poor image and get something. How about getting it without thinking you have a ready crutch to fall upon. I like to mix metaphors. Get the point?
An image is two dimensional on the page. Telephoto perspective can crowd what you see by its depth of field. Perspective is something that has many meanings. It all depends on you. Technical or philosophical?
Jane
We have Jane. Actually, there are a couple in the family now. But this Jane has laudable though interesting thinking. I’ve been to her house many times now. She doesn’t have a single dish that matches another. She has good dishes. You never use the “good” dishes every day. So, we got her a set of plain white – service for eight. It’s not like we spent much at the thrift store. Serviceable and actually quite attractive. They matched! She got home, unpacked them, and promptly donated a set of four to the goodwill near her. ?? So, others would benefit, too. Ok!?!? But then she told us her bridge club was coming. She runs two tables. That would be eight people. So, I guess they will eat and wash and eat. Oh, she was going to make gazpacho when she was here. They are getting the soup. I got bupkus again. Laugh! I am. Gotta love her.
Tee Box
That’s what they call it. It is the area where you tee off on a golf hole. This hole is beautiful to behold. Look out over the water and the green is there on the other side. It’s kind of idyllic. Wait!? Did I say water? Look! Look out over the little picturesque pond. Yup. Water. It’s not far. This course doesn’t have long holes. Water? Am I repeating myself? Me? And water? Nope. We don’t mix at all when it comes to golf. I’m just as well if I simply drop the ball in water and move on. Don’t laugh… too hard. I give a ball up to the water gods and move on. It allays the spirits and I keep my sanity. Everyone I play with has a laugh. Move on…
Tall Ships
Sailing vessels paraded along the Hudson River in 1976, 1986, and in 2000. That’s my memory. In 1976 I was a newly minted surgery intern at Albert Einstein Medical School rotating out of the Lincoln Hospital ER. We were 24 hours on, 24 hours off. I started on July 1 – day off. That made July 4th my second day off. I was exhausted. Dead on my feet so to speak. The hours of an intern are severely restricted nowadays. Better or worse? I have an opinion. It doesn’t matter. I managed to drag myself to the Hudson that day with girlfriend and camera. Slide film. I had plenty with me. Someone standing next to me offered/asked to buy film when they ran out. Nothing doing. I needed/brought everything I had. This was historic. It was a once in a lifetime parade. So, of course, it wasn’t. As if NYC ever needed more tourists, they did it (tall ships) again and again. By 2000, I was a better photographer with more sleep and better (different) equipment. I was not on a ship but my lenses reached better. As summer days in NYC go, it was hazy. But I was part of history again that day. I’ve been fortunate that way. I could have been working July 4th, 1976 and missed it all. I wasn’t. I saw it from a front row spot. Lucky me. That year my vacation was the month of August. You had to take it when you were assigned. Lucky me. Nothing left to live for for the rest of the year. We went to Italy on a tour. I remember that too.
SSDD Gun Trauma
SSDD. They called it ‘gun trauma.’ They demonstrated. Lisa went to the march in Washington DC. Déjà vu all over again. Has anything changed since 2000? I see the Washington monument in the background. Yup! The venue was the Washington mall. At least the lowly Republicans did not push the march onto a side street. Did they hide behind NRA money and affiliation then? It seems history repeats. I marched this year. My view hasn’t changed. The laws haven’t changed. The issue remains. Gun violence continues. What’s happening? Eighteen years, a generation, has passed. I had forgotten that rally in 2000. I suppose politicians depend upon that. The NRA does. Rant. Rally. March. Sadly, I have been around long enough to forget yesterday’s news today. Same Shit Different Day.
Shock jock
They were called radio DJ’s shock jocks. We had Howard Stern. Whatever was gross and inappropriate was fair game. It was a very rapidly tiresome schtick. I guess SF had their own version. There’s a fine line between taste and tasteless. If you are Republican stop reading here. Otherwise, I don’t get in many pictures. Don, the guy by the car, took the pic. He’s not very good (photographer). But who cares? There, that’s me in a rare true to life photo in front of a monument to man’s constructive ability. “Look, ma. Wish you were here.”
Scallion pancake
A scallion pancake is a staple in many Chinese restaurants these days. This place in the ‘village’ (Greenwich) downtown was a joint I’d passed many times. I’d never stopped. It looked vaguely unclean. It was a joint. There were many better choices. Finally?! We stopped one day – ate at one of the picnic tables. I ordered scallion pancakes. The rest is history. It is one of Dave’s favorites. We order them whenever they are on the menu. We’ve had them in restaurants all over. Dave will eat an order all by himself. Ha! Who knew? But, it was here. Right in this place. It all started here. I don’t know if it’s still in business. It wasn’t that great in the scheme of things. But here’s where the memory began. … well we did pass this street recently. The restaurant is gone. Long live the fond memory.
Day, Year, Decade, Century, Millennium
In retrospect it passed quietly. There was little fanfare in my family. We lived within blocks of Times Square. We were there on the afternoon of: to have a look around before the crowd was stifling. We were out on Long Island earlier in the day. The kids did homework. David made a snowman. Jules did a puzzle. The night came and went without incident and the Y2K fear never came to pass. Where were you? It’s a memory. I was there at the turn of the clock. It’s nearly two decades later. It’s a better world today?
Graduation
The big divide…where were you? When? 2004, June – the last time I shot a roll of slide film. Just like that! The Nikon D70 changed it all. Previously the digital cameras cost $5000 down from$10,000. Kodak used a Nikon body and built a digital camera. The printer was also in the thousands of dollars. Then Nikon brought the D70 for about $1000, my price. Though expensive, it was within my perceived range as an advanced amateur. The event? David’s high school graduation. I meant to shoot color slide and to finish off the brick(s) (20 rolls) of slide film in the freezer. Nope, never did. I eventually (years later) tossed out the rolls. Nope, not another slide. By this time in 2004, I was processing my film at a local lab. They’d do it in a day, even an hour. Darkroom time was too limited. My downstairs neighbor objected to running water after dark (3AM). Yes, this graduation was, in its own way, a graduation for me too. My film cameras sit as a paperweight, dust collection, fine to look at, but never used again. I’m at peace with that. Lately, my big trusty Nikon has been supplanted by my point and shoot Canon G7. The images and sensor are every bit as large as the Nikon D70 without the bulk and weight. The lens is outstanding too. Why fight progress? I still use the Nikon D610 and I don’t rely on the iPhone. It’s all a matter of where you draw the line. My images satisfy me. iPhone images overwhelmingly satisfy the masses. That’s good too?
The pics? David, of course. His sister and grandmother. That would be his best buddy (lifelong so far) Michael. Nice stuff.
What they sell…buy?
There seems to be a market for anything and everything. Old tins – spice, tobacco? Empty! There’s a price. Someone buys? Ha! A day bed – never been used? At night? But during the day? Cameras? Film? Nope! No one’s gonna be shooting film anytime soon. Aficionado? I should be. Not me neither! Either! The prices are astronomical. Well, there’s no price really that anyone should pay for a film camera without film. Uh uh, nope, nada. How about a yardstick? The solid 3D one on the left is “different.” How much? $7? No! No way! I’ve seen people selling them for $26. In other words… someone is selling, but no one is buying. It’s why the junk stays there forever and a day. Don’t laugh too hard. I find it hard to toss away stuff too. But at least I’m renting space in a store to let it catch dust. A metal spice tin, imagine that? Empty! Maybe? Somewhere there is someone out there who wants to pay too much for something because…. I have a cupboard full of old spices… some are in metal tins…
Beer Run
The gloves are off. No more pretense. I was never one to frequent bars. Now I hang out in breweries. It’s not quit the same? You belly up and have beer. Not me. But, the idea is to try out the brewer’s brew. Then take some home. Or not. We used to frequent liquor stores. But breweries are much more scenically entertaining. It’s not Bud! Nope. No commercial. It’s crafted. Small batch! Good? Hey! I said I don’t drink. Sorry. I just don’t have the ability to appreciate the crafted stuff any better than a Bud light. We do see interesting stuff. Uranium glass? It’s called Vaseline glass. I’ve mused about this stuff before. This time I have a better image? It’s manufactured with real uranium and glows under a black light. Otherwise it’s not particularly dangerous. I don’t care for it too much. So, we have beer but no green glass. Our car has more than 100, 000 miles. It’s from all the beer tours. Ha ha. Maybe we will need to trade in for younger “wheels?”
Wild Flowers
The best flowers in my yard are the ones I never planted. They just came with the property and grow unassisted and unbidden. I have chives. They bloom in the late spring. Would you believe that? There’s an actual flower there. I can see real flower parts. And the wild iris? Well, that’s at least what I’m calling it. They grew too. They don’t last long. The rabbits don’t seem to give them any notice. They are water tolerant. The whole area was flooded with the rain for about a week. They will come again in a year. And I can enjoy them without any fuss whatsoever. Yay!
Extension
The point of an extension cord is to extend the electrical power source from the outlet. I was using a hedge trimmer. Yes, I was careful. I have had experience with cutting the cord in the past. And now more recently, I have had the (same) experience three times more. I used to have a 100 ft extension. It’s short by about 9-10 feet. Hey! It was what I wanted. The other feet were just too much. I have it down now. I can replace the plug end in about ten minutes. Practice makes you faster. Yup… and the electric mower… counting…. My beloved was ruflled when I spoke of pillows and seats yesterday. So today I poke fun of myself. I will not admit to exactly how many times I have replaced the plug. That way you can point and laugh more.
Be seated
Choosing a bike seat is like choosing a pillow. You may wax poetic. Or not. I don’t much mind. I did have some worry about a narrow unpadded seat. But I got used to it. Really! Someone else I know has a great deal of problems choosing – seats and pillows. The closet overflows with failed experiments in foam pillows. Tender, firm, hard, or soft, no matter. We constantly switch back and forth, in and out. It’s dizzying. Seat? Bicycle seat? Princess and the Pea? We go through seats every time we see a new model. Wide enough? Or not? It doesn’t matter. It’s a quest! The holy (grail) seat! Ah! This time I found one. No complaints for at least 8 rides. I got my fingers crossed…. toes too! Yes! We have settled upon a pillow too. Oh happy day!!! We have closets overflowing with pillows and by my last count there are at least five spare seats. Oh!… I exaggerate! Not!
Spider… webs
You live with them never quite knowing how many there are. They eat mosquitoes… the enemy of my enemy… The morning dew had not lifted yet. Wow! We have spiders! I wish they’d eat more mosquitoes. I have three citronella candles, three citronella plants, home made mosquito remedy – cheap beer, peppermint mouthwash, and Epsom salt – and real chemical bug spray. Nah! None of it works.
Pounce
Spice and Elle (below) are cats that “go ‘round and ‘round.” When Spice first came to live, Elle would hiss and terrorize her. They still do not get along like buddies. It’s always fun to watch one ambush the other. Well, at least I think it’s fascinating. No one ever seems to come to harm. Aren’t they just playing?
Spice was tiny enough to fit in the bathroom sink with her sister Feather. No longer, she fills the sink by herself and is considerably larger than Elle. Elle doesn’t seem to know she’s smaller. She makes up for it all in her attitude. No fear!
Bananas
You dream of snowy days when you go skiing. It happens rarely enough that I dream of it. Oh, the powder, and, to ski on freshly fallen snow, the skis just shushing along quietly carving a turn…. We would rent a ski place for a long weekend and everyone brought stuff (groceries). Where do you put your bananas? I laughed when I came across this slide. Yeah, it was pretty practical…and funny.
We were a considerate lot. Everyone chipped in and brought food. Hence, two sets of bananas here… Dinner in or out? I remember one memorable dinner in which one spouse accused another’s of food poisoning. Who knows? Maybe? But he never ate her chicken again. Yes, it was pretty nice to meet up and share the fun. Unfortunately, conditions in the east are not always ideal. And the ski level of the group ranged from the (eeek!) amateur to the (calm) expert. It was always fun to pick a trail every one could navigate.
Stuck
This Company (WordPress) Keeps Lies About Sandy Hook on the Web
WordPress.com, one the internet’s biggest blogging platforms, is operated by a company called Automattic, which also runs a wide array of smaller sites and internet services. Sandy Hook conspiracy theorists have been able to remain on WordPress.com thanks, in part, to policies put in place to resist previous campaigns to get content removed from its service, particularly through the strategic use of copyright claims.
“Posting conspiracy theories or untrue content is not banned from WordPress.com, and unfortunately this is one of those situations,” Automattic said in a statement. “It is a truly awful situation, and we are sympathetic to the Pozner family.”
New York Times, 8/14/18
I did a quick search. There are no other better alternatives. I’m sorry to say that the policy allows for hate speech and untrue content. I’ve been here since 2011. I guess I will remain. But if you or anyone else is listening, I am aware of your policy and am not happy that Automatic chooses to take this stance.
Way back then
Here’s a blast from my past. It’s the Manhattan apartment before any renovation. So the bedroom is where the dining room and later kitchen was relocated to this spot. This bedroom moved downstairs. And there’s the little “doodle.” Yeah, yeah, I know. The little endearing nicknames we give our kids are ridiculous. Don’t ask. I don’t remember the origin. But it was eye catching to run across this slide. I’m reading an Asimov novel. Remember, I like to look at the background stuff. And, I’m still sleeping in this bed.
Wedding Bears
I must have been traumatized. There is a bit of OCD in me. Years ago when we were in Chicago for my FACS (Fellow American College of Surgeons) ceremony, we stayed in the Hilton. It was about the fanciest hotel we’d been in till that time. The kids and grandparents came to see me in a graduation style ceremony. Then, Jules left behind her “wedding bears” in the hotel. They were behind the curtain. I know where she left them. No dice. They were never returned. We bought them in a store in Chicago. I called. No dice. No bears to be had. Years later I got her a replacement, of sorts. It wasn’t the same. And once again, this past year I found what appeared to be the same set. Anyway, Jules thanked me. But, it doesn’t seem to have left the same mark in her psyche. I guess I am careful to never leave things behind. Well, I have – like the time I left my iTouch on an airplane at La Guardia. So, the loss and the disappointment for Jules has never seemed to leave me. Oh, well, I don’t see a psychiatrist. And I’m not gonna.
Graduation
Another Shutterfly moment from 10 years ago: A good cry! Everyone shed a tear. David left us in Peru to adventure for about two and half years. We were there for a wedding and then a vacation tour. David dropped the bombshell that he would stay on in Peru, travel South America, and find a job maybe in Argentina. He now admits he was equally terrified when he split with us to adventure on his own. After spending years on his own, he surprised everyone by returning on the day of the surprise party. Lisa had graduated and everyone who’d lived through her tribulation was invited by Jules. We actually kept the surprise. But the biggest surprise came just before the party when David appeared at the elevator and hugged everyone. When Lisa saw him for the first time in years, the tears flowed freely. There were not too many dry eyes. I admit we were a little short of tissues.
What do you keep
Don’t laugh I take pictures of the oddest things. What’s in your ‘fridge? I never kept ketchup in it. Lisa’s family did. Vinegar? We kept peanut butter there. Mustard? Oil? Butter? I was told that butter can sit out covered in a dish. It might be soft, but, it’s oh so spreadable. We all have our bias about what goes in and what stays out. I keep bottle cranberry juice out. It doesn’t go bad, a testament to those chemicals at the end of the ingredient list. Yup, I’m still here and untouched by food poisoning. We got Crisco in there? And that’s a chestnut cake (whipped cream frosting). So, it was the prelude to Thanksgiving. I guess that justifies the picture. There ain’t no style in this food photo.
Dave
There’s a lot to be said here. I’m guilty of looking at the background of pictures. Sure, David is the subject. And it’s a good shot. But…there in the background is a New York high rise condominium – two, that weren’t there in the skyline when we moved into our apartment. The cost is prohibitive and I could never afford to live there now. The background tells me that the apartment (mine) has not yet undergone it’s second/third renovation. There is a spinning wheel. It was a place holder. We/Lisa never learned to use it. So, it sat. Dave was busy drawing dinosaurs. He learned the names of all of them before he was in school. He is/was an artist. He’s wearing a tie because he is still attending Collegiate, a school that required tie and jacket. The jacket was sort of optional. They were piled in a corner during class and worn somewhat infrequently. Dave would bring home someone else’s jacket at the end of the year. You just grabbed “any” jacket from that pile when you went to the next class. They were all blue.
No harm, no foul
This is an old slide. Okay? I didn’t bother to correct the color. It’s the content that counts. I did not let Jules choke Dave… for long. No kids were harmed in the making of this slide. Ha! One might question whether I should have intervened immediately? As I said no one was harmed. One might argue that there was subliminal psychological scarring. As you can see from my previous post they grew up and remain close.
To that I say, “Fake News!” Hey! No joke. The Newseum shop in Washington DC pulled their “Fake News” T shirts when they got complaints. Ummm? They made money for the museum. Oh! It’s a museum devoted to the “News!” Controversial? They kept the make America great hats. I suppose there is only so much one can do. Are we too numb anymore?
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