Verterans Day

All About Mr. Harry

(note: No, this isn't me. Even I were to take 20 years off, I don't look this good.)

Random Pictures

All pictures were taken by me. The black and white were also tank developed by me. I do feel like my better pictures, relatively and subjectively speaking, were all taken 10 or 20 years ago. The longer I live the suckier I got.

Breakfast

This is a quick post inspired by c9 r&e ...
I have a fondness for my cast iron pan so I use it for almost anything. It's practically indestructible and it does retain heat very well, and above anything it's cheap and highly effective.

Some olive oil, a dash of butter for taste, the olive oil brings down the boiling point of the butter so it won't get burned so fast.
Add egg to medium high or medium heat.
Add a pinch of salt and fresh grounded black pepper.
I just flipped the egg once and let it sit for two seconds before turning off the heat. Notice that the saute pan has a curved edge and that facilitates flipping.
The toast is used to suck up the yolk.
Simple.

Brothers' Cookies

Roses

Me, me, me

It's all about me. Note: These were taken long long time ago, I look even more gooder now.

Random Thoughts

A couple of days ago I went to the library to return a book I couldn't finish.  It was bad.  The good thing was I didn't waste any money buying a book I couldn't finish because I would have hated that.  After returning the book with much shame, I stopped by the book sale.  There I found some nice hard cover books for sale.  Even one by Ansel Adams, The Camera.  The book was like new and it only cost three dollars.  Still I was hesitant to buy it because I already knew all I needed to know about photography 20 years ago.  So what is the point of getting the book?  That was my ego speaking.  The real reason was of course I was afraid I would have bought a book that I couldn't or wouldn't finish.  And worse, I would have deprived somebody the chance of reading and owning a great book at a bargain basement price.  But I bought it anyway together with another even cheaper one dollar much thicker hardcover book.  So far I have been enjoying the book on my commutes and I can safely say that I will finish the book with no problem.  Mr. Adams voice came out very clear and informative, though I knew everything there is to know about photography ....  Anyway, reading The Camera definitely helps me keep up with ghorse whose photographic knowledge is unparallel and unprecedented of all the people I know and I know a lot of people.  The last six words of the last sentence is a lie, I hardly know anybody but I just know ghorse is good even 20 years ago.  In terms of photography knowledge, I was and am always behind him.

Vote Here

You got to exercise your right or rather fulfill your duty as an American to vote for your President every four years.

Judgment Day

The road to the White House is coming to an end real soon. The people are going to vote for the next President of the United States of America.

I think by the end of the day, we will have an idea who's going to enter the White House and who is not. Some network is going to make the call.

Special Announcement

Hong Kong is now 13 hours ahead of New York.

Now back to our regular programming ....

Random Excellence

Nikon D70, Nikkor Manual Focus 50mm f1.4

I found it grossly unfair for parents to just to pimp out their kids on their webpages without showing their own faces. So in balance, you can always find my only a mom would love face here and here and pretty much everywhere.

Ecstatic

The Composer And The Pianist

Nikon D70, Nikkor MF 24mm f2

Halloween School Party

I went to my kids' Halloween School Party.

November Woo hoo

November turns out to be a fairly exciting month. Partly because I am very excitable also partly because the launch of H&M's Comme des Garcons line of merchanize on November 13. I think the collection is exciting. I browsed through their online catalog, the price is reasonable enough and the design is consistently sober and whimsical, especially on the women's side. If I was a woman perhaps I would take a day off just so I can wait in line to get my hand on a few choice pieces, like the jackets and the white shirts or even perhaps the $350 skirt. Alas, I have never developed the stamina to stand in the cold or wait in any line, so this is after all not for me. Plus the shop that's selling all these goodies is on 51st street so I can safely forget about it. Another interesting thing is I found the Sartorialist in H&M's video's page praising the collection. I found it surprising and odd because I thought Mr. Sartorialist is very much a Gap kind of guy.

Another exciting news is Daniel Craig's Quantum of Solace is scheduled to release on November something. Another Woo hoo. Mr. Craig has this rare combination of being ugly and beautiful at the same time.

And of course, we have Thanksgiving.

Halloween

Halloween costume contest from American Apparel, choice clothing for hipster and hipster wanna be. I always like their (or is it his?) over-sexualized ad campaign, just don't let your kids see them if possible. Their ads or photographs have the quality of non Photoshop earnestness that was distinctively urban and now widely mimicked so much so that the look has become a cliche of downtown hipster chic which the hipsters don't want to be associated with. I think hipsters don't like the label to begin with so it's getting a bit complicated.

My Blog Sinking To A New Low

...

What the House Test Says About You

You consider yourself important, but no more important than anyone else. You love attention, but you don't feel like you deserve more of it than anyone else. You aren't against being community oriented, but it's not really your thing. You tend to prefer to focus on your family and not the neighborhood around you. You are creative, expressive, and bright. You are always in the middle of some amazing project. Your looks aren't conventionally attractive, but they're definitely unique. And someone, somewhere, finds that hot. You find it hard to be enthusiastic about much. You are a picky person.

The House Test

This is just a backhanded compliment of telling me I am ugly.

Ubuntu 8.10 Is Here

I did not even know about it. I must have moved on to other distractions. My PC is really old and I don't want to do anything new with it anymore. My AMD chip is I believe not well supported under Flash so my problem with flash has greatly diminished my web browsing experience. Anyhow, I still haven't backed up any of my pictures or video. I am living dangerously. The good thing about shooting film is I don't have to worry about any hard drive failure or computer failure or backup. My negative is my archive and I only need to file them accordingly like scattering them everywhere. I am hopeless.

Quantum Of Solace

Yesterday's stock soar provides a quantum of solace to the average investor in an otherwise die another day market.

Yet Still Another Nonsense Post From Me

This I think should really conclude my nonsense series. I am having my series, I can't even believe it myself. Well, if you work hard, like me, your dreams will one day come true and will have your own blog and your own series of blog posts.

I visit thesartorialist web site now and then even though I am not exactly a fashionista myself but I have to say it's fun to look at the lookers.

The Sartorialist, otherwise nobody knows him known as Schott Schuman, knows more than a thing or two about fashion, photography and fashion photography, there is no doubt about it, and on certain level I admire his works, it takes courage and finese to ask strangers on the street to be photographed. He doesn't do the cowardly long lens or drive-by shooting so I respect him for that. I myself am never good at photographing strangers. But one thing that kind of irks me for the longest time is his abusive use of the punctuation mark ellipsis. The ellipsis really comes in handy when I can't finish a sentence or my thought. Ellipsis is my lifeline. The Sartorialist likes to employ ellipsis for his post titles, a lot, I mean like every single post. But he uses it totally inconsistently and arbitrarily, sometimes it's three dots, sometimes it's four dots and still other times it's five dots. I tried to explain away the inconsistency by say maybe one dot is actually a period but then that couldn't explain the five dots unless the ellipsis is preceded and followed by a period ... OKAY I gave up. I found the whole ellipsis business pretty disturbing and unsettling ... .

Breaking: Dow Soared

The Dow shot up almost 900 points in anticipation of Microsoft's Windows 7 release next year, woo hoo.

Editor's note: this is my own brand of magical realism blogging, mixing facts with BS.

Still, More Nonsense From Me

What? Windows 7? I thought Vista is the very last version aimed for consumer end users.

Vista and its ad campaigns are so poorly conceived and received that Microsoft is finally giving up and already hyping its next nonexistent Windows. Vista, the damaged goods from Redmond is ready to die.

Now as if the world has not enough of Windows, we need Windows 7. But you know what I have a feeling that Windows 7 is going to be a turn around piece, piece of shitoftware. And since Vista is such a dud, any successor will very likely be a winner.

I did not make up the story, Reuters has it here.

More Nonsense From Me

This is part of my nonsense series.

1.3 billion people can't be wrong. Chinese PC users are totally outraged at Microsoft's latest anti-piracy stunt, an every 60 minute black-out of your PC if you are running pirated Microsoft's software. For most Westerners who live in so called developed countries and don't have ready access to pirated software like they should, they are really outraged at the outrage. The Chinese demands to be left alone, and are so indignant at Microsoft's over priced and under powered software that they demand to use pirated software should Microsoft not price their software according to China's economic realities or whatever they think fit. And at least one lawyer is American enough to suggest fining Microsoft for $1 billion dollar for hacking into people's computers. Apparently, the Chinese government is getting involved in the case too, gently reminding Microsoft to reconsider its anti-piracy tactics used in China. Because you don't want to rub China the wrong way. The Chinese Olympics used Microsoft in the Olympics and looked what happened, one of the stadium screens actually showed the infamous Blue Screen Of Death. The otherwise most successful Beijing Olympics in modern history was forever tainted with this abhorrent BSOD.

I say just use Linux already. Or if you are into sensual computing then you know who to turn to.

I didn't make up the story, Reuters had it here.

Editor's note: When you are this big, you definitely have the advantage of size to leverage a deal that's to your absolute advantage, let the small people, like the Americans, pay full price. Just look at Wall Street, when you are this big and this influential, you just can't be wrong and even if when are wrong, you can't fail because failure is simply not an option.

Some Nonsense From Me

Actually all of my posts can have this title.

Just over a month when the New York Times did a profile on HTC and by extension, its founder Cher Wang. Today the New York Times is having another run of Cher Wang, CEO and founder of HTC, the mega handheld designer and manufacturer with its root in Taiwan. HTC has been manufacturing handheld devices as OEM for decades and now finally come out of the closet to make a name for itself. I think it's about time. Through no fault of her own, Wang was born to a mega rich family.

What strikes me is Ms Wang's belt. I suspect both photos run today and a month ago were taken the same day, if not, all the better, that means she has more important things to do than fussing with her wardrobe. Anyway Wang's belt has triple buckles or seemingly so. And she is by any standard or stretch of imagination not someone who needs a triple-buckled belt. I think that tells you something. She is not taking any chances, she is safe and prudent. In this age of financial and CEO recklessness, a low key prudent CEO is what we need. I say a buy for HTC and I want a copy of her belt too, I need it.

More Google phone and Cher Wang from me earlier.

Photo Plus Expo

Today was the last day of the 3-day world's biggest photo event, Photo Plus Expo. I don't know how they came up with the name, but whatever. This world's biggest baddest photo event is held every year in Javits Center in New York City, the biggest baddest city on Earth.

Every year, anybody who is somebody in photography by money or by talent would congregate in this Photo Plus Expo, exchanging ideas and reminiscing what happened in the past year. Once again, yours truly was invited to host certain events and gave a few talks. They were to put me up in some fancy hotel overlooking Central Park. Anyway, I always want to stay independent so I kindly decline all the offers. Once you start accepting perks from vendors your objectivity and credibility begin to compromise, and objectivity and credibility are two assets I have and highly value both by myself and the millions of readers out there who seeks knowledge and insights from the photography posts....

Nikon and Canon have the biggest booths. And I was pretty impressed with the speakers from Nikon, Mike Corrado, he is I believe the product manager slash photographer, very good at his presentation. Yeah, I was the only one who answered his question correctly regarding matrix metering; Nikon FA was the first camera that came up with the 5-segment matrix metering. Man, that was a Kodak moment, I could see everyone around me in the audience was indefinitely impressed with my Google-like photographic knowledge, a few chicks were hitting on me later on, but that's another story. The other speaker who really brought down the house was nature photographer, sorry dude, can't even Google the name. But he was so very good, he was like on drug or something, very very animated. The Nikon "theatre" was so packed toward the end of his presentation. If he was not a photographer he could be a lecturer or a salesman. I didn't see his presentation from the very beginning but I was attracted by the commotion. So he was good, no doubt.

Then I got to meet my celebrities ... Moose Paterson and Vincent Laforet. My adulation knows no bound. I went to shake their hands and told them I admire their works.... If I did my research and knew they were the guest speakers I would have brought along some camera. Alas, I didn't even bring my camera phone. Again, I tried to be nonchalant and I missed taking pictures with the Moose and Laforet. Oh well, they would still be my heroes.

I like Kodak, and I like them like I always like them especially when they gave away their film. I got some of their 120 roll films, so that was great. Last year I didn't have any 120 film camera nor did I know about 120 roll film so I opted for the free 35mm films and one is still in my FE .... I got some 120 roll film this year. I like Fuji too, but they were stingy, no free samples at their booth, they needed to scan the name tag and presumably send you the samples; God knows what is going to happen. I will let you readers know if I indeed receive any sample from Fuji down the road. I actually sort of prefer Fuji's roll film but I just can't get them on the cheap, so far only used five, .... not even today in the Expo. Fuji, I am disappointed.

Before I wrap up my Expo report, I just like to say, being an ignorant photographer, if you allow me to indulge myself to be called a photographer, I didn't know about the ALPA camera until I met one today. That thing costs like a BMW or something and I was impressed the guy even bothered to entertain me because I certainly don't look like I can afford a BMW. OKAY, that's the kind of camera I need, forget about the Nikon and Canon; 35mm is really for girly men anyway. Any self respecting guy goes medium format or bigger.

Friday Day Party

I am a man with no social life.  So on Friday night, I was excited to go to my kids' school Halloween Party.  As all the kids have a busy social schedule, the school decided to make the party a week early so their loser parents like myself can go too.  We paid $3 per person for general admission and candies were free.  Otherwise snacks and sodas were charged accordingly so as to support the school's finance, all fair and square.  The regular Cokes were sold out early on so only the heathier kiddie stuff and diet sodas were left, oh well all the better.  Given the choice, people always prefer unhealthy tasty stuff.

The kids had a blast and me too.  Again, Mr. Harry was unnecessarily embarrassed by his female classmates, of course, not through any fault of the girls.  He is always very shy about his girl classmates.  I was in my mind in my best behavior not trying to embarass my kids.  Harry feels embarassed whenever a girl comes to say hi to him.  One of the kids came out of the haunted house in tears, and Mr. Harry refused to go.  I didn't go either....  I am afraid I am going to have nightmare.

The kids were in their last year's costume, that is, Darth Vader.  I looked scary enough so I didn't need any costume.  Maybe I should have, just for the heck of it.  I kept encourging my kids to play more games to win more candies, because I like candies myself and never have enough of them.

Something About Fashion

Is it possible to write about fashion and not appearing glib and frivolous? This is a rhetorical question like asking "Do I look like a douche if I use (read: pathologically, obsessively, obtrusively flaunt) a Mont Blanc/Rolex/iPhone/cuff links all at the same time?" The answer is "It would be very hard not to."

To write about fashion is to acknowledge its importance which is kind of counter intuitive. As fashion is inherently transient and is a trade defined by trends and hypes which better just lasts for one season. I admire people who are good at writing about fashion like Cathy Horyn, she invariably adds gravitas to what she is talking about without sounding too self important or ludicrous even deep down I think it's totally ridiculous to pay $5,000 for a pee wee Herman suit. As to myself, I resort to some lame old cover my ass preemptive disclaimer like "I don't know dickson about fashion..." to weasel my way out, just like most people preface their movie review by saying this is not a movie review.... Writing is hard, writing fashion is even harder.

Unconditional Love: Part Deux

Due to overwhelming responses to my previous post on "A Father's Thought," I hereby open another post to expand my thought on this topic a little bit; I can't expand it a whole lot more as my feeble brain won't allow it. (Editor's Note: The definition of overwhelming is really loose here.)

The way I see it unconditional love rarely exists. The only time I can love unconditionally is when my boys are just babies, that's the only time I don't expect anything in return. But as an infant grows into a toddler and cognition develops I do expect my love to be returned in kind. And for the most part, that's the kind of expectation I have from any living loving being who has a cognitive mind. Years ago, I was reading Milan Kundera's what else, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." (Editor's Note: Don't you just hate it when people name drop?) Forget about the mumble jumble of eternal returns or lightness blah blah blah. I remember Tereza claims she could love her dog without any condition and expect nothing from her dog but she can't love Tomas the way she loves her dog, that's, she expects Tomas to love her back the way she wants it. I think gee, I am beneath Tereza; even for a dog, I would expect it to be nice to me and bring my slippers just like how I read it when I was a kid. Otherwise, "to give birth to a piece of roast pork is better off than giving birth to you," as my Mom would share her wisdom with me in her folksy Chinese grocery market way.

So I don't believe in unconditional love. I believe in reciprocity. Of course, in some way I am really setting up myself for failure, because it's hard not to not love your children while at the same time there is absolutely no guarantee my children would love me back the way I hope they will love me back. Sadly, as a son myself, I know that first hand. And of course there is this unrequited love between men and women that is mostly experienced by ugly people in their ugly real life but hopelessly romanticized in fictions and movies by beautiful people. But that's another post for another time....

Tipping

Tipping, not a city in China, is the act of giving additional money on top of the bill, sometimes grudgingly, other times not so grudgingly, but never really happily, after a meal in a restaurant. The amount has little to do with the actual service, it's like breathing, just something you do.

For the longest time, I thought 15% is a decent amount, 10% is socially unacceptable, anything less is just abhorrent and I don't know you. 18% or 20% is just dare I say for exceptional service or a bit of a showoff. And anything above is just needlessly stupid. Apparently time has really changed. Now 18% is really the new 15%. In a recent New York Times Food Issue, there was this article about tipping and one restaurant is all for no tipping, and I thought wow, that's really the kind of restaurant any man would love to go to and way cool. Alas, there is no such thing as free lunch as there is no no tipping, the bill actually has the 18% charge factored in. So the tipping becomes mandatory unless if you were so unsatisfied to demand to take that 18% off.... And still in another food magazine with a some Frenchie name (er, that would be the October issue of Bon Apetit), there is a Q&A about this perennial question of Am I stingy for tipping 15% or something to that extent. The answer was an unequivocally yes. Not surprisingly the norm as suggested by the answer is 18% to 20%. So there you have it. If you aren't prepared to leave 18% as tips you are just too cheap to dine out and better off staying at home not to embarrass yourself and your dining partner.

Of Patience

I used to be a patient person. How I knew about it? People told me so. I used to work at school and my boss wrote on my letter of recommendation how patient I was with students. I guess I have changed. I am losing my patience. I find myself less and less patient with people I interact with on a daily basis. I just lose it. I no longer feel the need to be patient with people. Or rather I refuse to step into their shoe and see it from their perspective.

More patience.

Apple's Relentless Negative Campaign

Apple is tirelessly harping on Microsoft's Vista debacle and its latest $300 million ad campaign. This is by far the most pervasive negative campaign Apple has ever run. It's like Apple's success can only be defined in terms of Microsoft's "failure." Sadly, in response, Microsoft runs a "I'm A PC" ad campaign in similar format trying in vain to debunk Apple's Get a Mac campaign. No such luck beating Apple in its own game. As it was revealed via meta data that some of the ad material was indeed created on a Mac.

Apple just announced a spectacular Q4 result, the stock jumped some $13 in after hour trading.

Apple's Get A Mac negative campaign.

Indignation

The Chinese National Anthem, March of the Volunteers, which the whole world got to listen to at least some 51 times in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, serves, I surmise, an inspiration to Philip Roth's Indignation.


***** SPOILER ALERT *****



The story chronicles the last year of young Marcus Messner, son of a kosher butcher, how he becomes indignant and comes face to face with history and finally his not unexpected demise.

Mr. Roth sets the tone of the story by prefacing with part of E.E. Cumming's "i sing Olaf glad and big."

Olaf (Upon what were once knees)
does almost ceaselessly repeat
"there is some shit I will not eat"

If only Marcus could put his righteous indignation aside, eat some shit, perhaps he can live a longer if not happier life. If he just did what he has to do, like when he was eviscerating the entrails of chickens, just something he does, and does well, whether he likes it or not is not even germane. Alas, there is no "if" in life. Life is full of surprises and disappointments and sometimes one wrong move can have the direst consequence as Marcus finds out.

A Father's Thought

Is there such a thing called unconditional love?

It must be some cosmic accident or something, I was trying to help Harry complete his book report of some sort. Everything was pretty well laid out by his teacher. Actually I wish I had his kind of guidance when I was growing up. Here I go again, faulting my parents being illiterate or semi-illiterate. They have this structure like First, next, then, after that, finally, my favorite part, and connection. I thought that was smart. So I tried to work this format with Mr. Harry after he finished the First part. And toward the end, maybe it was me or maybe it was him being too tired. He just wouldn't change a thing on the connection part. I was pretty angry at him. I thought for all the things I've done for him, he wouldn't even change one last sentence so it makes more sense or at least makes me happier. Rather than saying I am angry, maybe I am more disappointed. I expect my love to be reciprocated the way I expect it even he is just a seven year old.

Central Cafe

Summer 2008

This is from my humble Yashica Mat-124 G. You know, I really can't see a difference between my Hasselblad and this camera. On a bright sunny day, if I shoot f8 or f11, the results from both camera are just as good. Though it's hard to imagine the punny lens from my Yashica could be just as good as the 80mm f2.8 Planar T. But seriously, what do I know?

Random Excellence

Random Thoughts

Now that Paul Krugman is a Nobel prize laureate for Economics, his words carry even more weight than before. On today's New York Times Op-Ed punny "Let's Get Fiscal," Mr. Krugman suggests the way to get out of this economic conundrum is by government spending. I don't mind government spending as long as I am the beneficiary. If they were to spend on universal health care I am for it.

Next to Mr. Krugman's Op-Ed article is "Buy American. I Am" by Mr. Warren Buffett, a man that needs no introduction. Basically, Mr. Buffett is the biggest cheerleader of the American economy since this financial mess manifests as bankruptcies and bailouts. Mr. Buffett echoes and re-iterates what most people learned early in their college years, in the long run, equities is the way to go. Now that plenty of good companies are undervalued in the midst of the clusterfuck, so it's time to buy (if you dare) like he does already. If your investment horizon is 10 years or 15 years from now, maybe so, if you are close to retirement, perhaps you have cold feet entering the market again. Everyone's comfort level is different. Mr. Buffett, now, is trying to give away his money, like Bill Gates, most other people, are just trying to hold on to their money, their hard earned life savings. So there is the fundamental difference between Mr. Buffett and the average Joe.

Random Thoughts

I harbor some deep seated admiration for people who are well versed in reading and writing. It's a projection of my own deficiency.

Random Thoughts

The days of reading Power Rangers and Captain Underpants are over. I am a bit ambivalent to that. On the one hand, I am happy that I don't have to read them any story books, so I can spend even more time in front of the computer MYSELF, on the other hand, I do miss the time I read those books to my kids especially the part when I make up the stories just so I can annoy them. I am an evil dad. Sometimes I wish I could be a better person, just a bit better. One evening, Harry was reading Captain Underpants to me. The story was juvenile, it's definitely interesting, at least it's easily comprehensible than say economic policy, health plans, and whatever.

MacBook Sensual

Jony Ive, on the new MacBook

I don't know how we could make something any more sensual, or simpler than the new MacBook.

The new aluminum uni-body MacBook is sensual. This is just the kind of notebook I need even we are in this financial clusterfuck, no matter, we need this, just in time for this holiday shopping season. The redesigned notebook starts at $1,299, and the old design, without the sensual uni-body fetches $999 just below the $1,000 price point. The Dow retreated today after gaining more than 900 points yesterday. Apple stock shedded $4 after the new laptop introduction. Jobs' blood pressure is at 110/70 ... I guess we could all lose some weight, just like Jobs.

Market Up

The market is staging a come up in the opening hour. The Dow is up more than 300 points. Let's see if it gets any leg to keep up until the market closes at 4PM.

Apple, in a true test of its loyal fan base, is going to announce its much anticipated new notebook lineup on Tuesday. In the midst of this global financial and economic crisis, Apple perhaps can show the world what it is really made of.

We Are All Poor Now

Camping

This was our vacation this past summer. We tent camped in Pennsylvania. This was shot using my Yashica Mat, loaded with Portra 120 NC expired some time ago. I like expired film, they are cheap affordable they are good if you can find them. The scan is good not great I suppose. The print is actually better. I am really impressed with my own brand of photography, how do I get my exposure so right? Man, I am a genius. I just love myself as a photographer.

Cast iron pan, I love my cast iron pan.

PS: With the economy in free fall, tent camping might soon become a necessity....

Pear Orchard

These were shot using FUJI PRO160C, expired in 2006/11. And the camera was a used Hasselblad 500C/M with the 80mm CF lens. Again, I am so impressed with my exposure. Or I should actually be thankful to the latitude of the film. I guess I will never find out. The f16 rule just works for me. (I am full of it, I figure if I don't love my work who will?)

The place is in New Jersey, the orchard is run by Korean Americans. They have these big dining halls there, two of them at least, and you can actually order not so fast made to order food from their kitchen, mainly or only chicken dishes. It's $40 for 4 people. There was this dragon lady manning the cashier and she wasn't all that friendly.... I guess the food is very Korean, except you can order soda. It's whole chicken in soup, a big bowl of steamed rice with some beans, kimchi, raw green hot pepper with dipping paste. My kids wouldn't touch the food except for the rice. The chicken and the soup actually were pretty good. I had some kimchi. I like Korean BBQ better.

The pears were good. They had the brown and yellow ones. That day we weren't allowed to pick the brown ones. They were big and juicy.

Iceland In Finacial Woes, Too

Iceland says, "me, too." Just let Russia have it. Putin, the Judo master, barechested fisherman, and boy belly kissing man may just lend them $4 billion euros or whatever money they ask for. Or put it up on eBay already with a starting bid like $1 and the bidder reserves the right not to acquire Bjork, the loopy feisty Icelandic singer. I think that will save the rest of the world in the midst of this global financial clusterfuck.

As reported by the New York Times.

UPDATE 10/9
Today, the Times continues to report on Iceland, a country of 300,000, caught a cold when Wall Street sneezed. Actually it is far worse than that. The country may actually go bankrupt.

Subway Escalator

The subway escalators are pretty notorious. It's like the Congress, it needs a break every now and then, sometimes even in the midst of a financial crisis, it still needs a break. Oh well, that's how our Congress works. Often time, the escalators in the subway system just don't work, it's just serves like regular stairs. I guess the benefit is every commuter, young or old, can use a step master on his way to work or back home. The 5th Avenue and 42nd Street entrance near Bryant Park is totally devoid of any escalators and it has at least three 13-step flights of stairs to negotiate (all together 5 flights of stairs with certain degrees of incline actually, I counted). I have seen people, like myself, need to stop and recoup before they can finish the whole ascend from the belly of the City to street level. I guess in some way, it's good for the average commuter. We all can use some exercise in the morning.

UPDATE:
As if on cue, today in the morning (October 9), none of the escalators near the Q26 stop on Roosevelt worked. That's just great. One was blocked for usage, so you couldn't even walk on it and the other one was used as a staircase. Thank goodness, I was just going down, not up.

How To Talk To Old (Grumpy) People

I am starting to take a personal interest in reading articles of this nature because I feel like I am getting old not just older. Not only there is children talk but there is actually elderspeak and the worst offenders are none other than health workers who inadvertently talk down to their clients by prefacing and peppering their talks with "dear", "sweetie" or "young lady" which to many already grumpy old souls are actually belittling and offensive. I guess sometimes it depends but many times language of this nature is indeed condescending and offensive. Just like at work, sometimes younger female co-workers are being addressed as girls I personally find that condescending and offensive even though sometimes they sort of earned it themselves.

More.

Dow On Free Fall

Dow closes down below 10,000 at 9,955.5. It looks to me we need at least another $700 billion to bail out the bailout we had last week. I think that's what Paulson and Bernanke are going to suggest. We need another $700 billion to bailout the bailout or else the world is going to hell.

House Passes 700 Billion Bailout Plan

Now that it is a done deal, I really hope it's won't be like just pork money for all the interest groups on Wall Street. I hope it's going to work out for the average guy on Main Street. I want to see my tax money at work for the people, not just for the master of the universe in high finance.

UPDATE:
In celebration of the $700 Billion bailout, Dow lost another 157 points. So much so for lifting the economy. Oh yes, it's supposed to ease the credit crunch or whatever. The $700 billion can easily be pork money that got divvied up among the high finance folks. The Treasury is supposed to buy back those troubled or toxic securities and in a few years, when the market turns around sell it back. Now I wonder how on earth those worthless overvalued securities can turn around. The only times those worthless securities can worth anything are when companies cook their books and value them whatever they want to value them. So in a few years, when Wall Street value them like 700 billions then you know we are going to have another bust.

Bryant Park

Entertainment Tonight

Vice presidential debate at 9PM Eastern Time. Ha ha.

UPDATE:
Wow. Not that I am going to change my vote or anything, but Palin did redeem herself in this debate. She was relaxed, cheerful, humorous and not look like a joke SNL made her to be or she made herself to be in earlier interviews with both Charles Gibson and later Katie Couric. SNL might have some problem coming up with fresh material from this debate if they were going to lampoon her this weekend. Joe Biden was up to expectation I guess. Did he get choked up when he was talking his own difficulties raising his two boys?

Market Up 485

The market was up 485 points while on auto-pilot. Most pundits were saying because investors are optimistic that Congress would soon pass the rescue plan. I say that's horseshit. Investors are just speculating like they always do. Not necessarily because they are optimistic about the passing of the bailout plan. I say investors are just irrational or are just happy Congress are leaving them alone for a day or two. The drop the day before, oh yeah, investors are so scared they would pass the $700 billion bailout plan. Man, if the pundits are always right, we wouldn't be in this financial shitstorm to begin with. Do they have any credibility at all? I don't really think they do. The kneejerk reaction to get something done, something passed, to fix something is so overwhelming.

The Market Is Safe

Between now and Thursday, the stock market will be safe. Because after losing some $1.2 trillion dollar on Monday, Congress needs to take a couple of days off .... So the market is safe from more meddling and intervention. Let the market work its magic. It's on auto-pilot now. Just imagine a 747 careening and trying to land in the midst of a hail storm while the traffic controllers at the control tower are taking a nap or two days off. That's what we are having now.

I am taking a day off too. Because $1.2 trillion loss is not going to stop me from taking my day off. Ha ha.

Black Monday

Your money continues to burn. The Dow closes down more than 777 points.

The Most Popular Video

This is probably one of the most popular video right now, well in my book at least. This is pretty high production.

Reverie, as shot by Vincent Laforet, using the Canon 5D MarkII. See behind the scenes video in his blog. The onlinephotographer isn't all that impressed with Mr. Laforet's videography and hope he sticks with stills.

UPDATE:
With all these easy HD video, man, there got to be a corresponding upgrade in computer power to handle all these HD video. Firewire 800. A lot of RAM. It's just exciting. I used to think that maybe I will get a HD camcorder to full yet another aspiration of a videographer. Now with high end DSLR building in HD video, I guess I don't even need a dedicated HD camcorder for that purpose. I need a more powerful computer with easy HD editing features. And load of cash.

Untitled

Untitled

Nine cheesecakes.

Having take-outs from Outback.

Taekwondo

Campbell Brown Is At It Again

Campbell Brown is calling McCain's campaign sexist when it comes to the media brown out McCain's campaign is imposing on vice-presidential nominee governor Sarah Palin. Brown argues had Palin been a man, McCain's campaign wouldn't be protecting her like a delicate flower. During the UN sessions now under way, Palin is shielded from the press. In one occasion, the press corps were let in for 29 seconds and was escorted out right when Palin and Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan were exchanging some pleasantries. Just like Barbara Walters and her posse of vaginas from The View, apparently Campbell Brown doesn't need to grow a pair to be critical of the McCain campaign.

In another note, grumpy old man David Letterman is piling on the McCain campaign after McCain stood him up yesterday. McCain canceled his appearance on the Late Show and temporarily suspended his campaign in light of the present financial shitstorm happening across the nation or possibly around the world. Letterman wasn't happy and was kind of furious when he learned McCain was actually doing an interview with his colleague Katic Couric the whole time he was supposed to fly back to Washington to save the nation from the financial crisis....

Hasselblad 500 C/M Useless Information

What I found:-

You can't shoot with an empty (pre A12) back attached even both the back and the camera have white dots on their respective windows and the dark slide is removed. It's just the way it is. (I don't know about A12 back as I don't have any to test. Mine is a back that has a peep-hole in the back to check film advance when loading)

To test shoot for fun, you need to remove the film back all together. To remove the film back from the body, you need to have the dark slide inserted. And you cannot remove or attach the film back without the dark slide inserted into the film back.

If your experience is different from mine, please let me know.

UPDATE: 11/14/2009
I think I was pretty good in spreading half truth and rumors.  The above is totally false.  You can shoot with an empty back attached.  I just found out.  The way to do it is to treat it like the back has film inside by turning the knob counter clockwise so the number appears on the frame window.  Once the number goes past 12 you can turn the knob counter clockwise so the 1 appears again and you can continue shooting without any film inside.  And yesterday I found out this old back can actually shoot 220 film, woo hoo.

120 Film

You are not going to get anything truly useful here but here it goes...

Here's what I found so far, the major difference between Fuji PRO 160S and Kodak Portra 160NC.

After finish shooting, for a Kodak roll, you got to lick the end seal to activate the glue to seal roll from un-spooling whereas for Fuji, it provides a self-adhesive end seal to close down the film. Fuji is more hygienic in that regard. If you are into licking, then Kodak is for you. If you are kind of anal about bodily fluid, perhaps Fuji is a better choice.

What Was Microsoft Thinking

I don't watch a lot of TV but I do watch some. But I haven't seen the latest Microsoft TV spots. I just wonder how their $300 million ad campaign is doing. On the other hand, I do see plenty of brand advertising spots from financial institutions like Zurich, AXA Equitables to claim consumers' mindshare in the wake of this Wall Street meltdown.

Anyway, the Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates spots were pulled. Most ad pundits couldn't decipher what the ads were all about and hence gartnered mostly lukewarm or worse vitriolic reviews. Microsoft definitely needs a good narrative for its image. And in an attempt to define Microsoft and Windows, Microsoft plays the game that Apple plays so well in its second wave of TV spots. It plays the "I am a PC" narrative pioneered and defined by Apple. So far the counter punching by Microsoft is not succeeding.

Google Android

The first Google phone to be marketed is an HTC phone with both touchscreen and keyboard. But the thing doesn't come with a regular headphone jack so what were they thinking? Why? Anyway, it doesn't really concern me as the phone requires a two year contract from T-Mobile. I like an unfettered relationship with my carrier if at all possible. The New York Times did a feature on HTC and I learned the founder and chairperson is called Cher Wang. I always thought with a name like Cher you don't need a last name.

The Google founder kids went to the product announcement in NYC in rollerblades or inline skates. I guess that's still cool. Any attire that doesn't make them look like some blood sucking capital destroying executives are good.

What Am I Thinking

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

In terms of digital cameras, I am about four years behind the current crop of latest DSLRs from either Canon or Nikon. I am still shooting a Nikon D70 not even a D70s with, a 6MP CCD sensor that's as good as it could get about four years ago. And I am about giving up this mega pixel race and full frame cures-all. I think I have mentioned this before, I have pretty much thrown in the towel in terms of getting the latest and greatest mostly because of money. So instead of going forward, I go backward. I am shooting more film now. Actually not just film, but expired 120 roll films. Because of price concern, I only shoot expired films from craigslist. And my latest cameras are a Yashica TLR and a Hasselblad, both of them are so old that you only control four parameters when comes to exposure, mostly two, film type and film speed are set per roll and you are left with aperture and shutter speed. The thing with film is getting the picture to jpeg is a bit time consuming if not a total pain.

Miscellaneous

On the eve of photokina, there are myriads of product announcements from photo related companies. The what were they thinking product may just go to Leica's newest DSLR. In a bid to shock and awe the market place, Leica introduces a DSLR that is like no other, at least sensor wise. It distinguishes itself by using a sensor that is unique in its size, a 30x45 mm 37.5 MP CCD sensor that is 56% larger than the Full Frame size employed by flagship models from both Nikon and Canon. Is it an innovation or a desperate attempt to survive? We will probably find out in a year.

More here.

New Nikkor 50mm f1.4 G Announced

Boring. I was hoping that they would bring out a new 35mm f1.4. I am still shooting with my 50mm f1.4 manual focus (shooting .., as if I am a real photographer.) Or bring out a 50mm f1.2 just for the hell of it. Now that I used 5 more minutes to think about it, actually it kind of makes sense to just make some incremental upgrade to the 50mm prime. Any significant upgrade would probably accompany with a ridiculous price tag.

Modern Dubliners

The most searched words in Ireland are "lonely" and "horny."

$700 Billion Free For All

As an investor, you are fucked by Wall Street, as a taxpayer you are sodomized by the Treasury. Either way, you are screwed.

The Treasury department would use some $700 billion tax money to buy whatever garbage securities created by some fuckers on Wall Street. What had they been doing? The SEC, the Treasury, the freaking federal government?

Breaking: US Nationalize Financial Market

The Land of Capitalism is going to nationalize the whole financial industry. Woo hoo what irony.

The Casino Is Now Rigged ... and other BS

The casino that's called Wall Street is now rigged by the Federal government. It used to be only rigged by big financial institutions. American capitalism is under attack by its own incompetency and knee jerk reactions. The SEC bans short selling.... It's time for the Chinese government to step in and buy up all the failed or failing financial institutions. Wall Street then will be called The China Great Wall Street. I think it might actually be happening as Morgan Stanley is seeking some fund from China to shore up its capital.

German bank KfW transferred $300 million euros to Lehman the same day it declared bankruptcy. There will be resignations and dismissals. At least Europeans over there know what accountability is, over here it just means more bonuses.

Governor Palin prefers Yahoo! e-mails to government e-mails.

Your Money Continues To Burn

Another day, another 1,000 points drop on Wall Street. Your money continues to burn in this financial hell created by the brightest minds on Wall Street. It just shows how fantasy valuation and make believe accounting rule. SOX compliance, independent auditors, federal oversight are all a joke. The CEOs and senior managers continue to do well, for themselves, not for the companies, not for the shareholders, and definitely not for the economy.

Meanwhile Damien Hirst just sold more than 127 million dollars worth of dead animals in formaldehyde through Sotheby's. We live in a strange world in a very strange time.

EOS 5D Mark II

The much anticipated successor to the venerable 5D has finally arrived. Today Canon announced the EOS 5D Mark II, a full frame DSLR that can take full HD video at 1080p and 21 MP pictures. Now the question is: Can the thing focus?

More from dpreview.com.

Street Meltdown

Black Monday just came in time to remind the presidential candidates that though lipstick, pig and lipstick on pig, are mostly fun, it's always about the economy. Let's get back to issues that we care most and affects us most.

I don't know how those executives can run those seemingly unfailing institutions into the ground.

Random Thoughts

What I got from the Palin interview with Charles Gibson:

She doesn't blink much.

She doesn't second guess.

She is on a first name basis with Charles Gibson and keeps calling him Charlie not even Charles.

She is ready to start World War III with Russia? Perhaps so.

The major blunder is she doesn't quite get Bush's pre-emptive strike.

UPDATE

9/12/08

On Hillary Clinton

Obama is regretting (not to have Clinton on the ticket).  She got this right.

Mid Week Chop Suey

After winning eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, there seems like nothing that Golden Boy Michael Phleps can't do.  He appears in Oprah, ringing the opening bell in the NYSE (though not exactly), to guest host SNL this Saturday.  The guy can't do no wrong.

+++++

Governor Sarah Palin has been providing never ending intrigues to the press ever since she was picked as a running mate of Senator McCaine.  Nobody really knows her, not that well, and shockinlgy, neither does McCain.  It was first rumored that her youngest kid was not even hers but the son of her unwed daughter ( and the New York Times went in great lenghth ... not to appear tabloid-like, to feature her secretive pregnancy, how she concealed the pregnancy with scarf and accesories, how the water broke, the whole nine yards.)  The family then issued a statement saying that their teenage daughter is five-month pregnant, keeping the baby and to wed the father of the unborn, though no wedding date was given.  The family was under the media spotlight.  Palin is known to be anti abortion, pro life.  Even Cindy McCain isn't so sure about Palin's strong opposition to abortion which includes victims of rape and incest.  Women's reproductive rights is once again politicized.  Anyhow, it's said that the only reason why McCain picked Governor Palin was precisely because of her conservative leaning on family values and pro-life stance.  Of course, left leaning liberals are quick to point out and argue that her abstinance preaching and no sex education in school somehow fail in her own family...  Once Palin is on the ticket, the McCain campaign ceases to attack Obama's lack of executive experience.  McCain basically retreats and let Palin dictates the tone of his own campaign, and all of a sudden, the Republican presidential campaign is about Change as well.  It's pretty shocking.  The latest Palin fodder is how she claimed reimbursement working from home.  We still haven't heard from Palin directly, answering impromptu questions from the press.  The campaign seems to be preping her and bringing her up to speed.  We just have to wait.

++++++

The biggest news from Apple is Steven Jobs is still alive, forget about the iPod, they are just glorified mp3 players.  Wall Street doesn't react well with the product upgrade, too incremental or whatever, the stock shredded $4 during Jobs presentation.  No upgrade for Apple's notebooks whatsoever.

++++++

Lehman Brothers might go under and the Fed may not be helping this time around.

++++++

Sony A900

Sony is entering the full frame market with its introduction of the long anticipated Sony A900.  The camera sports a full frame sensor with more than 24 MP.  This is Sony's continued effort into the pro segment of DSLR, the domain of Canon and Nikon.  More shockingly, the DSLR is priced at $3,000.  I mean not everybody is going to like the camera but for that price you are going to love it.  And I can see people who basically shoot just landscape in bright sunlight are going to love it.  For the pros who shoot indoor sports who need low noise and fast operations that maybe another story.  At least Sony is giving people an alternative or more, hopefully a driver to bring down the price of Nikon and Canon.

Photographically, we are living in a very interesting time.

More Sony A900 from dpreview.com

US Open 2008

So the Men's final was a bit anti climatic.  After two weeks of great tennis, Murray just didn't have any more left in the tank.  It took serial US Open Champion Roger Federer three sets to collect his fifth US Open trophy.

All right, now all the major sports events I like are over.  I can get back to watch more reality TVs.

US Open 2008

The US Open is so exciting even senile senior citizen like myself begins picking up my tennis racket again.

US Open

Serena Williams is battaling with the number two seeded Jelena Jankovic in the US Open Women's Final.  Williams won the first set, which is a harbinger to win the Championship statistically speaking.

Jankovic's glittery hair, coupled with her flexibility as evidenced by her frequent splits performed on court, might not be enough to outshine Serena's laser ground strokes.... But you never know, really.

Just caught a glimpse of the huge HD broadcast camera in the promenade section, it's a Canon with image stabilization.

UPDATE:

Williams won the Tournament.  She is busy cheering while Jankovic applies some lip gloss before burying her head into a tournament towel, soaking in the sorrow of defeat.  Well, it was definitley one of the more memorable finals in recent years.

Number 1 Nadal Ousted By Murray

No wonder Tim Henman retired last year.  Andy Murray turns out to be the real deal.  In a match that extended two days and four sets, Andy Murray beat number one Nadal and is en route to meet tennis great Roger Federer in the 2008 US Open Final.  Given the level that Murray is playing, I fully expect a spectacular final tomorrow in Flushing.

Nadal turns out to be a very humble and graceful number one both on and off court.  The guy even signed autographs for kids after he lost the semi-final to Murray and before he made his exit to the stadium.

  

Campbell Brown vs. Tucker Bounds

Campbell Brown vs. Tucker Bounds on Monday

Brown won.

The McCain campaign, in retaliation, refused to appear on CNN's Larry King Live.  Then later in the week, Palin belittled the press during the RNC.

US Open 2008

Roddick vs. Djokovic

The question is how many rackets Roddick is going to smash in this match.

Djokovic is going to frustrate Roddick big time by bouncing the ball a 100 times before serving, slowing down the match by calling the trainer maybe two or three or four times.  It's going to be interesting.

UPDATE:

Roddick broke one racket, already after losing the first set.  Nothing is working for Roddick.  Djokovic hasn't called the trainer or bouncing the ball a 100 times yet.

UPDATE:

Roddick is down two sets, won the third set but the fourth set is tied at three games each.  Some in the audience are turning hostile again Djovokic, making noise while the guy is tossing the ball up serving.  That's not nice.

UPDATE:

Roddick got soundly beaten by Djokovic.  During the post match on-court interview Djokovic let everybody know he is not happy with Andy's sarcastic remark about his "16 injuries."  The crowd was totally for Roddick minus maybe a handful.  Roddick was coming back in the beginning of the fourth set and played like he had the fourth set in the pocket and looked what happened.  Instead of digging himself out of a two sets deficit, he dug himself into a fourth set tiebreaker and eventually lost.  Djokovic didn't even bounce the ball excessively nor did he call a trainer.  He won it fair and square.

US Open 2008

The Williams sisters quarterfinal was just awesome.  It's just a bit heart wrenching seeing the sisters killing each other on the court regardless of their multi million dollar status.  Serena and Venus played their best tennis and sometimes they didn't play on this level when they played against each other in the finals.  But this was nothing short of an epic battle.

Coming up next is Nadal and Fish.  And it's past 11 PM already.

Ooops, forgot to mention Serena won in two sets, tie-breaks, running, squeaking, spliting ....

Summer Is Over

All good things must come to an end. Labor Day came and gone and so was Summer 2008. This summer went by pretty fast and had been pretty uneventful by and large and I consider it a good thing. We had record high gas price, like $10 a gallon or something, anyhow, it's mostly around $4 a gallon, and my car has a 21 gallon tank officially but it starts to complain when 15 is gone so to fill up I usually ended up paying $60 or so. That's a lot of money.

We didn't go to have any real "vacation." More like a staycation as some folks put it. A couple of tent campings here and there. But we had fun.

The kids went to summer school and it wasn't all that bad. School began today and it was quite a day.

We saw a few movies.

One night I went to see the US Open. The last time I went was more than ten years ago when Venus Williams was first playing, and Patrick Rafter was still pretty up there. Well Venus is still playing but not Rafter.

Chrome

After reading the arrival of Chrome at the New York Times this morning, I was trying to find out where the download was.  You know, everybody needs a good distraction and what's better than yet another browser from none other than Google.  Now that they did it, it begs the question what taking it so long, it just seems the most natural thing to do.  Alas, the browser wasn't available all morning until now.  I just downloaded and installed Chrome and the process was pretty painless.  Woo hoo, next distraction please.