Year 2009

 

© 2010 laichungleung

Student of The Month February 2010 

I think many of the pictures I like happens to be on the very last frame of the roll.  It's like I shot the whole roll just waiting for the very last frame, that's all.  The "modern" camera just doesn't allow me to shoot an extra frame or two.

Picture taken on Nov 10, 2009.

Year 2005

I am a static person, I normally don't do any panning.  This is one of the few exceptions.

Grand Central

Another one in b/w.

Snowstorm In NYC

Captured using a Yashica Mat-124 G.  Kodak E100G.  Scale and level in GIMP.  Again my 1976 Yashica Mat-124 G proves to be snowstorm worthy.  Woo hoo.

Snowstorm In NYC

Yellow Cab
My Canon P proves to be weatherproof.

Bill Cunningham of The New York Times

© 2010 laichungleung.

Canon P, Canon RF 35mm with optional viewfinder. Kodak 400NC.
Shot outside the two tents in Bryant Park where Fashion Week 2010 was taking place.  It's an orchestrated mess.

UPDATE:
I like the picture.  It works on some level because Mr. Cunningham is the only one who is looking at the camera and all others are either on their backs or look elsewhere.  He looks in focus and I think I must have set the lens at hyper focal point at f8 and 1/125 of a second and composed through the optional viewfinder.  Mr. Cunningham seemed ill at ease being taken the picture and out of respect I did not come close to him.  The man was at work.

Sean Lennon

©2010 laichungleung. If you were to use it for editorial purpose, please feel free and give attribution. Thank you.

Me the paparazzi ... Sean Lennon photographed using a 1959 Canon P, 1951 Canon RF 35mm f2.8 with optional viewfinder.  Film was Kodak NC400.

UPDATE:
I took a few pictures of him and I like this one the most.  The partially obscured face on the right doesn't bother me.  I like it as a candid.  The focusing, exposure, expression seem pretty spot on no matter none of them is automatic.  I like the fact that my estimate is on the ball park and somehow captured the moment.  The 35mm lens doesn't prevent me from getting a close up picture.  Really getting close on foot is important.  Yes, I am touting my own horn.

Picture taken outside the two tents in Bryant Park where Fashion Week 2010 was taking place.

November 10, 2009

I think this was taken on November 10, 2009.  Kodak E100G.  Before I drove them off to school.  Every day is a special day.  When it's gone it's gone.

Lysacek vs. Plushenko

I did not watch the actual competition.  But just for the hair, I think Lysacek's slick hair won Plushenko's mullet by a mile.  Plushenko's official website at some point said he won Platinum in Vancouver.  I think that was pretty hilarious.

Mr. Toyoda Comes To Washington

And Mr. Toyoda actually apologizes and he is "deeply sorry."

I don't remember any executives from Wall Street saying sorry.  I could be wrong.  They took the bailout money and they now even reward themselves with big fat bonuses not saying either Sorry or Thank You.  I guess that is the American way.

Disneyfication Of Apple App Store And Criminalization Of Google

Apple, in total disregard of its developers' First Amendment Rights, is removing any already approved apps that it deems objectionable: read smut.  Unless you are Playboy or Sports Illustrated, then your freedom of speech is readily thrown out the window by Apple.  Analysts and pundits think it's Apple's attempt to clean house before rolling out the the very sanitary iPad, to make the App Store more PG for the textbook market demographic.  Apple is more Disney than Disney.

Google may not be be evil but the Italian judicial system certainly found it criminal.  The Italians have had enough of Google and knock it down from its high horse.  Google vouches to challenge this "astonishing" verdict.  Essentially what Italy is saying is Google as a host is legally responsible for monitoring the content of its servers.  Three Google executives were found guilty of violating privacy laws for hosting a video depicting the bullying of an autistic child.

The Unstoppable Toyota Saga Continues

Another day, another piece of bad news on Toyota.  An article in The New York Times seems to suggest Toyota put cost savings number one priority over any other things, like passenger safety or pedestrian safety.  It certainly reads to me Toyota, instead of really fixing any mechanical or electronic problem on stuck gas pedal, just blamed it on the floor mat.  And it patted itself on the back for saving millions.  Well done Toyota.

Read it yourself.

Miller Time

The Miller time came in four year late but as they say better late than never.  And it has the added dimension of a redemption after he screwed up in 2006 in Turin Italy when Bode Miller was expected to win but ended up coming home empty handed.  With almost no expectation entering the Vancouver Games, Miller finally struck gold in men's super combined.

The Hurt Locker Is Hurting The Avatards At BAFTAs

The Brits like Avatar but just not enough to bestow it the best picture and best director.  Instead, crazy woman director, Kathryn Bigelow won the top honors with her movie The Hurt Locker.
If you have more time to waste you may go and read my review on The Hurt Locker.

Wow

Wow this blog stands the test of time.  It won't just implode under its heavy content and traffic.  Me being the sole contributor of posts here never ever shut the hell up in good times or bad times, in sickness or in health.  Well you get the idea.  I vouch to continue to post more crap because I just can.  Stay tuned.

PS:  This is another meaningless post because I just can.

NYC Fashion Week Is Over

I mean like forever.  Fashion week is moving uptown to Lincoln Center.  For me, that's not Fashion Week anymore.  At the same time, people around Bryant Park can breathe a sigh of relief.  They don't have to be reminded twice every year how fat and ugly they are by these fashionistas.

上得山多

終 PK.

Since life is not a spectator sport, I shall remain doing things I am not supposed to do to live the life I want to live sometimes foolhardily.

Olympics Fever

Super girl Lindsey Vonn lived up to the hype and won the gold.

Shani Davis defended his 1000m and won Gold back to back.  He backed up his bad ass reputation with his bad ass on the ice performance.  Well done.  Davis actually looked and sounded surprisingly affable during a post match interview on TV.  Well what do I know anyway?

Shaun White also successfully defended his Gold on halfpipe.

Obituary

The unapologetically flamboyant and deliciously kitschy Chau Kai-Bong passed away.  Other people might have his wealth but none can match his unique sense of aesthetics.  His larger than life persona together with his golden toilet bowl shall leave an indelible mark in Hong Kong and the rest of the world.  He shall be fondly remembered as a true fashionista long before fashion is fashionable.  He was 75 years old.

Good Taste is the Enemy of Creativity
-- Pablo Picasso

The Chaus as photographed by Terry Richardson.

The Unstoppable Toyota

Toyota has been unstoppable and it still is.  It's just that it used to be its sales, then its accelerator, and now its bad press.  US seeks recall documents to see if Toyota has handled the recall in a timely manner.  If not, Toyota can face fines of up to $16.4 millions.

Olympics Fever

China sent out a couple of senior citizens to the pair figure skating competition.  And look what happened.  Old people rock.  China took home Gold and Silver in the competition.  They put the youngsters to shame.

Film To Be Developed

The New York Times Sucks

New York Times doesn't give a f.u.c.k about Chinese or Chinese New Year despite New York City has one of the biggest freaking Chinatown on Earth and it calls itself The New York Times.  The event wasn't even covered in their regional area section.  Anyhow, I did my part and "covered" the event as much as I could which is hardly good or enough.  The New York Times sucks ass.

Big Wong

The Obligatory Big Wong shot on Chinese New Year Day. No, he is not Big Wong, the restaurant is. Big Wong and some Chinese restaurants are just better in more than one way. Like the wait staff would automatically give the kids glass of water instead of tea or let you ask them. Something simple like that a lot of restaurants don't do.

Kids Playing

Wow, there are just stylish people everywhere in NYC.  Look at the dude in the background.  If that's not cool I don't know what is.  Wow I wish I could look more like him.

Lion Dancer

Rehearsing for the dance.  Visualizing the jump.  FQNY is much better than shitty DKNY for a fraction of the price, just so you know.

This Just Rocks

On Leong

Cotton Candy Vendor In Chinatown

Cotton candy vendor with cavernous eyes.  Chinese New Year on Mott Street.

Lok Bok Goh

This was made on New Year Eve. One big Lok Bok and almost a whole pack of rice flour. That's it. No measurement no nothing. Just feel it. And it came out pretty good actually. One of the better one I made.

Happy Chinese New Year

I hope you like the red hot chili pepper background.

PS:  I can't stand the color myself.

Shani Davis vs. The Orange Dude Kramer

... I can't even see Davis.  It's the orange dude all the way now.  Davis is no where to be seen.  The orange dude is just blasting away now.  So the American bad ass Shani Davis has the bad attitude but don't have yet the performance to back it up in the Olympics, at least not yet--assuming wrongly that you can get away with bad behavior if you are good at what you do.  Davis is 6th now.

Winter Olympics Fever

Do you have Winter Olympics Fever ... you want to put out?  Then watch NBC.  I don't know but the guy, that is Al Michaels at the studio seems to be very talented at making everything boring.  Want to have an afternoon nap, watch the guy talk and no doubt he will put you to sleep in seconds.  Sleepy monotonous tone, sitting on a leather upholstered armchair.  It's like listening to good old Grandpa except he's on TV hypnotizing everybody.

Happy New Year

Happy Chinese New Year my dear readers.

Google Just Can't Keep A Secret

Holy cow, I just found out I have 13 subscribers, including myself probably.  I can't believe there are actually 12 people who subscribe to my Blog.  Initially I was trying to pretend I have a large readership like a million or something.  Now I just can't because Google just wouldn't shut up.  Any John, Dick and Harry who has a Google reader can find out the details.  Oh well, honesty is the best policy as they say.  After I found out I have 12 regular readers--even the subscriptions were most likely tests or accidents, I got so psyched up that I just churned out post after post today.  Because you know I write for you guys.

Winter Games Opening Ceremony

Live Blogging on location ... I mean on the couch in front of the TV

路人甲, did you see the opening video footage, showing a boarder ripped down the mountain?  That's exactly how I ride.  I hope that answered your question on my previous post.

The rest of the ceremony like any other opening ceremony is just bullshit.  I can't stand it.  Let's just cut to the chase and let the athletes do their things.

Was the flag bearer of the Chinese delegation chewing gum when he led his fellow teammates into the stadium?  I don't know his specialty but he definitely succeeded in one area: looking like an asinine American.

Wow, Hong Kong has one athlete in the Winter Games.  At least the girl has more common sense not to chew any gum and look like an ass.  Smart girl.

Chinese Taipei, one athlete, no gum either.

I am waiting for the United States now ... 216 athletes, wow.  I don't see people chewing gum.  Wow, people here are getting smarter and know a thing or two about etiquette.  Even the snowboarders aren't chewing gum.  The team uniform looks reasonably smart from our trusted American designer Mr. Ralph Lauren, even the polo logo isn't ostensibly large.  A navy blue puffy jacket with red trimming over a creamy white turtle neck cable sweater, white pants and black short boots.  All American and more importantly sans gum.  So the Chinese actually out American the American by chewing gum.  Well done.

The Super Duper Chinese New Year Cake

The Lonely Branches

The world just needs another picture of snow covered tree branches because I say so.  The last picture I took before I headed back home.  That's all there is, folks.  For more pretentious black and white pictures, check back soon.

The Canon P, made in 1959 together with the 35 RF f2.8 proved blizzard worthy.  Thumbs up.

Park Bench In The Snow

I am telling you, the world just needs one more picture of a park bench.  One more, that's it.

I was thinking to crop the picture in post production--I just like this big word, POST PRODUCTION, WOW.  But I decided to leave it as it is.  I remember it was just so cold and after this I just didn't bother to take another frame.  My fingers were frozen stiff.  Actually I did take one more now that I confirm by looking at the negative strip.

The Tiny Little Lonely Tree

Friday Trend Watch

The fad caught up with me, finally. I read the lumberjack and logger boots (just in case you wonder, I look 100 times betterworse than the dude in the picture then and now--humility prevails) combo is totally in vogue or at least since last winter. I had them since I don't remember, when I was single and weighed 128 pounds. I bought my Woolrich checked lumberjack woolcoat at Paragon downtown when it was maybe less than $100, like $79 and honestly crafted in America. My Georgia logger boots I think I bought in David Z or the like about 13 years ago.  One of them was defective and it broke when I was in Hong Kong.  I wrote to the company with a photo, yes that was before Al Gore invented the Internet, and they sent me a new pair all the way to Hong Kong.  I do have effective writing and picture taking skills, the most lethal and enviable combination one can get.  Now I put my killer skill set to good use, writing this highly acclaimed blog.

Now since they are in vogue, I am too embarrassed to wear them out in the open.  I just wear them to shovel the snow or something.  In Flushing, Queens.

The Sartorialist At Work

© 2010 All rights reserved.

Fuji Neopan 400 shot as rated and developed using Kodak HC-110 at 1:63 for 10 minutes. This is the 37th frame of the roll.  The very last frame.

UPDATE:
This pictures grows on me.  I like it.

Google Hasn't Had Enough

So Google is still procrastinating in China, what are they thinking anyway?  After initial hyperbole of declaring non censoring search results and pulling out of China, they are still censoring and still in China.  Where is the supposedly shitstorm that I am hoping and waiting for?  Just give us Nexus One Chinese native support for "finger input" already and get the hell out of China if you are so gungho about free information flow.  You talk the talk and it's time to walk the walk.

Snowpocalyse Aftermath

I know all my readers are dying to know if I survive the first snowstorm of 2010. Seeing my post here pretty much answered your question. Sorry to disappoint you I managed to live through this horrid storm. The truth of the matter is if you don't need to go out it's all fine. If you needed to go out and get in touch with other New Yorkers like on the roadways or subways, then it's an entirely different matter.

Today I needed to get back to the routine. The snow got plowed to our side of the street so basically we were snowed in by the snow plower. But lucky me, I got this super powered snow thrower. I brought this sleepy machine to life by gushing it with gasoline and motor oil and it's alive. It roared through the snow with gusto, chewed up the packed snow and spit it out to the side of my neighbor all done in no time, just like me eating roast pork and duck over rice. I was able to pull out my Odyssey the best car ever built (for people who can't afford German or other fancy things in life) except it doesn't have the Toyota's unstoppable gas pedal. Oh well, you can't have everything, Can you? The side streets were so so but major roadways were very drivable. So I say the sanitation department actually did a very good job. I salute you guys.

And you know what (not your butt)? Even the Fashion Week is on schedule in Bryant Park. All the beautifully emaciated people are congregating there so if you are not beautiful don't even go near the place, you will feel even more fatter and uglier than usual. I am not going near that place except when I feel like to take some pictures for the sole enjoyment of my readers.

Snowday No More

Every good thing must come to an end.  As such, tomorrow there shall be school.  I don't know how much Queens is considered to be part of New York City but I just hope by the time I need to ferry the boys to school the roadways are as clear as they can be.  The bus and the subway, they have live of their own and they come when they are ready irrespective of any schedule or complaint.  So I shall remain hopeful that tomorrow the commute won't be all that bad.  I have faith in myself.

Snowman On Snowday

Snow Day

Kissena Lake in the middle of the snowstorm.

Snow Day

Snow Day

Most of my shots are in landscape mode. If God intended us to see portrait He would have put our eyes in a vertical line. I totally bullshit as I am sure you are well aware of MO. I am just too lazy to flip my camera and flip it one more time when comes to editing. So most of my pictures are just plain landscape, because it's just convenient. I am a lazy photographer so by default I am no good--I am fishing for sympathetic compliments again. I am just pathetic.

Snow Day

I should have overexposed it by at least one stop to make it white. Or should have done it in GIMP. But I goofed. And so be it.

Worker Bees

For those worker bees who brave the snowstorm and prop up the ailing US economy.  I salute you.  You know who you are.

Snowmageddon In NYC

Tomorrow's news today:  no school tomorrow.  Mayor Bloomberg preemptively closes NYC public schools.  Kids shall stay home and so will I.

The only thing I care about:  Can the Fashion Week in Bryant Park still open on Thursday?  Can the emaciated human specimens brave the surly weather and walk the walk?  Is Fashion Week still even in Bryant Park?  I am confused.

Me The Poet

Can you believe that?  I know I can't.  But here are the two "poems" I have ever written in my entire life.

So Winter Is Here
Snow Is Pelting On My Roof
Snowdrops Brags Haiku
[The last line is corrected by the exceedingly literate Snowdrops]


Winter Games Up North
Cruel Capricious Trails Break Bones
Safer Watch At Home

Since somebody is closing the shop early, I have to single-handedly provide entertainment for the entire Blogosphere.  It's a tall order but somebody has to do it.

The above is purposefully haiku, whether it's really haiku I don't really know for sure.

Nikon New Lenses

A Nikkor AF-S 24mm f1.4G.  For a mere $2,199.95.  More the reason for me to use old film stuff.  It just doesn't work for me.  I just use whatever I have already or from eBay.

Carousel

Best Subway Line In The World

The Price Is Right

Friendly Vendor

New Yorkers are incredibly friendly.  I feel enormously thankful to strangers.
Canon RF 35mm f2.8

Sometimes, I wonder I can probably put a coke glass in front of the camera and it's still be acceptably good.  Just kidding. I used to be very very anal about how clean the lens is.  I mean I still do.  But ever since shooting these two lenses from the 1950s I guess some scratches really don't mean anything.  Bottom line is the picture.  While scanning, I notice sometimes Dust Removal is just too smart for its own good.  Sometimes, some facial features are considered as dust and the result can be strangely appalling.  I can't do this to the nice people in my pictures.

Empire State Building

Neopan 400 shot as rated. Kodak HC-110 1:63 10 minutes at 68F.

Won't You Hate It

Won't you just hate it if Brangelina tells you beauty and wealth don't mean a thing?  I know I will.

Random Rant

I always thought I can count on the Japanese to crank out reliable consumer durables at a reasonable price.  Now even they messed it up.  It's all Toyota's fault.

Something About Myself

My tastes are simpler:  I am easily satisfied with roast pork over rice.
    ---laichungleung

Me And My P

Me and my P. Canon RF 35mm f2.8 with 35mm optical viewfinder. The optical viewfinder is nifty. It has a focusing scale to compensate the optical discrepancy between the lens and the viewfinder. I honestly don't think it's called parallax correction. Anyway, the distance adjustment tilts the viewfinder down if focus is close and flat focus to infinity. I know some other Canon rangefinders, there's a pin on the cold shoe connected to the focusing mechanism to do just that--moving the shoe mounted optical viewfinder up and down. I mean how cool is that?

When accurate framing is not critical. When accurate focusing is replaced by hyperfocusing. Rangefinder is the way to go. I talk like as if I know what I am doing, I don't really. I just enjoy what I am doing.

Mom, Look, There Is No Lens Cap

The lens has scratches and marks and it doesn't come with a lens cap. So it's naked. The upside is I never miss a picture because I forgot to take the lens cap off.

One good thing about the P is you can easily leave the film leader out without much guessing. Once the little red eye stop spinning when you are rewinding, you know the film is out of the take up spool on the right and not yet back in the cassette cartridge. Of course, if you want to micro adjust the the length of the lead sticking out, like getting 39 or 40 exposures out of a 36 roll, then you need to be more careful. But it's really great if you process your 135 roll film. I never needed to use a can opener because I always leave the film lead out.

Frozen Kissena Lake

Kung Fu In Kissena Park

Kodak 125PX @125, HC-110 1:49 for 8 minutes at 68F.  A lady practicing Kung Fu in the park.

+++++++

Once again, I was able to shoot thirteen frames using my C12 back.  So that's a bonus.  Though it's a little bit of a pain to file the orphan 13th frame.  Plus the 13th frame is just too close to the end that got clipped to the reel when developing.  The frame may very well get crinkled.

Last night I dumped my Kodak HC-110 after the above development.  It got kind of reddish.  The negative looked fine to me.

As an aside.  I don't know what's going on with the expired film market.  A year or two ago I was getting just expired 120 Portra for $1 a roll.  Now people are asking 120 color negative film expired in 2006 for $2 a roll.  I say no, thank you.

++++++

The 150mm CF is one of the two Hasselblad lenses I own. I like the out of focus rendition, it's pretty smooth. The 80mm CF is good, not crazy expensive and it's actually versatile but people tend to overlook just like the 50mm lens in the 135mm world. Then there is the 50mm CF which goes from $500 to $800 I think without the floating elements. The 50mm CF would be a nice addition to my Hasselblad.

I Can Cry Like Roger It's Just a Shame I Can't Play Like Him

A defeated, deflated and disappointed Murray never loses his sense of humor. He chokes up right away when he says "sorry I couldn't do it for you tonight," apologizing to his fellow country men back home for not winning the Open Championship. Then he goes on to say "I can cry like Roger. It's just a shame I can't play like him." It wasn't entirely true. He didn't go all tears like Roger did. He says "I'm done, sorry" and immediately leaves the spot to Federer after he thanks his team. I hope Murray can win some the rest of the year.

Federer keeps beating up youngsters. He just collected his 16th single titles in down under, a record. A new decade, same result for old Federer. If the beginning of the year is any indication, dude still has plenty left in his tank. Plus his archrival Nadal is in bad shape. None of the other players are consistent enough to beat Federer at this point.

(NOTE: I can't wait to see what some newspapers in HK has to say about Murray's it's a shame comment. More shame ...)

Australian Open Update

I love to say that I told you so.

When Serena Williams wasn't busy threatening line judge by shoving tennis balls down her throat, she could definitely play magnificent tennis and she did.

In the final, Williams was able to control her nerve and got the job done. In so many ways, I think, gee was Williams playing just like Henin? Except she was bigger and louder. Both players were playing aggressive tennis, and it was even truer for Henin; nobody wanted to do any long rally. Now looking back, I think Henin should have just stayed with Williams longer on each point when all of a sudden her serve and backhand weren't working for her in the third set. I would give the edge to Henin if a point was ever played longer. But ever since her comeback, she played much more aggressive tennis. And who's better at aggressive tennis? Serena of course. In the end, Henin played more like Serena and wasn't able to beat Serena in Serena's game.

Australian Open Update

Just as predicted Roger Federer is going to the men's final. What most people didn't foresee was perhaps the totally one sided performance. Tsonga just couldn't muster any offense or defense against the great Roger Federer. There wasn't much of a fight. Federer played like great Swiss clockwork, faultlessly and reliably precise on every set. Federer is going to face Murray who has an excellent baseline game but I don't know how consistent and reliable he is. So far he hasn't won any grand slam yet. And if he doesn't have any break through I doubt if he can have any going forward. Federer surprisingly is still at the top of his game and nobody plays as consistent as he does. Murray is going to face a very formidable opponent in the final.

You Won't Buy The iPad, Of Course You Won't

I came across more than a dozen posts proclaiming that "I Won't Buy The iPad."  Of course you won't because maxi-pads are just so much better.  They come with wings too.  Don't believe me?  Watch this.

Now I Am Shocked

Mingpao doesn't even get the joke right.  But all the better, I can now laugh at mingpao in addition to Apple.  Unintentionally funny.

以Pad為名 被嘲「衛生棉」


【明 報專訊】蘋果將平板電腦命名iPad，而Pad在美國口語中的意思之一是衛生棉，惹來輿論調侃。Brew傳媒公關公司創始人哈默靈（Brooke Hammerling）質疑蘋果如此給產品改名，是否在乎女性市場，「和我談話的每個女性聽到這個詞的第一反應，幾乎都以為是衛生棉，看來蘋果之前根本沒 做多少市場調查。」有男性公關專家亦調侃道﹕「我等覑蘋果iPad第二代有護翼版趕快問世。


紐約時報

If your girlfriend asks for a pad and you give her a tampon,  is it the same thing?  I don't think so.

Kids, if you don't study hard you may end up not having a girl friend, not knowing what period is, not knowing the difference between a tampon and a pad but lucky enough to be hired by mingpao and translate crap like the above.

Previously ....

update 7PM:
Apparently ( or not so apparently to me ),  the translation is right.  When I type in the Chinese that's what I see.  So I guess it's right.  Kids study hard or you end up like me.

Australian Open Update

Andy Murray kind of lives up to the great expectation, but the true test is going to be on the final.  Can he beat the seemingly rejuvenated Roger Federer (assuming R Fed is going to beat the talented but sometimes erratic Tsonga)?  I saw Federer play and he moves extremely well.  I mean what else is new?  I haven't seen Murray play in this Open so I don't know.

On the men's side, it's a pity to see Nadal retire during the match.  I am afraid this may be it for him.  It could be the end of the road for him.  The guy is renowned for his quickness and now with his perennial troubling knees I don't think if he would ever play the level he ever played a year ago.  It's just bad.  Andy Roddick and Fernando Gonzalez both can hit big and do hit big all the time.  But it just goes to show hitting big is just not enough.  When they play you really feel like, man, they really work to earn their money.  The grunts, the poundings are just unbearable to watch, sometimes.

On the women side, it's always good to see a comeback.  In this Open, the come back kid or woman is Justin Henin.  The woman just retired, prematurely.  And now she is back with a vengeance or whatever.  She seems to have a even better forehand now.  The woman can explode massive power from her 5 foot 6 frame both from her forehand and backhand.  Super diva, on and off court, Serena Williams needs no introduction.  If she is not too busy threatening a line judge by shoving down a tennis ball down her throat, she can actually play impressive tennis.  Did she ever regret that ugly episode in her career, in tennis?  Probably not at all.  Less than a year from her "passionate" outburst on the court, she was ranting and complaining about the amount of fine $82,000 or $92,000 or $175,000 being excessive.  I mean, c'mon.  She should have been suspended but I guess the tennis world needs her, her level of play to draw in the crowd, the TV ratings, and that's the reality.

Grey Lady Weighed In Protest and Democracy in Hong Kong, Finally

The New York Times' Keith Bradsher is calling Hong Kong's protest culture lame, essentially.  That's until our Goddess of Liberty Christina Chan changed everything.

Until recently, Hong Kong had a tradition of orderly political protests that were uncommonly polite by international standards[editor's note: read lame]. When 500,000 people took to the streets in 2003 to oppose successfully the introduction of stringent internal security regulations, the police did not make a single arrest.

Here our Goddess of Liberty speaks:

 “We’re just sick of going to rallies that political parties organize, and we hold our banners and don’t accomplish anything,” said Christina Chan, a 22-year-old graduate student in philosophy who was arrested at her home[editor's note: outside of a radio station, RTHK] this month on suspicion of assaulting police officers at two rallies. Released on bail of 500 Hong Kong dollars, or $65, she has not yet been formally charged and has denied any wrongdoing.

Though the part that says she "was arrested at her home" seems wrong but overall, the account of the event as a whole was accurate.

Read the original piece here.

UPDATE 1/29/2010:
I wrote to Mr. Bradsher regarding his Times article and expressed my doubt on the place of arrest.  He checked with Ms Chan and confirmed that the arrest was made not at her home but outside a radio station.

Li Na Digs Deep

Super diva Serena Williams is having trouble putting Li Na away for good.  So far Li has saved four match points.  Serena is going to earn the spot, Li is not just going to give it away like free.  The match goes on.

update:  In the end, Williams prevailed.

酒囊飯袋

Cop got bitch-slapped and collapsed like a sack of potatoes.  Unintentionally funny.

What good is he as a cop?  Can he serve and protect?  I doubt that very much.  He can't even protect himself from a not-too-surprise attack from a seemingly drunk and mildly deranged well-heeled female dog with no weapon but her bare fists.  If the stun-yelp-collapse is just an act in front of the camera to strengthen the case of assaulting a police officer then there is this ugly element of framing the suspect by exaggerating the injury and stretching the truth so much so that it may amount to obstruction of justice.  Either way makes him unfit for law enforcement.

FEATURED COMMENT

If you study English hard enough, then you can slap a cop in the face when you grow up. The other trick is: you have to drive a Lexus, BMW or a Mercedes and the whole thing has to happen in the Mid-levels. No luck if u are an English-speaking Pakistani living in ShumShuiPo.

路人甲

iPad It Is

Oh brother.  It's really called iPad, of all names that Apple can infringe and use.  It's a tribute to female hygiene I guess.  iPad available with or without wings, okay only without wings.


via live blog from gizmodo.

Only Reason to Get Up This Morning and Stay Up

No, it wasn't Obama's poor state of the union address at 9PM E.T.  Who really cares anyway?  Wall Street wins and little people continue to toil or collecting unemployment if you are that lucky.

It's Apple's 1 PM E.T. media event:  the announcement of the much anticipated tablet computer that promises to change everything, I mean everything.  The latest being it's a 10" touch screen iPhone on steroid with a built-in HDTV tuner, 2 cameras for video conferencing, a solar pad for recharging among other goodies you don't need and most likely can't afford because you are either unemployed or underemployed.  But since it's from Apple you are going to buy it anyway, plus iPhone seems so pedestrian now that even your grandma has one.

Free Content Is Over Soon

The days of reading contents free online are numbered.  By contents I mean valuable contents like the ones here.

Apple's tablet is going to make payments so simple and so much fun that you actually feel like you owe it to yourself to pay via Apple's tablet.  Think Apple's iPhone apps.  Each app is either free or mostly under $10 and people are paying them like as if they are free when in fact they add up quickly.  Before month end, iTunes is sending you a $100 statement.  Surprise.

People are so used to getting quality contents free on the Web and print media have been caught much like the music industry but unlike the music industry, they actually put their contents on the web and charge nothing hoping that the advertising model, like network TV, would sustain or even turn a profit for the business.  Alas, nobody from the old print media has any success in raking in the dough.  Print is either dead or on life support.  Now comes Jobs, the guy who can do no wrong.  If the Web puts print on life support, the tablet is the life line.

What does Google fit into this picture?  Google should be afraid, very afraid.  Just like the iPhone apps, it has the potential to totally bypass search, the bread and butter of Google's ad driven business model, that's why Google needs to get into the smartphone business to control how content is delivered.  While Apple is on iPhone 3GS, the second iteration of its game changing device, and ready to roll out the tablet, Google just belatedly shipped its Nexus One.  With the tablet, the computing battle field is pushed one step further into the handheld and away from the desktop.  Google doesn't have the so-called first mover advantage but it never had even with search.  It would be interesting to see how Google, print and other businesses are going to adopt and exploit the potential of this device.

Pedestrians

Merry-Go-Round

Canon P Rangefinder.  Canon RF 50mm f1.8.  HC-110 diluted at 1:49 for 8 minutes.

Epson V500 = POS

What a let down.

I was trying to scan a frame or two in the morning. But that POS just wouldn't co-operate. To get the 135mm negative onto the mount is in itself a chore already. But I guess I can live with. The holder for mounted 135mm slides can never give me a sharp scan. I mean never. The 120 film mount is close to impossible to mount. Now the software, today I just couldn't get to select Film as my medium. I re-started it a handful of times and re-positioned the negative holder, still no go. So this is the latest problem, a supposedly photo scanner that can't even scan film. Well your experience might differ.

UPDATE: The cable between the lib and the body came loose, so that was an easy fix. It didn't change my opinion on my experience in general with this scanner.

First Roll of Black and White from P Almost Ready

My first roll coming from the P is processed and is hung up in the bathroom to air dry. I shall scan once the negative is ready. I think this time I beat my record in loading up the steel reel, it took me probably 2 minutes to load the film. I did it in one go and there was no crinkles, a very clean load. The exposure doesn't look bad either considering I was just guestimating the exposures as I shot along. The accessory meter doesn't work.

That was the good news.

Here comes the not so great news. Well it wasn't exactly bad. I found out I left the FE film advance lever open and the battery was duly drained. This had never ever happened to me in the 20 plus years that I own the camera. The battery has been in the chamber forever and it had been good for years. I remember I only changed it once all these years. And I thought it has auto power off even if I leave the lever in the open position. Oh well, you live and learn. Without battery the FE only operates at M90 and B unless I use it with my MD-12 motor drive.

Well I can always shoot my Hasselblad 500C/M and my Canon P sans battery and sans meter.

I Got My P

Canon P, probably manufactured in 1959 and the lens in 1951, finally I found some camera gears that are even older than me. Woo hoo.

Snowboarding, Skiing and Shaving

They are all about the edges. And they demand your full attention or else you pay a very steep price for it. I like the brutality of them.

People ask me what is easier, skiing or snowboarding. I am not the best person to answer a question like that but my opinion is this: Skiing should be a bit easier to pick up. While learning to ski you can get away with not riding on the edge by doing the "pizza." You can survive a beginner slope by doing the "pizza" all the way down. For snowboarding, you have to find your edge pretty early on, during the process, you are going to catch your toe side or heel side, and it's not going to be pleasant or pretty. And there is no "pizza" to make to get you down, you have to edge your way down early on. My opinion is snowboard is harder to pick up. You experience might differ.

Times Square

Little Skiers

The Bra Tree

Girls feel the need to take off their bras (or some kids call booby patch) on the way up the mountain.

Oldest boarder