US OPEN 2010

Ralph Lauren:  I mean, I'm not gonna be ignored.

Rolled Up Jeans

Bryant Park

I guess I can live without auto-focus.  Since I don't and can't use any auto exposure by the camera, the unchanged f-stop and shutter speed combination across frames guarantee consistent exposure and look.

(note:  I correct myself, this is more a cuffed than a rolled-up)

 

All Asses Were Not Created Equal

Grand Central Station

I waited about four hours for the desired lighting and when the right amount of cloud flew into the frame. What can I tell you? Photography is about patience. It took only 1/160 sec to expose the frame but hours to prepare for that moment.





(note: I hope you know I am just kidding regarding the wait for the proper lighting and cloud flowing into the frame)

Nikon D7000

I am getting very excitable with the impending Nikon D7000 rollout.  I didn't know the D90 can meter with AI or AIS kind of Nikkors but apparently it can.  So I assume its replacement, the D7000 can too.  So that's another reason to stock up any good old AI or AIS lens.  I can focus so fast I don't even need auto focus.  No, mostly I take pictures of inanimate objects.  Man, I always know the D90 doesn't meter with AI kind of non-cpu lens and I don't know where I read the disinformation that it does.  But a quick trip to dpreview confirms that it doesn't.  I think the only DSLR that does support old lens metering is the D pro series, like the D300s and up.  Bummer.  I think I just have to use my mental meter between my ears and use the LCD as a feedback mechanism like I've been doing with my D70, it's not great but doable.

UPDATE:
See this post for D90 and non-cpu lens compatibility.
.
UPDATE 8/28/2010:
You know what, I got the information about D90 can meter with AI lens from none other than Nikon USA. Shocking. I mean does it really can meter with AI lens in M or even A mode? If it can it's a piece of shocking news to me, if it doesn't that means Nikon USA made a gross mistake by probably copy and paste it from some higher end model like D300 or higher.

On 41st Street

I don't know how "useful" a 105mm lens would be to me.  As everything would appear tighter.  Personally I find a 24 to 50mm very useful whether on a DX or FX body.  Anything longer or shorter, I just don't know how to handle.

For reason unknown to myself, I much prefer to shoot with my manual focus lenses from the 80s.  Though they don't provide metering on my D70 but I just think they have more character which is important for somebody who doesn't have any.  I can't find any fault with my 18-70 DX lens or my 24-85 zoom nikkors, it's just that I don't use them much at all if I consider less on convenience, especially the 24-85, after I bought it from Canoga, it pretty much retire right away.  Granted they are all "toys"  but the 24-85 just doesn't see the light of day too often.

People ask all kinds of questions, myself is guilty of asking them too.  One of them is what's a good walk around lens, or what's a good landscape lens.  Those questions invite ridicules as often as they invite answers.  Some people like 18-200 zooms as their walk around lens and some people just don't.  You just have to pick your poison and die the way you want to die.

Getting Ready for Dinner

Chrome and Namoroka Say Nikonrumors is Bad

As much as I like to browse gossips, rumors and half truth about cameras, I am not taking any chances.  Get me out of here!

Happy Horsey

Bryant Park, New York City.

Taking boring picture since 1974.

Selvedge

Everybody is wearing his jeans or pants rolled up now--even when there is no torrential rain or flood.  It's such an epidemic that I have no way to immune myself from.  Sorry.

Shot wide open at f2.

Field Testing Filson's in the Rain

The rain will form droplets initially.  But then after some fifteen minutes walking in the rain with a puny umbrella, the waxed tin cloth absorbs some of the down pour but I see or feel no water seeping through the fabric.  Somewhat water repellent but just don't wear it as a raincoat because it isn't.  The messenger bag from J. Crew (it's called Bowery by the way) is some what waxed but definitely not as waxed or I guess as water repellent as the Filson's Levi's trucker jacket.  It doesn't mean it's bad, just know your gears and their limitations.  (note:  I am into waxed clothings now, everything got coated with wax--I'm not waxed though.  Got to be a fire hazard.)

The Last Word on VR

Finally, geezer Bjorn Rosslett said it. "Often, VR has questionable virtues and confers unpredictable side effects." Translation: VR is a bullshit feature for pussies. That's why I don't own no VR at all. He answers my question and I guess many people's curiosity on why the newly inducted Hall of Fame Nikkor 85mm f1.4 lacks the rather popular VR feature given that it's a short telephoto.

via dpreview via NikonRumors

Would Sony Let Salander Use a Mac?

What would Blomkvist and Salander use now that Sony's Columbia Pictures is producing the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? MacBook and iBook are the most prominent inanimate characters depicted through out the entire Millennium series of novels. Would Salander be seen using a Sony Vaio or a MacBook Pro? I very much want to know.

Viewfinder and magnification

I am into a territory that I know little or nothing about. All I know is my D70 has a tiny viewfinder, and a trip to dpreview tells me that the D70 has a viewfinder of 95% coverage and an image magnification of 0.75. With a 1.5 crop factor, making it having an effective image magnification in the 35mm film world of 0.75/1.5 = 0.5! No wonder the image looks so terrible.

Nikon rumors says the D90 replacement shall have a 100% viewfinder, that's great but what about magnification? Assuming it's a 1.5 crop sensored camera, any effective image magnification less that 0.7 would be murder for old folks like me. The D90 replacement at least should have an image magnification like the D300 which is 0.94 making it having an effective magnification around 0.6x. OKAY, I guess realistically speaking, I have to live with this magic number 0.6x because to expect the D90 better than the D300s seems a bit unrealistic.

To keep things in perspective, my Nikon FE has 93% frame coverage and 0.86x magnification. While my F5 has 100% coverage and 0.75x magnification. My Canon P has 1x magnification.

People buy full frame camera because of the better viewfinder not because of better image quality, me think.

Neocamera has a nice summary.

update:
Nikon Rumors says the upcoming D90 replacement will be called D7000. It has the base IS0 100 that all old timers would recognize as the de facto ISO. I remember that's what ISO I began shooting with and that was what the store stocked for amateur photographers like me back then. If the model really comes out like what NR says it will be, this may very well be my next and second DSLR since the D70. I will just blacken the extra 0 to make it the $2300 FX D700. Or I will hold off for the next incarnation of the D700 or I will wait for the side line forever while the world moves on. Who knows and who cares really.

Ramen

As found at Mitsuwa, NJ.

Free Refills

As seen in Five Guys in PA. This is the right thing to do. I can't believe Subway asks money for refills.

NYC Dragon Boat Festival 2010

This is straight from the scan by the shop.  I just did a resize.  The scan is much better than those from the Kodak 400VC.  It probably has to do with the film speed.  But I think 400 shouldn't be that bad.  Also I think the Carl Zeiss lenses are pretty remarkable.  Sunny 16 works pretty well for me.  Sorry no boats.

Brothers

I found the Kodak 400VC almost unusable.  It's just way too grainy.  The shop which did the develop and scan did a terrible job I think.  Granted the 400VC is grainy to begin with and I think it did sharpening when scan so the scans and the prints came out terrible.  I think the print is actually from the scan though I am not sure.  But it just doesn't look good at all.

I fired up my Epson V500 and I think the scan comes out a tad better, my standard.  At least the grain is not so offensive that I almost puke.  If I ever shoot another roll of 400VC I guess I would shoot it at ASA320.

Scanning is a pain.  Just don't try it at home if you don't absolutely have to.

Nikon 24mm f/2.0 AIS

This lens always got bad reviews.  Everything I read about it is kind of bad.  But you know what I own one and I like it all the same.  Though at times I do find it a bit hard to fill up the frame.  And if I were to mount it on my D70, I find the focusing a bit troublesome as my D70 has this tiny little viewfinder and AF focusing points that aren't actually designed for manual focus.

I like the lens all right, part of it is of course I own one and I don't want to appear too stupid and part of it is I do think it performs adequately--you know I am not shooting for National Geographic.  And the number one reason being the f/2 does give me the advantage to hide indoor and be a closet shooter.

Whatever.  To see some of my Nikkor 24mm f2 shots, you can click the label below.

Nikon New 85mm Prime

Nikon's legendary 85mm f/1.4 gets even more expensive, probably better with this upgrade.  This G lens shall take away the on lens aperture control and $1,700 from your wallet.  What you gain is one more group and one more lens element, Nano coating and silent wave motor.  No, thank you.  I will get my 85mm f/1.4 manual focus lens for $1,000 less if only I am crazy enough to get one.  I don't think the introduction of this lens will drive down the prices of the previous MF and AF versions.  The prices of these primes just keep appreciating.

NOTE:  I just made another trip to the Nikon web site, and I just noticed something, this new 85mm doesn't have VR.  I mean the women are going to love it but how about those shaky hands from the old men?  I just found it a bit odd that this short telephoto doesn't come with VR.  I mean I personally don't have a problem holding a lens still at a shutter of 1/focal length or even longer on a good day provided I am not pixel peeping.  But I know a lot of folks have problem holding lens still especially those who like to jerk press the shutter release button.  Very odd for it not to incorporate VR.
UPDATE:  Also notice how Nikon panders to the crowd's fixation on Bokeh; in its marketing material on the web it says and I quote

FX-format ultra-fast classic portrait lens with high picture quality, high performance, beautiful Bokeh (background blur) and outstanding reliability

I don't remember Henri Cartier Bresson using any beautiful Bokeh in his works.  Nowadays, all people talk about is Bokeh.  Is my aperture big enough?  How is the out of focus rendition look?  Is it creamy or what?  (errr...But I have to admit I want big aperture lenses too ...)

Nikon D3100

Nikon Rumor got everything right, it seems more like the marketing department for Nikon than a rumor mongering site.  Either way, I don't and can't have a problem with that.
The D3100 is marketed as a family camera, especially for young families who don't know crap about photography.  That kind of puts me off a bit even I am not young anymore.  The specs look impressive and the price point is right.  I expect it to sell millions.

Roger Federer Hits Water Bottle

Instead of or in addition to hitting aces, Federer is hitting water bottles off court.  I don't know if it's pure tennis wizardry or cinematic trickery or a combination of both--got to be a combination of both, but it does look impressive and interesting.  I bet millions of kids are practicing this shot with their reluctant younger siblings at home.

US Open is around the corner, can Federer rule the court?  We don't have to wait long to find out.

Car

On the Brooklyn Bridge

Pizza Pizza

No Slices Cash Only

Grimaldi's Pizzeria

Waiting for Pizza

Filson's Original Oil Finish Wax

Friday the 13th: The Battle of Old People

I cannot believe this Friday the 13th, there isn't a Jason movie in a theater near you.  Instead we have some movies starring old people for old people.  The Expendables.  As if one bad actor is not bad enough, The Expendables gathers a whole bunch of bad actors otherwise also known as action stars to front this fruit punch of an action movie.  I guess in some way it's a wet dream came true for all the action movie fans out there, a movie with most of the action stars albeit aging ones--Rambo is 64 years old eligible for collecting social security if he so chooses.  I secretly want to see this big bad loud movie.  Do people care about Julia Roberts anymore?  I guess some do, like moviegoers in Japan I suppose.  I like her, everybody likes her but is it enough to part $12 and go see her in a drama without asinine jokes, guns, some gratuitous violence (you can forget about nudity on big screen as Hollywood is very very conservative on this count)?  Youngsters much prefer to see New Moon kind of movies or pseudo intelligent movies like Toy Story 4 and a 1/2 and Shriek IX.  Julia Roberts would probably make another box office hit if she lends her voice to some animation character.  This sounds harsh but I think this is the box office reality now.  If Roberts beats senior citizen Stallone and his posse in this battle of the sexes between old people, it would really mean something.  It definitely (re-)establishes her as a major box office draw in spite of living in a time where stupid cartoon and vampire movies rule.  Yeah, I talk about movies without ever seeing them.

Going to Summer School in the Morning

Nikon D70, Nikkor-N Auto 28mm 1:2, 1/400s, f/2 at ISO400.  Color correction auto level.  USM at R0.5, A5, T0, all done in GIMP.

Just testing the lens at f2.  I think the lens performs OKAY.  The image looks smooth and creamy.  Or does it mean lack of sharpness?  I am not sure.  But I was thinking the lens should be sharper given what I've read online.  But then it's at f/2.  The focus is on his left eye, to the right of the picture, I don't know how accurate my manual focus was.

Naked Cowboy

Naked Cowboy, the one man Times Square minor spectacle ...

Street Performer on 42nd Street

Street Performer on 42nd Street

I am Beautiful

Shot using an ancient Nikon D70 and an even ancient-er Nikkor-N Auto 28mm 1:2.

Levi's Filson Trucker Jacket

Click link to see more pictures

Wow, Levi's finally got something good to offer in the US.  A jacket that begs not to be washed or dry cleaned.  Imagine how much money you save?  It's the anti-thesis of high maintenance clothing.

UPDATE: 5/9/2014
The jacket is going strong ... in the smell department.  Just kidding.  I live in NYC and I am not a logger or a cowboy living in a ranch.  At any given day, I can be less than 1cm from from my fellow New Yorkers who are just as irritable as myself.  I don't think the jacket gives out any stench but the fact that I haven't washed it  for years bothers me, somewhat, given that there is always some waxy smell to it already.  So one day I decided against the very prescriptive wash label.  I actually put the jacket into the washer and give it a whirl with detergent no less.  No dry cycle though.  Well it came out OKAY.  I don't think it shrinks or it does nothing too noticable.  Maybe it loses some waxy protection which doesn't make it very water or wind resistant to begin with except making the jacket very very not breathable.  The canvas still hold up, literally, pretty well.  I misplaced the Filson wax that came with it so I don't think I would be waxing it any time soon, may as well not to.

UPDATE: 2/26/2017
Just checked out eBay, the jacket is now fetching somewhere from $300 to $500.  I don't know if there is really a market for it.  One can ask any money for it but are there actual buyers?  I took it out, it still smells wax.  I haven't worn it the longest.  I measure the chest again, I think after I washed it, the dimension is hardly 22" pit to pit, it's more like 21 to 21.5 across.  I think it stretch a bit after repeat wearing and contracts a bit after wash.  The shoulder is bit on the small side and the sleeve is a bit short as well.

UPDATE: 9/23/2011
I still don't understand why manufacturers who try to sell online don't include the actual measurements of their clothings.  Does XS, S, M, L, or XL mean anything?  The actual inches can't guarantee perfect fit (an inch is an inch but individual fitting taste varies) but at least it gives more information to the user to form an idea.  Ebay sellers do a far better job listing the actual measurements.

As and when the jacket gets worn more and wrinkles more it seems to get smaller a bit even I never wash it.  The jacket being coated with wax is very not breathable.  I live in NYC and at times I do find wearing it uncomfortable, I prefer just breathable cotton but hey it's waxed tin cloth so be prepared.

UPDATE:  4/2/2011
Here are the measurements that neither Levi's nor Filson bother to tell you
For the size Large jacket that I own
Jacket laid flat.  Armpit to armpit 22 inches, armpit to end of the sleeve, 19 inches.  In the back, from bottom of the collar vertical down to the end, 25 inches.  Shoulder to shoulder horizontal across, 19 inches.  I have never washed the jacket just as instructed on the label.

UPDATE 11/2/2010
I wore this to a camping hiking trip not too long ago.  It was nice and cool.  I wore this while I hiked about 5 hours in the autumn sun and wind.  I was somewhat soaked.  When I returned and took off my jacket, I could see a film of water inside as the tin cloth won't absorb any sweat or at least very non-absorbent at all, and won't wicks any moisture out, unlike modern fabric I may add.  I wore a T-shirt, a long sleeve light flannel shirt, a wool sweater which later I removed.

UPDATE 9/30/2010:
So, I have this jacket for a few months.  My impression is the jacket is pretty well built but it's not as breathable as say anything that's just cotton.  If you live in humid climate this is probably not a very good jacket for you.  Sometimes I wear it out and I got sweaty and I am not even a sweaty person.  I never have any waxed wears before so my point of reference is none.

UPDATE
Click link to see more pictures.  Or click on label below post.

UPDATE
In my mind, the jacket is supposed to wear fitted and it's true to size.  A Large is like a size 42 (American Sizing).  Filson suggests you to buy one size up, what's the matter with these people?  OKAY, it's your choice.  In the Levi's commercial on Facebook, I think the guy actually wears one size too big.  Maybe that's the way to wear it?  Like your grandma would approve it, if it costs the same, get the bigger one, because you are going to wear heavy gauge sweater underneath?

UPDATE
I broke down and bought one.  The last trucker jacket I bought was when I was a student.

UPDATE
Added JPEG's from Filson's website.

UPDATE
Oops, you just have to see the Filson trucker jacket in store in person or go to Filson's web site.  For some reason, Levi's website is not showing the trucker jacket.

Flash Sucks

Sitemeter has become sitecrasher lately and I think it's all Flash's fault.  Every time I go there to check my n millionth visitor, the browser just freezes and goes nowhere.  So I have to give it to Stevie when he bans Flash out right.  It's ridiculous.  Flash doesn't really do anything other than delivering annoying ads.  I am no engineer, it could have been Firefox, or whatever but I just like to blame it on Flash.

Farrow Says Campbell is a Liar ...

No she didn't actually say that.  But what she testifies on the blood diamond case contradicts what Campbell said earlier that she didn't know they were diamonds nor who sent them.  Farrow says Campbell told them she got diamonds from Charles Taylor.  Who has better credibility?  I think Farrow does.  Campbell is most famously known for throwing crystal encrusted Blackberry's at assistants.  Of course, she is also equally good at hitting other targets, like limo drivers and police constables.  And now, obstruction of justice?

filed under international news.

Ubuntu 10.04 and Epson V500 Photo

The above award winning beautifully taken picture is originally in Kodak positive.  It was scanned by scan master me and myself using sucky Epson 500 Photo and Image Scan! for Linux running on Ubuntu 10.04.  Auto color "corrected" in GIMP.  The Kodak slide is of unknown expiration date.

Shot in Bryant Park, NYC.

Ubuntu 10.04 has been pretty stable.  My wireless configuration is still funky and finicky.  But for the most part it works though there is no way to know to get it work consistently, but as long as it works I am not going to touch it.  Switching between users still hit and miss.  Searching and installing new software doesn't seem to be as good as before.

Anyway.

I was able to hook up my Epson V500 god awful scanner.  It wasn't exactly plug and play.  But it isn't too hard either.  If I can do it, you can too.

Go to Epson website or simply Google it, search for Epson V500 Photo and go to support
Go to download driver.
You will be prompted to go to outside Epson, that's go to avasys for the files.  You need to pick your scanner and platform.
Here's how to get Image Scan! for Linux to work:-
Download the deb data, core and plug-in packages, at present 32bit versions are called iscan-data_1.0.1-1_all.deb, iscan_2.25.0-l.ltdl7_i386.deb, iscan-plugin-gt-x770_2.1.1-2_i386.deb.  Install them in that order by simply double-clicking them.  Wow, don't even need to do command line.  I know you're going to miss that.
For me I need a reboot for it to recognize the scanner.  Image Scan! for Linux is pretty straight forward and has a clean interface that I like.  For the kind of scan I do, the simpler the better.  Download the Image Scan! for Linux pdf guide userg_revL_e.pdf for more details.

update 9/25/2010
The 64 bit install works just as well.

The Devil's Rejects

Rob Zombie delivers a movie that's engrossing, enthralling, entertaining and above anything unrepentantly trashy.  And I like it because I am totally able to enjoy gratuitous violence and nudity.  If you enjoy mumble jumble cerebral flick you know what you can watch ... Toy Story VII or Shrek IV 3D.  I especially enjoy the premise that the sheriff turns totally psycho in the process of hunting down these devil's rejects.  I saw this on IFC, part of their Friday night grind house series.  The movie as far as I can tell was presented uncut and without commercial interruption.  IFC rules.

Jones Beach, Long Island

Port Jefferson, Long Island

World's best Sedutto ice cream.  That's according to me.  The kids can't finish theirs.  It's just too much.  Lucky me.

Beijing Snack

I got tons of emails asking the ingredients of the snacks.  So here they are, in simplified Chinese. And more importantly, there is this QS logo there on the wrapper. What it means is Safe Quality, or something to that effect. So rest assured you won't die eating it. And I am just feeling fine.

Beijing Snack

or junk food. They actually taste pretty good.

Electrical Work Costs me 2 Nikon Lenses

My latest electrical repair work costs me at least two Nikon prime lenses.  Luckily, not the AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED though.  I measure everything in terms of Nikon lens now.

Randolph Engineering

wow!!!!!!!!!!=====>>>>update 9/8/2011 More AO and RE.<=======wow

What can I say?  I have a weakness for taxi driver shades.  Logoless shades from Randolph Engineering.  I have misplaced my AO sunglasses and they are no where to be found.  I found out RE is just as good despite it having a shorter history than AO, oh yeah, I care about history and pedigree.  AO and RE look almost identical but RE sells at a higher price and the gold model says it's 23K gold plated while I don't find AO says anything about gold plated.  This pair or RE is supposedly army surplus with no logo either on the glass or on the arm.  AO has the AO logo on its glass and on its arm which I find mildly offensive but tolerable as a wearer.  The RE glasses for civilians also bear some sort of logo on the glass as well.  It seems everybody is into this branding business it has become an epidemic.

Difference between AO (American Optical) and RE (Randolph Engineering)--a comparison nobody really cares:-
From what I can recall the difference is there though very subtle.
RE is 58mm while AO is 57mm for it's largest frame, though both say it's 5 1/4".  RE does feel a bit bigger, not by much but I can feel the difference especially being anal retentive.
The bayonet arm of RE have more flex to it so I think it fits better.  The bayonet of AO (metallic silver I have had) is stiffer.  The arm of RE extends to and ends with the clear plastic.  Actually the metallic arm's end is exposed.  AO's metallic arm is not fully extended to the end of the clear plastic, it's wrapped inside.
RE feels lighter even it says it's glasses not plastic just like the AO's.

I think I like the RE better.

The State of Education

Diversity Debate Convulses Elite High School.  The comments speak for themselves.

Small Dirty Looking Stones

Starring Naomi Campbell and Tony Leung in the real world.

I never would have thought international movie star Tony Leung would have anything to do with blood diamond, but apparently he does, albeit quite remotely I guess.

Campbell testifies a pouch of small dirty looking stones were given to her by two men in the small hours of a night.  She didn't know what was inside until the following morning and didn't know who the men were or whom they represented.  According to Campbell it was Farrow and her ex-agent Ms. White who suggested they were blood diamonds and from Mr. CharlesTaylor, then president of Liberia.  Her testimony directly contradicted what Farrow had said before, she said Campbell told her Mr. Taylor gave her the diamond.

picture from Sipa Press via nytimes.com

Email Salvaged From the Internet Gutter

I wonder if the forever virginal singleton Andy Lau has anything to say about this sick sad episode of Hong Kong mainland tourism.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get better soon, [redacted].  Workers of the world need you and your inspiration.

I've got [redacted] on my left shoulder for about two months and
am currently taking [redacted] and doing [redacted] at home.

Let's meet next week, pals, and have fun.  But I'll have to attend
[redacted] on the evening of Friday, August
13, 2010.


2010/8/3  [redacted]:

Let's visit [redacted] cannon room sometime next week. Tomorrow I'm
going to have my [redacted] somewhere on the
other side of the harbour. Guys, I need to be in good shape to fight
all those class enemies in Hong Kong.


Long live the dictatorship of the proletariat!
]
] 寄件者: [redacted]
] 日期: 2010/08/03 星期二 下午 01:56:14 HKT
] 收件者: [redacted@gmail.com],
]        [redacted@yahoo.com],
]        [redacted@netvigator.com],
]        [redacted@hotmail.com]
] 主旨: 香港?游阿珍?大?游客?物不?多
]
] After all, I'm not saying that Ah Chun is responsible for the design and the
] failing of the whole scheme.  Her lecture having been caught on video, it's
] almost impossible for her to escape from her ordeal unscathed.  The rich and
] powerful in the industry and the HK Tourism Board as well as the citizens of HK
] need to find a convenient scapegoat in her.
]

] 2010/8/3  [redacted@netvigator.com]:
] This long food chain of tour operator-retails shops (at To kwa Wan) is the
] problem. In my view, the tour operators also own many of the shops. Or the
] shop-owners are also the tour operators themselves. Ah Zhen is just minnow. If
] something blows up, blame Ah Zhen. In the long run, if anyone cares about the
] long run that is, this is not going to work. These guys are just a bunch of
] crooks. [redacted], I am glad that u finally return to your proletariat roots.
]
] ]] 寄件者: [redacted@gmail.com]
] ]]
] ]] The whole thing needs a revamp, nothing short of a revolution
] ]] considering the scale of the whole operation.  By that I mean lawmaker
] ]] for the tourism industry in HK, Paul Tse, said half of mainland
] ]] visitors to HK Ocean Park and a quarter of mainland visitors to HK
] ]] Disneyland are from these kind of "zero-fee" package tours from China.
] ]]
] ]] Needless to say, the whole fucking system is not devised by folks like
] ]] Ah Chun.  It is the brainchild of some crooks in the tourism industry
] ]] of HK [the boss of the operator employing Ah Chun in this incident
] ]] sits on one of these councils or committees that design the system]
] ]] and China together with unscrupulous merchants operating those
] ]] specialized shopping centres in Hung Hom or To Kwa Wan.  Ah Chun is
] ]] only to blame for lambasting her herd for not shopping enough and
] ]] threatening to lock them out of their hotel rooms and not providing
] ]] meals to them.  [BTW, I don't think most of the tourists of these
] ]] package tours are petite capitalists.  I think middle-class folks
] ]] living in cities, certainly not migrant workers or mingong aka
] ]] nongmingong, are the ones who can afford the time as well as the money
] ]] to visit HK.  Some are duped by the incredulously cheap prices of
] ]] these package tours.]  The leader of her union said in a press
] ]] conference that she ought to do that in a more subtle and euphemistic
] ]] way.  Anyway, I say she should have been more alert of the existence
] ]] of smartphones and their video functions.
] ]]
] ]] The whole thing is totally fucked-up and it has tarnished the
] ]] reputation of HK tourism beyond imagination.  If it doesn't change
] ]] soon, similar incidents like Ah Chun's are bound to pop up from time
] ]] to time, given the prevalence of smartphones among Chinese citizens.
] ]]
] ]]
That's right! She is just one poor new immigrant at the bottom of the food chain. Singling her out is so unfair.
]
] 寄件者: "[redacted@yahoo.com]
] 日期: 2010/08/03 星期二 上午 10:07:04 HKT
] 收件者: [redacted@netvigator.com,  [redacted@gmail.com],
]       [redacted@hotmail.com]
] 主旨: Re: 回覆： Re: 回覆： 香港?游阿珍?大?游客?物不?多
]
] That's pretty fucked up.  Ah Zhen is the fall guy.
] ]] 2010/8/3  [redacted@netvigator.com]:
] ]]
] ]] The system you have in the States is transparent and clear to
] ]] everyone. In Hong Kong, it is screwed up. At the other end of the
] ]] equation is a bunch of Chinese capitalists who are willing to splurge
] ]] but would only want to pay zero or next to zero for a 5-day tour of
] ]] Hong Kong. On the other end, we have the tour operators who struck
] ]] deals with some 'shops' that cater to those tourists. The shops are
] ]] all located in some industrial neighbourhoods that sell exclusively to
] ]] the mainlanders. Who in Hong Kong in his/her right mind would go there
] ]] and shop? What is missing here? Yes, they need someone like Ah Zhen to
] ]] do the pushing and shoving. It is commission based or at times, the
] ]] tour guide buys the 'right' outright to 'guide' the tour from the tour
] ]] operator. Any deal can happen here.
] ]]
] ]] But it is easy to see that the tour guides is just one small player in
] ]] the whole fucking scheme. I hate to see those 'tour operators'
] ]] denouncing Ah Zhen and whatever the Tourist Council condemning 'such
] ]] behaviour'. I have been in China a lot, but I have never seen such
] ]] outrageous things like zero fee for a visit to Hangzhou...What about
] ]] some real tourists who want to see the real Hong Kong, not some
] ]] industrial estates in Kwun Tong or To Kwa Wan. These guys are just
] ]] ruining the reputation of hk. Ah Zhen is no better or no worse than
] ]] all of us. As I said earlier, she just wants to have some food and
] ]] shelter.
]

Chirashi

I always like a good chirashi.

問我

I'd like to dedicate this song to all the Cantonese speaking people who enjoy enunciating and listening to the Cantonese word "I" correctly.  For those who don't you can just simply flip on any Cantonese speaking TV channels.

From Paris With Love

While Inception steamrolls every single movie in its way I am still in my little basement watching crappy movies that are at least six months old.  My latest crappy DVD viewing was From Paris With Love.  This is a movie shot on location in where else, Paris.  Fortunately the director spares us with all the oh so glamorous shots of Paris because you know what I or most people are just tired of those shots.  Travolta still has it in him to carry the movie from beginning to end.  Sorry Mr. Rhys Meyers, even with a last name like this and a sexy mustache you are still no match to baldy oldie Travolta.  He was just fun to watch in this otherwise fine piece of crappy entertaining movie.  **1/2 stars out of a possible five, all belong to Mr. John Travolta.

Weekend Maudlin Love Song

雨天 - 楊宗緯 孫燕姿

喜歡 - 張懸

Weekend Maudlin Love Song.

Royal Wedding in Ameria

Chelsea Clinton's Wedding.

Photos mainly shot by Genevieve de Manio and Barbara Kinney.

The Steam Room

Bawang

Most brand names nowadays don't mean anything.  Despite what some people might have told you, Yahoo, Google, Accenture, Altria mean nothing (and therefore everything at the same time).  For names that actually mean something, you better off look east.  Say Bawang, it actually means something like I will kill you if you cross me.  And it certainly lives up to its brand name, and more.  Bravo.

via ESWN.

Nikon D95 in the Offing

UPDATE:  Sorry, nothing original here.  Those industry insiders won't say a thing, not here anyway.

According to Nikon Rumors, the D95 is coming, presumably soon.  It's going to support full HD, i.e. 1080P.  I hope it has a frame rate at 24p and faster so I can shoot faster and play back in slow motion.  Slow motion just makes everything so much better and cooler.  But the two digit models usually can't meter with old AI or AIS lenses.  I guess I will have to live with that.  I know I sounded like I am going to buy one to replace my D70.  My D70's LCD screen is getting smaller and fuzzier as my eyesight is getting worse.

Yes that's how I waste my time online, browsing Nikon rumors.

This is a Buy

I don't bother to read the post but whatever they are selling, it's a buy.  Who cares anything about the i3 ULV chips anyway?

via Engadget.  Picture copyright belongs to its rightful owner(s).

Chinese Waiters Surly by Default

It irks me to no end when I visit Chinese restaurants.  For the most part, the food are fine but the service just leaves something to be desired.  I don't need servitude but a modicum amount of hospitality like Thank You is what I am after.  When I go to Chili's, Applebee's, IHOP, Outback, the wait staff invariably say Thank You when they leave and collect the check.  And when you leave the place for the evening, they will say Good Night.  In all Chinese places I go, big or small, the wait staff don't say nothing.  They put the check down, without saying nothing, when you leave, they don't say nothing.  Even my tip is still at 15% or more regardless.  Chinese hospitality in Asia might be better but Chinese hospitality (to Chinese?) in NYC is definitely the worse.

Jolie's not Worth her Salt

Empirical evidence suggests that Angelina Jolie might not be worth her salt.  She cannot shoot, kick, jump or pout her way to the top of the box office.  Her Salt debuted at number two on this past weekend box office.  Inception remains number one on its second week.  Basically everybody talks about this mind-boggling movie but nobody really understands it.  Perhaps there is nothing to understand anyway.  You razzle-dazzle the movie with special effects and convoluted plot twists to the point nobody knows what the fuck is going on and yet feel intelligent to ponder all those stupid open ended things--think Lost which was a colossal waste of time yet beloved by billions .  Well, good looking stars won't hurt either.  I pity those good looking fine specimens of human beings because their talents are so often overlooked, but I secretly want to be one of them.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

How do you set yourself up for disappointment?  You go to watch a movie adaptation of the original novel.  While all the cool kids go to see Salt and Inception, me, the coolest of them all got myself the DVD version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and saw the entire movie in Sweden with English subtitle.  How cool is that?  Plus I saw it in the sub terrain of our house from an Ubuntu 8.04 LTS box hooked to an HP w2207 at 1680x1050.  I think the DVD with progressive scan is at most capable of delivering 480p only.  So I am cool, as a cucumber.
The fact that the movie is not a Hollywood production means something.  You don't see ridiculously beautiful stars in the leading roles and overly produced sets.  Instead, you got two competent actors who resemble the characters they play.  Salander's character is kind of hard if not impossible to cast.  How can you find somebody who is 24 and looks 14 and also has traits of Asperger syndrome?  Noomi Rapace does a decent job portraying Salander though I think her Salander is bit more social and older than the character in the book.  Michael Nyqvist plays Blomkvist, a women's man in the book.  I think he's right physically but looks a bit too constipated than the role calls for.
 As to the story, it does make certain changes.  But overall, the adaptation is bit too literal and seems interminable.  It tries to squeeze in everything from the book onto the screen.  And in a couple of instances, it even gets ahead of itself hinting at Salander's past which is not supposed to come out until the second book.  The book is more than 600 pages long and I think editing is just crucial for adaptation.  The film runs more than two hours and honestly it's too long for your average audience.  At times it just seems impossible to grasp all the material that's even for somebody who has the benefit of having read the book.  The book is rich in plots, subplots and details and for the movie to even try to put everything in I think it's just too much of a good thing.

The Weatherman Knows What You Feel When Nobody Does

Do you always feel that you are alone and nobody, not even yourself, understands you, let alone know how you feel?  You are not alone.  Fortunately there are the weathermen.  Not only can they tell you what temperature it is now, yesterday and tomorrow.  But they also know what you feel or tell you what to feel when most likely you are incapacitated by the heat.  Despite the thermometer says it's 97F, they can tell you should really feel like it's 102F, or 101.3F or 104.975F with surgical precision and gusto.  The weatherman just knows how you feel even better than yourself.

The Flag

叛諜狂花

Salt is called 叛諜狂花 in Hong Kong. If I were in Hong Kong, I just couldn't bring myself to see the movie. The name is just an embarrassing turn-off. Hey where are you going? To the movies? Which one? 叛諜狂花. Oh? You have to be pretty cool and self-assured to be caught watching a movie with such a name. Though I have to agree the Chinese title does seem oddly appropriate to the main character involved. For the English title, they could have just called it Angelina Jolie and forget about Salt, no offence to the three people with a last name called Salt in South Carolina. Spending a little time on Google, the first part of 叛諜狂花 seems to be taken from the Bourne series as in Matt Damon's Jason Bourne; and the second part is lifted from Thelma & Louise. So the name is like a mashup. I can't wait to see how the movie does in the box office this weekend. In case it flops there is always the overseas market, especially Japan, people are just more forgiving, even for Mel Gibson or any number of aging movie stars. Titanic was such a terrible movie Cameron didn't even get to release it in the States first. Instead Cameron was smart enough to release it in Japan where the audience are just more forgiving (especially if they think the character is good looking) and as far as the Japanese audience was concerned Titanic could just be called Leonardo DiCaprio. Well you know the rest of the story. This is really not a movie review, at most a movie name review.

Trouble in Paradise

For those waiting for the white iPhone 4, hey wait more you deserve it.  It won't be available until later this year.  The second delay since I don't know.  I am sure a lot of Apple fans are cursing delay no more.  The official reason is they don't know how the fuck to manufacture it.  I am sure it's true but I think in addition to this gross incompetence they are just trying to fix the non issue antenna thingy so as to avoid giving out free bumper cases and to protect the brand, or something.

Canon FDn 35mm 28mm F/2.0

I can't see how a Canon FDn 28/35mm f/2 can sell as much as or even more than a Nikon 28/35mm f/2 lens.  There is no way no how.  A Canon FD mount lens is pretty much a dead end which has almost no upward mobility except in the area where adapter is involved for other camera models either for still or video.  Nikon on the other hand can be mounted on almost all the latest and greatest camera models with metering and all.  Plus the Nikon 28/35mm f/2 just looks better and better built than its plastic fantastic Canon counterpart.  I don't have any empirical evidence one is better than the other optically speaking.  Still I would like to get one or two more Canon FD lenses if the price is right.  Right now, I don't think the price is right.  Patience patience patience.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The is the last installment of Larsson's enormously popular so called Millennium Trilogy.  It was so popular that in my lunch break at Bryant's Park yesterday I saw two other people reading his first and second book within a radius of fifteen feet.  Being in the US and not ready to buy any imported paperback at grossly inflated price, I got my brand spanking new hardcover from eBay, which is a few dollars cheaper than Amazon but just as good if not better.  It arrived at lightning speed with tracking so there is no complaint but praise.  The book is more than 500 pages thick and if anything I think my biceps just got better toned after holding it on the train for a week or so.

The first "Dragon Tattoo" is about serial killings, the second "Played with Fire" is about revenge and this third one  "The Hornet's Nest" is about government conspiracy so big and so horrendous that you just can't believe it, especially of all places, in Sweden where people are just nice and beautiful.  Anyway, the three books all carry a common theme: excessive coffee consumption.  Before reading this trilogy, my feeble mind thought only Americans would be so crude as to drink coffee all the time.  Well I know we have company now.

"The Hornet's Nest," being the last installment brings closure and certain sadness to the trilogy knowing full well that if there is any more sequel or spin-off it won't be from Larsson himself because he passed away before the books were published.  However, there are talks or rumors that there does exist an almost finished novel in his laptop or something to that extent according to an article I read in The New York Times magazine not too long ago--that is if I remember it correctly.  This final installment does tie all the loose ends and gives a very traditional and satisfying ending: the protagonists live while the bad guys either got killed or busted.  Justice is served.  The End.  The only loose end, if there is one, is though there are mentions of Lisbeth's twin sister starting in the second book but she is even more elusive than Lisbeth as a character, till the very end, she is only mentioned but not present.  Perhaps she is meant to appear in subsequent Millennium stories.  Alas, that would never happen, not from the original creator anyway.

Why this could never have happened before 1997?

So here we go again.  Email salvaged from the Internet gutter.  (I wish I could write something intelligent but I simply can't, just to be perfectly clear, I did not write the below)

Maclehose and Wilson were avid hikers. A lot of people could recall bumping into Governor Wilson on the Wilson Trail in the early 90's. The SaiWan village was deliberately left out from the Sai Kung Country Park because of the fact that it was a traditional Chinese fishing village. Including it in the Outlying Zoning plans would have made transfer of properties (for the villagers) difficult. Anyway, who would have thought of buying up an abandoned village? The Tipans[sic] of Jardines and Swires wouldn't do it. That would have made them the pariah in the colonial community. Besides, who wanted to go native amongst the poor villagers (regardless of the height of the outlying walls of the lodge). Last but not least, they understood that the SaiWan village was along the scenic Maclehose trail. Building a villa there would have been frowned upon by the governor. Things were different after the handover, however. That important tacit understanding is gone. Businessmen like Messr Lo lian Cheng saw a loophole in the law, bot[sic] up the land on the cheap (hkd 16 million) and decided to build a personal playground complete with a swimming pool, a mini golf course, a tennis court and a helicopter pad - for the enjoyment of his business associates and their girlfriends. Blaming the Environment Secretary is useless. Or was it a 'landmine' left behind intentionally by the Brits? Or was it one more manifestation of the Chinese peasant DNA? This is a wake up call to protect our Sai Kung!

Apple on Apple

For people who prefer to get their news in the form of cartoon, Apple Daily Taiwan of Nextmedia gives you the no nonsense bit on the latest Apple iPhone 4 blunder.  Ridiculously entertaining.



via 9to5mac.com

iPhone 4 News Latest

Latest:  Jobs is dishing out goodies to solve what the company thinks a non issue or what most others think an antenna issue.  Buyers can get a bumper case, roast pork fried rice, beef chow fun, or General Tso's chicken (only one of them not all, personally I like roast pork and duck over rice but it's not part of the options) if they bought an iPhone 4.  So I think that's fair.  But Apple goes further if the non issue bothers you and you don't like greasy Chinese (who wouldn't?  Really?), you can simply return the damned phone.  After all it's just a damned phone there is no need to get all worked up.  Let's move on to iPhone 5 already.

MK Lifestyle in NYC

Yeah!

There used to be a club called MK in the Flatiron area I wonder if it's still around.  I have a feeling that it's not.

Straight Razors

The bottom one is my newly acquired straight razor, it's smaller but I think sharper and just a tad easier to maneuver on the immaculate terrain that is my face: cheeks, chin and jawlines most people would kill for. The F.H.Loeffler's Our Drummer is 5/8" while the Dovo is 6/8" and in comparison the Dovo is just bigger, longer and heavier, overall it feels substantial and awe inspiring. Is it necessarily better? I guess it depends on one's preference.

update:
1/19/2013
I think I like the 6/8 size better.  But you may think differently.

Good News

BP hasn't done anything right for the past 85 days and now finally it is able to plug the hole to stop the oil from gushing.  The Gulf Coast is safe for now.

---

What's Apple going to say tomorrow?  A total recall, a free bumper for every iPhone 4 sucker, or a $5 duct tape cash coupon at Home Depot, or just to tell Chuck shut the hell up?  I can't wait to find out what Apple has to say.  Personally I say just rename iPhone 4 to something like iPhone 5.

Wong Faye WTF Concert Promotional Picture?

picture from mingpaonews.com

Is this picture meant for press release?  The picture, make-up and costume look horrendous.  The other candid shot, also appears in mingpao, shows her in the process of having her make-up done looks so ridiculously ghastly that I don't even want to post it here.  She was once known for her otherworldly avant-garde, if there is such a thing, stage costume.  But this is just bad costume and bad make-up and bad styling.  Somebody got to help this woman.

Bill Cunningham on 41st and 5th

I saw wild Bill speeding down 5th on his bike, sans helmet, in a turquoise blue cardigan, stylish as ever in his own unique way.  I was trying very hard to see what camera was hanging on his neck, with him paddling at 100mph about twenty feet away and my failing eyesight I think it's a black Nikon FE2 with a prime lens.  I waved and said Good Morning.  And he waved back too.  I was awe struck.  Bill made my day.

iPhone 4: the Inauspiciously Named iPhone

iPhone 4 just can't have a break, can it?  Apple has nobody to blame but itself.  Why bother naming the iPhone 4?  Nobody in his right mind would call it a 4.  And look what happened?  Workers were jumping off the roof in abundance, some college kid, in a moment of greedy confusion sold an iPhone 4 prototype and now both he and Gizmodo, the buyer are under police investigation.  The iPhone 4 since its debut is plagued with issues, yellow tinted glass, very breakable back glass, reception issue, proximity sensor issue and now the latest:  Consumer Reports confirms what we already know, iPhone 4 has antenna issues.  Apple doesn't like it and according to one of Engadget's blogposts, Apple is starting to delete support threads that mention the Consumer Reports report.  I think that's low.  Apple considers issues if any are software related as opposed to hardware, i.e. placement of the antenna.

World Cup, the End

Now that you have survived the very exciting 2010 World Cup, and more importantly the seemingly deadly vuvuzela (you might have hearing loss but who cares?), aren't you proud of yourself?  I know I am.  The bad news is there isn't any other sports that are so officially sanctioned at work, i.e. any office drone can say with a straight face that he is watching the game online or on TV in some conference room without any repercussion.  Actually it's almost encouraged, sort of a bonding thing to do, similar to the 15-minute cigarette break every hour on the hour practiced by smokers and non-smokers alike.  Sadly all good things must come to an end.  But the good news is in 2014, another World Cup will be held, and this time in Brazil and until then everybody shall be productive at work, doesn't have to pretend to know soccer to blend in, and only take his usual 15-minute cigarette break every hour on the hour only.  See you all in four years.

我願意

Weekly maudlin love song ...  This week I present you Wong Faye's 我願意.  Just read that she is going to have concerts in Beijing and Shanghai, China.  These songs just reaffirm how awesome Wong is.  Her awesomeness has really no parallel.  She rules.



OKAY, one more
傳奇

image from mingpaonews.com

copyright belongs to respective rightful owners.

Water Bottle

For the past few days, I have been carrying my own water bottle on my commute. Not too long ago, I thought water bottle was really a thing of the past and nobody in his right mind was carrying any. People were buying sodas or plastic bottled water. Sure I had carried them all the time but that was when I was a primary school kid when the school I went had no water fountain (and no flushing toilets either but that's another story ...) and I had no pocket money to speak of. Carrying a water bottle was part of the school attire just like a school bag or a pencil case, a necessity. Back then they were mostly plastic bottles with whatever hit cartoon characters on them and if you were a bit older and wanted to look macho or a manly man you would perhaps opt for one that was favored by the boy scouts or pseudo military type--a stainless steel bottle with green canvas waist or shoulder belt. I think some, the more genuine ones, even came with a separate canteen for boiling water or cooking. Now as plastic bottled water is falling out of favor or even becoming a symbol of silly consumerism, I can see there is a big comeback for reusable water bottles, especially the stainless steel ones.  If it doesn't inconvenient me too much, I definitely prefer to bring my own water bottle, I spend less, recycle less and consume sugar less.

Nikon Bring Images From Space

If Nikon is good enough for NASA, I guess it's good enough for me too.  I like Canon and I think they are way ahead of Nikon in terms of megapixel and video technology but the AF issues or problems I've read, rumor or not, just give me pause.

via Nikonrumors.com

The Girl who Played With Fire

This is the second installment of the late Stieg Larsson's widely successful Millennium Trilogy. 

This time the story gets very personal.  We got to know more, way more, of our female protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, which is of course a welcome diversion from the middle aged journalist Blomkvist who always got lucky with the ladies and is the main focus of the first installment.  We found out her past and her family and hence why she is what she is--such a certifiable and justifiable nutcase.  Salander might be strange with a capital S but at the same time she is just like every other girl we know.  When she got tons of money, what does she do?  She goes on a year-long vacation, buys an exquisite apartment and yes gets a boob job done by the best surgeon available in Genoa, Italy.  I am sure the girls can relate.  Larsson does most of the narratives in his own voice and there aren't that many dialogs, especially of Salander's because you know she is such an antisocial weirdo.  But sometimes we got lucky, didn't we?  On page 584 of the mass market paperback, we got to hear undistilled and unfiltered words pouring from her mouth, which are rare and at the same time exemplary of what she is.

"I've had a fucking miserable week and I'm in a fucking bad mood,"  she said.  "You know what the worst thing is?  Every time I turn around there's some fucking pile of shit with a beer belly in my way acting tough.  Now I'd like to leave.  So move your ass."

If there were ever a subtitle it could have been called "The Girl Who Hate Men Who Hate Women."

The book is more than 700 pages thick and Larsson, a master of story telling and suspense, just keeps his readers guessing and wanting for more.  It certainly is on par with the first one and it bests the first one especially if you are a bit tired of the whole serial killer genre and more into something like sex trafficking.  The book has an abrupt ending which only makes one want to read the third installment even more.

Actually You Can't Fry an Egg, not Yet

According to the NYT, you can't fry an egg on the pavement yet.  Not with a frying pan anyway.

Severe Weather Alert

NYC is in the triple digit now.  You can probably fire an egg on the pavement now.

Email Salvagd From the Internet Gutter

To protect the innocent, part of the email may have been redacted.

Over the weekend, two girls from two local institutes of higher learning, admit to having worked in a night club. One said she had sex with clients. The other said she only had drinks with clients, and revealed that she saw a lot of tragic stories. When we were young, a trgic[sic] story happened when a daughter had to quit school to work at a nightclub in order to support her little brother or her tuberculous father. These days, unless Miss Zhou is willing to divulge a little more, my understanding of a tragic story is when you don't have a LV bag. Anyway, I still like the quotes about the alleged benefit of inflammation-relief in relation to copulation with an older man and "This world needs change!"

A Ballman Wannabe Story

US Open is probably the only Grand Slam event that allows a grown man or woman to pick up errand tennis balls on the court while in other majors this somewhat laborious job is decidedly reserved to the boys and girls in their teens.  Here is a seldom or never told story about a man who auditions to be a ball boy in the upcoming USOPEN 2010 in Flushing Meadows.

This Week in Ridiculousness

• People actually waited three to four hours or even days in the rain or under the sun to get a cell phone.
• General McChrystal runs seven to eight miles, eats one meal and sleeps only four hours a day.  I guess that explains his poor judgment:  allows a Rolling Stone reporter to get so close to his inner circle and vents his frustration over the Obama administration.  Of course the Iceland volcano with the impossible name was to blame too.
• John Isner and Nicolas Mahut plays the longest tennis match at Wimbledon in human history:  3000 hours or something.  Isner won.
• BP continues its epic oil spill unabated while I take out my recycle every Tuesday.

Marathon in Wimbledon

American giant tennis player John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut are still playing after more than 500 minutes on the court.  For those who are a bit slow, 500 minutes translate to more than 8 hours [update: match time is so far like 174 minutes but the match started yesterday].  Tennis is one those games that time is not on your side and one can't really run down the clock.  Both have to play every single point.  Isn't it tiring?

Toy Story 3 Number One Movie in America

Toy Story 3 completes the infantilization of American movies.  From here on to infinity and beyond every movie made will be made with children or adults who are utterly infantilized in mind.  Instead of movies made with real living breathing actors, movies or actually cartoons are made with breathlessly 3-D effects which are fake but yet look so real in IMAX.  Growing up watching cartoon on TV I would have never thought of paying to watch cartoon in a movie house.  And yet here we are.

Nikon 80-200 Observation

This is the one and only zoom telephoto I own.  I have a Tiffen UV filter screwed in the front permanently so as to keep its huge front element pristine like the first day I bought it. The filter adds a bit of height or length to the lens. Normally it's not a problem except it becomes a bit tight when I put in into its carrying case that comes with the lens.

I just notice the other day, the lens flare pretty "badly." It had its lens hood on already--I am a big fan of lens hood, and I was shooting into the sun not really on purpose but just so happened. The contrast was gone and the overall scene became pretty hazy. Diglloyd has a page on this.  I think I will "test" it again without the filter though I do not believe the filter causes the hazy picture.

Overall I still like the lens very much.

甄秀儀/陳浩德（合唱） —— 《分飛燕》1973年原唱版

Canto pop continues ...



Now all we need is the version by 譚炳文，李香琴. Thanks to Sidney for the link.