Untitled

Untitled

I Need A Computer

I need a better computer to suck my photos out my Nikon D70. And to store and process them en masse.

I just tested UFRaw-batch.exe running from Windows, I think it's good enough for me. And with GIMP I can have a total graphics interface that rivals Photoshop minus the big bucks, somewhat I guess. Anyway, I need a computer first... If I have more processing power, I may shoot more in NEF and just batch them in one stroke. So far Mac seems to be the only one that can run OS X, Windows and Linux all together in one machine. But my Mac iBook G3 experience hadn't been exactly pleasant.

Let's see what Nikon has to offer tomorrow, if anything.

Blogger Just Crapped Out

For an hour or so, Google's blogger just crapped out. Thousands and thousands of readers were turned away by the come back in 30 second message. Gosh, I just need to apologize to all my readers, thousands of them, out there.

Now back to our regular program.

Mac Is PC Afterall

The new iMac is no longer tag lined "You can't be too thin. Or too powerful." Now it's just a very PC iMac.

9to5Mac kind of says that Apple has taken down its "You can't be" campaign because of public pressure generated from its site. And I thought it's all because of my post here on August 7. Self delusional grandeur reaffirmed.

Subway Commute

I don't quite remember since when the #7 in Main Street Flushing has this uniformed MTA guy standing on the platform every morning, yelling at the top of his lung to remind people to let passengers off first. The platform is at least 150 feet long and he is standing on one end of the platform, enthusiastically, tirelessly, incessantly yelling the same thing whenever a train pulls over much to my annoyance. My morning commute can't be quiet and peaceful any more. Somebody needs to find this guy another job at the MTA, like cleaning up the garbage on the track or on the platform or something.

******

We have this big platform island in Main Street Flushing Station where there are three tracks for either local or express trains. But the platform is narrow and to make matter worse, there are like zillions of garbage receptacles dotted along the platform right in the middle. Passengers are forced to walk on the side close to the edge of the platform wherever there is this huge garbage thing. I don't know what they are thinking. Are we supposed to carry our home garbage to the MTA? Do we need all these huge garbage receptacles there? Not put on the side of the platform but right in the middle? It's freaking mind-boggling. Even with all these garbage receptacles, animals still like to throw garbage around ....

New York Subway from Wikipedia

Reading

I think all my readings are now done on public transportations like bus and subway. At home, I either watch TV or get online, as unproductive as one can imagine. Some thing got to change. Or actually me got to change.

Canon Dropped The Bombs

Just when Nikonians are wetting their pants in their pent up anticipation of the soon to be (rumored) released next flagship DSLR(s), Canon dropped two much anticipated prosumer and professional DSLR models, namely the Canon EOS 40D and EOS 1 Ds Mark III today. The latter has a resolution of 21.1 million pixels that rivals medium format quality. The first leak of these two cameras from a respectable source was from Amazon on Sunday morning but the leak was as quickly removed as it first appeared. Finally, on Monday, today, from another Amazon's site dpreview.com the 40D and 1Ds Mark III are previewed.

Look like Nikon has some serious catching up to do. How Nikon is going to top Canon or at least match Canon remains to be seen the end of this week. Okay, I subscribe to the notion that the photographer is the one that makes the pictures, but all things being equal, a better tool or a wider choice of tools is a good thing. I shoot Nikon and I would like to see Nikon come up with some Earth shaking and ground breaking cameras, maybe not just in the mega pixel department but in something else as well.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, previewed from dpreview.com
Canon EOS 40D, previewed from dpreview.com.

Nikon D3

***Those in the know aren't talking, so the below is just bull***
There has been a lot of noise about the impending introduction of the Nikon next generation flagship digital single lens reflex camera, probably between August 23 and August 24. Nikon D1 was the forerunner of the DSLR revolution when first introduced in 1999. But their leadership was later eclipsed by Canon when the full frame EOS 1Ds debuted in spring 2003. Nikon has been so far sticking to its only 1.5 DX sensor format for all its DSLR products. That might change with this D3 model as the pro market or some part of it really demands full frame sensor with lessor digital noise.

Though the majority of photo hobbyists can't afford the price of full frame DSLR, but I guess the upper echelon of that group likes to be associated with a brand that makes full frame. If I have any luck, maybe even I can afford a Nikon full frame in two or three years when the price really comes down to between two to three K. Meanwhile any full frame from Nikon would have to be from their film cameras.

Nikon, the choice of NASA, the space agency where killer diaper baby roams.
Nikon D3, the yeti of a DSLR.
Two links, Nikon procurements, and nikonwatch, sourced from Camerahobby.com

Thank God It's Almost Friday

The Dow continued its path of least resistance early on today but managed to recover most of the day's 340-point loss in the final hour of trading and closed at 12,845.78 down only 15.69.

Look like the worst has yet to come.

Week In Review

Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao's mom passed away after fighting cancer for seven years. She looked remarkably graceful and from what I read what a woman she had been, raising unbelievable children. Chinese media have full page coverage of her passing for three days.

Here are two obituaries I found from The New York Times.

Quote

The New York Times

August 8, 2007 Wednesday
Late Edition - Final

Paid Notice: Deaths CHAO, RUTH MULAN CHU

CHAO--Ruth Mulan Chu 77, wife, mother, Asian scholar, and
philanthropist passed away on Thursday, August 2, 2007 at
New York Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital after a seven
year battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Precious wife of
Dr. James S.C. Chao, Chairman of the Foremost Group of New
York, cherished mother of United States Secretary of Labor
Elaine L. Chao, Jeannette, May, Christine, Grace, and Angela
Chao; treasured grandmother of Ben, Tyler, Alexia, Penelope,
Miranda Mei and Jessica Ruth; and beloved mother-in-law of
Republican Leader in the United Senate Mitch McConnell,
Jeffrey Hwang, Jos Shaver and Gordon Hartogensis. A native
of Anhui, China, she came to the United States as a young
mother with three children in 1961, to join her husband who
had arrived three years earlier. At the age of 51, she
decided to return to school and earn a Master's degree in
Asian literature and history from St. John's University. She
has also established several foundations that provide scores
of scholarships annually in her native land of China. A
devout Christian and a lifelong church and community
volunteer, she is deeply mourned by friends and family.

CHAO--Ruth Mulan Chu. The Board of Trustees of St. John's
University joins with the entire University community in
mourning the passing of Ruth Mulan Chu Chao. An accomplished
alumna who returned to the University at the age of 51 to
attain a Master's degree in Asian Literature and History,
she was an esteemed member of our University community.
Along with her husband, alumnus and trustee emeritus James
S.C. Chao, her daughter, honorary alumna and U.S. Secretary
of Labor Elaine L. Chao, and her son-in-law, honorary
alumnus United States Senator Mitch McConnell, she
participated in a variety of University activities, where
she touched us with her grace and dignity. She loved and was
beloved by her husband and daughters. She and they are in
our thoughts and prayers in this time of sorrow. Thomas E.
McInerney, Chair, Board of Trustees Donald J. Harrington,
C.M., President

Unquote

What I Wore Last Week

I think people are begging for some detailed description (I made that up, of course). I will do my best, just for you people. Clockwise from top left:
Levi's 501 white jeans. I never thought I would wear any white pants after graduating from middle school but there they are. Another gray 501 underneath it, not shown.
Various briefs from American Apparel and Fruit of the Loom.
Day of the Week socks from H&M, Monday all the way to Sunday, though I don't wear them strictly by day of the week.
Various T-shirts from Gap, H&M and American Apparel. I try to avoid polo shirts. I do own some but I try not to wear them. And when I wear them, I make sure the collar is not up like some asshole would wear them.

Dow Just Shredded 387.18 Points

The Dow Jones Industrial Average nose dived more than 380 points because of credit woes, making it the second worst closing this year. Meanwhile there is a bidding war on Barneys New York, the premium retail chain that sells high end consumer stuff that comes with sticker shock like below.

Photograph by Kelly Shimoda for The New York Times

From left: $895 Marc Jacobs shirt, $530 Lanvin leather ballet flats, and $1,525 Proenza Schouler shift.

Picture and text from "When High Price Is the Allure" by Ruth La Ferla published August 9, 2007 in The New York Times.

Movie Opening This Weekend

There is really nothing going on this weekend movie wise. Should I even bother to see Rush Hour 3? I guess not.

From imdb.com (copy & paste)

# Stardust
# Skinwalkers
# Rocket Science
# Rush Hour 3
# Daddy Day Camp
# more ...

I Shoot JPEG

Being an <bs>accomplished photographer</bs>, I am often asked by admiring fans and discerning eyes whether I shoot RAW or JPEG. My answer is I shoot JPEG. I don't shoot RAW because my PC is very underpowered. If I have better hardware, software, I don't mind shooting RAW or in my case NEF files and batch process them into JPEGs. As of now, JPEG is kind of good enough for me.

Email

I think any email that demands immediate attention and screams urgent is a joke. Pick up the damn phone and call.

People behind that kind of email just don't want to get the job done and pretend they actually care.

New York City is Hot?

People around me have been saying that it's hot these days. After I came back from my trip to Hong Kong and Taiwan, I don't think New York City is that hot at all. Actually I don't have my air conditioner on at all. I just turn on the fan when I sleep at night. And it has been fine.

A Drop of Rain Crippled New York City

The morning commute was a mess. I should have stayed home, but I didn't. It's not like I am going to get an award or anything for showing up. But there I was at work despite the rain and chaos.

Some of the subway lines were still not at full service by the evening rush hour. Meanwhile meteorologists are still deciding whether the unusually strong wind touched down in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn can be called a tornado or not.

UPDATE: Yes, it was a tornado.

Apple

The real Steve Jobs today announced more real iProducts for it core iUsers as well as all the iWhores out there.

Just as rumored, the new and improved iMac is now housed in an anodized aluminum frame. Hence, no more Hard Plastic (HP) iMac, MacBook shall remain HP though. According to Steve (oh yeah, we are on a first name basis), aluminum is more recyclable, more like consumer products and yet looks more professional. All positive attributes no doubt.
Not only the frame is thin, the keyboard is getting thin as well, hope it's only thin but not flimsy. The new iMac tag line is "You can't be too thin. Or too powerful." Well, that's not going to help all the fat girls and guys out there. All the skinny bitches out there are going to love this.

From the horse's mouth. Steve, the CEO, looked tired, as he plowed through his presentation. Man, I haven't seen a CEO work this hard.

The New York Times Shrinks, more like WSJ now

Today the paper edition of The New York Times shrinks just like The Wall Street Journal. But unlike WSJ, it doesn't make a big deal out of it.

On the frontpage, in a very discrete box it just says

To Our Readers
Starting today, The Times is reducing the width of its pages by an inch and a half, to the national newspaper 12-inch standard.
The move cuts newsprint expenses and , in some printing press locations, makes special configurations unnecessary.
Slight modifications in design preserve the look and texture of The Times, with all existing features and sections and somewhat fewer words per page.

The paper retails for $1.25

I welcome the smaller format as it makes subway reading more manageable and less intrusive to others. You know, I am a considerate rider, I don't wear scents, comb my hair, cut my nails, taking up more space than necessary when I ride the train.