Calzone
Gear Whore #1
A pair of sneakers only lasts me about a month. I have a strong heel strike and I blow holes through the soles at the heel.
Remember I walk about 9 1/4 miles a day as part of my commute. Today the train got in at 7:05 at Grand Central, so I was able to do a time trial by power walking to the Upper Eastside to work and beat the clock so the rounding down works in my favor to allow me to leave early on Friday.
I like this game. Yesterday a gamed the clock to gain a half hour off extra on Friday. Let's see how it goes tomorrow and Friday morning...
So I was just minding my own business, and yesterday "Maggie" informs me she has a gig that involves me.
A while back I shot Maggie for some shoe company. I kinda hate this type of work where it needs approval and there are creative constraints that need to be satisfied. Pretty much people tell you what you should do.
To me this is just the opposite of being creative because everything is kinda done by come-IT-EE. I get very little out of this, and pretty much this is work, while my art is more like playing around.
So I'm sure this money somehow will make its way to improving the Baby-Victorian and making it more valuable, but this time this company/client now is making men's shoes, and this translates into free footwear where in the least I'll get a pair of new casual shoes and a pair of sneakers.
Just in time because I'm blowing through lots of footwear, and throwing out a pair of shoes or sneakers one a month. This is a high-end brand, likely sustainable, so perhaps not so hard to promote.
So now I have to be a model and photographer.
This morning Maggie asked me for my shoe size.
So Fred was hot on doing a Peekskill Photoville of sorts. Maggie gave him my contact info, but nothing has happened. I have been laying low, and I'm cool with being left alone. I'm glad this is petering out.
On my walk to work I found a light table on 65th Street and First Avenue. When I did the forensics it has a broken push-button switch. Also it is not a costly good one worth rescuing. Besides I already own a Gepe cold light sourced light table.
It has been reported that used car prices have increased 10%, another sign of inflation. I feel lucky to have secured my Audi A4 and the Baby-Victorian when the prices were lower.
Inflation for April hit 4.2%. Typically there is a one year delay between a Fed Monetary Policy move and an effect on the economy.
I remember between 1979-1982 when inflation peaked at 11.5%. I also believe in regression-to-the-mean.
If you look at past history and add 17 years of about 2% inflation with 14 years where it averaged around 7% inflation you can do simple math: 17years x2=34; 14 years x7=98; 34+98=132; 17+14=31 years; and finally 132 divided by 31 years equals about 4.25% average inflation over little more than three decades.
So are we at a tipping point? Are the markets a house of cards ready to fall? Is Ray Dalio the head of Bridgewater Associates correct?
Ray says there are two types of bubbles: one is created by too much credit; and the other is from too much money in circulation. In 2007-2008 that bubble was caused by excess credit, but this time by too much money in circulation (stimulas).
BTW one way to get rid of debt or to minimize debt is inflation. This is a tough game we are playing.
It has been said that for the past three decades deflation and disinflation created an "age of abundance," but what happens when we flip the switch and enter an "age of scarcity?"
I'm not a survivalist, I'm just a guy who will move ahead and retire in about 8 months, but I'm glad that I created a stable and sustainable future where I might make it to 111 years old.
I just put my first 2K miles on the A4 that only had 16K miles on it when I bought it in December. I could own this car at this rate of usage for a couple of decades. With 18K miles it still looks new and remains fresh.
I still have a half tank of Premium gas, as the reports of Gas Stations without gas to sell are happening right before Memorial day. Of course this reminds me of the gas lines of the 70's.
The Baby-Victorian is not too big, yet not too small.
"Hold onto your Leica's," I say.
Calvin-August
Remember I walk about 9 1/4 miles a day as part of my commute. Today the train got in at 7:05 at Grand Central, so I was able to do a time trial by power walking to the Upper Eastside to work and beat the clock so the rounding down works in my favor to allow me to leave early on Friday.
I like this game. Yesterday a gamed the clock to gain a half hour off extra on Friday. Let's see how it goes tomorrow and Friday morning...
So I was just minding my own business, and yesterday "Maggie" informs me she has a gig that involves me.
A while back I shot Maggie for some shoe company. I kinda hate this type of work where it needs approval and there are creative constraints that need to be satisfied. Pretty much people tell you what you should do.
To me this is just the opposite of being creative because everything is kinda done by come-IT-EE. I get very little out of this, and pretty much this is work, while my art is more like playing around.
So I'm sure this money somehow will make its way to improving the Baby-Victorian and making it more valuable, but this time this company/client now is making men's shoes, and this translates into free footwear where in the least I'll get a pair of new casual shoes and a pair of sneakers.
Just in time because I'm blowing through lots of footwear, and throwing out a pair of shoes or sneakers one a month. This is a high-end brand, likely sustainable, so perhaps not so hard to promote.
So now I have to be a model and photographer.
This morning Maggie asked me for my shoe size.
So Fred was hot on doing a Peekskill Photoville of sorts. Maggie gave him my contact info, but nothing has happened. I have been laying low, and I'm cool with being left alone. I'm glad this is petering out.
On my walk to work I found a light table on 65th Street and First Avenue. When I did the forensics it has a broken push-button switch. Also it is not a costly good one worth rescuing. Besides I already own a Gepe cold light sourced light table.
It has been reported that used car prices have increased 10%, another sign of inflation. I feel lucky to have secured my Audi A4 and the Baby-Victorian when the prices were lower.
Inflation for April hit 4.2%. Typically there is a one year delay between a Fed Monetary Policy move and an effect on the economy.
I remember between 1979-1982 when inflation peaked at 11.5%. I also believe in regression-to-the-mean.
If you look at past history and add 17 years of about 2% inflation with 14 years where it averaged around 7% inflation you can do simple math: 17years x2=34; 14 years x7=98; 34+98=132; 17+14=31 years; and finally 132 divided by 31 years equals about 4.25% average inflation over little more than three decades.
So are we at a tipping point? Are the markets a house of cards ready to fall? Is Ray Dalio the head of Bridgewater Associates correct?
Ray says there are two types of bubbles: one is created by too much credit; and the other is from too much money in circulation. In 2007-2008 that bubble was caused by excess credit, but this time by too much money in circulation (stimulas).
BTW one way to get rid of debt or to minimize debt is inflation. This is a tough game we are playing.
It has been said that for the past three decades deflation and disinflation created an "age of abundance," but what happens when we flip the switch and enter an "age of scarcity?"
I'm not a survivalist, I'm just a guy who will move ahead and retire in about 8 months, but I'm glad that I created a stable and sustainable future where I might make it to 111 years old.
I just put my first 2K miles on the A4 that only had 16K miles on it when I bought it in December. I could own this car at this rate of usage for a couple of decades. With 18K miles it still looks new and remains fresh.
I still have a half tank of Premium gas, as the reports of Gas Stations without gas to sell are happening right before Memorial day. Of course this reminds me of the gas lines of the 70's.
The Baby-Victorian is not too big, yet not too small.
"Hold onto your Leica's," I say.
Calvin-August
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Back in 2009, I was pretty poor and in college but I was also going through the soles of my molded-sole shoes on a near-monthly basis. I was paying several hundred dollars per year just to walk. So I bought a pair of $400 Alden boots with a stitched weld and kept those boots until the spring of 2020. I had the heels changed twice on that pair, at a cost of $60 for each service, so $520 for shoes over the course of 11 years. You buy good quality stuff, you save money. This goes especially for shoes since they are the very foundation of the rest of our bodies and affect every joint all the way up to our skull. I'll never mess with cheap shoes again, having found that only very durable boots with stitched welds or Dansko full clogs give me the support and long wear that I need in a shoe. Everything else is a waste of money and a detriment to my spine.
Phil Forrest
Phil Forrest
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Back in 2009, I was pretty poor and in college but I was also going through the soles of my molded-sole shoes on a near-monthly basis. I was paying several hundred dollars per year just to walk. So I bought a pair of $400 Alden boots with a stitched weld and kept those boots until the spring of 2020. I had the heels changed twice on that pair, at a cost of $60 for each service, so $520 for shoes over the course of 11 years. You buy good quality stuff, you save money. This goes especially for shoes since they are the very foundation of the rest of our bodies and affect every joint all the way up to our skull. I'll never mess with cheap shoes again, having found that only very durable boots with stitched welds or Dansko full clogs give me the support and long wear that I need in a shoe. Everything else is a waste of money and a detriment to my spine.
Phil Forrest
Phil,
I bought these "1000 Mile" Boots. they were very durable as well as comfortable. Very high quality and built to last.
Then I had them resoled, then the stitching opened up. The leather was pretty beat also, but in the end trying to give them a second life was foolish.
I typically pay about $30.00-$35.00 for a pair of Vans or whatever sneakers I find my size in the closeout racks.
Many of these unloved sneakers are of loud colors, or are kinda Fugly, but that's my style. I have a pair of raincoat yellow Converse High-Tops that Christian says is "Urban Camo" because they blend in to the subway platform rubberized hazzard strips.
A year's supply of sneakers costs me about a dollar a day.
Also ever get a case of "stink-foot" in any shoes from wearing them all the time?
In the summer I tend to alternate between two pairs of sneakers.
I have some expensive shoes and boots, but I tend to save them. I have a pair of Ann Demullermiester combat boots that are crazy cool, almost like stage clothing as if I'm a rock star. They really make a statement when I wear a pair of well tailored knickers.
Interesting to note how forward Montreal woman can be when the see a man they find attractive. A girl stopped riding her bike to shout out to me how happy she was to see me. I was wearing those knickers and A.D. combat boots.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Metro North sucked today. The train arrived at Grand Central late today. I took a bus to make up some time. I kinda ruined my plans to leave even earlier on Friday.
So in my mind I calm myself thinking of the day when there will be no more commute, and to go to work all I have to do is go into my basement or to the garage, where I have built out ideal work spaces.
I'm sticking with my MM as my main camera for digital, and the SL2 as my secondary camera.
A thread that John started about winning $20K store credit at a fully equipt camera store made me think about buying just film and printing supplies for both wet printing and Piezography.
Kidding around, half joking, I say that $20K is not a lot of money. LOL.
As for cameras I think I have a lot of great gear and what I need. I had the wisdom and foresight to buy stuff when it was affordable, made wise decisions/choices, and bought stuff that would be durable and classic.
Happy-happy.
Metro North still sucks thought...
Also they expect lots of stormy weather for June and July, and temperatures 2-3 degrees warmer than usual.
Calvin-August
So in my mind I calm myself thinking of the day when there will be no more commute, and to go to work all I have to do is go into my basement or to the garage, where I have built out ideal work spaces.
I'm sticking with my MM as my main camera for digital, and the SL2 as my secondary camera.
A thread that John started about winning $20K store credit at a fully equipt camera store made me think about buying just film and printing supplies for both wet printing and Piezography.
Kidding around, half joking, I say that $20K is not a lot of money. LOL.
As for cameras I think I have a lot of great gear and what I need. I had the wisdom and foresight to buy stuff when it was affordable, made wise decisions/choices, and bought stuff that would be durable and classic.
Happy-happy.
Metro North still sucks thought...
Also they expect lots of stormy weather for June and July, and temperatures 2-3 degrees warmer than usual.
Calvin-August
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
For my rant of the day see my post number 30 in John's thread about building a camera you want that does not exist.
Basically I want a SL2 Monochrom, but first Leica built a M10M to annoy me, and then for further insult even built a Q2M.
Why did Leica skip over the SL2.
Leica give it up. I'm dot asking for much. No big technical hurdles, no big advance, and you have done this all before. You have the business models...
Why is Leica making me suffer?
Cal
Basically I want a SL2 Monochrom, but first Leica built a M10M to annoy me, and then for further insult even built a Q2M.
Why did Leica skip over the SL2.
Leica give it up. I'm dot asking for much. No big technical hurdles, no big advance, and you have done this all before. You have the business models...
Why is Leica making me suffer?
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Why is Leica making me suffer?
Cal
Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha! I can hear the sullen strains of violins, pining to see that reward of a black and white only camera that costs more than a certified E300 Mercedes-Benz. Barber's Adagio for Strings might be worthy of this level heartbreak.
Desaturate after adjusting color channels for your desired effect.
or
Adjust levels in grayscale.
The info is still there, just bring it out.
Phil Forrest
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha! I can hear the sullen strains of violins, pining to see that reward of a black and white only camera that costs more than a certified E300 Mercedes-Benz. Barber's Adagio for Strings might be worthy of this level heartbreak.
Desaturate after adjusting color channels for your desired effect.
or
Adjust levels in grayscale.
The info is still there, just bring it out.
Phil Forrest
Phil,
You forgot that I'm a lazy slacker, but you are right there is a lot one can do with clean files.
The thing for me is that the lack of a Bayer Filter Array really increases resolution by about 50%. This for me is a really big deal.
Also with a monochrom sensor I can use a Heliopan 2X yellow filter and get the contrast I want at time of image capture. Boosting contrast in post also amplifies noise and promotes digital artifacts.
Because I'm a lazy-slacker a monochrom sensor works best for me.
Don't tell anyone, but Heliopan filters marked "DIGITAL" have added UV and IR filters built in and this cleans up the histogram and greatly reduces or eliminates clipping. Just don't tell anyone my secrete.
In the end the lazy slacker in me really minimizes any post processing to the minimum.
"Big prints don't lie." Any defect or digital artifact gets amplified big time in large prints.
"It pays to be lazy," I say.
Calvin August
Nokton48
Veteran
Morning Cal
Agree it pays to be lazy.
Just did another deal with Igor, this time a Sinar Norma chrome barrel mount 360mm F5.6 Schneider Symmar. A big honkin boat anchor Plasmat, now I has a matched pair for the twin lens. An exact matched pair with Norma full automation and mickey mouse aperture control cables.
A good time to speculate agreed. It cost $475 in 1965 (I looked) and it's $295 in 2021 dollars. A decent rare snag
Agree it pays to be lazy.
Just did another deal with Igor, this time a Sinar Norma chrome barrel mount 360mm F5.6 Schneider Symmar. A big honkin boat anchor Plasmat, now I has a matched pair for the twin lens. An exact matched pair with Norma full automation and mickey mouse aperture control cables.
A good time to speculate agreed. It cost $475 in 1965 (I looked) and it's $295 in 2021 dollars. A decent rare snag
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Morning Cal
Agree it pays to be lazy.
Just did another deal with Igor, this time a Sinar Norma chrome barrel mount 360mm F5.6 Schneider Symmar. A big honkin boat anchor Plasmat, now I has a matched pair for the twin lens. An exact matched pair with Norma full automation and mickey mouse aperture control cables.
A good time to speculate agreed. It cost $475 in 1965 (I looked) and it's $295 in 2021 dollars. A decent rare snag
Devil Dan,
"Time is the best weapon," is a Chinese expression.
You know if I did not have so many house plans going on I would snag that 250mm Imagon at IGOR's. A boxed set to me has "value added," but I have a lot of projects going on...
"Maggie" has an appointment to visit her mom Sunday. Pretty much Saturday is the only day to work on two fronts: one is cut more bamboo (Japanese Knotweed); and the other is break up more concrete.
Always the best to snag things before they get discovered and become treasure.
I figure the Baby-Victorian with the improvements I'm doing would make it not suitable for a family, but very suitable for a professional couple. My garage studio is a detached workspace, and the tower room is a mighty fine home office with mucho windows.
The spa like bath room for the slipper shaped soaking tub will add some lux to the package. The sectioning of the backyards and the terracing in the beyond that will have a tree garden next to the wetlands and frog ghetto is all so very private.
While all this is going on I'm going to rig my SL2 with the APO 35 Cron and set the aspect ratio to 1:1 to shoot the square. I'll still have 30.5 MP of data with the crop, but since I shoot mostly verticals I'll have a good degree of perspective control. The full 3x3 data is recorded, and all I have to do is re-crop to square in Lightroom.
What I see in the VF'er and rear screen is the square. I can even add a 3x3 grid to make it like a Rollieflex.
So using what I already own I have a new camera. If Leica came out with a SL2 Monochrom I figure that because of the lack of a Bayer Filter Array that pretty much I would not suffer from a loss of Resolution/Megapixels.
It kills me that Leica did not come out with a Monochrom version of the SL2.
I know I whinning, but perhaps this is the only thing that makes me unhappy.
I figue the APO 35 Cron on the SL2 translates into a 50 when shooting the square.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
"I was just minding my own business..."
Some casting agency for a brand that "Maggie" worked with in the past contacted her about another big campaign, but this time the request is for us as a couple.
At this stage this is only a possibility, the last champaign was not only rather large, but also very successful. So how did I all of the sudden become a model? Well I am a skinny bitch I say.
So there is the other job that involves me as a model for a shoe brand. For this gig I not only have to be a model, but also be the photographer.
Eventually the money earned I figure will go into the house. I'm cool with that.
I cleared all the bamboo like Japanese Knotweed from my property, but before I dig out the roots with a pick-ax I still have to remove more surface growth from the dead end and the fringe of my neighbor's property.
When I told John of my intentions, he brought up how "the brush and overgrowth" created a good amount of privacy. His yard and my across the dead end neighbor's homes have large mature trees that not only offer privacy as a physical barrier, but also the shade provided seems to also to have contained the spread of the knotweed.
A third barrier is the marsh grass which presented a root barrier. Basically I'm fighting the Knotweed on one front. The slope infestation is not so advanced as the level table area which has 2-3 inch roots. Runners extend into the lawn of the back-backyard, so that too will have to be excavated.
There is a package of open shingles in my garage. One weapon and approach is to light starve the spouts and new growth with a tarp or black plastic, but this is a long tactic that requires years. The shingles I think are more durable for this long lock-down that is required. Nowhere on the Internet is it recommended to use shingles. I am a clever MoFo.
Seems like this war zone area will be a container garden for a few years. Meanwhile I'll be growing trees in containers to plant when the war is won. They say it can take 4-5 years to kill off Knotweed without the use of Roundup, a Cancer causing herbicide.
My neighbor John does not understand or does not envision that my approach to privacy is embracing the openness where it seems like the marsh/bog/watershed seems to be an extension of or back-backyard, and his trees that offers him privacy also hedges him in.
The effect is that we enjoy a horizon of distant trees, a hill, and a broad opening of space because of the hemming in of our neighbor's trees. We kinda have a view that could remind you of a rural local in England.
Peekskill is considered "The Gateway" to the Hudson Highlands, where mountains run alongside the Hudson River. Peekskill is in the northwest corner of Westchester County, and due north are Fort Mongomery, Camp Smith (ROTC Training Camp), West Point, and the town of Garrison.
Military importance seems to be a carryover because of the geography.
I can say though that the climate in a way is like in New Mexico where they say, "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes." The weather is that moody, and the air refreshing.
Sun showers, followed by overcast, then sun happened many times within an hour when I got home yesterday. This morning the streets were wet, but it was not raining.
I know Costa Rica, and 80% of that country exists on a central plate-TOW to make the climate a cloud forest.
Although not tropical Peekskill has that misty humidity and constant blending of cool and warm moist air.
Cal
Some casting agency for a brand that "Maggie" worked with in the past contacted her about another big campaign, but this time the request is for us as a couple.
At this stage this is only a possibility, the last champaign was not only rather large, but also very successful. So how did I all of the sudden become a model? Well I am a skinny bitch I say.
So there is the other job that involves me as a model for a shoe brand. For this gig I not only have to be a model, but also be the photographer.
Eventually the money earned I figure will go into the house. I'm cool with that.
I cleared all the bamboo like Japanese Knotweed from my property, but before I dig out the roots with a pick-ax I still have to remove more surface growth from the dead end and the fringe of my neighbor's property.
When I told John of my intentions, he brought up how "the brush and overgrowth" created a good amount of privacy. His yard and my across the dead end neighbor's homes have large mature trees that not only offer privacy as a physical barrier, but also the shade provided seems to also to have contained the spread of the knotweed.
A third barrier is the marsh grass which presented a root barrier. Basically I'm fighting the Knotweed on one front. The slope infestation is not so advanced as the level table area which has 2-3 inch roots. Runners extend into the lawn of the back-backyard, so that too will have to be excavated.
There is a package of open shingles in my garage. One weapon and approach is to light starve the spouts and new growth with a tarp or black plastic, but this is a long tactic that requires years. The shingles I think are more durable for this long lock-down that is required. Nowhere on the Internet is it recommended to use shingles. I am a clever MoFo.
Seems like this war zone area will be a container garden for a few years. Meanwhile I'll be growing trees in containers to plant when the war is won. They say it can take 4-5 years to kill off Knotweed without the use of Roundup, a Cancer causing herbicide.
My neighbor John does not understand or does not envision that my approach to privacy is embracing the openness where it seems like the marsh/bog/watershed seems to be an extension of or back-backyard, and his trees that offers him privacy also hedges him in.
The effect is that we enjoy a horizon of distant trees, a hill, and a broad opening of space because of the hemming in of our neighbor's trees. We kinda have a view that could remind you of a rural local in England.
Peekskill is considered "The Gateway" to the Hudson Highlands, where mountains run alongside the Hudson River. Peekskill is in the northwest corner of Westchester County, and due north are Fort Mongomery, Camp Smith (ROTC Training Camp), West Point, and the town of Garrison.
Military importance seems to be a carryover because of the geography.
I can say though that the climate in a way is like in New Mexico where they say, "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes." The weather is that moody, and the air refreshing.
Sun showers, followed by overcast, then sun happened many times within an hour when I got home yesterday. This morning the streets were wet, but it was not raining.
I know Costa Rica, and 80% of that country exists on a central plate-TOW to make the climate a cloud forest.
Although not tropical Peekskill has that misty humidity and constant blending of cool and warm moist air.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I got PM about a shingle donation to assist me in my war against Japanese Knotweed. So now I have almost 3 packs of shingles that I recycled and won't go into a landfill just yet.
Cuomo made some announcement about pulling back on the mask requirement. Anyone know what is going on in this respect.
Just to be extra safe, since still 600 Americans still die a day from Covid, I still want to have a Meet-Up outside, and the beer garden in Astoria seems like a great location.
A while back my hair reached my waist. Because of Covid, and also because I'm a lazy slacker, my hair became the longest it ever was. I loped off about half of it when somehow I got some spray foam insulation in it (Great Stuff). So I gave myself a haircut. How Hill-Billy is that?
So now as a possible model I likely have to clean myself up. After lunch I think I'll go hang out at the dead end of East 72d Street to get some sun. I have some patchy discoloration in my fore arms from my gardening from stick-A bushes, and from Poision Ivy.
Also the Flagstone patio that is a work in progress (currently breaking up old concrete) is in-between the house and the garage (about 400 square feet). We will install a privacy fence to block the dead end street, but this area otherwise is kinda remote and private.
My next door neighbor BQ's and dines out deeper into his backyard, so we are kinda spread out.
Calvin-August
Cuomo made some announcement about pulling back on the mask requirement. Anyone know what is going on in this respect.
Just to be extra safe, since still 600 Americans still die a day from Covid, I still want to have a Meet-Up outside, and the beer garden in Astoria seems like a great location.
A while back my hair reached my waist. Because of Covid, and also because I'm a lazy slacker, my hair became the longest it ever was. I loped off about half of it when somehow I got some spray foam insulation in it (Great Stuff). So I gave myself a haircut. How Hill-Billy is that?
So now as a possible model I likely have to clean myself up. After lunch I think I'll go hang out at the dead end of East 72d Street to get some sun. I have some patchy discoloration in my fore arms from my gardening from stick-A bushes, and from Poision Ivy.
Also the Flagstone patio that is a work in progress (currently breaking up old concrete) is in-between the house and the garage (about 400 square feet). We will install a privacy fence to block the dead end street, but this area otherwise is kinda remote and private.
My next door neighbor BQ's and dines out deeper into his backyard, so we are kinda spread out.
Calvin-August
Nokton48
Veteran
Morning Cal,
Second 360mm F5.6 chrome Schneider Automatic Iris Sinar Norma barrel mount (matched pair). Thanks Igor!
360 Symmar Norma Auto Iris Pair by Nokton48, on Flickr
Second 360mm F5.6 chrome Schneider Automatic Iris Sinar Norma barrel mount (matched pair). Thanks Igor!

Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Devil Dan,
Only one word describes your rig: SAVAGE.
Cal
Only one word describes your rig: SAVAGE.
Cal
Prest_400
Multiformat
Big respect for that walking leg of the commute, but at months from retirement I can imagine it doesn't get heavy anymore. I actually like to walk after work with the nice spring weather and just do circles around my capital city.Remember I walk about 9 1/4 miles a day as part of my commute. Today the train got in at 7:05 at Grand Central, so I was able to do a time trial by power walking to the Upper Eastside to work and beat the clock so the rounding down works in my favor to allow me to leave early on Friday.
...
Inflation for April hit 4.2%. Typically there is a one year delay between a Fed Monetary Policy move and an effect on the economy.
I remember between 1979-1982 when inflation peaked at 11.5%. I also believe in regression-to-the-mean.
...
So are we at a tipping point? Are the markets a house of cards ready to fall? Is Ray Dalio the head of Bridgewater Associates correct?
Ray says there are two types of bubbles: one is created by too much credit; and the other is from too much money in circulation. In 2007-2008 that bubble was caused by excess credit, but this time by too much money in circulation (stimulas).
BTW one way to get rid of debt or to minimize debt is inflation. This is a tough game we are playing.
It has been said that for the past three decades deflation and disinflation created an "age of abundance," but what happens when we flip the switch and enter an "age of scarcity?"
I'm not a survivalist, I'm just a guy who will move ahead and retire in about 8 months, but I'm glad that I created a stable and sustainable future where I might make it to 111 years old.
Calvin-August
I'm quite baffled at the market trends. As I said earlier, I just save and sit on cash. Wish I had it back in March 2020 for the dip, but of course, one almost never has an ideal moment. Right now I don't also have so much cash.
I am just amused at (my side of Europe) stock market indexes increased 20% YTD. January 2021 was at the same level as January 2020 by coincidence. Real estate prices in the capital also increased by similar levels. Oh well.
I've got a decent rental move in end of year, and so far a "hell no to purchasing. Basically here, mortgages are at 1-2% and "it is just the downpayment" as some say.
All in all, I am expectant to what may come.
Good to know you got rid of that Japanese knotweed. A colleague mentioned having some of it in their backyard here and told savage stories about the plant. Seemingly, unlike in the UK, one can sell the house without disclosing its dangers.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Big respect for that walking leg of the commute, but at months from retirement I can imagine it doesn't get heavy anymore. I actually like to walk after work with the nice spring weather and just do circles around my capital city.
I'm quite baffled at the market trends. As I said earlier, I just save and sit on cash. Wish I had it back in March 2020 for the dip, but of course, one almost never has an ideal moment. Right now I don't also have so much cash.
I am just amused at (my side of Europe) stock market indexes increased 20% YTD. January 2021 was at the same level as January 2020 by coincidence. Real estate prices in the capital also increased by similar levels. Oh well.
I've got a decent rental move in end of year, and so far a "hell no to purchasing. Basically here, mortgages are at 1-2% and "it is just the downpayment" as some say.
All in all, I am expectant to what may come.
Good to know you got rid of that Japanese knotweed. A colleague mentioned having some of it in their backyard here and told savage stories about the plant. Seemingly, unlike in the UK, one can sell the house without disclosing its dangers.
Jorde,
The Knotweed has been just cut down, getting rid of it means escavating roots and smothering anything that might persist. It will take years of vigilance to get rid of totally.
I'm lucky that it is somewhat contained and distant from the house.
Also in the end it turns out to be an opportunity because when it becomes a terraced tree garden it will be rather pastoral.
"Maggie" thinks I should sell my treasures that I have accumulated. That would be a big mistake because they are a store of value. I see that all these treasures I own are being hoarded presently.
The inflation and jump in homes prices looks like they will firm up as rent increases bolster and support higher housing costs as a inflationary spiral begins.
Many think that the recent price increases will be transitory, but I think they oversimplified the supply/demand imbalances created by Covid. The world has changed, and of course the needs of the poor and middle class are getting discounted.
Child care remains a handicap and a problem for many families. Millions of woman lost their jobs, and now the demand for childcare has kept them out of the workforce. Optimists say that in the fall when schools reopen that things will open up, but I don't see this helping everyone.
Then there are people like me who will retire early, leaving the workforce.
Then there are all these displaced workers who now work remotely, and many-many others who are using this pause to regroup, retrain, and find a new career that is safer, more durable, and better suits them.
After being dumped and left high and dry do you think these disenfranchised workers will be happy to go back to their old jobs as if nothing happened.
Still here in the U.S. about 600 people a day die from Covid...
Some shortages and "bottlenecks" are not going away for a long time. The electronic microchip shortage isn't, and that effects a large part of the economy. Trump established tarrifs on Canadian lumber, and optimistically it will be at least a year to 18 months to even meet current demand.
The news reported 9.5% and 10% drop in housing starts in April because builders/contractors are postponing building due to lumber costs and other bottlenecks.
Don't forget "opportunity costs" and the loss due to all these delays. With just the microchip shortage and the lumber shortage these logistical resources are costing our economy a lot.
So my personal play is that the pergola with a deck becomes a Flagstone patio where I can add a pergola at a later day that might be two years from now. The Flagstone is the most durable and is less (no) maintenance than cedar.
This Flagstone project is labor intensive, but sweat equity and hard work saves me mucho money, and the secrete here is that saving money is the key to becoming wealthy; also not wasting money; also not being cheap.
So the idea here is don't hoard or engage in the price spiral if you can, and seek alternatives. Anyways I'm stating a simple and basic business practice.
Don't do like those down south and wait on gas lines and deplete the commodity like in the reports in the Carolinas and Virginia.
The only moral to my story I can add is buy and keep objects that maintain value without becoming liabilities. My guitars,bass'es, vintage amps, antique diamond rings, Rolex, Panerai...
My Baby-Victorian is both an asset, but also a liability... I have to pay taxes, I have to maintain the house, and it is not such a liquid asset like a bar of gold or a gold coin like a Canadian Maple Leaf.
So if you are not sitting on a pile of "hard assets" that maintain value, then the next best thing is cash, which provides an opportunity to buy something in the future cheaper.
Note that all the treasures I own I bought at a good value, and today the prices are multiples, double, or close to double what I paid for them.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I beat the clock this morning because Metro North did not suck today and I got into Grand Central at 7:05 AM.
I figured out that all I need is another successful Time-Trial this week and that the leaving a half hour early gets me to an earlier train.
Last Friday I found out that leaving 45 minutes early gets me nowhere, because I had to wait a half hour for the next train. That sucked. All for nothing due to less trains running and scheduling.
The Audi A4 came with 16K miles, even though it is a 2015, and over the weekend I put just 2K miles on it since the first week in December.
The leather ottoman was delivered from Restoration Hardware that goes with the "Professor's Chair." Looks like the living room is now fully furnished. Mucho retro and looks Victorian. No TV, that's in the bedroom.
I set up the ERG (Concept 2 rower) in the enclosed front porch (6x15). Soon I start doing long rows and intervals for cardio and strength.
Retirement is a little bit longer than 6 months away. Then I can be a lazy-slacker.
Calvin-August
I figured out that all I need is another successful Time-Trial this week and that the leaving a half hour early gets me to an earlier train.
Last Friday I found out that leaving 45 minutes early gets me nowhere, because I had to wait a half hour for the next train. That sucked. All for nothing due to less trains running and scheduling.
The Audi A4 came with 16K miles, even though it is a 2015, and over the weekend I put just 2K miles on it since the first week in December.
The leather ottoman was delivered from Restoration Hardware that goes with the "Professor's Chair." Looks like the living room is now fully furnished. Mucho retro and looks Victorian. No TV, that's in the bedroom.
I set up the ERG (Concept 2 rower) in the enclosed front porch (6x15). Soon I start doing long rows and intervals for cardio and strength.
Retirement is a little bit longer than 6 months away. Then I can be a lazy-slacker.
Calvin-August
Range-rover
Veteran
Cal did you get your audio system set up yet?
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Cal did you get your audio system set up yet?
Bob,
I have no Cal-Cave until I build out the garage.
The 300B tube Mono-blocks are stored in the basement for now, along with guitars and amps.
My only audio system is in the Audi.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Today I get an E-mail that a lab has two unopened 10 kilo boxes of "Rodent-Chow" that I slur into "Rat-Chow" being offered for free. You can't make this stuff up.
Today again I beat the clock. Metro North didn't suck and got to Grand Central at 7:05 AM. Gaming the new clocking in and out is fun and somehow works in my favor, shortens my workday, offers flexibility, and allows me to leave early every day, and even more so on Fridays. "I love it."
Pretty much I'm stealing time and its all legit and legal. I'm following all the rules.
Yesterday's commute home though involved a "train-change" due to "equipment problems" at Grand Central, and this meant the train was late in leaving. So yesterday Metro North sucked.
The power walks to make time offer a certain amount of strength training because my legs do get sore and tired. At times my pace is close to jogging.
The frog ghetto is mucho loud, but the noise is not from the Spring Peepers, but from gray tree frogs that have this musical trill. The effect is not like the Spring Peeper's stadium sound/roar, but is more like a bass set at high volume that carries across a vast distance.
In my bedroom last night with an open window it sounded like I was in a Florida at night swamp.
So I dug into the Fender schematics on www.Ampwares.com to research out all my options in restoring the blackfaced Pro Reverb amp I found being thrown out on 89th Street and First Avenue in Madhattan.
There is another blackfaced amp that utilizes a pair of Jenson C10Q's to make a small 35 watt 2x10 amp that was favored by many great Telecaster players including Roy Buchanan called a "Vibrolux Reverb."
These amps sell for more than my blackfaced Pro Reverb, because smaller amps have grown in favor, and the Pro Reverb with its 2x12 speaker configuration is almost the size of a Fender Twin.
But in looking at the schematics obsessively I learned that by changing two resistors that serve as voltage dividers in the power supply, along with rebiasing the amp (setting a pot) that I can effectively have the same circuit as a Vibrolux Reverb, except I would be driving 2x12 instead of 2x10's.
This works for me because out on Long Island my friend Cris has some of my gear stored in his house that I need to pick up. With that gear are a pair of vintage Jenson C12Q's.
Understand that the original vintage Jensons are lower powered that the modern reproductions, and they did not have Kapton insulation for the voice coils to handle higher power.
I already installed a replacement speaker baffle, I have to change out all the electrolydic caps, install the vintage C12Q's, and then I can "smoke test" the amp and make some noise.
I figure the 2x12's will be less aggressive and forward sounding, likely will offer a bit more headroom than a Vibrolux Reverb, but pretty much have the sound and breakup of a 35 watt amp instead of a more powerful 40 watt amp.
The changed resistors in the power supply lower the plate voltages of the pre-amps and also the driver of the power tubes for less gain and more touch sensitivity. This amp should carry Roy Buchanan's tone and style of plug and play.
I am pleased. Happy-happy... EZ-PZ
Calvin-August
Today again I beat the clock. Metro North didn't suck and got to Grand Central at 7:05 AM. Gaming the new clocking in and out is fun and somehow works in my favor, shortens my workday, offers flexibility, and allows me to leave early every day, and even more so on Fridays. "I love it."
Pretty much I'm stealing time and its all legit and legal. I'm following all the rules.
Yesterday's commute home though involved a "train-change" due to "equipment problems" at Grand Central, and this meant the train was late in leaving. So yesterday Metro North sucked.
The power walks to make time offer a certain amount of strength training because my legs do get sore and tired. At times my pace is close to jogging.
The frog ghetto is mucho loud, but the noise is not from the Spring Peepers, but from gray tree frogs that have this musical trill. The effect is not like the Spring Peeper's stadium sound/roar, but is more like a bass set at high volume that carries across a vast distance.
In my bedroom last night with an open window it sounded like I was in a Florida at night swamp.
So I dug into the Fender schematics on www.Ampwares.com to research out all my options in restoring the blackfaced Pro Reverb amp I found being thrown out on 89th Street and First Avenue in Madhattan.
There is another blackfaced amp that utilizes a pair of Jenson C10Q's to make a small 35 watt 2x10 amp that was favored by many great Telecaster players including Roy Buchanan called a "Vibrolux Reverb."
These amps sell for more than my blackfaced Pro Reverb, because smaller amps have grown in favor, and the Pro Reverb with its 2x12 speaker configuration is almost the size of a Fender Twin.
But in looking at the schematics obsessively I learned that by changing two resistors that serve as voltage dividers in the power supply, along with rebiasing the amp (setting a pot) that I can effectively have the same circuit as a Vibrolux Reverb, except I would be driving 2x12 instead of 2x10's.
This works for me because out on Long Island my friend Cris has some of my gear stored in his house that I need to pick up. With that gear are a pair of vintage Jenson C12Q's.
Understand that the original vintage Jensons are lower powered that the modern reproductions, and they did not have Kapton insulation for the voice coils to handle higher power.
I already installed a replacement speaker baffle, I have to change out all the electrolydic caps, install the vintage C12Q's, and then I can "smoke test" the amp and make some noise.
I figure the 2x12's will be less aggressive and forward sounding, likely will offer a bit more headroom than a Vibrolux Reverb, but pretty much have the sound and breakup of a 35 watt amp instead of a more powerful 40 watt amp.
The changed resistors in the power supply lower the plate voltages of the pre-amps and also the driver of the power tubes for less gain and more touch sensitivity. This amp should carry Roy Buchanan's tone and style of plug and play.
I am pleased. Happy-happy... EZ-PZ
Calvin-August
Range-rover
Veteran
That's really great about the Fender amp Cal, does it have the original blue
coupling caps in it or they been replaced. It seems a lot of guitar amp lovers
hate changing anything in their amps, the original coupling caps for sure.
Electrolytic's they change but not the Blue ones they rarely go bad, to bad
my Tweed had the original Astron caps but they were bad so I had to change
them to replacement Jupiter's red Astron copies, I'm thinking of pulling out
my Strat again maybe it will help with my hands will see.
Enjoy!
coupling caps in it or they been replaced. It seems a lot of guitar amp lovers
hate changing anything in their amps, the original coupling caps for sure.
Electrolytic's they change but not the Blue ones they rarely go bad, to bad
my Tweed had the original Astron caps but they were bad so I had to change
them to replacement Jupiter's red Astron copies, I'm thinking of pulling out
my Strat again maybe it will help with my hands will see.
Enjoy!
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