Yes, you do...
New York August NYC Meet-Up 2021
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Yes, you do...
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
In anticipation of tomorrow’s delivery I dug through my gear for the 21mm Zeus’s VF’er, the black Canadian MD-2, and the Leica R-M adapter so I can rig out the 21/ 3.4 SA in “R” mount.
Likely will get some carbon composition resistors and caps to restore the black faced Fender Pro Reverb amp I found being thrown out on the Upper Eastside in two different deliveries tomorrow also. I anticipate a busy day.
Yesterday we decided to get out of the house, so we drove to Cold Spring, another river town on the Hudson about 13 miles north of us. Pretty much Cold Spring is about the center of the Hudson Highlands, and IMHO that should also include Peekskill. Peekskill is said to be the Gateway to the Hudson Highlands, and even Peekskill has mountains on the southern end of the city where I live, but the mountains rise up close to the river on the northern end of Peekskill.
After a nice lunch we walked Main Street in Cold Spring and did some shopping. I found an outdoors store that had a rack of mens clothing that was once marked down for clearance, and then had another 25% discounted on top of that.
Pretty much only smalls and extra large mostly, but because I’m small it was great for me. I culled through the selection for deals and focused on button down trail hiking shirts that were made of engineered materials for sun/heat/and sweating that resembled some of my high end fishing shirts.
So I loaded up the truck and saved some money buying this stuff for almost no money.
Then in another small store I found a Barbour heavy shirt that is well tailored for my skinny bitch build with snaps that some say could be really a jacket. This was on sale 40% off.
Then I learned that pretty much outside NYC the sales tax is only 4% instead of the 8.75% of NYC.
So I had a great time hunting for bargains, and I found treasure.
Now I really don’t miss NYC.
Cal
Likely will get some carbon composition resistors and caps to restore the black faced Fender Pro Reverb amp I found being thrown out on the Upper Eastside in two different deliveries tomorrow also. I anticipate a busy day.
Yesterday we decided to get out of the house, so we drove to Cold Spring, another river town on the Hudson about 13 miles north of us. Pretty much Cold Spring is about the center of the Hudson Highlands, and IMHO that should also include Peekskill. Peekskill is said to be the Gateway to the Hudson Highlands, and even Peekskill has mountains on the southern end of the city where I live, but the mountains rise up close to the river on the northern end of Peekskill.
After a nice lunch we walked Main Street in Cold Spring and did some shopping. I found an outdoors store that had a rack of mens clothing that was once marked down for clearance, and then had another 25% discounted on top of that.
Pretty much only smalls and extra large mostly, but because I’m small it was great for me. I culled through the selection for deals and focused on button down trail hiking shirts that were made of engineered materials for sun/heat/and sweating that resembled some of my high end fishing shirts.
So I loaded up the truck and saved some money buying this stuff for almost no money.
Then in another small store I found a Barbour heavy shirt that is well tailored for my skinny bitch build with snaps that some say could be really a jacket. This was on sale 40% off.
Then I learned that pretty much outside NYC the sales tax is only 4% instead of the 8.75% of NYC.
So I had a great time hunting for bargains, and I found treasure.
Now I really don’t miss NYC.
Cal
Nokton48
Veteran
4x5 Norma Handy with Wedding Flash 100WS by Nokton48, on FlickrAfternoon Cal,
Attaching a Vivitar 283 to my Sinar Handy allows me to annoy from close range. LOL 65mm F8 Super Angulon wide open with Fuji No-Money HRU XRAY film. Six exposures in a 4x5 Graphmatic goes quick.
Loaded two more 4x5 Graphmatics with fresh HP5+. May annoy further out with Norman 200B portable 200WS double the power of a 283. Which I may use with bare bulb for max diffusion, or my homemade 200B Diffusion Head. That will give me some flash poke even with slow film
Camera custom made by me, 43mm Viewfinder from Mamiya 7. This is the Norma camera Sinar should have manufactured.
The Omega version of Uniroller has one-way spin and the Big Euro JOBO Drum runs eight 9x12cms in a go. Been mocking that up for a test run. You have the same thing in 4x5
Austintatious
Well-known
Cal, you really are one clever devil. Ya picked a damn fine spot to retire to old boy 😀 Rock on !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGObT5s4NVc
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Austin,
I am happy-happy. I can always visit NYC, and it is a little longer than an hour by train. Not inexpensive, but cheaper than living there.
My quality of life is so much better, the air is clean, and my life is such low stress. “I never knew anyone who has a complicated life that was happy,” I say, and here I am living a very simple life.
Oh what joy and excitement getting a $750.00 21/3.4-“R” boxed with hood, and caps. Mighty evil I say.
On doing the research it will not work on my SL2-MOT because the SL and SL2 don’t have mirror lock-up. Oh well, I bought it for the MD-2. Undervalued because it is considered an “orphaned lens,” but that changes with the advent of a “R”-“M” adapter.
The rendering is mucho retro with amazing sharpness in the center, but soft edges and corners. They say F8.0 is the optimum F-stop.
Anyways, Mean Snarky Joe likely is still right, I’ll probably still need a 21 SEM for digital.
My “R”-“M” adapter is kinda spare. I originally bought it so I could use my 50 Lux “E60” on my SL, but I seem to favor the Noct-Nikor with F1.2 and a 58mm slightly longer reach for the enhanced bokeh. The 50 Lux “E60” kinda stays mounted to the SL2-MOT. The SL2 with the 50 Lux is a great rig, “Brutal,” I say.
Just imagine spending a day optimizing guitar picks to guitars for sound quality to maximize tone. My style is for thick picks for wider response, and I discovered that the physical size of a pick also effects tone where smaller picks which are pointier have a bit more treble response and clarity. Anyways the tone is in my hands, and it is as if I upgraded all my guitars. Also the smaller picks allow for speedier playing. On the Santa Cruz OM, because it has old growth Brazilian it has this bright raspy metallic tone that I tame down a bit by using a pick that is physically a large triangle that is a bit rounded made of Tortex.
Also looked into the going prices. EBAY has slim pickings on musical gear, I wondered where the good stuff is being vended, but Reverb.com is where the good stuff seems to be where the good stuff is posted at mucho inflated prices.
My old gear is worth much more than I thought. Prices are crazy. I lived in the seventies and I saw prices jump tenfold. Seems like this is where we are heading. I’m really surprised in how far things have gotten.
Anyways I’m glad I have a lot of gear stockpiled. Undervalued assets are getting hard to find. I think I lucked out on the 21/3.4 “R” even though it is not a popular lens and has limited applications.
About a half hour ago I took some cooked chick peas that were left over from a vegetable stew that “Maggie” makes, and I made Hummus. I blended in some Italian seasoning, and used a lot of olive oil to richen it up. Pretty much simple pleasures of making the best hummus I ever had, and having the time to really take care of myself.
I ordered an XT 11-34 9-speed cassette to solve the problem with delays on hubs I ordered. I can’t wait 2 months, and even if I got them tomorrow there would be further delays getting wheels built, so I have my plan “B” which is build out the Ti Basso as a 3x9 mountain bike with 2.35 wide tires as a somewhat fat tire bike. Right now its set up as my “Newsboy” for urban riding.
Eventually I’ll rig out the two IBIS’s with 11-speed XTR.
I figure I will need a mountain bike once the weather breaks.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Austin,
Thanks for posting the link.
I guess I live in the hill-billy section of the city at the southern end, right at the fringe. The south end of Peekskill has more of a country vibe and is mucho less developed. The bigger parks in Peekskill were not covered. Depew Park is Peekskill’s “town” park and is 200 acres, that butts against Blue Mountain Preserve which is 1500 acres. Know that Blue Mountain is underdeveloped and for the most part is wilderness. I can pretty much go there most of the time and not see any people. Pretty much I’m alone.
Know that there have been bob cat sightings recently in my hood on the southern end of town. Last year “Maggie” saw him in our back-backyard.
Know where the two coffee houses are on that closed street, there and on North Division street in milder weather there is live music being played out in the street. They get big names that would play at the Village Vangard and Irridium in NYC.
By the coffee houses is the 1200 seat Paramount Theater. Last year they had The Average White Band play there, but they also feature some crazy cover bands. On February 5th they had a show called the Hendrix Experience, which was this black guy who looked like Hendrix, and played a lefty strat upside down, but not restrung. I wanted to go to this show badly, but not worth the risk with Covid, even though proof of vaccination and masks required.
Oh-well. Looks like Peekskill will be like Colorado with a dispensary for legal Mari-WANN-A. I am waiting for law clarification, but it seems like I might be able to grow three plants legally for my own consumption. The laws here in New York are purposely vague, because pretty much we kinda do whatever we want anyways. LOL.
Anyways don’t tell Maggie. BTW I would grow weed for Maggie to smoke. She has to learn to relax and be less anxious.
I’m in that state of mind with out the weed.
Cal
Austintatious
Well-known
Cal, we can grow six plants per person here in Colorado with a maximum of 12 at the residence. However, medical Rx pot shops are literally on almost every corner.
As a younger person I used it quite a bit, but quit many years back. I have been retired here for five years and have thought about getting some but never got around to it.
As a younger person I used it quite a bit, but quit many years back. I have been retired here for five years and have thought about getting some but never got around to it.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Austin,
I gave it up at 22-23. I wanted to grow up.
At my 40th year reunion I discovered many of my high school friends never grew up. 30% of Asians don’t have the “M”-zigns to break down alcohol, and I’m one of them. Because I don’t drink alcohol is likely why I look so young. My friends aged poorly, and all these big Italian and Irish kids that were inches taller than me somehow I now stand over.
I did some research and found out that alcohol effects calcium metabolism in a bad way and can speed up aging, meaning premature ost-T-pour- O-Siss. 40 years was not kind to my friends. Pretty much the binge drinking of teenagers never ended. Very-very sad.
In the book “On The Road” Jack Kerouac’s main character gets stuck in Peekskill on his journey west. Even though the City of Peekskill is never mentioned I know because the Bear Mountain Bridge was mentioned. The time in the narrative is the 50’s, but in 1924 the Bear Mountain Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world, and was the first bridge to cross the Hudson south of Albany.
19 months later the Benjamin Franklyn Bridge became the longest suspension bridge in the world linking Philadelphia and Camden.
So across the Hudson is Bear Mountain State park which is either 5205 acres or 5277 acres depending on the source, then bordering Bear Mountain State Park is Harrimon State Park at 47,527 acres which is the second largest State Park in New York.
So you have Peekskill, the Bear Mountain Bridge, and pretty much wilderness. The Bear Mountain Bridge is the original ”Bridge to Nowhere.”
So it gets better: NY US 6 to NY US 9 to NY 9D is a road people in Peekskill call the “Goat Trail” because it goes up and down meandering along the side of a mountain. Pretty much in sections a ridge was blasted into rock to create a shelf that is the road.
I looked at the You-Tube videos but they are mighty lame. One guy is driving behind a red car where the driver rides the brakes in every turn. Others are just driving lame cars that lack balanced handling unlike an Audi with AWD Quarto. But anyways likely one of the most spectacular roads to drive in the Northeast. Pretty easy to get carried away and pretty much drive off a cliff.
When driving my Audi accelerates down these chutes that lead into turns, and the lame drivers braking in turns not before them, and the people that wear out their brakes by riding them, and the people that can’t stay in a lane on a twisty road are the biggest hazards because they have no understanding of physics under these conditions.
On some of these chutes it is easy to accelerate from 20-25 MPH to 60-70 MPH with your foot off the accelerator, anyways that’s how it works in an Audi with an 8-speed auto tranny coasting down one of these chutes.
Also I see all those Hondas, and Toyotas, and even worse suburban drivers in big SUV’s how handcuffed they are by their lame handling and balance of their vehicles. The worse combination: lame cars and lame drivers.
In short, Peekskill on the east side of the river, a “Bridge to Nowhere” and then pretty much wilderness on the other side.
BTW Bear Mountain State Park makes the list of the top 14 National and State Parks in New York.
This is hill-billy heaven. In Bear Mountain State Park are some abandoned iron mines from back in the day when Peekskill was a major manufacturer of plows and cast iron stoves. One mine the owner of The Bruised Apple used bookstore says is worth the hike to photograph. It did not become a pit filled with water because it is built into a hillside.
I’m not kidding that I need an 8x10…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Afternoon Cal,
Attaching a Vivitar 283 to my Sinar Handy allows me to annoy from close range. LOL 65mm F8 Super Angulon wide open with Fuji No-Money HRU XRAY film. Six exposures in a 4x5 Graphmatic goes quick.
Loaded two more 4x5 Graphmatics with fresh HP5+. May annoy further out with Norman 200B portable 200WS double the power of a 283. Which I may use with bare bulb for max diffusion, or my homemade 200B Diffusion Head. That will give me some flash poke even with slow film
Camera custom made by me, 43mm Viewfinder from Mamiya 7. This is the Norma camera Sinar should have manufactured.
The Omega version of Uniroller has one-way spin and the Big Euro JOBO Drum runs eight 9x12cms in a go. Been mocking that up for a test run. You have the same thing in 4x5
Devil Dan,
Your Handy has a resemblance to my camera I call “The Devil Christian.”
At a Meet-Up Devil Christian just gave me the camera, but I had to devise a lens mount, and get a lens. I think I have a Super Auglon fetish like you. I bought a 90 also, I think an F8.0.
At this same Meet-Up Mean Snarky Joe dumps on me a Linhof Color Kardian car-CUSS that he bought for the 4x5 back. So now I have more frames to build a Handy like camera.
As things develop Devil Christian gifts me a nosepiece that is the perfect size to provide the exact distance I need. He also feeds me nerdy charts that measure the focus distance and provides DOF for each F-stop.
So just what a lazy slacker like me needs is more cameras…
So on the devil Christian, I like the 90 mm SA because its a 28mm FOV, except in 4x5. Also I tend to get close so I set my fixed plane of focus at 2 meters or 7 feet. I have lots of experience shooting Leica’s with a 28 Cron, and know Snarky Joe takes notice that most of my shots are verticals.
So I see that pretty much you are designing a stun gun of sorts with that Handy. Kinda reminds me of when they had “Fashion Night Out” in NYC that I shot a late model Pentax 6x7 that had TTL, but since I was using the most powerful intergrated flash available for that Pentax and was using some Fuji 50 ASA slide film the blasts from my flash surely was blinding and disabling people on 5th Avenue.
Anyways it was mucho fun. Many had warned me, and recommended that I shoot a faster film, but all this Fuji 220 slide film had been gifted to me.
So I was “minding my own business” when a very cute and pretty girl says hello to me. It was Nellie from Puck Fair the hole in the wall bar where we had our Meet-Ups, Nellie was the Bar Maid, and I was unaware that she also was a model.
Then along comes five of Nellie’s model friends. I think to myself, “Is this my dream come true?” And why does stuff like this happen to me all the time? So I blow through many rolls of film and call it a night.
I ended up getting the slides processed at Dugal, and when I showed them to Nellie at the next Meet-Up, I ended up gifting them to her. All perfect exposures. TTL on the Pentax worked perfectly.
One shot I wish I still had. I saw this woman, and I asked to take a shot of her shoes, but I lied the shot I took was from me crouched down of a side view of her wonderful legs. They were the ninth wonder of the world. Don’t tell “Maggie.”
Cal
Nokton48
Veteran
Morning Cal,
Yes I guess I do have a Schneider Fetish that could explain things. Handy has a Schneider original Norma 65mm f8 Cone and Helical so it is rare and collectable. I cut down part of my Auxiliary Standard with my Lil' Machine Shop Band Saw, to make the standard, 4x5 Norma Graflock and Six 4x5 Graphmatic Backs right now loaded with HP5+. Glenn Evans supplied the Graflex XL Pistol Grip which is what Sinar allocated. They offered pieces but no camera, which is an interesting point..
So like a 21mm F3.4 Super Angulon, the 65mm F8 is super-sized to extremo Calvin 4x5 size. Like it is 21SA on steroids and all that much the better. I have the original 65mm F8 Super Angulon center filter for it too but you have to stop down at least two stops. I like the light falloff, that's charming to me. I have been thinking about firing up my biggo JOBO which holds eight 9x12cm sheets tightly. I bought a couple of broken Unirollers for $50 coming and I'll bet I can get them going. If I take out the "flipping" flexible switch it will spin the entire biggo drum without issues. Simple reverse the drum on the roller every so often as you determine.
Regarding the metric drum the seller spoke no English so I had to send messages translated into German. But it worked out OK and I've seen these particular drums go for big bucks in Europe. So also you are lucky to have the same thing in 4x5 for JOBO. The metric drum is simply not available most of the time. :shootout:
Yes I guess I do have a Schneider Fetish that could explain things. Handy has a Schneider original Norma 65mm f8 Cone and Helical so it is rare and collectable. I cut down part of my Auxiliary Standard with my Lil' Machine Shop Band Saw, to make the standard, 4x5 Norma Graflock and Six 4x5 Graphmatic Backs right now loaded with HP5+. Glenn Evans supplied the Graflex XL Pistol Grip which is what Sinar allocated. They offered pieces but no camera, which is an interesting point..
So like a 21mm F3.4 Super Angulon, the 65mm F8 is super-sized to extremo Calvin 4x5 size. Like it is 21SA on steroids and all that much the better. I have the original 65mm F8 Super Angulon center filter for it too but you have to stop down at least two stops. I like the light falloff, that's charming to me. I have been thinking about firing up my biggo JOBO which holds eight 9x12cm sheets tightly. I bought a couple of broken Unirollers for $50 coming and I'll bet I can get them going. If I take out the "flipping" flexible switch it will spin the entire biggo drum without issues. Simple reverse the drum on the roller every so often as you determine.
Regarding the metric drum the seller spoke no English so I had to send messages translated into German. But it worked out OK and I've seen these particular drums go for big bucks in Europe. So also you are lucky to have the same thing in 4x5 for JOBO. The metric drum is simply not available most of the time. :shootout:
Nokton48
Veteran
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New to Me 8x10 18x24cm Sinar Norma by Nokton48, on Flickr
Speaking of you wanting an 8x10.............
New to Me 8x10 Sinar Norma Baggy Bellows X2 165mm Schneider Norma Super Angulon with Automated Iris Mechanism and F/Stop On Cables. Very quick to set up and I wanted a dedicated 8x10 Camera to take outside. I have a line on a 210mm F8 Super Angulon and have made arrangements to buy it soon. I purchased the 8x10 Rear Standard for 200 British Pounds from a Guy in France. Added an original 8x10 Norma Bellows for another 20 Pounds, will have Custom Bellows rebuild the bellows to new specs. They made the original bellows for Sinar so still available new. So had a good Front Standard so this camera was essentially made from repurposed parts for no money. LOL
3012 Metric 9x12cm JOBO Film Drum on Unicolor Uniroller by Nokton48, on Flickr
New to Me 8x10 18x24cm Sinar Norma by Nokton48, on FlickrSpeaking of you wanting an 8x10.............
New to Me 8x10 Sinar Norma Baggy Bellows X2 165mm Schneider Norma Super Angulon with Automated Iris Mechanism and F/Stop On Cables. Very quick to set up and I wanted a dedicated 8x10 Camera to take outside. I have a line on a 210mm F8 Super Angulon and have made arrangements to buy it soon. I purchased the 8x10 Rear Standard for 200 British Pounds from a Guy in France. Added an original 8x10 Norma Bellows for another 20 Pounds, will have Custom Bellows rebuild the bellows to new specs. They made the original bellows for Sinar so still available new. So had a good Front Standard so this camera was essentially made from repurposed parts for no money. LOL
3012 Metric 9x12cm JOBO Film Drum on Unicolor Uniroller by Nokton48, on FlickrMrFujicaman
Well-known
So I see that pretty much you are designing a stun gun of sorts with that Handy. Kinda reminds me of when they had “Fashion Night Out” in NYC that I shot a late model Pentax 6x7 that had TTL, but since I was using the most powerful intergrated flash available for that Pentax and was using some Fuji 50 ASA slide film the blasts from my flash surely was blinding and disabling people on 5th Avenue.
Cal (QUOTE)
Cal, if you want power for some event, call me and I'll loan you one of my Vivitar 365's with the "Bubba Pak" power supplies I build for them. 2 second or less recycle time on manual!
On blinding people...years ago, I was working a wedding and one of the guests started crap-well, the bride's brother got the offending woman and her very drunk boyfriend out of the hall and into the garage (fire station). Well, the drunk BF was ranting and raving and it looked like he was about to start throwing punches. I dialed the Agfatronic 643 CS I was using then up to full manual power and triggered it into his eyes from about a foot away. BLAM! he couldn't see anything! The bride's brother walked the drunk and his date to their car and told them to "LEAVE-NOW!!!!". I later found out it was 15-20 minutes before he could see anything.
FYI, a 643 CS has an ISO 100 GN of 220!
Cal (QUOTE)
Cal, if you want power for some event, call me and I'll loan you one of my Vivitar 365's with the "Bubba Pak" power supplies I build for them. 2 second or less recycle time on manual!
On blinding people...years ago, I was working a wedding and one of the guests started crap-well, the bride's brother got the offending woman and her very drunk boyfriend out of the hall and into the garage (fire station). Well, the drunk BF was ranting and raving and it looked like he was about to start throwing punches. I dialed the Agfatronic 643 CS I was using then up to full manual power and triggered it into his eyes from about a foot away. BLAM! he couldn't see anything! The bride's brother walked the drunk and his date to their car and told them to "LEAVE-NOW!!!!". I later found out it was 15-20 minutes before he could see anything.
FYI, a 643 CS has an ISO 100 GN of 220!
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Devil Dan,
I own a Plaubel 69W Proshift with a 47mm SA. This is the easiest 120/220 camera to load. A very cool design and kinda freaky looking. Having shift for perceptive control is awesome and convenient.
A medium format two camera kit I used a lot was the Plaubel 6x9 along with a Rollie 3.5F “Whiteface” that I stumbled into at Adorama. Typical of Adorama gear I often had to return gear that was not tested and was defective, but every once in a while I would get mucho lucky. I loaded film and discovered the camera would jam, and jam again, so I was going to return the camera which I only paid $1K. I dug in and did a little research and discovered that it was a rare last version of the 3.5, the “F” which has the “Whiteface” for us camera snob/nerds.
So I learned the camera was worth around $2.5K if I got it serviced. Then I sent it to Harry in Manhattan Beach California to get “Fleenored.” Only the best for me.
This Rollie has a silent shutter. Also know that I tend to frame tight, and I seldom crop.
So with shooting the square sometimes I would want the 6x9 wide, and the two cameras really complemented each other. On a Saturday or Sunday I would carry twenty rolls of film and perhaps shoot 12-15 rolls in a 10-12 mile walk in NYC.
My Uniroller bypassed the internal switch. EZ-PZ, but another way is to put in parallel a Double Throw external switch for manual reversing of the tank rotation. From the Internet they say reversing direction makes for more even development, but also that the turbulence where the film is held can cause some uneven development also.
I think the lazy slacker method would use a switch, lifting a heavy loaded JoBo tank, for me is too much work. LOL.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
MFM,
That is a cool story. My intergrated flash built for the Pentax II 6x7 was pretty powerful, and I was shooting using the mythical 75mm F2.8 AL, but of course light fall off is “inverse square law.”
Of course I was not shooting so close, but it was at night.
That was good thinking on your feet to avoid conflict and violence.
At Grumman one of my co-workers and friend was Ray, a black man who was a Marine that served in Vietnam as an advisor. Ray says we were involved there way before the public knew about it.
Well Ray was from the south, he was not a big guy, and at that time they removed some height restriction that allowed him to be a Marine.
So in boot camp there was this huge guy who was a racist. Ray had a big mouth, and the big guy told Ray that one day he will catch Ray off base and he will shut his big mouth.
So one day Ray is off base in a dinner having a meal with a woman and the giant comes in and tells Ray, “Enjoy your last meal. I’ll be waiting outside.”
So Ray asks the girl he is with to get the pepper shaker off the table of the next booth. He empties one pepper shaker into one pocket, and fills the other with the contents of the second.
So it’s high noon at the O.K. Corral, combined with David verses Goliath. Ray tells the woman to stay behind and he goes outside alone with both hands in his pockets. Descending the steps the big Marine walks forward, and at the appropriate time Ray pulls his fisted hands out of his pockets and throws the pepper into the guys eyes.
So Ray now starts his beat-down of this giant, but some buddies kinda saw the advantage to teach a racist bully a lesson.
This guy never got through boot camp, he never recovered…
Anyways the moral of the story is if you have to fight make sure you win, but of course the best policy is to avoid fighting at all costs.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Around dinner time USPS delivered two of the three expected packages, and most importantly one was the 21mm F3.4 SA in “R”-mount.
So the lens is in remarkable condition, clean glass, boxed with hood and caps. Did a quick cleaning with an alcohol prep, and cleaned the glass before mounting.
Well the black MD-2 looks rather savage and to use a word that my friends use to use to describe me is “psycho.”
The round hood for series VIII filters is kinda huge and it blocks the Zeus’s VF’er a bit, but is very macho. The lens eludes the Leica build quality, and the MD-2 with the black TA Rapidgrip and black TA Rapidwinder together make the rig a “porker.” Know that this rig is like carrying a deadly weapon in plain sight. Worn in the hand secured by a black Leica wrist strap it is part brass knuckles, part blackjack, and part dagger.
I love it. The added height of the Rapidwinder makes it so I can rest the camera on a table and the hood just clears touching the table by a tenth of an inch.
Happy-happy. Boy does it feel great getting more camera gear. What a great release.
Did you know that Snarky Joe is a pretty exceptional 21 SEM shooter. Can’t wait to show him this new rig.
I did try the 21/3.4 on the SL. Not the best for digital, and I saw the light fall off on the edges and corners. Joe was right: I still need a 21 SEM.
So “Maggie” got a DHL delivery, meaning something most likely from Europe. The package was a mystery/surprise and it ended up being a pair of glasses that are very big heavy black frames made in Italy that are rather bold. They were too big for Maggie, but you guys know that I have a big head and they fit me perfectly.
So now I know how Maggie and I can be eye glass models. I’ll have to talk it up with Vanessa.
So I use to wear these thick black framed Goo-Chee glasses. I went to my friends store on Bedford in Williamsburg and wanted glasses that would survive a street fight, and Scott helped me pick out these Italian black thick frames that are timeless. Very Martin Score-CHASE-E, a bit over the top, but these new glasses are a step further.
I think I’ll get them made into photo grey sunglasses. They look very Italian and they are made in Italy. Likely $1K frames, but if they are free they are for me.
So the next adventure will be me getting a new prescription and these new frames fitted with lenses. Maggie thinks they look especially great with my hair down. Remember I have not gotten a real hair cut in about 4 years, and the last time I cut my hair basically I did it myself to get rid of some spray foam insulation that was glued into my hair from working in a crawl space.
With my hair down I look a bit wild and feral. The glasses pretty much are a statement by themselves. I can see me modeling eye glasses big time. Maggie already has for Valentino eyewear and was photographed by Terry Richardson.
So another great day of retirement. Spent most of the day with the Santa Cruz Hog-“F” just relaxing. Did take a break to go to do some grocery shopping.
Cal
So the lens is in remarkable condition, clean glass, boxed with hood and caps. Did a quick cleaning with an alcohol prep, and cleaned the glass before mounting.
Well the black MD-2 looks rather savage and to use a word that my friends use to use to describe me is “psycho.”
The round hood for series VIII filters is kinda huge and it blocks the Zeus’s VF’er a bit, but is very macho. The lens eludes the Leica build quality, and the MD-2 with the black TA Rapidgrip and black TA Rapidwinder together make the rig a “porker.” Know that this rig is like carrying a deadly weapon in plain sight. Worn in the hand secured by a black Leica wrist strap it is part brass knuckles, part blackjack, and part dagger.
I love it. The added height of the Rapidwinder makes it so I can rest the camera on a table and the hood just clears touching the table by a tenth of an inch.
Happy-happy. Boy does it feel great getting more camera gear. What a great release.
Did you know that Snarky Joe is a pretty exceptional 21 SEM shooter. Can’t wait to show him this new rig.
I did try the 21/3.4 on the SL. Not the best for digital, and I saw the light fall off on the edges and corners. Joe was right: I still need a 21 SEM.
So “Maggie” got a DHL delivery, meaning something most likely from Europe. The package was a mystery/surprise and it ended up being a pair of glasses that are very big heavy black frames made in Italy that are rather bold. They were too big for Maggie, but you guys know that I have a big head and they fit me perfectly.
So now I know how Maggie and I can be eye glass models. I’ll have to talk it up with Vanessa.
So I use to wear these thick black framed Goo-Chee glasses. I went to my friends store on Bedford in Williamsburg and wanted glasses that would survive a street fight, and Scott helped me pick out these Italian black thick frames that are timeless. Very Martin Score-CHASE-E, a bit over the top, but these new glasses are a step further.
I think I’ll get them made into photo grey sunglasses. They look very Italian and they are made in Italy. Likely $1K frames, but if they are free they are for me.
So the next adventure will be me getting a new prescription and these new frames fitted with lenses. Maggie thinks they look especially great with my hair down. Remember I have not gotten a real hair cut in about 4 years, and the last time I cut my hair basically I did it myself to get rid of some spray foam insulation that was glued into my hair from working in a crawl space.
With my hair down I look a bit wild and feral. The glasses pretty much are a statement by themselves. I can see me modeling eye glasses big time. Maggie already has for Valentino eyewear and was photographed by Terry Richardson.
So another great day of retirement. Spent most of the day with the Santa Cruz Hog-“F” just relaxing. Did take a break to go to do some grocery shopping.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Evidently the regular mail was delivered very late and perhaps after dinner yesterday. The third parcel (envelope) with the carbon composition resistors was in fact delivered yesterday.
So today I will rebuild and modify the Fender 1965 Blackface Pro Reverb (AA165 Circuit) into a slightly lower powered amp to effectively create a Blackface Vibrolux Reverb, except instead of being a 2x10 speakers it will have 2x12 and be packaged in a larger cabinet.
Back in the 6’s they used Jensen C10Q’s, which have ceramic magnets. My friend Cris still has in storage a vintage pair of C12Q’s that he has been storing for me for over a decade. Vintage speakers are a big part of the sound.
The tens are more immediate and in your face. Some might say more “focused,” but the 12’s will likely have more mids, be smoother, and have more warmth. The bigger cabinet should lend to also a bigger sound, even though the bass might not be as tight. I’m cool with the differences.
Anyways photography related, not so different than printing with mid emphasis rather than contrast to simulate large format look.
Leo Fender in many of his amps used the same exact circuits, but did very slight variations like different speaker combinations.
Anyways my mods changes the primary first two filter caps from series to parallel, and changes two 2 watt resistors that ar of larger value to drop more voltages that feed the pre-amps and driver for the power tubes. Effectively I am lowering the gain and headroom so the amp will be more touch sensitive, more vocal, and have earlier breakup of a smaller amp, even though the cabinet is the same size as a Fender Twin Reverb which is an 80 watt amp and mucho loud.
I have the speakers in other amps that I can use for preliminary testing, but I’ll have to go to Lawn-GUY-Land to pick up the C12Q’s and some of my other gear stored at Cris’ house.
Check out his website www.MirabellaGuitars.com.
Cal
So today I will rebuild and modify the Fender 1965 Blackface Pro Reverb (AA165 Circuit) into a slightly lower powered amp to effectively create a Blackface Vibrolux Reverb, except instead of being a 2x10 speakers it will have 2x12 and be packaged in a larger cabinet.
Back in the 6’s they used Jensen C10Q’s, which have ceramic magnets. My friend Cris still has in storage a vintage pair of C12Q’s that he has been storing for me for over a decade. Vintage speakers are a big part of the sound.
The tens are more immediate and in your face. Some might say more “focused,” but the 12’s will likely have more mids, be smoother, and have more warmth. The bigger cabinet should lend to also a bigger sound, even though the bass might not be as tight. I’m cool with the differences.
Anyways photography related, not so different than printing with mid emphasis rather than contrast to simulate large format look.
Leo Fender in many of his amps used the same exact circuits, but did very slight variations like different speaker combinations.
Anyways my mods changes the primary first two filter caps from series to parallel, and changes two 2 watt resistors that ar of larger value to drop more voltages that feed the pre-amps and driver for the power tubes. Effectively I am lowering the gain and headroom so the amp will be more touch sensitive, more vocal, and have earlier breakup of a smaller amp, even though the cabinet is the same size as a Fender Twin Reverb which is an 80 watt amp and mucho loud.
I have the speakers in other amps that I can use for preliminary testing, but I’ll have to go to Lawn-GUY-Land to pick up the C12Q’s and some of my other gear stored at Cris’ house.
Check out his website www.MirabellaGuitars.com.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I take ownership that I live in a bubble, a safe place of my own making.
You should know I am also very worried and concerned. Did you know that I have a Masters in TV Broadcast Journalism? Did you know that I have a MFA in Creative Writing? So writers connect the dots, use facts, and build narratives.
Then even though I was not in the military, I have a military background because I worked at Grumman for 17 years.
I had a Secret Security Clearance, and I helped win the Cold War.
So it appears like it is 1939 again, except this time aggression is not ignored. Everyone is surprised that sanctions, and seizing assets already has destroyed the Russian economy. It is past the point of no return, already the Russian economy is ruined and they are isolated, even China is backpedaling. Note that in the U.N China abstained against sanction and did not use it Veto power.
Another report mentioned that about a third of the ground forces have been on the sidelines, and that the conditions they have endured (winter) without logistical support (food/shelter) forces Putin’s hand to deploy these reserves before they get worn down further by the waiting.
Know and understand that the Ukraine eliminated their nuclear arsenal with the understanding the U.S. said it would ensure it’s sov-ERN-T even though it is not a member of NATO.
So a column of armor 40 miles long is heading to the Ukrainian capitol, so I think not in the news is NATO assembling squadrons of A10 Warthogs to effectively create/recreate “The Road To Kuwait,” where two squadrons of A10’s in two sorties effectively destroyed a good part of the Iraqis armor.
So is the capitol of Ukraine to be surrounded and capitulation sought by the Battle of Yorktown tactic, except it is more like the Battle of Leningrad where civilians are slaughtered.
Then there are the reports of “Vacuum bombs” and use of cluster bombs. Take note Vacuum bombs is a disguise for Fuel Air bombs. In Afghanistan we used Fuel Air bombs called “Daisy-Cutters” that are a little bit shy of a nuclear weapon. A first explosion creates a cloud of flammable gas, then the cloud is ignited.
Cluster bombs disburse many small bombs, and the problem is indiscriminate killing.
Anyways the difference here is these weapons seem to be used against civilians and not military targets. The media is not clear that these weapons have their place, and say they are outlawed. Well yes for indiscriminate killing (terrorism), but fine on military targets.
I have my issues against bullies, but I wonder if squadrons of A10’s is the right response. In my book it makes sense, and that is my worry, where do we draw the line: a line of armor? Let it pass? or Take it out EZ-PZ.
Also know that the Russians are Chess players and the opening of this game has been bad for them. I know from street fighting that when you have the upper hand that is the time to finish the fight. Decisive action is needed to end the fight.
Cal
You should know I am also very worried and concerned. Did you know that I have a Masters in TV Broadcast Journalism? Did you know that I have a MFA in Creative Writing? So writers connect the dots, use facts, and build narratives.
Then even though I was not in the military, I have a military background because I worked at Grumman for 17 years.
I had a Secret Security Clearance, and I helped win the Cold War.
So it appears like it is 1939 again, except this time aggression is not ignored. Everyone is surprised that sanctions, and seizing assets already has destroyed the Russian economy. It is past the point of no return, already the Russian economy is ruined and they are isolated, even China is backpedaling. Note that in the U.N China abstained against sanction and did not use it Veto power.
Another report mentioned that about a third of the ground forces have been on the sidelines, and that the conditions they have endured (winter) without logistical support (food/shelter) forces Putin’s hand to deploy these reserves before they get worn down further by the waiting.
Know and understand that the Ukraine eliminated their nuclear arsenal with the understanding the U.S. said it would ensure it’s sov-ERN-T even though it is not a member of NATO.
So a column of armor 40 miles long is heading to the Ukrainian capitol, so I think not in the news is NATO assembling squadrons of A10 Warthogs to effectively create/recreate “The Road To Kuwait,” where two squadrons of A10’s in two sorties effectively destroyed a good part of the Iraqis armor.
So is the capitol of Ukraine to be surrounded and capitulation sought by the Battle of Yorktown tactic, except it is more like the Battle of Leningrad where civilians are slaughtered.
Then there are the reports of “Vacuum bombs” and use of cluster bombs. Take note Vacuum bombs is a disguise for Fuel Air bombs. In Afghanistan we used Fuel Air bombs called “Daisy-Cutters” that are a little bit shy of a nuclear weapon. A first explosion creates a cloud of flammable gas, then the cloud is ignited.
Cluster bombs disburse many small bombs, and the problem is indiscriminate killing.
Anyways the difference here is these weapons seem to be used against civilians and not military targets. The media is not clear that these weapons have their place, and say they are outlawed. Well yes for indiscriminate killing (terrorism), but fine on military targets.
I have my issues against bullies, but I wonder if squadrons of A10’s is the right response. In my book it makes sense, and that is my worry, where do we draw the line: a line of armor? Let it pass? or Take it out EZ-PZ.
Also know that the Russians are Chess players and the opening of this game has been bad for them. I know from street fighting that when you have the upper hand that is the time to finish the fight. Decisive action is needed to end the fight.
Cal
Austintatious
Well-known
There are usually "hidden reasons" for entering into a war that are kept from the public. I found this article rather thought provoking.
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/russia/the-real-backdrop-nobody-will-discuss/
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/russia/the-real-backdrop-nobody-will-discuss/
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Austin,
Thanks for the link.
It opened my eyes a lot. Pretty much there are three sides to a story.
Truth I also feel for the Russian conscripts. I was near that situation in the Vietnam War. I also know it is unlikely the Russian general population supports this war and are victims themselves who are suffering great horrors themselves. Like the conscripts they just got swept into this.
In Syria I was unaware of the energy connection. Anyways in the geopolitical this makes sense.
Anyways thanks for getting me closer to the truth.
Anyways let’s talk about the banksters. Larry Summers suggests that houses will inflate 7% in 2022. If I follow the percentages and do the math my present modest home appreciated 35% in a little longer than two years if Larry Summers projection is true. Kinda crazy.
Then I’m highly suspicious about all the solicitations I get, about a dozen a day, about refi offers and cash out balance. Pretty much it is a hard sell with blanketed advertising, solicitations, and even phone calls. It has gotten really relentless… and to the point that I might deem it predatory.
On one call I inquired what happened to the closing costs, and the reply is that it gets rolled over. Also the pitch was this mythical equity that leads to cash out.
Then they want people to convert to 15 year mortgages. I have to ask why?
Anyways I know banks make mucho money on fees, and guess who pays them? Then what happens to the cash from lower payments? Is it saved or spent? I think mostly spent, but this situation not only promotes inflation, but also means Americans are living beyond their means because of what I would frame as “Predatory Lending” because it allow Americans to live beyond their means just in a different way than 2007-2008.
As suggested in your link, the government also condones this practice, but it also enables this abuse.
So I’m not saying its 2007-2008 again, but the eventual outcome is not good. We both know who wins and who looses.
BTW I speculate why I would want to pay closing costs again (a loss), have it increase my debt load (by definition rolled over into my mortgage), and possibly fall into a bait and switch sich-E-A-Tion. Don’t forget about “Points.”
Anyways this is coming from a guy who has an exceptional credit rating, who knows better, and besides with the unmentioned costs, it is hard to believe that an equivalent lower rate will actually prevail because rates are rising or have risen, and I already locked in a record low rate a little more than a year ago.
So the banks are pretty much doing it again, making money and taking advantage, with the consent and encouragement of the government.
“Don’t fall for the bait and switch,” I say.
Also do you believe that the economy is actually growing?
In your link at the end is the tag, “Follow the money.” How true.
Anyways I know in an inflationary environment that old debt becomes less of a burden because time is your friend. With this in mind a 30 year mortgage at record low interest rates below the average rate of inflation of 3% is in support of my best interest.
All I know is that the banks have their own best interest, and also the support of the government. IMHO Institutionalized Criminal Behavior that they do not call predatory or stealing.
Also I can easily see in the future when mortgages during say a recession become either unavailable from banks, or prohibitively high interest rates, where 70’s cash for equity and assuming low interest mortgages will happen again. Perhaps the Banksters se this as totally undermining their business because the mortgage process will get bypassed.
Cal
Dan
Let's Sway
I read it and it's full of bluster with no substantial depth. Plus, this doesn't help, either: Martin Arthur Armstrong (born November 1, 1949) is an American self-taught[SUP][1][/SUP] economic forecaster and convicted felon who spent 11 years in jail for cheating investors out of $700 million and hiding $15 million in assets from regulators.[SUP][1][/SUP]