New York February NYC Meet-Up/ Ninth Annual Camera Beauty Contest

[Calzone]

Devon,

I believe the shoulder pad for the Post Office was designed by Domke. I have one I bought from B&H.

Sadly, instead of flying to some Third World country, I can go into any of the local Post Offices in a gentrifying neighborhood here in NYC.

My East Harlem Post Office is "Hellgate 10029" which should be avoided around the first of the month because the line goes out into the street for Postal money orders, because people are so poor that they do not have bank accounts.

The service is awful due to understaffing.

I had the Long Island City Post Office loose a registered mail parcel. This package held a diamond ring worth big dollars, and I had a bad-bad case of hysterical girlfriend syndrome. The parcel was MIA for about two weeks.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Cal,

Ive got an insider that leaks out the good vintage gear that has been stowed away in dusty closets. Got a few nice shoulder pads, the rucksack, and a few heavy leather straps.

The bag is easily identifiable even with the insignia removed. The material is heavy weave of some poly blend. Super tough. Ill still use it around camp. Hell of a catch all.

I was offered a new release of the bag this past fall and had a gut feeling we might both be putting our necks out and decided to pass.

You can say the local post and I have a long and somewhat shady relationship. 😉

Devon,

I was at my friend's guitar shop when this guy walks in and offeers a boxed/packaged Sears Craftman's 100 piece tool set for $30.00. I'm aggressive MoFo, so I bought it snipping it right out from my friends hands. Steve mentioned that he was annoyed with me, and that if I was polite he should of had first dibs. All I can say is he was a sore looser, and Ha-Ha I won. LOL. I can't help that I'm rude, "Welcome to New York," I say.

So this guy keeps on coming back with more goods from Sears. It gets to the point where we see this guy weekly and he asks bluntly, "Is there anything you would like from Sears?"

Pretty obvious he works for Sears and is stealing.

So the 100 piece tool set is priced about $1.00 per tool and sells for $99.99 plus tax. Buy one and return it boxed to Sears for a refund. Mention that you got it as a gift. Worse case you only get $99.99 plus tax store credit for a $30.00 investment. More than triple your money.

So eventually this guy got caught because he stopped coming around. Oh-well.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I get allured by stories so you had me reading about it. Had to google it and don't know if I really found it; but IBIS site holds a lot of different stories. Still got to get through:
https://www.ibiscycles.com/info/303030/

Under #8 Tandems there's this:
https://www.ibiscycles.com/images/uploads/wygwam/BG_Tandem_Oct88_0001.pdf
It's a small feature on a green background titled "The truth about tandems: Smaller ain't faster"

Jorde,

For me story #8 is important because it connects and links my Ti IBIS Mountain Trials to important history and Gary Helfrick.

Gary had a full scholarship to MIT, but somehow he was a neighbor and became friends with Steve Tyler of Aerosmith. Gary was offered the opportunity to be a roadie for Aerosmith so he threw away the full scholarship to do sex, drugs and rock and roll for a few years.

Along the way he learned to weld which lead to a gig at Fat Chance back in the day making bikes. Then Gary left Fat Chance to start Merlin Bicycles. Pretty much Gary is the Godfather of the Titanium Bicycle. Eventually he teamed up with "Chuck" AKA Scot Nicole the founder of IBIS Cycles and NORBA Trials Champion. This led to IBIS creating the Ti Mojo and other legendary bikes that advanced the titanium fabrication to include tapered stays and internally butted tubing to advance everything as far as ti bikes to the pinnacle.

When I first bought my Ti IBIS off EBAY I contacted Scott Nicole and inquired about how rare my bike was.

Scot responded saying. "Hard to say because I don't remember every bike I built, but I say perhaps only a few Ti Mountain Trials were made, but in fact you might have the only one."

My Ti IBIS Mountain Trials has the "Hand-Job" as a cable retainer and is pre V-brakes dating it to 1994 or so, but it utilizes the advances developed for the Ti Mojo, a legendary bike that is highly revered.

How cool is it to have a one off. Further forensics reveal that this was a show bike and secured by an owner of a ski and bike shop. I have documentation that this bike is the first Mountain Trials ever built. It might also be the last one ever built if it truely is a one off.

How much value added for a one off prototype that still holds the pinnacle of Ti bike fabrication? I know I own a piece of important history.

In story number 8 click on the stain on Gary's t-shirt. Somewhere in that story it is revealed how they overloaded a freight car with CNC machine tools the bought off GE and the worry that a speeding freight train with a severely overloaded car traveling west to California might have leveled some small town in the midwest while doing 100 MPH.

You can't make this stuff up. LOL.

So if you were given the choice of going to an Ivy League school on full scholarship of going on the road with Aerosmith, what would you do?

BTW "Chuck" is Scot Nicol's alter ego. Kinda like Calzone is mine. Scot is a funny guy BTW. LOL.

Imagine doing 65 MPH on a tandem on rolling downhills. Joe Breeze was one of the riders. Crazy fun.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

New York Fashion Week Update: 634K followers.

Saturday after we attended a fashion show on Wall Street very near the Stock Exchange, "Maggie" posted a shot I took earlier in the day after a morning show held at Spring Street Studios. The shot was of Maggie standing in front of a subway mosiac of one of William Wegman's dogs dress in clothing. Maggie included the caption, "Everyone is getting dressed up for New York Fashion Week."

Within 24 hours 31.5K likes. Pretty much my best shots consistently get around 25K likes so this is a new high. She posted this while we rode home on the subway from her cell phone.

Later today Maggie will launch a shot I took on wall street where I took advantage of steam being released from a manhole as part of the shot. I expect this shot to do very well also. The bar has been raised. I expect another 30K likes within 24 hours.

The big-big news is that the Go Daddy spackled the Herald Square subway station with their champaign. Pictures of Maggie are wrapped around poles and are on wall murals everywhere. How crazy is that?

Meanwhile "Poor Calvin" had to get out of the house and go to work extra-extra early because a make-up artist was coming at 6:00 AM. Today will be a killer day for Maggie.

Also know that Friday was filled with interuptions due to deliveries of garment bags, shoes, boots, bags and courier deliveries with seat numbers. Know that it is really-really nice getting ushered off the lines and getting VIP'ed so you don't have to wait in the cold.

This Go Daddy campaign is getting great reviews. Some say it was wise and better than doing a Superbowl commercial. The positive message and the level of inclusion is highly regarded. I would not be surprised if this commercial got an advertising award. In the past Go Daddy commercials were criticised for exploiting sex, sexuality and for being masage-GEN-ist-ICK.

Cal

 

[NY_Dan]

Post some photos or it never happened. 🙂

 

[Calzone]

Post some photos or it never happened. 🙂

Dan,

I post links. You can't post photos on this thread for some reason.

Cal

 

[ptpdprinter]

This Go Daddy campaign is getting great reviews.

I didn't think it was so great. And, unless I misssed something, your girlfriend was only in it for about two seconds wearing some ridiculous clothes and sunglasses. But what do I know.

 

[Calzone]

Post some photos or it never happened. 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/iconaccidental

Above for the two most recent shots I mentioned in my post.

https://lifeboat.com/blog/2019/02/lyn-slater-is-making-the-world-she-wants-godaddy-commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fvy1e1C1uI

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I didn't think it was so great. And, unless I misssed something, your girlfriend was only in it for about two seconds wearing some ridiculous clothes and sunglasses. But what do I know.

PTP,

Go Daddy has received lots of negative criticism for using sex to sell their product.

Also since I'm not a Millenial these ads don't target me either.

The only time I'm on the Internet is at work. I don't text, I don't have a smartphone, and I have a very limited online footprint.

I get it: you are not one of her 634K followers.

Cal

 

[ptpdprinter]

I get it: you are not one of her 634K followers.

I don't follow anyone. Not sure why anyone does.

 

[Calzone]

I don't follow anyone. Not sure why anyone does.

PTP,

I hear and understand. As much as I run the NYC Meet-Up and am involved here, pretty much I'm a loner.

Cal

 

[Particular]

I don't follow anyone. Not sure why anyone does.

The term sounds overly "obedient", but in practice it is just a way of keeping up with what someone you are interested in is doing. In most cases a relatively benign practice.

Back on the thread topic; What are the 'categories'?
As we are on the ltm theme, I propose a COOLEST SUB $100 LTM category. (I may have 1 or 2 items that meet that criteria).

 

[Calzone]

The term sounds overly "obedient", but in practice it is just a way of keeping up with what someone you are interested in is doing. In most cases a relatively benign practice.

Back on the thread topic; What are the 'categories'?
As we are on the ltm theme, I propose a COOLEST SUB $100 LTM category. (I may have 1 or 2 items that meet that criteria).

Christian,

You know that we allow you to create your own category to stack the odds in your favor.

I know snarky Joe has something of a ringer, but he has been mighty quiet.

I know whatever you bring will be a bit crazy and will be interesting.

I'm not exaggerating that I have a large IKEA bag full of stuff to unload. Included are several cameras.

The camera that Philippe donated is a very cool working Olympus PEN-F. The stipulation is that the winner of this camera has to post images tken with this camera. Currently Philippe is in France for a while.

Then Chris donated all this camera gear and cameras. Some are boxed. One is a miniture spy camera with case and strap. Another is a bakelite 120 twin lens reflex boxed. Too much stuff to list.

I believe this copy attachment which I'll be keeping used the head from my 50 Rigid.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

The term sounds overly "obedient", but in practice it is just a way of keeping up with what someone you are interested in is doing. In most cases a relatively benign practice.

Christian,

In practice though it sometimes the word follower could be replaced by the term "stalker" on occasion. This gets kinda crazy when the tipping point of becoming a celeb happens.

There is a photo that "Maggie" posted that her agent took in the lobby of a luxury hotel in L.A. and one of her followers asked in a comment, "Is that your living room." LOL.

People think we are UBER wealthy. LOL.

Cal

 

[Particular]

Christian,

You know that we allow you to create your own category to stack the odds in your favor.

Cal

Ah, in that case, let's have a Largest Functioning Rangefinder Camera category. I'll have all my bases covered...

And while we are at it a For No Money category without a spending limit. For subjectively the best 'value' for money.

 

[Crazy Fedya]

Gentlemen,
It seems like taunting to me. 🙂

 

[Particular]

Gentlemen,
It seems like taunting to me. 🙂

Sam,

I'm sure you'll have something nice for the last category. I thought it would be fair to have no money limit so Cal can argue that some of his Leica Store spent dollars were actually good value. I'm trying to be inclusive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Calzone]

Gentlemen,
It seems like taunting to me. 🙂

Sam,

Snarky Joe I believe has a ringer in the overall LTM catagory.

Mucho prizes this year, some are working or boxed cameras. I think you would be interested in the boxed spy camera because in is not only a boxed unit, but also because it is a complete "kit" that includes flash, battery, case, box and strap.

The working Olympus PEN F is definately for someone who is gunning for a shooter.

I have some Leica case for a M-body that has a removable pallet.

I have too much stuff to unload to list. Pretty near a full IKEA bag full of camera stuff to get rid of. You know the rules.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Sam,

I'm sure you'll have something nice for the last category. I thought it would be fair to have no money limit so Cal can argue that some of his Leica Store spent dollars were actually good value. I'm trying to be inclusive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Christian,

My LTM is a camera I secured off of RFF Classified. It was less money than a IIIG. I also bought it from Gordon of Gordy Strap fame and received a $50.00 strap of my choice.

As far as being inclusive I will say expensive brand new Leicas from the Leica store or other Leica dealers need not be excluded and need to be also represented.

As far as cheap LTM's go I already have in my possession a Minolta 35 Model two. So what it needs the shutter curtains to be reset. Even comes with a 50/2.8 Super Rokkor lens. Pretty much a free camera. I'm entering the Minolta, in the non working LTM catagory so that all cameras are included. So what it is also a prize.

Cal

 

[Crazy Fedya]

At the moment, I would be gunning for that Minolta 35 with lens, if still available. I hope to make a working camera out of 2 damaged ones.

Concept of No Money For Gear is very dear to me. I don’t remember if I spent actual cash on any equipment over the last 2-3 years. Trades mostly. Also, I have donated over 200 SLRs and over 200 various lenses over the last 3 months. I am not counting boxes and boxes of misc photo equipment. I had to make room. All of the donated stuff was residual accumulation from gear trading. 🙂

I definitely have entries for some categories. Still thinking about largest functioning RF. 🙂