New York March NYC Meet-Up

[Calzone]

Keep using those vacation days, perhaps for a short escapade with the bike? One think that I always thought about, but never did, was days long bike touring or packing.


It's not gonna be that long that I'll clock a year since I moved up to Sweden. Of course some things change. Photography wise I'm happy to finally hit the darkroom every now and then and do B&W. Spring light makes shooting slow film viable again.


My bikes take orders from the photographic division 😀 I see it as a nice way to go to location. Don't have my proper bike up here, but most probably it'll be sold and replaced or shipped when the circumstances allow me to do more recreative biking.


If out with buds it's much better IMO (except for the photography part). One member of the camera club is a bit of an elite hardcore rider, then that guy my age I know has sort of gone missing. He takes whole days off with the bike, which I can't really do, and doesn't seem to respond to any plan I throw of riding together.



With summer closing in, it's quite possible I reacquaint with a bud I met who often fished on the season. River fishing seems very relaxing and at the end of the day it's about being with good folks.



Those are wise words. Be as much gung ho as possible, anyways you can always stay tucked in at home and "cease to exist" from the eyes of the world. Although relaxation is required in one way or other.



What you noticed in the reunion is the same when I go back to my hometown and see acquaintances there. "They're done" is what I thought.

Not even a decade since I got off high school, but aside of a single really good friend I really don't interact with anyone else from my class. Not to steer the discussion but it's ironic that tech both brings everyone closer as well as keeping distance between people.

Jorde,

I cried the next day after my reunion. One of my close friends from High School had died. I found out he drank himself to death. Pretty much like a suicide.

My friend Larry's little brother was in the NYPD and was a first responder. Perry died from some 911 related Cancer.

40 years was not kind to my friends either. I was reminded of how depressed I was as a teenager. My reunion was not a happy time, but I did learn some valuable things that otherwise I would not have ever learned.

Cal

 

[jsrockit]

Okay here's the thing I got a good price on a A7 but! a seller on ebay
listed a A7ii with a problem, every time he would put the camera on the
camera would say "turn off and on again" and looking at the photos I
could see that the sensor was angled. He did say that after the cycle
the camera did take pictures, so I went for it and I received it last week
and indeed the sensor seemed stuck (no ibis). I watched a few video's
and took it apart and the sensor did receive a slam and it was stuck.
I proceeded to free the sensor and once freed "jiggled" and I put it all
backed together and it works great now, no more "turn off and on" and
I could shoot and lower speeds and movie look smooth, another patience
cured!

That’s awesome Bob!

 

[Range-rover]

Jorde,

I cried the next day after my reunion. One of my close friends from High School had died. I found out he drank himself to death. Pretty much like a suicide.

My friend Larry's little brother was in the NYPD and was a first responder. Perry died from some 911 related Cancer.

40 years was not kind to my friends either. I was reminded of how depressed I was as a teenager. My reunion was not a happy time, but I did learn some valuable things that otherwise I would not have ever learned.

Cal

Cal, I found out awhile back that a girl I went to high school died the
same way drank to much and died from it, it's to bad, going to high school
in the late seventies it was ruff, either they drank, took drugs or both.
What was I doing Photography, reading comic's and building models, my
other friends as well. goes to show you need good hobbies.

 

[Range-rover]

That’s awesome Bob!

Thanks John and the IBIS works really well, it's a nice thing to have.

 

[MrFujicaman]

Cal, it's a sad fact, but just about anyone who graduated in the 1970's had at least one friend who drank and drugged themselves to death.

In my case it was my friend Sue.....knew her from 1971 until her death in 2011. I've always felt she just commited suicide a little bit at a time.

 

[Calzone]

Cal, I found out awhile back that a girl I went to high school died the
same way drank to much and died from it, it's to bad, going to high school
in the late seventies it was ruff, either they drank, took drugs or both.
What was I doing Photography, reading comic's and building models, my
other friends as well. goes to show you need good hobbies.

Bob,

My classmates were getting ready to get killed, maimed or screwed up by Vietnam. Also the oil crisis with double digit inflation and double digit unemployment framed an identity of no future. I became surprised that I was getting older, because we lived like we had no future.

The eighties and nineties had the drug epidemics and the aids crisis. Many many people died. Every generation has its wounds.

I somehow escaped the suburbs.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Cal, it's a sad fact, but just about anyone who graduated in the 1970's had at least one friend who drank and drugged themselves to death.

In my case it was my friend Sue.....knew her from 1971 until her death in 2011. I've always felt she just commited suicide a little bit at a time.

MFM,

Richie dressed like a pimp. Pretty much a white boy who thought he was Super Fly. He smoked Newports. BTW his parents were mucho Christian fanatics and were UBER conservative.

Rich is the guy I hitch hiked to FLA, Miami with during one mid-winter break. 10 days on the road: I had $14.00 when I left New York: Richie had $25.00.

Hitch hiking through the south on Route 95 was considered dangerous back then and was a crazy thing to do. Anything could of happened.

Anyways I never felt as free in my life: had nothing to loose. It took naked balls to do what we did. We lived like runaways.

My friend Tommy OD'ed on Heroin. Tommy was the best street fighter I ever knew. When Tommy was 16-17 some cop was roughing him up, and Tommy threw the Nassau cop on the ground and kicked the crap out of him. Lots of street fighting back then. One had to be good at it. It was a rowdy time.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

651K followers as a result of a bump in Japan.

We don't know the source of the bump other than it happened in Japan.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Bob,

My classmates were getting ready to get killed, maimed or screwed up by Vietnam. Also the oil crisis with double digit inflation and double digit unemployment framed an identity of no future. I became surprised that I was getting older, because we lived like we had no future.

The eighties and nineties had the drug epidemics and the aids crisis. Many many people died. Every generation has its wounds.

I somehow escaped the suburbs.

Cal

The suburbs are getting hit hard now, years ago living in The Bronx
my cousins leaving in the burbs always knock New York, but know
at all, because they're having problems too.

 

[MrBern]

Yes, Bill rode his bike everywhere. He mustve had a hundred bikes stolen over the years. I recall back in th late 80s he got hit by a bus & busted his clavicle.
His artist loft wasnt in Radio City, it was above Carnegie Hall until they finally begged to relocate him so they could build classrooms in those old spaces.
I believes theres a new documentary making its premieres.

But the DVD youre speaking of was released a few years before he passed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkQklk_cfVs


-B

Bernard,

I'll try to find this DVD that "Maggie" bought about Bill Cunningham.

It showed Bill as a cyclist also, his practical side, and exposed an inside view of having an "Artist Residency" living space at Radio City Music Hall. He also had an artist neighbor who kinda was his lifelong muse.

You get the feeling of how authentic Bill Cunningham was, and why he was so greatly loved. He is a man to admire.

Cal

 

[MrBern]

Sunday at Rochard

Sunday at Rochard

I'll see you gents on Sunday.
I suppose the usual time around 1pm?
-B

Bob,

The 31st it tis. See you then.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yes, Bill rode his bike everywhere. He mustve had a hundred bikes stolen over the years. I recall back in th late 80s he got hit by a bus & busted his clavicle.
His artist loft wasnt in Radio City, it was above Carnegie Hall until they finally begged to relocate him so they could build classrooms in those old spaces.
I believes theres a new documentary making its premieres.

But the DVD youre speaking of was released a few years before he passed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkQklk_cfVs


-B

Bernard,

Thanks for the correction. Interesting how his neighbor, an artist, was his long time muse.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yesterday Louis Mendez did a fly-by at the Meet-Up. I donated the flash bulbs to this urban legend. BTW Louis is 79 years old, has outlived both his parents, and has a sister who is 93.

I got the smut on Amsterdam from Christian because "Maggie" wants to vacation there, so now I got to come up with some funds, even though I'm in austerity mode.

Retiring in Europe would be cool with me. I figure being an "urban gypsy" moving around cities and going full immersion would be an interesting lifestyle. New York is rated seventh most expensive city in the world with Paris, Singapore, and Hong King all tied for the most expensive. London is now cheaper than NYC, likely due to Brexit.

Mad-Rid is 30% lower cost of living than NYC; Barcelona 25% lower than NYC. Rents for a two bedroom in Malta is "no-money." Full immersion I say rather than doing a "selfie tour."

As an American I would still have to pay U.S. Taxes. No real escape from paying Federal taxes.

Last week I got some smut on my Cyclotron that has been operating about 18 years. After about 20 years a machine might get replaced or retired. No surprise here, so my worries were I might be shown the door and be forced into a "surprise" retirement.

Seems like things are moving forward to spend $500K to million to get our $3.5M machine overhauled which would extend the life another 15 years. Pretty much all I need is 5 more years and I'll be 66.

If all the above happens I pretty much won't have to collect my pensions or Social Security until I'm 70, and pretty much no "haircut" in my income. Pretty much a "luxury retirement" because income won't be fixed or require any cut in lifestyle.

Christian once said, "Any city is nice if you can comfortably afford to live there." While NYC, Paris, Hong Kong or Singapore might not be sustainable, most other cities are.

The Europeans seem to be more interested in day to day quality of life and are less uptight about consumption. I realize that I'm an American "Savage" and am less civilized than any European or Canadian, but I do appreciate their quality of life. Much more thoughtful and less stress.

Perhaps these travels will point "Maggie" onto my slacker's way. Academia is a frantic occupation, and then compound that with the last minute overloads from the world of fashion.

Cal