Friday, April 14, 2006
N.A.S.**
** Nikon Acquisition Syndrome
I finally pulled the trigger
JPennant: yeah, most electronic and camera stores in the ny/nj area are jewish
JPennant: once the sabbath is over, it'll be on its way
mcclint: hehehe cool
And the madness of NAS** starts. Similiar to MAS (Mac Acquisition Syndrome), LAS (the Leica one is particularly nasty as snobbery kicks in, driving prices to unbelievanble levels), this is going to be a lifelong process of pain to the wallet.
For me, it actually started working at a camera supply store while in college. I had a Nikon FM2 with a motor drive, but because i was on a student budget - i was using a cheap vivitar and sigma lens. One day I borrowed a rental 600mm Nikkor lens from the store to play with.
Oh. My. God.
Even the crappy pictures had such clarity and color, that they were all magazine worthy, just from the quality of the Nikkor optics.
To this day I remember taking a picture of the sun rising over a Lake Michigan horizon, with a tiny planet mars also rising, both orbs reflecting off the flat, still water side by side. That's still the most stunning picture ive ever taken, hands down. I really wish I still had those slides.
My dream died when I delivered a 450mm f2.8 Nikkor lens to the Chicago Bears team photographer. The list price: $2,400. And that's in 1985 dollars.
Thats why I gave up photography in the first place.
The costs drove me away from photography, and it was only the relative economy of having a digital camera that brought me back in.
But i studiously avoided getting an SLR, remembering what it costs when you get really serious about photography.
Now, Im serious. Just taking it slowly but surely.
-----------
Joe's Daily Virgo Forecast
There was a line in that TV show "The Unit" where the lead character starts off the interrogation of an opponent with the words, "You are not a True Believer."
That has stuck with me since then, as i wonder when im gonna kick off the Next Phase.
The travel, the photography, the business. Leave the job and go.
Is it fear, is it inertia, is it laziness? Or is it that im not being a True Believer?
Or will it happen anyway?
** Nikon Acquisition Syndrome
I finally pulled the trigger
JPennant: yeah, most electronic and camera stores in the ny/nj area are jewish
JPennant: once the sabbath is over, it'll be on its way
mcclint: hehehe cool
And the madness of NAS** starts. Similiar to MAS (Mac Acquisition Syndrome), LAS (the Leica one is particularly nasty as snobbery kicks in, driving prices to unbelievanble levels), this is going to be a lifelong process of pain to the wallet.
For me, it actually started working at a camera supply store while in college. I had a Nikon FM2 with a motor drive, but because i was on a student budget - i was using a cheap vivitar and sigma lens. One day I borrowed a rental 600mm Nikkor lens from the store to play with.
Oh. My. God.
Even the crappy pictures had such clarity and color, that they were all magazine worthy, just from the quality of the Nikkor optics.
To this day I remember taking a picture of the sun rising over a Lake Michigan horizon, with a tiny planet mars also rising, both orbs reflecting off the flat, still water side by side. That's still the most stunning picture ive ever taken, hands down. I really wish I still had those slides.
My dream died when I delivered a 450mm f2.8 Nikkor lens to the Chicago Bears team photographer. The list price: $2,400. And that's in 1985 dollars.
Thats why I gave up photography in the first place.
The costs drove me away from photography, and it was only the relative economy of having a digital camera that brought me back in.
But i studiously avoided getting an SLR, remembering what it costs when you get really serious about photography.
Now, Im serious. Just taking it slowly but surely.
-----------
Joe's Daily Virgo Forecast
Quickie: Today you'll get a great chance to move beyond some old (bad) habits. Take it!
Overview: It's time to go beyond borders. That curiosity you've always had about distant lands, foreign customs and languages? It's time to explore them to the fullest. These avenues may just be life changing.
There was a line in that TV show "The Unit" where the lead character starts off the interrogation of an opponent with the words, "You are not a True Believer."
That has stuck with me since then, as i wonder when im gonna kick off the Next Phase.
The travel, the photography, the business. Leave the job and go.
Is it fear, is it inertia, is it laziness? Or is it that im not being a True Believer?
Or will it happen anyway?
Thursday, April 13, 2006
For rent
One indicator I use for the health of an area are 'for rent/for lease' signs.
I'm seeing a LOT of for rent signs going up and staying up in San Francisco in the past few months.
However, as a native once told me, that is often misleading, for as she pointed out - the apartments would be rented out if they dropped rental rate.
Still, for awhile, including last year - for rent signs werent common and usually didnt stay up long when they appeared. Now, Im seeing more, in every neighborhood, from nosebleed rich to grubbily poor. And theyre not coming down.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Enchilada plate
La Cambria on Valencia, i think.
I went there on a whim. Mexican food is not usually my first choice for food, as I never really tasted Mexican food until my late teens.
Now that Im here out West, where Taquerias are measured per mile, I cant avoid it. Ground corn isnt my favorite food, nor is mushed avocado but there are *counts fingers* 6 or 7 places for mexican food just within 2 square blox of my place, so the occasional partaking is inevitable.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Confused puppy on California
He's telling the dog to look in my direction.. the dog got excited and started looking through the FRONT window ... he kept saying "LOOK, LOOK".. the dog kept LOOKING LOOKING... WE are cracking up.. and then the light changed. :)
Sunday, April 09, 2006
It's been *that* long?
A year ago...
- I went to LA
That trip was significant as it was the first trip out of town that I took since arriving in the Bay Area. Was a long time ago. I need to go back.
- I broke up with LeGirl, for the third and final time. :)
Ooh, I was pissed at that. I eventually got over that, but still ..
Lord, that was a year ago? Man, I need to speed up the forgetting people cycle.
Hm, i think I also last cleaned the microwave a year ago ...
A year ago...
- I went to LA
That trip was significant as it was the first trip out of town that I took since arriving in the Bay Area. Was a long time ago. I need to go back.
- I broke up with LeGirl, for the third and final time. :)
Ooh, I was pissed at that. I eventually got over that, but still ..
Lord, that was a year ago? Man, I need to speed up the forgetting people cycle.
Hm, i think I also last cleaned the microwave a year ago ...
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