The Thread for Those Who Wish to be Digressive

Started by kishnevi, July 08, 2016, 09:48:09 AM

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JBS

Quote from: NikF on October 26, 2018, 01:38:01 PM
Back on the trapeze on a regular basis. If I keep working and improving there's perhaps the faintest chance they'll let me train as a catcher - which is my desire - but I accept my age is against me. Fair enough. No problem.
But also, the bonus is that on the way home I'm feeling both physically and emotionally even better than usual, including thoughts of 'Regardless, I still want to run away with the circus'.  ;D

It is always good to be young enough to want to run away with the circus.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Sydney Nova Scotia

Quote from: Ken B on November 06, 2018, 04:54:24 PM
Wow. I'm not sure even Cato was around when Carrier Pigeons voted.

It has added benefits 1. I don't need to turn up to vote and
2. It can also deposit my displeasure on my least favoured candidate........
Sydney is my name and games is my game

NikF

Quote from: JBS on November 06, 2018, 04:56:01 PM
It is always good to be young enough to want to run away with the circus.

Sorry, mate. I've just noticed this reply.
I'll always be young enough to run away with the circus. At least, that's the plan. Having said that, I'm absent from the Grand Volant until late January due to carpal tunnel surgery, but it's a small price to pay in exchange for being able to fly.

Anyway, stuff: the local yoga studio has opened the city's first 'Happy Cafe' and I received an invite to a 'Gleeful Group Meet'. I politely declined, without admitting I'd rather gnaw clean through the healthy carpal ligament in my other hand.

Speaking of pain, my best friend/former studio assistant/arch nemesis has split up with his beautiful girlfriend. In the time they were together he grew a beard and became a vegetarian. Last night his call contained the information that he's coming to Scotland, has shaved his beard off, and wants to go to a restaurant for a steak. I agreed to join him if I can have someone help me cut my own steak. I'll do my best to stop him sending a photo of a sirloin to his still vegetarian now ex.

Speaking of models, it's funny how even years later being asked "You seen this?" and shown a recent print ad featuring a familiar face can surprise someone who is never surprised by anything. An aside: the reason for shooting fashion with long (200mm+) lenses and in black and white? It helps remove distractions. At f/4 the background becomes a blur. In black and white it removes blue in the eyes and red painted lips. And the focal length pulls and pushes and compresses the depth of facial features so all that's left is a series of lines on a flat surface. Those marks tell you what you need to know about about shape and proportion and symmetry and combine to say 'Isn't nature wonderful?' And at heart, it is.

Speaking of photography, I bought a new camera. It's a Nikon - 8xx? - and if it helps me do what I want I'll by a second as backup. That's all there's to say about it because anything more than a passing comment about photography equipment is uninteresting. But it fits snuggly into the existing spaces cut out the foam inserts in the Pelican flightcases, which I'll add are vegetarian friendly due to not being made from actual Pelicans. 

Speaking of being enabled to tell stories, I'm thinking of Jacques Tati and of Pierre Etaix and isn't there a third name that should follow? Perhaps an Italian? More exactly, a filmmaker working visually, almost silently, punctuating the gags with bursts of sound effects? I'm asking because I can't find a reason not to develop one of a handful of ideas that have been kicking around for years. I know I can do it, but can I do it to the point where I'll submit it to a local short film competition/festival in 2020? Or perhaps more realistically, 2021. Yes.
I'll add this; one winter while leaving Moscow behind courtesy of the Trans-Siberian, from a bunk in a third class carriage I looked up and watched a book reading beautiful little woman sitting at a table for two, where she was joined by what turned out to be a travelling salesman carrying a large sack. Off the top of my head I think I can tell it all in six or seven minutes. But does that include laugh time?

Speaking of time, it has taken longer to write this than expected. I've a recent dating story I could add, but I'm not in the mood. Instead, it's time for the adventure that's shaving left-handed.

"You overestimate my power of attraction," he told her. "No, I don't," she replied sharply, "and neither do you".

drogulus

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Ghost of Baron Scarpia

#264
Quote from: NikF on November 19, 2018, 06:22:15 AMSpeaking of photography, I bought a new camera. It's a Nikon - 8xx? - and if it helps me do what I want I'll by a second as backup. That's all there's to say about it because anything more than a passing comment about photography equipment is uninteresting. But it fits snuggly into the existing spaces cut out the foam inserts in the Pelican flightcases, which I'll add are vegetarian friendly due to not being made from actual Pelicans.

Speaking of equipment, I've really enjoyed this lens for my Canon DSLR.



Fixed focal length lens, 24mm, which, on my APS-C body, is the equivalent of a 35mm lens on a full frame camera.

Some give it the nickname of the pancake lens. Gives the camera the appearance of a snub-nose pistol. :) Sort of like using a smartphone camera, except you get to control the focus, aperture and shutter speed and can control depth of field.

I've got zoom lenses that cover the same focal length, but the big barrel draws attention and having a zoom lens makes you lazy in composing a photo. Anyway, it's fun.

NikF

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on December 04, 2018, 03:46:55 PM
Speaking of equipment, I've really enjoyed this lens for my Canon DSLR.



Fixed focal length lens, 24mm, which, on my APS-C body, is the equivalent of a 35mm lens on a full frame camera.

Some give it the nickname of the pancake lens. Gives the camera the appearance of a snub-nose pistol. :) Sort of like using a smartphone camera, except you get to control the focus, aperture and shutter speed and can control depth of field.

I've got zoom lenses that cover the same focal length, but the big barrel draws attention and having a zoom lens makes you lazy in composing a photo. Anyway, it's fun.

Sorry, mate, if I'd seen your post I'd have extended the courtesy of a reply long before now.
But yeah, IMHO 35mm (or equivalent) focal length - in my experience that's 'the world's your oyster".
Iindeed 'it's fun', and if you sit your girl on a park bench and shoot the length it can appear almost 24mm. Conversely, shoot on  camera axis without getting too close and it can be flattering.
Again, '"It's fun" - enjoy it.  :)
"You overestimate my power of attraction," he told her. "No, I don't," she replied sharply, "and neither do you".

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

Quote from: NikF on December 20, 2018, 04:38:29 AM
Sorry, mate, if I'd seen your post I'd have extended the courtesy of a reply long before now.
But yeah, IMHO 35mm (or equivalent) focal length - in my experience that's 'the world's your oyster".
Iindeed 'it's fun', and if you sit your girl on a park bench and shoot the length it can appear almost 24mm. Conversely, shoot on  camera axis without getting too close and it can be flattering.
Again, '"It's fun" - enjoy it.  :)

No worries. I started as a "serious" amateur photographer back in the 70's, and I realize I miss the old fixed focal length lenses that were so widely used those days.  With a zoom lens it is tempting to become lazy. With a fixed focus lens you have to walk a lot more to frame a photo and it forces you to look at things from different angles.

This was my favorite piece of glass back in the day.



With that and my Tri-X I was never bored.

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

For 10 years I've been using Apple products, I think that is coming to an end. I've reconciled myself to Windows 10.

NikF

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on December 20, 2018, 11:30:30 AM
No worries. I started as a "serious" amateur photographer back in the 70's, and I realize I miss the old fixed focal length lenses that were so widely used those days.  With a zoom lens it is tempting to become lazy. With a fixed focus lens you have to walk a lot more to frame a photo and it forces you to look at things from different angles.

This was my favorite piece of glass back in the day.



With that and my Tri-X I was never bored.

Again, a late reply...

We make the most of what's available at any given moment. Even now with plugins and filters we've never (yet!) reached far beyond recreating the experience of old emulsions and dev. processes. Still, the older I get the more I appreciate (as opposed to 'the more I understand') that less is more. The medium is relatively unimportant.
Anyway, if/when you shoot something you like with that 24mm on your DSLR, do post it/hit me up. I'm always interested in how others see stuff.
"You overestimate my power of attraction," he told her. "No, I don't," she replied sharply, "and neither do you".

Rosalba

Today is the first day of the rest of my life - yes, I do remember that I said that yesterday...

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

I decided not to participate further in another classical music web site, after getting tired of seeing threads with titles along the lines of "why is atonal/modern music so ugly" appear almost daily, it seems. Just tedious.

Florestan

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on January 30, 2019, 01:33:59 PM
I decided not to participate further in another classical music web site, after getting tired of seeing threads with titles along the lines of "why is atonal/modern music so ugly" appear almost daily, it seems. Just tedious.

Is it the same site with threads like "Is X the most underrated composer ever?", "Mozart: God or Garbage?" and "Liszt vs. Verdi"?
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Ghost of Baron Scarpia


Ken B

According to a new law it is a crime in Russia to insult that twat Putin. You can no longer make jokes about his tiny penis, or his penchant for screwing hedgehogs with it.

Karl Henning

Quote from: Ken B on March 18, 2019, 06:24:03 PM
According to a new law it is a crime in Russia to insult that twat Putin. You can no longer make jokes about his tiny penis, or his penchant for screwing hedgehogs with it.

I know one American who will be envious
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Ken B


LKB

Quote from: Ken B on March 18, 2019, 08:10:07 PM
About the law, or about the hedgehog?  ;)

Probably both, though after servicing Vladimir orally for so long, he can probably incorporate the rest into his fantasies ( the real reason, perhaps, for all of that " executive time " ).

???,

LKB
Mit Flügeln, die ich mir errungen...

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

I use the Starbucks loyalty program because I can order a coffee using their app and pick it up on the way to work (saving time), and a side benefit is that I accumulate bonus points that allow me to get a free coffee every week or two.

I got an email notice that "exciting updates are coming" to the rewards program. The principal exciting update is that I have to accumulate more points before I can redeem them for a free coffee.

Apparently they think I am an idiot.

Ken B

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on March 19, 2019, 11:43:51 AM
I use the Starbucks loyalty program because I can order a coffee using their app and pick it up on the way to work (saving time), and a side benefit is that I accumulate bonus points that allow me to get a free coffee every week or two.

I got an email notice that "exciting updates are coming" to the rewards program. The principal exciting update is that I have to accumulate more points before I can redeem them for a free coffee.

Apparently they think I am an idiot.
I would say you proved that by drinking their coffee!  ;) :P  :laugh:

Seriously their coffee is bad. My theory is they burn the beans in order to nudge you to the expensive espresso drinks.

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

#279
Quote from: Ken B on March 19, 2019, 12:15:20 PM
I would say you proved that by drinking their coffee!  ;) :P  :laugh:

Seriously their coffee is bad. My theory is they burn the beans in order to nudge you to the expensive espresso drinks.

I see no reason to go to Starbucks to get a brewed coffee drink. I can make that at home.

Their espresso drinks are mediocre. I can name half-a-dozen coffee shops in my neighborhood with better espresso drinks. But in those places with better espresso I have to stand on line, wait while a bunch of pretentious individuals make mindless chatter with the barista, make mindless chatter with the barista, order, pay, wait for my drink to be prepared, then leave. With Starbucks I order in my driveway using the app, I walk in to Starbucks, grab the drink and walk out. It saves me 15 minutes. I spend that 15 minutes saved listening to Mozart, which more than makes up for the less-than-exceptional espresso.