German America

I hate three-on-ones. Especially because I’m so often “the one” side.

I was trying to explain on this most American of holidays, while American politics has a clear historical affinity with the British, American culture has a historical affinity with the Germans. Of course, I was shouted down as being an absurdist—the main argument being apparently American’s are the most anti-authoritarians in the world but the Germans are a bunch of goose-steppers.

The fact that we’ve just finished eating frankfurters and hamburgers (not to mention nearly every American major beer marque) being completly trumped by by lazy idea of putting it between two pieces of bread.

I exaggerate.

But not by much.

Continue reading about The facts are tricky things (after the jump). after the jump

Looking behind

I’ve always said that the best camera is the one you have on you, and I’ve mentioned that that cameraphones have a lot of versatility.

I haven’t been shooting seriously in over a year and my cameras are screaming for me to take this stuff seriously again.

Even my iPhone camera.

With my car finally back from the shop, my rear mirror finally repaired, me in the passenger side, and the latest burger from McDonald’s in my lap, I felt a lot of regret I couldn’t snap this with my Leica or Panasonic LX1. But then I remembered I was charging my iPhone…

Ferry Building

Ferry Building
Embarcadero, Waterfront, San Francisco, California

Apple iPhone 3G
f/2.8, 3.85mm (37mm)

View Large On Black

Continue reading about iPhone as a serious photographic tool after the jump

Get thee to a nunnery

Reading this article on in the Times made remember something from high school.

Miss Kubic taught the top class in freshman geometry atmy high school. We figured that’s about as perfect name as you could get for a geometry teacher.

File:The Flying Nun.jpg

Toward the end of the year over lunch our classmate, Adam, said, “Hey don’t you think Miss Kubic looks like Sally Fields in the Flying Nun?”

“I suppose there’s a resemblance. You should ask her if she can fly.”

“I think I will,” Adam resolved.

We left the dining hall, laughing about that, and discussing how Adam would beat a sheepish retreat from the faculty.

Instead, Adam came bursting out of McCune Dining Hall, “She is the Flying Nun!”

“Huh? No way!”

“I asked her if she’s the Flying Nun and she said, ‘Yes.’” Adam explained.

I was gobsmacked.

We found out during class the next day, that Miss Kubic had decided next year to noviate to become a nun. As she was putting a drink on her tray in line, Adam had asked her, “Are you the Flying Nun.” and she had heard, “Are you going to be a nun?” and she replied honestly, “Yes.”

Whenever I think of that, I laugh out loud a little.

I was taught geometry by the Flying Nun.

Taibbi

“His description of the root causes of this financial crisis are about what you’d expect from a man who invoked The Great Gatsby to explain the mentality of the murderer of 4,000 people.”
— Matt Taibbi, on Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria

You have to admire Taibbi for his liberal outrage. Even if you don’t agree with him, his turns of phrases is a mastery of the intellectual smackdown.Then again, maybe I should admire Zakaria for carrying the kool-aid for his corporate masters.

History, after all, will not be kind on the latter.

Mild dementia

Reading this article on the new Voigtländer 50mm f1.1 Nokton, I was surprised to find out that the English translation of the Japanese word bokeh is “mild dementia.”

Definitely a Backstroke of the West moment there.

Check out the “mild dementia” on these two:

Mark Trammel

Mark Trammel
Citizen Spaces, South of Market, San Francisco, California

Leica M8, Cosina-Voigtländer NOKTON 35mm F1.2 Aspherical
1/16 sec, iso 320, 35mm (47mm)

Creamy smooth mild dementia

Scolding Veronica

Scolding Veronica
Citizen Spaces, South of Market, San Francisco, California

Leica M8, Cosina-Voigtländer NOKTON 35mm F1.2 Aspherical
1/16 sec, iso 320, 35mm (47mm)

The mild dementia created by people in the background is busy but still manageable.