Uptown
12/24/2005
Peace on Earth
I know that when I turn to the pages of the newspaper on Christmas day there will be a story about a homicide in New York; a robbery gone bad; maybe a hit-and-run killing. But maybe for just one day the people of the earth could stop killing each other in the name of God and Country.
History will prove this to be a hopelessly naive wish, but perhaps with all the praying that's going on a miracle will happen. After all, as far as I know, we all began in the same way, and most probably will end up the same way.
Metropolitan Museum and Tree
History will prove this to be a hopelessly naive wish, but perhaps with all the praying that's going on a miracle will happen. After all, as far as I know, we all began in the same way, and most probably will end up the same way.
Metropolitan Museum and Tree
12/23/2005
New PC, Almost
Okay, the dirty deed has been done. Don't know why buying hardware makes me nervous but it does. Here are the basic components:
Asus® A8N SLI - NVIDIA® nForce™ 4 SLI MCP, PCI Express Motherboard with DDR
AMD ATHLON 64 X2 3800 Processor with Dual Core Technology
On-Board ATA Raid
2 GB RAM
2 x 200 GB Western Digital Hard Drives Level 0 Stripe (7200) 8 MB cache
16x/48x DVD ROM
52X/32X/52X CD-RW
I could have bought two 10,000 rpm drives or upped the processor speed, but this was about as far as I could go without needing a good stiff drink. As it is buying hardware makes me gulp, whereas I could walk into a camera shop and spend $2500 on a lens without blinking an eye. Okay, maybe one eye blinks, but it doesn't cause me this angst. I think what makes me nervous is going through all the new jargon and trying to figure out what will actually makes a difference in my workflow. For example, I still don't know what the hell PCI Express is, but it sounds good.
No tax. No shipping charges. Total: $1915. Phew. Glad that's over with.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERONE! AND THANKS FOR THE ADVICE.
* * *
I'm getting closer. First off, I've decided not to go with Dell for the next one. The main reason is that I want to use OEM parts so that upgrades are easier plus their idiotic support is irksome. I'm looking seriously at the Velocity Micro pcs - in particular the: W310
Other conclusions:
the high end graphics cards aren't necessary for Photoshop.
There's really only one area of working in Photoshop that has to be improved, and that's stuff like doing a merge visible on a 16-bit RGB file where there are lots of layers; or applying Sharpkit non-destructive layers. Right now, if I switch to 8-bit, things are acceptable, but I'm not willing to go that route.
The important stuff is to get as much RAM as I can, at least 2 GB; the fastest level 0 RAID drive(s) for scratch disk; and at least a semblance of dual-processing which in this case means the AMD Althon 64 X2 dual core. I'm really not interested in doing other things while the cpu is processing, I just would like it if the PC didn't go completely dead while I'm doing some CPU / RAM intenstive activity. In other words, right now it's all about throughput.
Level 0 RAID should give me a read / write increase (no redundancy though). I don't care about redudancy on what is going to be mostly scratch disk and OS. Data is all stored on various external drives right now and I just plan to hook them up to the new box.
I'm in the $2000 range right now. Whether I should do it now or wait for the new year - dunno.
Asus® A8N SLI - NVIDIA® nForce™ 4 SLI MCP, PCI Express Motherboard with DDR
AMD ATHLON 64 X2 3800 Processor with Dual Core Technology
On-Board ATA Raid
2 GB RAM
2 x 200 GB Western Digital Hard Drives Level 0 Stripe (7200) 8 MB cache
16x/48x DVD ROM
52X/32X/52X CD-RW
I could have bought two 10,000 rpm drives or upped the processor speed, but this was about as far as I could go without needing a good stiff drink. As it is buying hardware makes me gulp, whereas I could walk into a camera shop and spend $2500 on a lens without blinking an eye. Okay, maybe one eye blinks, but it doesn't cause me this angst. I think what makes me nervous is going through all the new jargon and trying to figure out what will actually makes a difference in my workflow. For example, I still don't know what the hell PCI Express is, but it sounds good.
No tax. No shipping charges. Total: $1915. Phew. Glad that's over with.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERONE! AND THANKS FOR THE ADVICE.
* * *
I'm getting closer. First off, I've decided not to go with Dell for the next one. The main reason is that I want to use OEM parts so that upgrades are easier plus their idiotic support is irksome. I'm looking seriously at the Velocity Micro pcs - in particular the: W310
Other conclusions:
the high end graphics cards aren't necessary for Photoshop.
There's really only one area of working in Photoshop that has to be improved, and that's stuff like doing a merge visible on a 16-bit RGB file where there are lots of layers; or applying Sharpkit non-destructive layers. Right now, if I switch to 8-bit, things are acceptable, but I'm not willing to go that route.
The important stuff is to get as much RAM as I can, at least 2 GB; the fastest level 0 RAID drive(s) for scratch disk; and at least a semblance of dual-processing which in this case means the AMD Althon 64 X2 dual core. I'm really not interested in doing other things while the cpu is processing, I just would like it if the PC didn't go completely dead while I'm doing some CPU / RAM intenstive activity. In other words, right now it's all about throughput.
Level 0 RAID should give me a read / write increase (no redundancy though). I don't care about redudancy on what is going to be mostly scratch disk and OS. Data is all stored on various external drives right now and I just plan to hook them up to the new box.
I'm in the $2000 range right now. Whether I should do it now or wait for the new year - dunno.
12/22/2005
New Prints Added
I hit the 150 print mark in the Photography Store. I also did something interesting (at least to me). I figured out how to outline the thumbnails in green if the prints have been recently added for sale. That way you can skim through the thumbs easily looking for new stuff. For those who care about such things, this is all being done with a combination of CSS and custom fields in iView Media Pro.
* * *
Next task for today, I'm going to setup an account with Stamps.com so that I can print postage for USPS from desktop and bypass the Post Office completely. I'll still use Fedex for the larger orders, but I would like to be able to speed up the process of selling the small 5 x 7 prints and unless someone buys a lot of them at once, no way that's going through Fedex.
* * *
Next task for today, I'm going to setup an account with Stamps.com so that I can print postage for USPS from desktop and bypass the Post Office completely. I'll still use Fedex for the larger orders, but I would like to be able to speed up the process of selling the small 5 x 7 prints and unless someone buys a lot of them at once, no way that's going through Fedex.
12/21/2005
Buddy Profile
Cat Profile
"I'm ready for my closeup Dave."
A while back I photographed "buddy" walking in front of my lightbox (my version of a softlight). He was a good model in those days - easy to fool. I would put some catnip on the counter and tap it and eventually he'd walk by to find out what it was.
Nowadays, he's not so easily fooled. At any rate, I was working on this print today with my "new" printing techniques and it turned out well.
Speaking of printing, Heath mentioned that he's done some b&w prints with the Hahnemuhle Satin paper (with mat black ink) and he's going to send me some samples. Can't wait to see them. Not to mention that we've been helping eachother out (at least I like to think I may have helped him out once or twice) all these years and I haven't even put a link to his website on my photographers' page. How did that happen? Sorry Heath. Will put one up now.
12/20/2005
DELL CHAT
BRAVE NEW WORLD PART SEVEN, TRANSCRIPT FROM "CHAT WITH DELL"
Connection terminated.. |
Transit Strike
Yikes this is a disaster! I'm glad I'm not at Penn Station. This might very well destroy the local union which has just been fined a million bucks a day. My neighbor believes that this will give the union leader a face-saving out. That he can come back and say that because of the court decision (which he must have known they'd get) the union should go back to work and the thing goes to binding arbitration.
Bloomberg was totally pissed during the news conference today.
If this thing goes on much longer they'll have to declare NYC a national disaster and get the new and improved FEMA in here.
Somehow, to my surprise - Fedex managed to get through and just delivered extra memory for the laptop. And when I went to drop-off some prints at the local Fedex drop store they told me that they didn't think there'd be any delays with Fedex shipping.
Before the strike, I did a little poll of my neighbors and family and no one thought there would actually be a strike. Everyone believed it was just a case of brinksmanship. That the union would get close to the strike but wouldn't actually do it.
Everyone was wrong.
Bloomberg was totally pissed during the news conference today.
If this thing goes on much longer they'll have to declare NYC a national disaster and get the new and improved FEMA in here.
Somehow, to my surprise - Fedex managed to get through and just delivered extra memory for the laptop. And when I went to drop-off some prints at the local Fedex drop store they told me that they didn't think there'd be any delays with Fedex shipping.
Before the strike, I did a little poll of my neighbors and family and no one thought there would actually be a strike. Everyone believed it was just a case of brinksmanship. That the union would get close to the strike but wouldn't actually do it.
Everyone was wrong.
Words
I know that many of you are concerned about the recent takeover of the American states by the British, but I assure you children that this takeover is for our own good. Now the British have asked me to teach a class on some of the new words they've introduced into our language so you can understand what they mean. Are you ready class?
Yes, Mrs. Landers.
As you know, some of our citizens have still not accepted the presence of the British on our soil. The British, have assured us that they will leave as soon as they can. In the meantime they are helping us setup a Parliament like they have. And as you know there are a few words that might help you understand what's going on:
Today's word class is: rejectionist.
Let me write it on the blackboard for you kids.
No Jimmy, you won't find rejectionist in the dictionary. The new dictionaries haven't been printed yet, but the next Oxford English-American dictionary will include the word rejectionist.
If you kids continue to hold onto the old ways - if you don't accept the presence of the British - you will be considered a rejectionist. Be careful not to be one of those, at least not while the British are still here. Our official policy is to be an acceptionist. That too is a new word, but it just means that you want our country to be helped out by the British. That is the only reason they are here. Let me repeat that: The British are here to help us because it is clear that we can no longer govern ourselves.
Also, remember kids, that since the British discovered a new process for manufacturing oil, they have once again become world rulers and that you are now a part of the Britanian Empire.
Yes, Mrs. Landers. But they're forcing us to drink tea again.
Well class. I would suggest that you drink it and like it. Their new synthetic Earl Grey is an excellent beverage even if it is a side product of their new synthetic oil manufacturing process. Now Tommy - a simple remark like that about your dislike of tea would be considered a rejectionist remark.
Yes, Mrs. Landers.
Now I know this is a hard transition for you, but the new Prime Minister, Mrs. Thatcher II, has made it quite clear that these new words be explained to you.
The next word is, Bushist. I'm sure you know what that means?
Yes - Marge. I see your hand Marge. Yes, that's correct. Someone who still follows, either in their heart or mind the former President Bush. As you know, President Bush is no longer President and we must pay attention to what our new Prime Minister says. Remember, we don't want to go back to the days of the republic where our own politics were disfunctional.
The Prime Minister has a lot in common with our former President. Both had parents who ruled their countries for a while. So don't be a Bushist; don't be a rejectionist; be an acceptionist.
Now there are two other words that she asked me to explain to you, terrorist and insurgent. But that will be for our next class. Now everybody please stand up, we are going to sing God Save the Queen.
Yes, Mrs. Landers.
Mrs. Landers?
Yes, Beaver.
Mrs. Landers, my dad can't sign my homework tonight because we can't find him. Some men came into the house last night and took him away.
Beaver, I'm sorry to hear that. That brings us to another word: renditioned. Have you heard of that? You haven't. I'll explain that to you tomorrow.
[As far as I know, Dave wasn't smoking mushrooms when he wrote this but I can't keep track of him 24 hours a day. He also missed the main news of the day: Transit Strike in New York. He told me that he wasn't interested in photographing the transit strike and I asked him why not. He just said it was like photographing something not happening. My own take is that it was too cold for him. -- ed. ]
Yes, Mrs. Landers.
As you know, some of our citizens have still not accepted the presence of the British on our soil. The British, have assured us that they will leave as soon as they can. In the meantime they are helping us setup a Parliament like they have. And as you know there are a few words that might help you understand what's going on:
Today's word class is: rejectionist.
Let me write it on the blackboard for you kids.
No Jimmy, you won't find rejectionist in the dictionary. The new dictionaries haven't been printed yet, but the next Oxford English-American dictionary will include the word rejectionist.
If you kids continue to hold onto the old ways - if you don't accept the presence of the British - you will be considered a rejectionist. Be careful not to be one of those, at least not while the British are still here. Our official policy is to be an acceptionist. That too is a new word, but it just means that you want our country to be helped out by the British. That is the only reason they are here. Let me repeat that: The British are here to help us because it is clear that we can no longer govern ourselves.
Also, remember kids, that since the British discovered a new process for manufacturing oil, they have once again become world rulers and that you are now a part of the Britanian Empire.
Yes, Mrs. Landers. But they're forcing us to drink tea again.
Well class. I would suggest that you drink it and like it. Their new synthetic Earl Grey is an excellent beverage even if it is a side product of their new synthetic oil manufacturing process. Now Tommy - a simple remark like that about your dislike of tea would be considered a rejectionist remark.
Yes, Mrs. Landers.
Now I know this is a hard transition for you, but the new Prime Minister, Mrs. Thatcher II, has made it quite clear that these new words be explained to you.
The next word is, Bushist. I'm sure you know what that means?
Yes - Marge. I see your hand Marge. Yes, that's correct. Someone who still follows, either in their heart or mind the former President Bush. As you know, President Bush is no longer President and we must pay attention to what our new Prime Minister says. Remember, we don't want to go back to the days of the republic where our own politics were disfunctional.
The Prime Minister has a lot in common with our former President. Both had parents who ruled their countries for a while. So don't be a Bushist; don't be a rejectionist; be an acceptionist.
Now there are two other words that she asked me to explain to you, terrorist and insurgent. But that will be for our next class. Now everybody please stand up, we are going to sing God Save the Queen.
Yes, Mrs. Landers.
Mrs. Landers?
Yes, Beaver.
Mrs. Landers, my dad can't sign my homework tonight because we can't find him. Some men came into the house last night and took him away.
Beaver, I'm sorry to hear that. That brings us to another word: renditioned. Have you heard of that? You haven't. I'll explain that to you tomorrow.
[As far as I know, Dave wasn't smoking mushrooms when he wrote this but I can't keep track of him 24 hours a day. He also missed the main news of the day: Transit Strike in New York. He told me that he wasn't interested in photographing the transit strike and I asked him why not. He just said it was like photographing something not happening. My own take is that it was too cold for him. -- ed. ]
12/19/2005
All Day Parking
One of the crappiest parking lots in New York is under the 59th street Bridge (Manhattan Side). The gas pumps are covered with flakes of rusted something - probably lead - from the shaking of the bridge. If you stand there long enough you'll need a good cleaning too.
12/17/2005
I Love Everybody
I've been forcing people to listen to Lyle Lovett through my iPod wherever I go, but I haven't made any converts yet. Why, these are all ballads, they say. This is like your other country stuff. What's that guys name -- John Prine? How come you like this country stuff anyway. Huh?
The song that is especially hard to find appreciation for is "I Love Everybody" which is the title song of the CD. I realize it's a little sappy, but it makes me feel like I'm sitting in a little mythological bar in a mythological town with a bunch of good ole boys - waving mugs of beer around. Many of us in the bar are crying over lost love. Some are silent, staring off into space with a funny look - maybe thinking about their wives.
There's a John Ford western bar room mirror with a crack in it and a picture of Lilly Langtree. The trouble between the cattle owners and the sodbusters has momentarilly been put on pause.
If you look through the mirror - you see a dusty road that turns into a highway and then into a modern city. Did you know that 100 years ago nearly everyone lived in a town or on a farm and now they're all crammed into the big metropolis?
I love everybody, especially you.
* * *
Four more prints to do for Matt's gallery and then I think I may actually go out and do some shooting. Especially if there's a subway strike (which I still doubt).
Lenox Lounge, © Matt Weber
The song that is especially hard to find appreciation for is "I Love Everybody" which is the title song of the CD. I realize it's a little sappy, but it makes me feel like I'm sitting in a little mythological bar in a mythological town with a bunch of good ole boys - waving mugs of beer around. Many of us in the bar are crying over lost love. Some are silent, staring off into space with a funny look - maybe thinking about their wives.
There's a John Ford western bar room mirror with a crack in it and a picture of Lilly Langtree. The trouble between the cattle owners and the sodbusters has momentarilly been put on pause.
If you look through the mirror - you see a dusty road that turns into a highway and then into a modern city. Did you know that 100 years ago nearly everyone lived in a town or on a farm and now they're all crammed into the big metropolis?
I love everybody, especially you.
* * *
Four more prints to do for Matt's gallery and then I think I may actually go out and do some shooting. Especially if there's a subway strike (which I still doubt).
Lenox Lounge, © Matt Weber
12/15/2005
My Door
I often leave my front door open so the cat can stake out some territory on the top of the stairs. He does like to roam around.
Yesterday a real-estate agent with a prospective tenant stopped by. They saw my opened door and the young woman who was contemplating an apartment in the building wanted to ask me a few questions.
How's the super here, she asked. He's okay, I guess when you can find him. He doesn't live in the building though.
How's the heat in the winter? It's okay. I remember using the word okay several times.
She looked hopeful. Wanted to know about the neighbors. I didn't tell her that they generally came in young and fresh like her and left for something better after a year. There are about five or six of us in the building that have been crammed in here for a few years or more.
Then she made the mistake of asking if she could come in and look around. Okay, I said. And she took a few steps in and couldn't get much further because the vacuum cleaner hose was blocking the way. But she stepped over it. Took a look around. I could see her jaw drop. Not exactly the model apartment she was looking for.
She politely thanked me (doubt if I'll ever see her again) and left. I looked around after she left through her eyes. What I saw was a workshop. Cramped. Messy. Not a touch of anything remotely feminine, or homey to be seen.
I saw that every square inch has something to do with film or printing. I recently moved my liquid chemicals into the only kitchen cabinet because in the bathroom they were too close to the steam pipe. I left the photoflo bottle in there though thinking it's just soap.
Open the fridge: batteries, juice, some ancient olives - and film. I don't cook here anymore. There's no room.
The kitchen counter is just a mass of wires, extensions, scanners, and a printer (2200).
What was once a spice-rack has tri-x boxes in it.
Look up and you'll see the loft - more boxes with packaging supplies. I don't really mind the place until someone new and fresh stops by and then it seems like a peculiar way to live. I once read an article - I think it was in Lensworks about a photographer who didn't even have a bed and slept in a sleeping bag on the floor of his apartment. Looking at it from that point-of-view I consider myself well off.
I didn't always live this way. Before moving up here I lived in a five room apartment on the lower east side with my girlfriend. There was the one room for darkroom equipment and the rest of the house was like your usual house with a bedroom and living room. Sometimes we'd have guests over for dinner and open a table. I once did Thanksgiving at that house for both her and my family. When we split - I let her have the apartment (and was glad to get out - you know how those things go).
Sometimes, as I'm falling asleep - I think about what it would be like to just pick up and move someplace cheap and homey. Someplace with wide open skies and vast horizons. Big rooms where you could stretch out and watch the sunset through panormic windows.
The grass is always more saturated someplace else. There are people out there saying: Gee - wish I could do what Dave is doing. And then there's Dave thinking - I wish I could get a job at a filling station in Mayberry and come home - pat Opie on the head - and sit and smoke my pipe on the front porch. Mayberry and the photographer's life - all a dream. Might as well keep it beneath closed eyes.
Yesterday a real-estate agent with a prospective tenant stopped by. They saw my opened door and the young woman who was contemplating an apartment in the building wanted to ask me a few questions.
How's the super here, she asked. He's okay, I guess when you can find him. He doesn't live in the building though.
How's the heat in the winter? It's okay. I remember using the word okay several times.
She looked hopeful. Wanted to know about the neighbors. I didn't tell her that they generally came in young and fresh like her and left for something better after a year. There are about five or six of us in the building that have been crammed in here for a few years or more.
Then she made the mistake of asking if she could come in and look around. Okay, I said. And she took a few steps in and couldn't get much further because the vacuum cleaner hose was blocking the way. But she stepped over it. Took a look around. I could see her jaw drop. Not exactly the model apartment she was looking for.
She politely thanked me (doubt if I'll ever see her again) and left. I looked around after she left through her eyes. What I saw was a workshop. Cramped. Messy. Not a touch of anything remotely feminine, or homey to be seen.
I saw that every square inch has something to do with film or printing. I recently moved my liquid chemicals into the only kitchen cabinet because in the bathroom they were too close to the steam pipe. I left the photoflo bottle in there though thinking it's just soap.
Open the fridge: batteries, juice, some ancient olives - and film. I don't cook here anymore. There's no room.
The kitchen counter is just a mass of wires, extensions, scanners, and a printer (2200).
What was once a spice-rack has tri-x boxes in it.
Look up and you'll see the loft - more boxes with packaging supplies. I don't really mind the place until someone new and fresh stops by and then it seems like a peculiar way to live. I once read an article - I think it was in Lensworks about a photographer who didn't even have a bed and slept in a sleeping bag on the floor of his apartment. Looking at it from that point-of-view I consider myself well off.
I didn't always live this way. Before moving up here I lived in a five room apartment on the lower east side with my girlfriend. There was the one room for darkroom equipment and the rest of the house was like your usual house with a bedroom and living room. Sometimes we'd have guests over for dinner and open a table. I once did Thanksgiving at that house for both her and my family. When we split - I let her have the apartment (and was glad to get out - you know how those things go).
Sometimes, as I'm falling asleep - I think about what it would be like to just pick up and move someplace cheap and homey. Someplace with wide open skies and vast horizons. Big rooms where you could stretch out and watch the sunset through panormic windows.
The grass is always more saturated someplace else. There are people out there saying: Gee - wish I could do what Dave is doing. And then there's Dave thinking - I wish I could get a job at a filling station in Mayberry and come home - pat Opie on the head - and sit and smoke my pipe on the front porch. Mayberry and the photographer's life - all a dream. Might as well keep it beneath closed eyes.
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