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A couple big art exhibits in San Francisco. The crowds, of course, are going to the Monet, but the Etruscan show at the Legion of Honor is the one we hit today. Loved it.

Every 3-4 years I listen to Paul Simon's The Rhythm of the Saints, and with apologies to Graceland which I love, but has never quite resonated the same, think it's international mix fills a hole no other album does or likely ever will. I'll listen to a dozen or so times in quick succession and promptly stop again. Two times today... so far. Maybe you will find a love That you discover accidentally Who falls against you gently As a pickpocket Brushes your thigh Further to fly

Last night I was able to pick up the 70-200mm lens... I couldn't go out for a training session today (my Great Dane is in the hospital with a growth-related fever), so I suppose I'll have some time today to try it out. The only thing I don't quite like is that the shoe gets in the way when using the zoom ring, so I've had to move it to the side.

Point the first: Generative AI is the devil. Point the second: Locally generated (as in on one's personal machine) is the devil we know. Point the third: I told point the second to render "A Mexican in his mid 40s, with a beard, celebrating his birthday. His head is a giant biscuit." It shat out this: Point the fourth: I am now more afraid of AI than I was before. Point the fifth: Feliz cumpleaños, FATHEAD.

#LewisMaxxing

Robert Fripp @ 80, the series (not just the intro, there's already a couple episodes out) I won't say one of my biggest influences, but I am deeply fascinated with everything he thinks, says, and does -- I want to be influenced by him, but that's a rather high bar -- so will definitely be watching this series with interest.

Tom Harrell. "5"

I'm not an EV guy, but the lines on these are very nice. My buddy has one a few years old in the metallic green and it's a stunner. I do understand that, I want to say 2020 or 2021...the earlier ones are the ones you see used mostly and that's for a reason. The slightly newer ones improved a good bit from what I heard. Enjoy...it's a rental HS

cooked my first brisket last night. 7 lb. GMG Pellet smoker 185 for 4 hrs, 225 for 4 hrs, then when it hit 205 internally went to "warm" mode. Smoke ring is kinda visible, flavor is REALLY good and super juicy and tender.

I have a Taycan as a loaner while the Boxster is in the shop for a warranty repair. I kind of hated Macan EV, but I love this! These drive so so so well. Even in the base "4" trim it is quick, cruises beautifully, and is a wonderful place to watch the miles tick by. I honestly think most people I know who will never go to the track would be happier in one of these than something like a 911. If you want to go bombing on public roads, these things rock. If all you do is street drive, you can ignore the sports cars. Porsche is doing a lot of trickery with torque vectoring to help these things go around corners. The traction and stability control you can get in an EV is on a totally different level. This is not a pure driving experience and if you come from one of the sports cars you will feel it any time you get close to the limit. Still, no one will ever track these so it really doesn't matter. Sub limit handles great. I am impressed. The price on these things new is eye watering, but used or CPO I may have to keep my eye open in the future. This is an amazing daily driver. The higher trim ones must just be ballistically fast. It has all the power and speed of the performance Teslas only its from a company who knows how to make a properly fast car. If only they didn't cost so much.

Split Enz, True Colours (everything except "I Got You")

Margined leatherwing beetle from this morning.

Hania Rani "Home" Beautiful

@Knuckledragger - the ticks have been horrific up here this spring. For the last couple of weeks I've been finding anywhere from 2-6 on the couch every night that are presumably riding the dog into the house after he gets walked. So (joy of joys) part of my nightly ritual before sitting down to relax in the mostly dark living room is to inspect the couch via flashlight to find the little fuckers. Found two tonight right near where I typically sit, so happy to have done that and then sent them straight to hell in a blazing inferno.

Counterpoint to my paean of primes: Modern zooms can be really good. Last fall I bought a stack of lenses from an MV photographer who had gone mirrorless. The least interesting but most useful of the bunch was the 24-70mm F/2.8L II. It's the perfect "walk around" focal range and a vast improvement of the original model (which was more than a bit of a dog.) Also pictured is the 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II which is an impressive and massive beast, but also a great way to blow copious amount of dust into one's camera body. I took all of the following with the 24-70. It's been so long since I've posted photos in this thread that we're going all the way back to last Christmas. I'll win no awards for framing on this one (especially on a stationary object) but in spite of my snapshotesque abilities with the viewfinder, I really like the the look of this shot. 30 seconds at F/22, ISO200. I really needed to do shots significantly longer than 30 seconds, and I was too stubborn to raise the ISO. At this point I had not been able to locate my remote cable. Blissfully, the remote I bought for my 30D in 2006 works with the 5D IV. This coming Christmas I can do multi-minute exposures. This is the house my father grew up in. It has a big Cyrano De Bergerac portico that juts out into an already narrow sidewalk. For something like 150 years it has served as an inconvenience to all passers-by. I love it. Cool Story Bro: My grandparents were the last private family to live in the house. After they moved out in 1940s, it became a law office and of course it's been a retail shop for decades at this point. Right next to the Vineyard Haven ferry slip. Not pictured: the December wind ripping across the harbor and through my jacket. I will cheerfully take the same picture over and over again, in different weather an lighting conditions. Happy sledders enjoying the first snow of the season. Later afternoon sun on Sweetened Water Farm. There's that patch of woods again. The calm before the blizzard. The aftermath. Ideal lighting conditions at the Oak Bluffs harbor. Still shooting that 1980s car commercial. All good things must come to an end.

RIP Rapper Rob Base, known for 'It Takes Two,' dies at 59 after private battle with cancer. I was there in '88 when this dropped. It turns out he was internationally known.

I'm having trouble finding a news source, but I learned (from Toby Marks of Banco De Gaia of all people) that Dick Parry died. He was a hell of a session musician, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. His sax solos are legendary.