Leaderboard

Lemon shortbread. Joanne on sampling it, said it goes well with Sauvignon Blanc.

Naturally a few days after doing the major software upgrade the server had a drive failure, it's been restored from the latest backup but it may be missing several hours worth of data. My apologies!

Got up around 6:30 and made a batch of chili. Al's Sister Rini and Neice Dorothy and myself are making chili dogs, smash burgers, corn on the cob, potatoe salad, fruit salad, some type of blueberry angel food cake with mascarpone whipped cream, blueberry custard pie, watermelon and who knows what else? A few of my coworkers are coming by to join in the feast.

Hey! Sorry I didn't mean to go missing for so long, it just kinda happened. I have a little corner of the house with a bunch of fun music things. I recently commissioned a calligrapher to make some artwork to go with the box and can't wait to show you what they look like together.

Also, for me, everyone appears as Brent...

Such a great day. The best group of people. I think Rini and Dorothy made some new friends of my coworkers.

Be more like Robert -- 🤘

We've thought about that over this weekend but one critical difference is that all of the stages here point away from the sunset so we get to look into the sun rather than the performers. The other is that he is king here so it should be harder to get grumpy.

Attending Wilco's Solid Sound Festival in North Adams MA. Billy Bragg opened proceedings and it started raining about three songs in but nobody cared much. Gang of Four soon and then Wilco with Billy Bragg who will perform music from their 1998 Mermaid Avenue album of Woody Guthrie songs live for the first time ever.

Nibbles for / with the neighbors

25 Photobooks That Define America https://aperture.org/editorial/25-photobooks-that-define-america/

We've updated the forum software to the latest major release. This release includes speed, security and visual improvements. One big change is that you can no longer login using your username - you must login using your e-mail address. Since this is a major upgrade please post any issues that you run into. -Your Friendly Neighborhood Forum Admin

That's a new feature 🤣 I haven't seen that, but I do agree that the missing forum icons are taking a lot of space, I'll see what options are available to hide those, etc. I am not sure what caused some avatars to disappear, I haven't seen anything that points to a specific bug for the time being re-upload them if you have them.

So great -- reminds of my favourite band's alter ego: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ8-ZgxB55A

With the Big 4th of July approaching these were a fun listen. The New Yorker Radio Hour interviews The Rest Is History hosts Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook on the American Revolution from the British perspective. Apple PodcastsAmerica at 250: A View from Britain, with “The Rest Is Hi...Podcast Episode · The New Yorker Radio Hour · June 26 · 49m or The four part podcast that lead to that interview was also great. It starts with George Washington... And a bonus one on The Star Spangled Banner...

Just finished up the latest season of For All Mankind. iI's such a damn good show!!

Now I know what they were singing.

Even if not the top of its game, still the best thing on television.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaHPQIBs10m/?igsh=YzNmYml2NGttMW9i I know the forum software does not embed Instagram links, but I came across this in my feed this morning. Bob James playing, Angela, with Wilco. {aka Taxi theme}

Went all the way to Tiburon in an abortive attempt to see the 4th July Fireworks on The Golden Gate Bridge. Abandoned the attempt, due to the Bridge being enveloped in fog. So we came home. To watch YouTube Happy Birthday America

4th tomahawk

Smetana: String Quartets No. 1 & No. 2 by Pavel Haas Quartet (2015) https://open.qobuz.com/album/qqnxnrnwvtgqa Example: Recommended by my friend Jerry who just got it on Vinyl. Very nice. Also Qobuz updated the Windows app, and now it shows the Library counts... 843 in the queue?? well minus ^^ this one. I thought I was still in the 600s.

Reflectin’ back

PetaPixel re-reviews the first consumer (under $1,000) digital SLR camera, the 6MP Canon EOS 300D from 2003:

Scattershot, but fun doc on street photography.

I just like this one. Kids doing good stuff with the old material?

Casta Diva to folk-rock and back, another mix I never knew I needed

Yes, at least on Hulu/Disney+, though a little warning on the first few slower episodes as they prep for opening. Then the doors open. This season takes place over a single shift. Also keep in mind there is the stand alone flashback Gary episode released before the season. I've yet to see. More than any other show I judge The Bear on its successes, rather than its failures. I really can't think of a show like it. It's like Breaking Bad in reverse.

Thanks Ric. I'm going to watch 4 and 5 then.

Star City next? We lost my response this morning with the site going down. That’s a good thing as I said five is easily the worst season. I was halfway through. Now that I’ve seen the second half, the doors open episodes and wrap up to the whole show, it may be my favorite season. Man, it was a really beautiful show.

Todd, as always thanks for holding this all together for so long. Just one suggestion if it’s even an option - on mobile web the non-existent category forum graphics take up most of space, any way to disable?

That was my first Butthole Surfers album. I was looking for their cover of "American Woman" and because the tracks aren't listed, I bought two others before finding what I was looking for. Instant Butts collection!

Thanks, Nate!

Butthole Surfers - Psychic.... Powerless.... Another Man's Sac Mad genius album! Lady Sniff makes me chuckle hard every time.....

Always great in used lens ads when they include a photo of the "flawless optics".

Finally have local AI downloaded and running. So ... Yeah, I can do that, now. EDIT: And I got GLM-5.2 running! Abysmal speeds but when I need it, I got it!

Beautiful landscape! Also I'm sure a nice Distagon. I can't choose between, but did you debate about shooting at f/800? So Light Lens Lab is probably most known for recreating old Leica lenses, but they've produced three non-Leicas also - The Cooke Speed-Panchro II (below), the Angenieux S21 (previous page), and the Dallmeyer Super-Six (I should resist, right? Being a completest is expensive.). Sometimes this is in a new mount, occasionally a new focal length. Anyway, they're often compared and I had Monday off, so swung by The Cantor Art and Anderson Collection Standford spaces with a dusted off SPII with the SL (typ 601). Isn't much of a comparison with the Jaq show, as their subjects are so different, but fun to shoot close together. Mostly at f/2.8. You may recognize the Richard Serra sculpture Sequence, shown here many times, along with a Nick Cave Soundsuite and Deborah Oropallo Patrol.

I’m still testing the R6 Mark II against the 90D by taking photos of the moon. Last night I used 90D + 2x extender + 100-400 f4.5/5.6L. ISO 800, 1/800, F11 What do you think?

I snapped this photo without tripod. It has a fairly high ISO, but nothing the R6II can´t handle.

Although I'm short on time (I've started renovating my second home), I'm doing some tests with the 70-200mm lens and I photographed this blackbird in my garden. PD. I'm quite bad, I keep trying to improve my technique.

Nate’s on Marsh, my first Michelin star restaurant.

Today I became an official 'Old Fart'. In reality that happened on my Birthday in February, but since my local SS office was too backed up to do my Medicare application at that time, it became official today with a Medicare phone application. I'm now the proud recipient of Medicare part A. Since I'm still employed with medical insurance, I don't need to apply for Medicare part B until I retire or stop receiving outside medical insurance. I believe at that time I can have the part B cost pulled directly from my Social Security payments. I do believe full heartedly that I've absolutely earned said 'Old Fart' title. My Doctorate in wood remains 'til the time of my demise, so it's Dr Wood Old Fart from hense forward. Can I get that official title posted under my avatar please?