After visiting a client I passed by a field with trees in the background. I took this backlight shot with a German made Rodenstock Splendar 100mm f/2.8 lens. The lens is always fully open since it has no diaphragm. It produces a distinct soap bubble bokeh with flat circles, similar to the overhyped & overpriced vintage Meyer Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens.

 

I processed a photographic and a balanced HDR photo from a RAW exposure, blended them selectively, and carefully adjusted the color balance and curves. I welcome and appreciate constructive feedback.

 

Thank you for visiting - ♡ with gratitude! Fave if you like it, add comments below, like the Facebook page, order beautiful HDR prints at qualityHDR.com.

 

-- ƒ/2.8, 100 mm, 1/3000 sec, ISO 200, Sony A7 II, Rodenstock 100mm f/2.8, HDR, 1 RAW exposure, _DSC7856_hdr1pho1bal1d.jpg

-- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography

Edsel is a discontinued division and brand of automobiles that was marketed by the Ford Motor Company from the 1958 to the 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort to give Ford a fourth brand to gain additional market share from Chrysler and General Motors. Established as an expansion of the Lincoln-Mercury Division to three brands (re-christened the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division), Edsel shared a price range with Mercury; the division shared its bodies with both Mercury and Ford.

 

Competing against Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Dodge, and DeSoto, Edsel was the first new brand introduced by an American automaker since the 1939 launch of Mercury and 1956 launch of Continental, which ended and merged into Lincoln after 1957. In the year leading to its release, Ford invested in an advertising campaign, marketing Edsels as the cars of the future. While 1958 Edsels would introduce multiple advanced features for its price segment, the launch of the model line would become symbolic of commercial failure. Introduced in a recession that catastrophically affected sales of medium-priced cars, Edsels were considered overhyped, unattractive (distinguished by a vertical grille), and low quality.

 

Following a loss of over $250 million ($2.29 billion in 2021 dollars) on development, manufacturing, and marketing on the model line, Ford quietly discontinued the Edsel brand before 1960.

 

(Wikipedia)

Last pic from last weekend’s Classic American Auto event at Heage.

 

Notorious flop or ‘lemon’, Ford Edsel, named after Henry Ford’s son.

 

After being unveiled to the public, they were considered to be unattractive, overpriced, and overhyped. Edsels never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. The Ford Motor Company lost $250 million - that was a lot back in the late 50s, come to think of it it’s a lot now.

 

The term ‘Edsel’ came to be synonymous with failure.

 

If the image looks dark and murky that’s because the weather was dark and murky.

I only upload this because I had to walk 4 crowded miles on a holiday weekend to get there, and got wetter than I expected to. I had to wade knee deep into the water to get a clear view of this, in my view, overhyped waterfall. 180° behind me was a human zoo.

 

Was expecting to have a cloudy morning and a gloomy day before a major storm hitting SoCal on Sunday. But true to the saying "calm before the storm", we have a clear sky with light fog over the Huntington Beach Pier early this morning. At the Pacific City Mall, life is as usual. Philz's coffee and the Equinox gym next door are packed with patrons, patio furnitures are still out on...patios. Perhaps I am just a bit overhyped about the hurricane? Taken with my simple run-of-the-mill iPhone 13.

We had dinner at an Indian fusion restaurant in downtown Sunnyvale, one of the towns in the Silicon Valley. Murphy Ave is now a pedestrian area with outdoor dining due to Covid. This gives a European feel. Too many cities in the USA are owned by cars instead of people. The tree trunks are decorated with lights.

 

I took this shot with a German made Rodenstock Splendar 100mm f/2.8 lens. I ordered a vintage Braun slide projector just for this lens. I removed the lens and the metal tube that holds the lens from the projector. My son designed and 3D-printed an adapter, which has quite a retro look. The lens is always fully open since it has no diaphragm. It produces a distinct soap bubble bokeh with flat circles, similar to the overhyped & overpriced vintage Meyer Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens. See photos of the 3D-printed adapter on the Quality HDR Photography Facebook page at bit.ly/37YTnJ8.

 

I processed a photographic and a balanced HDR photo from a RAW exposure, blended them selectively, and carefully adjusted the color balance and curves. I welcome and appreciate constructive comments.

 

Thank you for visiting - ♡ with gratitude! Fave if you like it, add comments below, like the Facebook page, order beautiful HDR prints at qualityHDR.com.

 

-- ƒ/2.8, 100 mm, 1/20 sec, ISO 200, Sony A7 II, Rodenstock 100mm f/2.8, HDR, 1 RAW exposure, _DSC9244_hdr1pho1bal1e.jpg

-- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography

So I bought myself a 2016 Captain America fig, and realized that it didn't quite look right. So, I decided to upgrade it. Here's what I've done.

 

- Added a sanded Ultron Helm, painted it blue.

- Added straps to the front and back and sides.

- Put the grey things on the stars for depth.

- Added toecaps.

- Added some dark blue to the grey parts to give it more detail.

- Changed the color of the belt.

- Modified a face.

- Extended the white to the sides.

 

Yep. I realized I liked Cap a few days ago.

And Civil War = Overrated & Overhyped.

A pair of EMD's bring NS Train 115 west through Curry on the NS Kansas City District, viewed through the ancient Keeney Creek Bridge on Fleming Road. The melting remnants of an overhyped first snow of the winter are starting to melt as the temp rises above freezing for the first time in a few days.

 

Locomotives: NS 1216, 1804

 

1-3-22

Orrick, MO

Nikon V1 is a very special camera. It's not perfect, got some flaws but the unique rendering is something comparable to first X-Trans from Fuji or early micro 4/3 sensors like those in GF1 or E-P3.

 

Yes, let's write it loud...it got that nasty (and overhyped) filmic look...;)

 

Picture of spider, sooc.

This morning after rejoicing the win of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris we went to the Saratoga Farmer's Market. I took this backlight shot of cherry tomatoes with my new toy, a German made Rodenstock Splendar 100mm f/2.8 lens. I ordered a vintage Braun slide projector just for this lens. I removed the lens and the metal tube holding the lens from the projector. My son designed and 3D-printed an adapter, it has quite a retro look. The lens is always fully open since it has no diaphragm. It produces a distinct soap bubble bokeh with flat circles, similar to the overhyped & overpriced vintage Meyer Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens.

 

See photos of the 3D-printed adapter on the Quality HDR Photography Facebook page at bit.ly/37YTnJ8.

 

I processed a balanced and a photographic HDR photo from a RAW exposure, blended them selectively, and carefully adjusted the color balance and curves. I welcome and appreciate constructive feedback.

 

Thank you for visiting - ♡ with gratitude! Fave if you like it, add comments below, like the Facebook page, order beautiful HDR prints at qualityHDR.com.

 

-- ƒ/2.8, 100 mm, 1/3000 sec, ISO 100, Sony A7 II, Rodenstock 100mm f/2.8, HDR, 1 RAW exposure, _DSC7890_hdr1bal1pho1d.jpg

-- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography

I had to replace the dead Canon AE1 but didn't want to spend fortunes on overpriced overhyped SLRs so i have opted for a 2001 Nikon F80 with a 50mm 1.8 lens for under £100. and i'm happy to announce it was a great decision. It's a brilliant camera!

 

Photo of Sandra's bar in St Margarets in Kent. Have been wanting to shoot this for ages.

 

---------------

Nikon F80

50mm 1.8

Kodak Portra 800

Today after visiting a client I passed by a field with trees in the background. I took this backlight shot with my new toy, a German made Rodenstock Splendar 100mm f/2.8 lens. I ordered a vintage Braun slide projector just for this lens. I removed the lens and the metal tube holding the lens from the projector. My son designed and 3D-printed an adapter, it has quite a retro look. The lens is always fully open since it has no diaphragm. It produces a distinct soap bubble bokeh with flat circles, similar to the overhyped & overpriced vintage Meyer Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens.

 

See photos of the 3D-printed adapter on the Quality HDR Photography Facebook page at bit.ly/37YTnJ8.

 

I processed a photographic and a balanced HDR photo from a RAW exposure, blended them selectively, carefully adjusted the color balance and curves, and desaturated the image. I welcome and appreciate constructive feedback.

 

Thank you for visiting - ♡ with gratitude! Fave if you like it, add comments below, like the Facebook page, order beautiful HDR prints at qualityHDR.com.

 

-- ƒ/2.8, 100 mm, 1/3000 sec, ISO 200, Sony A7 II, Rodenstock 100mm f/2.8, HDR, 1 RAW exposure, _DSC7856_hdr1pho1bal1e.jpg

-- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography

We went to an Neapolitan restaurant in nearby Mountain View, California. The main street Castro Street is walled of from cars to give restaurants more space since the pandemic. The street is already decorated in holiday lights - perfect for bokeh shots.

 

I took this shot of a street light with my new toy, a German made Rodenstock Splendar 100mm f/2.8 lens. I ordered a vintage Braun slide projector just for this lens. I removed the lens and the metal tube holding the lens from the projector. My son designed and 3D-printed an adapter, it has quite a retro look. The lens is always fully open since it has no diaphragm. It produces a distinct soap bubble bokeh with flat circles, similar to the overhyped & overpriced vintage Meyer Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 lens. See photos of the 3D-printed adapter on the Quality HDR Photography Facebook page at bit.ly/37YTnJ8.

 

I processed a balanced and a photographic HDR photo from a RAW exposure, blended them selectively, and carefully adjusted the color balance and curves. I welcome and appreciate constructive feedback.

 

Thank you for visiting - ♡ with gratitude! Fave if you like it, add comments below, like the Facebook page, order beautiful HDR prints at qualityHDR.com.

 

-- ƒ/2.8, 100 mm, 1/20 sec, ISO 400, Sony A7 II, Rodenstock 100mm f/2.8, HDR, 1 RAW exposure, _DSC8011_hdr1bal1pho1e.jpg

-- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography

Love how completely unglamourous this overhyped French Riviera fishing village is outside the summer season!

Overhype? Certainly. And too much a city nowadays for me. But this is the village of the magnificent Matterhorn. What a view!

Redang beach is heaven. the water is unbelievably @#$%ng crystal clear, the sand so white it blinds you sometimes. Snorkeling is fun freaking fun even when most of teh corals are dead (damn overhyped global warming!) and everyone there has this "couldn't care less about what's happening elsewhere" attitude in them...a perfect place to relax.

 

I need to come here again maybe try other beaches in SE Asia like Pangkor, Danang, Luang Prabang, Phi Phi.....

but then again there's so many places i wanna go now.

 

In Melaka now with HG Jiayu and Jy. I'm shocked (yet again) at how much it can change since the last time i was there (8-9 months ago?) and change refers more to the negative especially the way melaka River is slowly turning to the horrendous beast that is what Clarke Quay has become....its quite sad. But still Melaka is place you should all go not just to eat the food (which is fantastic...gula melaka chandol...yummmm) or visit the sites but to meet people who are content in living their simple way of life, to experience an indescribable charm and remember what it all used to be all about living in a vibrant port city.

About 2 inched long. Shot this with VC (vibration compensation) on, which I really think is way overhyped. Ive also read that it doesn't do much in the macro range anyway.

The Great Northern War was a conflict fought in the baltic region, primarily between the Swedish Empire, The Dano-Norwegian realm, Poland-Lithuania, and the Russia Empire from 1700-1721.

 

The Battle of Lesnaya was one of fiercest and larger battles of the Great Northern War. It was between a force of Russians numbering 26,500-29,000, and a Swedish detachment of around 12,500. The Swedish force was carrying relief supplies, which was carried by 4,500 wagons, for the main Swedish force deep in the heart of Russia. The two opposing forces finally came to a standstill and clashed at the outskirts of the village of Lesnaya.

 

After 8 hours of heavy fighting, neither side achieved an obvious victory. However, the Russians had crippled and slowed the Swedish reinforcements. As a result, this action is seen as the turning point of the war. With Charles the XII’s army rearing from defeat and not recieving desperately needed supplies, it was only a matter of time.

 

So this is the build I have been overhyping for god knows how long. I got inspired to build the trenching using Travis’ technique, really liking how it turned out.

 

Huge s/o to seth for the short notice hookup of red legs <3

 

New colonial stuff inbound

The infamous November 2016 "supermoon" making contact with Cerro Paranal, as seen from just outside ESO's residencia, just over 4 hours before actual full Moon at 13:52 UTC.

 

Although the whole "supermoon" thing was massively overhyped by the media, dawn on Paranal seemed like a good time to try and catch it anyway.

 

The mountain ridge is the peak of Paranal and the Very Large Telescope is up to the right. The horizontal pink band at the same level as the Moon is the Belt of Venus, reddened sunlight from the Sun on the opposite side of the sky, just before it rises, backscattered off dust (or molecules?) high in the atmosphere.

 

The dark blue band below that is the 'dark segment', and is the shadow of the Earth itself cast on the atmosphere (or the shadow of the ozone layer, Bob Fosbury tells me).

got a Killer Moth CMF the other day and decided to make some Killer Moth men. In my opinion Killer Moth is an ok character who has gotten way overhyped by Killer Moth’s own Killer Moth series (which is really good btw) but uh now I just find that Killer Moth is everywhere. So I’m hopping on the bandwagon with some killer mothmen of my own.

 

Classic: Killer Moth CMF Head, hat, wings, torso, and legs, and LBM belt

 

Rebirth: Gas Batman Head, Star Wars jetpack, swamptrooper torso and legs

 

Modern: Killer Moth hat, Calendar man Head, brick built wings, Calculator torso, jan arms and legs, white suit Alfred coattails (i would give this guy a fur collar piece but I don’t have one)

 

N52: Cole Hair, Star Wars Head, sharpied breather, parademon wings, Killer Moth torso, shaggy arms, sharpied handcuff vambraces, CMF legs

 

Uh enjoy this Moth overload

 

ALSO UH CREDIT TO HMD BRICKCUSTOMS FOR THE TEXT FORMAT, ONLY UTILIZING IT IN THIS POST SO YOU CAN DIFFERENTIATE THESE GUYS FRIM EACH OTHER

I think, that picture from GF1 looks much more filmic (I know, overhyped) than recently posted from Fuji called Bez - that's interesting.

The extremely overhyped (debatable?) Qantas A220-300 'VH-X4A' is seen approaching Brisbane's RWY01R this afternoon on an intuition run (QJE6217). This is the first QantasLink aircraft to sport a Flying Art livery. It is also the most complex livery an A220 has ever worn, featuring over 20,000 dots painted by 100 painters using 130 stencils.

 

This is the first time this aircraft has visited Brisbane in the sun - the other two being rainy and overcast.

 

11/01/2024

Canonet QL17 (early version)

Fuji Superia 100 expired (date unknown)

 

These early Canonets are doomed to live under the shadow of their more modern, overhyped descendant, the QL17 GIII. They are a bit larger than the GIII but not very much so and they are otherwise better cameras with superior build quality (only hints of plastic here and there), equally silent shutter and a much better viewfinder, very close in overall feel to that of M-Leicas if you can get one with a contrasty RF patch which can be a gamble.

"Edsel is an automobile marque that was planned, developed, and manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1958–1960. With the Edsel, Ford had expected to make significant inroads into the market share of both General Motors and Chrysler and close the gap between itself and GM in the domestic American automotive market. Ford invested heavily in a yearlong teaser campaign leading consumers to believe that the Edsel was the car of the future – an expectation it failed to meet. After it was unveiled to the public, it was considered to be unattractive, overpriced, and overhyped. The Edsel never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. The Ford Motor Company lost $250 million[3] on the Edsel's development, manufacturing, and marketing.

 

The very name "Edsel" became a popular symbol for a commercial failure." (Wiki)

  

Continuing my Southern Arizona Adventure 2024 and continuing my visit to Bisbee Arizona. This is stage 7 of 9.

I arrived just a little before the original Bisbee Breakfast Club opened so I walked around Erie Street. Then I ate a Harvest Omelette with egg whites at BBC. Then I walked around Erie Street a little more.

Lots of memories for me since I grew up in Arizona in the 1950's. Miami & Globe Arizona were a lot like Lowell.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel

Edsel is a discontinued division and brand of automobiles that was produced by the Ford Motor Company in the 1958 to 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort to give Ford a fourth brand to gain additional market share from Chrysler and General Motors. Established as an expansion of the Lincoln–Mercury Division to three brands, re-christened the Mercury–Edsel–Lincoln Division, Edsel shared a price range with Mercury. The division shared its bodies with both Mercury and Ford.

Competing against Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Dodge, and DeSoto, Edsel was the first new brand introduced by an American automaker since the 1939 launch of Mercury and 1956 launch of Continental, which ended and merged into Lincoln after 1957. In the year leading to its release, Ford invested in an advertising campaign, marketing Edsels as the cars of the future. While 1958 Edsels introduced multiple advanced features for the price segment, the launch of the model line became symbolic of commercial failure.[1] Introduced in a recession that catastrophically affected sales of medium-priced cars, Edsels were considered overhyped, unattractive, distinguished by a vertical grille said to resemble a horse collar,[2] and low quality.

Following a loss of over $250 million, $2.57 billion in 2023 dollars,[3] on development, manufacturing, and marketing on the model line, Ford quietly discontinued the Edsel brand before 1960.[4]

 

www.atlasobscura.com/places/erie-street-historic-lowell

Erie Street, Historic Lowell

Bisbee, Arizona

A living snapshot of a different time in America is preserved and maintained by a community of volunteers.

Visiting Erie Street is like walking into a 1950s post-apocalyptic landscape. From all that is immediately apparent, it could have been abandoned in a hurry and forgotten for half a century. Rusting cars, trucks, and an old Greyhound bus sit deserted along the street as if their passengers had suddenly vanished (or worse).

Erie Street is most of what is left of Lowell, Arizona, a mining town incorporated into Bisbee in the early 1900s. Much of the town’s residential area was demolished to widen an open-pit copper mine. Losing most of its residents caused the commercial district to struggle, and many businesses failed as a result. Today, the street’s special curiosities include a Harley Davidson repair shop with a now-defunct gas pump and Sprouse Reitz Co., a department store that is nearly empty except for a few appliances and a whole pile of mannequin parts.

Despite appearing untouched since its decline, further investigation reveals that Erie Street is continually restored by a vibrant and passionate community of residents and volunteers who want to remember a different America. So although you can no longer see a show at Lowell’s movie theater or pay $0.22 for gasoline, the Lowell Americana Project has made it possible to experience the street as a living snapshot of another time. And not everything on Erie Street is purely decorative—visit the Bisbee Breakfast Club for an excellent Huevos Rancheros.

www.legendsofamerica.com/lowell-arizona/

Lowell, Arizona was once a sizable mining town located just to the southeast of Bisbee. Today, it is a small neighborhood of the larger community.

Though the majority of the original townsite was consumed by the excavation of the Lavender Pit mine during the 1950s, what remains today is a photographer’s dream. The one street that is left features mid-century buildings, signs, and artifacts in a colorful display that makes visitors feel as if they have taken a step back in time.

 

Haiku thoughts:

Erie Street lingers,

Ghosts of fifties' laughter hum,

Time stands in still frames.

 

Southern Arizona Adventure 2024

Powering into the station 75078 could be heard before she was seen. Clearly the driver felt the need to play to the audience, and rightly so. The departure was equally spectacular.

One of the audience was wondering where Flying Scotsman was and if she had broken down.

I said she was fresh from attention at the ELR and it was not likely that was the case. I couldn't resist saying she was overhyped and if any steam loco from the National Collection should be at the forefront it was Mallard. She was way out in front at 126mph.

If the NRM wants to spend money on a genuine loco they know what to do - or spend it on a far better one with much more appeal like Thomas The Tank Engine!

Meanwhile, the intrepid photographer who got the image got a far better one than me. Well trained while I can sit in the background and put my feet up and relax.

my breakfast - smoked salmon & poached egg on buttered country loaf. well, my poached egg is not perfect but at least, the yolks are runny! YAY. didn't make the hollandaise sauce coz no tarragon, not enough vinegar (wanted to try gordon ramsey's recipe initially).

 

brunch is totally overhyped & overpriced. for someone who cant afford that, i'll hv to make do with recreates at home LOL

Yesterday's moon rising from the overhyped media "Super Blood Moon" event. Here's a timelapse from about sunset at 6:30pm to about 9pm. The moon was hidden by the beautiful rolling clouds from the sunset

Before we get to the All-Star Team of icelandic photo locations, something lesser/un- known.

I do not exactly remember where this was taken. The geotag is a rough approximation. It was somewhere between Fáskrúðsfjörður and Breiðdalsvík. And I'm really only saying that because it's fun to.

 

Despite the exif data this was taken at 4am on June, 10th pretty close to the summer solstice. It never gets dark around this time of the year but technically the sun rose about one and a half hours earlier and had me driving through the "night" with my sunglasses on. That's a pretty surreal thing if you are experiencing it for the first time.

 

I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to go to Iceland because it seemed so overhyped and overrun with people but the minute I went out and explored I fell in love with it instantly. By being up at night and sleeping during the day in my campervan I had the island to myself most of the time.

 

Yes, Iceland is overrun with people (including myself obviously) and yes Iceland does deserve the hype. And after this trip I have a feeling we are not done with each other yet.

 

One day, maybe we'll meet again

Scanned lith print.

 

Mamiya 645 ProTL w/ M-S 120 mm/f4 macro. May 27, 2022.

 

Fomapan 100 in Rodinal 1+100, semistand 1 h.

Lith printed on Fomatone MG 131 and developed in Moersch Easy Lith.

 

Untoned.

 

My new capable friend (DJI Mini 3 Pro) is watching over me, I feel secure...??? However it might be with that, he's DJI's newest and most awesome <250 g drone ever produced.

The amount of technology stuffed in this little body is amazing:

 

Obstacle avoidance (front/rear/downwards).

Active Track.

New camera with up to 4k 60 fps HDR video.

D-cinelike 10 bit color profile, great for post editing in Premiere Pro or other video software.

1/1.3" sensor (double the size of the Mini 2).

1.7 Aperture, night shots: bring it on!

48 MP photos with dual ISO.

DNG for us LR/PS users.

Quick shots.

Master shots.

Vertical shooting.

Panoramas.

...and so on.

 

Well, that was a really uncritical presentation of this novelty, you might think. Though being a mostly analog guy, I'm impressed.

 

But downsides exist:

The new RC is overhyped I think:

1. The screen brightness (700 nits) is not that good in sunlight + glare.

2. Less battery time than the RC-N1 (that also uses your mobile phone battery).

3. Besides the DJI Fly app, no other apps are installable.

4. You have to connect to your phone's wifi hot spot to get maps.

Holy crow it's a breadvan! 😂

Much overhyped by those who did not have to get squashed on chronically overcrowded ones like I once did back in Poland…

 

Anyway, despite the termini served, this little baddie had enough seats for the job. Route 3 is actually very long and convoluted, so it was crucial I got myself cosied up for the trip.

Apparently back in the days of Regal Busways this was double-deck, unfair! Is that true??

 

The Sprinter was pictured after having set down at Southend bus station… Blinds were a pain to get if my memory doesn't fail me

Re-edited 6 Feb 2021, post-processing exercise.

 

The natural structures, textures and colors but above all, quality of early morning light.

 

Canon's new FF mirrorless EOS-R at 2mm deeper flange and 54mm diameter vs 46.1mm for Sony E, is there enough space for a sturdy EOS-R to Sony E AF adapter?

 

Flange distances;

1) Nikon Z 16mm

2) Nikon F 46.5mm

3) Sony E 18mm

4) Canon EF 44mm

5) Canon RF 20mm

 

As expected, Canon does not even need to change mount diameter.

 

The EOS-R 50mm f1.2 (Nikon Z version not out till 2020) and 28-70mm f2.0 (won’t be light) are special. Even the new 35mm f1.8 is a macro lens, always wanted a wide angle macro, will blow out the background much better than the new Nikon Z 35mm f1.8S, hopefully it's also good at normal distances.

 

EOS-R body is 660gms, looks like no IBIS though.

 

Nikon Z at 55mm diameter is touted to be great for lenses with corner to corner sharpness but seriously, how many really care for extreme corner sharpness? How often if ever are the extreme corners of interest in a composition!? For fast lenses at f1.8 and below, chances are we shoot for bokeh, what do the corners matter? For landscapes, which decent lens already in the market that does not sharpen up by f8.0?

 

Come on Sony, time to bring out the A9R, add in Eye-AF functionality for birds and animals as well 😂! Nikon Z overhyped but underdelivered, Canon EOS-R zero hype but looked more interesting!

 

Thus far, Canon and Sony gear coexisted well but not Nikon.

 

What Sony needs to fix soonest;

1) RAW

- a) Color

- b) Lossless compression

I find the Sony files more “brittle” while the Nikon files somehow respond better to post-processing and looked more "organic". Perhaps Sony needs a good proprietary RAW developer like Nikon’s NXD. This is the only thing holding me back from disposing all my remaining Nikon stuff.

 

2) Full 14bit in all shooting modes

 

3) 35mm f1.8, seriously!

There were scores of formal events centered around yesterday's solar eclipse, but I particularly enjoyed seeing spontaneous groups of neighbors or people who worked in the neighborhood gathering at random street corners like this one at Third Avenue and 85th Street. Of course there were those who dismissed the event as overhyped as well as those saying it was the most awesome natural spectacle they had ever seen. B ut even the naysayers should admit that there are very few times when thousands of New Yorker stop what they were doing, stay still for two hours and are fixated on something other than their smart phones and laptops

The photos I've collected are self explanatory except perhaps for the young lady casting at the shadow of her interlaced fingers. She was giving me an impromptu lesson of what I could see through the special eclipse glasses she loaned me. to look up at the sun

My Barbie purchases have been slimming down since I started collecting in 2011 with only four purchases last year. I am trying to narrow down my collection based on theme and it has to be fashion-based, a designer collaboration or if it’s from the annual Platinum Label Collection. I still pretty much buy any doll that is beautiful and my purchases are based on the face design. Black and White Collection™ Classic Evening Gown Barbie® is this year’s Barbie Fan Club Exclusive Platinum Label offering with only 999 units made. She is the third doll in the series. The Black and White Collection is an homage to Barbie’s heritage and it takes inspiration from the very first Barbie that debuted at the New York Toy Fair in 1959 with her famous black and white maillot. The doll is wearing a white satin gown with a black tulle overdress embellished with a lace appliqué and crystals. A fresh take on the black & white motif. However, the appliqué does not continue all the way to the back. For a Platinum doll with a retail price of $85, it is disappointing that they had to cut corners on the fashion. Does the embellishment make the doll costly to produce? Probably. The dress is also not fully lined which is expected for a Barbie doll released in 2015. This is not like in 2006 when the $35 Best Models On Location gift sets came with suits that were lined on the inside. Whether they are Black Label, Gold Label or Platinum Label Barbie dolls ranging from $50 to $100, the level of execution on the fashion is the same across the board. That seems to be the norm at Barbie Collector nowadays. One thing that I like about Platinum Label dolls though is that the dolls themselves are well-made. By well-made, I mean better than the dolls made for other labels. They don’t have glue inside their heads, the paint application on the faces are usually great, the hair is usually nice. Although her hair is not as full as the promo pics, I still think it’s nicely done. The back of the hair though is flat due to how the doll was packaged, and again it is expected with Barbie Collector. I can live with it. I have honestly grown to like the Aphrodite sculpt. I find the face odd on some angle sometimes due to the open mouth. Like most Barbies with the Aphrodite sculpt, I find them younger looking compared to Barbies with the Mackie sculpt. While she is pretty, she is nothing compared to the first doll in the series, Beaded Gown Barbie. She doesn’t follow the thick Brooke Shields eyebrows of the other two. I find her eyes less dramatic compared to Beaded Gown Barbie’s smoky eyes which really captured me to appoint her as one of my most favorite Barbie dolls. I feel like both don’t belong in the same Collection just because their paint styles are different. It might have something to do with the outline of her irises that I wished it is done in blue like Beaded Gown Barbie instead of black. I also wished that her eyeshadows and the lines on her eyes were darker. Somehow she looks like an overpriced “Look” doll due to the fact that her shoes and jewelries are the same as those used for those $20 dolls. Her overall look could have been elevated had she came with custom jewelry like Laser Leatherette Barbie. It was something that I had an issue with Beaded Gown Barbie but I feel it’s worse with Classic Evening Gown Barbie. As a Platinum Label doll she really needs to be above all other dolls with a price tag of $20. I think Mattel is being too over confident knowing that no matter how much they cut corners with Platinum Label that it will sell, and people will buy the hype that they create each year. People like me actually. The reason why I continue purchasing their products is that I don’t want to let go of the Barbie brand. I want to continue supporting it as Barbie is my first love. But on the other hand I don’t want to feel like I’ve been cheated on like I’ve paid too much on a product that is supposed to be half its retail price. She’s just too overpriced, and not to mention overhyped, that’s all.

Holi 2016

 

Nandgaon | India | 2016

 

Someone who bumped on my Holi images on my website mailed with following message "I wish my Canon could do what your Nikon does". I'm sure we have heard that enough, the Canon-Nikon war of words and the inferiority-superiority complex. My reply to him was pretty straight forward, which I wish to share here.

 

Ofcourse your Canon can do what "my" Nikon does. So can Fuji, Sony, Pentax, Ricoh etc. What these gears do, literally, is obey our orders. They capture what we compose, they stick to settings we set, they freeze the moment when we hit the shutter. Bottom line, they do absolutely nothing but follow our lead. Its us, the photographers who are the ones to be credited for what images we make and what images we break. But wait a minute, I use a D4s, the top range of Nikon, am I being biased ? No fucking way. Though full frames do give a tiny (overhyped) edge over crop, the difference is negligible. I have created many of my favourite images on my little Nikon D3100 as much as I have created with D4s or D800.

 

If you consider images from Holi, as seen above, what matters here is how much zoom you achieve to get rid of clutters, which in this case, are the selfish photographers who litter the occasion, jumping right into the sabha (gathering). With crop, you only have a better chance of achieving more zoom and cutting out clutters. So thats that.

 

Bottom line, stop being brand slaves, rather, 'Be The Brand', create your identity with whatever you have. At the end of the day, brands don't give a damn about you or me, they just mint money as we get into a fist fight. Brands don't really care about talent, what matters to them is popularity and the blings.

 

Speaking of brands and cameras, check out the work of Anjum (oldfashioned AJ), Holi captured with nothing but a little Ricoh GR - www.flickr.com/photos/vahanvaty/albums/72157666071537762 .

 

www.subodhshetty.com

Yes, it's raining again here in 'Sunny' Somerset! Pouring in fact :-(

So, as it's also Wednesday, here's an indoor shot of nothing but the much overhyped 'Bokeh' !

Definitely Best On Black

Well after a few months of overhype and other stuff I finally got finished these guys

 

Pics are ordered as: top 8-15 bottom 1-7

  

15. Nacho libre from nacho libre

 

14. Howard Langston from jingle all the way (definitely listed this too high) and the fig is pretty bad

  

13. V from v for vendetta, one of my favorite customs

 

12. Nicholas angel from hot fuzz EDIT I forgot him in this pic, so I threw him in his own

 

11. Red hood from batman under the red hood

 

10. Severus snape from Harry Potter and the deathly hallows part 2 all these are neck and neck with each other

 

9. Spider-man from spider-man

 

8. Winter soldier from captain America the winner soldier, some of the best action sequences in film

 

7. Batman from batman (89)

 

6. Logan from Logan, a bit slow a first but the 2nd act is amazing

 

5. Stay puft from Ghostbusters (84) wish the 2016 movie got cancelled lol

 

4. Chunk from The goonies, still needa get sloth

 

3. Marty from back to the future part 2, they made the same movie 3 times basically, but they’re all pretty great

 

2. Andy dufrane from the Shawshank redemption, ranked #1 movie ever on IMDb

 

1. Forrest Gump from Forrest Gump, this and #2 are pretty interchangeable

 

Well that’s that what yer top 15 or 10?

 

Also there’s a bunch of films that would no doubt be here if I had seen them

Without a doubt, this was unlike any experience I’ve ever had. To the naked eye online, one could assume this is an overhyped event, in person is a completely different perspective. Being able to see each unique shay and the heisler locomotive working their gears up close was truly amazing. I can only imagine the scenery of this railroad in person with beautiful fall colors…

At “The Daily Grind” coffee shop...

 

Let's see, I combed my hair, changed into my classy-yet-casual clothes and even managed to get here early. Because, with the day I had, I wanted to be certain I was on time.

 

-Phil checks the time on his phone-

 

Okay, I have about five minutes until MJ gets here. Cool…

 

-Phil finds a seat at one of the outdoor tables-

 

Cool, cool, cool.

 

-Phil starts nervously tapping on the table-

 

Nothing wrong with being a little early, this just means I have more time to… stress about the date. No, don't worry about it! I just need to keep my mind off of it.

 

-He starts humming to himself-

 

Phil: “🎶Spider-Pip, Spider-Pip... Make him mad, he'll give ya’ lip.🎶”

 

…

 

Phil: “*sigh*”

 

Five minutes later…

 

-Phil has resorted to playing on his phone-

 

“Hey there.”

 

-Phil looks up from his phone to see MJ sitting down across from him-

 

Phil: “You're here!”

 

MJ: “Yeah, sorry I'm a little late. I didn't keep you waiting did I?”

 

Phil: “Nah, I just got here.”

 

Okay, what's a good conversation topic?

 

Phil: “So… see any good movies lately?”

 

Wow. That's the best I can come up with. If only I was as good at making conversation as I was at making jokes.

 

MJ: “Well, it just so happens I went to see Poison the other day.”

 

If you don't know, Poison the newest, edgiest superhero film. I went to see it too, it was weird.

 

Phil: “Yeah, that movie was a let-down. Way overhyped.”

 

MJ: “Oh, well I thought it was okay.”

 

Shoot, shoot, shoot!

 

Phil: “Well, uh yeah, I just--It’s my opinion. I can respect yours.”

 

I'm internally facepalming so hard right now.

 

-MJ giggles at Phil's awkwardness and he turns a bit red-

 

MJ: “Why don't we go get our drinks.”

 

Phil: “I can go get them. Just tell me what you want.”

 

This way I can get hot chocolate instead of coffee without her knowing.

 

MJ: “You think you can remember it?”

 

Phil: “Yeah, I got this.”

 

MJ: “In that case can you get me a Quad Grande, Nonfat, Extra Hot Caramel Macchiato?”

 

Phil: “Uh...”

 

Maybe I'll let her get her own drink...

 

MJ: “...Please.”

 

Phil: “‘Kay.”

 

Later, in the order line…

 

This line is taking forever! There's no way I can remember MJ’s order this long. Wait, what was her order again?

 

*Ba-ding!*

 

You've got to be kidding me. That's my supervillain notification noise!

 

-Phil pulls out his phone-

 

Please don't be Doom, please don't be Doom, please don't be Doom…

 

…

 

*internal screaming*

 

-Phil gets out of line and heads toward the door-

 

I swear, I'm in a city full of superheroes, but I still have to do everything around here! I seriously doubt Thor has these sort of problems.

 

-Phil goes through the door and bumps into MJ-

 

MJ: “Sorry!”

 

Phil: “It's okay, I mean, I'm sorry… what were you getting up for.”

 

MJ: “About that… I really hate to do this but can we take a raincheck?”

 

Well that's convenient. Still, I should act just a little upset.

 

Phil: “Oh, I guess that's alright. What is it though?”

 

MJ: “So get this, Dr. Doom is wreaking havoc across town saying he wants Spider-Pip to face him! I don't want to abandon you, but I just need to get this scoop!”

 

Well that worked out well for me. I just need to take care of Doom before MJ gets in harm's way.

 

Phil: “Don't worry, duty calls. As long as we can do this some other time though.”

 

MJ: “I have an idea, why don't you come with me and take some pictures for the article?”

 

Conveniently, I come pre-packaged with an excuse this time.

 

Phil: “I left my camera at home. Maybe I can run home and get it.”

 

MJ: “Great! I need to get going. See you at work, I promise we will do this again soon.”

 

-MJ starts to hurry away and Phil calls after her-

 

Phil: “Sounds like a date! Well, another date.”

 

Okay, now that the date has met its swift end, its Doom’s turn.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

For those of you who are wondering, yes, it will be getting back to the action very soon.

Pictured here is an Edsel Corsair that was on display at the 2018 Greaserama Car Show held in Tracey Missouri at the Platte Country Fair Grounds. Though scorned as an automotive disaster they have become popular as a collectible to many car enthusiast.

 

Edsel is an automobile brand that was planned, developed, and manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1958 to 1960. With the Edsel brand, Ford had expected to make significant inroads into the market share of both General Motors (GM) and Chrysler and close the gap between itself and GM in the domestic American automotive market. Ford invested heavily in a yearlong teaser campaign leading consumers to believe that Edsels were the cars of the future – an expectation they failed to meet. After being unveiled to the public, they were considered to be unattractive, overpriced, and overhyped. Edsels never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. The Ford Motor Company lost $250 million on Edsel development, manufacturing, and marketing.

 

The very name "Edsel" became a popular symbol for a commercial failure.

 

The Edsel Corsair is an automobile that was produced and sold by Edsel in 1958 and 1959. For 1958, the Corsair was built on the longer, wider Edsel platform shared with Mercury. For 1959, the Corsair shared the shorter, narrower Ranger platform with Ford.

 

1958 Corsair

 

The Corsair represented the next-to-highest trim level available within the Edsel brand. It rode on Edsel's 124 in (3150 mm) wheelbase. In addition to higher-grade interior appointments, the Corsair also received additional stainless steel trim and deluxe wheel covers. Available either as a two-door or four-door hardtop, the Corsair, like the premium Citation, shared its roof lines with Mercury models, as well as internal body components. Body parts between the Corsair and Citation models could not be shared with either the Ranger or Pacer, which were built on the shorter, narrower Ford frames. A deep-dished safety steering wheel was standard.

 

Like the Citation, the Corsair was powered by the 345 bhp (257 kW) 410 cu in (6.7 L) MEL V8 (with four-barrel {four choke} carburetor), and came equipped with Edsel’s Teletouch automatic as standard. (This was a US$231 option on Ranger and Pacer models.) Unlike other Ford models that used a column-mounted gear selector, Teletouch placed its drive-selection buttons in the steering wheel hub where drivers were accustomed to finding the horn button. In emergency situations, damage to the transmission that might occur if the driver hit the Teletouch unit instead of the steering wheel's horn ring was prevented by an electro-hydraulic switch activated by internal transmission fluid pressure. A basic heater (as a US$92 option) and radio (at US$95) were available, and air conditioning was optional as well (at US$460). Also optional was an automatic trunk release, a tachometer, an automatic lube system, seat belts, a padded dash board, warning lights for low oil level and parking brake on, plus rear door safety locks to prevent young kids from opening them while the car is moving.

 

While their roll-out was highly publicized in the fall of 1957, Edsels were a marketing disaster for Ford and Ford's corporate strategy for meeting General Motors' product line for product line. Total Corsair output for the model stood at 9,987 units, only slightly better than the Citation. Of these units, 3,632 were hardtop coupes (3,312 U.S. and 320 Canadian-built) and 6,355 were four-door hardtops (5,880 U.S. and 475 Canadian-built). Prices for the Corsair in 1958 ranged from US$ 3,311 to $3,390.

 

1959 Corsair

 

The 1959 Edsels were introduced in the fall of 1958. However, for the 1959 model year, the Citation and Pacermodels were dropped from Edsel's model range for 1959, as was the trouble-prone Teletouch system.

1959 Edsel styling was significantly toned-down, as was the vertical grille assembly, which now featured a fine bar pattern. The Corsair now represented the premium Edsel model range, replacing the discontinued Citation. Unlike in 1958, the Corsair now shared its body panels with the Ranger - the two being differentiated by trim and options. The Corsair also gained a four-door sedan and convertible version. The entire series was based on the 1959 Ford Fairlane 500.

 

The 1959 Corsair rode on a 120 in (3048 mm) wheelbase and the 361 cu in (5.9 L) FE V8 was standard in sedans, with either a two- or four-barrel carburetor as was a three-speed manual transmission. Replacing the Teletouch transmission was the Mile-O-Matic, a two-speed automatic, or Dual-Power Drive 3-speed automatic (only available with the 361). Heater, defroster, and radio remained optional, as well.

 

With total 1959 Corsair output at 9,318, the Corsair was discontinued. For 1959, 2,468 hardtop coupes (2,315 U.S./153 Canada), 1,812 four-door hardtops (1,694 U.S./118 Canada), 1,343 convertibles (all U.S.) and 3,695 four-door sedans (3,301 U.S./394 Canada), were produced; hardtop sales were down 31% in two-doors and 71% in four-doors against 1958. Prices ranged from US$2,812 to $3,072, down some 15% from the previous year.

 

1960

 

For the 1960 model year, Edsel's last, only 2,846 vehicles were produced. All but the pilot cars were assembled at the Louisville, Kentucky assembly plant. The marque was reduced to the Ranger series of sedans, hardtops, convertibles, and the Villager station wagons. Edsels shared basic chassis, glass, and major sheet metal with the 1960 Ford Galaxie and Fairlane models that were built on the Louisville assembly line with them. Though Edsels had a front "split" grille similar to that of the 1959 Pontiac, they did have a unique hood and four upright oblong taillights, along with their side-sweep spears. Edsel front and rear bumpers were also unique.

 

The 1960 Edsels rode on a 120-inch wheelbase, compared to the concurrent Ford's 119-inch span, and they also used a different rear suspension. The cars did, however, share engines and transmissions.

The 1960 Edsel Ranger four-door hardtop model used the thin-pillar Ford Fairlane four-door sedan roofline, as opposed to the squarish roof-line used on the corresponding Ford four-door hardtop, which was exclusive to the Galaxie line. The Galaxie four-door hardtop's rear door trim panel, however, was fitted to the Ranger. This gave Edsel four-door hardtops a unique body style that was never offered on any 1960 Ford-badged vehicle.

 

Discontinuation

 

Ford announced the end of the Edsel program on November 19, 1959. However, production continued until late in November, with the final tally of 2,846 model year 1960 cars. Total Edsel sales were approximately 116,000, less than half the company's projected break-even point. The company lost $350 million, or the equivalent of $2.4 billion in 2018 dollars on the venture. Only 118,287 Edsels were built, including 7,440 produced in Ontario, Canada. By U.S. auto industry standards, these production figures were dismal, particularly when spread across a run of three model years.

by eversonmarsh ift.tt/1l0lEn3

The most overhyped car in the world, the Toyota Supra. Back in 2020, I have seen a purple Supra, but sadly, it disappeared. If you ask about a Supra, it has the usual 2JZ-GE engine, making 280 HP. It's also RHD, which means it was imported from Japan. Not to mention that this car comes from Bulgaria, in the region of Ruse. I love the Supra, but not as much as 12 year old Supra fanboys.

VIDEO: (Coming soon!)

 

••• SCRIPT/LYRICS: •••

 

MOLEMAN'S EPIC RAP BATTLES!!!!!!

 

GARNET…

 

…VS…

 

…FIRESTORM!!!

 

BEGIN!

 

Firestorm:

We could think about what gimmicks convolute our history:

Mixups with Russians, nature-forces and Yoruba witchery,

And we could think of crises wrought on our identity…

Yes, surely…

…But today, let's only think of flaming enemies with fury!

Hey, here comes a question most alarming; not to be dismissed,

And one whose comprehension won't take an atomic physicist:

Why let a contest measure merger-might to choose from we and you

When the answer is plainer than combining two plus freaking two?!

Don't get too cocky, Ronald; let's see this done as it ought to be:

Transmute lit lyrics from raw beats, and lecture blockheads properly!

It's gonna be a far cry from your Brightest Day; I'm going dark,

With aims to end this in a Flash just like my debut story arc!

Complete transparency, now; tip: skip on a kicked-in butt tonight.

Called on and dared to speak out? Quit, not even picking up the mic!

You see your worth as apt for some Gem-world princess, or even goddess,

Yet I wouldn't appraise your value at one-half Nicki Minaj's!

It's a lock, and un-jail-breakable, at that: you're getting blasted;

Your cut's unfit for this face-off, falling flat in every facet.

Why, it's evident: our foe lacks proper grasp of her position,

Just as suits the fruit of reckless, raw romance at first collision!

Molecules are being rewritten, spelling death for sucker golems;

Souring your Sugar sweetness!

That reminds me of a poem… how's it go?

A Ruby's red, and a Sapphire's colored blue;

When they're together, all the better to set fire onto you!

 

Garnet:

It seems your touted tangibility-tweaking tricks are getting screwy:

Though plainly made with fazing aims, your statements phase directly through me!

Fisticuffs raised to the max, I'll put it heavy-handedly:

This space-borne stone immortal's here to Vandalize you Savagely!

Don't think the balanced bond behind a harmonizing master humbled

By the body-bunking counterpart of Simon and Garfunkel;

You're the one Nuclear waste it's best to keep left in the ashcan:

That brute in Supes' ill-fated Quest for Peace was less a hack, man!

Your own saw Lanterns, Squads, the Reds and A-bombs quell your mission;

That's as jacked up as your black successor's break on television!

You'd do well to fission: squishies risk affliction, sticking to that kind of nexus;

It's as if you're mixing in black clouds in morning-time for breakfast.

Hawking off your power-set as something there's no reproducing?

Your old flame Lorraine objects, and check that shared New 52 scene!

Take me on? You're tripping; I could go all Summer Day,

Mad-laughing as you're curse-slapped, your collapse one stone's throw-down away!

 

Firestorm:

I'd hardly call that verse a gem, but do see you're impassioned;

Now, brace for an opposite, unequal nuclear reaction!

I'd advise you set about disarming; keep at trying to battle,

And you'll only fall apart, so turn around, three-eyes: skedaddle!

Put a bubble on your gushing pride, and hear just what I'm made of:

Nobel Prize-commemorated brains and brawn prime for the playoffs…

Oh, and right: the atoms' might, infused not in a tiny me,

But through a union whose inducement gets them splitting violently!

The irony…

These elements comprising me like father, son and holy ghost,

Your cotton candy composition couldn't come remotely close;

These bogglers are built to leave your flipping mind

As broken as that gay love metaphor between two different kinds!

Pursuing this is straight-up suicidal; heed some good advice:

Lest you be undone swiftly as a Slipknot, fleeing would be wise!

Hmm… knots, you say?

Tying yours sure garnered fandom's queerness-touting cheers.

What an accomplishment; it merely took damn-near six thousand years!

Our souls, conjoining, form an epic entelechy, knowing which,

Forgo all hopefulness of cloning this, as shown amiss with Soviets,

You cloying, kitschy clod! As for the riffs you spit haphazardly,

Those bare-bones bars have less meat than the prick who nicked your anthem, G!

Ours? Fine-tuned to the quantum level; spliced into arrangements

Set to shake your union to the brink of thrice-induced estrangement,

And don't count on pulling back together, damaged faith restored,

'Cause just the two of us are stronger than your whole volcanic Megazord!

 

Garnet:

Yeah, I'd imagine you'd know all about that, Orange Ranger,

But your floating mentor-head ought to have warned you to the danger;

What if I told you you'll be blindsided, both blacking-out in quick turn,

When I yank you from the Matrix like my name was Laurence Fishburne?

Known to wreck hard-headed haters, your hot one'll prove no different,

As part-timing casuals get taught the sum of true commitment!

Wanna see a giant of a power couple? I'm your girl; espouse its meaning:

Steady-rocking since mankind, they say, was still fresh out of Eden!

Plus, your Time Squad of a secret team can bite me;

Your whole future's at an end, and naught will tweak it, even slightly!

I mean, blimey: screw false pretense for some cackling magician bull;

That mind-entrapping weeks-long bender? Flatly unforgivable!

I'm dropping bombs; the biggest Ron, his mommy or his pops have seen,

For overkill to match the namesake of a poor man's Constantine:

Destabilizing deconstruction, it'll make them draw a blank.

I'd call your deal a nature-crime; rechristen Raymond: "Ronnie Frank"!

 

Firestorm:

You say your bodyguard-love schtick will never come to dissolution,

Like a pair of mutant, midget technicolor Whitney Houstons!

Think we'll have a problem here?

Now, that's bananas! We'll be home by daylight,

NASA asked that she's seen, fee-free, to her own, one-way flight!

Girl, your jointly self-absorbed felicity's an utter joke;

Make threats of dropping bombs, and watch your dignity go up in smoke!

You're unprepared for prime time, Gemmy! How can you expect to win this

When your origin got upstaged by a Robot Chicken Christmas?

From N.Y.C. streets to Justice Leagues, we've made ourselves a name;

You've kept ones shared with countless drones, all bred and trained to be the same!

I live up to and past the heights of my Star-Spangled heritage;

You aren't worth your own weight at the ideal price per carat, bitch:

You're meritless! You call those palette-swapped foam Hulk props on you gauntlets?

Come at me with them, and catch a flaming knuckle through the faceplate!

Your lame cheeto P.S.A. coach couldn't top this all-new hotness,

So if you can't stand the heat, beam back on up into your safe space.

See all notions that it's nearly so severely hard to beat her

Shattered like the trust invested in her dear, departed leader!

You perceive self-value more-than-constituting both your parts' sum,

But the math says otherwise; check any jewelry broker's charts, hon!

Half of you served in a royal court as its official seer;

You've gone some kind of third-eye-blind, though, if this isn't crystal-clear:

You don't look awesome, and it's time you went to bed!

Now close the deal!

I'll let your godson know that what you did today was choke, for real!

 

Garnet:

Oh, you'll find no exhaustion here; I'm far from prone to break a sweat:

When I wipe the floor with phony-hot shits, it's liable to wind up painted red!

It's viable to say I've wholly got this: child's play, though only for Garnet;

Joining in on it? You're gonna get rolled and left cold, all your folks going: "Oh no, they are dead."

Try on a total toxin-taste: raw space-rock rhymes, created ground-up,

Like your Ogaden oasis, the fate of which I wouldn't take it you're too proud of.

A tenth-level belter, I rep rebel melders:

Test against my mettle? Best inject some Nth; augment your cells, or get to shelter!

It's a song of ice and fire; when you're packing just the latter,

Your whole rhythm-ride's implosion-bound, and plasma's gonna splatter.

As for your nuclear family values? I'm beyond such rigid norms,

With Multiplex strengths, all rolled up inside one monolithic form!

Ever-flowering, love letter-showered, empowering, towering gay-romantic titan,

Shade thrown my way's, with a hand-flick, reflected, and BAM: it's the source who sees dishonor.

Dominant during debates, dissent-drainingly as any achromatic tyrant,

Try shouting this down, and watch me unshakenly pluck out your core; ensure you'll be a goner!

 

………

 

(*SOLO ROUND!*)

 

………

 

Martin Stein:

How's Stein's schooling session's starting something Sapph's supposed to handle?

Kindergarten rooms have brought her whole proud pairing to a standstill!

Singlehandedly one-upping that accursed menagerie,

Observe: in verse, a worse-disturbing blasphemy!

Your present-perspicacity has faltered from foresight-fixation; your taste in soulmates shows, for starters:

Even Jason never sunk to such low standards with his partners!

When this atomic architect takes to the floor,

The only overhyped-up ship that's headed for a wreck is yours!

 

Sapphire:

I see a glorified Jiminy Cricket with a nonexistent sex life.

He will find less clemency afforded here than with his ex-wife!

You've not met a Crystal cold to you as this; you'd better hide:

No psycho on any of infinite Earths could hope to sway me to your side.

Your Doomsday Clock is ticking; precognition needn't spell what's gonna happen,

When the baddest blue boss bombshells 'bout you break since Doc Manhattan's!

This alleged Legend won't see tomorrow: it's apparent you'll be slaughtered;

Deploring the oracle was a mistake just as aberrant as your daughter!

 

Martin Stein:

Hey, h- …Oh, why should I fall back onto dumb distraction-tunes,

When you're as prone to cause your own strikeout, all while we shoot the moon?

Cut with the C.R.A.P.; let this theory of mine be self-fulfilled: you'll cease to diss me,

Lest I cut your lifeline like your Greek ancestors three from Disney!

 

Sapphire:

If that Titanic travesty of trite trash-talk's all you've got,

Then it's no inner-fascist speaking when I say you should be shot!

Though I'd have warned you, that would be to squander breath for me; I know this:

You'd be heedless even with a quarter-century of notice!

 

Ruby:

Hit the streets, relapsed to homelessness: you'll want to keep anonymous;

A fuming-to-the-brim stone's bent on bringing your Apokalips!

The CW can have Ms. Kane informed on termination:

There was no room for her once this Ruby rose to the occasion!

 

Ronnie Raymond:

It was plain why you would be a cowboy: shit got polarizing.

Now, take one more comic page to heart: ride into the horizon;

No horsebacking, though! Try force-propelled ascension through the sky;

Yo, when you get to space's vacuum, tell your brethren I said "Hi",

And like the Happy of those five red dwarves reneged on standing with you,

Just back down from whence you've stepped up. Better yet, abandon ship, too!

Gangster-rapping worthily of some Dakotaversal bang-baby,

Watch this meta-S.T.A.R. extinguish your eternal flame, baby!

 

Ruby:

Funny you'd mention horizons: the events that I discern

Are painting you abyss-inbound, and past the point of no return!

Your jerkhole gripes and talking smack? I wouldn't fly to such judgments, were I to be you;

Full-circled like a Tokamak, your lapped back attacks will bite you something entirely new!

 

Ronnie Raymond:

A tempered temper lends to endless energy attained to blow through;

Rage has got you burning out, and that's my okay to K.O. you,

So let's leave the hero business to myself and the professor,

Making sure they'll see the written notice of your surrend

er!

 

Ruby:

Have you turned your own brains to jelly?! You're intoxicated; face it:

Flying off the rails, you'll plummet to rock bottom, getting wasted!

I'm out to bring hurt beyond mere heartbreak, and thus, your wounds yet need more salting,

Like your record's blackest mark, which Rusch won't soon let be forgotten!

Sapphire: That was rotten, alright; biting to look back upon as Sodom's burning.

White light this night, too, will end your torment, though with no returning!

Ruby: Or, in more straightforward wording: DIE. You must be nuts,

'Cause if the wedding stage didn't clue you in…

R+S: Today belongs to us!

 

Martin Stein:

I'll gladly rain on your reunion, jerks; it's time to face the truth:

You're plainly out of it as any circus sideshow saber-tooth!

Ronnie Raymond: If the professor is the passenger beside my pilot, punks,

That puts you as the ones blindfolded, bound and gagged inside our trunk!

Firestorm: You've walked Earth since prehistory?

Well, let's address the elephant…

A flung-back Furby's apt to outpace your epochal relevance!

You'll soon return to purpose-lacking, playing parent off the table,

Once our 'verses clash, and Steven takes an arrow in the navel!

 

Ruby:

Dude; leukemia is one thing, but those bars of your creation?

Sapphire: Cancerous beyond the help of your most cosmic incarnation!

R+S: Striking with a shadow's subtle grace, yet shining steel's lethality,

You may think it's Injustice, but we're winning by fatality! (Frosty!)

(*♪, ♪-♪-♪, ♪-♪*)

Garnet: You're getting throttled,

Harder than you dropped the ball with Brainiac's whole ship of bottles!

Take a moment to think, now, of just how very wrong you were, disputing me:

A clear-cut polymerized paragon; let no-con-fusion be.

 

?????????:

The trigger word's been stated! Now, my trap is activated;

Thus, the trump card's played in my fair maiden's name, so sayeth I!

The coming game's experience? You bums should take to fearing it,

Because it's time to D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-DIE!

 

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon:

I'm the overkill O.G. of owning old O.C.G. scenes; don't test me:

M.C. B.E.U.D. on the track? Best bet that it's your Death-T!

I inflict direct attacks; take life points down to zero, no doubt,

For this joke of a Gem-Knight and Elemental HERO dropout!

I drop right on in, without a brutal cost; sans Cyber-Stein:

Bring triple threats, converging onto Ruby, Ron, Sapphire and Stein!

You're all exhausted; left defenseless as a goblin-force one-shotter:

Losing hands dealt to you all played-out, and now I strike like Yata

Garasu, to lock you pussy Fusionists in strangleholds!

You'd never bend my will in shining armor forged of rarest gold.

In terms of targets fixed upon you, you'll have no chance to Scapegoat it:

One fell burst-stream's zapping your whole sheepish quartet of components!

Weighing you against me, the Millennium Scales will tip so hard,

You'll catapult, with robo-turtles wishing they could flick as far.

You're standing on the edge; ensuing shock is sure to wreck your balance,

Come the baddest dragon's dark discharge from his Zorc Necrophallus!

Need I spell it out? Your destiny is FINAL; undisputed!

As for changing fate, moreover, that's my job, with gods tributed!

Crushing you, why would I spring some virus? That ain't worth my time,

When all your values at their highest couldn't match a third of mine!

The legend that began it all: oft-mimicked, never replicated.

My pot runneth over; it's not necessary to explain it!

You'll beg for some shadow penalty, such twistedness you'll face;

For those who come in behind Blue-Eyes, a Limp Bizkit's what they taste!

 

Firestorm:

Self-special-summoning into our double-duel? Screw that whole deal;

If I had wanted a royale, I'd just be playing Battlefield!

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon: Don't drag this out with dialogue, delaying; I haven't got all day,

And when this card is heartless to you, how can you so much as pray?

Garnet: Well, I'd say you've let your defenses down, and I ain't talking misprints:

Your effect on me's, put simply as your text box, nonexistent!

 

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon:

It's the rapper-kingdom finals, whelp; that isn't gonna fly:

Those one-star-studded gauntlets plainly tell that you're unqualified!

I've got you insects flipping out, but doing so won't serve to bite me,

For your lot's too basic!

Lusterless!

Dull!

…Let alone worthy to ride me,

While I shine on ever brightly, even scaled down for the big screen;

Steal the thunder of Gate-Guards: my lyrics' layout's labyrinthine!

This collective looks combustion-bound, face flared up; in a frenzy,

But I've felled far more infernal red-eyed monsters full of envy.

Cards here stacked against you steeper still than Reshef of Destruction,

White light's sealing your demise, so though you guessed correct on one thing,

Know my arsenal's evolved to make for new alternatives;

With chaos rituals to maximize the pain, I'll burn you, bitch!

Watch me send this three-eyed sucker straight to the grave; negate a compensating deck search:

End malformed mashups' miseries, like the doggy saying "Edward"!

 

Garnet:

Oh, you can banish that shit; try, instead, Fullmetal Jacket,

'Cause I have to ask it: what is your mammoth malfunction, maggot?!

Firestorm: I have had it with these Muto-fighting dragons, coalesced as one,

But for us coming back from this hijacking, hopes look next to none…

Our best's yet unexhausted…

Garnet: The sole option left to take here…

Firestorm: …Should we all agree we want it.

Garnet: …Would be nuclear in nature.

Firestorm: Are you thinking what I am?

Garnet: I don't think that's how fusion works.

Firestorm: Well, screw the rules; we have fan fiction logic!

Garnet: Let's just do this, jerk…

 

………

 

Garnetstorm:

Know your last-minute winning plays; details: I take no pleasure in this

As I bust loose from our tightest spot and get direct to business,

No less vocal for it, mind you, while I counter-steal the show,

And finish what your master started, with one down, and three to go!

These blows will knock you sideways, keeping up the damage all the same,

With meteoric impacts fit to fuel your blackest rival's flames!

I'm breaking your sustaining chains; those of my components' restraint, too:

But four pieces here need come together to obliterate you!

Brightly-blazing stone conglomerate, far from some shadow puppet:

Mega-mixture; this vanilla triple-dipper can go shove it!

If you're triple-A, call me the alphabet's whole backmost leg;

No Toonish trickery required, I'll deflect attacks all day!

My fighting spirit's too intense to stay; my presence here is fleeting,

But the Last Turn is upon us, and you're set for searing beating!

Wanna end this with a draw? I'll go Berserker, then: get violent,

And remake Destroy All Monsters; stomp out this tri-headed tyrant.

 

WHO WON?

 

WHO'S NEXT?

 

I DECIDE!

 

MOLE…

 

…MAN'S…

 

HA!

 

…EPIC RAP BATTLES!!!!!!!

Tonight is a Micromoon, meaning that the moon is at apogee (the greatest distance from Earth during its orbit)... so it is basically the opposite of a Supermoon. Supermoons are great and bright, but I think they get overhyped and people assume them to be way brighter than the average full moon. A micromoon still casts shadows, still appears bright, and still overwhelms the light of many stars. If it happens to be clear tonight, take a look up and see if this full moon looks any less bright to you!

 

This photo was actually taken 2 nights ago several miles west of Rapid City, South Dakota, so the moon isn't quite full, but I hope you can still get the idea. Also... I did an absolutely horrible job at holding still for 30 seconds, because after about 10 seconds, the mosquitoes started devouring me and I could not stop from swatting them.

Edsel is an automobile marque that was planned, developed, and manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1958 to 1960. With the Edsel brand, Ford had expected to make significant inroads into the market share of both General Motors and Chrysler and close the gap between itself and GM in the domestic American automotive market. Ford invested heavily in a yearlong teaser campaign leading consumers to believe that Edsels were the cars of the future – an expectation they failed to meet. After being unveiled to the public, they were considered to be unattractive, overpriced, and overhyped. Edsels never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. The Ford Motor Company lost $250 million[2] on Edsel development, manufacturing, and marketing.

#2607 - 2015 Day 50: A night in with no commitments to either photography or cricket is a rare luxury, so I treated myself to not a wee dram of the Dalwhinnie - golden, warming and long on the taste.

 

It was a case of feet up in front of the telly. And no, it was NOT that overhyped soap that causes me to switch channels if I ever get as far as hearing its first drumbeat ...

Toyota leader Akio Toyoda at Hero City in 2014, before our lively dinner with Elon Musk. He returned to Japan to abruptly cancel their EV vehicles in favor of hydrogen fuel cells.

 

And today, as Japan considers an EV mandate, Akio warns that “the current business model of the car industry is going to collapse.” — WSJ

 

• 2014 news: "Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, discusses why Toyota is abandoning the pure electric Toyota RAV4 EV in favor of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. According to Lentz, BEVs are only viable in “a select way, in short-range vehicles that take you that extra mile, from the office to the train, or home to the train, as well as being used on large campuses." As for Toyota' investment in Tesla, Lentz sarcastically says "It's done ok." Perhaps the biggest understatement ever"

 

Our 2014 dinner was at the Village Pub, with Akio, Elon, me and J.B., CTO and co-founder of Tesla. It was a bit surreal. Akio proudly showed us a snazzy video of the "iCar" — a connected vehicle of the future. It reminded me of the "Knowledge Navigator" video that Sculley produced at Apple. Both leaders were unable to convey a future product vision of their own. Akio just played the video a second time. We were mystified.

 

He also said how envious he was of Elon and his ability to effect change at Tesla. At Toyota, by contrast, "every meeting I attend has 100 people in it, and the people most knowledgeable about the subject matter will not speak." I am not sure why he shared that with us.

Canonet QL17 (early version)

Fuji Superia 100 expired (date unknown)

 

Vignetting added in PP

  

These early Canonets are doomed to live under the shadow of their more modern, overhyped descendant, the QL17 GIII. They are a bit larger than the GIII but not very much so and they are otherwise better cameras with superior build quality (only hints of plastic here and there), equally silent shutter and a much better viewfinder, very close in overall feel to that of M-Leicas if you can get one with a contrasty RF patch which can be a gamble.