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"How fair do you want the elections to be Sir" The question came from senior civil servant G. Muenuddin then working as Chief Election Commissioner. It was posed to the all powerful President of Pakistan Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan, N.Pk., H.J., in 1964. Ayub had not yet fallen out with the powers that be nor was there any major or visible internal dissent. Nor yet had be suffered from pulmonary embolism till then. What he therefore said was the law. "As fair as practicable" came the cryptic reply. The Field Marshal had a formidable opponent. It was no less a person than the Founder of Pakistan's sister Ms. Fatima Jinnah. The orders had been issued nevertheless. Mueenuddin was a senior member of the Indian Civil Service whose name appeared third in the gradation list of ICS turned CSP officers, appearing immediately after Justice A. R. Cornelius and Justice S. A. Rehman. Ayub Khan ruled Pakistan exclusively through his civil servants. His reliance on them was indeed so great that Yahya Khan erroneously believing that the civil service was responsible for Ayub's downfall, tried to cow them down and fell on his face. Anyway to cut a long story short, the elections could and would only be that much fair as was consistent with Ayub Khan winning them. He won - although Ms. Jinnah swept Karachi, Dacca and Chittagong!
But let us go a little back in time before this uncanny conversation. It is 1947 and the Indian sub-continent is about to be divided. A fierce argument is in process between two men. One is not only the Viceroy and Governor General of India but also the cousin of the British monarch, Lord Mountbatten. The other is a polished and brilliant lawyer in the old Anglo-Saxon tradition who liked to be called plain Mr. Jinnah. Mountbatten was trying to force and intimidating Jinnah to accept him as first Governor General of Pakistan just the way Nehru had accepted him in India. Jinnah wanted to be Governor General himself and had an intense dislike and distrust of Mountbatten who mentioned, "But Mr. Jinnah, all the powers will be with the Prime Minister". Mr. Jinnah firmly replied, "In Pakistan I will be Governor General and the Prime Minister will do what I tell him to do." The argument was over. Some opine that this decision led to the inclusion of Gurdaspur in India giving it a clear route to Jammu and Kashmir, as Mountbatten tampered with the Radcliffe Award.
But let us move on. Pakistan came into being - Jinnah was revered and the governance of Pakistan proceeded as planned by him without even an inkling of dissent from any corner. The Secretary General Cabinet Chaudhry Muhammad Ali of the Indian Audits and Accounts Service was also made head of the Planning Committee (not to be confused with the Planning Commission) to determine what decisions could be made by the Prime Minister and his cabinet and which needed to be made by the Governor General. Things proceeded seemingly well but something was amiss. Jinnah remarked to Sindh Premier M. A. Khuhro, "The Prime Minister is average and most of his cabinet is below average." It was true that there was a huge gap in the stature of the Quaid-i-Azam and the men who constituted the new Government in Pakistan. Yet the absolute parting of the ways came with the inauguration of the State Bank of Pakistan on July 1, 1948. After that no one saw Mr. Jinnah until the Secretary General Cabinet called a physician weeks later to tell him to proceed to Ziarat. When asked who the patient was, the reply was significant, "the Quaid-i-Azam". The rest of the story is rather murky and need not be repeated here. Mr. Jinnah returned to Karachi but only to die within 3-4 hours, two of which were spent in an ambulance devoid of fuel. The Prime Minister arrived at Government House Karachi weeping bitterly only after Mr. Jinnah's soul had left his body.
As the Government of Pakistan gradually came out of mourning, the pious and ineffective Khwaja Nazimuddin was installed as the Governor General and the Prime Minister soon emerged as one of the most powerful in the history of Pakistan. As with Mr. Jinnah, there was virtually no dissent against Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan - at least - not then - except from one source. That was Ms. Fatima Jinnah, the sister of the Founder of Pakistan who lived on to tell her tales. In 1949 two pages of her book My Brother, specifically directed against the Prime Minister and Secretary General Cabinet, were censored out. Much later they were published in Q. U. Shahab's memoirs Shahabnaama by the time Liaquat Ali Khan had been assassinated, half a dozen more prime ministers changed through palace intrigues and two martial laws had been imposed. Naturally by that time Ms. Jinnah's assertions could neither harm nor benefit anyone of the worldly wise people running Pakistan and Shahab could publish the two pages. Ms. Jinnah had died by then of - mysterious causes, to say the least.
Then came the early nineties. Lady Sughra Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah asserted that Ms. Jinnah had actually been assassinated. The news got a one column heading in the Dawn. Lady Hidayatullah couldn't have chosen a worse timing for her disclosures.
Pakistan was then caught up in an unfortunate controversy at that time. It had been pointed out in the Supreme Court that while after the death of Gen Ziaul Haq, the court was just about to announce its judgment reverting Muhammad Khan Junejo as Prime Minister and indeed even his security escort had arrived, a courier came in the way of all that. The courier was a Law Minister and future Senate Chairman, the message was from the most powerful man of Pakistan (not to be confused with President Ishaq Khan) to the Chief Justice to let the will of the people prevail. It was one of those things that should not have happened but had happened yet could not be admitted by anyone under any pretext and hence tempers were running loose. During the process, the Chief Justice remarked that even God could not stop him from reaching the truth, immediately provoking a blasphemy charge against him. It was in these conditions that the good Lady Hidayatullah said what she said.
After around a decade came Ms. Jinnah's centenary in 2003 happened with one of her bodyguards in the Muslim League Zafrullah Khan Jamali in the saddle as Prime Minister. Ms. Jinnah had even condoled the death of the then prime minister's uncle Mir Jaffer Khan Jamali exactly three months before her own death. However, there were the same rituals with wreaths of flowers oh her grave and all the politically correct statements delivered.
As the centenary fervour seemed to die down, I sent a widely distributed email maintaining that, “It is high time that the nation attains a level of maturity whereby it can come to terms with certain realities and attempt to address certain unanswered questions relating to her (Miss Jinnah’s) life... The lady was ostracized, persecuted and marginalized to a point that people had even forgotten about her existence when she decided to take on Field Marshal Ayub Khan in the 1964 presidential elections. The manner in which the elections were conducted and their unfortunate aftermath are known to all”. I went on to ask, “What is the real truth? Will the teeming millions of Pakistan ever be considered worthy enough of being taken into confidence about these pranks played by a few chosen ones? And those naïve people amongst us who think that our press is free should reconsider their opinion. The real truth is simply not for consumption of the ordinary mortals in Pakistan”.
And lo and behold - a couple of days later celebrated lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada came up with the revelation that Ms. Jinnah had actually been murdered. This was President Ayub Khan's Attorney General talking and he immediately came within the mischief of 5-6 articles of the Pakistan Penal Code for not disclosing something which was in his knowledge relating to a heinous crime. And so the matter was again hushed up.
Let us again go back in time. Mr. (later Justice) Javed Iqbal narrates in his memoirs that he was told during the late fifties or early sixties that he would make a good Law Minister of West Pakistan and advised by a friend to meet the Central Law Minister. The gentleman in question, Mr. Khursheed expresses surprise and remarks, "but you are a decent person" adding hastily "we are looking for a rogue!". The powers that be's eyes fell on Ghulam Nabi Memon who was appointed to that position. Any matter relating to Ms. Jinnah death ends up with mention of Ghulam Nabi Memon, Hon'ble Law Minister of West Pakistan and the not so honourable Commissioner of Karachi Syed Darbar Ali Shah, who was later dismissed by Yahya Khan.
Going through her apolitical activities, I find that she was chief patron of the National TB Association as it was then called for decades and took an active part in TB prevention and control. She donated 100,000 rupees in 1962 to the Sindh Madressah Board allowing it to prosper as per her brother's desire. She went about performing inaugural ceremonies of colleges and universities, with a keen focus on women's issue. The 1964 elections (actually January 1, 1965) demonstrated that had she come in power, she could have served as an indispensable bridge between East and West Pakistan and perhaps reversed the tide set in motion to the contrary almost immediately after the creation of Pakistan.
Ms. Jinnah was found dead in her bed on July 9, 1967 indicating that close to 52 years have gone by. Will someone ever tell what happened after she slept the earlier night? It is clear that those governing Pakistan had seen one Jinnah and dreaded the prospect of another ruling Pakistan. Ayub Khan would not even allow her brother's tomb to be completed and it remained a dome of mud for over 2 decades. Then as Khaled Ahmed noted in 2003 the lady "revealed too much too soon in our history". Writing in the Daily Times in 2003 , Sir Cam questioned: And who strangled Miss Jinnah? Even if not physically throttled, she was strangled by the ‘system’. Like millions of ordinary people every day.
So be it - this country didn't deserve the Jinnahs, it deserved charlatans or worse! May her soul rest in eternal peace.
Copyright: Dr Ghulam Nabi kazi
Goddess Durga (துர்கை), who is the fierce form of Goddess Devi, shows the duality inherent in all mothers. Devi is a loving, caring woman for her children, while Durga protects them from evil or corrects them when they go awry.
Blessings on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace,
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Infancy's the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mother's first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow--
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Woman, how divine your mission
Here upon our natal sod!
Keep, oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky--
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
~ William Ross Wallace
This poem (of the photo's title) praises motherhood as the preeminent force for change in the world. The poem was first published in 1865 under the title "What Rules The World".
[View this panorama Large on Black]
This is the famous Cauvery/Ponni river in South India, which is also called as the Ganges of the South here. Rivers are treated as Mother Goddess in India for wherever she flows flourishes by her blessings. Based on Ponni, there is a legendary historical novel in Tamil named Ponniyin Selvan, by Kalki R. Krishnamurthy. Meaning 'The Son of Ponni'. This novel is very unique in lot of aspects.
The novel is based on Raja Raja Chola the great Tamil king, of Chola Dynasty, who is still known for building the first ever complete granite temple, The Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, India built in the 11th century AD, now a well maintained UNESCO world heritage site by the name The Great Living Chola Temples. This Shiva temple has a Nandhi (sacred bull) monolithic granite statue of about 16 feet long and 13 feet high. The entire temple structure is made out of hard granite stones, a material sparsely available currently in Thanjavur area where the temple is located, meaning it was ported to Thanjavur from some place.
This temple has tablets that speak of the important happenings during Raja Raja Chola's times. The reasons this story is nail-biting is that, him being the last son of his father, and a person who hates the idea of kingship and likes to be a part of vox populi, had almost no chance of getting the throne. A succession of events including betrayal, love, loyalty, friendship and a lot of fate, eventually forced him to become King. And he turned out to be one of the most known, accomplished and successful King in Indian History. These event logs in the temple were researched by Krishnamurthy, the novel's author. He made a fiction based on those events I.e. the key resultant events stay unaltered in his novel, while the dialogues, in-between happenings which could have led to the actual result was weaved by him.
Krishnamurthy was a freedom fighter who started a weekly named Kalki, which later became his pen-name. In this weekly he wrote this historical novel. Before it was published as a 5 volume complete novel, originally it was as a weekly serialised novel written in the pre-independent India. This is the longest ever serialised weekly novel, running a period of 3.5 years. My grandma still recounts how she fights with her brother when she was 12, to grab the subscription copy first :) After the last episode, many wrote letters to him on why did he stop the story. He rightly replies that "mine is not a complete fiction novel to go on writing on pipe dreams, but this is a portrayal of an age, and I don't wanna kill it by overdoing it". This reply of his, came a week after the last episode, as an epilogue.
Almost all of my family members, including me have read it, and yes its my most favourite novel ever. Due to its success, it was translated and published in English by McMillan publishers. This novel has almost 4 sequels written, and still a lot of budding new novelists in Tamil quote this as an inspiration.
Btw, this is my first attempt on a stitch/panorama. Shot freehand using Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 (which doesn't have a stitch assist/panorama mode). Pardom me, if it was too descriptive, couldn't cut out any line.
rejectedprincesses: Khutulun: the Wrestler Princess (1260-1306) So that was a hell of a first week for this site. First, a small announcement: yes, I am working on an RP book. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but someday! Want to know more, sign up on this mailing list - no spam, I promise. (also I tweaked all the text throughout the entire signup process to be as amusing as possible) Second: I had several mistakes in the writeups when I launched this — some big, some small. More details at the end of this post, but for now: go back and re-read Nzinga Mbande’s entry, please. Other ones were tweaked, expanded, qualified, but hers was outright corrected. Now on to the newest Rejected Princess: Khutulun, Khan princess of 10,000 horses. Quickly, a bit of background on the Khans’ Mongol Empire, in case you don’t know much - bottom line, it was a big deal. At its height, it was the largest contiguous empire in human history, stretching from China to Europe and the Middle East. The whole thing was started by Genghis Khan (maybe you’ve heard of him), who unified a number of nomadic tribes under a single banner. While he did bring many advances to the regions he conquered (religious tolerance, increased trade, meritocracy — all good things), you probably know him more for his reputation for brutality. Certainly he was known for it back in the day, too. And it was not undeserved. Here’s an example: buddy once conquered a nation called the Khwarezmid Empire. Right after taking control, he decided to erase it from existence, burning towns to the ground and killing everyone in its government. He went so far as to divert a river through the deposed emperor’s birthplace, wiping it off the map. This sort of thing was what he was known for, and it was those warlike traits that he passed down to his descendants. Khutulun was his great-great-granddaughter. By 1260, the year Khutulun was born, the Mongol Empire was starting to fray at the seams, and civil war was imminent. Basically, some of the Khans — Khutulun’s father Kaidu among them — favored the old ways of riding, shooting, and other trappings of the nomadic lifestyle, while Kublai Khan — Kaidu’s uncle — was more into politics, governing well, and other things that no doubt bored the average Mongol to tears. Eventually Kaidu and Kublai began outright warring against each other, in a conflict that would last thirty years. Throughout this, Kaidu relied on one person above all others when it came to military expertise, and, spoiler alert, it was not any of his 14 sons — it was Khutulun. So, Khutulun: as you could imagine, growing up with 14 brothers in an old-school nomadic Mongolian household, she had no shortage of testosterone around her at any given time. She grew up to be incredibly skilled with riding horses and shooting bows — Marco Polo, history’s greatest tourist, described her thusly: "Sometimes she would quit her father’s side, and make a dash at the host of the enemy, and seize some man thereout, as deftly as a hawk pounces on a bird, and carry him to her father; and this she did many a time." I mean, picture that. You’re up against a horde of Mongolian warriors riding into battle. You’re tracking the movements of this huge chunk of stolid soldiers, trying to read which way they’re going. Suddenly, one of them — a woman, no less — darts out from the group, picks off a random person in your group, and runs back, before you even know what’s happened. That’s intimidating as fuck. But all of this paled in comparison next to her skill with wrestling. The Mongols of Kaidu Khan’s clan valued physical ability above all things. They bet on matches constantly, and if you won, people thought you were literally gifted by the gods. Now, these weren’t your modern day matches, separated out by things like weight class and gender — anyone could and did wrestle anyone else, and they’d keep going until one of them hit the floor. This was the environment in which Khutulun competed. Against men. Of all shapes and sizes. She was undefeated. Now, okay, back up. How can we be sure of that? Well, according to Marco Polo (and this is corroborated by other historians of the time, including Rashid al-Din), papa Kaidu desperately wanted to see his daughter Khutulun married, but she refused to do so unless her potential suitor was able to beat her in wrestling. So she set up a standing offer, available to all comers: beat her and she’d marry you. Lose, and you give her 100 horses. She ended up with 10,000 horses and no husband. Now, in these sorts of texts, 10,000 is like saying “a million.” It’s shorthand for “so many I can’t count them all” — you may also remember that Mai Bhago also fought 10,000 Mughals at Khidrana. While 10,000 may have been hyperbolic, suffice to say, it was a truly ludicrous amount of horses, supposedly rivaling the size of the emperor’s herds. She remained this stubborn about marriage even as she got older and pressure mounted on her to marry. Marco Polo tells of a time where a cockier-than-average suitor challenged her. This dude was so confident that he bet 1,000 horses instead of the usual hundred. Apparently he was a decent fella, too, because Kaidu and his wife really dug him. Khutulun’s parents approached her privately and begged her to just throw the match. Just lose intentionally, they said, so you can marry this totally decent guy. She walked away from that match 1,000 horses richer. Unfortunately, due to her stubborn refusal to take a husband, people began to talk. Rumors began to spread around the empire that she was having an incestuous affair with her father (these sorts of slanderous rumors, you may begin to note, are a recurrent problem for historical Rejected Princesses). Realizing the problems her refusal to marry was causing for her family, she did finally apparently settle down with someone — although who, exactly, is subject to some debate. Whoever it was never beat her at wrestling, though. Near the end of his life, Kaidu attempted to install Khutulun as the next Khan leader, only to meet stiff resistance from others — particularly Khutulun’s many brothers. Instead, a rival named Duwa was appointed to be Great Khan, and Khutulun’s story here begins to slide into obscurity. Five years after Kaidu’s death, Khutulun died under unknown circumstances, at the age of forty-six. Afterwards, the Mongol Empire, particularly the more nomadic factions, began to crumble. Khutulun could be considered one of the last great nomadic warrior princesses. After her death, she was forgotten for centuries. She only began her comeback to historical prominence starting in 1710 when a Frenchman named Francois Petis de La Croix, while putting together his biography of Genghis Khan, wrote a story based on Khutulun. This story was called Turandot (“Turkish Daughter”), but it was greatly changed from the facts of her life. In it, Turandot challenged her suitors with riddles instead of wrestling matches, and if they failed her challenge, they were killed. Centuries later, in the early 1900s, the story of Turandot was turned into an Italian opera — except, getting even farther from Khutulun’s actual history, the opera became about a take-no-nonsense woman finally giving in to love. Ugh. But while the West may have totally rewritten history with its recasting of Khutulun into Turandot, Mongolia continues to honor Khutulun’s actual story to this day. The traditional outfit worn by Mongolian wrestlers is conspicuously open-chest — the reason being to show that the wrestler is not a woman, in deference to the undefeated Khutulun. ART NOTES: The scene is set at night as a reference to Khutulun’s Turkish name of Aijaruc (used by Marco Polo), meaning “moonlight”. She wears a silver medal around her neck — this is a gergee (also known as paiza), a medallion given by the Great Khan that signifies the power of the holder. It was usually reserved for men. Most women instead used seals to signifiy their status — Khutulun is the only woman ever mentioned as owning a gergee. Her outfit is not a wrestling outfit by any stretch, but Mongolian fashion is so bright, colorful, and interesting, that I wanted to show that off. The outfit I chose is mostly based off of a man’s outfit, but given that she had many masculine qualities, I thought that was okay. For alternate takes on how she might have looked, check out “additional information,” below. She was described by Marco Polo as being broad and powerfully-built. This obviously doesn’t square very well with the standard aesthetic of animated princesses, so I tried to meet in the middle on it. She’s noticeably broader than everyone else I’ve drawn, but she’s also angled in such a way that it’s a bit hard to tell. The idea for her pose was inspired by portraits of noblewomen sitting demurely with their hands in their laps. The background is filled with horses and yurts — the Mongols of Kaidu’s tribe almost certainly slept in yurts. Well, technically, the Mongolians called them gers (thanks theredfolio!), but I just love the word yurt (which is Russian, a group whom the Mongolians hated). I’m sorry, ancient Mongola. I can’t help saying it. Yurt. Yurt yurt yurt. Kaidu (seen in the background laughing his ass off) was actually a smaller, thinner man, supposedly with only 9 hairs on his entire head. That isn’t what I portrayed, but the point of him being in the image was to have him laugh, so I went for a more bowl-full-of-jelly kind of design instead. They are, of course, on the Mongolian steppe. The wrestling match described by Marco Polo actually happened in a palace, but I wanted to capture her nomadic nature. Also, moonlight. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This article is probably the most in-depth overview of her life that I’ve found yet. It’s written by Jack Weatherford, who wrote an entire book on female Mongols. This short comic about her life (by the inimitable Molly Ostertag, whose webcomic Strong Female Protagonist just finished a successful Kickstarter campaign) is pretty great. The Book of Sir Marco Polo the Venetian: Concerning the Kingdoms (volume 2) - my primary source. Only talks about Khutulun for a few pages, but the whole thing is pretty great. Marco Polo is just a trip to read. A handful of people wrote in to suggest her, but the first was my brother, so credit goes to him. He wants to remain anonymous, and I have seven brothers in all (a lot, but nowhere near Khutulun levels), so hopefully that should be a decent smokescreen. BOOKKEEPING (I know, this entry is never ending) Like I’d said earlier, I’ve made corrections to almost all of the entries since initially launching this last Wednesday. I highly recommend going back to read, at bare minimum, the entries for Nzinga, Fredegund, and Sita. Many thanks to those who wrote in with additional information. A word specifically on Nzinga. No other way to put it, I fucked up her writeup. I knew a fair bit of the more outlandish claims should be treated as rumor, and thought I’d indicated as such on the page. It was not until it had been up for maybe 3 or 4 days that I realized the language didn’t indicate that at all. It took me that long because nobody wrote me about it — maybe you reblogged me, but I’m new to tumblr, and trying to keep up with stuff here is like drinking from a firehose. I found out about this by stumbling upon communities of people (understandably) angrily talking about it, and about me, which was a bummer. I fixed it once I realized that and am trying to get to the bottom of the historical source of those rumors for future edits to her entry. If you take one thing from this, it’s that, if you see inaccuracies, let me know. If you take another thing from it, it’s that history’s hard to get right. I cover a bit of this in an interview here. This site was originally just some cute doodles I did for my friends about some stories I’d read about online and poked around with at the library. I put it on tumblr so my friends could share with their friends, and suddenly it’s on Huffington Post and I’m being held up to a professional standards. I’m doing my best to meet them (I hope that shows in the incredibly long post about Khutulun). However, I should have done better from the get-go. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize for getting her entry wrong. I want this to be a place where people can trust the information portrayed, and get interested in history themselves. From here out, I’m going to try and provide sources wherever possible. I hope that you’ll forgive me this inaccuracy and keep reading in the future. And as a gift for reading this far, here’s a daily affirmation. Tune in next week for another princess. Here’s a hint: fight for Pedro! I’ve posted about Khutulun before, and talked about her at the Once and Future Badass panel at WisCon! I think she would make an amazing princess for a movie…more about women of color in history here.
This is an excerpt of a much longer writeup in Popular Photography around the launch of the Canon AE-1. Clearly the editors recognize what a groundbreaking SLR this is, using electronics and simplified manufacturing to offer most of the Canon EF's functionality in a much cheaper and lighter package. Canon's statement that they reduced the parts-count of this model by 300 pieces is rather astonishing.
Also notable is the way the Olympus OM-1 has already become the reference standard for camera size. Comparing the size of the AE-1 to Canon's own FTb is an indication of how influential this downsizing trend had become. Even just-introduced Pentax models would rather quickly be replaced by smaller alternatives.
The AE-1 became one of Canon's all-time sales hits, produced in the millions. As an affordable autoexposure model, it became the starter camera for countless amateurs; and it is the subject of great affectionate nostalgia in some quarters. It must be acknowledged that the cost-reduced manufacturing did not result in the the most robust construction, and other cameras might represent a better choice for a film newbie today.
All the books I finished reading in 2014. I did a giant writeup about them over at my site:
Strange Relation: A Memoir of Marriage, Dementia, and Poetry - Rachel Hadas • Download our podcast
Searching for Zion: The Quest for Home in the African Diaspora - Emily Raboteau • Download our podcast
Comics Art - Paul Gravett • Download our podcast
Black Cracker - Josh Alan Friedman • Download our podcast
Stern - Bruce Jay Friedman • Download our podcast
About Harry Towns - Bruce Jay Friedman • Download our podcast
The Current Climate - Bruce Jay Friedman • Download our podcast
Lucky Bruce: A Literary Memoir - Bruce Jay Friedman (r) • Download our podcast
A Mother's Kisses - Bruce Jay Friedman • Download our podcast
The World of Yesterday - Stefan Zweig (tr. Anthea Bell)
Visible City - Tova Mirvis • Download our podcast
The Elephants Teach: Creative Writing Since 1880 - D.G. Myers • Download our podcast
Hyde - Daniel Levine • Download our podcast
Not pictured: The Bookshop - Penelope Fitzgerald
The Cold Song - Linn Ullmann • Download our podcast: part 1 & part 2
Mortality - Christopher Hitchens
Not pictured: This Is Where We Came In: Intimate Glimpses - Lynne Sharon Schwartz • Download our podcast
All That Is - James Salter
The Divine Comedy, Vol. 1: Inferno - Dante Alighieri (tr. Durling)
The Divine Comedy, Vol. 2: Purgatorio - Dante Alighieri (tr. Durling)
The Impossible Exile: Stefan Zweig at the End of the World - George Prochnik • Download our podcast
Secrecy - Rupert Thomson • Download our podcast
The Divine Comedy, Vol. 3: Paradiso - Dante Alighieri (tr. Durling)
Not pictured: Solaris - Stanislaw Lem (r)
Nose Down, Eyes Up - Merrill Markoe • Download our podcast
Bleeding Edge - Thomas Pynchon
Never Mind - Edward St. Aubyn
The Incentive of the Maggot: Poems - Ron Slate • Download our podcast
Bad News - Edward St. Aubyn
The Great Wave: Poems - Ron Slate • Download our podcast
Some Hope - Edward St. Aubyn
Mother's Milk - Edward St. Aubyn
At Last - Edward St. Aubyn
My Face for the World to See - Alfred Hayes
The Horned Man - James Lasdun • podcast coming soonish!
The Literary Churchill: Author, Reader, Actor - Jonathan Rose • Download our podcast
Doll Palace - Sara Lippmann • Download our podcast
Last Night - James Salter
Where To?: A Hack Memoir - Dmitry Samarov • Download our podcast
The Wife - Meg Wolitzer
The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
Backing Into Forward: A Memoir - Jules Feiffer • Download our podcast
I Only Read It for the Cartoons: The New Yorker's Most Brilliantly Twisted Artists - Richard Gehr • Download our podcast
Not pictured: Mr. Wicker - Maria Alexander • Download our podcast
The Getaway Car: A Donald Westlake Nonfiction Miscellany - Donald Westlake (ed. Levi Stahl)
Give + Take - Stona Fitch • podcast coming soon!
Senseless - Stona Fitch • podcast coming soon!
All Those Vanished Engines - Paul Park • podcast coming soon!
Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade - Walter Kirn • podcast maybe sorta coming soonish?
Not pictured: A Princess of Roumania - Paul Park • podcast coming soon!
Death Comes for the Archbishop - Willa Cather
Visit www.speedexposure.com and follow me @joedfoto on Twitter
To see her writeup go to joedantone.com/?p=474
These are my favourites from my shoot with my grandfather, Olaf, yesterday.
Strobist:
Profoto ProB-head with 46" Softlighter high camera left. I used a Profoto B2r pack set at minimum power that I triggerd with a PocketWizard Plus II.
Apparently doesn't want to display these in the order I wanted to. Oh well..
Full writeup of how I shot these
More photographs from this shoot can be found on my blog.
Taking in beautiful weather on my 27th birthday, I made lunch plans with a friend. As I was walking towards to meet said friend, I stopped at the crosswalk waiting for traffic to clear as to pass safely. When suddenly a voice spoke to me, asking me in I was getting any good photos. A common question, especially given away by the fact that I had the camera around my neck. I smiled, looking over at the man next to me: cane in one hand and paperwork tucked underneath the other.
I expressed that I had only just began the days adventure, hoping to find the usual subject matter (places, things, and most importantly PEOPLE) that represent Madison to me. I introduced myself as Chris, a local photographer of all things Madison. Extending a free hand while keeping all his belongings in order, the man told me his name was Leon. Recently transplanted to Madison from Chicago, he came to the isthmus to better himself and help others. Unfortunately, being homeless upon arrival (as well as when he left Chicago) doesn't help his cause in the search for work. In his younger days he worked as a professional seamster (male seamstress). But as many jobs are taken overseas that line of work folded, and so did his source of income.
After he told me that he was born in Mississippi I became curious, as a man of his age (not 100% sure on it exactly) growing up during the civil rights movements. I asked if he still saw segregation in today's age, as a positive person he informed me that he tries to not pay attention to such things. "Treat others the way you wish to be treated." he told me and obvious we all can get along. After this I asked him I would be so honored to snap his photo for my project of 100 more strangers, at first he was shy asking if I was going to give the photo to the police dept. While I couldn't give a promise that the police may stumble upon his photo, I gave him my word there was nothing to fear to the extent of me giving the photo away.
Still a little hesitant, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through at least a dozen images that I've saved to my phone as a real time portfolio. Once he saw the photos, his eyes lit up and he was more then happy to let me take his photo. Quickly adjusting my settings to work with the harsh sun overhead, we moved to the front of a pile of mattresses. While it's not the most fitting background, after I clicked a few shots and shared them with Leon a smile grew on his face. He expressed to me that he felt he looked "distinguished," as in my opinion I agreed kindheartedly. I knew then that I had my photo to include in the 100 Strangers group as well as my strangers project. I gave Leon $2.00 so that he could hop on the bus and head to Fitchburg to hopefully line up work. I wished him the best, and told him not to be a stranger anymore.
058/100
I had to post this one because I wanted to do a writeup. I had to write about this because I found it too damn funny not to.
I overheard a lil conversation between these two yesterday and it went like this:
Sydney: I wish I could be daddy.
Jessie: I don't. Because he's gonna die before us.
Nice huh? :D lol
Sureshot transform into a dune buggy .As a robot, he has great articulations.
For more photos and writeups on this creation, visit my blog at:
alanyuppie.blogspot.com/2018/01/lego-former-targetmaster-...
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Another shot from the ATT Crit in June of this year.
For a full writeup on this shot, look here: photoasimage.com/blog/2008/08/19/daily-photo-att-crit-moti...
To View Large: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=459980738&context=set-72157600043994460&size=l
I made this montage from a series of pictures I took during Miss Sarie's surgery and recovery. I have tried to turn this horrible experience into something positive and educational for everyone.
This is sized to print out on 8.5 x 11 paper. Below are links to different sizes:
(I have made some small changes to the above. I haven't completed the changes on the smaller versions yet.)
Link to 5X7 www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=460139088&size=l
Link to 4X6 www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=460137936&size=l
If any rescue groups or concerned people would like to pass this on to those who don't know about the health issues surrounding not altering their pets....PLEASE DO!
I can never thank you enough Dr. Kawasaki for saving sweet little Sarie! I will treasure every moment that I have been given with her...
Old Bridge Veterinary Hospital
3604 Old Bridge Rd
Woodbridge, VA 22192
UPDATE 5:45 PM 12 April
Miss Sarie had her follow up appointment today to have her stitches removed. Everyone was happy to see her. She has a clean bill of health for right now. I will be taking in a urine sample so that her Urine Specific Gravity can be checked for any signs of kidney damage. Pyometra can damage the kidneys.
UPDATE 5:15 AM 9 April
Miss Sarie had a quiet Easter Sunday. She napped most of the day. When she wasn't napping she wanted to be held.
Last night we moved back to my bed. She nestled down and slept peacefully through the night.
This will be her first day alone. I will be leaving for work in about 1/2 hour. She will go through withdrawal. All the attention has made her into quite a spoiled baby!
She goes back to the Vet to have her stitches out on the 12th of April. I probably won't update again until then.
UPDATE 8:15 PM 7 April
Miss Sarie and I went to visit a few folks today. We stopped by the adoption event so everyone could see her. They have been quite concerned about Miss Sarie. They all love her. Miss Sarie is the mascot for the rescue.
Today Miss Sarie was very happy to be held by others. Normally she gets anxious if I am not holding her. She will only stay in someone elses arms for a very short time. But today she was very content and quite a showoff!
UPDATE 10:30 AM 7 April
4 Days since her surgery and she is thriving!
Miss Sarie and I woke up to a light coat of snow on the ground this morning. I took one of her little beds out and laid it on the ground so she could enjoy the fresh smell of the newly fallen snow. She didn't move off of the little bed but she perked up and sniffed all around.
She then came in and decided she would eat her breakfast that she had been ignoring all morning. And is now toddling around checking out all her special places in the dining room.
She woke me up several times last night. She has decided that enough is enough. She wants back in bed with me. Since the surgery I have had her in an extra large laundry basket with bedding on the floor next to me. I have slept on the couch so if she wakes I can easily lay my hand on her. Well last night the hand laying went on all night!
UPDATE 11:45 AM 6 April
Miss Sarie is continuing to recover like she was a puppy! This morning she gave me a little bit of a scare. A few minutes after she was up she vomited the contents of her stomach. It was a very quick non-violent episode. I think she was overheated because she slept nestled into a snuggly donut bed and had a little blanket with her. She got over it quickly and ate her breakfast and drank water with no further episodes. She is resting comfortably now.
Yesterday late afternoon she went to visit Auntie Betty. Auntie Betty adores Miss Sarie. When Miss Sarie first came to me and Betty met her she said that she wanted to take care of Sarie's medical care. For the first 1 3/4 years she paid every bill but then I felt to awkward to let her know about anything that I was doing for Miss Sarie.
We go visit Betty several times a year but we hadn't been to visit since last Fall. On Monday, 2 April, I called Betty because I feared Miss Sarie was not going to make it through this. I wanted to give her a chance to see Miss Sarie before this terrible disease took her away from all of us. Her phone went to her answering machine and I left her a message telling her that Sarie was very sick.
When I didn't hear back from her I assumed she was out of town for Easter vacation. She is retired and travels a lot. On Wednesday evening she called me. I was able to happily tell her that Miss Sarie had been though surgery and was thriving!
She immediately insisted that she wanted to pay for all of the costs. She told me she fully realizes that Miss Sarie is an old dog and that medical costs can be high with an old baby. She said when she made the offer that she meant it no matter how long Miss Sarie is with us. I was amazed at her generosity when she first offered 2.5 years ago but am overwhelmed that she is still committed to this sweet little girl.
Thank you Betty for taking much of the worry off of taking care of Miss Sarie. And for your dedication to this sweet little rescue girl! I will be forever grateful for your selfless act.
UPDATE 11:00 AM 5 April
Miss Sarie had a wonderful night last night. She slept soundly and never woke up once. This morning she ate her breakfast, did her potty duties, took her medicine....and promptly decided she wanted to sleep some more. At the moment she is basking in the sun by the sliding glass door in her donut bed!
UPDATE 8:30 PM 4 April
At about 5 today Miss Sarie and I took a ride to Bob Evans to pick up dinner. We drove to Auntie Teresa's. (Sarie has many Aunties and Uncles!) She toddled around Auntie Teresa's kitchen and rested in a donut bed. When I opened the food I had picked up for Auntie Teresa and me she started whining... YES.. She wanted more food!
When we came home she had her first BM since the surgery. So another Post-Op milestone has been met!
Auntie Teresa sat with me yesterday morning while I waited for Miss Sarie to go into surgery. I didn't want to leave Miss Sarie because I knew she would be upset. That wouldn't have been good for her before surgery. She had her catheter put in about 4 hours before her surgery, so it was a long wait. Auntie Teresa sat with us for about 3 hours waiting! She was shocked tonight to see how amazing Sarie is doing..
We are tuckered out now and are going to bed. Sarie slept most of the day but was active for a few hours this evening. She wanted to be held most of the time.
UPDATE 3:00 PM 4 April
The little darling is doing amazing! She woke me up from a nap at 12:30. She was whining and I could hear her even though I was sleeping deeply.
I picked her up and took her to her puppy pad. She used it again and then ate some more of her Breakfast. I gave her once a day pain meds orally with a syringe. She took it just fine.
A few minutes ago she got restless so I gave her some more food. To my surprise she ate again!
She is making a miraculous recovery!
UPDATE 10:30 AM 4 April
Miss Sarie had a wonderful visit at the Vet this morning. They are amazed at how well she is doing. Her heart is strong, her surgical wound looks good.... There was nothing negative about her at all! Her catheter was removed and she was sent home with me to continue her recovery.
She is an amazing little old gal! Thanks everyone for all your emails, kind words, and prayers. They were a great help to both Miss Sarie and me...
UPDATE 7:15 AM 4 April
Miss Sarie slept well last night. She woke up a couple of times crying. I rubbed her and she fell back to sleep. This morning she used the puppy pad for the first time since the surgery. She also ate a very good breakfast of FROMM's Shredded Duck Entree. She wasn't interested in water so I syringed Pedialyte slowly into her mouth. She accepted it fine. We will be leaving for the Vet's office in about a 1/2 hour.
UPDATE 8:00 PM 3 April
Miss Sarie and I arrived home about 15 minutes ago. She ate almost her normal dinner portion. She is sitting on my lap resting very comfortably. I think sleep will be very light for me tonight!
In the morning at 8:00 we will go back up to the Vet's so she can be checked out. Depending on how she is doing, she may stay for a day of fluids. Her IV catheter is still in so it will easy to set up her drip bag.
UPDATE 4:00 PM 3 April
Miss Sarie survived the surgery. They almost lost her on the table. Her oxygen levels dropped dangerously low. Her uterus was ruptured. Dr. Kawasaki worked fast. He was in and out very quickly. She came to and stabilized fast. She started kicking up a fuss very soon after the surgery. They came out to get me because they knew she wanted me. They are going to let her come home with me tonight because they realize that she is better off with me than at a closed Vet office tonight. I will update more later. I have many pictures to load.
UPDATE 6:00 AM 3 April
Miss Sarie made it through the night comfortably. As soon as we came downstairs she went potty on her pad, drank some water, and started her usual whining at me to pick her up. I woke up several times through the night and laid my hand on her to check her breathing. I am very frightened but hopeful. We will be leaving the house in about 2 hours to go the Old Bridge Veterinary Hospital where Dr. Putts will put in her IV. Dr. Kawasaki will come in at noon and start the surgery. She has not deteriotated over the last 36 hours. I believe she is stronger.
UPDATE 6:30 PM 2 April
Miss Sarie and I stopped at the park on the way to her Vet appointment. Given her grave condition she is actually doing quite well. The two Vet's I spoke with today are not sugar coating her condition. The bottom line is without surgery she will not survive. And she may not survive the surgery or postoperative recovery period. She goes into surgery midday tomorrow. She has to be at the Vet's by 8:30 for IV fluids. They want to make sure she is well hydrated before surgery. They are going to allow me to stay with her while she waits for surgery. I feel much better about that. She does not like me to leave her. Leaving her at home is one thing but in a scary strange place she would be distraught. She ate a wonderful dinner tonight and is resting comfortably on my lap as I type this.
FYI-Pyometra is a disease of the uterus. It is compared to acute appendicitis in humans because both are essentially empyemas within an abdominal organ. It involves the Uterus in unspayed female dogs. Treatment of choice is an emergency spay.
Original Comment
Miss Sarie is very sick. She needs everyone's thoughts and prayers. Yesterday I noticed that she had a pus discharge from her vulva. Given that she has been diagnosed with early kidney disease, I didn't dare wait until this morning to take her to the Vet. They believe she has Pyometra. It is unknown if Sarie was ever spayed. She has never gone into heat in the 2.5 years she has been with me. Even given that they wanted to take her into emergency surgery. They gave me 3 choices, give her antibiotics, emergency surgery, or euthanize. Several of my rescue friends dropped everything and came to the hospital. They reminded me that I have always said no heroics, that I just want to keep her happy and comfortable for whatever time she has left. The odds of her making it through the surgery were not good. Not to mention Woodbridge Animal Hospital's estimate was 1700 dollars. I opted for the antibiotics. Her white blood cell count was 59,000 with 16,000 being the high end of normal. This morning there is no pus and she is eating and drinking. She is also being her demanding primadonna self.
All of my favorite vets are unavailable today. The rescue vet (Dr. Cunningham) van is in the shop today. She can see Miss Sarie tonight. I took a clean catch urine into Old Bridge Vet this morning. I just received a call from them and they said there are a lot of white blood cells in the urine. They also believe she needs surgery because of the white blood cell count. I feel like I am going to just die...
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as I try to do what is best for Miss Sarie. Dr. Kawasaki is willing to come in tomorrow on his day off to do the surgery. Dr. Cunningham may be able to do it tonight. I don't want to do this but it is the only chance she has. My heart is breaking.
The fourth incarnation of the tiny collection of games and components I tend to carry around, an Emergency Games Kit that fits in a pocket instead of a toolbox. Updated in August 2015 to include Welcome to the Dungeon, R, Top Secret Spies and two-player Haggis, and a few more subsequently. As of August 2016 the kit stands at 24 modern games playable with the card deck, and 77 generic classics, for a total of 101 games.
Full writeup at kevan.org/games/emergency
Rokinon 35 1.4
Natural Light
Like this shot? Like it on 500px!
Automotive Photography Writeup:
lukeschneiderphotography.blogspot.com/2011/12/automotive-...
This is a comedy play directed by David Hsieh and Agastya Kohli, currently playing at Bullitt Cabaret, ACT Theatre till March 6th, 2011. I went to their dress rehearsal to take some shots for their promotional materials.
A little writeup, and more shots are available here: www.siddphoto.com/2011/02/mother-in-another-language-a-co...
The lighting was heavenly, excellent sea food served right on the shores, with beach rhythms reprised through out the night. Baga beach, Goa was bliss. The thing I liked about here was that it was slow, unlike other beaches; people were taking it slowly. It was so soothing I fell asleep listening to the waves' lullaby.
Thanks to Senthil for coercing/convincing me that a 2 person impromptu weekend getaway to Goa (planned an hour before the bus leaves) would actually work :) Otherwise I'd have gotten bored to death @ Hyderabad like every other weekend.
Rhythm Divine ~ Enrique Iglesias
From the coast of Ipanema
To the island of Capri
All the way to Kuala Lumpur
I will follow you wherever you may be
From the moment I first saw you
Knew my heart could not be free
Have to hold you in my arms now
There can never be another for me
All I need is a rhythm divine
Lost in the music, your heart will be mine
All I need is to look in your eyes
Viva la musica, say you'll be mine
Can you feel the passion?
Can you taste our love's sweet wine?
Join the dance and let it happen
Put tomorrow's cares right out of your mind
As the music draws you closer
And you fall under my spell
I will catch you in my arms mow
Where the night will take us no onw can tell
All I need is a rhythm divine
Lost in the music, your heart will be mine
All I need is to look in your eyes
Viva la musica, say you'll be mine
Gotta have this feeling forever
Gotta live this moment together
Nothing else matters just you and the night
Follow on the wings of desire
Now the rhythm's taking you higher
No one can stop us from havin' it all
You are my heart you are my soul
All I need is a rhythm divine
Lost in the music, your heart will be mine
All I need is to look in your eyes
Viva la musica, say you'll be mine
Slick to Full Loadout: Building a Scaleable and Modular Armor System
Check out the full writeup on ITS Tactical: itstac.tc/1b54VRV
Slick to Full Loadout: Building a Scaleable and Modular Armor System
Check out the full writeup on ITS Tactical: itstac.tc/1b54VRV
The website The Judgment of Paris did a nice writeup on my recent shoot with the gorgeous Maxey Greene. (+7 more photos).
Note: This has been superseded by Version 4, updated in August 2015. For a full writeup see kevan.org/games/emergency
The third incarnation of the tiny collection of games and components I tend to carry around, an Emergency Games Kit that fits in a pocket instead of a toolbox. Updated in December 2014 to include Coup, The Bottle Imp, Incan Gold and multicoloured dice. It comprises:
* A cheap 5" x 3" Tuff Bag pencil case.
* A two-sides-of-A4 PDF printout of the rules for 71 simple paper/card/dice games from the Freeze-Dried Games Pack.
* A couple of blank crossword grids for Lynx.
* A few sheets of squared paper for pen-and-paper grid games.
* A one-off 2" x 2.5" mini deck of cards, customised with appropriate art, icons and corner numbers to play En Garde, Hive, Loco/Botswana, Love Letter, No Thanks, Incan Gold/Diamant, Coup, The Bottle Imp, Skull & Roses and Werewolf.
* A slip of rule reminders for the above games.
* 35 mini poker chips, five each of seven colours, from Koplow Games.
* Six 12mm dice (six being enough to play Farkle).
* A pen.
It all fits inside the pencil case, the chips being arranged into a single stack and bound with two rubber bands.
To be able to have an E-locker in the rear I need a full floating rear axle. Land Cruisers (40 series) came factory with one on the FJ45 pickup only. The issue is of course that the axle didn't have an e-brake since it was located on the back of the transfer case. The BJ42 doesn't have that, so I needed to add an e-brake to the FJ45 axle. Not a simple task. The two backing plates are completely different, have different spacing and a different mounting pattern. This required a bit more work. A full writeup will be available soon. In the meantime, here are some pics that give you an idea of what needs to be done.
Portraits Of Seattle Series #1: Artist Jesse Edwards.
Click the Link to read my writeup/Andrew Matsons 3 Questions
Slick to Full Loadout: Building a Scaleable and Modular Armor System
Check out the full writeup on ITS Tactical: itstac.tc/1b54VRV
I went out to a local bank's parking lot of Sunday and took some nice pictures of my new Acura, since it has not been getting as much love from Flickr. I think some of the shots came out real well, and I gave myself a firm pat on the back. It looked like something out of a car magazine, so with a little Powerpoint fun, I whipped up a little write up of my car! Here's the text, if you don't want to go large. I'll freely admit, the text is terrible, but it was better than Lorem ipsum...
-----------------------------------------
So, like any good Asian, when it came time to buy a car, I picked up an import, but not any import: the 2007 Acura TL. I had been driving a 2004 Honda Accord V6 for a few years, and felt like it was time for an upgrade. The next logical step was to go with the TL.
The choices in this class are numerous and all excellent. Probably the Lexus ES 350 stacks up the best against the TL as far as price and performance are concerned, and I don’t have one bad word to say about the ES 350. Another Japanese in the same class would be the Infiniti G35, which like the Lexus is no slouch. European competitors might be the Volvo S60, BMW 3 series, and I hesitate to say Jaguar X-Type, which really doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath.
Even the best car reviewers would be sweating bullets trying to pick a winner out of that list. All the cars mentioned are stellar. They may be entry-level luxury sedans, but there’s nothing cheap about these cars.
I purchased this beautiful car from Ann Arbor Automotive. Although I had planned on a darker color, after some haggling, I settled for white diamond pearl. I was disappointed at the time, but now I can’t imagine driving a different color.
I did do a little research on the car before I drove it off the lot. It comes in two basic trims, the regular TL and the type-S, essentially a pre-riced car, with 18” rims, special brakes, extra horsepower, and other functional as well as styling upgrades. The only other differences in trim is the optional navigation system, which is DVD powered.
All TL’s come with some wonderful features. A 3 month XM satellite radio trial, leather heated seats, driver memory based on which key fob you use, fog lights, and xenon headlights. It is a wealth of amenities, and after recently pulling my back, the lumbar support was very appreciated.
However, the most intriguing and delightful feature on the new TL is the strangest. There is a rear view camera mounted above the license plate holder, and in reverse, the camera displays to the center console.
I did manage to find fault with the TL though, and of all things, it was the interior, which is an area where Acura/Honda usually excel. There were three specific issues in moving from Accord to TL that were aggravating. The first is the lack of a real sunglass holder. There is one included in the side of the door, but it is essentially useless. Second, there are less cup holders. In the Accord, there was a cup holder in the door, as well as the two in the center. Third, the coin holder is movable, which is nice, but the two places where you can put it are both pretty inconvenient, and an even worse spot for the ‘not an ash tray’ penny holder.
In spite of this though, the TL is quite amazing. The engine purrs with a little gas, and is entirely unhappy going along at 25 MPH. The engine practically sings at 70 MPH. The 17” rims hold the road like they’re magnetically attached. The suspension is nearly BMW-like in its responsiveness.
But the joy of this car is the interior. Well appointed leather seats, wood trim, and real metal decorative accents. Everything is exactly where you think it should be. And as if the controls weren’t easy enough to use already, it has voice-activated controls for nearly everything you could want. That’s right, voice activated. It’s been days since I’ve pushed a button on the radio.
Along these lines, the TL is also Bluetooth capable, and now my car is my phone. Getting used to the TL handsfree takes a while, but once I figured it out, it’s become second nature. Now, if only I could text message and drive at the same time!
One of the perks of owning an Acura is the service that comes with it. With your purchase comes Acura Roadside Assistance, a 24 hour emergency service providing towing and jump starts if you need them. Loaner cars and quality service are all available. It is like being pampered.
This brings up the topic of maintenance. The car is smart. It does all the thinking for you. The heads up display alerts you whenever service is needed.
The car monitors tire pressure, oil life, and any number of other vitals signs. There is nothing simpler for car maintenance.
The mileage hurts a little. The car gets an honest 18/25 mileage for me. That hurts in
the age of $3+/gal gas, but it’s fun to burn up that gas. And I can also sleep at night knowing that the TL is a ULEV (ultra low emission vehicle).
I bought rather than leased because I couldn’t see ever selling it. The financing was a ridiculous 1.9%. Also, Honda and Acura have an amazing ability to hold their value. Their resale is second only to BMW. Lexus and Volvo are also great for holding their value, so it’s not like the TL is exceptional in this respect.
One final point: this thing is secure. There’s the run of the mill car alarm, but the kicker is that without the computer chip in the key, the engine won’t start.
Summary
The entry level luxury sedan is a crowded market, but with a lot of great choices. To me, the Acura TL is not only strong in performance and luxury, but is reliable to a fault, and holds its value. This car doesn’t disappoint, but the differences between the TL and the ES 350 are all semantics. If you’re torn between the two, you’re going to have to test drive them both.
-written by churl, just for fun
Quote from Bible
Rear Window (1954) is my first Alfred Hitchock movie. Except for the last scene, the whole movie is from a condo's rear window. This might sound boring, but the screenplay and the dialogues were so good that every second was nail-biting. And I became an ardent fan of The Master of Suspense. It is to be noted that the director used primarily natural sounds throughout the film. This image is a small tribute to that great work of art.
This was shot from my rear window. Most of the times I get this lack-of-privacy feel when I get near my window, not only the impact of the movie, but also because of the elderly couple living there, who always seem to be watching. I shot this early morning; the only time it's shut ;)
As a kid, I heard references to old folks making sassafrass tea, rootbeer, fragrances and numbers other uses. My grandfather often used it to make his walking sticks. If you read about it in the Wiki writeup attached...seems FDA and everyone else has band it...HMMM...wonder how long my grandparents would have lived had they not used sassafrass, iron skillets and a tincup to drink out of the well...they lived well past 90...they might still be around...do read the URL.
comparison between my LEGO Transformers creation first and later version of the same character. For more photos and writeups on this journey , click on my blog link below. thank you!
Heres one of my first Automotive shots, this was two strobes: see setup image below...
Automotive Photography Writeup:
lukeschneiderphotography.blogspot.com/2011/12/automotive-...
YN460-ii up high right
YN560 up left
both bare.
shot with my new canon 50D!!!
let me know what you guys think!
BTS:
img696.imageshack.us/img696/8855/img2659t.jpg
Check out my blog at:
LukeSchneiderPhotography.Blogspot.com
and a blog post about this shot:
lukeschneiderphotography.blogspot.com/2011/09/last-few-we...
and my portfolio at
Violet - likes it when you come over and give her some nice pets. She is 3 years old. She had been at Tualatin Petco and found a new home 7 June 2015 but is back in the shelter as of 8/13 - her current writeup says that small children scare her. Happily she found a new home a week later, 8/20/2015.
Slick to Full Loadout: Building a Scaleable and Modular Armor System
Check out the full writeup on ITS Tactical: itstac.tc/1b54VRV
To be able to have an E-locker in the rear I need a full floating rear axle. Land Cruisers (40 series) came factory with one on the FJ45 pickup only. The issue is of course that the axle didn't have an e-brake since it was located on the back of the transfer case. The BJ42 doesn't have that, so I needed to add an e-brake to the FJ45 axle. Not a simple task. The two backing plates are completely different, have different spacing and a different mounting pattern. This required a bit more work. A full writeup will be available soon. In the meantime, here are some pics that give you an idea of what needs to be done.
Laurie-Anne (w/ Ukulele) & some of the others at the pre-gig picnic in Paris, 2013-07-09
Writeup of the picnic and the show on my (other) blog.
My photo from the 5 October 2022 Air Tahiti Nui launch of a new route from Tahiti to Seattle & back. Simple Flying writeup up at bit.ly/ATNSEA .
All photos can be used with attribution.
PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying, Joe.K@simpleFlying.com
Photo taken in light rain and storm light
The plight of the city is understated in the Wikipedia writeup:
Reverse Flash is looking over at my 6YO son who's about to photobomb the frame in about two seconds.
@findnjewels as Jesse Quick
@new_element_studios as Kid Flash
@vigilantecosplay as Reverse Flash
Saturday at WonderCon 2017 (writeup)
Took this while I was at the annual Samba Carnival at Asakusa. When the rain was pretty light, the dancers were still performing. Isn't the small girl cute?
A short writeup can be found at my blog www.kenleewrites.com/2008/09/samba-carnival-2008.html
A fairly easy one. Also super pretty.
Also, I got another week's writeup on the blog! I'm a little behind, but I'm adding some extra pretty pictures along the way. Go look.
Check out all of my Species a Day writeups here.