monkey@tabulas.com

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Yesterday was pretty hot, near 90° (32° C) and it was humid, too. I had to go to lower Manhattan to buy something and my plan was to take the train to Brooklyn to see the Telectroscope. Sunday (today) is the last day.

I had trouble with the trains going downtown. I had to wait far too long for each train. It dawned on me that I could walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a nice walk, I thought. On most days, it would be a nice walk. On a hot day with the sun beating down, I would not advise it. Still, I joined what must have been many hundreds of people on the span.

Thankfully, I bought a bottle of water before I started across. I had my heavy camera, the DSLR, in my backpack. The battery was freshly charged. In fact, it was still charging because I forgot to put it in the camera. That's a first and, I hope, a last.

I took a wrong turn after getting off the bridge, so I has some extra walking to do. By the time I arrived at the Telectroscope, I was exhausted. I could not take another minute of sunshine. There was a long line (in the sun, of course) to look into the Telectroscope. There was no way that I was going to stand on that line. In fact, all I wanted to do was to get into an air conditioned train headed home.

As luck would have it, the A train to Manhattan wasn't stopping at the nearest station. I had to take a train one stop in the other direction and change trains. That meant I needed to ride (and wait for) three trains. I must have looked as exhausted as I felt. I was offered a seat on all three trains. People were very insistent, too. I accepted with much thanks. I recovered in the trains, but I was left with a headache. Today is cooler, so I'll head out again, camera in hand and see what I can find.

The official release date for Firefox 3 is June 17th. That's Download Day. Just so you know.

The video is a kind of funky arrangement of Bach's Tocatta & Fugue in D minor. It's kind of catchy, though, and Vanessa Mae does a good job with the violin solo.

Although I can look at a computer monitor for hours, I can't scroll for hours as I had to on Friday. I had major eye strain. I had double vision while wearing my glasses and today the ground seemed to move as I walked. It was a bit like being drunk, but only the bad part. I have more of the same to do on Monday, but I will ease off.

I could not even go for a long walk today. I did manage a somewhat uncomfortable shorter one, about half an hour or so. If my ophthalmologist's diagnosis is correct and I have occular myasthenia gravis, then it's because the muscles controlling my eye movement are weak. So far, the tests that I've had have been inconclusive. I have some more tests to take before any decision about treatment is made.

I may have a tiny apartment, but today I was very grateful for its terrace. I was able to be outside without going outside, not to mention having the door open all day. Yes, I had a nice breeze inside my apartment.

Jennifer 8. Lee's The Fortune Cookie Chronicles is a fun read. The link is to her web site. If you have the opportunity to see her in your area, do so. You can probably listen to some interviews with her on line, too.

I'm falling behind in my reading. I've got a small pile of books to get through. Reading is a bit harder, but if I rest my eyes every so often, it's OK. I'm now reading James Joyce's Dubliners. I read it years ago, probably in college, but I remember nothing. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man will be next, then Ulysses. If I accomplish that, I'll go on to Finnegan's Wake. This is pretty a pretty ambitious project for me, but, if I get a comfortable reclining chair for the terrace, I just may get through it all.

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 It's been a while, hasn't it. I'm still around. I really forgot to cross post. So, here's what's new.

My department was downsized from 11 people to 4 people. I'm still there for the time being. My double vision (diplopia) got worse. It was corrected with lenses, but now I still see double even with glasses. This is no fun, but I'm seeing a specialist about it. My next thing is an MRI of my head. Do they want to see if I have a brain? Then, if all is well, just new lenses.

 I think it won't be long before I'm a victim of layoffs. It may come next month or in July. If I'm really lucky, I'll still be working this time next year, but no one else seems to really believe that.

I'm worried, of course. If the economy were better, I wouldn't worry about finding another job, but it's really bad out there.

I'm hoping for the best.

 Happy Spring (a bit late)!

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Doesn't Tigr look like she's hung over from last night's revelries?

It's only appearances. Neither of us were hung over this morning. We're just fine and would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

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I don't intend to break an old New Year's resolution of mine. It was not to make anymore New Year's resolutions. I've kept that one for a few years now.

I spent today cleaning my apartment. I've got some more to go, but I'm saving that for tomorrow. I want to get as much off the floor and onto shelves or in closets as I can. That's not as easy as it sounds. I'm almost out of space. I also have a bunch of A/C adapters for various bits of computer hardware on my floor. There's really not an easy solution for this. Still, I'll have to do something tomorrow, even if it means moving my computers around.

I'll become Señor Citizen in 2008. I'll get an extra tax deduction. That will make 2009 a nicer year when that tax return rolls in. I'm also going to be on top of every discount I can get. If I can manage to live that long, I deserve it. It wasn't easy.

I promised myself that I would start using the treadmill in my building. No sooner do I make inquiries than it breaks down. I hope they have it repaired. They now have two treadmills, both out of service. I ordered a couple of 10 pound weights. That should be good for toning, something I want to do before hitting the heavier weights. I'm limited as to what I can do because of bad rotator cuffs in my shoulders. I've got to take it easy, but I've got to increase my range of motion and get a bit stronger. No, it's not too late for that.

Mostly, I've got to lose weight. I was never overweight in my life until about 8 years ago. It just kept creeping up, year by year. It coincides with my working behind a computer and quiting martial arts classes. It was called tai chi, but we did lots of other stuff, not slow stuff either. We even used mats for applications. When you think that I was there for three hours each night and then on weekends, it was really a lot of exercise. I miss it, but my shoulders do not.

I didn't do much during my vacation. I stayed home, mostly. I read and played with Tigr. She's now totally attached to me. If I sit on the couch or lie on the bed, it won't be more than a couple of minutes before she's on my lap. If I lie on the couch for a nap, she'll go to sleep on my legs. She doesn't get off until I get up. She's put on a good bit of weight. It's just too bad that she is in mortal terror of other people. I've had my friend try to give her dried bonito flakes, Tigr favorite. No go. Tigr wouldn't touch them until my friend was gone. I have no idea how to cure her of this except for people to give her treats. I'll have another opportunity to try during the week, I think. Any suggestions?

The winter solstice has come and gone. The days are now getting longer, not that I've really noticed yet. Soon, though, the sun will set at a reasonable hour and I'll be out later taking photos in places other than Astoria. I enjoy taking photos here, though. There's so much in Astoria that I haven't photographed yet. I can't wait until the weather is warmer so I don't have to wear a coat. It's much more fun to walk around during the late spring, summer, and early fall.

I don't like snow. I don't like cold weather. I don't like short days. Other than that, I've nothing against winter.

Have a Happy New Year!!

*edit* This photo just showed up on Gothamist. I'm absolutely delighted. That's my favorite website. I tag some of my photos "gothamist" in the hope that they will use it. It's always nice to be recognized.

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So, Christmas 2007 has come and gone. This was the first year that I gave Christmas presents to the building staff. They're non-union in my building and can use the money. In my old building, the doorman were earning more than I was. I never gave anything. I couldn't afford it. I still can't afford it, but these guys are terrific. They deserve something.

I've been reclusive this Christmas. I have't felt like going out. Things would be different if it were warmer. I dream of retiring to Barcelona. I speak just a smattering of Spanish, but even at my advanced age, I think I could learn enough to get along. Now all I need is money. Isn't that always the case?

I watched a few episodes of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. It's on the Travel Channel. I almost never watch TV. I don't own a TV, but I do have a TV tuner card in my PC. I loved the program. I saw Taiwan, Vietnam, and NYC. That man can eat almost anything. He couldn't eat durian or stinky tofu made by a famous restaurant in Taipei. Just so you know. He was able to eat many things that I would never touch. I suppose it's cultural, but I won't eat insects. No way! Nor would I eat durian. I know better. He's pretty brave, though and did try. He's not vegetarian, not by any means. After watching him, it's easy to become a vegetarian, though.

The places he visited in NYC were the Carnegie Deli, Congee Bowery, the Red Hook Ball Fields food court, and a couple of others that I can't recall right now. The Red Hook Ball Fields food court is gone, as far as I know. This was their last year. Congee Bowery is a very good and not expensive restaurant in Chinatown. It's the sister restaurant to Congee Village. They are good.

I've been reading The Science of Discworld II The Globe . I'm a big Terry Pratchett fan and these books don't disappoint. You have to have read the Discoworld series first, though, otherwise The Science of Discword is hard to understand. That's all, folks! I'm going back to my book.

 

Season's Greetings!!
Here's wishing you all the best in this holiday season.

Harris

 

Police seize film from amateur photographer

Transit police in NYC still bother photographers who take photos in the subway despite the fact that it's completely legal. The NYPD stopped a photographer who was using a tripod in Times Square because he might be photographing sensitive buildings. You expect that of NYC police. They like to make their own laws, or perhaps they are just following orders.

It looks like England does us one better. They are dumber and more militant. They seized the photographer's film.

Welcome to brave new world, only not so brave. Chicken hearted is more the word.

While there is some cause for caution, the media fans the flames of fear. It makes for better sales.

We need the news media, though. but the effects of some of their stories are not good. People start to live in fear.

It's like the 1950s, but instead of a Communist behind every tree we now have a terrorist behind every tree or camera.

It's sad.

The wind has been howling outside my window for the past couple of hours. I'm glad I'm inside. Usually, I hear the howling from my hallway. I suppose it has something to do with the elevators.

Yesterday, I did my first photoshoot in over 30 years. I did catalog shots in my distant past, but this was a shot for the back of a CD. We went to the Times Square area on Saturday. We drove there, too. Do you think you could find a crazier area? There were zillions of people all over. Shooting was totally crazy. I'm not happy with the results, but that's partly because I didn't really care for the concept. Still, I think I got a few good shots. I'll post more about the CD in January when it comes out.

I used my best camera, a Sony R1, one that is no longer made, but has a terrific lens. I can always spot the photos that I took with this camera. I also brought my DSLR and a couple of film cameras, but it was really too cold out to spend a long time shooting. My fingers froze up after about 45 minutes. I attribute that to age and keeping my fingers bare.

I didn't even get to play in the Times Square area. I would have loved to have spent some time shooting, but I was carrying too much to wander very far. I got a ride home and all was well.

My local one-hour photo place is terrific. They process my film for $3 a roll (35 mm). They can also process 120 film and APS film. I bought this cute Canon Elph 2, a little point and shoot film camera on eBay for $8.00. It had what looked like adhesive tape residue all over it, but I cleaned it and now, except for a few scratches, it's fine.



I bought a roll of film and will try it at some point, maybe when the weather is warmer. I can understand why bears hibernate.