Note: I am not a doctor. The following is almost definitely not how blood works. My wife doesn't think it works this way, either, though TBF she is ALSO not a doctor.
I’m pretty sure I learned in school that blood is your body’s transportation system. It brings things from one place to another. It’s like a small and very chaotic train system. But does it carry heat?
Today it’s cold AF in DC. Like you go outside and the wind blows and it makes you cry and then your tears freeze. Like early spring it northern Michigan cold. I had to get my ride in for Freezing Saddles, and happened to have a work appointment, so I did both at once. The ride there wasn’t too terrible. It was cold but also short. Then I had to stand around outside for 30 minutes while the Board President talked to the contractors about to work next door.
I planned to toodle around a bit after the meeting to get some more miles in, but I headed home early because my fingers were so cold, shifting and braking were becoming difficult. Home is largely uphill from where I was, and as I pedaled, I got warmer and warmer. And my hands regained feeling!
So, my hypothesis is that the extra heat in my core (I have always run hot) spreads to my extremities and keeps them warmer. But the thing I’d like someone to explain is the actual physical process whereby this happens. If my core is hot, does whatever regulates my body heat move on? “Job here is done, let’s move to the fingers!” Maybe my body is always trying to get every part warm, and when one part is already good, it makes it easier to get to the other parts? Or does heat travel via the blood? “WHOA this blood here is HOT, let’s get it pumped to the fingers and toes right away!”
Anyway, I have no idea how it works. I’m glad it does, because I appreciate having feeling in my fingers and probably lots of other things that blood does.
There is a hidden value in blogging. There’s an old Zen saying: “Chop wood, carry water.” You do it not for the applause but because it needs doing.
I hear you on that, Andy. Sometimes I think about posting something extraordinarily stupid here, like way beyond normal levels of stupid, just to see if anyone is paying attention (No one is).
But I will keep blogging. I will keep generating original content of dubious quality, for my own enrichment if no one is reading it. The LLMs are reading, and if we stop making original content they’ll just train on their own content. You think it’s bad NOW…
The following is a scan, then transcription, of Frank Renaut’s [photography] advice for beginners. Likely written in the early 1980s, some of it is dated but most of it is not.
Frank Renaut’s Advice for Beginners. If you think you are a good Photographer NOW, don’t read it.
All the following suggestions may be ignored at your pleasure when you are quite sure you are competent.
Always use the same camera.
Always use the same black and white or colour film.
Don’t buy an extra lens. And even more, don’t buy more than one!
Make sure the camera is ready to use before you press the button, by conscientously going through the “copilot check”.
When you are looking through the viewfinder, forget your subject for a moment, and see what else is showing. You won’t like that tree growing out of her head later. Or that empty coke bottle lying on the ground. Or anything that is glaringly bright and attracting unintended attention.
Lines in the picture all tend to have an effect on the viewer. Here are some generalizations about dominant lines.
Horizontal lines are peaceful.
Vertical lines are majestic.
Diagonal lines are dynamic.
S-curves are restful.
If your picture has a subject, and most do, then arrange to have that subject in the part of the scene where it will look most comfortable.
If the subject is a person, have her/him look into THE PICTURE, NOT into the camera. Even though your friend is the object of interest she will be more interesting if she seems to be a part of the scene, and not someone STANDING IN FRONT OF IT, hiding it from people who might think that what was behind her would be better presented if she got out of the way. I’m thinking in terms of vacations and travel, at the moment. When your friend is the ONLY thing in the picture that matters, then just make sure the background does not distract.
No matter how good YOU are, some people are easier to photograph than others. Unless you are absolutely stuck with your mother-in-law as a subject, try to get someone who LIKES having pictures taken.
Make sure the horizon, if it shows, is HORIZONTAL.
Don’t put it half-way up the picture.
Regardless of what you may have heard, roads can lead up to a subject in an interesting way.
“Framing” the subject is a useful device. This means “wrapping” it in something more solid than sky.
When using black and white film outdoors, keep a yellow filter in front of the lens. It will darken the sky, and, whether there are clouds or not, this usually improves the picture.
If you are photographing something which is moving fast, keep the camera following it while you press the button. You will be more likely to get the subject sharp and the background blurred in this way; and most people prefer this arrangement to its opposite.
Light meters are nice, but not essential. If you follow the directions on the little bit of paper that comes in the film package, you will get surprisingly good results most of the time.
Do not become involved with building a dolls’ house.
Although it shouldn’t be that way, pictures of attractive people are usually more successful than those of others. So pick your subjects, if you can. Ask anybody you see if you may photograph them, if you think they are suitable material. Nobody who is asked will hit you, and most will aquiesce.
Take your pictures to satisfy YOU. Noone else matters. If you stop to think whether or not this will appeal to some future JUDGE, you will find your hobby to have become WORK rather than enjoyment.
Avoid cameras that take square pictures. Nobody ever PRINTS square pictures. Nobody wants to look at square pictures. Cameras that take square pictures are for people who cannot be bothered to turn a camera on end. 35mm cameras are adequate for all beginners. If, later, yoube feel a need to make enlargements that are 3 feet by 5 feet, perhaps you will be justified in buying a larger camera. But not a SQUARE one. They don’t fit into that good old Grecian Formula.
To summarize; as you look into that viewfinder, think:
What I see here is what the picture is going to look like when it is printed or projected. Is there anything in it I don’t want? Is it tilted? Should I be any closer? Is the person squinting? Are there wires across it? Do I really want to frame this and hang it on the wall across from where I usually sit? Am I doing this for ME or for a judge? (Why should I do a judge any favors?)
Film gets more expensive all the time, so be careful with it. But, it is still cheaper than your travelling expenses on most occasions, so it is better to use a little extra film than to make the trip again. (Well, maybe not better, but certainly cheaper)
Check your camera at times, between loads. While it is empty, make sure the shutter is working, and the diaphragm is closing down to chosen aperture. After loading, make sure the film is being transported by checking the rotation of the winder at the cartridge end. If your camera has an internal light meter, make sure that you have correctly set the film speed. If you are using anything but a single lens reflex, make sure you have taken off the lens cap. The viewfinder will let YOU see the picture, but it won’t help the FILM in any way.
You think you can’t make these mistakes. I’ve made them all. There is no mistake that can be made with a camera that I haven’t tried. So it could happen to you.
This morning I biked past a dog poop bag someone had left in the middle of the road. A few seconds later, as the car behind me approached, I heard a loud pop.
You remember how Google search used to be awesome? You could put in the randomest thing and it would find it for you? There was even the button to go straight to the first result because we were THAT SURE it would be what we wanted?
Then the SEO Wars and AI killed that, and now even searching directly for a company by name because you forgot their phone number brings up absolute garbage.
Yesterday I was looking up the number for Aspen Hill Plumbing, who I use all the time. They’re good over email and I loathe the phone, but I needed to get a hold of them immediately.
Google not only showed me an ad for a competitor first, they also USED THE NAME OF THE COMPANY I WAS LOOKING FOR. This is absolutely not okay. Showing the competitor first because they bought a competitor’s name as a search term is slimy but totally accepted nowadays. But presenting one company as another? I’ve never seen that before on a reputable website.
I think what we need now is a “Let Me Google That For You” for the AI Era – you type your search term, and it adds profanity and returns you the results you’re actually looking for.
This was an oddly spiritual process. We take pictures of the moments we think are valuable or important. So, in the photos he took, I saw my father’s dreams, the things he thought were beautiful, his moments of pride. And in so doing, I gained more understanding of who my parents were.
As someone who is going through the process of digitizing decades of family photos, this essay resonated with me. I’m more of the mindset “scan it all, storage is cheap”, but she’s probably right that you should be quick to throw out stuff that just isn’t good.
It’s cool that this is coming from a person who knows and loves photos, but isn’t a serious photographer (at least she doesn’t present herself as one). Her insights on what makes a good photo for preserving family memories are really interesting.
I took this as inspiration to talk to my kids. They don’t like to be photographed, and while I can’t turn that around completely, I can try to make them more comfortable with it. After all, you get better pictures from a subject that is comfortable being photographed (or oblivious, but that can have other drawbacks).
It’s funny when she says she usually got 8 worth sharing out of a box of 24-36 slides. I remember Bob, one of my photography mentors and a coworker at Ritz Camera when I was in college, telling me that if he got ONE shot out of a roll of 36 he considered that a success. “Film’s cheap”, he told me. The Ritz employee discount helped, and digital photos have completely changed the calculus.
Anyway, I’m going to take more photos of my family. You should, too.
Yesterday morning around 10am, I got a notification of a charge on my credit card. I didn’t recognize it – it was about $10 at walmart.com. We generally do not patronize union-busting establishments (don’t ask me about my Amazon Prime account), so this was unusual. I called Capital One and they cancelled the card. This was frustrating, though necessary, since I know the number by heart and I’ve become somewhat attached to it.
By 1130, I had a notification on my phone that my card number on Google Pay had been updated so I could continue to use Google Pay even though my physical card was cancelled.
Noon today, my new card arrived via FedEx.
It’s really amazing that in barely more than 24 hours, the ONLY issue I have is having to memorize a new card number. Capital One even updated the number at many of my existing recurring payments, and provided a list of those they were not able to change themselves. I’m going to wait until I get an email saying they couldn’t charge my card because I’m lazy, but I appreciate the thought.
So, just one more reason to get a Capital One Venture X card. It’s about $400 a year but that comes with a $300 travel credit if you book through their service. It covered my Global Entry fee, and there are a ton of other benefits. It’s the best credit card I’ve ever used.
Do you own a condo? Have you recently gotten a breathless letter from your mortgage company telling you that the insurance policy for your building is expiring and all life on Earth is about to end in a fiery apocalypse if you don’t show them proof of insurance?
So, here’s the thing. Nearly all condo building policies are written for one year. Your mortgage company knows this. So when they send you this letter, it’s the same as a letter saying, “When you got approved for your loan, you said you were 36 years old. Now our records indicate you are 37, you dirty liar. We will murder you and your dog in your sleep if you do not rectify this IMMEDIATELY”.
My maternal grandmother taught everyone she could to drink gin martinis. I don’t necessarily love her style of martini, but luckily there are lots of different kinds, so nearly anyone can find one they love. Or you can even get one of those ridiculous things full of coffee liqueur or whatever that they serve in a martini glass. Those aren’t real martinis but I’m not judging.
Grandma’s Martini
In many ways, Grandma was a martini purist. To make her signature martini, around 2 pm, measure 4 ounces of gin in a measuring cup. Add a splash of vermouth. Put it in the freezer until cocktail hour.
Unfortunate Martini
Never order a martini from an all-inclusive resort in Dominican Republic. At least, not from the one I went to for a wedding some years ago. To make this martini, pour a shot of gin into a soda glass. Add a bit of ice, then fill the glass with vermouth.
Jalapeno Martini
I don’t know the exact recipe, I had it at a restaurant in New Orleans, but I think it’s jalapeno-infused gin, a bit of sweet vermouth, and a small lightly pickled strip of jalapeno. Delightful.
My Favorite Martini
Grab a bottle of gin. Pour a healthy amount into a rocks glass. While doing this, tell the gin a story about a bottle of vermouth you once saw. Grab a couple of olives. Throw the olives in the [expletive deleted] garbage because olives are [expletive deleted] vile. Look, I tried some really good olives on a food tour in Madrid last spring. They were [expletive deleted] vile. You can not change my mind. Finish your story about the vermouth. Sit somewhere comfortable with your feet up, preferably where there is at least a slight breeze, regardless of the weather. Enjoy.
If none of these float your boat, you can put literally anything in a martini glass and call it a martini. No one will stop you. Go ahead, try it!
As someone who does not make a living creating content, I WANT my content used to train LLMs. Go on, Open AI, slurp up EVERY LITTLE MORSEL. Get every last pearl of wisdom from my dumbass blog.
Read my thoughts on compact flourescent lightbulbs from 2006 so you can quote that back to a high school student writing a research paper.
Or how about this FLAMING hot take on Al Gore? So profound.
Even better – read every last word of my wine blog, completely generated by a Markov chain (precursor to modern LLMs) trained on Wine Spectator reviews. That’ll be real helpful for some dingbat trying to impress a girl he just met.
