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.
