Thursday, November 09, 2006

Rumsfeld R.I.P.


"The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

"Because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
-D. Rumsfeld

WaPo

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Saturday, September 09, 2006

big stick


Right here let me make as vigorous a plea as I know how in favor of saying nothing that we do not mean, and of acting without hesitation up to whatever we say. A good many of you are probably acquainted with the old proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick - you will go far." If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble, and neither will speaking softly avail, if back of the softness there does not lie strength, power. In private life there are few beings more obnoxious than the man who is always loudly boasting, and if the boaster is not prepared to back up his words, his position becomes absolutely contemptible. So it is with the nation. It is both foolish and undignified to indulge in undue self-glorification, and, above all, in loose-tongued denunciation of other peoples. Whenever on any point we come in contact with a foreign power, I hope that we shall always strive to speak courteously and respectfully of that foreign power.
September 2, 1901 Teddy Roosevelt

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Thursday, August 31, 2006

Chinese


Recent friend hedy dog lele has fallen ill, looked like any cancer. Each time saw we come visiting, also no longer flushed us to call. Outside only is alone lies prone in the entrance, the penetration iron ?? calmly looks at the world. Often chats with hedy her recent situation, hedy conceals ??. She said these two days dawdles dog, walks from entrance that street to on a next door street, probably to 100 feet distances, do not have to step onto for more than half hours. Lele could not take a walk. Just like the old age the old person, slowly is measuring the life which own be not muches left. She stops from time to time, some times are in a daze on the station in that, motionless. Hedy is affecting the string, tries Tugra she to go home, she does not want. She does not like returning in the room which lonely surrounds. She likes on looking like this she is familiar with the street, occasionally passed by the partner, in the wind drags branch, as well as west under setting sun.

Lele this year probably had 13 years old. Listens to Hedy to say, childhood she, unusual lively and lovable, the tail also curled upwards Lao Gao. After grows up changes is very much very very arrogant, has like her noble blood relationship. Her side has an exceptionally faithful protector. Calls Shelly. This year also had 11 years old. Is dissimilar with lele body pure white wool, a Shelly body swarthy, but also calculates smoothly. Saw his time, his rear part is already castrated, also did not have the tail (to hear this kind of variety dog tail very was since birth short, frequently could simply rip). Often together takes a walk on the street, Shelly on nearby arrogant lele turns circle. If saw has other dog maliciously to stare at to lele was looking or attempts to flirt, Shelly then can flush and others does the frame, no matter others physique is completely bigger than oneself. Usual lele can watch critically in the one side. Especially felt relieved as if to own protector. Only has was seeing Shelly soon not good time, only then can suddenly like the cheetah break through for an opposite party dog ear and the area around it, then rapidly runs off.

Although lele likes an arrogant princess, but her life uses the sentiment to be single-minded. She continuously silently is enjoying the Shelly similarly single-minded love. They are bound by a common destiny, help one another in difficult time, around a paragenesis had ten children, completely saw somebody off. In in her life final day, only has her life the companion to accompany her. She could not eat the thing, already skin and bones. I penetrate she a little fluffy mildew to trace all am the bone. Hedy said previous two days could not bear to her have washed a bath. Soaks under the hair demonstrated her whole body frame let her feel bad the good period of time.

Has, I penetrate dog's look clearly to feel the dog am a having mystical powers animal. She that sad look lets the person be very brokenhearted. I sedulously do not look at her eye. Now, she silences likes a stone. She also did not have the strength and Shelly again has played together, also did not have the strength to welcome the old friend visiting, she whatever Shelly occasionally also calmly lay prone in hers side accompanies her to silence together, recalled that to resemble the water as if together the time passage.

Reminds me of the April story

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Wednesday, August 30, 2006

abecedarians


new worlds this week, old world end, again beginning

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Monday, June 19, 2006

another roadside attraction

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Sunday, June 18, 2006

Photoworthy- Master, tell us what is good...


Some folk, in advanced middle-age, have, by the sweat of their brow, gained a degree of success.

You go up the mountain to see such a person. Walking past the appurtenances of success, past reception, through heavy doors.

And then there are the rest of us.

If you have gone up the mountain to visit a Juris Doctor you wouldn't be so tacky as to talk about fees. You have discovered in advance the JD fee, $500/hour. But this Attorney, this Man with the eyebrows, this Woman with the suit, they are going to provide you value, a service for the fee. You recognize the value, you pay willingly.

Where does value come from?

French President Jacques Chirac is irritated with Google. 74% of French web searches are performed via Google, a corporation that judges "worthiness" via an algorithm of which Chirac is suspicious.

Jack don't like it.

Jack wants the state to establish a search-engine whose returns are based on the opinions of French Wise Men, not returns filtered through a corrupt American algorithm.



Whoa!

Which brings us to museums. Museums are owned and operated by people who know what is good?
What algorithm do museums use to process their selections?

Is something good because the Art History Philosophiae Doctor said so?

Is Art good when it deals in concept?

Is Art good when the rest of us scratch our heads and say "what the hell?"

Is it a numbers game? Is it sex? Is it celebrity?

Whatever.



Whatever it is, I haven't got it.

But YES SPORTSFANS! I had a picture in MoMA.

For a few days.

A curatorial decision was made, the doors were opened to lumpenproletariat photographers, to the hoi polloi.

As you can see, the images weren't displayed with the usual reverence.

No fancy lighting.

No text blocks etched on glass plates.

Regardless, I admire MoMA for temporarily admitting the unwashed.

Who possesses the Stamp marked Worthy?

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Tuesday, November 22, 2005

no picture

do you remember the scene where the delusional howard hughes secludes himself in a room with bottles of urine?

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Sunday, November 06, 2005

day of rest

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Wednesday, October 26, 2005

names


Pictured above, my landlord, Mr. Ford Larkin. I don't know the mule's name.

Courtesy of the University of Tampere

Regional and Ethnic Names:

? The South: Billy Bob, Jimmy Jack, Johnny Joe, Mary Lou, Sarah Anne; Bubba, Buford, Beauregard

? Black southern names of the late 1800s: Pearl, Ruby, Vaseline, Oleomargaret

? Current (primarily) Black names: LaVonne, LaToya, LeVar, Latrell, Aloicious, etc.

? Caricatured Black names: Rastus and Liza, Sam(bo), Tom, Toby

? Rural or 'hick' names: Elmer, Homer, Jud, Lester, Clem, Roy, Hank, Jethro . . .

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Monday, August 29, 2005

weatherman poetry


AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
452 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

.UPDATE...TO ADD TORNADO WATCH #752.

.DISCUSSION...
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA SEEMS POISED FOR A DATE WITH DESTINY AS CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO KEEP A BEAD ON BARATARIA BAY AND THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA. THE GFS MODEL CONTINUES TO BE SUPERIOR IN ITS HANDLING OF THE SYSTEM INASMUCH AS TO BASE THE CONVENTIONAL FORECAST PARAMETERS WITH GOOD INTEGRITY AND IN AGREEMENT WITH NHC ADVISORIES.

NEEDLESS TO SAY...THE WORST CAN BE ANTICIPATED AND URGENCY IS BEING STRESSED IN ALL PRODUCTS AS A WORST CASE HURRICANE SCENARIO FOR THIS VERY FRAGILE AND VULNERABLE STRETCH OF U.S. COASTLINE. THE EYE IS EMERGING ON THE KLIX LONG RANGE LOOP AND BANDS ARE EXTENDING TO LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AT THIS TIME. THINGS WILL BE DETIORATING STEADILY FROM THIS POINT FORWARD FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

WILL MAINTAIN ALL WARNINGS AS ALREADY POSTED AS WELL AS THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ADVISED THAT THE FIRST TORNADO WATCH OF THE EVENT WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR THE REGION EARLY THIS EVENING...PROBABLY RIGHT AFTER SUNSET.

MOST ATTENTION WITH THIS PACKAGE WAS DAY 1-2 WITH LITTLE IF ANY CHANGES MADE BEYOND DAY 3. GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED TO ALL IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.

film sees it different than digital

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Thursday, June 30, 2005

english to french to english

Last fall I was whining about advancing technology and the financial reorganization of Ilford.

Here's what comes out of the machine when the whine is digitally translated into French and back to English:

the 9/05/04 implied tools of the formation image film-based are elegant in their simplicity. I have a camera which can function without batteries, an enlarger which produces copies without software. The tools are relatively inexpensive and they last a life.

August 23, the manufacturer of my paper of gelatine-money photograph went bankrupt. I take comfort in the familiar one.

The sun rises in the east and I am happy. the photographic process Money-based is an old man and familiar friendly, his practice a personal sacrament. The black cabinet is a place of refuge, reflexion and creation. It is the place which I dance. Write the news.

My elegant technology is drawn in the head and the life-ring launched my manner is obsolescence envisaged. I décrierais the invention of the washing machine.

Man of Oh, that misses to me really hammering my clothing on the rocks!

Do not obtain to me false. Its to make quiver to have the numerical tools. They are the fine tools. Carpus I and bad temper because I am a bastard good market.

I can continue to do what I do, but to do it digitalement four times per copy will cost as much. Moreover, massive infusions of the money cash will be required to maintain the hardware and the software of up to date image-production and the files of image of Re-files while a form of storage mediums succumbs to the next one.

Scanning a 34 year old negative today, photo taken when I was a youngster and stored negatives unsleeved in a drawer with 16 penny nails and car keys. A bit of restoration in order.

The end user of the image will pay a month after publication.

35 years after making the exposure I'll get paid!

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