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I'll stop after this post, but Ezra Klein & NYTimes did a couple podcasts recently, one from the Palestinian and one from the Jewish Israeli perspective. I clarified on the latter as 1/5th of population of Israel is Arab, a group possibly pulled in multiple directions, though obviously there are diverse opinions on all sides. The goal of the podcasts, as stated, is not to pick who won, but, if possible, to understand some of both. If you don't have any interest in that probably best to skip. Why Palestinians Feel They’ve Been ‘Duped’ The Palestinian policy analyst and writer Amjad Iraqi on how Gaza’s past, present and future look from his eyes. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/07/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-amjad-iraqi.html What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Understand The writer Yossi Klein Halevi talks about why many Israelis see the ongoing conflict as an “existential war.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/10/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-yossi-klein-halevi.html (also on Apple, Spotify, etc.)

For all Mankind. I’m hooked with this series on Apple plus

This whole situation is so incredibly sad and terrible. I don't feel qualified to offer commentary, besides hating the death and suffering on all sides. I do think that bombing the shit out of Gaza, besides being a humanitarian disaster, will prove to be a very effective recruitment drive for Hamas. What should Israel do instead? I have no fucking clue. But I don't think this is it. For my own mental health, I've tried to limit my intake of the chaos of social media, and daily news. Not to say I'm ignoring the situation, just that I can't deal with it all at once. I've been listening to this podcast, Our Man in the Middle East, which takes a long-term regional view from a BBC Middle East correspondent at the end of his career. It was published in 2017 I think, and IMO it does a good job of showing how difficult peace in the Middle East is. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rmkcd/episodes/player?page=3

I, uh, bought a new camera. ...and by "new" I mean "a Kodak Duaflex III, made between 1954 and 1957. It's a TLR and and by "TLR" I mean "not at all, actually." Real TLRs have a pair of identical lenses that can be focused. They also usually have a proper adjustable aperture. The Duaflex here has none of that. It has a fixed focus 72mm Kodet lens with a 3 position Waterhouse (think 19th century) aperture. The viewing lens is not the same as film lens and is, to use the technical term, a pile of crap. With all of that said, the camera was $10, and I will never put a roll of film through it. I'm going to use it for through the viewfinder shots using digital camera (5D and iPhone probably, but don't put it past me to try out infrared TTV). I'd prefer a proper TLR for TTV photos and over a long enough period of time I'll get one. For a ten spot I'll futz around with damn near any piece of camera gear. The store where I bought it had the original flash that came with the camera when it was new. (Pictured here in far better shape than what they had.) Vintage flashes are of exactly zero interest to me. Also, they're enormous. I can't imagine trying to wrestle one. I also bought another 135mm manual focus prime. No cap as the kids say. More on that later. Also also I've been learning about the 600mm and 800m primes Canon makes for their R series mirrorless bodies. More on those (much) later.

Quick update: purchased a Matrix Audio Mini-i pro 3 via Ebay for 400€. Good bang for the buck I suppose and option to upgrade the dac in de future.

https://folkways.si.edu/pete-seeger/the-complete-bowdoin-college-concert-1960/american-folk/music/album/smithsonian

from scratch chicken and dumplings

As a Jew myself, I fully stand by Israel. Mike makes a lot of true and salient points. Even the "illegal" settling of the West Bank was done AFTER several surrounding countries attacked Israel, and they gained the land. The Sinai peninsula is another example of that. But Israel gave that land back to Egypt as a part of a peace settlement. The Palestinians - in Gaza or the West Bank - have never agreed to any peace settlement with Israel. So Israel has not given back the West Bank. They HAVE left Gaza alone, and have been out of there basically since 2005 IIRC. The non-Israeli's in the West bank have continued to send suicide bombers into Israel, so it's always a hotbed of violence. The bombing of Gaza is indeed massive. I have mixed feelings about that because 1) until Hamas is removed there will just be more bombs/missiles/attacks on Israel, and 2) thousands of civilians are dead and tens or hundreds of thousands displaced. I wish it wasn't happening, but I still lean to Israel's side because of #1 above, AND the fact that this wouldn't be happening if October 7th hadn't happened. And any sign of weakness with Israel is a sign for others to do what Hamas has done. I will ALSO recognize that Netanyahu uses this to exercise his power in war. I cannot stand Netanyahu, indeed he is a right-wing power hungry asshat who would marginalize many in Israel, Arab and Jew alike. I also condemn the settlers who force their way into the West Bank. I would like to hope that some day it can be part of the Palestinian/Arab state and self-govern...peacefully. Tens of thousands of Israeli's have protested Netanyahu's attempts at grabbing power and many of his policies. But I will always support Israel, and condemn Hamas and any non-peaceful Palestinian. Mike is right, Palestinians cheered when the dead bodies of some of the Israeli's were paraded around. I also think they've been taught only with propaganda that everything wrong in their lives is because of Jews/Israel. In many ways they don't know better. I was having a passionate but relatively peaceful debate with someone, who was also focusing on the horrible conditions in Gaza. I asked the same question as noted above: would this be happening if October 7th never happened? And when he said that Hamas doesn't represent all Palestinians, I agreed. Then I asked: why don't they protest or revolt? And the answer was that the people in power wouldn't let them or accept it (they have actually killed those who rally against them). So of course, I then asked: who is oppressing the Palestinians more? The answer is clearly Hamas. They place weapons and fighters in or next to civilian locations (schools, hospitals, etc.) and don't let people evacuate (or at least until so many have died and they can use it as propaganda). There are videos from their leaders saying they will have civilian casualties to achieve their goals. I'm rambling....I'm not as firm as Mike to say you MUST support my thoughts or like my posts. But I understand his passion, because as Jews we KNOW what it's like when people do nothing (ref: Hitler and Germany in WW2). What I would ask is to do some research and help form a stronger opinion. Research at how Palestinians have been kicked out of several Arab countries (because of the elements of violence) and are not welcome even as refugees. Read what Hamas stands for (eradicating Jews in Israel, as well as globally). Understand who is the MOST oppressive to the Palestinian people, what "genocide" REALLY means (guess what: Hamas is genocidal in intent, Israel is not), and then recognize that Jews have been marginalized and attacked globally and throughout history perhaps more than any other race/religion. And also do research into how many Arab on Arab conflicts have resulted in dead Palestinians and other Arab populations, and try and understand why there is so little outcry for the Palestinian people in those situations. Because it's not Israel doing it.....that's a sure sign of Antisemitism.... So I get where Mike is coming from, and feel much of the same fear and sometimes anger. I don't expect anyone to like my post, but at least to read it and try to learn more, to help understand.

I should really learn to read. A friend of mine pointed out to me that the Kodak I bought has the better Kodar 72mm lens that is not fixed focus. It in fact has a focus scale printed on the top of it. This makes it a significantly better camera than what I was describing above. With that said, the Duaflex III is not a true TLR. I was going to take some glamor shots of the lens I bought at the same time as the Kodak, but it's raining sideways here on scenic MV today. The truth is bad weather conditions can make for some amazing photos on MV, but I cannot be arsed to traipse out around in it right now. June of '05, just down the street from me. Taken with my trusty PowerShot S60 and re-edited in 2020. Same spot, same time. Unedited. The following day, at the EDG lighthouse. The day had been totally clear when I started out and the fog rolled in out of nowhere. Vineyard weather is like that. Back to the present day: This was a department store called Fligor's for decades. My grandparents used to buy me overpriced Lego sets here when I was a kid. I have fond memories of the stone wall meaning "Legos soon!" An (AFAIK) no longer used boat launch, with Chappaquiddick in the background. This is me trying to be less strict with the rule of thirds. There's a retired boomer who happily tools around in this Porsche 993. I am (not so) secretly jealous. Air cooled engines make such a neat noise that sounds nothing like other cars. Also I love that he has his surfboard strapped to it. The exact opposite of this vehicle is the veritable army of Posche-Utes with their distinctive but stupid quad LED headlights. I hate every single thing about the Cayenne. They're shitty SUVs. They're shitty Porsches. They're really shitty to have to share the road with on a tiny island with narrow roads. Also I swear the demographic that buys them are among the worst that.... [KNUCKLES. No more ranting!] The On Time ferry, shipping 2 oversized pickups and a dump truck from Chappy back to the "mainland" as they call it. Someone in another forum asked me where I was to get this "airborne" shot of the ferry, so here ya go: I was in Vineyard Haven around dusk (which comes at like 3:45 in the afternoon these days) and climbed up on to the lawn of the Martha's Vineyard museum, which is the best sited building on the entire island. It was originally a military hospital IIRC. The lawn is full of Canadian geese, and therefore a minefield of their droppings. I had to tread carefully to get this shot. I was honked at continuously for my efforts. From the parking lot of the Museum. I wanted to frame the tree, keep the harbor horizon flat, and not fall off the side of the embankment. I succeeded in at least one of these tasks. There's been couple trees in my yard that have stubbornly hung on to their fall colors. This one in particular was being an absolute showoff. Taken with my CZJ Sonnar, which I never fail to describe as the best of my 135mms for actually taking photos. Even if it has a pedestrian 6 blade aperture, it has a brilliant optical design. The color transmission speaks for itself. See how the OOF areas are what I call "painted." It's like a poor man's 85L. Not at all, actually, but it is a mighty fine lens. I like it enough that I make up reasons to use it. Taking photos of trees with a 135mm portrait lens is not something rational people do, but I have fun with it. Speaking of... More of the same, only entirely different. Taken from the edge of my driveway. I converted this shot to B&W with Luminar 4, which I find is better for the process than Photoshop. I did do some further edits in PS to get the levels where I liked them. There might be a tough too much negative space at the top of this photo, but I'm still pretty happy with it. Last light on a day much clearer than today. Taken with my '86 nifty fifty, which is the best walkaround lens I have until I get a new 35mm F/2 with a working AF motor.

Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and they're everywhere):

No can do, Mike. As in, I don’t really think it’s possible and I also don’t want to. If you want to take a break, short, long, or otherwise from this place you are free to do so as an exercise of your free will. But I won’t be the thing that prevents you from coming back. That seems like the exact opposite of how I feel about this. It also feels very much like revisionist history and would likely break/ruin quite a few good threads around here. Jacob did it once and it was awful. I know this has affected you deeply, Mike. And just so we’re clear, I liked your earlier post because I agree, you’ve always been a great part of this community and incredibly generous with your support. @skullguise - thanks for taking the time to write your response.

After everything said here recently, it's probably worth reading today's look back at the last serious attempt at peace, including the rise of Hamas and Netanyahu. Plenty of complications and blame to spread around. For those without NYT subscriptions PDF attached. Thirty years ago, a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seemed achievable. The story of how it fell apart reveals why the fight remains so intractable today. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/20/magazine/israel-gaza-oslo-accords.html Why the Oslo Accord Between Israelis and Palestinians Failed.pdf

spaghetti al’assassina with little caesar’s bread sticks we had left over

The world is shit enough right now that some smooth music and bourbon together does not go astray.

Wikipedia: "Danger Zone" is a song, with music composed by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics written by Tom Whitlock, which American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins recorded and released in 1986. ... In 1986, Moroder collaborated with his protégé Harold Faltermeyer (of "Axel F") and lyricist Tom Whitlock to create the score for the film Top Gun (1986) which included Kenny Loggins' hit "Danger Zone" and Berlin's "Take My Breath Away". He wrote the theme song to the film Over the Top, "Meet Me Half Way", also performed by Loggins. In 1987, Moroder produced and co-wrote Falco's song "Body Next to Body". Moroder wrote the official theme songs, "Reach Out", for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and "Hand in Hand", for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and "Un'estate italiana" for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. etc. Not quite... but there's nothing Giorgio Moroder couldn't do when he set his mind to it!