Monthly Archives: June 2010

Technology in Soccer

More soccer has yet to be played, but the incredibly stupid calls we have witnessed these past couple of days makes it clear that it is time to bring FIFA into the 20th, if not the 21st, century.

While all stadium goers can see the jumbo screens with replay, t.v. fans can see hours of replay, and FIFA officials sit in their boxes with replay, the blind referees on the field are not allowed to look up and watch the screen to see what really happened.

All it takes is one official watching a small replay screen to help the ref decide the accuracy of a call, whether it be a goal or a penalty decision.

FIFA saying that technology has no place in refereeing is like the Pope dismissing claims of clerical abuse of young bys as “petty gossip”.  Both positions are reprehensible and deserve wide scrutiny by the public.

Leica M9 and the Summilux

Following months of patience, today was a great day. I picked up the new 50mm Summilux from my local Leica dealer, Arlington Camera.
The first opportunity to try the lens was at dinner, where chef JP was preparing another wonderful selection of fresh sushi.

Here is JP at f/1.4 not more than 2 feet from the counter top; ahh the magical bokeh of the Summilux.

Texas Country Roads

This weekend was too hot to stay home and too nice to stay home, so I went looking for some abandoned Ghost Towns around the area.
There is actually a website dedicated to Texas Ghost Towns. Access to Climax, TX was blocked due to road construction, but I did make it to Frognot where I found these two barns within “shooting” range. Of course access to most of the fallen buildings was an issue – as always!

Here are two fallen barns:

Exaggerations

I am continuously pondering the news outlets use of the English language. The stock market goes up 1% and it has “skyrocketed”; the market goes down 0.6% and it has “plunged”.

Unemployment stays stable, but applications went up by a bit more than forecasted, and “claims are up “sharply”.

Guys, can’t we just report without the ridiculous hype and hysteria?

Technological disappointments or opportunities

I have been an ATT wireless user since the days of the bag-phone and have gotten to the frustration level where one of my two mobile numbers is being ported to Verizon.

When access is non-existent or so poor that you cannot make calls or worse yet cannot see voice mails until a full 48 hours later it is time to move on.

I now have on order an HTC Droid Incredible to take the place of the Blackberry that has been a (mostly) trusted companion for many of the past years. I will hang on to the iPhone just because it is a cool gadget. It will become my international access phone since the Droid does not work overseas.

Additionally, some software glitch has been wreaking havoc with my airport connection on the Macbook Pro and we have not been able to figure it out.  Turn on Apple Mail and the airport turns off and cannot be turned on until you reboot the machine.  So, I downloaded a new mail program and voila, the system works well.  I have been using SeaMonkey for a couple of days now and am impressed with the integrated package that includes a newsreader, a robust mail program, and a quick browser.  Maybe Mr. Jobs isn’t as invincible as I thought!

Santa Fe, NM

One of the great destinations in the USA is Santa Fe, NM. With its rich history dating back 400 years and a cultural diversity that brings with it a wide variety of great restaurants, wonderful galleries, and neat shopping.

Photographers who want to venture a few miles out of town can spend days wandering the old road to Taos, the road to Chama, or head down to Tent Rock National Monument. Santa Fe itself affords the visitor an incredible amount of architectural photo opportunities. Get out early and photograph the south side of Canyon Road., With the sun coming straight down the road, there are some wonderful shadows that bathe the adobe walls.

For lunch and dining, I recommend – in order of greatness:

Ristra – Try the Elk Steak

Aqua Santa – the lamb is to die for

Vinaigrette – only salads, but once topped with steak, scallops, or chicken they make for a tremendous meal. The desserts are to die for!

Jinja – Superb Asian Fusion

Bumble Bee – great, inexpensive Mexican food. Impressively clean, superb taste and above all linen napkins.

The Guadalupe Sanctuary shot at sunset while an elderly lady prayed after lighting a candle in memory of a loved one.

Dallas v Fort Worth

A unique characteristic of Fort Worth is their pride in everything “old”. It seems that in Dallas any old building needs to be leveled and make room for a new high-rise. In Fort Worth, on the other hand, the downtown has some unique buildings that date back to the 1800s.

One such treasure is the Tarrant County Courthouse. We had the building all to ourselves yesterday and were able to take our large format film cameras all over in the building. I will be developing my black and white film sometime after I get home next weekend, and will send off the color film once I have enough to make it worth the shipping expense.

There are many unique older building throughout the State, and I wonder why some cities do not see the treasure in the upkeep of these majestic facilities.

Sushi

Sushi is my favorite cuisine, and how rare is it to fins a top-notch restaurant serving your favorite meal so close to home?

Probably the best sushi I have ever had can be found at Myoshi on Preston and Parker in Plano, TX.

Chef JP creates a stunning meal and often has some interesting off-menu selections available for his regulars. Just ask him if he has flounder available. A delicacy.

Volcano Roll

JP putting the finishing touches on some tasty Mussels