Red-Ringed Tupperware Party with (super-effective) Tin Foil Hats (6)

I'm just glad I don't live there.

After all these years of having 'history' rammed down my throat as a high school student and not giving a rat's @ss in those days, I am finally becoming a student of history. Part of my work has in some small (perhaps tiny) way contributed to national security and national infrastructure. It's piqued my interest in the history of where I come from: why did we not end up a failed state? In all these long years there is so much that could have gone horrifyingly wrong. As someone who works in operations, where we plan for the worst case scenario because that is precisely what will happen, the question does occur to me: why DIDN'T it go wrong? What did we do right?

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #4629306
If I ever make my millions, I'll just by camera stuff....

...For Lisa.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I wish I had someone to share it all with.

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #4629306
I'm with you on this. Sudan, Rwanda, Somalia, now Kenya, the list goes on and on.

Oh, and I reported your political post.

Thank you, I felt bad in expressing something overly serious...

Claire wrote in post #4629031
I am turning 29 this April. Ok, I'll scan a pic from when I was early teens.

The tradition in Sweden is you get flowers etc around your neck when graduating high school. That's what he has around his neck, i dind't get as many. And the parents are to carry embaressing kiddy shots of you on a stick, so that's me on the picture behind me.

Ohh am I glad its just a tradition in Sweden and NOT in Denmark

In2Photos wrote in post #4629235
I can't stand hearing about crap like this. This is precisely why I don't watch the news, stay away from TMZ and ETV, and hide my eyes from the magazine stands at grocery stores.

You can't get away from it.

I expect to hear all this garbage when my wife is watching E!, but now the major networks seem to consider it mainstream news. I'm astonished that Britney is getting almost as much airtime on the Today Show as the Iowa caucuses.

I really think one of the reasons I'm so willing to spend hours per day on the forum is to take my mind of the TV which is usually on. (my wife is an addict).

belmondo wrote in post #4629360
You can't get away from it.

I expect to hear all this garbage when my wife is watching E!, but now the major networks seem to consider it mainstream news. I'm astonished that Britney is getting almost as much airtime on the Today Show as the Iowa caucuses.

I really think one of the reasons I'm so willing to spend hours per day on the forum is to take my mind of the TV which is usually on. (my wife is an addict).

Don't worry, Chief. There's as much drama going on in these threads to get a melodramatic fix if you need it.

belmondo wrote in post #4629360
You can't get away from it.

I expect to hear all this garbage when my wife is watching E!, but now the major networks seem to consider it mainstream news. I'm astonished that Britney is getting almost as much airtime on the Today Show as the Iowa caucuses.

I really think one of the reasons I'm so willing to spend hours per day on the forum is to take my mind of the TV which is usually on. (my wife is an addict).

And then you went through the whole WF fiasco. Good thing you spend so much time on the forum Tom.

In2Photos wrote in post #4629383
And then you went through the whole WF fiasco. Good thing you spend so much time on the forum Tom.

That was definitely an adventure. We're still seeing the occasional repercussion, but things are much improved.

Pete wrote in post #4628842
Velcro also catches on my armpit hair, so I try and avoid it at all costs...

Claire wrote in post #4628865
Eeeeh, too much info!

Absolutely!

Claire wrote in post #4628955
My high school graduation. I was 19.

Are you Captain or Tenille?

Mooooorning everyone

just an FYI, I am feeling much better today.

In2Photos wrote in post #4628277
I got one, although it does NOT look identical (I didn't check the auction listing good enough). It works fine, but as mentioned its fit and finish leaves a bit to be desired.

Probably. Did you shower this morning?

Yes you are right, I looked again and they look very similar but the knobs are different and there is no black line at the top. If it works that's all I care about.

oh and if the shower question was a general inquiry...why yes, I did.

Pete wrote in post #4628900
The years have not been kind to me...

Before and after...

aww Pete, you're a cutie and as long as Ali thinks so, that's all that matters

hmmmm.......

Am tempted by that Pentax 645 I have been planning to buy for the last 7 months.

I've learned in recent months (death and illness in the family) that life is too short to wait. Perhaps I should just go for it and never look back.

Lightstream wrote in post #4629560
hmmmm.......

Am tempted by that Pentax 645 I have been planning to buy for the last 7 months.

I've learned in recent months (death and illness in the family) that life is too short to wait. Perhaps I should just go for it and never look back.

wait, I thought you were going to buy the 200 f2! or the 300 f2.8?

Cat's Meow is too far off the radar. Canon will probably confirm the announcement in March, with stock available (by my guesstimate) in June. Too far to wait.

Besides the P645 is cheap.. at $289 it won't put TOO big a ding in the budget.

300/2.8 ISL is too long for what I need - probably will not buy this lens even if I could.

In the meantime, the 135L is absolutely superb. The first copy I ever shot did not impress me, perhaps that was the runt of the litter. It did elict some surprised comments from the POTN'ers who mentioned that even a pixel peeper like me should be impressed by the fabled sharpness of the 135L. I'll make no secret of it: it takes a *LOT* to impress me. Even worse at day job - my sarcastic comment is "I've seen it all".

Fortunately I gave it a second chance and THIS copy of the 135L is everything that it is made out to be

The 135L is my first L prime and now I understand the stuff that they are made of. It's a treat to shoot wide open and f/2 is amazing. This is going to be *THE* portrait lens in my gear bag from now on

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #4629306
Oh, and I reported your political post.

Too slow, Pete beat you to it

timbernet wrote in post #4628318
My plan was 17-40 now for landscapes, then in about a year 16-35 for indoor UWA.... but 82mm filters suck!

Did you try to outbid Lisa on those rings?

The 16-35mm original uses 77mm filters.