Italian for Beginners, it's called. A Danish movie with an ensemble cast. One doesn't often hear of Danish movies, much less one that is as good as this. It's the Swedish movies that get the accolades, generally. But Italian for Beginners is definitely worth seeing, even if you don't know any Danish. Great performances by a remarkably able young cast, and a plot with some surprises along the way.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243862/
* * * * *
This blog will be on vacation for the next two weeks. After some last minute packing, we're off to Alaska with our friends to see the glaciers and the whales. I'm planning to take a lot of pictures and video on this trip. Let's hope the weather will be as fine and sunny as it is today here in California.
A compendium of images - most original, some not - words, and links, sometimes musical, gathered for the exclusive enjoyment of friends and relatives, some old, and some new.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Neighborhoods - Click on pictures to enlarge
The Excelsior 1
The Excelsior 2
View from the Top
A Lot Going On
The Excelsior 3
The Corner House
Garbage Day
No Parking Day or Night
Avalon Street
Blue StuccoFriday, May 19, 2006
Anatomy of a Joke
The Lone Ranger and Tonto go camping in the Southwest.
After they get their tent all set up, both men fall sound asleep.
Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?"
The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars."
"What that tell you?" Tonto asks.
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. That's what it tells me. What's it tell you, Tonto?"
"You dumber than buffalo shit. Someone stole the tent!"
This is a short and simple joke that has a lot going for it.
Here are two companions, or 'pardners' in the language of the Old West, whom we know from radio, comic books, movies, and later, television.
The Lone Ranger is a masked avenger, a fighter for justice, and a former Texas Ranger—the Anglo equivalent, one might suppose, of the Hispanic Zorro. He is a white man. His companion Tonto is a Native American, either an Apache or a member of the Potowatami tribe (his origin is unclear).
Tonto calls the Lone Ranger by the name Kemo Sabe. Kemo Sabe is a real phrase in the language of the Potowatami Indians of Michigan. It means 'trusted friend'.
On the other hand, Tonto in Spanish means 'stupid' or 'foolish', and in the American Southwest that is how it will be understood.
The Lone Ranger speaks in the cultured tones of a man of education, well-versed in astronomy, astrology, theology, and meteorology. He is also able to tell sidereal time.
Tonto, however, speaks broken English.
In this joke, the tables are turned when the smart, well-educated Lone Ranger is shown to be the real tonto, who does not realize that the beautiful night sky he is contemplating really means that their tent is no longer there.
After they get their tent all set up, both men fall sound asleep.
Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?"
The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars."
"What that tell you?" Tonto asks.
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. That's what it tells me. What's it tell you, Tonto?"
"You dumber than buffalo shit. Someone stole the tent!"
This is a short and simple joke that has a lot going for it.
Here are two companions, or 'pardners' in the language of the Old West, whom we know from radio, comic books, movies, and later, television.
The Lone Ranger is a masked avenger, a fighter for justice, and a former Texas Ranger—the Anglo equivalent, one might suppose, of the Hispanic Zorro. He is a white man. His companion Tonto is a Native American, either an Apache or a member of the Potowatami tribe (his origin is unclear).
Tonto calls the Lone Ranger by the name Kemo Sabe. Kemo Sabe is a real phrase in the language of the Potowatami Indians of Michigan. It means 'trusted friend'.
On the other hand, Tonto in Spanish means 'stupid' or 'foolish', and in the American Southwest that is how it will be understood.
The Lone Ranger speaks in the cultured tones of a man of education, well-versed in astronomy, astrology, theology, and meteorology. He is also able to tell sidereal time.
Tonto, however, speaks broken English.
In this joke, the tables are turned when the smart, well-educated Lone Ranger is shown to be the real tonto, who does not realize that the beautiful night sky he is contemplating really means that their tent is no longer there.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Springtime San Francisco
Downtown Skyline
Visitors - Museum of Modern Art
Afternoon Sun - Washington Square
Bay Window
Street Scene
Stop Sign
Skateboarder's Dream
Clouds and Power Lines
Hilly City
Coit TowerWednesday, May 17, 2006
Security
I have been using a paper shredder to dispose of bank statements and credit card bills that no longer have to be kept. Also junk mail, pleas for donations, and solicitations to apply for new credit cards and mortgage loans. Who knows what problems such papers might cause us if they end up in the wrong hands. Identity theft is a foremost concern these days.
A paper shredder is a useful machine to have in the house. It gives a sense of security. Not a great one; just one that makes you feel you are doing something right. It's like a very modest version of homeland security.
Our shredder shreds paper in ribbons about a quarter-inch wide. In movies, criminal investigators and spymasters take these shreds and piece them together so that what's on them can be read. A painstaking job that may take days or weeks of effort is in the movie compressed into a brief montage of a second or two. Those movie investigators are so skilled, you see.
The paper shredder is about the size of a plastic office waste-paper basket. The shredding mechanism, a sort of spiked or toothed and geared cylinder, is contained in the heavy top portion of the unit, and is turned on and off by a button, while another button puts the thing into reverse, in case there's a paper jam. An electric eye in the paper-feeding slot detects when a sheet, or sheets, is placed there, and electronically triggers the shredder's mechanism to get going.
Depending on the quality and price of the shredder, a user can shred as many as a dozen or so sheets at a time. Inserting too many sheets can jam the rollers. Likewise, inserting too many gummed labels (the address labels on sheets that charities often send when requesting donations) will also do a fine job of clogging the mechanism.
Though most paper-shredders will do the job for which they were designed, eventually the bits and pieces of scrunched-up paper debris that stick on to the rollers will have to be removed. Always remember to unplug the unit from the wall outlet, if you don't want a finger to end up in anyone's bowl of chili.
A paper shredder is a useful machine to have in the house. It gives a sense of security. Not a great one; just one that makes you feel you are doing something right. It's like a very modest version of homeland security.
Our shredder shreds paper in ribbons about a quarter-inch wide. In movies, criminal investigators and spymasters take these shreds and piece them together so that what's on them can be read. A painstaking job that may take days or weeks of effort is in the movie compressed into a brief montage of a second or two. Those movie investigators are so skilled, you see.
The paper shredder is about the size of a plastic office waste-paper basket. The shredding mechanism, a sort of spiked or toothed and geared cylinder, is contained in the heavy top portion of the unit, and is turned on and off by a button, while another button puts the thing into reverse, in case there's a paper jam. An electric eye in the paper-feeding slot detects when a sheet, or sheets, is placed there, and electronically triggers the shredder's mechanism to get going.
Depending on the quality and price of the shredder, a user can shred as many as a dozen or so sheets at a time. Inserting too many sheets can jam the rollers. Likewise, inserting too many gummed labels (the address labels on sheets that charities often send when requesting donations) will also do a fine job of clogging the mechanism.
Though most paper-shredders will do the job for which they were designed, eventually the bits and pieces of scrunched-up paper debris that stick on to the rollers will have to be removed. Always remember to unplug the unit from the wall outlet, if you don't want a finger to end up in anyone's bowl of chili.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Contrails
Straight across the cloudless blue sky we see the unwavering linearity of a jetliner's contrails, moving north to south from horizon to horizon. The plane is so high up that its shape is barely visible, and we can't tell from down here if it has two, three, or four engines. At that height, higher than the earth's highest peak, the contrails are visible as a single narrow white band leaving the plane. The band widens the farther away the plane moves: it widens and breaks up, like smoke and yet unlike smoke. Now there are gaps in the hitherto unbroken band of white, and the puffy bits begin spreading farther apart, torn by the winds high up in the clear sky. The white of the contrails become vague and feathery, yet the signs of the plane's passage through the sky remain for a while, as if determined to mark the course it has taken.
In less than a minute the plane has disappeared into the southern sky. Where did it come from? Certainly not San Francisco International, just a bare ten miles from where we are — it was already five miles up when we first saw it. Perhaps it came from Canada, or the Far East, heading for Los Angeles.
On a clear day like this, at the height the plane was flying, a window-seat passenger would be able to look out and see most of the San Francisco Bay Area and possibly as as far south as Carmel and Monterey. What a view that must be! What a picture to capture for Mom on Mother's Day.
In less than a minute the plane has disappeared into the southern sky. Where did it come from? Certainly not San Francisco International, just a bare ten miles from where we are — it was already five miles up when we first saw it. Perhaps it came from Canada, or the Far East, heading for Los Angeles.
On a clear day like this, at the height the plane was flying, a window-seat passenger would be able to look out and see most of the San Francisco Bay Area and possibly as as far south as Carmel and Monterey. What a view that must be! What a picture to capture for Mom on Mother's Day.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
A Lady Passes
Another glorious summer-like day yesterday. We went to commemorate the passing from this life of yet another friend. The service for this lady was attended by numerous members of her extended family, and a large contingent of her longtime friends. She had been ill for a number of years, and daily throughout those years her steadfast husband had seen to her needs, and made her comfortable, first in their home, and then, when he could no longer cope on his own, at a care facility nearby.
After the funeral Mass, the lady's sister delivered a warm and loving eulogy, as did the brother of the lady's husband who had come especially for the funeral from the East Coast. The generations were well represented in church — there was a cousin of ninety and several very young children.
At the buffet meal in the adjoining church hall following the service, people who had not seen one another in many years became reacquainted. It is in the nature of such gatherings, sad though they be, that opportunities for renewing friendships arise.
◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙
After the funeral Mass, the lady's sister delivered a warm and loving eulogy, as did the brother of the lady's husband who had come especially for the funeral from the East Coast. The generations were well represented in church — there was a cousin of ninety and several very young children.
At the buffet meal in the adjoining church hall following the service, people who had not seen one another in many years became reacquainted. It is in the nature of such gatherings, sad though they be, that opportunities for renewing friendships arise.
◙ ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Parking
Have you ever noticed in parking lots, especially very large ones in suburban malls, what drivers will do to try and get as close as possible to the entrance of the main building?
I saw one such driver today at our local strip mall.
This mall has the usual agglomeration of tenant stores. The largest are a drugstore and a supermarket, both being branches of prosperous nationwide chains. Alongside are an optician, a snackbar, a shop that sells specialty beauty products, a couple of apparel shops, a restaurant, a dry-cleaning establishment, and a shoe-repair shop.
The mall was busy today. The economy is humming along well. People are out spending money. The parking lot was maybe half-full, with many vacant spaces at its outer edges, oh, some hundred yards away from the entrances to the shops.
But there was this one car with a female driver, who could easily have parked in one of the more distant spaces, who was patiently (or perhaps not patiently) waiting for another car to vacate a space that was closer to the store entrances.
The waiting car, a late-model Sports Utility Vehicle of Swedish manufacture, waited for what seemed a very long time, because the driver of the other car, also female, was elderly, and she was having a great deal of trouble backing out of her space.
The lady in the waiting car, whose turn signal was flashing steadily to discourage possible interlopers who might at the last minute slip into her chosen spot, made no attempt to give the exiting car any more room to maneuver by backing up. No, she was going to stay put, never mind that the lady in the other car kept motioning to her to back off.
Actually, there was ample room for the second lady to get out of her space and drive away, but you know how elderly people are sometimes—they need plenty of room, especially if they are shorter and can hardly peer over the top of the steering wheel.
Her car was an older model Buick, quite large for such a small person, but it was immaculately maintained and very shiny still. She certainly was not going to risk any damage to its pristine chrome fenders and paintwork. She motioned again to the lady in the waiting car. She sounded her horn once or twice. The other lady did not budge.
It was, as they say, a Mexican standoff.
In the end, the elderly lady in the Buick inched forward back into her parking spot, shut off her engine, and got out of her car. She gave the SUV driver a glowering look, and then ambled over to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee.
The lady in the waiting car, having been soundly trumped, drove off with a squeal of her tires to find another parking space farther off.
I saw one such driver today at our local strip mall.
This mall has the usual agglomeration of tenant stores. The largest are a drugstore and a supermarket, both being branches of prosperous nationwide chains. Alongside are an optician, a snackbar, a shop that sells specialty beauty products, a couple of apparel shops, a restaurant, a dry-cleaning establishment, and a shoe-repair shop.
The mall was busy today. The economy is humming along well. People are out spending money. The parking lot was maybe half-full, with many vacant spaces at its outer edges, oh, some hundred yards away from the entrances to the shops.
But there was this one car with a female driver, who could easily have parked in one of the more distant spaces, who was patiently (or perhaps not patiently) waiting for another car to vacate a space that was closer to the store entrances.
The waiting car, a late-model Sports Utility Vehicle of Swedish manufacture, waited for what seemed a very long time, because the driver of the other car, also female, was elderly, and she was having a great deal of trouble backing out of her space.
The lady in the waiting car, whose turn signal was flashing steadily to discourage possible interlopers who might at the last minute slip into her chosen spot, made no attempt to give the exiting car any more room to maneuver by backing up. No, she was going to stay put, never mind that the lady in the other car kept motioning to her to back off.
Actually, there was ample room for the second lady to get out of her space and drive away, but you know how elderly people are sometimes—they need plenty of room, especially if they are shorter and can hardly peer over the top of the steering wheel.
Her car was an older model Buick, quite large for such a small person, but it was immaculately maintained and very shiny still. She certainly was not going to risk any damage to its pristine chrome fenders and paintwork. She motioned again to the lady in the waiting car. She sounded her horn once or twice. The other lady did not budge.
It was, as they say, a Mexican standoff.
In the end, the elderly lady in the Buick inched forward back into her parking spot, shut off her engine, and got out of her car. She gave the SUV driver a glowering look, and then ambled over to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee.
The lady in the waiting car, having been soundly trumped, drove off with a squeal of her tires to find another parking space farther off.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Photoshopping
This is the original blurred picture
In the old days of film photography, when you took a picture that was out of focus or blurred due to camera shake, there was not much you could do except discard it. Nowadays, with digital imaging, you simply manipulate it using one of the several good computer tools, such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, to play around until you get an image that may be worth keeping.
I took a shot of a walking and biking trail up in the San Francisco Watershed last week. The original is out of focus, so I decided to try fooling with Photoshop Elements to see what I could make of it. The possibilities are almost endless, and you can spend many hours exploring them.
Here are some of the results. I won't bore you with the technical details. (I did not keep a record of the many filters and tools used in processing.)
Click on the images to enlarge them.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Eastern Europe
Here are some pictures taken on a Danube River cruise last year.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chipichera/album?.dir=faa7
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chipichera/album?.dir=faa7
Monday, May 08, 2006
Cooking
I can't claim to be a good cook like some of my friends and relations. But once in a while I manage to turn out a dish that may attract a compliment or two.
Actually, if you can read a recipe and follow directions, there's no reason why the resulting dish should not be good, even very good. The folks who develop the recipes, like my wife's sister, spend many hours experimenting with just the right combinations of ingredients and cooking methods and cooking times, so that when they publish the recipe, everything should turn out as intended.
Some people are natural cooks. Maybe they happen to have been born with the gift, like people who can sing or draw or compose music. Others may have arrived at their talents through much study and plain hard work. I don't think one can say that the cook to whom the art comes naturally is better than the one who had to work at it, or vice versa.
I do think, however, that someone who cooks every day will likely produce more meals that are appetizing than someone who, like me, cooks only on special occasions.
The best meals are probably prepared by people who enjoy cooking as much as they enjoy eating. I certainly enjoy eating, but then I cook only when I must.
Random Thoughts
A pop-up ad in a Chicago newspaper's webpage advertises homes priced "in the $200's".
So it's shorthand these days to leave out the three zeroes for the thousands when reflecting real estate prices? Except in the San Francisco Bay Area, where an extra zero is more likely to be added.
* * * * *
We can safely say that Spring has arrived. The rainy season is over. Our lawn and flowerbeds now have to be watered. Temperatures are still a bit on the low side, though.
* * * * *
Is there any easy way to get all that spaghetti wiring in back of my computer into a neat bundle and out of sight? Probably not.
* * * * *
Our older granddaughter modeled a blue gown that she will wear for her senior prom. She looks beautiful. They grow up so fast, don't they?
* * * * *
On the underside of the lid of a tub of Quaker Oats is a recipe for oatmeal-and-raisin cookies that's easy to make, and hard to beat.
* * * * *
What would we do without good friends?
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Kodak
The past few days I have been on a kind of photographic binge with my digital camera. Partly this has to do with the fine, sunny days we've been having in these parts, but also because when I get the bug to do picture-taking, it sticks with me for a while.
I learned today that Kodak, the name which most people of my generation equate with all things photographic, announced that its quarterly results would fall far short of expectations, and that the company is considering divesting its health unit, which makes sophisticated devices for hospitals. Its sales of film have fallen precipitously following the increasing popularity of the digital camera. Yet it is still the world's largest producer of photographic film.
. . . . .
Louis Rukeyser, the former host of Wall Street Week on public television, passed away a few days ago at the age of 73. We used to watch his half-hour show faithfully every Friday night. He was debonair, witty, and had a flair for the language of business that few other financial program hosts could match.
. . . . .
I learned today that Kodak, the name which most people of my generation equate with all things photographic, announced that its quarterly results would fall far short of expectations, and that the company is considering divesting its health unit, which makes sophisticated devices for hospitals. Its sales of film have fallen precipitously following the increasing popularity of the digital camera. Yet it is still the world's largest producer of photographic film.
. . . . .
Louis Rukeyser, the former host of Wall Street Week on public television, passed away a few days ago at the age of 73. We used to watch his half-hour show faithfully every Friday night. He was debonair, witty, and had a flair for the language of business that few other financial program hosts could match.
. . . . .
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
About Lenses
The wide-angle lens is the one I prefer for taking street photos, mainly because of the great depth of field it allows. Even with the electronic auto-focus feature now so common in cameras, it's possible if one is not careful to take photos which may turn out to be out of focus.
This is where the wide-angle lens comes into its own. The focusing with this lens does not have to be right on target, because the depth of field coverage will get everything sharp from infinity down to a few feet.
My zoom lens's widest setting is 24mm (35mm photography equivalent), which is wide enough for most needs, and may even be a bit too wide if you're concerned about vertical distortion. I happen to like this kind of distortion which can be quite effective for certain shots.
One other thing that a wide angle lens can do is to distort facial features in portraits and close-ups. It's okay when used for fun photos, but can be less than kind to the subject for regular portrait shots, especially when frontally posed, because of the distortion of the nose.
For good portraits a longer than normal focal length lens is preferred — in 35mm terms, a focal length of 70 to 100mm is ideal. It has the advantage of throwing the background out of focus so that the emphasis is on the subject, without including distracting background detail.
This is where the wide-angle lens comes into its own. The focusing with this lens does not have to be right on target, because the depth of field coverage will get everything sharp from infinity down to a few feet.
My zoom lens's widest setting is 24mm (35mm photography equivalent), which is wide enough for most needs, and may even be a bit too wide if you're concerned about vertical distortion. I happen to like this kind of distortion which can be quite effective for certain shots.
One other thing that a wide angle lens can do is to distort facial features in portraits and close-ups. It's okay when used for fun photos, but can be less than kind to the subject for regular portrait shots, especially when frontally posed, because of the distortion of the nose.
For good portraits a longer than normal focal length lens is preferred — in 35mm terms, a focal length of 70 to 100mm is ideal. It has the advantage of throwing the background out of focus so that the emphasis is on the subject, without including distracting background detail.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Reno, Nevada
Waiting for the bus
Budget motel
4:30AM
Jazz Club
Intersection
Abandoned Hotel
Hotel With Two Names
Downtown
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