December 5, 2019
GoPro Hero5 Black, Night Mode
I recently acquired a used GoPro Hero5 Black. I am finding that when the price of a GoPro drops below $150, I feel like I'm getting what I pay for. I wanted to test the night mode, so I headed down to Palm Springs tonight to take a few photos of a friend's pool and then headed over to Village Fest for more photos. All of these photos are handheld. Almost all the photos turned out well, which is the opposite of what I expected. I would say I'm quite pleased with night mode. Here are some of the photos.
permalink | December 5, 2019 at 08:39 PM | Comments (0)
August 3, 2019
Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride Photos for 2019
I rode only the afternoon loop on this year's World Naked Bike Ride in Los Angeles. I had three GoPros, each shooting one photo every five seconds during the ride. Two of the cameras faced rearward and on forward. The complete collection of photos is here. There's an icon for a slideshow near the upper right corner of that page. I tried to sync the clocks on the three cameras, but they don't allow you to set the seconds, so they're out of sync with each other over a spread of a minute or so. The route changed some this year, partly due to construction on the LA River bike path, so if you enjoy looking at these photos for what's in the background, you'll see some different scenery in this year's photos.
What follows are a few of the photos:
There were a lot of motorcycle cops along on the ride. They were tremendously helpful and had to stop at least a couple of drivers who thought they could just drive right into us, as if we would magically disappear out of their way.
A naked bystander. Not part of the ride at all, but an observer from the side of the road. I guess we inspired him. Too bad he didn't have a bike!
We entered the LA River bike path at the point where we exited in previous years.
A stop along the LA River bike path.
And we exited the bike path via a little dirt path.
The first time I rode the LAWNBR we went past this church and they called the cops. This is the first time we've ridden by it again. No problems this time.
And then we re-entered the LA River bike path.
We went through this rotary twice, for a total of 360°.
This guy was back with his sign - this year, no typos!
permalink | August 3, 2019 at 10:25 PM | Comments (1)
November 3, 2018
Los Angeles Just After Sunset
permalink | November 3, 2018 at 06:16 PM | Comments (1)
August 12, 2018
LAWNBR 2018 Video Slideshow - ThiEYE Camera
Here's the third of the slideshows of my photos from the Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride back in June.
permalink | August 12, 2018 at 08:02 AM | Comments (0)
August 6, 2018
Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride 2018
The Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride for 2018 took place on June 23. They do it in two loops, the first loop being shorter than the second loop. The day started out completely overcast with a bit of drizzle, temps in the 70s, despite trans-100 temperatures back home in the desert.
I've accumulated a number of action cameras and knew this would be a good opportunity to do some comparisons while getting a ton of photos of the other riders. The complete set of photos is here.
I used four action cameras:
- ThiEYE (link to photos) on my helmet, facing rearwards for both loops.
- Lightdow (link to photos) on the handlebars facing forward during the first loop.
- GitUp (link to photos) on the handlebars facing forward during the second loop.
- And GoPro Hero4 Silver (link to photos) mounted above the rear wheel facing rearwards for both loops.
As you will see, quality was all over the place, but the GoPro tended to do the best under the varying lighting conditions. The full sun came out on the second loop.
I have prepared video slideshows of the photos from each camera, but I've only uploaded two three. Due to upload limitations at Vimeo, I won't upload the others until sometime in September. Here are links to the two three that are up:
Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride 2018 - Lightdow Camera.
Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride 2018 - GitUp Camera.
Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride 2018 - ThiEYE Camera.
They both all end when their batteries died. The GoPro had the longest battery life. It was the only camera still running at the end of the first loop. It ran far longer on the second loop than the other cameras, but died just as we came to the intersection of Silver Lake and Sunset Boulevards. Next year I think I may try hooking it up to a USB battery so I can actually photograph the entire ride (for the first time ever).
Below are some of the more interesting shots, IMO.
That's Rocky and his husband.
This guy happened to park next to me. It was his first WNBR.
This guy stayed dressed like this for the whole ride. The ride is clothing optional and a lot of riders wear some clothing, but to be 100% dressed in serious bike rider drag on a fun ride like this seemed weird. Creepy almost. He certainly looks uncomfortable to me.
There were a number of Metro Bikes in use. Some riders covered the seat as they are supposed to; some didn't.
This little guy rode the first loop only and was our only child rider. Usually, we have a few kids, but only one this year. He was accompanied by at least four adults and it looked like they must go on rides together quite a bit. He was a good rider and communicated well with those around him.
The LAWNBR is conducted with the close cooperation and supervision of the LAPD. In prior years they would run us "like a funeral" (in their terminology), meaning they stopped traffic for us at most intersections and gave us right of way. The downside of that is the line of naked riders would stretch out further and further as the faster riders at the front left the slower riders behind, so occasionally the cops would stop all the riders until everybody had caught up. That could mean standing in the street for 10 or 15 minutes sometimes. This year, we were supposed to handle intersections as just ordinary vehicles, with a few exceptions. So a lot of the photos here are shot while we are waiting for a light to turn green. Once we got to Sunset Boulevard on the second loop, and we began the long straight run back to the end of the ride, the cops stopped traffic for us at almost every intersection. Maybe we were behind schedule.
Spiderman's costume lasted the length of the ride pretty well. Sometimes full body paint shows some wear and bare spots before we get to the end.
You get to see more than just naked bike riders while doing the LAWNBR.
Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions building.
This guy. I had a brief discussion with another rider about whether the guy knew he had a glaring typo in his sign.
The Victor Clothing mural with Anthony Quinn.
Passing the Bradbury Building.
Coming up on the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Waiting at a light near the LADWP.
Between the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Disney Hall.
Electric skateboard. He wasn't with us at the end of the ride, so maybe his battery ran out.
The double-wheeled bike on the right is supposed to float better on sand, the rider said. He brought it from Florida. I have to admit, he never got stuck in any sand during the naked bike ride.
Couldn't find matching shoes or saddle, I guess.
The guy on the phone would later be seen drinking a foamy beverage from a brown bottle. He must've had a supply in his backpack.
We didn't get to go right up the middle of Chinatown this year.
The Los Angeles State Historic Park has re-opened.
This bright red seat might work for that other guy with the bright red trim.
Jim practicing to be a North Korean dictator.
Just so you know I'm not the only nerd on the ride.
The passengers on the Amtrak bus from Oxnard get a special greeting.
They held us all at the rotary where we enter the Los Angeles River Greenway Trail.
In the several years I've done the LAWNBR we've approached this intersection from just about every angle, both on sidewalk and on pavement, due to construction. But, finally, all construction is complete. We approached it from North San Fernando Road this year.
Out of the rotary and onto the bike trail.
Dodger Stadium is up on the other side of that hill.
We often see kayakers on the Los Angeles River and water birds, but I don't recall seeing geese before.
A major stopping point on the L.A. River bikepath.
This is where they hold us after we exit the bikepath.
These guys with matching skin tones and bikes.
I think L.A. Tourism should adopt this rider as their new "Welcome To Los Angeles" maiden. Postcards, posters, billboards. They'd love her in Iowa.
permalink | August 6, 2018 at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2018
Slide Photos Of The Past (well, we couldn't have future, could we?)
Somewhere in New England (Maine, most likely).
A view of the skyline of downtown Boston from Alewife Station on the Red Line. I think the very white steeple you can see towards the left part of the downtown skyline is a church that used to stand in Porter Square. You can see the Federal Reserve building on the righthand part of the skyline.
My brother's stepdaughter at the wedding between her mother and him in 1986, Fremont, California.
Polaris and the star trails around it. I probably shot this while out camping, which means it's probably Maine.
I can't remember where this is, but I'm tempted to say Chicago. Kodachrome, 1987.
Prometheus in front of the Prudential Center in Boston, 1986.
The old John Hancock, Back Bay, Boston. Kodachrome, 1986.
The reflecting pool at the Christian Science Center in The Fenway, Boston.Agfachrome, 1985.
Chicago City Hall, Kodachrome, 1987.
The Christian Science Center in Boston. Kodachrome, 1986.
More scanned slide photos can be seen here.
permalink | March 22, 2018 at 07:34 PM | Comments (0)
February 2, 2018
A lot of slides from around 1987, mostly
Also Chicago, Kodachrome, 1987. This is probably the last time I saw this sign on the Allerton Hotel. I had always wondered if the Tip-Top-Tap was still a going concern or was it just too expensive to take down those letters. But that was before the internet. Now I can find out without having to actually go to Chicago and ride an elevator to the top. The Tip-Top-Tap opened in the 1920s and closed in 1961. It is used now as a ballroom or meeting room for private parties, but the bar is gone.
Chicago, but I can't identify these buildings. The sleek one is not the Willis Tower. This is 1987 (Kodachrome again). If anyone can identify these buildings please leave a comment or email me.
Ferns in the inner courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Kilauea Lighthouse, Kauai; Kodachrome 1986.
Kodachrome, 1989. I don't recall where this is.
Lower South Branch Pond, Baxter State Park, Maine; Kodachrome 1987.
The Nantucket Light Ship, Kodachrome, early 1980s.
The Robie House by Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park, outside Chicago. 1987, Kodachrome.
The Reserve Channel in Boston on Ektachrome, early 1980s. When I lived in South Boston in the early '80s, I worked downtown at 100 Summer Street, so most mornings I would walk to work (a couple miles) rather than suffer the crowded bus. This was along the way and almost always offered a photogenic view. But it never changed much, either. Sometimes a ship would tie up and stay for more than a year.
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach, Kodachrome, 1986.
On the Charles River Esplanade in Boston looking across the river at MIT in Cambridge. Kodachrome, 1987.
My first visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall on The Mall in Washington, Kodachrome, 1987. I was quite impressed with the feeling of grief that grows to almost overwhelming levels as I walked down into the memorial and the walls rose higher than my head.
A serendipitous moment at the Art Institute of Chicago, 1987.
Dunes on Cape Cod near Provincetown, Kodachrome, 1987.
permalink | February 2, 2018 at 10:48 AM | Comments (0)
January 22, 2018
Slides, Slides and Slides
Reverend Ch's T. Torrey in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"It is better to die in prison with the peace of God in our breasts. than to live in freedom with a polluted conscience.
Torrey's Letter Feb. 7. 1846Reverend CH'S T. TORREY.
Born at Scituate Nov. 21. 1813
Graduated at Yale College Aug. 1833.
Ordained at Providence
March. 1837.
Arrested at Baltimore
June 24. 1844.
Died in the Penitentiary of that City May 9. 1846The friends of the American Slave erect this stone to his memory as a Martyr for Liberty.
Sunset view from Kauaʻi. That island on the left is Niʻihau. Kodachrome 1986.
The interior courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in The Fenway, Boston.
The Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford.
I have no recollection of where this is. Kodachrome, 1987. In 1987 I lived in New England and traveled to Chicago, Washington DC and New York City. If you recognize this place, please leave a comment.
Chicago Water Tower, Kodachrome, 1987.
Alcatraz 1985 on Polapan film.
Sunset behind Beacon Hill in the 1980s.The point of view is the Charles/MGH Red Line station.
Chicago, Kodachrome, probably 1987.
Yellow hibiscus, probably in Hawaii.
Myself (on the right) and Bob, aboard the Provincetown II ferry between Boston and Provincetown, 1986. IIRC, we just went to P-town for lunch and then came right back to Boston. That was a thing to do back before the higher speed ferries appeared. The ferry would depart Boston about 9 AM, taking about 3 hours to get to P-town. Then you could do whatever until 3 or 3:30 when the return ferry embarked.
Boston General Mail Facility (i.e., main post office) in Boston on Fort Point Channel. This panorama was shot on Kodachrome.
Flowering trees on the Charles River Esplanade, Kodachrome.
Boats on the Charles River with the Longfellow Bridge and Back Bay skyline in the background, 1985.
The dome of the Christian Science Mother Church Annex on Agfachrome, 1985.
Myself (with the camera, duh!) and Dan in Hawaii, 1986. The film is Kodachrome.
John alongside the Charles River, 1985.
I don't recall where this is, but it must be in New England - probably the Boston area. Kodachrome, 1987.
Steam generation plant on Kneeland Street in Boston.
A roof peak on Trinity Church in Boston with the old John Hancock building in the background.
The complete collection of scanned slide photos can be seen here.
permalink | January 22, 2018 at 07:07 PM | Comments (1)
January 19, 2018
Desert Hot Springs City Council - January 16, 2018
These are some of what I think are the important bits of the January 16, 2018, meeting of the Desert Hot Springs City Council.
Fully Staffed Police Department
Five new police officers were sworn in. Chief Mondary said the police department is fully staffed. I think the definition of fully staffed is "up to the limit authorized by the City Council," because we all know our PD has never been staffed up the level we really need.
AIPP Cut To 0.25% In Industrial Zone
Some people didn't like that the AIPP rules were being assessed fairly for all kinds of property. That is, the value of the art or the amount of the in-lieu fee in effect since the program was approved in 2009 has been 0.5% of valuation for residential property and 0.75% of valuation for commercial and industrial properties.
The proposal was to eliminate the choice of putting a piece of art on site in the industrial zone. Development in the industrial zone would have to pay the in-lieu fee. I am not sure who didn't like it that the art paid for by the industrial developers would be displayed on the property developed. I didn't hear any of the City Council members express an objection to that.
This proposal went to the Planning Commission first, and they didn't like it. I could explain just why the Planning Commission didn't like it if the city's damn website would actually play the audio of that meeting, but it doesn't and they don't upload the audio to Youtube or any of the other several easy, reliable websites that actually play recorded audio flawlessly.
The choice before the City Council seemed to be to follow the Planning Commission's recommendation (leave things unchanged) or to re-insert the language taking the choice away from industrial developers. So imagine our surprise when Mr. McKee suddenly proposed to drop the rate for industrial development from 0.75% to 0.25%! Even more surprising was that Russell Betts immediately agreed to it! Ever since this program was approved, any mention of it would trigger a story-telling by Mr. Betts, in which story he would cast himself as the lonely white knight standing against everybody else who hates art. In reality, support for the AIPP program was widespread and the only discussion was the rates. The proposed rate was an even 1%, I believe, and Mr. Betts will tell you a story about how he had to fight to keep it as high as 0.75%. But now that it is 2018, he easily agreed to a two-thirds reduction in the rate.
Yvonne Parks had said she wouldn't vote for an ordinance that retained the 0.75% rate because she thought it was too high. But when the vote came, she still voted against it, even though the rate had been lowered to 0.25%. The vote was 4-1.
Some of the cannabis developers got up and complained about the surprising costs they've run into, and seemed to think this AIPP was something recently concocted to get more money out of them. In reality, the reason the cannabis developers are running into these expensive surprises is that many of them don't do sufficient due diligence (probably due to lack of experience in real estate) to find out all the expenses before they commit themselves. One cannabis developer argued that since he was having to build a road and put in underground infrastructure he ought to be excused from paying the AIPP. Again it's probably due to inexperience in real estate, but he didn't realize every developer is responsible for all that work and all those expenses. The city didn't come up with any new ideas to get in the way of cannabis development. Quite the contrary, they've now given them a two-thirds fee reduction.
In case you thought that the super-high price of land in our industrial zone would offset this rate cut, the cost of land is not included in the valuation against which the fee is assessed. IOW, it is a percentage of the value of the building only. Once you've removed the land cost, the value of the buildings will be whatever the usual value of such buildings are. The reduction in this fee is, therefore, a genuine cut to the amount of money that we would have expected to come into our AIPP fund.
Mr. McKee said he intended this to be temporary, and the council has asked that the ordinance be brought back before them in about 6 weeks to re-examine the rates. Mr. Betts said he didn't think it needed to be brought back; he was happy with the new 0.25% rate.
Resolution Setting Forth Certain Regulations Pertaining to Dispensaries
This item was removed from the agenda to be brought back at a later meeting. The proposed text in this agenda packet would have permitted a marijuana dispensary to change location, but they would still have to get a new CUP and any other of the usual necessary paperwork. The city started with 19 people who were allowed to seek a CUP and open a dispensary. Three of those people withdrew, leaving 16. Eight of those people have, indeed, opened dispensaries in town. The remaining eight still have all their rights intact, but the resolution would have specified that the right to apply for a CUP and open a dispensary is NOT transferable. The resolution also would have set the limit for cannabis dispensaries in the city at 16.
Here is a handy table provided in the agenda packet which you can use to keep track of the players. Click it for a bigger version.
New (and Re-Appointed) Commissioners
| Matas | Parks | Zavala | McKee | Betts | |
| CCAC | Michael Picardi | Barbara Eastman | Michael Burke | Untumane Turner | Donna Poyuzina |
| Planning | Dirk Voss | [hasn't decided] | Jan Pye | Larry Buchanan | Scott De La Torre |
| Public Safety | Donna Lozano | Lee Eastman | Nina Duarte | Walt Meyer | Ted Mayrhofen [this is not a typo] |
New Library
Riverside County has proposed to build a completely new library on the vacant land between Aqua Soleil and the new county building at Park Lane and Palm Drive, entirely at County expense. The current library is 3,500 s.f. The proposed library would be 15,000 s.f.
When the current library opened in 1972 the population of the city was less than 3,000 and half of it was senior citizens. The official population is 9 times greater now, and it's 40% kids 18 and under.
This item simply authorizes city staff to continue to work with the county on this. After construction of the new library the old library will be converted to a broom closet, but it won't be big enough to let everybody keep their brooms there.
permalink | January 19, 2018 at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)
December 26, 2017
Slide Restoration
On the left is the slide as it actually appears. It's about 30 years old and I don't know what kind of slide film it is, but I can say for sure it is not Kodachrome. Even though it appears to have faded to just monochrome, there is actually still color info in it and a few clicks in Photoshop, will bring those up. That's the photo on the right.
 Before Photoshop |  After Photoshop |
The photo depicts Boston City Hall, Faneuil Hall, the JFK Building and part of the Quincy Market as viewed from atop the Customs House Tower.
permalink | December 26, 2017 at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2017
Los Angeles Neon Tours
Recently I went on two different bus tours offered by the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale. We toured on two Saturday nights, starting at 7:30 PM in downtown Los Angeles. The tours, while mostly about neon, become tours of architecture and history as well as drinking and dining suggestions. The buses rarely stop and stand still just where you want them to, but the surprisingly good image stabilization and fast focusing of one of my cheap Canon cameras managed to produce some good images.
Tower Theater, which has been acquired by Apple to become the downtown Apple Store.
Just like it says, in downtown LA.
To my utter surprise, I learned this is the oldest gay bathhouse in LA! I'd never heard of it before...nor had any of my friends who I asked. Klyt (I don't know what it stands for) opened in the 1920s on 4th Street not as a gay bathhouse, but evolved into one. How this escaped the 1980s, I can't imagine. My fear of bedbugs will keep me from exploring this one, although I'd really like to check it out.
The Chinatown Chevron must have the highest prices in the state. The price at Furnace Creek this day was only $3.069.
Angels Flight, which is supposed to return to service in 2018.
2nd Street Tunnel video. Click through to see the video.
Still the tallest building in L.A., IMO.
Eric, the tour guide for the first tour I went on. The guide for the second tour was also named Eric, but looked a little different.
"New Chinatown" is Chinatown, which was moved here in the 1930s to clear way for the construction of Union Station.
The Bradbury Building with its controversial new lighting.
A parking garage at 4th & Main. I think it's just art.
The complete sets of photos can be seen here.
permalink | August 11, 2017 at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)
August 4, 2017
Dore Alley 2017 Photos
A few photos from this year's Dore Alley ("Up Your Alley") in San Francisco.
Many more NSFW images available here.
permalink | August 4, 2017 at 11:26 AM | Comments (2)
June 30, 2017
Some Photos
Some photos not previously shared.
The stage at Long Beach Opera at intermission during The Perfect American.
I've got my eye on this pink Barbie.
Edward Wenzlaff Education Center, formerly Edward Wenzlaff Elemntary School in Desert Hot Springs.
permalink | June 30, 2017 at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2017
L.A. World Naked Bike Ride Photos
Here's a link to the full size photo if you want to read that tattoo.
permalink | June 18, 2017 at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2017
Pink Houses
I visited these houses in L.A. that have been painted entirely pink, pending their demolition. NBC had a story about them.
permalink | June 17, 2017 at 07:40 PM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2017
LA World Naked Bike Ride
Actual video of part of the Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride, 2017.
permalink | June 13, 2017 at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2017
New York At Stress Levels
permalink | May 18, 2017 at 11:12 PM | Comments (1)
March 6, 2017
P-45: The Studly Mountain Lion King of Malibu
Here's a really interesting New Yorker article about the mountain lions of the Santa Monica Mountains which run from Malibu to Griffith Park. The highways have isolated this area, in terms of mountain lions traveling. P-45, however, was able to cross a highway to get into this genetic island and sow his genes. The article describes the isolation of the mountain lions which may result in their extinction (in the Santa Monica Mountains) within 50 years...which is why a land bridge is going to be built in Agoura Hills.
On this map you can see the underpass at Liberty Canyon that they believe P-45 may have used to get across the 101 and into the Santa Monica Mountains. You can see there are gaps in the residential developments there that would allow a mountain lion to pass through without having to deal directly with humans. This is where the land bridge will be built.
permalink | March 6, 2017 at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2016
Palm Springs Construction
permalink | November 27, 2016 at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2016
Hotel Cecil
The L.A. Cultural Heritage Commission visited Hotel Cecil on Main Street. The lobby is quite nice. They also took us up to the 14th floor to see a couple of typical rooms. Most rooms do not have baths, so there are shared toilets and showers on each floor. All of the rooms are small; about 11' by 17'. We saw one room that had no bath and it was pretty small, but included a small flat screen TV and a clock radio that included a mount for an iPod (the old Apple connection, not Lightning). Then they showed us a room with a bath. It was still 11' x 17', so they just used almost all the open floor space to put a bathroom (shower, toilet, sink) in there. There was about 18 inches of clearance on either side of the bed, and if there was any furniture besides the bed, I can't recall it. The hotel is now doing business as "Stay On Main." The rooms are very plain,
Looking out the window of a 14th floor guest room, this is the view.
