Hasselblad 905 SWC

After a very serious purge of some unused camera gear, I was able to purchase this incredible camera from a very cool Scotsman.

















This is/was a dream camera for me and now it is in my possession. Thanks to a very trusting human a few thousand miles away. I am so excited to have this camera.

And now I know how to use some of the 280 rolls of Agfa APX 100 that I have stashed away.

Photo With Baby

Working for her college fund. We are so lucky, she is so happy.

Twitter, the new Terrorist Network

I've been using Twitter for a while and find it rather fun.

But apparently, the US Army thinks it could be dangerous. They issued a report that says "Twitter has become a social activism tool for socialists, human rights groups, communists, vegetarians, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, political enthusiasts, hacktivists and others to communicate with each other and to send messages to broader audiences."

Yikes, terrorists and those damn vegetarians using Twitter.

I wonder what they have to say about instant messaging and normal every day blogs?

I went to the Obama Rally tonight

Tonight Amelia and I took Elizabeth to see and hear Barack Obama talk at UNM. It was fantastic. There were thousands of people. Absolutely amazing.

John McCain came to NM today as well. He was here this morning. The local news says 1500 came out to see McCain. The same channel says that nearly 50,000 people (35,000 on the field and 15,000 blocking Central Avenue) came out to see Obama.

This is probably why NM is now turning blue.

Coming apart at the seams, or the pitbull bites back

I am sorry to see things like this in politics, but I suspect in the coming days, we are going to a lot of finger pointing, name calling and pure chaos in the McCain-Palin campaign.

McCain will be looking for something/someone to blame for his end in politics. Here are just two stories out today.

Palin "Going Rogue"

The Palin Problem

I hope that if he loses, and it's still and if, that he can go away with some dignity.

45703

I was Bernalillio County's 45703rd voter today.

It took me an hour from start to finish.

I am glad that I did.

Get out and vote early. November 4th is going to be insane.

Palin denies accepting clothing

I am speechless.

Read this.

Two Months old

My little bean, Elizabeth is two months old today.

She is getting big and a bit chubby at over ten and a half pounds.

She smiles so much and in the mornings, when we spend time in bed while Momma gets ready, she "talks" to me with lots of coos and ahhs and waving of the hands.

She is such a beautiful little girl.

I am so lucky.

In touch with the American Public

By now, most people have heard that the RNC spent $150,000 on clothes and make up for Sarah Palin. Almost $75,000 at Neiman Marcus and $50,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue. More at each place most Americans make in a year. Maybe they were trying to keep up with Cindy McCain who spent $300,000 for ONE outfit for the Republican Convention.

So is this how the Republicans stay in touch with the typical American? Do most Americans shop at NM or Saks? Can most Americans afford either of these places? I doubt it, considering that the US is at all time unemployment high.

They would have scored major points by shopping at Sears or JCPenney. Hell, shopping at Walmart or Target would have been awesome and keeping in touch with most Americans. They could have used that as a huge PR event, showing her shop and talking with shoppers.

Oh well.

Terrorist, Socialist, or Communist. Which is it?

This week, according to McSame and his pit bull, Barack Obama is a communist.

What will it be next week? And the week after?

Just two weeks to go and McSame is seriously down in the polls. Double digits. How ugly will he make this before November 4th? They are starting to panic.

There was a time, not long ago, when I would have voted for and with the Republicans. But they have lost touch with people like me. People with common sense. People with a sense of decency and respect for others.

There is a lot more to write about the current elections but there is nothing positive, so I will stop here.

But before I go, it's good to know that Sarah Palin knows what her job will be. She will rule over the Senate.

Trooper Gate and now Travel Gate?

It's being reported that when Governor Palin went on "official business", she would bring her girls and then charge the state of Alaska for those expenses, including 76 airline tickets.

Hmmmm.

read more.

Rupert Murdoch predicts Obama will win

This is big news because good old Rupert owns Fox Media, including Fox News.

He is quoted as saying:
"McCain is a friend of mine. He's a patriot. But he's unpredicatble. Doesn't seem to know much about the economy. He has been in Congress a long time, and you have to make a lot of compromises. So what's he really stand for?... I think he has a lot of problems."

See the video here.

Wow.

Palin as President

this is rather funny.

be sure to click on the red phone.

move the mouse around

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

First five mile ride

I just took my bike out for a five mile ride. Went for my afternoon latté. My ass is sore. My neck is sore. I am getting old.

I need to get in shape so I can see my daughter graduate high school. Turning 40 is not far away.

This is my new bike. Spent a few bucks at the local bike shop getting a helmet, pedals, and a lock as well as a few other things.

Bought a Bicycle

Thanks to Craigslist, I picked up a sweet LeMond Buenos Aires road bike.

A quick tune up and it will be ready to go.

First Tears

This morning we took Elizabeth for her first set of immunization shots. She had been nice and calm while the doctor gave her a check up but when two nurses came in with three shots, and poked both her legs, Elizabeth wailed and her first tears appeared.

I felt so helpless. She could hardly breathe she was crying so hard.

But now she is okay. She's slept a bit.

We are going out for lunch and then will be going to UNM for early voting.

Yep...$3000 for the new 667

According to former Albuquerque resident, all around cool dude and Japanese speaking Andrew Crooks, the new camera is going to be $3000 US. This is just insane.

I guess I will be spending my money elsewhere. I just don't understand how or why this camera can be so expensive. There are no electronics in it either other than a simple meter. There is nothing that makes this camera so unique, other than being brand new, that it should be $3000. So unless this is going to be a "boutique" item, I just don't get it.

But before I get carried away, I will just wait to see what Fuji and Voigtlander come up with.

Another Fuji 667 video with some bad news

Apparently, the man in the suit in this video says the camera is going to be $3000. Very bad news and a deal killer for me.

republican confusion

So let's all freak out about ACORN and the possible voter registration fraud. Let's try to slap Obama with some more mud rather than real issues, like taxation and the war.

Here is the confusion:
Voter registration fraud versus voter fraud.

Voter registration fraud is when some jackass who is working for ACORN or any other organization, registers Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Big deal.

Voter fraud, is when one party manipulates (changes or throws away) the actual vote during an election or thereafter.

Senator McSame and his colorful but loud pitbull keep screaming voter fraud. It's not voter fraud and Obama has nothing to do with it.

And this brings me to voter registration and why we need proof of ID. I see no harm whatsover in the government requiring some sort of picture ID in order to vote. Hell, I need a picture ID to get on a plane, to buy some new jeans at the Gap, or to buy a beer. What is the harm with asking for a picture ID when voting? This would certainly take care of all the dumb asses in the world who want to try and vote as some dead guy or some over sized rodent.

So get out and vote and get out the ID.

Fuji Voigtlander Video

Thanks to a mystery person named JJ for the link.

Very exciting and a good way to see just how big or little this camera is.

Nothing to say about this...

This is not photoshopped or altered in any way.

If things were switched.

From an email I just received.

Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?.....think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different? (10/8/08)

Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three-month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if Barack Obama had finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class, like John McCain did, instead of being selected as President of the Harvard Law Review?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who screwed around on and then left his first wife because she'd been in a severe disfiguring car accident, and she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a months-long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization and initially lied about it?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980's-90's which cost taxpayers over $3 billion in investments and bailout. McCain was one of those Senators.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? (wha'?) What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military education/experience that included many discipline problems and a record of crashing four planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution and been convicted of felonies for associating with organized crime figures and corruption?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A., Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations. Harvard Law School - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude, first black ever elected to be President of The Harvard Law Review

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History; and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism
(did not have a passport until 2007)

Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.

Iraq thinks $100 a barrel is fair

Remember when Bush told us we would get cheap oil out of Iraq, right before we invaded?

From CNN:
"An Iraqi official says Iraq believes that the $100 a barrel is a "fair and acceptable" oil price for both producers and consumers.
Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad says that if crude prices continue to fluctuate, OPEC will cut its production.
Last Monday, Iraq's Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani told reporters in London that production of oil at its current levels could not be justified if demand slackened.
Oil for November delivery was trading around $73 per barrel on Thursday - far below a record $147 in July.
Current estimates put Iraq's proven oil reserves at 115 billion barrels. Its daily production stands near 2.4 million barrels a day. "

Just another reason to get out of Iraq. Let them pay for their own damn security. Let them take care of themselves. Oh yeah, oil is around $72 today and my local gas station is now selling gas at $2.75 a gallon.

The US is still spending $400,000,000 a day over there, while borrowing billions from China.

Enough is enough. Imagine what $400,000,000 a day would do for our country, our schools, our health care system.

Time to let Iraq take care of their own problems. They can certainly pay for it.

Healthcare Costs

My families health insurance is over $4,000 a year.

My fathers health insurance is almost $11,000 a year.

A good friend of mine's health insurance is almost $9,000 a year.

This price does not include the deductible.

Yes, I think there needs to be some reform in the healthcare industry.

Print Sale !!!

In an effort to raise some funds for a new camera, I am selling one of my most popular prints.

I shot this in Budir Iceland in April 2007. The image was made with my Hasselblad and Agfa APX 100 film. It is printed on Ilford Multigrade Fiber paper and was made in my darkroom to museum standards.

It measures 7" x 7" on 8x10. This is an edition of 25 and will be signed and numbered.

The price is $175 including shipping and paypal fees.

To purchase a print, send $175 to dvdbrm@yahoo.com via paypal.
In the subject line, put "Iceland Print"

Brad Shoots Angie

Brad Pitt was asked to photograph his wife, Angelina for the November issue of W Magazine.

Brad does a fair amount of photography and agreed to do it, but had conditions.

From the W website:
"For a hobbyist, Pitt certainly knew what he wanted. He was determined to shoot Jolie with Kodak Tech Pan film, which hasn’t been manufactured for four years. Photo Editor Nadia Vellam located 40 rolls of the stuff on eBay, which a courier then hand-carried to Pitt in Provence, France, where the couple have been hiding out since June. A week later Pitt called; he needed more film. Vellam’s first source was tapped out. She finally tracked down a guy who offered her 30 rolls—in Israel. She then had mere hours to find someone in Tel Aviv who could get on a plane to France with the film that very day. Pitt also wanted to try a specialized film used in World War II–era movies. That was a no-go. One of Vellam’s sources instead recommended Ilford to achieve the same romantic, grainy quality. Assistant Bookings Editor Will Higdon-Sudow hopped a flight with it and made the handoff in a hotel lobby. The results speak for themselves."

See some photos here.

But for a couple who claims to be green and environmental conscience, what was their carbon footprint in getting the film to make this photo spread?

Read with Caution

Okay, this is kind of gross, but very funny.

My daughter has had a bit of a cold and sneezes 4 or 5 times in a row. Just like me.

So tonight, she sneezed a few times and there was a little "booger" sitting at her nostril.

I grabbed a tissue and tried to wipe it away.

Well, this booger was about a foot long as I pulled it out of her nose.

She freaked. I laughed. Momma just shook her head.

Sorry, no picture.

New Voigtlander 667 Pictures

Very exciting new images from the Voigtlander site.
Notice where the format switch is.
Price is not yet available.

Bubbles No More !

Back in May, I wrote about a problem I was having with air bubbles when developing roll film. Well, after much aggravation, I thought I solved the problem by removing the reels (with the lights off) during development, meaning I would take the lid off and pull up the reels, then immediately put them back in.

Well, this worked pretty well but every now and then, the problems continued.

Then I read a suggestion over on a photo site, to add a couple of drops of photo-flo to the developer. I figured there would be much harm in this so I gave it a try. One drop for every 500ml of working solution. Well, this works. It really does.

I've done about 20 rolls/10 tanks and it works like a charm. I don't have to take the reels out anymore either. This makes me so very happy.

If you were having problems with air bubbles, and need more details, let me know.

Out for a Sunday Walk

This afternoon, Amelia, Elizabeth and I went for a walk in the Nob Hill section of Albuquerque. Central was closed to auto traffic and the streets open to pedestrians. We had a nice lunch at the Nob Hill B&G. Then a walk along Central.

It was a beautiful day with a slight cool breeze.

This is me, my 47 year old Hasselblad SWC and my 7 week old baby.

Suzanne Revy Rocks

Here's the announcement for Suzanne's upcoming show:

"When I photograph children—my own and others, I use the lens of a camera, a window, if you will, to seek clues to the realms they have created. I am engaged once again in child’s play, if only from a distance, and I find that I have made a connection between my childhood, and theirs, through my photographs." - Suzanne Revy

Suzanne Revy was awarded the grand prize for her work "Small Wonders" on myths and secret child's play.
Renowed photographer Paolo Pellegrin selected the grand prizewinner, as well as a group of award contenders whose work will be featured in an exhibition opening on December 17.

OPENING RECEPTION:
Thursday, October 16, 6–8 pm
On view until November 13, 2008 Monday—Saturday 12-6 pm
The Camera Club of New York
336 W. 37th St. Suite 206
(bet. 8th and 9th Avenues)
New York, NY 10018
212.260.9927
www.cameraclubny.org
The Camera Club of New York is a non-profit cooperative arts organization
that has been nurturing talented photographers since 1884.

That One is a decent, family guy, citizen

Today at a McCain rally, an elderly, out of her mind woman called Obama an Arab, while standing about two feet from McSame. He grabbed the microphone and told the audience "Obama is a decent, family guy, citizen...".

Thanks John.

Guilty by Association

If Guilty by Association is the latest game McCain/Palin are playing, then let me make a statement.

If Barack Obama is a terrorist because he was on a board of some business with William Ayers, then you Mr. McCain, you must be a frickin' idiot because you have served under and worked with the worst and stupidest president in our country's history (George W) and you must be a racist because you worked with, side by side Jesse Helms, a known racist who went to his grave calling a black person "half an American" and who once had a political advertisment that read "White people, wake up before it is too late. Do you want Negroes working beside you, your wife and your daughters, in your mills and factories? "

At this point, no matter what happens or how ugly McCain will make this, and he will make this ugly, I am voting democrat. Plain and simple.

Watching McSame talk and give speeches is like watching a dying man plead for his life. This is the end of the road for McCain, whether he wins or loses.

The Joys of Fatherhood

I am totally loving being a dad. Little Elizabeth is doing just great. She's starting to smile a lot. Her diapers are a lot of fun too. And there is nothing better than her falling asleep on my chest. Tomorrow she is 7 weeks old. I can't believe it.

Book Sales - check them out

Two big book sales:

Photoeye is having an in store book sale on Friday October 10 and Saturday October 11.
10% to 90% off all in print books, including signed and limited editions.

And

Vincent Borrelli is having a sale of 25% off all books ordered through his website, www.vincentborrelli.com. This too includes signed and limited edition books. To qualify, add "OCT2008ARTS" to the notes section of your order.

See each website for further details.

So, go buy some cool photo books and help the US economy.

John McCain is a cheater ?

Did you know that John McCain cheated on his first wife, Carol?

From wikipedia:
Cindy (wife number 2) Hensley met John McCain in April 1979 at a military reception in Hawaii. He was the U.S. Navy liaison officer to the United States Senate, almost eighteen years her senior. McCain and Hensley quickly began a relationship, traveling between Arizona and Washington to see each other. John McCain pushed to end his marriage of fourteen years; Carol McCain and John McCain stopped cohabiting in January 1980, and Carol accepted a divorce in February of 1980, effective in April 1980. John and Cindy were married on May 17, 1980 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix.

Nice guy.

Will Iceland go bankrupt?

So sad but it might happen. Read more here.

"The country's top four banks now hold foreign liabilities in excess of $100 billion, debts that dwarf Iceland's gross domestic product of $14 billion."

I was planning on going back to Iceland in September 2009 but we'll see.

Watching the debates is like...

I get such an uncomfortable feeling watching John McSame talk. There is something so wrong, so slimy about him.

All his talk about the problems with Washington and how he is going to change it. How come he has not changed yet, even after 26 years in government?

Anyway, here are my thoughts.

Tax breaks for oil companies? Not anymore. It needs to stop. They need to start using the billions they have in profits. If they need to drill off shore, they have plenty of money to do it.

Health care. Want to help me out? Send me, not the health care company, a check for it. Let me show proof of my coverage, then write me a check. Let me support the company, not the government.

Alternative energy. I am a huge fan of alternative energy, especially wind power. Our government really needs to make this happen. It's about as green as it gets.

Tax break for the middle class. I am sick of hearing about the super wealthy getting breaks. Why not the little guy? The little guy needs it the most.

Watch Wall Street. Bail out AIG, go on a vacation. That is what the executives of AIG did. One week after AIG was bailed out by $85 billion dollars of taxpayers money, executives went on a $443,343.71 luxury vacation. AIG spent $200,000 dollars for hotel rooms. Almost $150,000 for catered banquets. AIG spent $23,000 at the hotel spa and another $1,400 at the salon. They were getting manicures, facials, pedicures and massages while American people were footing the bill. Wall Street has proven they need to be watched.

Stop with loose credit. I get about 5 credit card applications a week with credit limits up to $25,000. This is ridiculous. Stop sending credit card applications to college students. It doesn't make sense.

Get out of Iraq. Enough is enough. We have not benefited one bit from being there. We have lost over 4000 soldiers. We spent $400 million a day being there. For what?

Stop being the World Bank. How can we kept sending money to needy countries around the world if we have to borrow billions from China just to support ourselves?

Let's start taking care of ourselves, take care of Americans.

Lee Friedlander "New Mexico"

It goes without saying that Lee Friedlander is one of my favorite photographers. So when I heard that my friend Darius and his book company Radius Books, was doing a book of New Mexico images by Lee Friedlander, I promptly ordered two copies.

Also, the Andrew Smith Gallery in Santa Fe is going to have a show of the New Mexico images, and Lee will be at the opening on October 31. Here are the details.

To order the book, go to photo-eye.

Through the Lens Photographer list

This is the complete list of those photographers taking part in the Through The Lens show.
Ansel Adams, Sam Adams, Lewis Baltz, Thomas Barrow, Ray Belcher, George C. Bennett, Gay Block, Kent Bowser, David Bram, Nicholas Brown, Polly Brown, William Henry Brown, Jesus Sito Candelario, John Candelario, Paul Caponigro, Aryan Chappell, Walter Chappell, Dana B. Chase, Robert Luis Chavez, Blair Clark, William Clift, J. L. Clinton, Van Deren Coke, John C. Collier, Linda Connor, Aaron B. Craycraft, Thomas J. Curran, Edward Curtis, Julie Dean, Tyler Dingee, Brian Edwards, James L. Enyeart, Steve Fitch, Lee Friedlander, Miguel Gandert, Laura Gilpin, Kirk Gittings, Ernst Haas, Betty Hahn, Philip Embury Harroun, James Hart, Henry T. Heister, John K. Hillers, William Henry Jackson, Zig Jackson, Bill Jay, Kate Joyce, Christian G. Kaadt, Doug Keats, Edward A. Kemp, Ernest Knee, Rolf Koppel, Howard Korder, Lisa Law, Paul Logsdon, Herbert A. Lotz, Lynn Lown, Cissie Ludlow, Charles Lummis, Greg MacGregor, Douglas Magnus, Roxanne Malone, Norman Mauskopf, Lawrence McFarland, Melanie McWhorter, Duane Monczewski, Margaret Moore, Wright Morris, Joan Myers, Teresa Neptune, Beaumont Newhall, Nicholas Nixon, David Grant Noble, Anne Noggle, Mark Nohl, Jesse Nusbaum, Tony O’Brien, Timothy O’Sullivan, T. Harmon Parkhurst, Jack Parsons, Alan Pearlman, Bernard Plossu, Horace Swartley Poley, Eliot Porter, Patrick Porter, Ian Ramirez, Edward Ranney, Eric Renner, J. R. Riddle, Ford Robbins, Alan Ross, Meridel Rubenstein, Andre Ruesch, Janet Russek, David Scheinbaum, Robert Shlaer, Nancy Spencer, Paul Strand, Nancy Sutor, Carlan Tapp, U. S. Army Signal Corps, Craig Varjabedian, John Vavruska, Carlos Vierra, Adam Clark Vroman, Todd Webb, Melanie West, Edward Weston, Richard Wilder, Ben Wittick, James Wood, Donald Woodman, Wendy Young

Mark Your Calendar: Through The Lens show opening.

Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe
Photography Exhibition to open at the Palace of the Governors

SANTA FE - The Photo Archives at the Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum, Museum of New Mexico, Department of Cultural Affairs opens its first major photography exhibition in 25 years. Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe will open to the public on Friday, November 21, 2008 with a reception, hosted by the Women’s Board, from 5 – 7 PM. Co-curated by Mary Anne Redding, Curator of Photography at the Palace of the Governors and independent curator, educator, and photographer, Krista Elrick, Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe is part of the city wide celebration of the 400th anniversary of Santa Fe as well as the centennial of the Museum of New Mexico. Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe will be on view in the west wing of the Palace though October 25, 2009. Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe, examines the history of Santa Fe through the visual record created by internationally respected photographers. Over the past 160+ years documentary and fine art photographers have been drawn to the Santa Fe, its peoples, regional architecture, and the quality of light found nowhere else in the world. Many of the most recognized names in photography have focused their lenses in and on Santa Fe and through their creative efforts have helped define the geographical imagination thus contributing to the mystique of Santa Fe. The exhibition features photographs that reveal the visual transformation of Santa Fe since the 1860s. Featured photographs are drawn from the historic collections of the Photo Archives and from the work of contemporary photographers committed to documenting the magical light of Santa Fe. There are over 100 photographers in the exhibition. (See attached for a list of the photographers in the show) The Museum of New Mexico Press is publishing a book of the same name to be released at the end of January 2009 with essays by Frances Levine, Lucy Lippard, Andrew Lovato, Siegfried Halus, David Noble, Rina Swentzell, and Mary Anne Redding.

A satellite exhibition, Through the Lens: A Contemporary View of Santa Fe will be hosted at the Visual Arts Gallery, Santa Fe Community College opening on Thursday, January 29, 2009 with 40 images by contemporary photographers living and working in Santa Fe will be on view through March 9, 2009. The Palace of the Governors, the Visual Arts Gallery at the Santa Fe Community College, and the Photography Department/Marion Center for Photographic Arts at the College of Santa Fe are co-sponsoring a year-long series of public lectures that are free and open to the public. Contact the Photo Archives for more details.

So peaceful...

during the day.

Did Obama vote 94 times for tax increases?

No he did not and Palin's state was very misleading.

Read more here and read below:


Factcheck.org, a non-partisan project of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center, pieced through records to determine just what these 94 instances were. Key findings:

–23 were against proposed tax cuts.

— 7 were "for measures that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on a relative few, either corporations or affluent individuals."

– 11 were to increase taxes on people making more than $1 million a year, to help fund programs such as Head Start, school nutrition, or veterans' health care.

– 53 were votes on budget resolutions or amendments that "could not have resulted by themselves in raising taxes," though many "were clear statements of approval for increased taxes"

The total also includes multiple votes on the same measures. Annenberg says a close look at the record reveals that Obama has "voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers."

The Verdict: Misleading. Palin's summary ignores the fact that some of the votes were for measures to lower taxes for many Americans, while increasing them for a much smaller number of taxpayers. The total also includes multiple votes on the same measures and budget votes that would not directly lead to higher taxes.

The Possible Veeps

I will give Sarah Palin credit and say that the last week of cramming policy and current issues for the debate tonight has done her well.

But her clear lack of experience is still going to hurt her and the Republican party.

I was happy to see Joe speak and to see him control himself.

I sure do wish one of the questions was "how is your past experience going to help you in the position of Vice President."

I guess a Mayor of a tiny town can be VP.

Voigtlander Bessa III 667

Voigtlander now has an "official site" for the Bessa III 667.

Click here to see it.

Can't wait for it to come out.

FRACTION Magazine

Josh and I have been working on a few new things for FRACTION Magazine.

Very exciting. Oh and wait til you see the next issue.