Tag: Politics and Religion

Centrism, Leica

Every Saturday, I share a list of inspiring or interesting articles that I read during the week. Here’s what I read this week.

Centrism’s flaw isn’t that it’s apolitical. It’s deeply political and polarizing. Some popular pundits seem to believe centrism offers a morally superior position. And yet it can be incredibly blind to the way it so easily tips the scales away from truth under a false neutrality.

Under such watchful eyes, the only ones whose speech is protected are those willing to take speech from others. The only free are those whose freedom is ensured. And the only ones alive in the end are the revolutionaries. For the gallows don’t care how tired of politics you are.Pastor Drew Downs

Here's what Ken Rockwell had to say about what he calls "Leica man":

Don't fret price when discussing photography issues with a Leica man. He doesn't know or care price; the only thing that concerns him is being the best. The Leica man rarely takes his own pictures. He has others to bother with that for him if he is on holiday. If the Leica man requires art, he has it purchased for him. This is why Leica men don't care about a Leica's picture-taking ability, and get so oddly freaked out if you mention cameras that are better for a fraction of the price. "Better for what?" asks the Leica man. Taking pictures? Who uses cameras to take pictures? Rarely the Leica man. You are personally insulting him and his vastly superior taste should you broach this topic.Ken Rockwell

Every Saturday, I share a list of inspiring or interesting articles that I read during the week. Here’s what I read this week.

Sunday Paper - Cartes-de-Visite, Politics and Religion, Smart Assistants

Links to stuff I read during the week and found intetesting.

Cartes became popular among all types of people, reinforcing photography as a great equalizer among the classes. Whether you were rich or poor, your Carte would look an awful lot like any one else’s Carte and everyone was a part of the same trend. As more and more people exchanged Cartes, people also started writing on the fronts and backs of them, telling stories about the images the Carte contained, in essence like a postcard.

Carte-de-Visites lasted around 10 years until around 1866 when photographers began looking to push the boundaries and create something new. Stay tuned for what happened next in the next History of Photography column!Lisa Robinson

Russell Vought and Bernie Sanders:

Some took issue with Sanders bringing up religious beliefs in the midst of the hearing at all. They argue that not only do such questions not belong there, but they are being used as a litmus test for suitability for office. These, of course are boilerplate persecution complex for Christian conservatives and secularists alike. And they ignore the fact that this is a job interview for a position which requires respect for all people.

Sanders didn’t so much bring up sincerely held beliefs foundational to a man’s soul. He asked about a public statement which sounded an awful lot like Vought might struggle with impartiality. This supposedly persecuted man acted, calling people of another tradition condemned. Then hid behind his faith.Pastor Drew Downs

Dave Mark opining on market research data released by Morning Consult:

I suspect this data means the market will segregate into strong layers, with Amazon owning the cheap seats, Apple owning the higher tiers, and brand loyalty dividing the areas in between.Dave Mark

Wrong! I don't think so. As one commenter posted there is no income demographic information. So ... can we even trust the research? Sonos has been in this space for a while and sells more capable and cheaper solutions. The very same article Dave references had this to say about HomePod.

Data shows the new Apple product is not yet holding people’s interest: Fifty-five percent of respondents said they are not interested in purchasing a HomePod.

When/If Apple drops the price of HomePod within range of Sonos' offerings then we'll have a horse race. Until then ...

I ventured down a two hour rabbit hole of information on WikiPedia:

A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. As of 2017, there are 16 Commonwealth realms: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, The Bahamas, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom.Wikipedia

I was born in the Commonwealth realm of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and I have lived in the Commonwealth realms of St. Lucia, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda. I have visited the Commonwealth realms of the United Kingdom, Canada, Grenada, and The Bahamas. Someday I hope to visit the Commonwealth realms of Australia and New Zealand and I have talked to my wife about retiring to the Commonwealth realm of Belize.