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Re: Off Topic - Introducing Bob
> Meanwhile & of course,"politically correct" is more flexible than
George
> Bush's math. Is calling college football teams Red Indians, or Braves,
or
> whatever demeaning & racist, or an ignorant/innocent "association",
even a
> tribute?
I fiddle a tad with classic motorcycles. My favorite marque is the Indian
Motorcycle. The name Indian was chosen because the manufacturers of the
bike felt that a connection with Indians was a good thing. Indian
Warriors, Indian Braves and Indian Scouts (3 models) all represented
strength - an association they wanted to make. How would this possible be
a bad thing? Seems to me it elevates. Some will argue otherwise, but too
bad.
Now, a bit about old Bob - that's me. I am an avid stereo photographer. I
collect US Postal issues (stamps), Classic Cameras; Cirkut and Banquet as
well as aerial cameras and one-shot cameras. I build much of my own
equipment; most recently, a 12 x 12 Vacuum Easel. I also build frames for
pictures and for contact printing. I am currently working on a Polarizer
attachment for Stereo Cameras such as the Realist, modifications for
another Morse Contact Printer, and a custom 4 x 5 Stereo Camera for
Vectograph production..
I collect and photograph antique slot machines, Penny Drops (machines
that vend all sorts of stuff), Antique phonographs, Adding machines, a
car or two, Bar and Tavern items, stuff from Diners and Route 66,
Bottles, minerals and gemstones, old photographs and photographic
literature, and unfortunately, everything else. Very Eclectic.
Until recently, I was employed by MSL - a Utah based Contract
Manufacturer. We started out as Megahertz, then USRobotics, then 3Com
then MSL. I was a Technical Trainer and Writer / Documentation
Specialist. My major specialty was development of the manufacturing
process when the Palm Pilot arrived on the scene. My last project was the
Diamond RIO MP3 Player. Soon I will use all this info crammed into my
head and start freelance writing full time. Add a few photographic
products and supplies, eBay, and Bill Gates, look out.
I started in photography in 1973, running a custom black and white
processing lab. The good old days, before the age of digital, mini-labs
and before the decline of the The Grand Yeller Father. I developed film
in deep tanks, roll film tanks, trays and sheet film tanks up to and
including 16 x 20. Not to mention Aerial stock and Cirkut film to ten
inches. I also made Dye Transfer Prints.
Our lab printed using Beselers and Leitz Focomats, and all prints and
many sheet film negatives were tray processed. Film developing was $.80
per roll, and prints were 14 cents, on individually graded paper, in any
surface the customer required. Washed in Pako Drum Washers and dried on a
large Pako Ferrotype Drum Dryer, straightened using a steam straightener
- NO RC HERE, by darn. Murals were my specialty. I followed archival
standards for all processing.
I have extensive experience printing all negative sizes - Minox on up. I
dodged and burned all prints that needed it, and printed from an archive
started in 1890 and containing more than one half million glass plates
and nitrate based negatives.
All of you digital fans, consider life before computers. When I was
actually working for a living, combining photos meant the use of the
venerable old airbrush. Color composites were done by chemically
stripping each color emulsion later and reassembling them again.
I now use a variety of processes and I make all my own chemicals and
papers.
According to friends and other mailing lists, I have a rather extreme
view of the world; actually, more common sense than anything else, but
some folks think an accurate and truthful point of view is extreme., but
I will behave if you all will. However, I tend to argue at times when I
hear stuff that irritates me and is actually worth arguing about.
I also have a big interest in motion picture processes and formats of the
past, especially Technicolor. The best MP Process yet devised. I am also
not a big fan of digital.
So folks - that's my story. Glad to be on this list once again.
Bob