in which a point is missed

Neil Gaiman takes on the idea that

“surely saying “It won the Newbery Medal. We order the books that do that. It’s been the most respected guide to quality children’s literature since 1922,” would fend off most threats to a school librarian’s job… wouldn’t it?”

isn’t really enough. I have to agree with the opposition on this one, especially given his example:

Well, twenty years ago, when I was younger, quite poor, had two small children and a mortgage, I quit the best job I’d had to that point — writing for a national UK paper — because I didn’t want to write a front page article that editorial had concocted that was obviously untrue.

There is a big difference between attaching your name to a story in a national newspaper, a story that you know to be untrue, and defending a children’s book in your local library. One of those could cost you your current job, the other could cost you your career, in addition to any legal remedies that might result.

While I agree in principle that there is a special obligation I can’t argue with someone who doesn’t want to sacrifice their job to it over this.

birch




birch

Originally uploaded by paulbeard.

outside my house. Not sure how I didn’t get the edge of the roof in the frame . . .

from a roll of Holga-riffic images taken during the snowstorm of mid-December.

I’m starting to tire of the chanciness of the Holga, the missed images. Some of this roll looks fine, some is way underexposed. Same day, same light. [grumble]

links for 2007-02-26

Boulder Wash




boulder wash 1

Originally uploaded by paulbeard.

This is more like it. This one and another you can see @ Flickr were taken with the Macanudo-cam, my cigar-box 4×5 and I’m a lot happier with the results.

The subject is a public installation called Boulder Wash (this is the only mention I could find of it) by John Hoge. It’s a nice arrangement of what I think are granite boulders, partly polished, sectioned to resemble tables, and cracked open like geodes.

Taken with Arista Ultra.EDU 100 sheet film, exposure time unrecollected, but I think in the 4 second range, stand-developed in Rodinal 1:100. I had to slide the midrange in the levels after scanning as it was bit flat, but not too much. The ends I left alone as there was plenty of detail there.

what’ll they think of next?

balloon:

This project is launching a (relatively) high altitude balloon carrying a number of digital cameras and some other instrumentation. The project was conceived and is being implemented in a short time with a crowd of eager volunteers and little prior experience and a lot of optimism.

Lots of great things have been done with “eager volunteers and little prior experience and a lot of optimism.” This should be fun to watch.

Important Dates



Build Date: February 24

Flight date: Early morning March 4