Michael Chang

I watch a lot of Food Network programming in the background (i.e. while I’m doing work, cleaning, writing, etc.). Cooks on that network have all sorts of expensive kitchenware, pots and pans, and tools, but one that is obviously missing is a good ol’ pair of chopsticks. I find chopsticks indispensable in the kitchen no matter what kind of food I’m cooking. A $0.10 tool: why hasn’t this caught on in western kitchens? Food Network kitchens have press pots, Moroccan tajnes, fat separators, garlic presses, and special scoops for fishing out pasta, but no chopsticks???!!! (They couldn’t find them at Williams & Sonoma, so they gave up?)

That’s my two cents on the humble chopsticks. On an even lighter note, here’s what I found printed on a restaurant’s chopsticks cover (verbatim, believe it or not):

Welcome to Chinese Restaurant. Please try your Nice Chinese Food With Chopsticks the traditional and typical of Chinese glonous history and cultual. Learn how to use your chopsticks.

Tuk under tnurnb and held firmly

Add second chcostick hold it as you hold a pencil

Hold tirst chopstick in originai position move the second one up and down Now you can pick up anything:

As you can see, someone looked at a prior version of the chopstick instructions and re-typed it in (like playing telephone or making a copy of a copy). So, “thumb” becomes “tnurnb” because “h” looks like “n” and “m” looks like “r + n.”

I still love chopsticks, nonetheless… I’ll even edit the instructions with no fee…

Man invented the wheel, but we took a giant step back with the blister pack. Here’s my ode to the plastic nightmare that we call the “blister pack” (in Haiku form):

Shiny plastic shell
Delicate content within
Giant razorblade

If you are a portrait/glamour photography fan, then you must see this PBS documentary. It is airing in January as part of the PBS American Masters series, so set your Tivo! Even if you don’t know the name “Annie Leibovitz,” you most certainly recognize Leibovitz by her portrait and glamour work. She worked for Rolling Stone (as chief photographer) as well as Vanity Fair (as the first contributing photographer). Most recently, she photographed TomKat’s baby Suri.

Annie Leibovitz on PBS (Click here.) (Catch it while you can! You can catch glimpses of studio techniques throughout the documentary.)

It’s official! Gitzo has finally come out with the GT3530LSV to replace the all-popular 1325 carbon-fiber model. The GT3530LSV is only a little lighter than the 1325 (only a few ounces different), but the 3530 has the anti-leg-rotation (ALR) system. ALR is a must-have for those who need to constantly put up and take down a tripod setup. You can release all the locking sections on each leg by turning all two (3-section tripod) or three (4-section tripod) locks at the same time.

Currently, I’m using a 3-section 1257, the 1227 replacement with ALR and new 6x carbon fiber technology. I can’t tell the difference in weight (1257 vs. 1227), but setup is so much easier with ALR! For this reason, the 1325 gets little use except for some serious pano shots.

Gitzo GT3530LSV webpage (Gitzo’s webpage is pretty difficult to navigate. They need to get their act together and hiring some web marketing experts!)

Gitzo GT3530LSV at NatureScapes.net (This is a much more readable page. NatureScapes.net is a great place to get Gitzo parts, too, if you like to abuse your tripod in bad weather or wet and dirty shooting conditions.)

The age-old question: 3 sections or 4 sections? I personally recommend a 3-section tripod. It is a little larger when folded up, so it’s not as convenient for carry-on airline travel, but the way security goes these days, more and more things have to be checked in anyways. The 3-section tripod is a lot more rigid; the thin and tiny last section of the 4-section tripod is just not as rigid as the thicker 3-section tripod.

Also, if you’re going to bother with spending good money on a tripod, you might as well replace the center column while you’re at it. The center column, when extended, just makes your setup more unstable. The center column is convenient if you’re setting up for a quick family self-photo, but if you need the stability for landscapes, macros, and other critical shots, a replacement base is a must. Kirk makes a really nice base. I prefer it over the Markins ones:

Kirk Enterprises Replacement Bases (Kirk makes all sorts of machined parts for photography, including L-brackets, lens plates, and ballheads. Look around their website for some great gear.)

Interestingly, I inquired about an ALR, 6x carbon-fiber replacement for the 1325 in the late summer.  The Gitzo sales people claimed that the 6x carbon-fiber weave technology was not suitable for heavier tripods, but that some research had been done.   I wonder if there are still some “beta” issues with these first batches.  We’ll find out…

Blown out in the Rose Bowl… again. What happened Michigan? Lloyd Carr is now 1-2 in the Rose Bowl game. Michigan stands an overall 8-11 now in Rose Bowl history (see here). …but… Michigan has lost the last five out of the six most recent bowl games; some of the games were close, and some were really painful to watch, like this year’s.

Mike Hart was shut down, down, down. When he can’t run, Michigan loses. (Wisconsin, in an earlier game, squeaked out a win against Arkansas with only 6 rushing yards– bizarre.) USC’s blazing speed was just too much to handle (again).

I guess all the talk about being snubbed for the National Championship rematch seems pretty silly now, doesn’t it?

The Boise St. vs. Oklahoma game was the most exciting game of the day. In the last few minutes and in overtime, they must have found some playbook pages from an abandoned high-school locker. In particular, a 4th and 18 lateral play and a well-designed Statue of Liberty 2-point conversion sealed the win. That Boise St. coach has got some real guts. If only Michigan were a little less conservative…

Did Boise St. deserve a shot at the BCS National Championship?  Yeah, right…    Their win, though, is Idaho’s “biggest thing since the potato,” as their governor says.