bibliophibian

I’m a fan of Olympus cameras. I cut my teeth on the 35mm OM-1 and OM2S (a generous gift from a relative), so when I finally went digital in 2008, I bought a brand new Olympus E-30. I was wide-eyed at the prospect of a long future with the 4/3 format. I loved that Olympus had once again been innovative, making a DSLR that was digital from the ground-up… not just a 35mm camera dressed up to be digital.

The Kodak/Olympus 4/3 standard was a great idea. But, like many great ideas, it never quite took off. People want a “full-frame” DSLR, with a sensor that mimics the exact dimensions of a piece of 35mm film (ironic, since that film size was a fluke, and never a perfect solution anyway… the 4/3 aspect ratio is more pleasing).

Olympus gave us the E-5. Then the OM-D micro-4/3 came along and shook up the whole industry. Suddenly, pro mirrorless photography is a real possibility. Olympus have now plunked all of their resources into their micro-4/3 division, leaving the standard 4/3 crowd waiting on the sidelines to see what will become of their high-price lenses.

Olympus promises to release a camera of some kind that will properly focus the standard 4/3 lenses… but many of us are holding onto the idea of a true DSLR with an optical viewfinder. It’s more likely that the next model will be a “Pro-OM-D,” a micro-4/3 mirrorless camera system that can focus both m4/3 and standard 4/3 lenses. If so, I’m fine with that. As long as Olympus doesn’t ditch the people who have spent money on their truly stellar 4/3 lenses.

Out of frustration, some Olympus users are jumping ship to Canikon; a move that, in my opinion, couldn’t come at a worse time. Why jump to a different DSLR when the whole DSLR-concept is slowly fading away? That’s just more wasted money. To any Olympus E-System users reading this, I say hold on… wait… keep calm.

There’s a very good chance that the hybrid Pro-OM-D (or whatever Oly has up their sleeve) will be another game changer. And if you wait for it, you’ll already have a nice collection of 4/3 lenses to throw on it.

Happy shooting!

First he came for our guns, and now “King Obama” has an even more insidious plan: to end your birthday.

That’s right. Year after year, you’ve celebrated your birthday. First it was Tonka trucks and Star Wars figures; then it was a nice watch or a new guitar. Your birthday was a time for you to reflect on your life journey—and to acquire as much stuff as your spouse and friends would fork over.

Not anymore. Part of Obama’s plan, and one we don’t hear a single thing about, is the new Birthday Tax. Any product given as a birthday gift will be hit with an extra 49 cent tax, and this money goes directly into Barrack “Hussein” Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard Holiday Account, to be used on fine wines and French cheeses for him and his elitist cronies.

It’s just about enough to make me pack up my guns and move to Canada.

And the gift tax is just the start. Each year, on your birthday, you will be required to fork over a “Celebration Tax” equal to 5% of your yearly earnings. This money will go to the National Fund For Elite Snobbery: an organization that promotes reading—and not just things like Twilight or Harry Potter, but Hispanic books like Don Quixote, and gay books like The Canterbury Tales.

Yes, King Obama wants you to celebrate your birthday, but not without coughing up a hefty fee to the U.S. Government. It’s the end of the birthday as we know it. What’s next from the liberal czars who currently rule this great nation? Laws that make you wait for a week or two before you can take home that assault rifle? An EPA who says there’s no such thing as clean coal? An FDA who says there’s no such thing as clean cola? Health care… even for poor people?

Of course, King Obama won’t have to pay up when his birthday rolls around. This is a tax for U.S. Citizens only.

Get ready for the newest phrase that you’ll be forced to hear umpteen million times over the next few months: Fiscal Cliff.

“We can’t go over this fiscal cliff…”

“Obama and the Republicans must work together, or else we’ll slide over the fiscal cliff.”

“We’re at the edge of a fiscal cliff.”

Etc., etc., etc.

Fiscal Cliff: it sounds like the name of the latest hair-gel country band… “Did you hear that Fiscal Cliff is opening for Kenny Chesney?”

I’m already sick of the fiscal cliff phrase, and I’ve only heard it about thirteen times. In one day. On NPR, on the local news. Everyone is saying it. “Fiscal Cliff” is everywhere. There is no escape.

So, I hope we can prevent our economy from going over the fiscal cliff. But I also pray that we can do so while using the phrase “fiscal cliff” sparingly. The last thing we need is for some hack blogger to add to the fiscal cliff noise by repeatedly using the the phrase “fiscal cliff.”

Have you heard of the new website JukePop Serials? It’s an attempt to revive the lost art of the “serial novel”— in the tradition of Dickens and Doyle.

JukePop seems to have a large following. All of the stories are genre fiction: science-fiction, crime, horror, etc. None of it is billed as “literary fiction” (a phrase that I abhor, by the way… all fiction is literary) After perusing through the offerings, I have to say it’s a mixed bag in the talent department. Some of the writing is solid. Some of it is dreadful.

So, who do you think is the most talented author on JukePop Serials? Whose writing shows real skill and finesse? Who might score a real publishing contract based on their performance on JukePop Serials?

Literally. He actually picked up Paul Ryan, turned him upside down, and mopped the debate hall floor with that weird, too-thick, frat-boy hairdo.

I like Joe Biden even more after watching this debate. He really went in there with his shirtsleeves rolled up and washed the crap off the Republican dishes. And guess what their dinnerware looks like? Who knows, as Mr. Ryan was unable to come up with any specifics of the Romney/Ryan plan.

Post-debate, the d-bag rightwingers are yapping about Mr. Biden’s smiles and laughter. That didn’t bother me one bit. His laughter spoke volumes and really put Ryan in his place. It was like watching a knowledgeable professor laugh at the idiocy of his know-it-all student. Ryan looked weak, Biden looked strong.

I can admit that Obama blew the first debate. Can you tea-baggers at least admit that Mr. Biden sent your boy Paul back to grade-school?

Probably not. Like Bill Maher always says, you guys are living in a bubble. You’ll likely find some way to spin it so that Paul Ryan won, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

I can’t wait for the next Obama/Romney debate. Shit’s going down. Biden set a new tone and the snowball effect is sure to kick in. You can count on Obama coming to the next fight with his gloves off.

And maybe some brass knuckles.

I think Mr. Biden deserves a big round of applause. He showed himself to be a competent VP and an engaging public speaker. More importantly, he showed that he and Barack are men who keep their word. Say what you want about them, but they are not flip-floppers like Romney and Ryan.

And what was that guy’s name who got Osama Bin Laden? Oh yeah, that was Barack Obama…

Game Over.