DP Review: Tamron announces 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD for full-frame DSLRs.

The bottom line is, how much 'focus breathing' does it betray? If you don't know what it is, basically when you zoom the thing out to 200mm, you're not really getting 200mm, but lower. More like 150mm. The 70-200 2.8's betray a lot of focus breathing in general ... the f/4's tend not to. So the 'benefit' of having a 2.8 (and the extra cost) often come out in the wash (bokeh is about the same for 150/2.8 and 200/4). And f/4's tend to be sharper all the way down the line to 200 (or 210, in this case). Which is why you'll see budget-conscious people go for 70-200 f/4's.

Waiting for reviews.

Photoshelter Blog: Who Shot It Better? Christy Turlington: Norman Jean Roy or Pamela Hanson.

Linked only because I've only recently noticed that Christy Turlington bears a striking resemblance to Tilda Swinton, and vice-versa. Something that had never registered in previous decades.

PRI: How the Vietnam War's Napalm Girl found hope after tragedy.

I never, never take it for granted ... I count what I have but I'm not thinking about what I lost.

An unapologetically positive sort of link ... because I think we all need it.

The Nation: Will Mueller Indict Russians Over the DNC Hacking Next?

He’s also looking at Russiagate’s Original Sin, namely, Moscow’s meddling in 2016, including the DNC-Podesta hack, regardless of whether Trump, his family, his advisers, or his campaign aides had anything to do with them.

The Hill: Florida House declares porn a public health risk shortly after denying assault rifle ban.

Florida lawmakers on Tuesday passed a resolution declaring pornography a public health risk, less than an hour after they rejected a motion to consider a bill that would ban assault rifles.

Florida's legislature has lost their ever-lovin' minds.

Guardian.UK: Trump's solution to school shootings: arm teachers with guns.

Jesus Christ, he listens to Newt. Most of these shooters haven't been outside forces, they've been students. Students will know which teachers are carrying. Students notice everything. Disgrunted student then targets a carrying teacher (when they're not looking), and then starts their rampage. Nothing changes. But you now have a class of teacher who is a big freaking target; the risk is huge. I advise them to make a will and get very expensive life insurance.

Ars Technica: Supplements are a $30 billion racket—here’s what experts actually recommend.

I double-recommend the Vitamin D. If there's one vitamin I couldn't do without, that would be it.

NPR: Search For Buried Treasure Linked To Illinois Man's Death At Yellowstone.

I'm betting it is in NM. I need to take a weekend and go poke around; I have a sneaking suspicion.

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: This is a Generic LinkedIn Rant.

This is a LinkedIn rant. I have a point of view. It’s a common point of view, but I will present this view in its most controversial light possible as to make it seem like I’m saying something bold and significant.

Another perfection from McS.

naked cap: New JAMA Study Shows that Electronic Health Records Do Not Reduce Administrative Costs.

As they spec within this, paper templates. Computing is not always a benefit.

Slate: Don’t be fooled by Stoneman Douglas reactions. Conservatives love political teens.

The irony is, the Right has used 'children's issues' as a rough crowbar for years. They handed the kids this power; now they have to swallow it whole. It's perfect.

CBS: Now poop is all over the toy aisle.

Sticky the Poo, a squishy likeness with eyes, clings to walls and ceilings when thrown. The company behind it, Hog Wild, also sells a rainbow version called Sticky Unicorn Poo.

You know I'm going to say it, because I can't resist a stupid, idiotic joke: No sh--!

The Outline: Medium suspends Mike Cernovich, Jack Posobiec, Laura Loomer from platform.

We do not allow posts or accounts that engage in on-platform, off-platform, or cross-platform campaigns of targeting, harassment, hate speech, violence, or disinformation. We may consider off-platform actions in assessing a Medium account, and restrict access or availability to that account.

I sincerely hope they have clear definitions of those. Define "disinformation", if you will, in a modern social-media-savvy journalistic context.

DP Review: Associated Press photographer's video shows 'travel photographers' staging photos.

If you didn't know this was going on, you need a cup of strong caffeinated beverage. We have 'influencers' in the travel niche who come here, throw tents on the overlooks - position a déshabille young lady or scruffy dog with bandanna around its neck (if they want maximum viewership) - take photos, and run to the next interest point. Three or four in a day sometimes.

The Chroma is a lightweight, affordable, easy-to-use 5x4 field camera: Digital Photography Review

Cool. Give us an instant film back!

Guardian.UK: Billy Graham was on the wrong side of history.

... when his influence really would have counted, when he could have effected real change, real social transformation, he was too locked into last-days fearmongering to recognize the potential of the state to do good. We are all paying the price.

Thanks to certain beloved Southern Baptist relations, I've sat through more than one of his television epics when I was in my 20's. My take: his broadcasts were always riveting, but when it came to using his prescriptions out in the real world, his own followers wouldn't practice what he preached. 

This was the '80's, of course, when Tipper Gore was in full anti-rock-music shred; Graham sat back and loved to relate (I paraphrase): "I'm not concerned. Teens have been doing this for hundreds of years. Eventually they'll all get haircuts." Grunge was just around the corner; shorter haircuts in general, even darker messages. But no makeup.

Later: Interestingly, he did a TED talk. In the late '90's, right as weblogging was starting up. Scoop in at 10:00, and think about today's social media, esp. in political commentary. And what 'evangelicalism' stands for today.

Reuters: Senator Cruz heads to bankrupt PA refinery for rally against biofuels policy.

There's a man running for 2020. When in Colorado last summer, I had the opportunity to fill my tank with 'pure' gas, no % of ethanol. I got significantly greater gas mileage, and a smoother engine. I call scam.

Techdirt: More Than Half Of U.S. States Now Pushing Their Own Net Neutrality Rules.

Someone's got to do it.

And New Mexico's on the list.

naked cap: Technology Change Not the Culprit in Wages Falling Behind US Productivity Gains.

Our regressions find no significant relationship between productivity growth and changes in mean-median inequality, and very little relationship between productivity growth and changes in the labour share. In addition, as Table 1 shows, the two periods of slower productivity growth (1973-1996 and 2003-2014) were associated with faster growth in inequality (an increasing mean/median ratio and a falling labour share).

Don't blame the robots.

Guardian.UK: 'Dirty meat': Shocking hygiene failings discovered in US pig and chicken plants.

The rates at which outbreaks of infectious food poisoning occur in the US are significantly higher than in the UK, or the EU, and poor hygiene in the meat supply chain is [a] leading cause of food poisoning in the US.

When news orgs toss staff writers and photogs, this is the result. Long term issues never even get looked at, much less reported on. American news, you need your a$$es kicked. Trump's cheap and easy. Go deep, too.