You are not going to believe this. Today I was in the same 7th floor conference room that I was in a few days ago when
the rainbow came out. I had about 15 minutes to spare and was doing email when I looked over my shoulder out the window and
saw this.
It was probably just loo roll, but it looked like a gossamer streamer. It stayed aloft for a remarkably long time and
in one piece. I wouldn't think loo roll could do that, but I can't say I've really thought much about the aerodynamics that
occur when you get the whole roll into the air at once. And off it went, floating peacefully across Marylebone. Eventually
it went down in some trees near the Marylebone Parish Church.
I gotta stop scheduling meetings for this room.
Well, largest three-wheeled car, anyway. The first time I ever came to England, back in the mid-eighties, I
saw these in the countryside quite a bit. A couple in the neighborhood own this one and have kept it in tip top shape from
what I can see.
I was on the phone during a conference call in the 7th floor of our London office when a downpour rolled passed. I had
kindof expected that since it was sunny out this morning. Anyway, the sun soon came out, but since I was looking out over
London from the 7th floor I got a great view of the weather and the rainbow that followed this particular downpour.
It was a really stunning double rainbow and I wish I could have gotten the whole thing, but I waited until my call was
over and then turned around and this was all that was left.
Marylebone Rainbow
Technical Data: Canon EOS 10D, ƒ4.5, 1/200s
Canon 24-70mm ƒ2.8L @ 70mm (112mm effective)
White balance: auto, RAW, ISO 100
Circular polariser; shot through a 7th floor office building window
We had to cross a picket line to get into Disney one morning. That makes Kara and I both uncomfortable. But there's clearly
something going on here...
It turns out the photographers are on strike. They are handing out leaflets (you can see the woman in the bottom left
holding one in the photo below) and there is a videographer recording the scene (for whom, I'm not sure, but he was kind enough
to tell us what was going on as we approached the man with the box).
Of course, I got a leaflet. Got two, actually. So now that I'm back home and all catching up and stuff I can actually
show you the leaflet with my translation of its content.
The following translation is mine - I make no guarantees as to its accuracy.
Photographers
On Strike
since Sunday,
13 August, 2006
Courageously and despite
the lack of response
from management,
the photographers are on strike to finally obtain recognition for their work.
From the start, the CFDT has supported them because their fight is a tenacious fight against the
contempt of management.
The
CFDT is, by the way, the Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail (loosley translated: the French Democratic Alliance
of Workers, or something like that). Don't bother clicking the link unless you can read French fluently. Although my google
search also brought back a scant English
section. Anyway, as far as I can tell it's a large, national union, probably one of numerous with oganised parties at Disney.
But, sad to say, all throughout the trip I saw plenty of photographers inside the park, including today (he's the one
on the left in white). I will say that we never ordered any park photographs. We might have up until we saw the strike, but
not afterwards.
But I've really taken a diversion now from the man with the box, which I where I wanted to be at this point, so we'll
return back there. The box was for, obviously, money. And I had a pocket full of change including €1 and €2 coins, probably
between €10 and €15 total. So I pulled out this enormous pocketfull of change and dropped it in the hole. The box drooped
a little bit under the weight of the coins and the man carrying the box turned around and started shaking it. You could hear
that it was a much fuller, richer kind of jingling now that my money was in it. But anyway, I looked over at the three guys
behind the man with the box and they were cheering. So I pointed to my camera, stuck it in the air in front of me, pointed
it at them and took a photo. Might be the best one of the lot.
