The Underground Man

Australia v. Italy

What a shame.

Yet another game result destroyed by poor refereeing. Australia loses in the last five seconds of regulation because the ref gives an undeserved penalty to Italy.

Yes, my Italian best friend Luigi will say that they deserved it after the way they were abused in the loss to Korea in 2002 and the undeserved red card given to Materrazzi at the end of the first half. In some sense he would be right.

But he would also be wrong. After all, two wrongs don't make a right. This was a terribly unfair result to an underdog Australian team that was playing without their best player against a World Cup favorite.

It would be one thing if the penalty was deserved but it wasn't. How many more games are we going to see spoiled by poor work by refs?

I'm praying that England v. Portgual is at least well referreed so that both sides can feel that the game was decided by the players and not the officials. Sad, isn't it?

6x9 folders

While watching World Cup football over the weekend I've been beavering away on my laptop, finishing a new laptop for my artist friend. I've also been looking for medium format folders on the Web and educating myself about quality, lenses and shutters. Many of the same shutters one would find in large format are predominant in medium format folders as well (Synchro-Compur, Compur-Rapid).

I like the idea of having a folding medium format (2 1/4" x 2 1/4" negative) in my camera bag at all times. However, since I already have a pretty cool Rolleiflex I've been thinking that I should get something slightly different.

So my choice of camera will be a medium format in 6x9. Ideal for landscapes I should think.

Netherlands v. Portugal

That was totally depressing. One of the most negative games it has been my misfortune to watch. I'm not sure I've seen a game as poorly officiating as this one. I have a sneaking suspicion that the referee was corrupt - I cannot imagine that he and his crew could have been that incompetent.

One of my favorite teams goes down to defeat but I do not believe that they would feel that the loss was deserved. To be sure, the Portugese scored a good goal but the game went to hell in a hand basket shortly thereafter and left the Netherlands with little opportunity to respond.

England v. Ecuador

Well, I can breathe a sigh of relief. I never believed that Ecuador would beat England, and from the way they played after they went down a goal, neither did Ecuador.

I'm not really happy with England's play. It seemed to me that both Gerrard and Lampard were trying to be team players and share the ball with each other and to me it was quite evident that that doesn't work. Very sad really, perhaps Sven will move one out to the right wing and play Beckham in midfield. I would love to see the experiment at least as it would allow Gerrard and Lampard both to make forward runs and perhaps take advantage of Beckham's incisive passing to split the defence.

To win this World Cup, we're going to have to play ball to feet as we did today (with the exception of Robinson's passes to Rooney). Our wide play today was all from the left (Joe Cole) and little or nothing on the right until Lennon came on.

I liked Carrick in the central holding role.. I would like to see Downing on the field with Lennon as subs in a second half where we have to either pile on the pressure to keep a lead or bring us back in to the game. So start with Beckham and Cole on the wings of midfield and replace them when they flag with Lennon and Downing. Run the enemy off the field..

Play 4-1-3-1-1 with Gerrard or Lampard sitting behind Rooney. We'll see what the next game brings.

I expect it to be England-Netherlands for the quarters.

Argentina v. Mexico

I've got to say this is one of the more entertaining, if not the most entertaining, match in the World Cup so far (with the possible exception of the rampant Brazil demonstrating their superiority to Japan).

To my mind, the Mexicans demonstrated a couple of things: one, that mental attitude is extremely important when facing a favored team like Argentina or Brazil, and two, how to beat such a team. It's not as simple as getting a lead, though that helps immensely.

I think it's about breaking up the passing lanes, forcing the South American teams into their natural tendency to play as individuals rather than as a team. Break up the midfield link to the forwards, force them to play it over the top rather than on the ground, and play without fear.

Mexico had played Argentina heads up several times in the year preceding the World Cup and had played them well every time. It didn't seem like they feared them and I believed going in that they would win.

I think it took a goal of surpassing brilliance to beat them. Probably the best of the tournament so far and I think Rodriguez's goal would have beaten most any defense.

A pity really. I had hoped that Mexico would advance at Argentina's expense. However, the silver lining is that it sets up the delectable Argentina-Germany clash in the next round.

Red

I took this last week and just had it scanned when developed.



I love how brilliant the red is in juxtaposition to the white.

Taken from a water taxi in Baltimore Harbor with my Leica and a 90mm Elmar.

Flickr

I've been going through my photographs and posting new stuff to my Flickr! account. The more I look at other people's photos, especially of friends living in Europe the more I know that I must move back there.

Of course, there is the little matter of finding work, but I'm working very hard to make sure that my group at gkv Communications becomes successful and well-known. In a couple of years, who knows? Maybe we can open a European office. Grandiose ideas but I've learned not to try and predict the future. Just do as good a job as you can and good things will happen.

We launch the new SmokingStopsHere.com site by the July 4th weekend. We couldn't have done it without these guys (Brent on the left, Al on the right).

Not as much of a shocker..

Just finished watching Ghana v. Czech Republic. I had expected Ghana to give Italy a run for their money and I think Italy's win was more down to Ghana not playing to their strengths than Italy's being the vastly superior team.

That point of view was reinforced by watching them play the Czech Republic. They have a good amount of talent in the side and when they played today they played with great energy and good organization. Say what you will about their defense but only on a very few occasions did the Czechs come close to scoring. Of course those few occasions underscored the importance of having a first rate 'keeper but nevertheless Ghana earned their win today.

Sadly, I don't expect the US team to do the same. They played without any energy, or seemingly without any belief in themselves. No real heart.

The idiot American announcers are calling the result from Ghana shocking. Total lightweights. Anyone seeing Ghana play would have known that they would have a decent chance if they kept running, and running, and running.

Which is what the US team has to do today. Don't believe the US press. You have very little real talent. You have speed and fitness. If you use those, you might tire Italy and they may make a mistake. Just as happened in the last World Cup.

But just don't believe your own press.

mandatory service

I think there is a hell of a lot to be said for mandatory military service.

What is America coming to?

What is America coming to?

I couldn't believe this story: a man is arrested for slapping his 14yr old son after the kid committed grand theft auto and indulged in a vandalism spree.

What next, arrest mothers for child abuse for spanking their children? Where does it end???

The horror..

England v. T&T

Ok.. not a match to go down in historical annals but nonetheless important to win. I think England needs to look at this like Brazil does. Believe that you're going to play seven games and just make sure that every game you play better than the one before.

I had never seen Aaron Lennon play and I was happy to see him overlap Beckham and cross the ball decently well. Not quite as well as Stewart Downing on the other flank but still competent.

I would love to see a midfield of Downing, Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham. Have Lennon and Downing run rampant down the sides - you need width to win the World Cup - and have Beckham withdraw a bit to cover Lennon's position. Of course, one could then use Cole to replace Lampard or Gerrard as needed.

Sadly it means sitting him on the bench unless you go to one striker (like Wayne Rooney) with either Owen or perhaps Cole/Gerrard/Lampard playing in the hole behind him. That would be interesting..

Sadly, as much as I love Owen's play he just didn't seem sharp (none of the England strikers do yet).

But then France won without a goal from their strikers in '98 as the commentators keep reminding us.

And for the love of God, get rid of the idiotic American commentators and put the British ones back in. The Americans think and report like they are covering a football match. An American football match. Utter crap. I quite misliked their Schadenfreude over England's difficulty breaking down the Trinidad defence.

the Game

What I think every American commentator I have heard on the World Cup has missed is that the game goes beyond the occasion.

Look for instance, at tomorrow's Germany v. Poland match. Poland has not won a game against Germany for 85 years. Think about that. EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS.

Worth repeating. Add into the equation that Germany beat up on Poland in the last two World Wars and had a theory of eugenics that suggested that most Poles were sub-human and you have a recipe for a lot of morbo.

Similar situation for the Dutch and the Germans. The Dutch really, really dislike the Germans and when both teams are good (like the '70 and '74 Cups) they are matches to be remembered.

But at least you, good reader, understand all this..

England v. Germany

Woa.. this evening I realized that the 2nd team of Group A plays the 1st team of B, and the 1st of A plays the second of B..

Why, you ask, is that interesting? Chiefly because this means that in 50% of the likely results (or should I say "most likely" to placate those who believe that either England or Germany would fall lower than 2nd in their respective groups) England and Germany will play each other once again.

The Auld Enemy. Should be a cracking match. Not a place for women and children though..

England v. Paraguay

Well, after the first five minutes it was a bit of an uninspiring match.

I thought the Paraguayans were a bit rough, with the number of hard fouls they committed on our boys, but I guess its a man's game.

Contrast that with the poncey Argies, though, and one can see why South American teams are not respected for their sportsmanship (except perhaps Brazil). Playing Cote d'Ivoire they just flopped about like stranded fish when brushed by an Ivorian during play. Just time-wasting.

I wish refs would give cards for play-acting - not just diving.

Admittedly we didn't see the best of England yet. I am hoping that we win the Cup despite Erikkson. I worry that he has the boys play defensively when they have a 1 goal advantage and I'm not sure that will work against a first-rate team like Argentina, Netherlands or Brazil. It certainly didn't work in the last 'Cup.

That said, we did dominate possession until mid-way through the second half when they got tired. A little worrying if they have to play OT.

Hexar RF

I just bought a Hexar RF.

It's a Konica-Minolta camera (now discontinued) that has earned many plaudits for being the camera that Leica should have built rather than the M7. It's got 1/4000 speeds, faster flash sync, built-in motor drive, and is an M-mount rangefinder. Solid titanium base and top plates.

I've been debating for a while whether to buy an M2 or M3 and have it converted to support a motor drive and then buying the Leica M motor. I find that when I take portraits, I much prefer the motor drive - and my work seems much better with one. But the cost was quite high, doing this with all Leica gear.

I'm not sure about the wisdom of buying an electrically-driven camera that is no longer supported. It's quite possible that it's only going to last four or five years and then have some expensive malfunction.

But at least the entry cost was pretty low and it mounts all my M-mount (and screw mount with an adapter) Leica glass.

Bloodrayne

Ok.. I have a new candidate for the worst big-budget film I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, I had a slow evening last night and I watched "BloodRayne". I kind of knew better because reviews said it really, really sucked but Kristanna Lokken is pretty hot and there was an A-list of good actors in the film (like Ben Kingsley and Michael Madsen) and I was curious as to how bad it could be with such talent.

Well, I needn't have been. It has surpassed the execrable Caligula. Or should I say descended beneath Caligula. In any event, I have no idea how the director managed to get such terrible performances from so many talented actors - and no, I'm not counting Kristanna in this list. Pretty and willing to take her top off, but talented she doesn't appear to be. Of course, given that Ben Kingsley looked very poor in the film, maybe one shouldn't judge her on the one appearance.

Oh.. and the gore. I like gore. I don't quite revel in it but I find it a bit slapstick and it can help a horror film. This was as close to the most ridiculous level of gore in a film as I've ever seen - and I include some particularly gory films like the Kozure Ôkami series in that list.

All I can say is don't make the mistake I did. Trust me on this one.

My quadrennial mania

My quadrennial obsession, World Cup football, is about ready to start up again.

During the years between, I'm absorbed by the watching the Premier League and tracking the progress of my favorite team, Liverpool. But this year all the stars come out to play.

England is currently second favorite (largely on the basis of bookmaker's trying to square the odds) to win behind Brazil. Largely on the idea that Wayne Rooney, superstar forward for Man Utd, will recover in time to play in the 'Cup. He broke a metatarsal in one of his feet about six weeks ago and has been very dicey to play.

Six weeks is the absolute minimum to recover. For him is his age and fitness level, as well as nightly stays in an oxygen-rich tent. Against him is the stress of trying to "force" his recovery plus the weight of the nation's expectations.

If I were Sven Goran Eriksson, the England coach, I would let him sit until the last group game and maybe not even play then unless I was sure he was both healed and sharp. We should (famous last words) be able to get through this group as winner and when we get to the single elimination we will really need his game-changing ability.

I'm about to place a bet on England so I certainly hope he gets a chance to play. The last WC was spoiled for us by not having Steve Gerrard or David Beckham fit.

No excuses this time.