Enigma Machine - And other Ike museum holdings

Rather than having options paralysis and not getting around to this blog, I'll present photos of a German WW-II Enigma Machine and leave the commentary to Wikipedia. This one of the magnificent relics residing in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential library and museum. We were there today as Spawn the Younger (aka gingercat) competed in the statewide National Geographic Bee.

As amazed as I was in seeing one of these in person and the appreciation I have for human ingenuity and engineering, the museum also has a few reminders of the Reich who used it against much of the world.

Some of Hitler's personal artifacts. This case radiated pure evil.

But do not despair, this museum is full of Allied goodness as well. It even has artifacts from early in the Cold War.

Norden Bombsight: Used by Allied forces for precision, high-altitude bombing runs.

American individualism exhibited in the form of a jacket from the Big Red 1

Recreation of home fallout shelter

Ike's presidential era podium for telecasts. Don't worry, gingercat will only use her powers for good.

Gemini and Apollo memorabilia

The actual teleprompter reel from Ike's speech on the dangers of an emerging military industrial complex. Ike was the only President to win an Emmy Award. There is big money in war machinery. I'm reminded of this on seeing full page ads in the paper versions of The Hill and Politico in Washington, DC.

Mommy! Are you my Mommy? For the uninitiated, this is a Whovian moment.

Early Jetsonian living room. This one is special for Ted Munk.

In case you are curious, all of these photos came straight out of a Fuji X100. I am in love with this camera.

Copyright notice: The images and text on this blog, unless stated otherwise, are the property of Dwayne F. Kansas brought the world John Brown and Dwight D. Eisenhower. You are best off not messing with Kansans.

Analog Awesome in the Mail! (And randomish things)

Today I received the most amazing bit of analog awesome in the mail with an exhortation to seek the solace of the type bar and platen. And so I did, with a recently acquired Smith Corona Silent Super. The loop script looks fabulous with NOS silk ribbon I found at an estate sale last month. First, the card:

Nerdgasm! Photography and typewriters in one bit of awesome.

Thanks to the mysterious Typospherian from the Phoenix area who inspired me to do a first run with the new ribbon. This photo is going on the pin board in my office at work.

Yep, I finally got one! It showed up BIN on ebay and had been sitting there for two days. Maybe I will get lucky on the last Holy Grail Fractur machine. Or I will win the lottery.

This blog has been sadly neglected as I post my photography on Google+. The hit counts are based on some assumptions that only Google's data geeks understand. I assume that anytime an image is clicked on that counts and perhaps being refreshed inside a community does as well. Either way, last night when a number appeared on my profile page I was just shy of 2,000,000 views. It is only a digital ghost town to those who do not post and interact.

Interestingly enough, a Polaroid connection is one of the things that has kept me busy was attending and participating on a panel at the BuildWell 2014 conference located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The keynote speaker was John Warner of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry. His career as a rock star chemist started with improving process and chemistry for Polaroid.

Normally, sustainable building policy is hatched in never-ending meetings in dark and poorly ventilated conference hotel spaces. This conference was an exception to the rule.

Everything is still brown and dead in Kansas. I hate/envy Californians.

It was a whirlwind trip featuring a loud and nasty turboprop to Denver and an unexpected Japanese toy exhibit inside the San Francisco airport. I had trouble leaving and took plenty of photos with my new traveling companion, the Fujifilm X100. Here are a few samples. There are more images on my G+ collection. San Francisco 2014

Hello, spinning blade of death! United did a bait and switch and changed planes from a regional jet to 1940s turboprop technology. The view was cool, though.

Kitty exercises mind control. All shall walk like her. Obey the Kitty.

Fly the friendly skies! These carnival ride parts might be better than a United regional plane. They might be better with luggage. My bag took more abuse in one round trip than in 30+ before.

Pay no attention to the robot army. Robots are your friends. Mostly.

Me, after United delays and crap planes arriving eleven hours after leaving home in Kansas City. I will avoid United like the plague if at all possible. Live trips will be replaced with webinars and Hangouts given the sorry state of air transport in general.

Well, this entry took a couple of unanticipated twists. It was good to bring the blog back to life. I am lurking on the Typosphere. Busy is a regular state of being with two teens and work. Teen one will start the college search next year. Life just blurs along and I shoot street and candid because it makes me happy.

Thanks for reading!

Obligatory Copyright statement: The words and images here are mine and mine alone. Please share the Google love by resharing, +1s, comments and linkage. Image borrowing without attribution is stealing. Beyond digital copyright issues, I has friends among the giant robots and Kaiju. You have been warned.

A Nerdy Sunday Greeting

Since I never seem to get around to long form posts, here is my short form greeting on this sunny and warmish Sunday.

My Spousal Unit and Elder Spawn went to a Kansas City Symphony concert featuring Joshua Bell on violin. The latter got a photo and a signed CD. She is in violin nerd heaven!

Meanwhile, Spawn the Younger and I did some tidying, took a walk and had a light saber dual. I combined some of the Lego collection into a single bin. Yeah, my girls have no use for the fake, tween themed Lego creations.

Cleaning up toy bins can be a little depressing. Someone had a little too much playtime.

That is all. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Don't Blink

Please stand by for a Whovianish message. Brought to you courtesy of an iPhone 5s, Procamera 7 and some random things at a thrift store.

Why? Because it is Monday, silly!

Opportunity: The Little Rover that Could

Dear NASA, JPL and Opportunity,

Happy tenth anniversary on Mars! There are not enough exclamation points to express just how amazing it is to have a machine designed for a 92-day mission headed into day 3,654. I love Opportunity's celebratory selfie!

I'm glad Opportunity has company in the form of the comparatively huge, nuclear powered Curiosity. I hope a good wind knocks some of the dust off these solar panels.

Many people have forgotten the harrowing encounter at Purgatory Dune in 2005. The mission could have been over had it not been for patience and ingenuity.

Barring gimpy motors and power shortages, it just seems this little bot will keep on ticking. I'm amazed. Not quite to the point of Voyager amazed, but amazed nonetheless.

Keep up the great work!

Love, 

Vintage Technology Obsessions

P.S. True space geeks must visit the tenth anniversary image collection. My ode to Opportunity's eight birthday is here.  It seems the solar panels were a bit cleaner at the the time. I also nerded out on Voyager as it hurtles into interstellar space and continues to send back data with technology dating to when Star Wars, AMC Pacers and Apple IIs were shiny and new. That was a simpler time when Han still shot first and you could see the matte lines around tie fighters.

P.S.S.  This blog still isn't dead. It just isn't getting much attention given my love of the photographic community and near daily postings on Google+

Christmas Leftovers

Happy New Year! I started the year off with a visit to one of my local antique malls. What didn't sell before Christmas is still there for a reason. Stick with me through the terrors to follow as I also spotted some typewriters!

"Oh, no!" Santa said to Santa, "Dwayne promised us typewriters! Where are they?"

Never fear, for here are the typewriters of Winter. They appeared from storage somewhere since garage sale season was at least sixty degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today in the Kansas City area.

As amazing as the Corona looks from a distance, the undercarriage is a bit rusty and the machine reeks of mold and mildew. It is unloved and unsold after a year.

And here is the one that sorely tempted me. It didn't smell moldy and still had circa 1958 receipts in the case.

The New Year is a time for resolutions. But that isn't my style. The closest I will come is in attempting self-restraint. I need another machine like I need a hole in the head. This awesome Underwood will haunt me. (insert pained sigh).

In the meantime, I have temporarily resolved to get by with the old beater Sony NEX-3 after partially drowning the NEX-6 last month. Yeah, pity me - a beach and a wave were involved.

As Christmas is just 12 months away, I will leave you with an exhortation to have a good New Year and the gift of a terrifying visage of angel tree toppers gone wrong. This thing scared my 13-year-old to the point where she would not go in the living room. It is now my office mascot ;-)

Yes, I have a thing for lightsabers.

On the bright side, I started 2014 with a really odd street photo and an all too seldom post on this blog. I wish all of you happy blogging, typing, writing, crafting and image making.

Full of Inky Goodness

While out and about on a rare day without our adorable spawn, my spousal unit and I stopped in at HAMMERPRESS in the Kansas City Crossroads. You might be aware that old school printing is in resurgence. This is one of those shops that was at the lead and it cranks out unbelievably gorgeous concert posters, cards and stuff. Their selection is rounded out with fountain pens, sketching materials, journals and magazines.

But the best parts are the sounds and smells that go along with active printing presses. Way back when in middle school I had the experience of racking up type on a small scale. The words appearing on this screen are much easier, but perhaps not as gratifying.

The front showroom had plenty of shoppers as Christmas is just a week away. During the First Fridays art walks, the crowd here is always thick. It is nice see an independent, small business thriving. I spotted a 3D tear down rendering of a Soviet Leica knockoff and requested that Santa add it to my stocking. I'm eclectic and difficult to shop for.

Contrary to popular opinion, this blog isn't dead. It has been kind of zombie-like and for that I apologize. Life is good, but busy with work travel and balancing the demands of work and raising teens. My primary outlet remains Google + where I share photos almost daily. The ease of posting directly from my phone or tablet is seductive, indeed.

I am on vacation and will try to catch up on doings in the Typosphere. Regardless of how you stumbled upon this entry, thanks for reading!