What up Greg...

I am loving the pictures..


I am just up late crunching numbers for this short sale that I am looking at.

See avatar. it may be my next chance of a lifetime.. i thought the place I am in was my chance of a lifetime,REO, but with the rates so low, and this mansion in Bankrupcy, I may have to go into contract this week..


It will be my vacation every day..

Those pictures of the harbor at night are stunning...

Enjoy yourself.We are enjoying your vacation from far away...

So -- now this is photography class 102?? :lol:

I took those night shots handheld using my Nikon D7000 (purchased new for this trip to replace my D70s) - flashless - with my 18 - 200 f3.5-5.6... using the index finger on the right hand (some call it the pointy finger) to modulate the shutter release... with my arse bent over so I could steady the camera on the balcony railing.

Like most other things in my life -- I try to just keep it simple 'cause more than that is over my head.:woot:

Hey! Good luck with the possible purchase! Right now is the opportunity of a lifetime to make these kinds of deals...

Do like I do if you need money -- just PM Charley... he's loaded with it and is an easy touch. :D

Thanks Greg.. Yes I am moving up one more time while the timing is perfect..

Too good to pass up and no harm if it does not go through..

I get to get my bid in before it hits the MLS, so that when it hits, it will say "sale pending" to scare people off..

The numbers crunch, although I wasn't ready to jump, but sometimes the opportunity is too good to pass up...

If I need to ask for money then I shouldn't be buying it,haha.

I will only put enough down to make the payment reasonable and to stay out of a Jumbo loan..At 3.5% apr, the rest stays in investments .

Sorry for the high jack...I am excited...

TMI :woot: :woot:

Nothing in life would piss me off faster than some arse telling me about his "yacht".... that was a 32' Bayliner.... I purposely always referred to my BOAT.

Yes -- these are real YACHTS with a capital Y.


The amazing thing is the relativity of the boats in these photographs - because they are all so dang large they make each other look "normal" like a group of basketball players without reference from us short guys standing around. The 280' just looks like a nice boat. And 262' looks small when you see the 300+'r .... and then a nice one steams in... and I get a glimpse of the name and look it up - and it's ONLY 196' and it actually does look SMALL! OMG.... I can't imagine the "shrinkage" the owner has just experienced! :rofl:

Just the magnificence of some of those Yacht's..

Incredible pictures.. In the daytime, or the night time..

Beautiful...Crazy Rich, but just Beautiful..

Yes there is always someone with a bigger yacht or nicer car..

What would look the the Biggest yacht that you have ever seen, is soon trumped by an even larger yacht..

Takes my breath away, and surely the smaller yachts have penis envy..

Smaller being 200' OMG... Crazy...

Taken with the lowly iPhone during my Ferrari drive.... which was really quite fun BTW - to be in the hills of these windy "streets"... and with this kind of view. Too bad - as my "instructor" said -- that it wasn't sunny and that he (in broken english - holding two hands in front to indicate large breasts) wasn't a "Bimbo" to ride with me. :lol:




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/33b5fb53.jpg

One must have just a "hint" of color.... <stolen from a great movie>



This is in the lobby of our hotel... I'm not sure why... but it is.



http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/d04c753b.jpg

Again - taken with my iPhone from our terrace table for dinner last night...


The largest "boat" in this picture is the Indian Empress --- a paltry 311' <the owner should be ashamed>... and in the interest of an automotive forum... has only THREE puny 10,000 hp engines. Yes you read that correctly.... THREE 10,000 hp engines.




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While enjoying a bit of breakfast... This "boat" came cruising into view. I hastily mounted "da big ass lens" and snapped this for "contrast" against the background cruise ship...

The Lady Moura..... 344'

When launched in 1990 it was the 9th largest private "boat".... It's since fallen to mid 20's on the list. Poor bastage! Compare this against the Paul Allen Octopus at 416'.


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/c6f57736.jpg

I suddenly feel very useless in the world...OMG. We all need to pay close attention to the investing thread Thanks for sharing GW

Tracey -- Let me give you a little more "perspective".....


The Lady Moura @ 344' is now anchored out.... tell me which one it is....




HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... and you think OMG! Dude... talk about feeling insignificant! :wow: :lol:



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Mary Martha Focker. :willy:

So is Gwen having a great time or she beyond ready to go home?

She's looking forward to Portofino and Cinque Terra....


This is all about GRAND PRIX.... not relaxing and walkabouts... and site seeing. The cars run about 45 minutes and take 20 or 30 minutes off... and the screaming engines (gawd how I love that sound!) fill the city! You can not just walk around.... To get out of the hotel -- we have to leave from the 7th floor... and walk uphill (it's hot and HUMID) 3 blocks or so just to get to a street to be able to walk from or cab from...

In a bit we're going to go to our other place to watch the qualifying runs... and that may take us at least an hour if we're lucky. If we could just walk - it would take us 15 minutes - but there is no way to get there due to the race track set up.


Having said all of that.... what's not to like? :woot:

Well at least you're having fun. :lol:

I think we're the only 2 people awake right now on the whole forum. :captain:

OMG...

Just Incredible...

The maintinence on them must be Incredible...

And that is why I have Insomnia.. Thinking about the maintinence on the property I am about to make an offer on...

I am in the should I ? Phase.. Sure my Wife says "don't worry"...Well I worry..

So, here I sit...Worrying..

But looking at these Yacht's....I am a grain of sand in a large desert..

But if my wife wants this new crib, she can pay for the maintinence..

This daddy is not . I still need more toys..

And from the looks of your pictures.....I am way behind..

I had to tell my Wife. NO, that is NOT a cruise Liner...It is a Private Yacht.

Go cram Susie Q for a final.... er.... I mean... is Susie Q.... oh never mind.

No worry wart Mike is here too.. I have too much on my mind to sleep.

:lol: You dirty dog... did you accidentally drink a gin and tonic again? :rofl:

Oh yeah you're on the late night program too Mike. Atta boy. :cheers: :woot:

Mike.....


We looked for over a year at buying a house in the Napa Valley... a second home... I started at 2MM... nothing.... and raised that to 4MM... for which you got orange formica kitchen... or so far out that I couldn't take the drive into "town" (St Helena or Yountville) for dinner....

While laying in bed at our hotel (Meadowood Country Club -- you'd love it!) I realized the true cost of 4MM invested in a second home would cost me 200K in income loss (5% that I make off that now in TAX FREE bond income)... so that is "opportunity costs" which one has to calculate to see the true costs! I would need gardeners - and housekeeping - and property taxes and the gutters need cleaning and the windows washed - and more cars to make it "easy" to come and go... and furnishings.... so figure at least another 100K per year... so the income off another 2MM....

To which I said to the Misses.... "Ya know.... we could stay here a MONTH and our room is ONLY 60K".... so if we ate out every night for the month - we might spend 100K. Sounds ridiculous - until you compare the "loss" of ownership costs to just traveling and not owning or worrying about diddly squat. We're traveling.... I gave her a yearly budget (HA!) and we'll just blow that messing about rather than having a second house we'd rarely use since we're traveling anyway.

Yep, too much on my mind...And seeing the harbor pictures is jaw dropping..

I have been on some 130 foot Yachts for party's but these one's in Greg's photo's are beyond what my Brain can process...

And I am about to go into contract on another house...My Brain is rattled...

Funny we/she started looking in Napa, and Calistoga...Since we love to travel there..But seriously, I am not that well off.. I am looking at REO's , etc... because I cannot afford anything else..

But my Wife's family are in Redding, I know it ain't Napa, but they have some nice Communities up there ,Gated and nongated, Golf course's ect.. Villa type properties.

But I am trying to factor the maintinence in. That is the worry.. I won't pull money from my Investments because that is my Income generator..

But my Wife knows that she will be responsible for it, if she wants to jump up to the Villa on the hill.. I am trying to keep emotion out of the deal..Easy for me, I am a cold basterd, but getting a Woman to not have emotion, is like trying to...well, you get the picture..Hence I am up at 2:30 am...

I need to figure, an extra grand a month ? Large Pool, Pond that is the size of the house, gardeners, home energy...Ahhhhhh....

Thanks for posting the pictures Greg. Looks like a lovely city. I love the fews from above in the mountains. Have fun.

Okay --- this is a HORRIBLE VIDEO.... but who cares?! Not me... I'm watching and hearing in real time! :rofl:

Just a shorty for the SOUND.... I can't figure out the cameras video with focus and zoom in or out and blah blah blah... so shut up already!

That makes two of us

Thanks for sharing the pics & video Greg

Sounds like home, have you read the manual? :D
http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/...2/D7000_EN.pdf

Are you using Wide Area AF or Custom Setting a8 (pg 211) for video?

I'm watching qualifying right now, looks like the weather is perfect!
I've always wanted to hear (experience) F1 and MotoGP live. One of those bucket list items :yes:

175 mph top speed coming out of the tunnel with that light transition.
:wow:

I read some of the manual and thought I had the settings correct but obviously not -- and since I was already up at our suite -- there was no checking to see what I messed up. I was really just trying to get the sound for the most part.. but of course would also like to get the video focusing correctly. Back in the room here now obviously so will read a bit more about it.

I cannot imagine how good that must sound echoing throughout the city too. It's good you heard em before they switch to 6cylinders next year. They'll never be the same!

Run out and grab a remote microphone while you're at it!!!! You should be able to use it in the car when you get the Contour Plus too. :thumbsup:

Give us some WeldFabulous Audio!

Okay -- will attempt to post a few pics of some interest... maybe...



Here's a nice pass I caught....


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/8c7186e3.jpg


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/0d6c5c44.jpg


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/81ea10f4.jpg


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http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/23369f6c.jpg

You know I'm struggling with serious camera envy now right? :willy:

Here's a bad line vs good line series....



Bad Line!



Look at the entering angle and his front wheels and then the next turn and the amount of front wheel angle and he STILL missed the apex!





http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/30dd4ff4.jpg


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http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/0a551e98.jpg

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/9b000724.jpg

And here's a little better line thru this same "turns" which this guy is taking correctly -- Note the front wheel angles! Or LACK THEREOF!!




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/d4b61bfc.jpg



http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/1fb059fa.jpg



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Well the sad thing is.... that I'm nowhere NEAR the track to get some real shots... All mine will be from da top (like Commander Onatop)

This camera is SMOKIN' fast! 6 frames per second in continuous... and da big ass lens (it's HEAVY) -- a AF-S Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VR is super quick on AF!

Some of the shots I'm using a 2X convertor and some just the lens.

I'll slink back down in my chair on the porch and to tell my wife "what a prick this guy on the forum is " :rofl::lol: :rofl:

Monoco sounds like an experience. Not sure I'd be down for more than a couple days of it though. Great shots.

Schlepper out :cheers:

Greg nice pics! thanks for posting. I think you and you camera are ready to go pro :thumbsup:

Good choice on the lens. :thumbsup:

I'm sitting here looking at camera bodies and 2.8 lenes........:mad:

Greg, Is this your first "live" F-1 race?

So here is THE BOAT in the harbor... The M/V Alexander.... with her crew of 58... and 39 staterooms... a 27 seat theater... a full hospital room! At a mere 400' it makes the others look ridiculous! :lol:


http://www.charterworld.com/index.ht...alexander-1598


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/DSC_0092.jpg