tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69591052026-06-08T13:13:10.918-05:00NOTHING SO UNIMPORTANT IS EVER DONE PERFECTLYProfessor Battyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09802171986501104683noreply@blogger.comBlogger4283125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959105.post-89246483634236723712026-06-08T00:00:00.000-05:002026-06-08T07:04:16.725-05:00

                       THEN (2000):                                         &

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Decorah, Iowa, 2023: The Porter House was built in 1867 for the merchant Dighton B. Ellsworth (1822–1896), an English immigrant who had come to Decorah from New York in 1855. After his death, the Ellsworth family sold the house to Francis and Emma Young whose daughter Grace married Adelbert Field Porter (known as "Bert" who had been raised in the house across the street) in 1904. The Young

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK: pohm about wine we drank cheap wine in glorified swallows...like the grape rinds still covered the bottoms of our feetlike seeds caught in between the middle toes that nobody ever notices.lost for a moment and then caught again in shower drains that nobody ever noticesthe water relearning the shape of 20 toes whilethe drunk touch wrinkled fingers in the 20 minute

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March, 2022: For sheer variety of subject matter, it is hard to beat the Carmel/Point Lobos/Monterey area in California. Animal life is remarkably diverse in such a populated area, I even spotted a Condor. Seals bask in protected coves: Edward Weston I ain’t, but I still think that they are pretty pictures.

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Batty’s the name, private investigations are my game…In SF each street is an invitation to danger. The night has a thousand eyes, mine are private… I’m the star in my own film noir… San Francisco by night, March, 2018

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK We had driven out of the city and found a side road in the country, away from lights and traffic. The moon was setting, the noises of the night had diminished. I moved closer to her, this was hardly the first time for either of us, but tonight she seemed tense and distant. “What is it? There’s something on your mind, isn’t there?” “I heard about a couple that was

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While working up some scans from some old negatives I came across an image of a young woman.A portrait of a cousin of mine, the picture was taken at a family gathering at my Grandparent’s farm in 1969. She was the daughter of my mother’s oldest brother but I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember her name. My connection with that branch of my relations was never very strong, even though they

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Abandoned farm house, Deuel County, South Dakota, c.1995: More from Mulder’s farm…

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK Hi you, two booths down Would you like to join me? You see It's been years since I've had a man You know. To slap me around. I would love to But I have weak wrists Can't make a fist, he sighed I can only kiss you violently to show you You know. Who is boss. Conversations at a breakfast table, my impending doom. As I handed over breakfast to my father yesterday morning,

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Tjarnarskóli is one of the most distinctive buildings in Reykjavík.While first-time visitors to the city are often impressed by this distinctive red-roofed yellow-sided landmark, they are usually mystified as to its function as there is no English signage indicating is provenance. Built in 1906, Lækjargata 14b is a wooden building east of Iðnó by the Pond in Reykjavík. I’ve often wondered about

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Phone worshippers, Iceland, October/November 2025 (click to embiggen): When I first went to Iceland (March 2000) people had flip phones that they would text on: tap-tap-tap, send, and snap! Ten years later iPhones were becoming more common, but not yet with the attendees at the 2009 Iceland Airwaves. Now, iPhones (and Android) are everywhere. I use mine sparingly, I prefer to directly

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK The rain had begun to fall. Luckily, I was wearing the new rain jacket and was apathetic. In fact, the jaunt now had purpose. Let the rain wash away my restlessness and let the jacket catch the extra droplets of relief. The bars on West Main were hopping most metaphorically, and thanks to a sharp eye, I know where to catch one of my former professors in case I have a

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Álafoss, Iceland: Anoka, Minnesota: Bainbridge Island, Washington:

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Over the last twenty years I’ve posted numerous images on the internet. Mostly here on FITK, but many were in various forums and even some in Wikipedia. In the early days of the internet people were generally conscientious about asking for permission and would dutifully give credit where credit was due. That was then, this is now. When the Internet’s leading guru/pundit blatantly steals a

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK Every school had one. A place for that last butt before classes. The space between the garages was popular for those who were “sneak” smokers. The alleys were tolerated by the officals, better to have them there than in the lavs, I suppose. Girls all wanted to stay thin. Boys wanted to impress the girls. Everyone stank. There are still some from my high school class

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My favorite Icelandic musical twins, Jófríður and Ásthildur Ákadóttir, have made the big time, being featured on the PBS show Great Performances, shown performing with host Scott Yoo in an Icelandic turf house.The show is beautifully shot and in addition to the musical segments there is a lot of Icelandic scenery and culture: it could have easily been two hours; or four; or even a miniseries!

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Image: Art Bicnick, Reykjavík Grapevine Discovering and being part of the pool culture in Iceland has been one of the great joys of my life. Here are some impressions from various times I’ve enjoyed it over the last twenty-one years:                            &

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK Immediately after I woke up this morning, I burst into tears. And I felt so confused about it... I’d thought my days of random bawling were over, that I had successfully buried the past.. but no, apparently not. And this too, after my weekend had been hugely successful. Lunch with friends, shopping, good conversation, films, total unwind-o-rama! There are of course a

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Six variations on a country-rock-themed morality play to start off your week on a high-steppin’ note: The Bill Dale Story Don’t talk about the things you know are pointless, just plug that jukebox and have a drink on me... Ah, how about a drink for every dink in this whole god-damn bar, and tell my landlord I'm in Tennessee... ... cause I got one way of livin’, I got no hands on the wheel

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Chef Batty goes wild in the kitchen again, this time with a Potato-Crust Quiche. I used a 10” springform cake pan which was nice for the thick potato crust, a 9“ pan would work better with regular pastry, an 8” pan could work (with smaller quantities of ingredients.) Grease the pan sides, it may be non-stick for cakes but this cheesy, starchy amalgam will adhere to almost anything. Solid food,

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK Officer Sivanich was the Minneapolis Police Department’s School Safety Patrol liaison for many years. Tens of thousands of school children knew him for the safety lectures he would give each year to all the elementary schools in the city. The School Safety Patrol consisted of those sixth grade students who would raise and lower the “stop” flags at crosswalks. Officer

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Non-scenic landscape views. Alley: Grocery: Compost:

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Another odd date story. Lesley and I worked in the sub-basement of Dayton’s, a large department store in downtown Minneapolis. I worked in an area where I sorted packages and loaded pallets to be shipped out. Lesley worked in the office next to it where the price tickets were generated. This was pre-UPC bar codes, price marking was done in basically the same way it had always been done and the

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Twenty Years Ago on FITK At the job-site for a new restaurant, I met up with one of the owners to discuss the sound system installation. He had brought along his teen-aged daughter. I had known him for years, from way back in my show-biz days. The other owner, his wife (who was not there), I had known longer.As we discussed the mundane yet germane topic of routing wiring in a plenum, I caught

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A film by Peter Hilgendorf and Andrew Franks Kevin hosting Reykjavík Calling, Neumos, Seattle, 2011 I caught this film at the MSPIFF 45 last night. Kevin was a DJ at First Avenue in the 80s (he was Prince’s party DJ!) and he was the founder of REV105, a groundbreaking Twin City radio station in the 90s that my kids adored. REV105 was ultimately bought out by corporate interests but, rather than

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