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We can deprogram ourselves very easily, just by using character and ethics as a guide in politics. Trump and his inner circle are unsavoury, unintelligent and many of them are convicted felons. BUT - apparently this resonates with the American public which I'm sorry to say is just fucking embarrassing for your nation - it shows to the rest of the world that quality of character, being a public servant, and ethical behaviour is of no interest to over half of your population and that you'd willingly vote for crooks if you think it's good for the economy. I have news for you, it won't be good for the economy. It'll be good for the 1% and the rest of you will be enjoying inflation in the region of 15% before too long. The media in the US is appalling, it is the most biased in the world, be it CNN or Fox, they're both completely incapable of taking a balanced objective view of politics. In the UK, the BBC has withered away, corrupted by the Tory party and hamstrung by the abuse of the BBC's impartiality rule. So we are in a bad situation here as well, and when you add Murdoch to the scene and his shitty tabloids which have somehow managed to cling onto relevance in the so-called enlightened age of the internet, it's no wonder people are distracted by all the arguing and less able to focus on quality of character and policy. Too many aggressive interviewers whose only aim is to pick holes in everything, whether it's a good politician or not, or a good policy or not... nobody is immune to the constant shit stirring of the media. It's not even real journalism a lot of it, and it brings the country down. It sometimes gets so depressing to see, that you start to think about emigrating to Russia to enjoy the more 'favourable' and 'patriotic' media 🙂 Yet in the end, what I am saying is... You don't need the media. The truth is out there for all to see about what kind of characters and ethics are on display with Trump and his inner circle. We need better journalism, yes... But you can make up your own mind whether it's sensible to have a convicted crook as the leader of the free world. There has to be a move away from the two main parties also - as they're both becoming corrupted in some form or another. The Democrats by vanity career politics and drab humourless political correctness, and the Republicans by a complete loss of sanity.

I guess you are referring to Sony's consumer and prosumer cameras. This one only costs $60K!

I agree and that is why I have the A7RV as my workhorse and previously a S1R. I have been a full-time pro photographer for over 1/4 of a century but cannot put my finger on exactly what it is, but there is definitely a ‘something’ the larger the sensor and the higher the pixel count. ”It all looks the same on social media”. Does it? I’m not sure whether I subscribe to that one. In fact, I don’t and it may just be marginal, but I can see that certain ‘something’ in my own work. But it also exists between brands. Take the results I get from my Zf and compare them with those from the S5ii and there is something I cannot define but just ‘is’. Possibly there is an element of lens ju ju going on, but I am not one of those who simply believes in hype or others opinions, but rather based on my own experience. This year, two facts exist for me and that is because of, or despite my use of, but probably the former, I have produced my best ever work and not simply because I have moved my own game on in any other way. Or maybe I have and that is a factor, but it’s not the only factor, ie, I am adamant there is a tech element. The second fact is I have experienced the same thing with the Nikon Zf which is why I have made this pairing of cameras my workhorses for stills. I confident that if I brought one of the 100mp medium format cameras into the mix, I’d see another ‘step up’, but for a variety of reasons, mainly cost, I can’t see me going there any time soon. If ever. Summary = great tools do not an artist make, but I do firmly believe that using the best tools that you have access to, does allow you to create an better end result than working with lesser tools.

Sony does ‘seem’ to have gone off the boil a little in recent times… Low res LCD’s, a variety of video features ‘missing’ and pretty piss-poor firmware updates are the main gripes. But then all brands have pros and cons… Personally, I think it’s Nikon who have the most traction right now, at least when it comes to hybrids. Canon fairly similar in some ways but far less lens options and higher prices. Lumix on hold. Fuji need to get their AF up to snuff. Leica and Hasselblad inhabit their own universes so I don’t count and nor do I M4/3. I certainly would not pay what Sony are asking for their mildly updated camera when the other options that exist are available. The lens though… Still pondering that one but still think the Sigma pairing of the 28-45 f1.8 and 28-105 f2.8 are a more compelling option for essentially the same outlay.

ah my response you were replying to: Was me making a perhaps too subtle joke, as I was writing AImk2 instead of A1mk2 Because AImk2 is going to totally change the game for the stock footage business! (of insects, and everything else)

From a Canadian perspective as well. The US Democratic Party would be considered centre-right in Canada. Having said that even Canadian politics is more right than it used to be, much like the world. This was predicted by historians. When resources run out, people start fighting over their differences (which previously would have been ignored) then political opportunists see this and use it to gain power.