tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82433510064781342852024-03-28T14:52:15.831-05:00Stonekettle StationDon't just embrace the crazy, sidle up next to it and lick its ear.Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger1705125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-57796863495408084852024-03-05T11:09:00.007-06:002024-03-05T11:26:46.107-06:00No Safety<p> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p>"The only evidence I see of the antichrist here is everyone's desire to see him at work."<br />-- <b>William of Baskerville</b>, <i>The Name of the Rose</i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>God will not save us.</p><p>If that's what you were hoping for, you're going to be disappointed.</p><p>Your deity will not save the Republic and it's not like he promised to anyway. </p><p>Either he's not up there, or he doesn't much care. </p><p>Or, more likely, he's a Republican and from what I gather he doesn't have much use for democracy in the first place.</p><p>Either way, he's not going to save us. </p><p>He's not. </p><p>Plague, genocide, mass murder, fire, flood, <i>locusts</i>, nailing people to crosses, those are his specialties. He's not big on free will or women thinking for themselves and Donald Trump is right up his alley -- well, at least the American Evangelical version anyway. </p><p>What's that? </p><p>Oh, you're insulted already and we're only a couple paragraphs in? </p><p>Good. It's about time you got mad. If I'd known, I would have insulted your god long ago. </p><p>You're going to need that energy in the coming years.</p><p>You see, whatever your god is or is not, what I'm saying is that while I'd be happy to be proven wrong, given his track record when it comes to such things I probably wouldn't count on thoughts and prayers saving the Republic anytime soon.<br /></p><p>Nope. </p><p><br /></p><p>Likewise, some Special Counsel isn't going to save us. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Attorney General isn't going to save us -- and can't now even if he wanted to, which he very clearly does not. </p><p>I told you, back when the liberals were all giddy and swooning over Robert Mueller, that it would go nowhere. Oh, there was plenty there, sure. <i>Obviously </i>so. Russia Russia Russia. We all saw it. Hell, Putin bragged openly about how he diddled our elections. A massive Russian intelligence operation was uncovered. Thirty-four people were indicted, including prominent members of Trump's Campaign. A bunch of them went to jail, but not Trump. Mueller was too much of an old school G-man. He thought it would be enough to lay out the evidence and Department of Justice and Congress and Republicans would do the right and honorable thing like it was 1974 and Richard Nixon was giving us the finger on the way out the door with the White House silverware. Mueller couldn't wrap his head around the fact that there were <i>no </i>honorable Republicans left, including and most especially Bill Barr -- who is ironically today warning America about the dangers of electing Donald Trump again and he certainly would know, wouldn't he? </p><p>Speaking of Attorney Generals, I told you Merrick Garland would fail us. I fucking told you. I told you that if Trump wasn't indicted, charged, and <i>convicted</i> in time, he never would be. There was a window, maybe two years, where Garland could have put Trump away and the nation might have accepted it and we could have moved on with minimal violence. <i>He's got to go slow! Garland has to cross the T's and dot the I's! It's a painstaking process, have faith in the system! </i>My audience screamed at me. <i>You're not a lawyer! You don't know!</i> And you were right, I'm not a lawyer. But I do know politics. I'm certainly not an expert on the law, but I know what civil war looks like -- I've been in the middle of more than one. </p><p>Liberals just never understood that this was <i>never</i> about the law. </p><p>It was always about <i>public perception </i>and that's something Donald Trump understands very well indeed. </p><p>Now it's election season and it's too damn late for Merrick Garland. We can't put Trump away because he's the nominee. We can't even keep him off the ballot. Q.E.D.</p><p>And here we are exactly as I told you we would be.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Court is not going to save us. </p><p><br /></p><p>I mean, come <i>on</i>, you're not in any way whatsoever surprised by the Trump Supreme Court decision, are you? </p><p>You're not that damn naive. </p><p>No, you knew, or you should have anyway. It's not like you weren't warned. </p><p>SCOTUS, champion of "States Rights," has decided that states do <i>not have the right</i> to keep Trump off their primary ballots despite the very, very clear and unambiguous language of the Constitution specifically requiring them to do exactly that. </p><p>But, again, you're not really surprised, are you? You were warned, over and over and over again. You were warned what would happened if Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell were allowed to pick the majority of Justices. You were <i>warned</i>. You <i>knew</i>. Don't pretend you didn't. But not enough Americans cared, not back when it would have made a difference. Not enough to show up for the elections where their votes could have actually changed the outcomes. Those elections weren't sexy enough, weren't important enough, didn't affect <i>them </i>personally enough. Hell here in my own Florida District 1, serial sex trafficker Matt Gaetz's district, less than half of registered voters even bother to show up for anything less than the general election every four years -- the one election where their vote doesn't actually decide the outcome. </p><p>And here we are. </p><p>This bought-and-paid-for Supreme Court was <i>never</i> going to save the Republic. You knew that. </p><p>Yes, you did. </p><p>This Court was put in place to save <i>Trump</i> not the Republic. </p><p>This Court was put in place to serve Republicans and the Kochs, to turn women into livestock, to unleash Christian Evangelical fanaticism on us. And they will do exactly that. </p><p>Oh yes they will, with a vengeance. </p><p>We could have stopped it, but it wasn't important enough to enough Americans. And by the time it was, it was too late. </p><p>And here we are. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Press for goddamn <i>sure </i>isn't going to save us. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Press is the only private enterprise given enumerated rights in the Constitution. Did you know that? But the Press has long ago given up their sacred role as the watchdog of liberty in exchange for clicks and likes and profit. </p><p>The kind of journalism that once brought down Richard Nixon is as dead and buried as Trump's first wife. </p><p>Moreover, the Press has no interest in saving the Republic. </p><p>Why would they? </p><p>Blood, war, disaster, <i>Trump</i>, that's what sells, that's what pays million dollar CEO salaries. That's what built William Randolph Hearst a castle on top of a mountain. Trump has been a media cash cow for forty years, they won't give him up until he's dead and probably not even then. </p><p>When the Press tells you Joe Biden is old, what they really mean is that Joe Biden is <i>boring</i>.</p><p>They're not wrong. Biden is boring. Good government <i>should</i> be boring. You shouldn't have to think about it all the time. You shouldn't have to spend every minute worrying if the lunatic in charge is going to start a trade war or invade your uterus or just randomly decide to drop nuclear bombs on a hurricane. </p><p>But boring doesn't sell. </p><p>Boring doesn't generate views. </p><p>Boring doesn't make media CEOs into billionaires or build castles on top of California mountains. </p><p>The Press isn't going to save us, even if it means they get put against the wall. Hell, they'll livestream their own execution for clout. Watch and see if they don't. </p><p><br /></p><p>A lifetime of sloth, fast food, and clogged arteries is not going to save us. </p><p><br /></p><p>Not in time anyway.</p><p>The Republican nominee for president is a twice impeached, self-declared serial rapist, a convicted fraud, and a tax cheat currently out on bail, facing ninety-one felonies in four different jurisdictions, who owes over a <i>half a billion dollars</i> in restitution for his crimes, who can't differentiate between a picture of the woman he raped and the mother of his children (who he also raped, that's why she divorced his flabby orange ass, and why he had her buried in an overgrown weed-choked plot on his golf course for a tax break), who is so addlepated he often doesn't know the name of the <i>current</i> president and his supporters have to keep making excuses for his fits of dementia and increasing memory lapses, who brags about how he managed to identify an elephant like he'd discovered nuclear fusion on a test any five year old could pass, and who led an insurrection against his own country live on national television.</p><p>His opponent is boring. </p><p>But we're acting like this is some sort of normal race between normal candidates. </p><p>It isn't. And hasn't been for at least twenty years now.</p><p>It's not just Trump who is spiraling down into madness, it's the entire Republican Party. But we keep acting like this is normal. Just like the good Germans did a few generations back. </p><p>And here we are. </p><p>We all know what another Trump presidency means. </p><p>Liberals know. </p><p>Conservatives know. </p><p>Our allies know. Putin knows. </p><p>The courts know. The Press knows. </p><p>Your god knows, if he's up there. </p><p>We all know. We don't have to guess. Trump is literally telling the entire world what he'll do:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6Y7x_0hbTnru5j-PZOhG3nelVTkx7S2HJqSPgj0jVBXjUHGr6P1EFOA0N2XXeP63VRdD5hyphenhyphenrIjThz3o-ZR0nNBQ_XuIis1qQnHRhJmB4jRPFuxRmjk7_Eydxorj-bq8fPoLBEOkm7p-TD-i5AaDSDicDAtEJ_H5hf8eMRR-cdmVKw114zwUhDUVIlvk/s612/Mar%2005-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="612" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6Y7x_0hbTnru5j-PZOhG3nelVTkx7S2HJqSPgj0jVBXjUHGr6P1EFOA0N2XXeP63VRdD5hyphenhyphenrIjThz3o-ZR0nNBQ_XuIis1qQnHRhJmB4jRPFuxRmjk7_Eydxorj-bq8fPoLBEOkm7p-TD-i5AaDSDicDAtEJ_H5hf8eMRR-cdmVKw114zwUhDUVIlvk/s320/Mar%2005-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">I'd love to see the following question put to Trump. </p><div><blockquote><p>GIVE US A "THEORETICAL" EXAMPLE OF A "PROPER DECISION" THAT REQUIRES PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY FROM THE LAW.</p></blockquote><p>What's that? The Press? No, I don't expect the Press to demand that answer from Trump or even from Republicans. He wouldn't answer anyway. </p><p>But Congress? </p><p>The <i>Court</i>? </p><p>Yeah, the branches of government charged with checks and balances on Executive power? I expect it from them.</p><p><i>That's their goddamn duty. </i></p><p>Listen, can a president order the FBI to dismember a journalist with a bone saw if he thinks it's the "proper decision" for America? That's what happens in Saudi Arabia where those in charge have immunity from the law. </p><p>Is that what Trump means? </p><p>Can a president order the CIA to throw those who criticize government out of a 10th story window for the public good? That's what happens in Russia where Vladimir Putin is immune from accountability. Is that what Trump means? </p><p>Can a president order the army to execute his brother-in-law with an anti-aircraft gun? That's what happens in North Korea where Kim Jong Un has total presidential immunity. </p><p>Well? </p><p>You think I'm engaged in hyperbole, don't you? </p><p>But am I? </p><p>Donald Trump has promised to be a dictator on Day One. What does he mean by that and who will suffer for it? Don't you think maybe we should find out before he's allowed back in office? </p><p>Don't you think maybe <i>Congress</i> should find out?</p><p>Don't you think the Court should find out before they allow him back on the ballot?</p><p>If the president has total immunity, can he then order the government to <i>raise </i>taxes on the citizenry and business without regard to their particular representation in congress? What if it's to pay for a war with, say, France? If not, why not? And is there perhaps a historical example of this particular situation in American history?</p><p>Say, speaking of our history, let me ask you this: If the president has total immunity, can the president then refuse to sign or enforce laws -- even those "most wholesome and necessary for the public good?" Can he? Can the president order state Governors to likewise refuse to "pass laws of immediate and pressing importance?" How about this: Can the president refuse to pass laws unless the people who want those laws are willing to give up their right to "Representation in the Legislature?" If you're a Republican, think about this in the context of your complaint regarding Joe Biden and the border. </p><p>Can the president order the congress to meet in locations "unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records?" Can the president just dissolve Congress entirely, if the legislature opposes him "with manly firmness?" and then refuse to allow election of new representatives?</p><p>Can the president refuse to allow immigration? (I know. I know, you're wondering what sort of weird tangent I've gone off on, aren't you? Can the president refuse to allow immigration and what? Hang on, it'll become clear in a few more lines)</p><p>Can he refuse to appoint judges? Or only appoint them if they swear loyalty to him? (and has he done so already?)</p><p>Can the president just appoint new government officials and send them out to "harass our people and eat out their substance?"</p><p>Can he increase the size of the army and make us pay for it? And can he make the military independent of civilian oversight or give it power over civilian authority or even require us to house soldiers in our homes? And if the military turns its guns on Americans, can the president protect those soldiers from any punishment or accountability -- particularly if they did so on his orders? (Say in Chicago, for example)</p><p>Can the president just cut off trade with the rest of the world if he wants? (why does this sound so familiar?)</p><p>Can he raise taxes? He can lower them, right? So, why can't he just <i>raise </i>taxes as well? If not, why not? </p><p>Can the president suspend your right to trial by jury? Or transport you overseas <i>without </i>a trial to be tried by a foreign court for "pretended offenses?" (and if you're thinking about rendition right now, you get a cookie)</p><p>Can the president invade a neighboring country, abolish its government, establish his own totalitarian puppet state and then point to it as an example of why absolutism would be likewise good for you? If not, why not? What stops him? (and will Mexico pay for it?)</p><p>Can the president fundamentally change the nature of our government?</p><p>Can the president make laws without Congress?</p><p>Can the president declare war on his own citizens? Or if not war, then refuse to defend America from those who would "plunder our seas, ravage our coasts, burn our towns, and destroy the lives of our people?" Can he hire foreign mercenaries to do it instead of the army? Can he conscript <i>you</i> and make you wage war on your fellows? </p><p>What does Trump mean by "total presidential immunity?"</p><p>Does he mean any of that? </p><p>No? Of course not. That sounds crazy -- well, except for the parts where it doesn't, right? Are you sure? </p><p>Are you? </p><p>How do you know?</p><p>Because <i>that's the Declaration of Independence</i>. </p><p>Those were the grievances our Founders used as justification to tell King George III to shove <i>his </i>immunity up his inbred ass. </p><p>Oh, but then there's the last line, the final straw.</p><p>This one: <i>"He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us..."</i></p><p>Yeah. Right there. That.</p><p>The Founding Fathers were so outraged by that idea of the guy in charge fomenting domestic insurrection, turning American colonist against American colonist, that it pushed them into open rebellion against a King who likewise thought he should have immunity from the very laws he imposed on his subjects.</p><p>Presidents do not have immunity.</p><p>The very idea is abhorrent to liberty and justice and the founding of this country. </p><p>Instead our leaders must be held to the highest levels of accountability at all times.</p><p>That is literally the entire point of the Constitution itself. </p><p>The Grand Old Party started out with Abraham Lincoln and ended up with Trump. </p><p>Lincoln was assassinated by a cowardly seditionist who believed in the same violent rhetoric and oppression as Donald Trump -- and it's little wonder why the ideological descendants of John Wilkes Booth are front and center at every Trump rally proudly waving their Confederate flags and shouting for violence and murder. </p><p>That's the Republican candidate for president. </p><p>The Courts will not save us. History and tradition will not save us. The Press will not save us. </p><p>Our children are not going to save us -- but they very well might end up pissing on our graves for our lack of courage. </p><p>And your silly god will most certainly not save us. </p><p>There's no miracle coming. </p><p>There is no easy way out of this where you again get to be a lazy spectator to history while someone else does the grunt work of democracy. </p><p>Not this time. </p><p>No, you're going to have to show up. </p><p>You're going to have to show up and do your duty even if you don't want to. </p><p>You're going to have to show up and make a decision, even if you don't like the choices. That's why they call it duty, Citizen. </p><p>It's not about you. It's about the Republic. </p><p>You're going to have to face down the goons and the brawlers and demand your just place on the right side of history, even if it costs you your life.</p><p>You're going to have to face down the violent fanatics, <i>not</i> for yourself but for those who cannot fight themselves -- for if civilization cannot defend the helpless from savage brutality, if it cannot give voice to the voiceless, if it cannot grant freedom to those in chains and liberty to all, then what damn good is it? </p><p>If you want a better nation, then you're going to have to be a better citizen. Even if you don't want to be.<br /></p><p>It's up to us, same as it always was.<br /><br /></p><p></p><blockquote>“In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People.”<br />-- <b>Eugene Victor Debs</b></blockquote><p></p></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com106tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-77337866561901356082023-12-30T12:42:00.004-06:002023-12-30T12:52:46.371-06:00Support<p>Greetings from your friendly internet writer.</p><p>Yes, writer.</p><p>A few years back, I wouldn’t have believed this possible.</p><p>A few years back it wouldn’t have <em>been</em> possible.</p><p>But despite the sneering complaints of certain vocal critics, it <em>is</em> possible for a writer to make a modest living this way.</p><p>It used to be “writer” was defined as somebody who assembled words and ideas into books, short stories, articles, and perhaps screenplays, fact or fiction, and submitted those efforts via various means to editors at publishing houses or various presses or various media outlets, and then lived on cheese sandwiches hoping a check of some small amount would come back. Traditionally the profession of “writer” meant you repeated this cycle without healthcare or adequate hygiene or presentable clothes until you died, or gave it up for a real job.</p><p>That model, that definition of <em>writer</em>, still very much exists.<br /></p><p>And a lot of writers make varying degrees of living from it.</p><p>And I do that. I write various stories for various publishers and they give money. Not much, but enough to call myself a professional and enough to get invited to various writing conventions to talk about it. If you were at WorldCon in Chicago this year, or MisCon in Missoula where I was a guest of honor, it was great to see you there, thanks for coming and saying hi. </p><p>Which is, you know, pretty cool -- at least to me. </p><p>See, I wanted to be a writer since I was kid. </p><p>Other kids wanted to be fire fighters or astronauts or dentists. Not me. I wanted to be writer. </p><p>It’s a sickness, writing. A weird mental disorder that makes you sit in front of a keyboard for hours, daydreaming and playing with ideas and wondering why anyone would read the blather on the screen. No matter how upbeat and confident you are, and I am often <i>very</i> upbeat and probably too confident in myself for my own good, writing is fraught with self doubt and black depression mixed with mania. In that way, it's sort of like my previous military profession which is best described as "long periods of tedious boredom punctuated with moments of furious insanity."</p><p>I know exactly when I caught it, this sickness. </p><p>As a kid of maybe nine or so, my grandmother gave me a Hardy Boys book (#8; <i>The Mystery of Cabin Island</i>) for Christmas one year. I’d been an indifferent reader up to that point, but that book captivated me and my lifelong obsession with words began right there. It was long before I discovered the local library, and then Robert Anson Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke. Somewhere shortly thereafter, in a staggering moment of epiphany, I realized there were actually people out there who got paid to sit in front of a keyboard and daydream and those people didn’t have to put on pants every day. Hell they might not even own actual pants – unless you consider pajamas legitimate work apparel.</p><p>I knew then that’s what I wanted to do.</p><p>I’d always intended to go the traditional route, cheese sandwiches and all.</p><p>I’d never intended to write about politics. But evidence would suggest that’s where my talent lies – if you’re charitable and agree that it is indeed an actual talent and not just something you could train a chimpanzee to do (they taught monkeys to fly spaceships, so I imagine political pundit wouldn’t be that difficult).</p><p>Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, by the time I was free to write what I wanted (upon my retirement from the military) and I started writing in earnest with the idea that someday somebody somewhere would give me actual money for it, the world had changed. <em>How </em>we connect to it had changed and continues to evolve at a rapid pace and a new type of “writer” became possible – well maybe not <em>new</em> new, but perhaps a more modern version of the political broadsides and pamphlets penned by the likes of Thomas Paine.</p><p>Ten years ago, I would never have guessed that social media would become my primary platform for day to day short form. </p><p>Social media is horrible. </p><p>Absolutely horrible. </p><p>Social media is horrible in all the ways it's possible for human interaction to <i>be </i>horrible. No matter the platform, or the owner, social media is howling a bastard cross between an opinion column and a public forum and doesn’t do either very well. It’s subject to arbitrary and random censorship. There’s no protection for intellectual property at all. It lacks the most basic of editing tools and formatting functions, its search capability is ridiculous and all but useless. As a general rule, and again no matter the particular platform, the interface, timeline management, and display are one of the single most infuriatingly horrible experiences in an age of limitless customization. Universally, social media is subject to every kind of cyber-abuse from bullying to trolling to sexual assault. </p><p>And if there's <i>one</i> thing that is the terrible same across every single social media platform, it is this: You will <i>never </i>get any kind of help from the operators and AI is only going to make that worse by orders of magnitude. You can't argue with a machine, and you'll never get any human sympathy from software. Ever. </p><p>If Facebook is your dysfunctional community, then Twitter is Monkey Island in that community’s monstrous zoo, a screeching riot of flying shit and bared fangs. Twitter is a chemical plant for distilling out the absolute worst elements of human existence, like some sort of highway where every driver is armed and in the throes of seething road rage and they don’t care if they die so long as they can take everybody else with them. I left Twitter a few months back due to the owner's increasing bigotry and unhinged madness, and moved my microblogging to Threads, which is basically just more Facebook but with the single redeeming quality of not be subject to the random capricious machinations of Elon Musk. I'm active on a dozen other platforms, including my own here, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. </p><p>As a platform for writing, social media, whatever the flavor, stinks. </p><p>And yet – and yet – these platforms do one thing very, very well.</p><p>They do the one thing that traditional publishing venues cannot do.</p><p>Social media <em>connects</em> creators to people in an organic, viral, geometrically expanding manner that is completely impossible anywhere else.</p><p>Now, interacting with readers on a real time basis for hours upon hours every single goddamned day isn’t for every writer. It takes a certain degree of masochism to do it, see my previous comments about road rage and flying monkey shit. In point of fact, a lot of writers <em>become</em> writers because they are anti-social curmudgeons who enjoy living on moldy fake-cheese sandwiches and sitting around all day in dirty pajamas and who tend to break out in a cold sweat when they actually have to put on pants and go outside where all the other people are.</p><p>So real time interaction with their audience isn’t something they consider a feature.</p><p>And that’s okay. </p><p>“Writer” is a loose enough definition that it accommodates the gregarious right alongside the hermit.</p><p>But, if you write well, if you write the things people are interested in, and if you’re willing to interact with your audience directly and in real time, then social media makes it possible for your work to spread far beyond the size of audiences normally available to traditional writers. </p><p>Social media, for all its ills, has created new opportunity, an alternative to traditional writing models. Not a replacement, a supplement.</p><p>And that’s where I ended up.</p><p>I admit that in my case there is some degree of luck. I happened to be in the right place just as opportunity opened with the right experience and skillset and enough free time to take advantage of it. It suits me. It’s not easy. Really it’s not. It sometimes (often) takes 14 to 18 hour days, research, writing, swearing at the screen, it can be <em>incredibly</em> frustrating at times for reasons you never imagine or anticipate. It requires constant attention, a constant presence, and <em>everything</em> becomes grist for the mill, making much of your life public – something that is often less than thrilling to your spouse.</p><p>It’s work.</p><p>And it is … writing.</p><p>I’ve had a number of critics sneer at me, <em>you’re not a real writer!</em> Well, okay. Fair enough. I’m not particularly put out by that and I’m willing to go with whatever description you want to call it. Sincerely.</p><p>But what <em>do</em> you call it?</p><p>I sometimes crank out a quarter million words in a month for a dedicated audience larger than that of many highly successful novelists. Hell, news sites steal my work on nearly a daily basis, and publish my stuff as their own for profit – that’s got to mean <em>something</em>, right? Now, I’m willing to accept any label you want to slap on that, but before you do, I’d like to suggest you try it. Start a substack, social media sites, assemble words every day, build an audience without gimmicks or tricks solely on the basis of what you write, and then tell me what you call that effort.</p><p>As a cautionary note: no matter what you call yourself, no matter how much adoring admiration you manage to inspire in your audience, no matter how many people send you fan mail and messages of respect, no matter how successful you eventually manage to be and how full of yourself you become as a result, your family and friends <em>still</em> think you’re a putz and remind you of it as often as possible. Ideally this keeps you grounded and from turning into a complete ass. Ideally.</p><p>And every day, every single day, no matter how well you’ve done, everyday, you’re sure that’ll be the day it all falls apart and you’ll have to go get a real job again.</p><p>And every day, every single damn day, you'll get hate mail and death threats and DMs filled with gibbering insanity that you can't decipher (even if, like me, you were once trained as a code breaker). That can be pretty depressing unless you have a very, very thick skin. </p><p>I’ve been invited to a number of writer’s conventions to talk about this with other writers and those who are interested in such things. That’s something I’m happy to do. I’ve been pretty lucky and I’m glad to pay that forward. The world is a big place, there’s plenty of room for many, many more writers – or whatever you call ‘em – in this new arena.</p><p>But, here’s the downside – or at least the part I like least.</p><p><br /></p><p>Every once in a while I need to ask for money.</p><p><br /></p><p>I don’t like this. </p><p>No, I <i>really</i> don’t like this. I don’t like asking for money. I feel bad about it. It gives me endless anxiety. I’m getting more used it, especially since it doesn’t seem to bother readers at all – well except for that one guy who shows up periodically to call me names and generally make an ass of himself. But ideally, I write something and if you like it enough, you’ll kick in, or you buy my artwork which I very much appreciate it. And thankfully, you do so often enough that I can mostly survive on that part.</p><p>But I still feel guilty about it.</p><p>So, when I began this I found a way to assuage my conscience.</p><p>Thus: Any subscriber who donates any amount via the donation button or as a new Patreon for the next 30 days, will be put in the running for a giveaway. </p><p>Every few days over the next month, I’ll give away loot. It's the end of the year and I’ve got at least a hundred of my handmade ink pens, engraved with Stonekettle Station. I’ve signed copies of books that my work appears in. I’ve got signed copies of my photography – and given that I generally don’t sign those prints, these will be unique. And since I've recently started making calendars with my photography, I'll print and sign a selection of each version and give those away too. </p><p>Winners will be announced here every few days until I run out things to give away.</p><p>To donate, click on the “Donation” button on the upper right side of this screen and follow the directions or click on the Patreon link for additional options.</p><br /><hr /><a href="http://paypal.me/Stonekettle" target="_blank">PayPal is here</a> <br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top"><br /></form>If you want to become a monthly supporter <a href="https://www.patreon.com/stonekettle" target="_blank">My Patreon is here</a><br /><br /><hr /><p><br /></p><p>You may enter more than once. Each donation will be counted as a unique subscription. </p><p>If you’ve already donated to Stonekettle Station this month, you’re already on the subscription list.</p><p>Those of you who already donate via an automatic monthly payment, you’ll be entered automatically in the giveaway.</p><p>Note: I’ve discovered that winners sometimes, often it seems, do not want their names made public. I’d like to tell readers who got the various art pieces, but if you want your name kept private I will certainly do so. Last time I did this, the first person I selected to receive a prize refused because they lived on a boat and had no room for addition items. The alternate also refused for personal reasons and requested that the artwork go instead to a charity for auction to raise money for a cause important to them. They wanted it kept anonymous. So, that I did. </p><p>I will honor any reasonable request when it comes to such things.</p><p>Legal Disclaimer: To be clear, this is not a lottery or a raffle. Donations are voluntary subscription fees <em>specifically in support of this blog and the associated social media feeds and conducted in accordance with state and federal requirements.</em></p><p>That is: you’re paying for <em>content</em> not a chance to win something.</p><p>I am not claiming any tax-exempt status or charity. Donations are considered business income and I pay all applicable state and federal taxes on that income and I have the records to prove it.</p><p>The items I give away are my artwork, created and paid for by me. As such I chose to randomly give them away to supporters, just as I gave away my custom made pens to my fellow writers -- and if you come find me at a convention, I'll give one to you, whatever your profession. The giveaway list is generated from voluntary subscriptions, since I have no other way to determine who readers are. You are not donating for a chance to win a prize, you’re paying for the content I create and I’m using this opportunity to give something back other than just my usual blog essays and social media posts.</p><p>As always, thank you for your support // Jim </p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-50353053803478089832023-12-20T09:04:00.012-06:002023-12-20T13:30:14.665-06:00Fear, Hope, and Polling<div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Headlines this morning: Biden's poll numbers continue to fall despite surging economy!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Oh no!</p><p style="text-align: left;">What are we gonna do! </p><p>CNN has a whole panel of earnest looking talking heads enthusiastically opining on the subject. Dire! Woe! Terrible! The End is Near! </p><p>It's the same over on Fox, except the talking heads are all gleeful and showing a lot of cleavage. </p><p>My social media feeds are clogged with MAGAs (or foreign intelligence assets pretending to be MAGAs), all pushing the same message:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYV3h-YBhi88fLWECyjW3EaciUgB11JkQ0Sv8MMaZzB3Y72GYqWnqJXB8ShSntdNQ-obvQpAME81fszY1LCXMhhRIYiP_24L7zcX4WDoLXWxBfRx3Ali7Oq-88grwgAdS7srY1mpRl-gtgbB05uSqBMi5UNfwFaS1tPDRQGx_tkwRS8irb8EZDTSbWGs/s595/Post%2012-20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="595" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYV3h-YBhi88fLWECyjW3EaciUgB11JkQ0Sv8MMaZzB3Y72GYqWnqJXB8ShSntdNQ-obvQpAME81fszY1LCXMhhRIYiP_24L7zcX4WDoLXWxBfRx3Ali7Oq-88grwgAdS7srY1mpRl-gtgbB05uSqBMi5UNfwFaS1tPDRQGx_tkwRS8irb8EZDTSbWGs/s320/Post%2012-20.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>See the common theme? </p><p>Fear sells. </p><p>Rage sells. </p><p>Anger sells. <br /><br />Cleavage sells ... okay, that's probably not the point here, but anyway. </p><p>It's not about the economy. Not this election, not really. </p><p>"The Economy" is just a convenient narrative the press and politicians use when they don't want to do any actual work. It's an easy fiction that no one bothers to dispute. </p><p>Gotta be the economy, Stupid. </p><p>No kidding, right?</p><p>But it's bullshit. Voters don't show up because gas prices are high. And they don't show up because prices are low and there are plenty of jobs. They'll bitch and complain about inflation and the cost of milk, but they don't show up either way. </p><p>They <i>do </i>show up, however, because they're mad about something.</p><p>Or they're afraid of something.</p><p>Or they <i>hate</i> something. </p><p>Rage, fear, anger are all <i>far</i> more powerful motivators than the economy. That's why the press and the politicians spend so much time making you mad and afraid -- and the easiest way to do <i>that</i> is "The Economy" because America is a capitalist society and Americans are all driven by money. </p><p>You mention money, Americans get very, very afraid very quickly. </p><p>That's the entire basis of supply-side economics: fear. What's good for business is good for us. What's bad for business is bad for us. If business doesn't have to pay taxes, isn't hobbled by pesky regulation, isn't constrained by antitrust laws or any concern for the environment or the health and safety of consumers, then we <i>all</i> profit. Now, it's true that some profit a <i>lot</i> more than others, but that's the American way, isn't it? We gotta make the rich richer so some of it trickles down to the rest of us. That's what they tell us -- they being the rich. If business fails, we all fail. Be afraid. Be afraid of anyone who might put constraints on profit. </p><p><i>That is the entire message of our economic system. </i></p><p>Americans were afraid of inflation, but <i>business</i> boomed. Profits are way up. The stock market is riding an all time high. Because Americans paid more for goods and blamed the White House, but it wasn't actually inflation at all was it? It was that <i>business blamed the economy while conspiring to raise prices</i> and pocket the difference. </p><p>See the price of eggs and gasoline et al. That wasn't inflation. That's the rich raising the price of goods to make themselves richer. </p><p>Americans were afraid of COVID, but <i>business</i> got bailed out on the backs of Americans who'd lost their jobs, and not a single wealthy CEO lost even a penny's worth of income. </p><p>That's the lesson the rich learned from the Great Depression: never gamble with your own money. </p><p>A rising tide lifts all boats, which is great if you've got a boat. When things are good, the poor and middle class sacrifice to make the richer richer on the idea that some of that largess will trickle down to them. And when things go bad, the poor and recently unemployed lose their homes, college funds, and retirements and pay for bailouts to those same failed businesses while the rich pocket bonuses and then declare bankruptcy and leave the government they so utterly despise to clean up the economic, social, and environmental wreckage left in their wake which is <i>also</i> paid for by the middle class and the poor. </p><p>That's how it works in America. Profits are personal, but the <i>risks</i> all public. </p><p>Republicans hate "socialism," but they sure do love socializing failure. </p><p>Profit is a privilege of the wealthy, failure is the responsibility of the poor, and you don't have to look any further than Donald Trump's business record to see it. And <i>that</i> is what republicans love about him, right there. And <i>that</i> is the thing the rich are terrified you'll figure out -- because the guillotines typically follow that social epiphany in short order. So they push fear, fear of economic failure. What's bad for them is bad for you. Fear of losing your job, your income, your retirement, your home, your healthcare...</p><p>That's what actually trickles down, you know. Fear. That fear. That fear the rich will lose everything and we'll have to pay for it. </p><p>But you know what? Hope is a hell of a motivator too. </p><p>Yes it is. Remember that guy? The one who talked about hope and change? He pushed hope instead of fear and he won, won big. <i>Twice</i>. That's a lesson everyone seems to have forgotten. Because hate, rage, and fear are all a hell of a lot easier. </p><p>You gotta be a hell of a leader to win on hope instead of fear. </p><p>And those sorts of leaders are in short supply these days.</p><p>My point here is: those polls? Yeah, polls are like the Bible, they tell you whatever you want to hear. Polls are absolute evidence of whatever narrative the shouty guy up front wants you to believe today. Tomorrow they'll be absolute evidence of exactly the opposite and no one will even notice the switcheroo. </p><p>Don't listen to the polls, they're trying to manipulate you, trying to make you confidently hopeful so you'll stay home because you believe the job is done, or trying to make you depressed and defeated so you'll stay home because the job isn't worth doing. </p><p>Don't listen. Don't listen to the talking heads, their only interest is rage, fear, and anger because that's what sells advertising copy. That's what makes them rich. The more terrible the world, the richer they get, so they have an interest in making the world seem a worse place. </p><p>Steady on, Folks. Be hopeful instead. </p><p>Show up and you'll win.<br /><br />You want a better nation, be a better citizen. </p></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-89728951472048603582023-11-30T14:30:00.008-06:002023-12-02T15:53:23.582-06:00The Month In Pictures: Michigan Autumn<p> </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziDQfb9hXHwDzGDRfmzkhxwks4tfx8InPWeWZAjbtt9Oj3CvSO5hXIhzN_P_8l1XBoJLRXDCNf8aJMisV8Dgmmh65XGTGjr0oloWnN5ld1n1x30myXbwYZSm8X4nhPF-YPSZt2T_15LSvhEv7pYY4MTeyMDcYGacOm3pcqp9YbaU4LTCRh4m83RzAil8/s1600/Canada%20Goose%20%233%20Banner%20400x1600px%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziDQfb9hXHwDzGDRfmzkhxwks4tfx8InPWeWZAjbtt9Oj3CvSO5hXIhzN_P_8l1XBoJLRXDCNf8aJMisV8Dgmmh65XGTGjr0oloWnN5ld1n1x30myXbwYZSm8X4nhPF-YPSZt2T_15LSvhEv7pYY4MTeyMDcYGacOm3pcqp9YbaU4LTCRh4m83RzAil8/w480-h120/Canada%20Goose%20%233%20Banner%20400x1600px%20Upload.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I spent most of November in Michigan.</p><p>Which isn't a bad time of year to spend in the Midwest. <br /><br />November is fall colors and migrating birds and apple cider and hay rides. Pretty great if you're a photographer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gXpsJEoTTofT4Vu_BQ4KK61vsznV_DOfntUbrf6QTneRULmDSigzF3GxSs-BZiKrz3TspghanMqDvfQi1Y1HrELiVeKjmJrlhRtCY7d49BU8BrfAnTvXcpd_mOmo3kXU2z3PslcpgSFaEWRXOXu5kuPeNlcrr_8Zvf0Ldg3flq6-VZYpLEYgN_2eeHA/s8256/Milkweed%20%232%20Print%20uncropped%20for%20Patreon%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gXpsJEoTTofT4Vu_BQ4KK61vsznV_DOfntUbrf6QTneRULmDSigzF3GxSs-BZiKrz3TspghanMqDvfQi1Y1HrELiVeKjmJrlhRtCY7d49BU8BrfAnTvXcpd_mOmo3kXU2z3PslcpgSFaEWRXOXu5kuPeNlcrr_8Zvf0Ldg3flq6-VZYpLEYgN_2eeHA/s320/Milkweed%20%232%20Print%20uncropped%20for%20Patreon%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Pretty good if you're not a photographer too.</p><p>Not great for my mobile bandwidth though. I tend to take a <i>lot </i>of pictures. Given that I make a not insignificant fraction of my income from photography, I don't suppose that's any sort of surprise to you. And of course, if you follow me on social media, you know I post <i>a lot</i> of images to my various audiences on multiple platforms. Which is, as I said, not real great for mobile bandwidth. I burned through 150GB, all of my primary mobile hotspot, in about 28 days and was well into my reserve allocation on my backup device when I finally was able to pack up and return home. </p><p>So, instead of posting my normal week in pictures from the road, you're getting the whole month all at once. </p><p>I spent most of my time in Michigan at my mother's place outside of Middleville, a small farming town turned Norman Rockwell bedroom community in the Lower Peninsula's southwest. </p><p>Long ago, the place used to be a mill town and a stage coach stop on the routes between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. The mill is long gone, so is the stage coach and the railroad that replaced it in later years. The old rail line is now a Rails-to-Trails conversion and a popular path for hikers on the North American Birding Trail. </p><p>The old dam that once held back the Thornapple River is still there though, a fixture of downtown, and still doing its job generating some small amount of electricity and regulating the flow of the river. And because of that, the miles-long millpond that once powered those long gone wheels and grinding stones is still there too. It's shallow these days, a wetland overgrown with cattails and reeds, home to white sucker fish, trout, bass, carp, leeches, several species of squirrels, chipmunks, a half dozen species of turtle, mink, fox, bobcat, deer, muskrats, ground hogs, seven species of woodpecker, cranes, herons, jays, sparrows, finches, juncos, coots, grebes, ducks, geese, swans, a colony of kingfishers, and a vast, vast biome of native and imported plant species. </p><p>It is the perfect stop for migrating birds. </p><p>Such as these sandhill cranes:</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggx9NPODYKpWsbveHBXvlBlIPDKJeAMdyFNhRIH2afpsD4o4p06S6yXyPCZHiinRXjLUnTHwcdtZRy0tzjKzdTRWHNdJPgxO-fp3J3CtJ7B39MYI2bmjTR8GHw7_HbnLBRqBh1e6GRqqjyOqDBWmuoV1qMfCaGy-MYYSmt2XLV1AiI05ruM8yGitAgUcg/s5400/Sandhill%20Crane%20%23100%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggx9NPODYKpWsbveHBXvlBlIPDKJeAMdyFNhRIH2afpsD4o4p06S6yXyPCZHiinRXjLUnTHwcdtZRy0tzjKzdTRWHNdJPgxO-fp3J3CtJ7B39MYI2bmjTR8GHw7_HbnLBRqBh1e6GRqqjyOqDBWmuoV1qMfCaGy-MYYSmt2XLV1AiI05ruM8yGitAgUcg/s320/Sandhill%20Crane%20%23100%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XW63RIVuh1KSBOZfW6FXlrH0sWrK6gMdLYBFRan4AUVm0YZvmynaWEMJ9wa4n2OSDOVDWvciudKIF85lSb3U-RqnOhFZbpgZ2OAzbrW4F7_JdumyAVBOixNAq-bhG3YiQb93ZwrwPekl1cHnaCcX4LDg2XXWuv22Mh7RrkLbl8OSPZJcdmYcaa5zcww/s320/Sandhill%20Crane%20%23101%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For certain reasons, I shot the cranes primarily in the very early morning hours before the sun was fully up or in the late evenings at and after sunset. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, normally, this would be less than optimal, photography wise, but the equipment I'm using (Nikon's latest mirrorless system, the Z9 and the Z8) is very, very good in low light. And I'm fortunate enough to own very good, very fast glass (i.e. lenses that are able to both provide high magnification and a very wide aperture). </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So if low light is what you have, said I to myself, quit bitching and make the most of it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGw4-6tNm3eaxMcGIKfRgnNeAgKXlR1-jNr_aV1aLvgQAwIcdz0kJ-44SUR0W-eR6ty6mIFVdA4ts8C7kG_HUD0xiQ2Esjt8ZFAC7QplLym5ok9iSf6b9aiN4AUpMPLsl985S6DdJ_eW-77NYV5CNXofChrmojFlD4Gx9hOCMYZ4_OYfrVOOY1sL_gHM/s320/Sandhill%20Crane%20%23X3%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ESS0cY40QBjVyJHyWidJ0DYvuAYw73nRF0WZfMNJfyEuuTsPYBlvfhgga1kdggTjGIuA988VeFc9D95uOAsanpb8gVQ3pg6hNPs4eH2dJMlNdZu2335jyoaD9E2rQkqdg9WGpJitcwBXyiAqS4ifGFkT_jkkni7mm6hC-MIgCN_Cy8OhSjT_52WgwDY/s320/Ghosts%20%232%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It takes some experimenting to get it right and capture these ghostly apparitions in the dark.</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's not just a matter of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. In these conditions, the light changes. The quality and the <i>wavelengths </i>of light change. The sun is low on the horizon, certain wavelengths (colors, in layman's terms) are filtered out by those extra miles of dense atmosphere, by rain, by moisture, by clouds, by temperature, by dust, and pollutants in the air. The color changes. The <i>amount </i>of light changes. Very rapidly. Sometime there's a bright moon, sometimes it's as dark as a cave on the far side of Pluto. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You might have only a very few minutes to get the shot. Sometimes less than that. And remember, the subject has to cooperate in that brief period as well. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjly6317aaBZJrnlhibdXsHaiD1ub-WlEeFDnrL0yTIJ-m2aptftZriL7x-LmjZjQQRaToVvw_QjdnaDK8mpM069cO-WKMFCjNhwLSinngLHBkPV5XcKyIu0RE65FnlgH2pHfOqKMhG17dZnEelcgarF2lVnDqU3_pP7xi-dkRvOWD4mG9DnyO5MXygpAI/s320/Sanhill%20Cranes%20%23X1%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP081-uPTHmydicMBunlTjPUucRHM2MkIalVi9H-63Aoe9qeIKGB2ngWuIjV85gA0BMlYIGO4jUHMeX1utuLqsTAtuvSL9JnNinF9BeYOTByus6rXtZcUzK9ON1yn4_CiKCXS8UnOEWyRpr4WWcrItyuGk57O_XQOHSbBddVa_9xS3ypVK-nvtpW11s4c/s320/A%20Conclave%20of%20Cranes%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">In the old days, you'd need to swap out film as the light changed. You'd get pretty good at it, like a soldier reloading a weapon in the dark. But it was complicated and clumsy and not particularly optimal. Or you could carry multiple cameras, each loaded with different film, sensitive to different wavelengths and light levels, that would produce different results. </p><p style="text-align: left;">That gets expensive and logistically complicated pretty quickly. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUzERMd1R90FbZLBzFp34VAZIw02wNRGGXw9mDVLiaoLd5fcldSpGjJyQIhwIMEgKZ8VTydqOkpEmXk1YB12J__SHms3KKbcT-t8jOp08dDxtt6KI_mYmX-glHMj7GRBim1G9F146aYoJcB490EFnkziCP2OSmH89d0ENG7WpEoEFDRp1siTfI-tFUKk/s320/Sanhill%20Cranes%20%23X2%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdCJRYPCmGuK3ibtsCWNmkx0F9JZPkToMW8U8_MxiSxnF-MEJGspBLbNQszdjbrgBQ0ATU-2fBcAbd7WMCAsqEtI8BU65538EfJv1BVMaVCOxwiq2818olh0jtW3fBHfZUU35NEk2Y2coLK_nWLW1GsK-lK_rpzY78bCZwe_t1WIvQW1Me7FglMKhI88/s320/Ghosts%20%234%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nowadays, most of us use digital cameras. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is where the purists spit on the ground, but modern digital sensors make for photography that would have been simply impossible not very long ago. Film has some pretty specific limitations as dictated by chemistry and physics, and there is only so much you can do with it. Chemical emulsions can only react so fast, at least the ones most of us can afford or are safe enough to use. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Digital sensors have limits too, of course, but those boundaries are often much, much broader and can be adjusted in the field very, very rapidly (if you know what you're doing). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI6aiPuHIsyKIWRtPO-0XQWwsLIxCCs_-dSOMAyYdsJ-Qhqnrp0eNgTQsxXu3zuh7o3_0yKRSVc1S5OzikXxD263jTSr3dRYVCWQQVtqtGYzKuQ2zuHbfwBfRAobsKDASxD6ABGkT1E88ASrBW3ySM7Zip6HapnRSlXxbdc5ucACz5pv3DCT8PY3P_jI/s320/Crane%20%23AA%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2TEMHWtPP-aQAU7Ergu8ZpwgymohmzipCH4tWx2nbeSZp287MpLlIuWmh1QOTUvWLPA6iCH6qCdez-NRrCl2Leu0emDtYDpMMbqbT9A8CU2bYUNWSwe6kHqcAMOJ96dEmVpIeCStAxyON8-ImYg11oEnueaw0WWcaTGTK-KNV5ZdWEc4o_-R0eaur2E/s320/Crane%20%23AB%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Don't get me wrong, it's still about physics.</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Photography is ultimately about light. And light is physics. And physics is the <i>law</i>, there's no way around it. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You want to see in the dark, <i>in color</i>, then you have to gather more light. More light means bigger lenses (or mirrors, if you're an astronomer). Bigger lenses mean more glass. But more glass can mean <i>less</i> light if that glass isn't very, very optically pure in the wavelengths you want. And what <i>that</i> means in a practical sense is: money.</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More light means more glass means it's going to cost you a <i>lot</i> more. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And it's heavy. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My big lens, a Nikkor 600mmf4E weighs about 18 pounds (that's without the camera) and costs about what a decent small car does (then again, people spend that on golf clubs, so your mileage may vary). </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not actually trying to impress you with the quality of my equipment or trying to dazzle you with technobabble, but I keep getting asked: How do you get photographs of birds, sharp, in motion, <i>in color</i>, in the pitch dark? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_zq9i_1dJ2-Y1qTxc7XxWhbRmxRgyOwQd4eOLUFySgkCYeK-ybWMV0o3xwX1S359Rqeuupa-DIyAg66SSQi-ms9hFF-a5WoFIo2wacFrdeVGNpvTpHMPBny9QrVRXh6E2l1Q2bPwtTMk3CM9zTum5UKC5IFicqS7Ks2ILYfPbTmqFqm8LrdiyDUuq80/s5400/Crane%20%23AC%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_zq9i_1dJ2-Y1qTxc7XxWhbRmxRgyOwQd4eOLUFySgkCYeK-ybWMV0o3xwX1S359Rqeuupa-DIyAg66SSQi-ms9hFF-a5WoFIo2wacFrdeVGNpvTpHMPBny9QrVRXh6E2l1Q2bPwtTMk3CM9zTum5UKC5IFicqS7Ks2ILYfPbTmqFqm8LrdiyDUuq80/s320/Crane%20%23AC%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Actually, the question I usually get is: Settings? </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's the question professional photographers get asked most often. What are your settings, exposure and shutter speed? </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What were your settings for that image of sandhill cranes at night reflected like ghosts in still wine dark water?</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Will you tell me?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZNYXAtwQd7kV5xpJBe1LaNI3sebn6fn5vX-fiOB6BQbF-aGcoYyF28kJAL29rP1W52mXm9NRkeeJGaxtEfr3rWUBJjz5v1oLpCvOtB12L270nQviIW_PlyaIp-Tz1VdOeVgkjd3houvkIinqlUFFWPY_opGDm2yMcrBIoAhSpWUQFVlr99bx5vv1_OA/s6000/Sandhill%20Cranes%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZNYXAtwQd7kV5xpJBe1LaNI3sebn6fn5vX-fiOB6BQbF-aGcoYyF28kJAL29rP1W52mXm9NRkeeJGaxtEfr3rWUBJjz5v1oLpCvOtB12L270nQviIW_PlyaIp-Tz1VdOeVgkjd3houvkIinqlUFFWPY_opGDm2yMcrBIoAhSpWUQFVlr99bx5vv1_OA/s320/Sandhill%20Cranes%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><p style="clear: both;">And I can do that, I can give you those numbers, and I will, but it likely won't do you much good. </p><p style="clear: both;">For the reasons I've described above, you can't just plug those two settings into any camera and get the same results. </p><p style="clear: both;">I'm not saying you <i>can't </i>get similar results with lesser equipment. I'm saying you can't get it by just plugging in a couple of numbers you got from some random guy on the internet. </p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkTgpLrtsb3GHa6HfWdJYkdwCaiWRQ9TduqTc8nIwNm8qQIv5TI1WTgrABLtLkPgHewnN1jIkzTOv6VfjV8YWTCI6fhK_z2RN5m7V_VOoFatqk6qM7iBOVe_akiIpmL2Es7zpR9ADqgViVGOrTsFa_jEFjsN4NzQJXhvN_K8MSQrcgAB90Y29S7LgCWM/s5400/Wood%20Ducks%20%23100%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkTgpLrtsb3GHa6HfWdJYkdwCaiWRQ9TduqTc8nIwNm8qQIv5TI1WTgrABLtLkPgHewnN1jIkzTOv6VfjV8YWTCI6fhK_z2RN5m7V_VOoFatqk6qM7iBOVe_akiIpmL2Es7zpR9ADqgViVGOrTsFa_jEFjsN4NzQJXhvN_K8MSQrcgAB90Y29S7LgCWM/s320/Wood%20Ducks%20%23100%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">What I'm actually saying here is this: If you want to do photography (and I highly encourage any and all to do so, the more the better, the world needs art and it's never been easier or cheaper to make than it is today) as opposed to just clicking selfies and snapshots, then you have to learn how <i>your</i> equipment works.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwo5_izRg2vAQ7iK8vaiuGlNNyiw7lAdDRwKay4k6J_LTsnh_buKqXW-l6U2-SoTbXrTSR5JWTUQA6pnOie31WQIkGV9h5XmKVP-zv90A7S5Jg8QG_t4hyphenhyphenTXsdbc9xkLZjHXJTV9PCWk1fbbR2dv2F8H8QJshaGRpuhOdFB1vmIzp501285J-BAP48AxM/s5400/Canada%20Goose%20%2320%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwo5_izRg2vAQ7iK8vaiuGlNNyiw7lAdDRwKay4k6J_LTsnh_buKqXW-l6U2-SoTbXrTSR5JWTUQA6pnOie31WQIkGV9h5XmKVP-zv90A7S5Jg8QG_t4hyphenhyphenTXsdbc9xkLZjHXJTV9PCWk1fbbR2dv2F8H8QJshaGRpuhOdFB1vmIzp501285J-BAP48AxM/s320/Canada%20Goose%20%2320%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Experiment. Take notes. Make mistakes. Shoot a lot of crappy pictures. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And learn what works for <i>you</i>.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjXf43hgE3gRDz0wHp5KomjQzOYW3CDhPlArJqIOcHzkFtGLsRadlf6s_wueYZL-eyejlAjT_EDQAllAqjmSP6QEIm1N4JhNZkYcdVKr98Ad1p_Ss2oRzPevGne7gCffpumKFTSrr12MrikIC56QVgX3pAI46gBVDOC9Hbhbc1ZxE8UZUVR3HOqjmPtI/s6000/Flying%20V%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjXf43hgE3gRDz0wHp5KomjQzOYW3CDhPlArJqIOcHzkFtGLsRadlf6s_wueYZL-eyejlAjT_EDQAllAqjmSP6QEIm1N4JhNZkYcdVKr98Ad1p_Ss2oRzPevGne7gCffpumKFTSrr12MrikIC56QVgX3pAI46gBVDOC9Hbhbc1ZxE8UZUVR3HOqjmPtI/s320/Flying%20V%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">There's an old truism among photographers: Amateurs talk about equipment, professionals talk about <i>results</i>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I find that to be pretty true -- after I just spent how many paragraphs talking about equipment? Heh heh. That said, I hope my results speak for themselves. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uicr-ZJopzstDP8gJEm0DWo9Tbn_K9BPoYGRicoAGYAAADfjHvpo8nL3PGj11eqqIgz6JBKF_1gCw6FLxtuSFPYwRrles2mYej0IGCASfmnsemC-ZXdnLqebXV1mlgC_WXg553HVnwc2QcCZIa34ChGez1Ri0eaE2Fq_3ETfRKsr4xFJnGzr-0qfTp0/s5400/Mallard%20%2320%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uicr-ZJopzstDP8gJEm0DWo9Tbn_K9BPoYGRicoAGYAAADfjHvpo8nL3PGj11eqqIgz6JBKF_1gCw6FLxtuSFPYwRrles2mYej0IGCASfmnsemC-ZXdnLqebXV1mlgC_WXg553HVnwc2QcCZIa34ChGez1Ri0eaE2Fq_3ETfRKsr4xFJnGzr-0qfTp0/s320/Mallard%20%2320%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It took me a lot of years to get where I not only liked the results I got, but also to be able to predict with decent accuracy what results I'd get in any given situation. </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmzX0qFHV-GKu_8RPq03hNOsbSIProwP8gJ7LTMNH9BlgLQMlpw7S9kkMZADoVWXzV7hmIlgpuXc91GsYrdItObiWxpP2BKZxuJHJGv7pvboZ_wTzNsgBJIFM4KlTdjajEZFZlIuJiunoL9ts39SPMjM4qDpyEpcQ6xibOmZV_C8YKotLFCy2zDZT6eA/s5400/Bald%20Eagle%20%23100%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmzX0qFHV-GKu_8RPq03hNOsbSIProwP8gJ7LTMNH9BlgLQMlpw7S9kkMZADoVWXzV7hmIlgpuXc91GsYrdItObiWxpP2BKZxuJHJGv7pvboZ_wTzNsgBJIFM4KlTdjajEZFZlIuJiunoL9ts39SPMjM4qDpyEpcQ6xibOmZV_C8YKotLFCy2zDZT6eA/s320/Bald%20Eagle%20%23100%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyjcF4zpo9DdUT0GuZTdmKA3DLdrV4KsKy7-jK1gBExCFkTbXs35nCuJuonS6FFODPwfHLrzWwUe-2eelj_AxDobWOkkiZycw-L65x9L2FINh1xj_5pRiO5t5FkLBb4cIQPmadx_OuYXfxjKK4qXdCYaKaiBupCxEHp35UIk1oeVMa4TKeNd8NWy4BYc/s6000/Bald%20Eagle%20%23101%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyjcF4zpo9DdUT0GuZTdmKA3DLdrV4KsKy7-jK1gBExCFkTbXs35nCuJuonS6FFODPwfHLrzWwUe-2eelj_AxDobWOkkiZycw-L65x9L2FINh1xj_5pRiO5t5FkLBb4cIQPmadx_OuYXfxjKK4qXdCYaKaiBupCxEHp35UIk1oeVMa4TKeNd8NWy4BYc/s320/Bald%20Eagle%20%23101%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM1KSoLk2QJ3fBNLEjx5g_Hwo2HNG3GxUGFad4_K93YvGSVSORPw1URqgq_GzW1piisFW_AYSTBudajhA64ASvUqJVlTvYpq-FTxAxWKjC2QzMPMMT8jBCVsPlixiyZPEdhs4rR_0VvHSo208eoMjE0ix7i2Ze1wpeCh7u1C78-DOPJqWuXiw9W40MZc/s8000/Bald%20Eagle%20%23102%20Print%2024x36%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5333" data-original-width="8000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM1KSoLk2QJ3fBNLEjx5g_Hwo2HNG3GxUGFad4_K93YvGSVSORPw1URqgq_GzW1piisFW_AYSTBudajhA64ASvUqJVlTvYpq-FTxAxWKjC2QzMPMMT8jBCVsPlixiyZPEdhs4rR_0VvHSo208eoMjE0ix7i2Ze1wpeCh7u1C78-DOPJqWuXiw9W40MZc/s320/Bald%20Eagle%20%23102%20Print%2024x36%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ouCjHHlofD20f07c4r-DCtdbIcUafayrevb_qUHbA08IdsJXHcLl8uuw1irSDb7UP59xdqopFOPSPbFRoZA5HnovYoWPSKzmhxBg-mx2SrxsP-b5aD5FlREioXNFosF62ad-faAbpQc54tsWgRtrn8EVHGUayzVVH94iSPl6GQQXB7wyQqG9SL-8W6c/s5400/Bald%20Eagle%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ouCjHHlofD20f07c4r-DCtdbIcUafayrevb_qUHbA08IdsJXHcLl8uuw1irSDb7UP59xdqopFOPSPbFRoZA5HnovYoWPSKzmhxBg-mx2SrxsP-b5aD5FlREioXNFosF62ad-faAbpQc54tsWgRtrn8EVHGUayzVVH94iSPl6GQQXB7wyQqG9SL-8W6c/s320/Bald%20Eagle%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWjm7i5C_wAnysJ-XQanvqrv2I8nGYRSxjJiJf2PMB-U1zyotl1QuBCgO248zE6Got4YFji6HbS9oFJnEVmzyUe0ki2BHhdWWZYRkCAJh6nHFT5mfsZ32qnzscMSfhDQSzW6qWzkgy-MNy-GMCQe-eRcSs30RM4Jsh32ur4T3oOe41xiqpmT4D4DyJAI/s6000/Bald%20Eagle%20%23AB%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWjm7i5C_wAnysJ-XQanvqrv2I8nGYRSxjJiJf2PMB-U1zyotl1QuBCgO248zE6Got4YFji6HbS9oFJnEVmzyUe0ki2BHhdWWZYRkCAJh6nHFT5mfsZ32qnzscMSfhDQSzW6qWzkgy-MNy-GMCQe-eRcSs30RM4Jsh32ur4T3oOe41xiqpmT4D4DyJAI/s320/Bald%20Eagle%20%23AB%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tJBMdGSBcDcSRSojMg1ITbsCc-MvwKnbGhUhMVgvC4swO3IHsAvWEOu-G_6Iuucq2-16lYe334xmIYmVkc1T6Z-2-AcHNLchRvJxcLZDOyUml2DSRBXdgM_CarJ0QTbPTV_Qm_UiDVBjqCZ-UdpKRB-5yqpnThSPFaY1u5b5clutw3Jvch9YhsWbdgA/s5400/Bald%20Eagle%20%23AC%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tJBMdGSBcDcSRSojMg1ITbsCc-MvwKnbGhUhMVgvC4swO3IHsAvWEOu-G_6Iuucq2-16lYe334xmIYmVkc1T6Z-2-AcHNLchRvJxcLZDOyUml2DSRBXdgM_CarJ0QTbPTV_Qm_UiDVBjqCZ-UdpKRB-5yqpnThSPFaY1u5b5clutw3Jvch9YhsWbdgA/s320/Bald%20Eagle%20%23AC%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">I'm still learning. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I think that's true of most photographers. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHQ5NZB-C9_NvDcLmHlUJqvvl6TFfAIGbZw0cGyB_hMN6Ohl5eiidRwOefkvjgHGUO6vJtfNUQU_6i8PWM2MTJCSXv_U78Qjim3LHIo17WaxUO-zH-mCJvQA4pSqguF6_TMgJsDDYXsAD_wylVcORhxEoQEmNnYM2h3QQtbgRdAQ_bqBKi5kJCSU8Me4/s5400/Kingfisher%20%2350%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHQ5NZB-C9_NvDcLmHlUJqvvl6TFfAIGbZw0cGyB_hMN6Ohl5eiidRwOefkvjgHGUO6vJtfNUQU_6i8PWM2MTJCSXv_U78Qjim3LHIo17WaxUO-zH-mCJvQA4pSqguF6_TMgJsDDYXsAD_wylVcORhxEoQEmNnYM2h3QQtbgRdAQ_bqBKi5kJCSU8Me4/s320/Kingfisher%20%2350%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHQ5NZB-C9_NvDcLmHlUJqvvl6TFfAIGbZw0cGyB_hMN6Ohl5eiidRwOefkvjgHGUO6vJtfNUQU_6i8PWM2MTJCSXv_U78Qjim3LHIo17WaxUO-zH-mCJvQA4pSqguF6_TMgJsDDYXsAD_wylVcORhxEoQEmNnYM2h3QQtbgRdAQ_bqBKi5kJCSU8Me4/s5400/Kingfisher%20%2350%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdv-LbJ173M2HqFqRMfuYZaJ6CE3ctv7hdcusB1OzWPXFuAyiXRomJ7MOQQrA_IHEXtsOgOj1nwHBPGnof4U2NYvxS5lu7o7bZSx6CEXLeObA_AHnFZy9TcoCa-erVPwW9EmVXPsV9guPlpSQwDVvftlZab2FDfXBUuYuGx8LqGS36jAQgEx1s1FrzzE/s5400/Kingfisher%20%2351%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdv-LbJ173M2HqFqRMfuYZaJ6CE3ctv7hdcusB1OzWPXFuAyiXRomJ7MOQQrA_IHEXtsOgOj1nwHBPGnof4U2NYvxS5lu7o7bZSx6CEXLeObA_AHnFZy9TcoCa-erVPwW9EmVXPsV9guPlpSQwDVvftlZab2FDfXBUuYuGx8LqGS36jAQgEx1s1FrzzE/s320/Kingfisher%20%2351%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNT6_mBn-CYxbha4w7akfDDjAPhzP_nuuBtwg4fBG2Dw9HXLJbftcYLPcqFXD98JAXEJxXRZSTFbuTzv7u1hAf_ElgpdK8VHWM5KcflVv2hyf7YIG1F_eaLUy3lnQvviXP3EbC-QVhR5QUdQho47QHIbDXWrayEzGGLGWDZdOGoebVElxepdmt4JguezU/s5400/Kingfisher%20%2352%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNT6_mBn-CYxbha4w7akfDDjAPhzP_nuuBtwg4fBG2Dw9HXLJbftcYLPcqFXD98JAXEJxXRZSTFbuTzv7u1hAf_ElgpdK8VHWM5KcflVv2hyf7YIG1F_eaLUy3lnQvviXP3EbC-QVhR5QUdQho47QHIbDXWrayEzGGLGWDZdOGoebVElxepdmt4JguezU/s320/Kingfisher%20%2352%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCOS4_ocJaYjBTwqtReQ8J6Lo6WTSSEuNcrap-S_kNQRXol5lESwLVHY2K-tmzenUfkUK5iwvCkT0_Brbfcm0Rx3B__A0WJw46g6lLFHL8zddfZUegJGuKm16OXbBl7bQbGpCoPWJULdu3xmDmp1eQzUgSWj5NnWf6txXN5CdEzBkqv7nMH8Cd_TOqQQ/s5400/Kingfisher%20X%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCOS4_ocJaYjBTwqtReQ8J6Lo6WTSSEuNcrap-S_kNQRXol5lESwLVHY2K-tmzenUfkUK5iwvCkT0_Brbfcm0Rx3B__A0WJw46g6lLFHL8zddfZUegJGuKm16OXbBl7bQbGpCoPWJULdu3xmDmp1eQzUgSWj5NnWf6txXN5CdEzBkqv7nMH8Cd_TOqQQ/s320/Kingfisher%20X%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFOumxMQpxfRxfolJM8csbsiqgb1x-6Joh0_n57IQS9NgKbKbJbdB9HyW0mJNWtm6vA9ZBcDYj30orEpjFV50tf2Agc1pfGvhhuuLgQ78iAJsH3_m4ULnF16_80AqSyFUGeyXdq1_yXbD2r8qa1YuXfAU7-S8vrIfPo63k2SIQqJbbKFoqoGWPkSWygw/s5400/Kingfisher%20%23AC%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFOumxMQpxfRxfolJM8csbsiqgb1x-6Joh0_n57IQS9NgKbKbJbdB9HyW0mJNWtm6vA9ZBcDYj30orEpjFV50tf2Agc1pfGvhhuuLgQ78iAJsH3_m4ULnF16_80AqSyFUGeyXdq1_yXbD2r8qa1YuXfAU7-S8vrIfPo63k2SIQqJbbKFoqoGWPkSWygw/s320/Kingfisher%20%23AC%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ug9-tsBPSj4b0Rh_vBoyJn_EpuhF-jvyX-mu-di6-RrbpZnq65B-hjTiomy3Re65xyV3dNG3SdveiXvOUoT9ItmnKV2_X2kaZlG7vw-Z3kV3vwXhlXaaGT_lISYZQo3Yrk7UfOEUJoYOra5fcd6fPqbFi21qqJgErmJwDaZm50CPX7aPEHjRZBel9Rc/s2400/Kingfisher%20%23AA%20Print%208x8%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ug9-tsBPSj4b0Rh_vBoyJn_EpuhF-jvyX-mu-di6-RrbpZnq65B-hjTiomy3Re65xyV3dNG3SdveiXvOUoT9ItmnKV2_X2kaZlG7vw-Z3kV3vwXhlXaaGT_lISYZQo3Yrk7UfOEUJoYOra5fcd6fPqbFi21qqJgErmJwDaZm50CPX7aPEHjRZBel9Rc/s320/Kingfisher%20%23AA%20Print%208x8%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have days, fairly rare now, where I shoot a thousand shots, sometime ten thousand shots, and don't like <i>any </i>of them. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most of the time, I get something that I like -- and sometimes I really, really like it. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sometimes I take one shot, but that's the shot. That's the one. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm always looking to do better. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9yy-npAx4u4J8Zpia8beUqB2Q3QFyt64mOMiDwCK3rqyih0-QO1WDuP8s1PbZkciPr0ph8J6YheSJfCRoWMcREzQcjTYWsdhYF1KXTtxHfVEHRsywu_e_vVi2-kARvgPLajMqgO5hIh7y-RRbZXP70RLDgFYdZz6BSzUGvAh99QFRCF-KBPbVEYbLIs/s6000/Bobwhite%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9yy-npAx4u4J8Zpia8beUqB2Q3QFyt64mOMiDwCK3rqyih0-QO1WDuP8s1PbZkciPr0ph8J6YheSJfCRoWMcREzQcjTYWsdhYF1KXTtxHfVEHRsywu_e_vVi2-kARvgPLajMqgO5hIh7y-RRbZXP70RLDgFYdZz6BSzUGvAh99QFRCF-KBPbVEYbLIs/s320/Bobwhite%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And not just do better, but help others do better too. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXDlml6W8W70Uqq0mYYR9gfKpZzUibStn-5ZkD5zydR8w8-SitBeF0Qe8E7ZU8O9xP7qj59X4WCp4B5aCYJhrPubJ69wsMJrVsKF4IWv8UPMYsNUPY7PsGBHwn1txj-V5GNaukvVWXNBLfiyy97Fv8WQztZd4bt3jkUatOgtTjZ2FOdwHCjzLsugqzJQ/s5400/Trumpeter%20Swan%20%235%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXDlml6W8W70Uqq0mYYR9gfKpZzUibStn-5ZkD5zydR8w8-SitBeF0Qe8E7ZU8O9xP7qj59X4WCp4B5aCYJhrPubJ69wsMJrVsKF4IWv8UPMYsNUPY7PsGBHwn1txj-V5GNaukvVWXNBLfiyy97Fv8WQztZd4bt3jkUatOgtTjZ2FOdwHCjzLsugqzJQ/s320/Trumpeter%20Swan%20%235%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Art is subjective. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Some of my own work, stuff that really speaks to me on a personal level, elicits little more than a "meh, nice" from my audience. </p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFCcSkBA08siqBIGNKZD-kZ_Pphmobmlzp03T4YfMaSu3PiwyUfQd_sdibgQmhkJUnBj6R9rY2uLEemLRkxPPUMkYdCkHYpp0R4ZHEymOtlNwy-RZXtsmxAi_l8nnkRUAq96d5iG8nLRw03ricFC5uGMlR2EvNkAD98PzKaXAjRE8vL3AI5qpQdlzyNE/s1600/Canada%20Goose%20%232%20Banner%20400x1600px%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFCcSkBA08siqBIGNKZD-kZ_Pphmobmlzp03T4YfMaSu3PiwyUfQd_sdibgQmhkJUnBj6R9rY2uLEemLRkxPPUMkYdCkHYpp0R4ZHEymOtlNwy-RZXtsmxAi_l8nnkRUAq96d5iG8nLRw03ricFC5uGMlR2EvNkAD98PzKaXAjRE8vL3AI5qpQdlzyNE/w518-h130/Canada%20Goose%20%232%20Banner%20400x1600px%20Upload.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">And some things I think might be derivative or done to death or not my best work gets tens of thousands of likes and comments and goes viral on social media and I sell hundreds of copies. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2hXZt10ftqAzCYtXHgYISVlSdQJ8ozyar43qX_RkCVQ60yl29aPrE2wu_FMaI_3P6IMyHTTemQ9IhaMlRR7_6tyn3Q3jVoutSH5Qq1KgBSp8j7w3o_iX5rvq96aSOmEKJXVElv829qvrFM55zVwLldkyG-M4uSwY2k5AvxIlYyppJK2cgz88Be-d0wo/s6000/Landscape%20%231%20Puzzle%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2hXZt10ftqAzCYtXHgYISVlSdQJ8ozyar43qX_RkCVQ60yl29aPrE2wu_FMaI_3P6IMyHTTemQ9IhaMlRR7_6tyn3Q3jVoutSH5Qq1KgBSp8j7w3o_iX5rvq96aSOmEKJXVElv829qvrFM55zVwLldkyG-M4uSwY2k5AvxIlYyppJK2cgz88Be-d0wo/w459-h367/Landscape%20%231%20Puzzle%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="459" /></a></div><br /><p>And that's great. That's what pays for the gear, and my mortgage. </p><p>But, you never know what will appeal to people. </p><p>Because art is subjective. </p><p>We like what we like and that's okay. </p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoul5prK2nUFpefEMPqNznNtOWeKeVi9AjiuXEzBeOOXiwmUMNx__QPRxgevCDk7OAT3s8X1cm8vJcM3fhyphenhyphenbjWev_c3dnYucYcPhhv6Hbo1NraYXNrYzEMG48GwoIjyn4BVCU7bjfv_x0CjbJrxNzIJkVhO55Is10JIITiSVuDg_b1A05HddrmQo-_NA/s6000/Mallard%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoul5prK2nUFpefEMPqNznNtOWeKeVi9AjiuXEzBeOOXiwmUMNx__QPRxgevCDk7OAT3s8X1cm8vJcM3fhyphenhyphenbjWev_c3dnYucYcPhhv6Hbo1NraYXNrYzEMG48GwoIjyn4BVCU7bjfv_x0CjbJrxNzIJkVhO55Is10JIITiSVuDg_b1A05HddrmQo-_NA/s320/Mallard%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">The point of making art isn't so much for the audience, but that the <i>artist </i>enjoy it.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_q4ZDL2nECsw2QxzKi6tin2SMGwbumFHAOdEjE-OSROMJdto5ncGb5cx_L_-94U-SmGg53ESRhdirdQECeSohN3TgWE2BL5Itl7vaIkhyphenhyphen4qhUsDNmSJkbr0EIbDmideLrbgeDiMg04bHuOFIjK2tJgL1G0_GRNt_oh8rT4IfLPaqT7ubXQSPwiSkVe1U/s5400/Red%20Tailed%20Hawk%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_q4ZDL2nECsw2QxzKi6tin2SMGwbumFHAOdEjE-OSROMJdto5ncGb5cx_L_-94U-SmGg53ESRhdirdQECeSohN3TgWE2BL5Itl7vaIkhyphenhyphen4qhUsDNmSJkbr0EIbDmideLrbgeDiMg04bHuOFIjK2tJgL1G0_GRNt_oh8rT4IfLPaqT7ubXQSPwiSkVe1U/s320/Red%20Tailed%20Hawk%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NZT6GxxkBJU8PUkY-D5LiTCsmmeGI12PptPPgHoWUCp8myzxLbfNcD9jrVldk-BqwzC7IDbcwTzdsABPxK3Os2T53qwjXyCR0ZYD_91gwBGhz7S13qWSbMuJzu38BhbU3Oa8bUzwleVNfmsYmcMEPE1zeXmBCC8Ktg5jdSDzBR556wRFv5H3kEhSZV0/s5400/Red%20Tailed%20Hawk%20%23AB%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NZT6GxxkBJU8PUkY-D5LiTCsmmeGI12PptPPgHoWUCp8myzxLbfNcD9jrVldk-BqwzC7IDbcwTzdsABPxK3Os2T53qwjXyCR0ZYD_91gwBGhz7S13qWSbMuJzu38BhbU3Oa8bUzwleVNfmsYmcMEPE1zeXmBCC8Ktg5jdSDzBR556wRFv5H3kEhSZV0/s320/Red%20Tailed%20Hawk%20%23AB%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>If you're getting the results <i>you </i>want, so long as you're not hurting others or making the world a worse place, then you're probably doing it right.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxQlmlDloyICQdxaxw1TOt7_F9aWEpmgvCSGiaTT_JN2ZzePG6t3c1jchxKRKGTpFxv8OkLe1lSxllLfj-g8N1A3LQf7VncfWMQGvEsO3MXCNaQSHLHiSfRMvzp_Ab0kPCjAn3yUmUx_0MFlClxvWbTRhPAhaiE6DnZbtM-SyrZZ90YAUnP7aZexCZZE/s5400/Ring%20Necked%20Duck%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxQlmlDloyICQdxaxw1TOt7_F9aWEpmgvCSGiaTT_JN2ZzePG6t3c1jchxKRKGTpFxv8OkLe1lSxllLfj-g8N1A3LQf7VncfWMQGvEsO3MXCNaQSHLHiSfRMvzp_Ab0kPCjAn3yUmUx_0MFlClxvWbTRhPAhaiE6DnZbtM-SyrZZ90YAUnP7aZexCZZE/s320/Ring%20Necked%20Duck%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">That means you don't have to be a professional or have hundreds of thousands of dollars in gear.</p><p style="text-align: left;">It means you just have to enjoy doing it for your own sake and to hell with the critics. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Note that this is also true of any other art, not just photography. Paint. Write. Make the music you enjoy. For your own sake. </p><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbc8hjdd4SZ72lHmb-Nx5KVCoqSLUTum6ob8E1y4hojyolGqdLOR8VFPsZVjAW85roLKrmndX77qDKIjye2SgOXk10kUrV45ea6DSKBQCcgVZFUZWhLPdz6jIPonak3_nJk0QiFy95I8wrvJztmffF6XnWZ1viF8mXHZuHcNLahyphenhyphen1SXTeYwhrXXhfHB4/s6000/Trumpeter%20Swan%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbc8hjdd4SZ72lHmb-Nx5KVCoqSLUTum6ob8E1y4hojyolGqdLOR8VFPsZVjAW85roLKrmndX77qDKIjye2SgOXk10kUrV45ea6DSKBQCcgVZFUZWhLPdz6jIPonak3_nJk0QiFy95I8wrvJztmffF6XnWZ1viF8mXHZuHcNLahyphenhyphen1SXTeYwhrXXhfHB4/s320/Trumpeter%20Swan%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdb3eRl8_57nUtTfVfgKVYSdiI52RJiEMBfFFI-sN6dF4SGP1a0vNyRp-iirY39R9vTyBX-e2hL2homq5hzelILOlLIku8HOWivMLq-90a19h_i2QhanvZRE_8zuhyphenhyphenFqakMzp0stDvOKd5RXRtpOmsZHIrqeMVPEI2JgEqzB2ziI4Mq0TPlQrmRgjYfZM/s5400/Cranes%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdb3eRl8_57nUtTfVfgKVYSdiI52RJiEMBfFFI-sN6dF4SGP1a0vNyRp-iirY39R9vTyBX-e2hL2homq5hzelILOlLIku8HOWivMLq-90a19h_i2QhanvZRE_8zuhyphenhyphenFqakMzp0stDvOKd5RXRtpOmsZHIrqeMVPEI2JgEqzB2ziI4Mq0TPlQrmRgjYfZM/s320/Cranes%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBNJNS8VnGfbBBZ_Vx7G9dslJwAlvrbDhWWMavhGOJBpcG5BjbRH1bkkrfqOy3JtdL3kn96eU2n3SdyDU6o2yBdQtc2aWVjhF0tZvYWI1FBw-3bT8qWcX3kOv_rPUn0v7M8tVTUbEttqcRSqhS4V6d9fTR9k6wy-hTEXUQufMzQpkzuDXHFTjCLBpLC4/s6000/Kingfisher%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBNJNS8VnGfbBBZ_Vx7G9dslJwAlvrbDhWWMavhGOJBpcG5BjbRH1bkkrfqOy3JtdL3kn96eU2n3SdyDU6o2yBdQtc2aWVjhF0tZvYWI1FBw-3bT8qWcX3kOv_rPUn0v7M8tVTUbEttqcRSqhS4V6d9fTR9k6wy-hTEXUQufMzQpkzuDXHFTjCLBpLC4/s320/Kingfisher%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMhT70FCxcFHcpzDXnoxnDkkv_LZNm2h01T5JXn7azJox2d8OvzRCURjPLc81-OkCsWpw3YlCeGiMGIZBKXKIWtCcCejwmwzr-AhlgiZi81UiLnSJlFQjiJDd3i6waEXjzoND4B3mYvwSf0tmixRgzXf2sShkofMDeItuTI6850tHB83iIxf91swo6SE/s6000/Trumpeter%20Swan%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMhT70FCxcFHcpzDXnoxnDkkv_LZNm2h01T5JXn7azJox2d8OvzRCURjPLc81-OkCsWpw3YlCeGiMGIZBKXKIWtCcCejwmwzr-AhlgiZi81UiLnSJlFQjiJDd3i6waEXjzoND4B3mYvwSf0tmixRgzXf2sShkofMDeItuTI6850tHB83iIxf91swo6SE/s320/Trumpeter%20Swan%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Speaking of liking your own work, this blue heron fishing in the very early morning light is probably my favorite shot from this month. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yKy8RFT7MieKuzPGRV0eJSmGPnVRc9Ht3Tm1htOD3SMspe-3m8WpkLBde9EJJ9eDybLrrSQ3VM63rrpw9bnkCTlTp09n77oIvzGXz5SZ8CdmY3ZIk1ig_B_mQ4Uf2Ch973DCQt-Loh1AyvBkDYgHFIzkuL055Qb4V81hWTWN4b77qu8WbRbrtdkeOS8/s5400/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%234%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yKy8RFT7MieKuzPGRV0eJSmGPnVRc9Ht3Tm1htOD3SMspe-3m8WpkLBde9EJJ9eDybLrrSQ3VM63rrpw9bnkCTlTp09n77oIvzGXz5SZ8CdmY3ZIk1ig_B_mQ4Uf2Ch973DCQt-Loh1AyvBkDYgHFIzkuL055Qb4V81hWTWN4b77qu8WbRbrtdkeOS8/w400-h400/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%234%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It was a tough shot, long distance, weird light, damn bird kept moving and turning its rear at me. I kept waiting for him to strike, and waiting, and waiting, and it was about 13F, and waiting, and my hands were numb, and waiting and I had to wrap my hat around the camera to keep the batteries from dying in the cold too fast because I'd left the spares in the car, and my ears were about to fall off, and waiting, and waiting, and <i>finally </i>he slammed his face into the water and came up with that white sucker fish and the light was just right and, yeah, I got the shot. And it's a hell of a shot. It's a shot I love.</div><p style="text-align: left;">That's a good morning. </p><p style="text-align: left;">That's what makes it worth it. That's what makes it fun. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSLScaJwd1jYsHOQGrRi41uzy36pWLgV_wcgIA3qqhX2C4i5NHaq9VCcIZnkAvqX51OLZ-QWSLV-fbMTzI3dkg450zlnSYLgcCsXEuld9IY2TC2DZLuXZbOWIEvG7KCCwJ3ON7q7EFszbglELpc45dt1oZZU6I_w5RnwYBKRw3f96UkXmadNx-DAwRbQ/s5400/Northern%20Flicker%20%234%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSLScaJwd1jYsHOQGrRi41uzy36pWLgV_wcgIA3qqhX2C4i5NHaq9VCcIZnkAvqX51OLZ-QWSLV-fbMTzI3dkg450zlnSYLgcCsXEuld9IY2TC2DZLuXZbOWIEvG7KCCwJ3ON7q7EFszbglELpc45dt1oZZU6I_w5RnwYBKRw3f96UkXmadNx-DAwRbQ/s320/Northern%20Flicker%20%234%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBR0OT2H_Uu8xS3nh01hgJBFzpY8m2_Gz3Bb_Pa_lSLePyvnJ6OVNTazjC5T5Tx8i-pom9O4ztSbYjNqdDjZm_ib50H-6J3au2ReP9SSkdHnDrGBnYa0pcVcLUyzXyh7yvOpLkCGPREwWKVaYv5unziF0WIH3vg4wq3KoGqMu5OB2mi0EUL2fMuRrsPAM/s3600/Bufflehead%20%231%20Print%2012x12%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="3600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBR0OT2H_Uu8xS3nh01hgJBFzpY8m2_Gz3Bb_Pa_lSLePyvnJ6OVNTazjC5T5Tx8i-pom9O4ztSbYjNqdDjZm_ib50H-6J3au2ReP9SSkdHnDrGBnYa0pcVcLUyzXyh7yvOpLkCGPREwWKVaYv5unziF0WIH3vg4wq3KoGqMu5OB2mi0EUL2fMuRrsPAM/s320/Bufflehead%20%231%20Print%2012x12%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtLa_-J15XJNifzqL_ABeoHOMNyGGk2rH5JN9o81FtQcrzq9RDXhMsqpNlRii2iBaVQavM0P_jDLbug4FwhyGIXIJdvNwstQH75bfUvLzoh67Qs53xoN7qKxCNRwpvJmLnAwA-TpqVspEqy7e76-pgA447HxdZ3LqurEtD3uKxHaHsHd7JGAvSON0tJs/s5400/Woodduck%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtLa_-J15XJNifzqL_ABeoHOMNyGGk2rH5JN9o81FtQcrzq9RDXhMsqpNlRii2iBaVQavM0P_jDLbug4FwhyGIXIJdvNwstQH75bfUvLzoh67Qs53xoN7qKxCNRwpvJmLnAwA-TpqVspEqy7e76-pgA447HxdZ3LqurEtD3uKxHaHsHd7JGAvSON0tJs/s320/Woodduck%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8HmKPcGe1LKoYYSfhfiKLOyNIUKKmFMbNZIbzmEBomChvGSH2Hjj6dkA7FqPSn8tU5_VRI02p219M_cIKz-gBi5h_9cfVPS_y1ozrmhRPeFOF_8bb3wyiy66zJxSKzztXhbRlENurCKQHKCumL4W7zQMl66gO_4csi9btK1axDncNoZS9dmCm6dBhVo/s6000/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8HmKPcGe1LKoYYSfhfiKLOyNIUKKmFMbNZIbzmEBomChvGSH2Hjj6dkA7FqPSn8tU5_VRI02p219M_cIKz-gBi5h_9cfVPS_y1ozrmhRPeFOF_8bb3wyiy66zJxSKzztXhbRlENurCKQHKCumL4W7zQMl66gO_4csi9btK1axDncNoZS9dmCm6dBhVo/s320/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23AA%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>This is probably the most popular shot I did this month.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzNbzl-bhpNrbO7IdaioJTm0HXfLQRbuhKQ9FM0BdlJW83GpKu6lUE3jn83-B4CYLfS1v77pzuA39wjI-uWSTlf921bIvfJvFeoYOGkdXt9FH_17HZvhH0MiNg62zhlIVCpzyafXH_-_fenLL-zGgpXe8O5kBNd06BwFGX1qkg4ObjlT_zsS8QnEklO0/s6000/Moon%20%23AA%20Print%2020x16%20Upload%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzNbzl-bhpNrbO7IdaioJTm0HXfLQRbuhKQ9FM0BdlJW83GpKu6lUE3jn83-B4CYLfS1v77pzuA39wjI-uWSTlf921bIvfJvFeoYOGkdXt9FH_17HZvhH0MiNg62zhlIVCpzyafXH_-_fenLL-zGgpXe8O5kBNd06BwFGX1qkg4ObjlT_zsS8QnEklO0/w330-h412/Moon%20%23AA%20Print%2020x16%20Upload%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">It's one of those things that took a lot of work. Several weeks of tracking the cranes' flight path as they returned to the pond each night. Watching the phases of the moon. Figuring out the right spot to get both in the frame at once. Right equipment. Right settings. And then it all lined up and I got it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But it was mostly just to see if I could.</p><p style="text-align: left;">This was one of those shots that I did for myself and didn't think anyone else would care. Meh, birds, moon, whatever. You know. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Instead, it's the one that appealed to everybody and I got the most requests to put in the store.</p><p style="text-align: left;">You never know.</p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Z3xkn4beYncvHpj6DFb_IerI6ho47_itvVRJospmjUkRRAAIhCnaGUj08U5IzeNf5RPD49LNA0GLzhoCG0yi0r-E5F6uzH802QoSlaRAAS1KnmGemdyCdWnA6wDT4_aI5uZFJY72FBlkQu26zK5N3JTIFEwEzC1V9uS-HdUN5_LlST4HMPXuHhD0Pv0/s6000/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23AA%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Z3xkn4beYncvHpj6DFb_IerI6ho47_itvVRJospmjUkRRAAIhCnaGUj08U5IzeNf5RPD49LNA0GLzhoCG0yi0r-E5F6uzH802QoSlaRAAS1KnmGemdyCdWnA6wDT4_aI5uZFJY72FBlkQu26zK5N3JTIFEwEzC1V9uS-HdUN5_LlST4HMPXuHhD0Pv0/s320/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23AA%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgoJg2ed9DcvYIQALmwqv2oigq5GfEJu0zByZmywKCSQWlpqCPBuc_YUeX3Tva9_tWy1PnmRo6Nfu6ar9HeoJzVZ4WDwtxg0w1ZAYZ7IcuGjqbOnWCU2gQazXHCPaioRo5QH6QRpbzUu3LZyj1qA80EAm9Ir66_mPzyvoY8eRVS8sMVU7xE8AyCoFI_E/s320/Bluebird%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1POQo8No2pALdNA1WwdNY6s94aVXgeN9ISlOedEIjsYiBfvMwOAUJPAxZM6hWld1buMFbFfkDXz8v3-tvsfMuI9AbDBGTPUEQ8RXOuAfg76yMNcv1Qtxishv2E40RtbguHYRMYjrtazYXz2uRplvRVKNOt1FIslLzVTWF9NsuqlSsMvCCXjnyDgLpvQ/s5400/Downey%20Woodpecker%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1POQo8No2pALdNA1WwdNY6s94aVXgeN9ISlOedEIjsYiBfvMwOAUJPAxZM6hWld1buMFbFfkDXz8v3-tvsfMuI9AbDBGTPUEQ8RXOuAfg76yMNcv1Qtxishv2E40RtbguHYRMYjrtazYXz2uRplvRVKNOt1FIslLzVTWF9NsuqlSsMvCCXjnyDgLpvQ/s320/Downey%20Woodpecker%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYU6BAeQ4S_AeUKFdx_NhgTb0c7GYTneAGrFElgRtmCWESqDwR5ig3iL-Mc3E67RoknqIKE3fF5yyt4U0gTawSIbPyha1cGd0zvOy3sJgEQpCJM2BSSYvws0vg2xl9BuvGu-dtOBuQo4ZRjU8br6Ek48xqcmVEHQwvFTxxe-0aRkHsdlqNJXHJXR15B8/s5400/Eastern%20Bluebird%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYU6BAeQ4S_AeUKFdx_NhgTb0c7GYTneAGrFElgRtmCWESqDwR5ig3iL-Mc3E67RoknqIKE3fF5yyt4U0gTawSIbPyha1cGd0zvOy3sJgEQpCJM2BSSYvws0vg2xl9BuvGu-dtOBuQo4ZRjU8br6Ek48xqcmVEHQwvFTxxe-0aRkHsdlqNJXHJXR15B8/s320/Eastern%20Bluebird%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjoQTaph3ZMagAQ5vTtH_TI4ImNt33MjNJ4XWeoztNbnnRwU5HuK37aq8Ebd0rs1tZwCJWr2rDXx43imSUyIv-vVzYDa8jy_RhlV17auoVXXABDBlWqOf5szY5cJlqFf2UBklLuAEnFb6YucGIp-jO0Y727Xgpr2oaZQizvhTcgltvh0x_BJEX9FwiAo/s5400/Gold%20Finch%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjoQTaph3ZMagAQ5vTtH_TI4ImNt33MjNJ4XWeoztNbnnRwU5HuK37aq8Ebd0rs1tZwCJWr2rDXx43imSUyIv-vVzYDa8jy_RhlV17auoVXXABDBlWqOf5szY5cJlqFf2UBklLuAEnFb6YucGIp-jO0Y727Xgpr2oaZQizvhTcgltvh0x_BJEX9FwiAo/s320/Gold%20Finch%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL68xUGxbWt0oyZT9yUyQxjcj5EU-00PNin31xzG98u2fIsMPY-_386YEiIFoQdLM6Ewmp_FPE5DEMbCjMW1Lcfm-xJxttw_ip9tdihOj0RgEf9gL3ADEYRFnqzjIqXF3gGWywRj8-bkR-JxRXRYvFnm0fe3mApLM9hs4SqlJ8piCZpL1kGqXJo7oMExo/s5400/House%20Finch%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL68xUGxbWt0oyZT9yUyQxjcj5EU-00PNin31xzG98u2fIsMPY-_386YEiIFoQdLM6Ewmp_FPE5DEMbCjMW1Lcfm-xJxttw_ip9tdihOj0RgEf9gL3ADEYRFnqzjIqXF3gGWywRj8-bkR-JxRXRYvFnm0fe3mApLM9hs4SqlJ8piCZpL1kGqXJo7oMExo/s320/House%20Finch%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMT8jk5f3pGEN8NTcUXB17wi1Uq0D_ZH20qdaDNjKaPPcRf-6pTJQp23vYAz997VaitcH8KxYb3JGrhsbLE8BdZlpTEAQX_SJxGDXcG00TPBPPoMpIGZC01TKLiwtQeeuuOWcwI86ns2sChghrLUzKLIiZolHZ_YdABOP057I84FO144Dl90JbMOtkrA/s5400/Northern%20Flicker%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMT8jk5f3pGEN8NTcUXB17wi1Uq0D_ZH20qdaDNjKaPPcRf-6pTJQp23vYAz997VaitcH8KxYb3JGrhsbLE8BdZlpTEAQX_SJxGDXcG00TPBPPoMpIGZC01TKLiwtQeeuuOWcwI86ns2sChghrLUzKLIiZolHZ_YdABOP057I84FO144Dl90JbMOtkrA/s320/Northern%20Flicker%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtABBgeYidDJBmN3UyJUtjhiMaulJXeoYDqNPXVYkrxJju-omb07Wo0xcaNMwFMyRUy7rR94YEMls1hrx0EpZ3da8z7til8UVHaNHuUtNiUoa1b58GU_U5xIYjAq-op-8KM5j80l8JX9Yg3IBFG0Wd9p71DXPGYMZoFVs6hd-4ShTAADDqsgGA5G6qek/s5400/Purple%20Finch%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtABBgeYidDJBmN3UyJUtjhiMaulJXeoYDqNPXVYkrxJju-omb07Wo0xcaNMwFMyRUy7rR94YEMls1hrx0EpZ3da8z7til8UVHaNHuUtNiUoa1b58GU_U5xIYjAq-op-8KM5j80l8JX9Yg3IBFG0Wd9p71DXPGYMZoFVs6hd-4ShTAADDqsgGA5G6qek/s320/Purple%20Finch%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Or maybe it's this little chickadee I like the best. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp_icB4GmsaQhGO-ND_KrH22kRB2KPqH2dlgYnn1U0KEfBoFhR2JGYZxAQYS5mLJuG_IAp8qfNbcKdccUJcyf8psXvnGdxlmWRlrMLvfGfY0VI2m8JjE6QXUqSD1Eo6HU4Y44nNilnHVr0xLr2WONuhWOvCtVrAXzpHff55TS7z-3Cur_2HkrFV20Amg/s5400/Chickadee%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp_icB4GmsaQhGO-ND_KrH22kRB2KPqH2dlgYnn1U0KEfBoFhR2JGYZxAQYS5mLJuG_IAp8qfNbcKdccUJcyf8psXvnGdxlmWRlrMLvfGfY0VI2m8JjE6QXUqSD1Eo6HU4Y44nNilnHVr0xLr2WONuhWOvCtVrAXzpHff55TS7z-3Cur_2HkrFV20Amg/s320/Chickadee%20%23AA%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I love every bit of how this shot came out. The colors, the framing, the soft focus but dead sharp on the berry in the bird's beak, the pastel colors, the implied motion, the feel of the season. </div><p>This is the kind of image I love, right here.</p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDBmTIfogYrcwwDWdBTFD9RrELXTUfKh14UuXgzLJYWJD2K17xkf2JP-pGcT6c7UdYHi3xS6k3ASD4Uq6fN3htjrMwlg91AsPxADDyiccVlJwpGpQFEBTbREK_5EmUCZ_tXo_73hgIYgL3UJr8O24kY0YpLKjURaYWR5xdAdzuvhTpjmr4TeHEbfmnpI/s5400/Chickadee%20%23AB%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDBmTIfogYrcwwDWdBTFD9RrELXTUfKh14UuXgzLJYWJD2K17xkf2JP-pGcT6c7UdYHi3xS6k3ASD4Uq6fN3htjrMwlg91AsPxADDyiccVlJwpGpQFEBTbREK_5EmUCZ_tXo_73hgIYgL3UJr8O24kY0YpLKjURaYWR5xdAdzuvhTpjmr4TeHEbfmnpI/s320/Chickadee%20%23AB%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXWeYZwZXI5weQ2ro00nqDvwa81A8EH6e2JKOCagjZdsSoqHLkOwy8UO2a7MfXQPBgfZk0APLLceuWICJqtq4neIB-pseVRGTZO_WwqhG3Q3gmCc_1FAzxZLDJtA9it7RBwjnLwEbyAeowjy_s-jyVInvpxvwA4XGgSloqa7lNQF_8p3HSoo94WCf2Gg/s6000/Chickadee%20%23AC%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXWeYZwZXI5weQ2ro00nqDvwa81A8EH6e2JKOCagjZdsSoqHLkOwy8UO2a7MfXQPBgfZk0APLLceuWICJqtq4neIB-pseVRGTZO_WwqhG3Q3gmCc_1FAzxZLDJtA9it7RBwjnLwEbyAeowjy_s-jyVInvpxvwA4XGgSloqa7lNQF_8p3HSoo94WCf2Gg/s320/Chickadee%20%23AC%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFijjZt1Cm8tTNGQvtpwymTvd6YL9nYkqvIaFa9pynuHqa_pF9Wk7xRWFxeuQzpcKDpwumF7MwMLE25WWbVN-UIsxnnEIEHTvDFHauElpeWOp1nfSqgLpzObf6kuIs2Dr1cFwYBgd_pTG4s7CCRmIzJGBxK8ACRvoURc8Vdb6KMyg2LZqsbPYANmpsTVE/s5400/Chickadee%20%23AD%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFijjZt1Cm8tTNGQvtpwymTvd6YL9nYkqvIaFa9pynuHqa_pF9Wk7xRWFxeuQzpcKDpwumF7MwMLE25WWbVN-UIsxnnEIEHTvDFHauElpeWOp1nfSqgLpzObf6kuIs2Dr1cFwYBgd_pTG4s7CCRmIzJGBxK8ACRvoURc8Vdb6KMyg2LZqsbPYANmpsTVE/s320/Chickadee%20%23AD%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk9NboBE5uiSPKypKEt3w8QOzbqil59v4MVHnD17Y7k_QVqzjdx5C3dowlrxNY9tSM7QIqoMOfqzUAmytHmgDOGLf86Egh9rqOjIMmxCmIFVB-xAaOLUSMDKcWB9hG-qLHmTGz4zaJYA1ot39TvnNZ6rhVb9lvkpVseA-IESNlKLNKJqvwkGxExe49KE/s5400/Chickadee%20%23AE%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk9NboBE5uiSPKypKEt3w8QOzbqil59v4MVHnD17Y7k_QVqzjdx5C3dowlrxNY9tSM7QIqoMOfqzUAmytHmgDOGLf86Egh9rqOjIMmxCmIFVB-xAaOLUSMDKcWB9hG-qLHmTGz4zaJYA1ot39TvnNZ6rhVb9lvkpVseA-IESNlKLNKJqvwkGxExe49KE/s320/Chickadee%20%23AE%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Most of these images will available for purchase in various formats, prints, canvas, metal, puzzles, mousepads, and more, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Stonekettle" target="_blank">in my store</a>, this coming weekend. Just in time for Christmas, along with a selection of my other art, pens and seam rippers and so on. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm uploading now, but it's not fast even with my office connection. </p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCJNTkk-AutF6JNaS1EwzsUECPu91rIMamcZOibbClochbvHy9Gx9bwWZ1Scn1d0e92IdU8O4k6SVCqqzqKYxyoCPxprRzmwMai7xRrXQ0hA4BPWiBts1yu-PL9SF2_ePVQwK9KoUa8ehs-HpOl8FcFGdGbSalEtIFB-yQzUJxhi7O324UwwfYcTy7Ak/s6000/Whitetail%20Deer%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCJNTkk-AutF6JNaS1EwzsUECPu91rIMamcZOibbClochbvHy9Gx9bwWZ1Scn1d0e92IdU8O4k6SVCqqzqKYxyoCPxprRzmwMai7xRrXQ0hA4BPWiBts1yu-PL9SF2_ePVQwK9KoUa8ehs-HpOl8FcFGdGbSalEtIFB-yQzUJxhi7O324UwwfYcTy7Ak/s320/Whitetail%20Deer%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">That's it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">That's the month of November in pictures. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Hope you enjoyed this little break from the ugliness of the world. </p></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOfxMJNVCwilag-utEa4kJTPxYwlI9qDFaQJquYlIiAOW4px97lIoQ0QAOZhciw_Oyqy5WXPW57ifjxguRf9MM5bBviWOjuFEk3byaxM3mZVcLpgkqXI6kQM6CHAOERlxDL0107dHHwfks-DXAtaAtbintjarbuKuRSGOKvlq1YK9KtoduV0phNQ3a2k/s6000/Sunset%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOfxMJNVCwilag-utEa4kJTPxYwlI9qDFaQJquYlIiAOW4px97lIoQ0QAOZhciw_Oyqy5WXPW57ifjxguRf9MM5bBviWOjuFEk3byaxM3mZVcLpgkqXI6kQM6CHAOERlxDL0107dHHwfks-DXAtaAtbintjarbuKuRSGOKvlq1YK9KtoduV0phNQ3a2k/s320/Sunset%20%231%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />_____________<br />Addendum<br /><br />Prints, Puzzles, Calendars, and other products featuring my work <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Stonekettle" target="_blank">are available for purchase from my store</a>. // Jim</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-55699323462095159092023-11-09T15:17:00.019-06:002023-11-11T07:05:45.948-06:00Ludi Circenses<p> </p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>I turned seven in 1973 and remember Bobby Riggs arriving at the Astrodome on a chariot pulled by showgirls before his "Battle of the sexes" tennis match against Billie Jean King.</i><br />-- <b>Steve Rushin</b>, Sportswriter, Novelist</p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>I swore I wouldn't do it. </p><p>I did. <br /></p><p>I promised myself I wouldn't watch the damn dumb thing. <br /><br />I told people: I'm not watching the Republican debate. It's just stupid. It's not even a debate, it's just the second-stringers trying to score one good memorable line in the morning press. The sad, raggedy assed second-stringers who each and every one are currently so far behind a twice impeached, four time indicted, self-involved rapist who publicly talks about fucking his own daughter and who won't even be there, that their campaigns are a pitiful joke.</p><p>I mean, sure, maybe if they ran the debate like one of those Hollywood Red Carpet deals. The candidates arrive in limos, decked out in designer clothes, to flashbulbs and shouted questions from the paparazzi. </p><p>I'm not much on fashion, but I'd be madly interested in <i>Vogue</i> and <i>Glamor's</i> critique of Ron DeSantis' hand tooled Hugo Boss high heeled boots...</p><p>What? </p><p>Cheap shot at a short Nazi? </p><p>That's fair, but come <i>on</i> and that dig at Caligula's insecurity is the best joke you're going to get around here today. </p><p>Look, I don't need to watch it, I said. I know how it's going to go: </p><p>Ramaswamy will promise something insanely unconstitutional...</p><p>DeSantis will promise something insanely unconstitutional while using "<i>WOKE</i>!" in the same tone as dry heaves...</p><p>Christie will promise something insanely unconstitutional and then blame Trump for making him do it...</p><p>Scott will promise something insanely unconstitutional but like in a really nice way...</p><p>Haley will promise something insanely unconstitutional, and in comparison to the others, the Press, Pundits, and Polls will all declare her to be the reasonable moderate.</p><p>I don't need to watch it. </p><p>I don't. </p><p>But, of course, once the chariots are rolling and oh goddammit, I'm watching it. You can't look away...</p><p>Of course I watched it. And live Tweeted it. And took notes. </p><p>Of course I did. </p><p>I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for <i>you</i>. </p><p>That's right. Please donate. </p><p><br /></p><p>Opening Statements:</p><p>Peter Quill: When I look around, you know what I see? <i>Losers!</i></p><p>What? </p><p>Okay. You got me. Starlord wasn't actually part of the debate, however, I couldn't help but think of the losers scene in <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> when literally the first response of the debate was Ron DeSantis: "Trump said we'd get tired of winning. After last night, I'm tired of Republicans <i>losing</i>!"</p><p>Get in losers! We're going losing! </p><p>DeSantis' perpetually shouty little boy act while angrily screaming "Losers!" had me belly laughing. The guy always looks like some well-bred delicate aristocrat who accidentally wandered into a dive bar full of boilermakers and pickled egg farts. I can just see him in powered wig and pancake lead makeup, a fancy waistcoat, and those hand tooled high heeled boots wrinkling his nose in disgust. </p><p>Talk about setting the tone right out of the box. </p><p>Losers. This was a stage of racism, war mongering, misogyny, and five year old talking points. And pickled egg farts. </p><p>Open borders! Shouted Ron DeSantis with fire and passion.</p><p>Open borders! Shouted Nikki Haley in the tone of a Roman general leading troops over the wall.</p><p>Open borders! Shouted Vivek Ramaswamy as if he'd just spotted someone getting a vaccine.</p><p>Open borders! Shouted Tim Scott but in a really friendly way. </p><p>Open borders said Chris Christie, invoking the image of a New Jersey mafia boss paying a crooked construction company to close off the exits to an entire town. </p><p>The audience hooted and cheered at each mention of the border. </p><p>Hugh Hewitt sternly chastised the audience in the manner of a substitute teacher addressing an unruly classroom -- and with just about as much success.</p><p>Not to be upstaged, Ramaswamy took the handoff: We're a party of looooosers! </p><p>The audience cheered. </p><p>I'm almost certain Ramaswamy is being remotely operated by Donald Trump -- or maybe Don Jr, because the guy sounds like Trump but amped out of his melon on a couple lines of Peruvian flake. "I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing this for <i>YOU</i>!" Oh the heroic sacrifice! </p><p>That's when I opened the whiskey. </p><p>The audience cheered and Hewitt chastised them again. Sternly. Same result. </p><p>Christie said something about terrorism, borders Vladimir pudding... I don't know. I nodded off. Even Chris Christie looked bored by Chris Christie. The guy's voice should be a Schedule 1 narcotic. You think I'm joking? How boring was Chris Christie? Hewitt didn't have to chastise the audience even once. Dead silent. That's how boring.</p><p>Scott: The GOP is winning back African American voters! LOLWUT? </p><p>The subject turned to the Southern Border and we reached the <i>kill 'em all, let god sort it out</i> phase of the debate a lot sooner than I expected.</p><p>Ramaswamy: I'll smoke the terrorists on our southern border!</p><p>I'll smoke 'em! Smoke the terrorists. Smoke 'em. I'm telling you, this guy is some sort of tele-presence remotely operated robo-Trump powered by cocaine scraped from dollar bills still warm and creased by a pole dancer's G-string. </p><p>Ramaswamy made some disjointed rambling statement about killing bad guys but also war is bad, I think there was some mention of colleges in there, then he suddenly called Nikki Haley "Dick Cheney in 3" heels." </p><p>By this time Hewitt is like the substitute teacher who has just completely given up and the class has basically devolved into Lord of the Flies. </p><p>Scott: Diplomacy is a weakness strategy! And then Scott cheerfully explained how he'd strongly lead us into a strong war with Iran which we would win strongly. </p><p>Christie chimes in: We need to ... sorry nodded off something something, I dunno, I heard "evil forces" and didn't know if he was talking about Hamas or a bad case of picked egg farts. </p><p>Moderator: War with Iran, yes or no? </p><p>Haley: Fuck <i>Yeah</i>! (not verbatim). This woman <i>really</i> wants some war with Iran. I looked to see if maybe the sad wrinkled ghost of John McCain was hovering over the stage, but I could only make out a vague shadow in the shape of Lindsey Graham. </p><p>DeSantis: I'm a veteran! So, uh, yeah, let's do some war! I imagine DeSantis' wife wrote on his hand in Sharpie "VETERAN!" so he'd be sure to start every sentence with it. Combat JAG corps. Keeping the world safe, one power-of-attorney at a time. </p><p>Moderator: How do you feel about Antisemitism? </p><p>Ramaswamy: It's bad! Yeah, bad! Wokism! Colleges! Kids don't know what they're talking about! Woke! Woke! Founding values! You can't use censorship! After a furious random minute of blaming American antisemitism on woke college campuses that he would totally outlaw, Ramaswamy says but you can't use censorship. </p><p>Scott: Actually, we need <i>more</i> censorship!</p><p>DeSantis: Deport foreign students. We need the DOJ on college campuses. Send in the Marines.</p><p>Apparently the idea here is that antisemitism is solely existent on college campuses. Perhaps even a product produced exclusively by woke education. Certainly, if you listen to those on the stage, antisemitism doesn't exist among the uneducated rednecks that make up their constituency -- and are right now standing in front of Disney waving DeSantis signs and wearing Nazi uniforms. It's totally just colleges and not Trump supporters marching to the chant of "Jews will not replace us!"</p><p>Next question: How do you feel about attacks on American Muslims?</p><p>Christie: Tells a heartwarming story about how as governor after 911 he protected "both sides" and then goes into detail about sending in the New Jersey National Guard to protect all the <i>Jewish</i> people and somehow never mentions Muslims at all. Christie then dismounts with: Hamas stands for death!</p><p>Haley: Antisemitism is totally bad! Okay but the question was about protecting Muslim Americans? I dunno. Colleges are celebrating Hamas!</p><p>At this point, a couple things are becoming apparent:</p><p>1. These people really, really hate colleges. </p><p>2. They're pretty sure all Muslims are members of Hamas. </p><p>We're on to Ukraine: </p><p>Scott: Something something Ukraine but also Biden stinks. Immediately pivots to support for Israel and starts explaining how we've got to close the Southern border because America is full of Islamic terrorists. </p><p>Moderator, Kristen Welker I think, tries again. As president would you support Ukraine, yes or no?</p><p>Scott: Goes into some rambling screed about destroying the Russian military by proxy. Nothing he says makes any sense, but the audience applauds anyway because after six years of Trump speeches that make absolutely no sense why the fuck not amiright? </p><p>Ramaswamy: I was the first to say screw Ukraine! Then he calls Ukrainian President Zelensky, a member of the Jewish faith, "a Nazi in cargo pants" like one of these clever marketing interns who keep trying to get their clever tweets to go viral. They're banning Christians, Ramaswamy shouts! They're banning Christians! Then he goes after Haley again. </p><p>Haley: Claps back at Ramaswamy and the audience cheers. Reality TV. Fight! Fight! Then she launches into pro Ukraine support. Glares at Ramaswamy. </p><p>I'm fascinated how Ramaswamy keeps going after Haley, but not the men. Well, okay, he did poke DeSantis, but I did say men. Anyway. These two <i>really</i> don't like each other. Mostly, I suspect, because Ramaswamy is just such an obvious misogynistic fratbro asshole. </p><p>Christie: I'd support Ukraine. Trump failed. We're the leader of the free world. Jeb? Jeb Bush? Is that you? </p><p>DeSantis: (Fierce glare!) We not going to send troops to Ukraine! I will send troops to the Southern Border! Southern Border! Southern Border! Bring the war to the end. Europeans need to do more. Also what about China?! Well?</p><p>Pickled egg farts. </p><p>Speaking of China: </p><p>Haley: We need more ships! Modernize the military. Cut funding for universities. Cut all economic ties with China. Cyber! Space! Arm Taiwan!</p><p>DeSantis: More ships! 600 ships! Future of freedom! Fight China here at home! Kick Chinese out of our universities! This guy really loves the idea of deporting students. I think it actually gives him a little chubby. Wouldn't want any of them foreigners getting, you know, <i>Americanized</i> or anything. </p><p>Scott: We can't build more ships because we don't have enough military industrial complex. Need to fight on three continents! Southern border! Have to invest in our military and our MIC. Our ships and planes are SOOOO old. I'll create 400,000 jobs in making war stuff!</p><p><br /></p><p>I'd like to pause here so you can all just contemplate how we don't have a big enough military industrial complex. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Rama: Divest to Invest! Need more ships! But China builds our ships and airplanes! What? Fuck it, he's rollin'. We have to cut China out of our defense! Increase ships by 20%. Divest to invest! Cut college funding and entitlements to pay for it! Divest to Invest please make this clever business phrase I just made up go viral thank you!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Christie: China is the enemy. We need more nuke subs! We can hide them in the South China Sea, ready to strike on China. Increase subs drastically. Ships are 2nd. Mostly subs! Nuclear war is fun.<br /><br /></p><p>Pause</p><p>THANK LITTLE BABY JEBBERS. I need to refill my drink.</p><p><br /></p><p>We're back. And now the topic is TikTok, a huge major very bad threat. </p><p>Christie: Polluting the minds of American young people! Trump should have banned it, but he didn't. In my first week, we'd ban TikTok. </p><p>DeSantis: Ban TikTok. Yes. We win, they lose. Kids have a mind of their own.</p><p>Haley: I'm going attack DeSantis and Vivek first. Florida is host to Chinese companies! </p><p>(Haley and DeSantis now fighting. Audience cheers. Fight! Fight!)</p><p>Ramaswamy: Attacks Haley's daughter because he's an asshole. </p><p>Haley: Leave my daughter out of your mouth. You are Scum! Literally called him scum. </p><p>Loud booing. Looks like Vivek stepped on his dick, but he's unrepentant and undeterred. </p><p>Ramaswamy: Not just ban TikTok. We got to go further. Facebook. X! China! China! Silicon Valley! </p><p>(Haley and Rama now fighting. Crowd loves it. Hewitt just drinking bourbon straight from the bottle)</p><p>Ramaswamy using Trump tactics constantly interrupting. Constantly butting in. I swear I can see a cable coming out of one pant leg and snaking back to a router box under the stage. Somewhere, a madly sweating Don Jr. is working the controls. </p><p>Scott: Ban TikTok period. Parents bill of rights. Ban China from all apps. Take back control of information. Parental consent. Eliminating TikTok is the first step. China is spying on our kids! Spying on our farmland by our military bases. Stealing our IP. Stealing our precious bodily fluids! I'll stop that Day One! This guy is a real go-getter.</p><p>Venezuela now, randomly that's the subject. Super important. Like TikTok: </p><p>DeSantis: Never depend on Venezuela for oil. Kill Biden energy on Day One. Drill baby drill. Turn the screws on Venezuela. Reimpose sanctions. </p><p>Haley: Venezuela refugees suck. Sad. Ugly. Pathetic. We don't want them here. More drilling. More fracking. Calls Ron Red Tide DeSantis a <i>liberal</i> on the Environment. Liberal I said, Liberal it is. </p><p>Economy now. What do you do short term, Day One:</p><p>Scott: Sad story about his mother. Excel Keystone Pipeline. More drilling. Energy independent. Energy dominant. Reduce prices. Don't borrow from China. Jobs. Innovation. Export energy. Surplus. Confidence. Prices go down. He's going to do all this on Day One. </p><p>Also, Scott makes the first bible reference -- about the price of oil.</p><p>I have a headache now</p><p>DeSantis: Sad story about working hard as a child. Work hard. Hard work. He talked to people in Iowa. People can't afford groceries. Rip up all EO's on day one. Rein in the Federal Reserve. COVID. I have no fucking idea what he's on about. </p><p>Rama: Sad story about being a CEO. Drill. Frack. Burn coal. Nuclear. Increase the supply of housing (On Day One? Okay) Get this done. Bidenomics. Wages slack (he's a CEO, LOL). I'm young. College sucks again. Make more money. We need a CEO in the White House. Gonna give you the business.</p><p>Christie: Sad story about being a governor. Energy. Futures Markets. Israel situation. Won't permit Saudi Arabia to jack up prices (how? Fuck it, never mind). Cease fire. Energy is the key. Short term answer (what?)</p><p>Haley: Sad story of rural America. Rich richer. Poor poorer. Fortunately she's the first, not the second. Cut fuel taxes. Claw back COVID dollars. Fire the IRS. Stop spending. Stop borrowing. Energy dominant. Ships in the navy. Crisis. National security. (again on Day One? Okay)</p><p><br /></p><p>On a break. </p><p><br /></p><p>We're back and it's Entitlements now: </p><p>Christie: Raise retirement age. Not everybody should be getting social security. Food stamps. Can't raise taxes. </p><p>Haley: Raise retirement age. Social Security, Medicare going broke. Limit benefits. Expand Medicare benefits.</p><p>Ramaswamy: Run Social security and Medicare like a CEO would, by cutting employees and other "severe measures." Discipline. Cut foreign Aid. Cut wars. Cut cut cut. Theme from Jaws here. </p><p>Scott: I will protect Social Security. Veteran benefits. Don't take on seniors. Deal with it by growing the economy. Cut taxes...</p><p><br /></p><p>Hiatus.</p><p>Sorry, was called away on caregiver duty.</p><p>And looks like we're on a break now.</p><p><br /></p><p>Okay. We're back and it's the border and opioids. Here we go. </p><p>What would you do on the first day?</p><p>Scott: Close the border (On day one? Okay). Challenge on the outside. Challenge on the inside. Mental health crisis.</p><p>Chistie: Close ports of entry. I can do it quickly (he has experience closing bridge exits and it's basically the same thing). Day One sign EO to partner National Guard with Border Patrol. Basically send the Army to the border. Give 'em tools. Lower demand for opioids. Treat addiction. (On Day One? Impressive!)</p><p>DeSantis: Sad story about kid who died from Fentanyl. Elites don't care. Day One send military to the border. Build the Wall, Mexico will pay for it. He actually said Mexico would pay for it. The crowd did not cheer, maybe they can learn. Deadly force Authorized! Deploy the navy. Kill 'em all! "Shoot 'em stone cold dead!" NOW the audience cheers.</p><p>Haley: I don't care what the UN thinks. It's war! Oh boy! Compares opioids to Vietnam. Send in SpecOps. Invade Mexico. Defund Sanctuary Cities. Catch and Release! Oops, I mean Catch and Deport. Mental health.</p><p>Ramaswamy: Sad story about dead drug addicts. Bioterrorism. Etc. Etc. Send in the military. Got to defend the northern border. I'm the only one on the stage to visit the Canadian border. Build TWO walls, north and south. Send the military to secure the Northern border! Guy really doesn't like Canada. I suspect the feeling is mutual. </p><p>What we've been waiting for, it's Abortion now: </p><p>DeSantis: Sad story about a woman from Jamacia 40 years ago. Loves life. Gotta work from the bottom up. Referenda. Referenda. Referenda. Referenda. It's like I can't stop saying referenda!</p><p>Haley: Be honest with the American people (LOL). I'm pro-life. Sad story about her children. I don't judge people (LOLWUT?). Believes in state's rights. Save the babies!</p><p>Scott: 100% pro-life. As a president I would impose a 15 week federal limit on abortion. 15 week limit! 15 week limit! Thinks abortions are allowed to up to birth. Support adoptions. Gotta take care of the babies. Fifteen minutes ago he was talking about shooting kids at the border. Whatever. </p><p>Haley: I'll sign anything where we can get 60 senate votes. Ah, so states rights until you've got enough Senators to force your will on the nation? Got it, thanks.</p><p>Ramaswamy: Speaking as a man, sexual Responsibility for men! Speaking as a MAN! We're all in this together. Oh shit.</p><p>Christie: Abortion isn't a constitutional right. State's rights. Women don't have rights, states do (not verbatim but that's what he meant). I trust the people to make the right decision for themselves. LOL. Then he says when people decide what he doesn't like it's "morally reprehensible." But that's okay. Thanks Mr. Passive Aggressive. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Break. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I need a drink.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I feel like I need a shower.</p><div style="text-align: left;">They need to put one of those electric shock collars you use for dog training on Ramaswamy. The guy just can't shut the fuck up. He's more Trump than Trump. Put one on Trump too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Also, I'd like to remind you: If you elect a businessman to run your government like a business, well, you're gonna get the business. And you're gonna get it good and hard.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">And we're back. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Triumphant music! So majestic.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Final statements:</p><p style="text-align: left;">Scott: We're in a crisis! Culturally and spiritually. We need more Jesus! If god made you a man, you play sports against men! Yep, that's what he said, verbatim. If god made you a man, you play spots against men. Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Bigotry is so much nicer when dressed up in folksy Church wisdom. Okay thanks for coming, Tim. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Christie: It's a gift to be an American. Americans are exhausted. Americans are tired of petty politics. And so here's some more petty politics. Differences are strength! But you can't love America if you're different from me. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Ramaswamy: We're in a war between us who love America and those Americans who hate America. They're not real Americans. We're the real Americans. Deep State. China. Renew pride in America! Message to Democrats: Joe Biden isn't the president. Wait what? Joe Biden isn't the President! Joe Biden isn't the Democratic candidate. Who is? Michelle Obama? What the fuck? Message to Democrats end Biden's campaign now! Okay, crazy cakes, time's up.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Haley: War. War. War. Terrorism. Good and Evil. Be strong. Be proud. Move forward. Join us. Strong. Proud. God Bless America! Like her closing statement was assembled from reading a bunch of bumper stickers. </p><p style="text-align: left;">DeSantis: (angry face) It's not about me, it's about you. As a (checks hand) <i>veteran</i>. As a father. As a governor. You can trust me. I'm asking for your vote. I won't let you down. God bless America! Yeah, the only people voting for you, Ron, are the aforementioned Nazis.</p><p style="text-align: left;">And that's it. blah blah blah and good night!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Two fucking hours. And then I had to transcribe my tweets and notes into this post. And you know, I could have just tapped out at "We're looooosers!" and not missed anything but no, I had to watch the whole goddamn lousy spectacle. </p><p style="text-align: left;">In my defense, I'm currently trapped in rural Michigan without cable TV or decent entertainment. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Anyway, I honestly can't believe people with this level of vision and leadership, this degree of concern for babies and borders and bombs, are running so far behind a two time impeached, four time indicted, six time bankrupt rapist who led an insurrection against the United States, but then they did call themselves losers and that's probably the only truth any of them uttered last night. </p><p style="text-align: left;">That's the GOP for you. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i></i></p><blockquote>I am Groot!<br />-- <b>Groot</b>, <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i></blockquote><p></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-81771686239665268022023-10-14T14:28:00.002-05:002023-10-14T16:41:52.495-05:00The Week In Pictures: Bridges, Birds, and Burning Orbs<p> </p><p>This week, I'll start of with some industrial architectural shots.</p><p>Just in case you're tired of all those colorful bird pictures I usually post. </p><p>This is the Pensacola Bay Bridge, typically called the Three Mile Bridge by locals, across Escambia Bay between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. Officially it's the General "Chappie" James Jr. Bridge, but I don't know anyone who actually calls it that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfr_u2-xS6On6_b8Jq7KfZIF1C-rNMY_iy67OmyGpy-ETjXUfzM4GC6buLJg8i67xNWjykCMt0EIUr9znKmdEJG6Q5OlgF3WUE5XpwCggvKJppvZZZeUK4N31oGgpMraODrR6DzRDy2YlC4yRv0VJBeKjBZID2vcUTNhV21MYOqQp2Kf4ZTPRlAX8ncAQ/s9600/Three%20Mile%20Bridge%20%232%20Print%2016x32%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="9600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfr_u2-xS6On6_b8Jq7KfZIF1C-rNMY_iy67OmyGpy-ETjXUfzM4GC6buLJg8i67xNWjykCMt0EIUr9znKmdEJG6Q5OlgF3WUE5XpwCggvKJppvZZZeUK4N31oGgpMraODrR6DzRDy2YlC4yRv0VJBeKjBZID2vcUTNhV21MYOqQp2Kf4ZTPRlAX8ncAQ/w413-h207/Three%20Mile%20Bridge%20%232%20Print%2016x32%20Upload.jpg" width="413" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">We had gone looking for sea birds near the bridge, but the weather was bad and there wasn't much in the way of wildlife except for some waterlogged pigeons and a few sad looking seagulls. </p><p style="text-align: left;">So I took pictures of the bridge instead.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I shot these images from beneath the Gulf Breeze (south) approach. There's a park there, which is mostly roped off and non-functional due to construction of the bridge and damage from Hurricane Sally in 2020. There's a larger park on the Pensacola end that is likewise damaged and mostly closed to the public -- and ironically contains the visitor center for this area. The storm massively damaged the bridge due to astounding negligence on the part of the construction company which failed to secure their large barges against the storm surge. The bridge was brand new at the time, still under construction, and had just opened a single span for traffic. The barges broken loose in the violent Cat III storm, some drifted across the bay and grounded miles away, but several smashed through the bridge itself and the popular fishing piers and then an enormous barge mounted crane fell onto the roadway damaging the piers and dropping a full span into the water. The bridge had to be closed and traffic rerouted 30 miles around the bay for nearly a year. It was a major disaster with huge economic impact to the area. By the time they got the bridge repaired and the second span completed years behind schedule and many millions over budget, there wasn't any money left to fix the parks or the fishing piers. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's another view, different orientation.</p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCF_7DYMkmXzsm1UMr6nNMfJ9qNG0Zlnhy0L2ZlCxXtL5aea24jHsWO4lqczHDwYjZ0FCUyqwEYV9tzKDnkEG6p1XGHKiqpt2Kf-NltupZspMVSJ9G3HLupglIC6wVq5hgkzKV7xIH5-C3k9xxDYE2tZadN74ihdXztljLqFlcXkHqpksi0iLaq_b7mB0/s9600/Three%20Mile%20Bridge%20%231%20Print%2032x24%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9600" data-original-width="7200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCF_7DYMkmXzsm1UMr6nNMfJ9qNG0Zlnhy0L2ZlCxXtL5aea24jHsWO4lqczHDwYjZ0FCUyqwEYV9tzKDnkEG6p1XGHKiqpt2Kf-NltupZspMVSJ9G3HLupglIC6wVq5hgkzKV7xIH5-C3k9xxDYE2tZadN74ihdXztljLqFlcXkHqpksi0iLaq_b7mB0/s320/Three%20Mile%20Bridge%20%231%20Print%2032x24%20Upload.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I shot the images in color, but converted them to black and white in post-processing because I thought that was more suited to the ultra modern Tomorrowland feel of the scene.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast.</p><p style="text-align: left;">On the west side of Pensacola, near Perdido Key, is a small state park call Big Lagoon. It's a haven for birds and wildlife, used by kayakers, hikers, and campers. A small bit of wild surrounded by increasing urban sprawl and beach condos. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It's a bit of drive for me, especially in morning rush hour traffic (the park doesn't open until 8AM, so I'm always in the thick of traffic on the way over). But it's often worth the hassle for the shots of birds and other wildlife. </p></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like this small mullet jumping in one of the tidal pools.<br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqBDpXefBtrP7VsgBpaTJB8KIgJ08n3KIe3Jf_O1oYs0uYXP3lmGAo2GfZIYiw-XUZCLnWh3CvP8_AUDIh44rJlX1ACFEe7ArwJcIoEyBQgCpvyNuSkTOpTssaZHjE5s0dsLGQZQ306z3dy1AgxAk6KdMwU3s_o5_7j0PbYqIA0ZSC8VLOYZRQcYtN9c/s5400/jump%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqBDpXefBtrP7VsgBpaTJB8KIgJ08n3KIe3Jf_O1oYs0uYXP3lmGAo2GfZIYiw-XUZCLnWh3CvP8_AUDIh44rJlX1ACFEe7ArwJcIoEyBQgCpvyNuSkTOpTssaZHjE5s0dsLGQZQ306z3dy1AgxAk6KdMwU3s_o5_7j0PbYqIA0ZSC8VLOYZRQcYtN9c/s320/jump%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Science doesn't really know why mullet jump out of the water like this.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjPF7Ih4LSnxaloo0rgWT4ikCbVnqxEqE_vo6naIr-1kFBXYx_x5aO8mt7mbdWISCEB4axiheQ2B1E4oIR5fLVrI4WRFjDhz195dpIXIbaXo70wXMIMvTW6CSxwgn7aD9zqHLLsLqzpz0WoMTzanQ-EHLON89bLYXx10SBCVlPp7_85i9c6BzAWxV_wc/s5400/Mullet%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjPF7Ih4LSnxaloo0rgWT4ikCbVnqxEqE_vo6naIr-1kFBXYx_x5aO8mt7mbdWISCEB4axiheQ2B1E4oIR5fLVrI4WRFjDhz195dpIXIbaXo70wXMIMvTW6CSxwgn7aD9zqHLLsLqzpz0WoMTzanQ-EHLON89bLYXx10SBCVlPp7_85i9c6BzAWxV_wc/s320/Mullet%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>There are many theories: to remove parasites, to avoid predators, as a form of communication, a possible mating display. Me I think they are fish astronauts leaping into space just to see what's up there. </p><p>I will say that if you want an exercise in patience and skill at photography, spend some time trying to get a decent shot of a jumping mullet. </p><p>Here's one of my favorite birds, a brown thrasher.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZ7EiiDQvbKiJ_lJkPaLeiFhgJ-dILjfAs12Rin3_m-nymQNmOCWanSrMTD0No0SnFgxCAwnHpAUQXjvzANZ9Twwvw7sk0-Bq0L6vg2dtGB9K5zjP3WW4XJwUQaG4Opgf33h3a6lyujjL_q1EFL74pP__fYWwOjtRDVTrG0Yc38cs5Qef2oPgtMJYoYE/s5400/Brown%20Thrasher%20%231%20Print%2018x18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZ7EiiDQvbKiJ_lJkPaLeiFhgJ-dILjfAs12Rin3_m-nymQNmOCWanSrMTD0No0SnFgxCAwnHpAUQXjvzANZ9Twwvw7sk0-Bq0L6vg2dtGB9K5zjP3WW4XJwUQaG4Opgf33h3a6lyujjL_q1EFL74pP__fYWwOjtRDVTrG0Yc38cs5Qef2oPgtMJYoYE/s320/Brown%20Thrasher%20%231%20Print%2018x18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">And as I noted on Instagram, if there <i>isn't </i>a pro wrestler who goes by the moniker The Brown Thrasher, there should be. <br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">When I post shots like this, people often ask if I've used some sort of Photoshop trickery to remove the background. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">No. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The image is as shot except for some minor cropping. What I'm doing with these shots is maneuvering to put the bird against a bright overcast sky, then using spot metering to set exposure on darker parts of the bird, then making adjustments to aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, etc, to blowout (overload the sensor) for the background parts of the image while keeping the subject perfectly exposed. Overloading the sensors results in white pixels (100% data. As opposed to 0 data which would be black). This doesn't always work, but when it does, you get an image that looks like one of those hyperrealist drawings from a 1970s Field & Stream. I always loved that look and often try to recreate it with photography. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can go the other way, like this very blue image of a great egret in the reeds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFQZKMpkJIhSinyRQLYgJWkCwoolVdx6oGcjgcnekRySlTj7T7JXZvaA1yaxdty9ouCfOR9WwYP8OJDwzfQ5D7S_8x1JHjFBYezWfJuaYhx5oKb7QgZMqMe_1-9Zj80NLi0BLZ7cWelXEZRTyN0UqqgGQ7VjGfbUXOWt88WyjcEB6DC3H6OuI5CCPVYc/s6000/Great%20Egret%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFQZKMpkJIhSinyRQLYgJWkCwoolVdx6oGcjgcnekRySlTj7T7JXZvaA1yaxdty9ouCfOR9WwYP8OJDwzfQ5D7S_8x1JHjFBYezWfJuaYhx5oKb7QgZMqMe_1-9Zj80NLi0BLZ7cWelXEZRTyN0UqqgGQ7VjGfbUXOWt88WyjcEB6DC3H6OuI5CCPVYc/s320/Great%20Egret%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In this case I've adjusted color control and contrast in the camera to produce a colorful image in cloudy gray conditions. These aren't things you can do with film -- well, not easily anyway (the way you do it is to change films, using emulsions sensitive to the colors you want. It's clunky, primitive, and difficult and one of the reasons I'm just as happy to shoot digital nowadays). </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a compromise between the two techniques, a male house finch, fluffed up in the cool wet weather (cool for this area anyway), showing some great color in the bird and the lichen growing on the dead tree.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3QZbDWEKMZ31ItVe7ocsFkcI5XD1KSSeSVlvYTSmjSaiYV1di3Il19RWOWDFl23bUox8C4VBKVhCVvbWVQQsL7CaihnYn_gjfebWFrHh3mtzxGLhAnrGMWoNtRfKW_ZZpI9_3Uhs3IRicokJQtN55i1cRIjnrLrkJG-fR1n1tNhKUC0zBPxIIaEBboM/s5400/House%20Finch%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3QZbDWEKMZ31ItVe7ocsFkcI5XD1KSSeSVlvYTSmjSaiYV1di3Il19RWOWDFl23bUox8C4VBKVhCVvbWVQQsL7CaihnYn_gjfebWFrHh3mtzxGLhAnrGMWoNtRfKW_ZZpI9_3Uhs3IRicokJQtN55i1cRIjnrLrkJG-fR1n1tNhKUC0zBPxIIaEBboM/s320/House%20Finch%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Or, you can go completely the other way and embrace a dark, gray stormy day. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJcDfBh0TmQBZgup78FBqiWc9x_pDTTKCWiaYdmBVItQdWFVBOlPIJQSCfapx2_T3A7MTd2jCwlbxCzfcjSdUSl1-Z-z8OyG1v5nzQubNckllienJh_Zhn1Wa4z9iTO4NWuHUiQ2WBwNVGO3pvHjNZbgsXpvhg_K4zs3m3CmFW0-wiJXlvzry9MN6lQY/s6000/Siloutte%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJcDfBh0TmQBZgup78FBqiWc9x_pDTTKCWiaYdmBVItQdWFVBOlPIJQSCfapx2_T3A7MTd2jCwlbxCzfcjSdUSl1-Z-z8OyG1v5nzQubNckllienJh_Zhn1Wa4z9iTO4NWuHUiQ2WBwNVGO3pvHjNZbgsXpvhg_K4zs3m3CmFW0-wiJXlvzry9MN6lQY/w350-h438/Siloutte%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a kestrel with dragonfly almost as big as she is. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGVjjYV7Ej-Gt0APJOCD2HAfU9gkI5gsWgz5Mn8namH1Xoj10ZGE4CmQxHsvMhnkEDWV_NTiyULWEP1A1xdoVtDkVER3WAxohNc4v1FKg0MG4S1_sGLAWbNVxUP0vuKeqLGcjIL4j_vkjghfEBL6PWnLLpUKpkwoQZsKx6Q2djnH7OTnZMRyG3GjoviE/s5400/Kestral%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGVjjYV7Ej-Gt0APJOCD2HAfU9gkI5gsWgz5Mn8namH1Xoj10ZGE4CmQxHsvMhnkEDWV_NTiyULWEP1A1xdoVtDkVER3WAxohNc4v1FKg0MG4S1_sGLAWbNVxUP0vuKeqLGcjIL4j_vkjghfEBL6PWnLLpUKpkwoQZsKx6Q2djnH7OTnZMRyG3GjoviE/s320/Kestral%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>Kestrels are small falcons, common to much of North America and Europe. They are fierce little raptors. Falconers raise them to hunt mice and grasshoppers. They are fast maneuverable birds and hard to capture in detail. I'm not particularly happy with the quality of this shot, but it was the best one I got that day. So, it'll have to do.</p><p>This snowy egret is a relative of that great egret up above, little smaller with distinctive yellow mask and socks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BiLvIjwOmXP1By5F7tO74F6Yvh8vbyl5SM0dHKDvCVwMQX55siP5eHLxijgC-SOCN-qU3ni5u8JdRvaArSrxI0hdEF2TIqtZFmfi6zs965OIA2dUHoQyGkzL3PwF4E4ZFxqsB6D12tZVf50yeT53itHqkq_k8JAzPWHiDhyRJg281tRb6rRiTr387HA/s6000/Snowy%20Egret%20%2310%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BiLvIjwOmXP1By5F7tO74F6Yvh8vbyl5SM0dHKDvCVwMQX55siP5eHLxijgC-SOCN-qU3ni5u8JdRvaArSrxI0hdEF2TIqtZFmfi6zs965OIA2dUHoQyGkzL3PwF4E4ZFxqsB6D12tZVf50yeT53itHqkq_k8JAzPWHiDhyRJg281tRb6rRiTr387HA/s320/Snowy%20Egret%20%2310%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><br />I was sitting in my yard comparing various settings between the Z9 and Z8 Nikon cameras. I'd screwed something up on the Z8 and was attempting to figure out which of the several thousand menu settings I'd changed. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This cardinal made a convenient test subject as I fiddled with the settings. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-7XTxmnau2dTl9RGpwHHl0laPnA_JkniF_XE7RWT1wkadgVft12t68YcNkNUNGYhJC8QfDwpwCOKrLKZtXf-HOWkdKzxQqc5qGstlV1TtNp8SurAePHyDjqeBtqkRROnJl3aRf-1Hkw29hS67rdaGavVYaGj9yuT5sEZ5T7TljVudt13gKhXa4VH8pI/s6000/Cardinal%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-7XTxmnau2dTl9RGpwHHl0laPnA_JkniF_XE7RWT1wkadgVft12t68YcNkNUNGYhJC8QfDwpwCOKrLKZtXf-HOWkdKzxQqc5qGstlV1TtNp8SurAePHyDjqeBtqkRROnJl3aRf-1Hkw29hS67rdaGavVYaGj9yuT5sEZ5T7TljVudt13gKhXa4VH8pI/s320/Cardinal%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Eventually I sorted it out and was able to reconfigure the Z8 without having to reset it back to factory baseline. And I learned a few things along the way. That's always good. <br /></p>So I spent a couple hours shooting various small birds at the feeders, like these Carolina chickadees and tufted titmice. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMfhdj-hEGSKLhI1zAdYIVgEi7wlXkEEVDLuti4jKzNOzNeym8oXc8M4ll7nTpYeXyxWZaTwx4YykYwkZXYC6N4augu2aadCvo6u0Ud5GcBx_joWt4sL_M14MHtjyV4ZRAN_IKvjsmDk9oOBzukcZTlvRGt0Xf89NvjyUQ7RiWWCgL4nasxcwZYqqkmg/s5400/Chickadee%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMfhdj-hEGSKLhI1zAdYIVgEi7wlXkEEVDLuti4jKzNOzNeym8oXc8M4ll7nTpYeXyxWZaTwx4YykYwkZXYC6N4augu2aadCvo6u0Ud5GcBx_joWt4sL_M14MHtjyV4ZRAN_IKvjsmDk9oOBzukcZTlvRGt0Xf89NvjyUQ7RiWWCgL4nasxcwZYqqkmg/s320/Chickadee%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7Fh5_dICbO0bBO3Qy_hu5YdNszcbZV-GkLEpey4BWywwQFeXH3wdrdYk32jKtf5OoPSETkd4tKjfvt1TLzgsT34dDhUiyzX5kEuWhDRke70ttkr13r7kk9pT317Gfl6FOv4IIYYzrsUSuIdmxv6YXrQzZOHJoRmZBDb8rIqT2TUErCB2AjhIcGpDNIc/s5400/Chickadee%20%232%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7Fh5_dICbO0bBO3Qy_hu5YdNszcbZV-GkLEpey4BWywwQFeXH3wdrdYk32jKtf5OoPSETkd4tKjfvt1TLzgsT34dDhUiyzX5kEuWhDRke70ttkr13r7kk9pT317Gfl6FOv4IIYYzrsUSuIdmxv6YXrQzZOHJoRmZBDb8rIqT2TUErCB2AjhIcGpDNIc/s320/Chickadee%20%232%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWIGG89VWU0axzgcz90MXsFYCqe75kQiymDnitk6VOuRwwM_G3JHWPYtiBu9eYN4ssc5_hSvrMYJur6QouOcth9DeHIiviWmeNdSjMXJOSglT_sJvRtQlZOqO8Qf9YJUAtb44xwoSDr_ISOGRky3UDSK06MpOPkC4fr8BdbmY22NsOd1WVW2VmSVHsFg/s5400/Chickadee%20%233%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWIGG89VWU0axzgcz90MXsFYCqe75kQiymDnitk6VOuRwwM_G3JHWPYtiBu9eYN4ssc5_hSvrMYJur6QouOcth9DeHIiviWmeNdSjMXJOSglT_sJvRtQlZOqO8Qf9YJUAtb44xwoSDr_ISOGRky3UDSK06MpOPkC4fr8BdbmY22NsOd1WVW2VmSVHsFg/s320/Chickadee%20%233%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgiR4CxQjhW20ig19MpgfSqQ9hBvEDlUvKy3-Q5_TmebWI-peeE5KuA3GbRUYdPD2__LcXwVqUyqoS4bPkI5Rlr0jgyNBR3S-w5RehmwIryoWjlybgmfwm-5dlAikXZKWfpNh5j47yYYk7yoOIX44qrkPixt-IrYHUI4KathUIy4ra2xeK9zbEsNJt4U/s5400/Titmouse%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgiR4CxQjhW20ig19MpgfSqQ9hBvEDlUvKy3-Q5_TmebWI-peeE5KuA3GbRUYdPD2__LcXwVqUyqoS4bPkI5Rlr0jgyNBR3S-w5RehmwIryoWjlybgmfwm-5dlAikXZKWfpNh5j47yYYk7yoOIX44qrkPixt-IrYHUI4KathUIy4ra2xeK9zbEsNJt4U/s320/Titmouse%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>And finally, today's solar eclipse from the Florida Panhandle. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2BVS6uZe_m7VePvwlUQ_yC0d-T2RHGBmt4jbkk-kil3mn7x-JOepDoUT49EDWb9hQvbfXpCo4jsFTvbJr0WY-FDPaMdu3RnFKAB7NQwke9BhEZE3A3tK_wsIdOXBWn4SR_bog734hpy_NxtPUHVo9U6enpq16OdnjlKxhMOyUqNdNd3cVpJkVcUiTZU/s5400/Eclipse%20%232%20Print%2018x18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2BVS6uZe_m7VePvwlUQ_yC0d-T2RHGBmt4jbkk-kil3mn7x-JOepDoUT49EDWb9hQvbfXpCo4jsFTvbJr0WY-FDPaMdu3RnFKAB7NQwke9BhEZE3A3tK_wsIdOXBWn4SR_bog734hpy_NxtPUHVo9U6enpq16OdnjlKxhMOyUqNdNd3cVpJkVcUiTZU/w378-h378/Eclipse%20%232%20Print%2018x18.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>No ring of fire here, we were too far outside the eclipse's path. And it was cloudy, but the skies cleared just long enough for me to get a few decent shots a bit after totality. This is a handheld shot using the Nikon Z8, a Nikkor Z 400mm lens, and an ND100 filter so I could point the camera directly at the sun without frying either the sensor or my retina. As I noted on Instagram: I do have a solar filter for my 12" refractor scope, but it's for the eyepiece and won't work with the camera mount. And I don't have an ND100 or solar filter for the big 600mm lens and the Z9. And the 600mm uses a rear mount internal filter anyway and I'm not really comfortable pointing that very, very expensive beast at the sun and letting it heat up the internal components. So, 400mm on the Z8 is the best I could do. And frankly, I'm not really sure how I'd get a better shot with bigger glass. I'm perfectly happy with it. Particularly given that the skies were only clear enough to see the eclipse for about 10 minute anyway.</p><p>That's it, that's the week in pictures from Stonekettle Station. </p></div></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-4344792346840798402023-10-12T13:42:00.019-05:002023-10-12T17:38:19.976-05:00Sides<p> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p>“What's to be believed? Or does it matter at all? When mass murder's been answered with mass murder, rape with rape, hate with hate, there's no longer much meaning in asking whose ax is bloodier. Evil, on evil, piled on evil.”<br />― <b>Walter M. Miller Jr.</b>, <i>A Canticle for Leibowitz</i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Pick a side. </p><p>Come on, choose.</p><p>Tell me, who do you stand with? </p><p>You have to pick a side and you have to declare it to the world and there's only one right answer. Choose, you son of bitch, choose. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifKRRn8mDjYjPMJYtr8RU8BFoVvrezBMhp6wGFbA0RatgDZoqxPVJ78x9yKOIqIpGcN9kOg_XTb1NqUKz7-abdpGHo7aA_qR0OAnBEvkkTxDGReLsELfpdGvNZEoioCUqQPtma9MlBPquJEp6K8aBmAME-RduG-w4Q0xYTubYWDsQW78uhz7bpB0Afb2M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="481" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifKRRn8mDjYjPMJYtr8RU8BFoVvrezBMhp6wGFbA0RatgDZoqxPVJ78x9yKOIqIpGcN9kOg_XTb1NqUKz7-abdpGHo7aA_qR0OAnBEvkkTxDGReLsELfpdGvNZEoioCUqQPtma9MlBPquJEp6K8aBmAME-RduG-w4Q0xYTubYWDsQW78uhz7bpB0Afb2M" width="320" /></a></div><br />You have to pick a side and you have to declare it to the world and you have to do it in a timely fashion. <p></p><p>And you have to pick the right side, the righteous side, the side of God! Yes!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW1CHgZz6R84oi9laIU8WHHAlyxJv4y3N2L1M0ZarCuyKNMpxjkruihw22aVR-Par_1lv7n0SbDjt6tFnhYJCqSO9VwHf18mEXiaso3pkZxjega2_DbuUQTIonbl4oiLenJ7hZ3y8KHZn_jVTdpVGKAZvABLz0jxlBnEksv0CApMvm2kATaW3NhJRbFzQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="479" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW1CHgZz6R84oi9laIU8WHHAlyxJv4y3N2L1M0ZarCuyKNMpxjkruihw22aVR-Par_1lv7n0SbDjt6tFnhYJCqSO9VwHf18mEXiaso3pkZxjega2_DbuUQTIonbl4oiLenJ7hZ3y8KHZn_jVTdpVGKAZvABLz0jxlBnEksv0CApMvm2kATaW3NhJRbFzQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">As I said to Ted Cruz himself, When you write your memoir, I certainly hope it includes a chapter on your heroic wartime experience with lines like: "I quickly tweeted back..." </p><div style="text-align: left;">Talk about a regular Audie Murphy.</div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">You've got to pick a side. Return fire via social media. Man the keyboards, launch the tweets, unleash hell! Make sure everyone knows. You gotta be hard, you gotta be first, you gotta take the Facebook beach. </p><p style="text-align: left;">If you want to get those clicks and likes and engagements. </p><p style="text-align: left;">For <i>that</i> is the true measure of a patriot, is it not?</p><p style="text-align: left;">Yes, Sir, war is hell. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This morning Mike Pence is on Twitter wearing a bomber jacket and a steely-eyed squint.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVR4g8LEmi1RNxdRRDk8UpTFVaB3V2B7REcWMWo4apZpFNyLZoVGEuMfC09cY8Usu-ixZo9Ege9SP5ec7RajpGDdj58gQHSA6YtNl-5zH4dj50ybN8lHhqlHV6CDX3Leb7RDJideMBS8kTWjkZbyo18HL2LLAdLqFrneAW9MTpmz2uqTzcABY5BknqRhE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="476" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVR4g8LEmi1RNxdRRDk8UpTFVaB3V2B7REcWMWo4apZpFNyLZoVGEuMfC09cY8Usu-ixZo9Ege9SP5ec7RajpGDdj58gQHSA6YtNl-5zH4dj50ybN8lHhqlHV6CDX3Leb7RDJideMBS8kTWjkZbyo18HL2LLAdLqFrneAW9MTpmz2uqTzcABY5BknqRhE" width="287" /></a></div><br />Mike Pence calls for U.S. Special Forces to "be prepared to mobilize." <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">What leadership! </p><p style="text-align: left;">What daring! </p><p style="text-align: left;">What a man! What bravado! What a warrior! Tweet. Tweet.</p><p style="text-align: left;">As if American military forces aren't already in theater or on the way. As if being ready to deploy isn't literally the normal state of readiness for SOF units. As if US Navy carriers aren't already on station or on the way. As if we haven't been developing war plans for decades for exactly this situation. Gee, no president ever thought of that before. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Wonder if Mother dressed him just for this photo op?</p><p style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham declares war on religion:<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiybTZBMwKQarg9XnAcz48cpjEWoOe3kbNM0ryhA4HO6W6r_DcD4WnjlrwEzJoKbUcwB9w7s-AUHVqqVlLhkI1RAj-MKR6G0FyyWjfjTufL_J32SYIuiUZ-qp7irHpzUKV2jkx0tdqdSacrzdi8wed-dF-wzd64HM8S4lVX_oRI6jfxdchptZBgwRaIOZ0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="469" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiybTZBMwKQarg9XnAcz48cpjEWoOe3kbNM0ryhA4HO6W6r_DcD4WnjlrwEzJoKbUcwB9w7s-AUHVqqVlLhkI1RAj-MKR6G0FyyWjfjTufL_J32SYIuiUZ-qp7irHpzUKV2jkx0tdqdSacrzdi8wed-dF-wzd64HM8S4lVX_oRI6jfxdchptZBgwRaIOZ0" width="320" /></a></div><br />"We're in a religious war here, I am with Israel, do whatever you have to do to defend yourself. Level the place!"<p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Religious war. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">War against religion. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Which religion? Oh, you know the one. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Do whatever you have to do to defend yourself! </p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm sure Israel thanks Lindsey for his permission. </p><p>We're in a religious war. Level the place. Scorch the earth, burn the sky, salt the fields! Hoorah Hoorah! We gotta fight 'em over there or we'll have to fight 'em over here! Loose lips sink ships! America, love it or leave it! Better Red than Dead! Kill 'em all and let God sort it out! Oh yes! Now we just need some T-shirts and bumper stickers! </p><p>Like Jesus said, I guess. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Lindsey Graham never saw a war he didn't love and there's no war he doesn't love more than the idea of war with Iran. If he ever gets his wish, I wonder if our Muslim allies will play his words back at us when we go to them, hat in hand, asking to use bases in their countries to wage war on their religion. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, the Republican Party's leading candidate for President was in Florida for a rally:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG5FCbpArZ1Yh1niYLo8iRjtXNgeDKMIaXG7dYXipa8skzUoGUZZpGEqCIrsbF0Z3DeTJ2nPhJfp02P7Tu3GiMldULsZS9IZm6k0QDZyYCRApCcRfmPSwrPOScm6H2OKt8ZYlA2l_MqZ-jsUp9wo3JyUd2OYJyU_LkBh5vg4s6OzV1W5o-BIHXdRL-VFQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="398" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG5FCbpArZ1Yh1niYLo8iRjtXNgeDKMIaXG7dYXipa8skzUoGUZZpGEqCIrsbF0Z3DeTJ2nPhJfp02P7Tu3GiMldULsZS9IZm6k0QDZyYCRApCcRfmPSwrPOScm6H2OKt8ZYlA2l_MqZ-jsUp9wo3JyUd2OYJyU_LkBh5vg4s6OzV1W5o-BIHXdRL-VFQ" width="320" /></a></div><br />"Instead of keeping terrorists and terrorist sympathizers out of America the Biden Administration is inviting them in. You know why? Because he's got a boss, who's his boss, Barack Hussein Obama Barack <i>Hussein </i>Barack <i>Hussein </i>Obama. Remember the great Rush Limbaugh? BAR<i>ock</i> <i>HOOOOOS</i>SEIN Obama he'd go Barack HOOOS<i>SEIN</i> Obama, hello lady, unbelievably the corrupt Biden Department of Justice recently invited an Iranian backed judge from Iraq to visit our nation's capital isn't that nice? He couldn't have been too impressed with our capital it looks like <i>shit</i>, no, have you seen what they've done to it...?"<p></p><p>Obama. </p><p>Obama is secretly pulling the strings. </p><p>And Trump knows this because a dead radio pundit used to mock Obama's middle name. </p><p>A few minutes later Donald Trump explained how Hezbollah is very smart, very smart indeed. </p><p>He also told a funny story about how he called China very smart once and the press was all over him. But he was going to call Hezbollah very smart anyway and whatever. Ha ha. </p><p>And <i>then --</i> and then -- Trump rambled off into a disjointed story about his great Julius Caesar moment, his glorious military victory: the drone strike that assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Bagdad. The crowd listened in confused silence as Trump ended the story by explaining how Israel refused to support America. </p><p>"I’ll never forget, I'll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down. That was a very terrible thing I will say that and, uh, so when I see, uh, sometimes, the intelligence, you talk about the intelligence, or you talk about some of the things that went wrong over the last week, uh, they've gotta straighten it out because they're fighting potentially a very big force they're fighting potentially Iran, and, when they have, people, saying the wrong things, everything they say is being digested by these people because they're vicious and they're smart and <i>boy </i>are they vicious because nobody's ever seen the kind of sight that we've seen, nobody's ever seen it, but they cannot play games so we were disappointed by that, very disappointed, but we did the job ourself and it was absolute precision, magnificent beautiful job, and then, uuh, Bibi tried to take credit for it, that was a good, THAT DIDN'T MAKE ME FEEL TOO GOOD, ha ha, but that's all right, so they gotta strengthen themselves up..."</p><p>The crowd made this sort of sickly collective laugh and there was some weak applause, but I imagine most of them were wondering how they were going to scrape the Israel Flag stickers off their bumpers without ruining the paint. </p><p>I'm not quite sure how Republicans like Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham who've been screaming for a week about "standing with Israel" will process Trump's remarks, but I'm sure they'll manage somehow. Ted Cruz will probably just pretend Trump called his wife ugly and roll over. </p><p>Speaking of rolling over, in a Colorado court yesterday, Trump's lawyers argued the former president "had no duty to support" the Constitution <i>as president</i> and therefore the 14th Amendment's Insurrection Clause doesn't apply and thus Trump can't be disqualified from the state's ballot. </p><p>"The Presidential oath, which the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment surely knew, requires the President to swear to 'preserve, protect and defend' the Constitution, not to 'support' the Constitution." </p><p>"Because the framers chose to define the group of people subject to Section Three by an oath to 'support' the Constitution of the United States, and not by an oath to 'preserve, protect and defend' the Constitution, the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment never intended for it to apply to the President."</p><p style="text-align: left;">Trump's lawyers actually wrote that down on paper and signed it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But, I digress. </p><p style="text-align: left;">We were talking about the situation in Israel. </p><p style="text-align: left;">You have to pick a side. </p><p style="text-align: left;">You have to say the words, I stand with Israel! I stand with the Palestinians! One or the other. Black or white. Right or Left. Us or them. You got to get in line. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It's just that simple. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Right?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Guess what, Folks?</p><p style="text-align: left;">It's <i>not </i>that simple. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It's not that cut and dried. It's not one "side" or the other.</p><p style="text-align: left;">You don't have to pick a team in this conflict. Not like that. You don't. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Hang on before you start screaming at me. Listen for a minute. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Again, I was talking about the larger conflict, Israel and the Palestinians. <i>Not</i> Hamas. And it's complicated. It's not simple. It's not a simple matter of picking sides, us and them, no matter what the politicians and pundits and preachers tell you.</p><p style="text-align: left;">This isn't a game of dodgeball. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This conflict, the bigger one, the one between peoples and nations and history, that goes far beyond the current fight with Hamas and it's <i>incredibly</i> complicated. </p><p style="text-align: left;">There are a thousand years or better of history and politics behind this war.</p><p style="text-align: left;">There are the machinations of a dozen nations, who <i>all</i> have their fingers in it, pulling strings behind the scenes, fighting a proxy war, throwing gasoline on the fire for their own selfish reasons. </p><p style="text-align: left;">There are the religions of many people, prophets and holy men and true believers all eager to bring about their version of paradise, or Armageddon, in the name of their god. </p><p style="text-align: left;">There is the legacy of war, <i>many</i> wars across generations and how memory of that violence and those dead bodies shape and twist history and justify even more violence.</p><p style="text-align: left;">There are crimes and atrocities and grievances and slights that go back not just decades, but centuries, things that few outside the conflict can really, truly understand -- or care to understand, for that matter.</p><p style="text-align: left;">And underneath all of that, well, there are the very real conditions of hunger and poverty and sickness and hate and fear and a need for opportunity and a thirst for freedom and a thousand other things that drive humans to do what they do, right or wrong.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I don't know that peace is possible in this larger conflict. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I don't know that it's not. That wasn't my profession or area of expertise. </p><p style="text-align: left;">If an end is possible, I certainly don't know how to bring it about -- and I doubt you do either, dear reader. Not really. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But, what I do know is that no <i>American </i>politician, president, senator, congressperson, or dog catcher can end that conflict. </p><p style="text-align: left;">America can't end this fight.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">But we can for damn sure make it <i>worse</i>. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Some of you are in this fight because you have to be. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Because it's your country, your people, your family, your religion, your history. </p><p style="text-align: left;">You didn't choose a side, it chose you. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And I am certainly not about to tell you you're wrong. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I went to war myself, once upon a time, because it was my sworn duty to do so. I willingly went to fight those who committed atrocities against <i>my</i> nation, against those who murdered my people and threatened my family. I did it. I did it for my own reasons and I'd do it again, and I would never be so crass as to deny you a similar choice. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's the thing though: we won our war, but <i>we lost the peace</i>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">We won our righteous war and we made the world all the worse for it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I would caution you to learn from our bitter mistakes -- though you probably won't. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p>America can't end this fight, but we can for damn sure make it <i>worse</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>See, the rest of you, well you <i>don't</i> have to pick side. </p><p>You will, of course. Probably already have. But you don't <i>have </i>to. </p><p>You don't have to declare who you stand with on social media. You don't have to make some chest beating declaration of loyalty to one side or the other.</p><p>And you most certainly don't have to condemn others for not doing so, or not doing so hard enough or fast enough or the right way. </p><p>You don't have to pick a team. </p><p>Those of us who are not in this conflict, the only side we <i>must</i> choose is the side of civilization. </p><p>The only stand we <i>must</i> take is against terror and barbarism. </p><p>You don't have to join a team. You don't have to use this moment to attack your fellow citizens. You don't have to pick any side other that of <i>humanity </i>in order to be righteously outraged, to be furious and appalled and disgusted, at the atrocities of the goddamned barbarians trying to tear civilization down. </p><p>You can support <i>and</i> criticize Israel <i>and</i> the Palestinians both <i>without</i> engaging in apologia for terrorism.</p><p>Because there is <i>no</i> justification for barbarism. Full stop. </p><p>No matter how righteously aggrieved any people might be, no matter how oppressed, no matter how wronged, there is no justification for the murder and rape and kidnapping of innocents. </p><p>You don't have to pick a side to stand against <i>that</i>. </p><p>You don't have to pick a side in order to offer support and sincere sympathy and aid. </p><p>You also don't have to dismiss the things you care about, whether it be Israel's right to exist and/or the very same for the Palestinians. You <i>can</i> care about those things and <i>still</i> stand with <i>both</i> peoples against the sons of bitches who carried out these attacks. </p><p><br /></p><p>America can't end this conflict, but we can most certainly make it worse. </p><p><br /></p><p>And there are those who are determined to do so for their own selfish ends. </p><p>Because they <i>never </i>miss a chance to use war and atrocity and terror and fear and hate to further their agenda, so long as none of that horror ever actually touches <i>them</i>. </p><p>In the wake of September 11, 2001, the world stood in solidarity with <i>us</i>, America. Even our sworn enemies offered us their sympathy and support, aghast at the barbarism that killed 3000 Americans. </p><p>And I will <i>never</i> forget how our leaders, right and left, stood on the steps of the US Capitol with the smoke of the burning Pentagon still in the air, and swore to us that they would put aside their differences and their partisan rancor and work together as Americans. </p><p>They gave us their solemn word in the name of their god. </p><p>And that promise lasted just long enough for those faithless sons of bitches to walk up the steps and return to their offices. Some of them are on TV and social media <i>right now</i> attacking their fellow Americans. </p><p>So much for their sacred word. </p><p>We Americans, we pissed away the world's goodwill in 20 years of conflict and occupation. </p><p>We won our war, yes we did, and make no mistake. We won every battle.</p><p>But we lost the peace. </p><p>We made the world all the worse for it and our children will have to live in that reality.</p><p><br /></p><p>I hope the Israelis will do better than we did, but history suggests they won't. </p><p><br /></p><p>You don't have to pick any side other than that of civilization. </p><p>You don't have to pick a side in order to comfort the dying, to heal the sick, to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, to provide for the homeless, to aid those in need, to confront evil, to stand with your neighbors whoever they might be. </p><p>You don't have to make things worse. </p><p>You don't have to make the same mistakes again. </p><p>But you probably will. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p>“Listen, are we helpless? Are we doomed to do it again and again and again? Have we no choice but to play the Phoenix in an unending sequence of rise and fall? Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Carthage, Rome, the Empires of Charlemagne and the Turk: Ground to dust and plowed with salt. Spain, France, Britain, America—burned into the oblivion of the centuries. And again and again and again. Are we doomed to it, Lord, chained to the pendulum of our own mad clockwork, helpless to halt its swing? This time, it will swing us clean to oblivion.”<br />― <b>Walter M. Miller Jr.</b>, <i>A Canticle for Leibowitz</i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-37464770587166938472023-09-30T13:11:00.015-05:002023-10-03T07:24:56.666-05:00The Week In Pictures: Migration<p> </p><p><br />Summer is coming to an end and many North America birds are beginning their annual migration south.</p><p>And so it was for me this week, traveling from north to south, Michigan to Florida.</p><p>I was in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, in farming country south of Grand Rapids along the Thornapple River. The place used to be a mill town long ago with a dam on the river creating a miles-long pond to power the wheels and stones that once ground corn and wheat from local farms into meal and flour. Those products were first carried away to the city on horse-drawn wagons and later by train. </p><p>But those days are long gone and so is the mill and the train, though the dam and the pond remain. </p><p>The farms are still here too, but nowadays their products, corn, soybeans, diary, are carried away on trucks bound for modern processing facilities far away, and the town has become a bedroom community wrapped around a modern plant that manufacturers hot water heaters. It's a clean, quiet, safe little town with a block-long main street of small stores, a few good restaurants, and an absolutely excellent coffee shop. </p><p>And that long gone railroad is now a rails-to-trails conversion, part of the North American Birding Trail, used by joggers and cyclists and people out for a morning walk with their dog. A paved portion of it runs right through downtown, next to the old dam, between the river and what's left of the millpond. The pond is now overgrown with returning native wetland plants and a hundred of varieties of birds, mink, muskrat, bobcat, fox, woodchucks, and other species. </p><p>It's also become a stop on the migration route for birds traveling between Canada and their wintering grounds in Central and South America.</p><p>Like these Canada Geese flying in formation. Their honking filled the air one evening as I hiked along the trail.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjY75odxrwkw8Xzv3orq_H9v1ssvIloGkCrYmr63x_M8rV2Sw4_U_PwNwgFnxgkvHf__BbvZBZbgKBY7iC7iQBrNpbZ4Hnl4T2LTmgY_-1cEeGqVELsEE5BppWNxx9R9QJFDOOIKaVqY2chpVtlArXMhJkoTpgGExFPRwQeesLXxX9DngTeHIgvpwJwk/s6000/Canada%20Geese%20%2320%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjY75odxrwkw8Xzv3orq_H9v1ssvIloGkCrYmr63x_M8rV2Sw4_U_PwNwgFnxgkvHf__BbvZBZbgKBY7iC7iQBrNpbZ4Hnl4T2LTmgY_-1cEeGqVELsEE5BppWNxx9R9QJFDOOIKaVqY2chpVtlArXMhJkoTpgGExFPRwQeesLXxX9DngTeHIgvpwJwk/s320/Canada%20Geese%20%2320%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And these mallard ducks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrMO_YyLstzCAddg-sYMOx-qER6LHH5kW938yG2EvYvlBY2ZitaLZl3iZC0hJDRvMpSv903LOC7_yEs3n4uQQe9UPXwSVfTXDHKBceBS3EruOQmHv3VJh2aT6_OFA9AvdtRg1jzhgHdsO0Af0juyS7kOyeu_9sdxXQDJthytXqsaOD09dbLFzzvK9lCQ/s5400/Mallards%20%2320%20Print%2018x18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrMO_YyLstzCAddg-sYMOx-qER6LHH5kW938yG2EvYvlBY2ZitaLZl3iZC0hJDRvMpSv903LOC7_yEs3n4uQQe9UPXwSVfTXDHKBceBS3EruOQmHv3VJh2aT6_OFA9AvdtRg1jzhgHdsO0Af0juyS7kOyeu_9sdxXQDJthytXqsaOD09dbLFzzvK9lCQ/s320/Mallards%20%2320%20Print%2018x18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Or this great egret (also known as a great white heron), who I watched each morning while he hunted his breakfast of small fish, leeches, and fresh water mollusks in the shallow waters. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYddv5-6ycZtvCqo1qhZ_nn6BFkBpM28xpD_KE-pHZxIIs8b3cUpWm7wMJflsyV9PsYB624r96QsEYL3HuHZTnaqlKRzpANT5HfAwJCSJ8yB4jl0XgkU9O1Gpr_soPQI_lre7IIDiipNYfe6FLYhgnPYFv9rRO9Ze4fQZpJjtejsP6i6kDPgseZu_aVRA/s6000/Great%20Egret%20%2310%20Print%2016x20%20Upgrade.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYddv5-6ycZtvCqo1qhZ_nn6BFkBpM28xpD_KE-pHZxIIs8b3cUpWm7wMJflsyV9PsYB624r96QsEYL3HuHZTnaqlKRzpANT5HfAwJCSJ8yB4jl0XgkU9O1Gpr_soPQI_lre7IIDiipNYfe6FLYhgnPYFv9rRO9Ze4fQZpJjtejsP6i6kDPgseZu_aVRA/s320/Great%20Egret%20%2310%20Print%2016x20%20Upgrade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-11Qj4tTdoOm_qw_Lt2h17lepQT261-HVOnn78d55IWfCXuTmuyXgdbNifpdo5jF8SqBfrn0v_6H0p7XExlOm_d83673lb6cnVCkn3ewxvfKs-JevwCyvbihFnpFqxAdrk_uqqYpWQsN802P6gu61XdAyqL0U6C0mrGbg62vgzLfdI5Sjxo9Nac8dr8/s6000/Great%20Egret%20%2311%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-11Qj4tTdoOm_qw_Lt2h17lepQT261-HVOnn78d55IWfCXuTmuyXgdbNifpdo5jF8SqBfrn0v_6H0p7XExlOm_d83673lb6cnVCkn3ewxvfKs-JevwCyvbihFnpFqxAdrk_uqqYpWQsN802P6gu61XdAyqL0U6C0mrGbg62vgzLfdI5Sjxo9Nac8dr8/s320/Great%20Egret%20%2311%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And this pied-billed Grebe, a small waterbird with rear-facing legs like a penguin (unlike penguins, grebes can't walk on land), and massively webbed feet like twin propellers giving the bird the ability to move torpedolike through the water. They have short bills with sharp tooth-like serrations that they use to grab their prey of small fish such as brim, perch, and bluegills, which they then swallow whole. Grebes aren't common in this area, they're just passing through on the way south. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKQ_45ZnPpUz7GMKbMfLBg2CK021i-exB0oGkwmE0YxF327rvkyd79vUgacE5kqroQZaFA22cyliHXQDK-ZsoD4-96zYgJ9mMUoCVMEl5xrz4KldfTBxLbNxkBfqsW7WISkCgW89Unh4QCIqLMj6GXiXqJziT5y8r97xGun5mk2prBoj30E8ixr1ey-0/s5400/Grebe%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKQ_45ZnPpUz7GMKbMfLBg2CK021i-exB0oGkwmE0YxF327rvkyd79vUgacE5kqroQZaFA22cyliHXQDK-ZsoD4-96zYgJ9mMUoCVMEl5xrz4KldfTBxLbNxkBfqsW7WISkCgW89Unh4QCIqLMj6GXiXqJziT5y8r97xGun5mk2prBoj30E8ixr1ey-0/s320/Grebe%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And speaking of passing through, Sandhill Cranes stop each night to rest and feed along the edges of the millpond, and are gone again in the morning before first light. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajNGnBDAuqzD-Z6hDJbNya7Lq8RFLXBTYlQwiBIzO51hcQOLGdvliVScW9eeMEapQpBZVUqbPjpW42D94yS6n4JFzAjr-gD7ifgRd75f0ZATXVgDGjcabvr_RJJy4GNof4NPY7dijlmtH1c5uEgG0BrQ8sTW-sVlwExRXAOv4PPw-BYVyd-_T9_m0jU4/s6000/Sandhill%20Crane%20%23xxx%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajNGnBDAuqzD-Z6hDJbNya7Lq8RFLXBTYlQwiBIzO51hcQOLGdvliVScW9eeMEapQpBZVUqbPjpW42D94yS6n4JFzAjr-gD7ifgRd75f0ZATXVgDGjcabvr_RJJy4GNof4NPY7dijlmtH1c5uEgG0BrQ8sTW-sVlwExRXAOv4PPw-BYVyd-_T9_m0jU4/s320/Sandhill%20Crane%20%23xxx%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT3hTjiYgEh6kCNji6WHBBoASWj3Byo9Q9m7j7qh_HaeCzfCnAMnasj8kE6mVvp2-f6lTcWUMj87Te2lp1EYasn2kurrihS11zG356Gr8OacH-Ph36jRHjVXqLvYdvd7t5rqsD-ptOF-myPPp-sJ4QQsLu6nqLHfQMcNU3FSgso8aGBiEmUhl-GiQ8BI/s7200/Sanhill%20Crane%20%23xx1%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="7200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT3hTjiYgEh6kCNji6WHBBoASWj3Byo9Q9m7j7qh_HaeCzfCnAMnasj8kE6mVvp2-f6lTcWUMj87Te2lp1EYasn2kurrihS11zG356Gr8OacH-Ph36jRHjVXqLvYdvd7t5rqsD-ptOF-myPPp-sJ4QQsLu6nqLHfQMcNU3FSgso8aGBiEmUhl-GiQ8BI/s320/Sanhill%20Crane%20%23xx1%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS9aZQI1GGZiD0GssDiNKs3zlz4ndbAORju_De9B7Sk4f4k9V9kxMch2WZNil0JFwFCP2npsqnq2jFM3WJwq5aMvB5PlnwtigLaLHff99nzCeC-er49KtfYTUDdL-s9Ove7HhK1OS-Q4JAKVaZjpSYz2encNvJmkZBw0RG9LXySxPx4sfIKDFwjr6JKE/s6000/Sanhill%20Crane%20%23xx2%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS9aZQI1GGZiD0GssDiNKs3zlz4ndbAORju_De9B7Sk4f4k9V9kxMch2WZNil0JFwFCP2npsqnq2jFM3WJwq5aMvB5PlnwtigLaLHff99nzCeC-er49KtfYTUDdL-s9Ove7HhK1OS-Q4JAKVaZjpSYz2encNvJmkZBw0RG9LXySxPx4sfIKDFwjr6JKE/s320/Sanhill%20Crane%20%23xx2%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRR3Es91qkcgp7Gqd7X9haJhcsI7GdX2YYCHcg2AORs7r51T8UsGyFZCjpo884datDBhju23DOmgmIUERld3qHEu6af0XCEEVYeyS1Jvuws0xmOS756YbvLmKvZ5cdtpTtCmg_QElg5HFqX0aZ41PlOGdLuph7Ut0NRQpxJgXVTq8zWN5mPoxo3eHAm4/s6000/Sandhill%20Crane%20%232%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRR3Es91qkcgp7Gqd7X9haJhcsI7GdX2YYCHcg2AORs7r51T8UsGyFZCjpo884datDBhju23DOmgmIUERld3qHEu6af0XCEEVYeyS1Jvuws0xmOS756YbvLmKvZ5cdtpTtCmg_QElg5HFqX0aZ41PlOGdLuph7Ut0NRQpxJgXVTq8zWN5mPoxo3eHAm4/s320/Sandhill%20Crane%20%232%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAF0PQ01e7d4MrO5giVl9gtrUZXVsmbAP2CqtaWyOJ9z8Y75b3UcjopeH1HPJtIHRzRpbNAVuB-nDJ9mDmCSfeNqXAvUZeBtszfPcMlLxUIZtA3xY12OqI-68HEGwotxZu0mn2ovGgTRY_VZs1cpRRgVR3kt6nf2ORBDYAgA9jaOM1u8WH5O4YBcRtrDY/s5400/Sandhill%20Crane%20%233%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAF0PQ01e7d4MrO5giVl9gtrUZXVsmbAP2CqtaWyOJ9z8Y75b3UcjopeH1HPJtIHRzRpbNAVuB-nDJ9mDmCSfeNqXAvUZeBtszfPcMlLxUIZtA3xY12OqI-68HEGwotxZu0mn2ovGgTRY_VZs1cpRRgVR3kt6nf2ORBDYAgA9jaOM1u8WH5O4YBcRtrDY/s320/Sandhill%20Crane%20%233%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This eastern phoebe was probably my favorite picture from Michigan. I snapped her in the early dawn, just before sun up, when everything was damp from the fog and the whole world was still and silent. Looking through the big lens, I could just make out that spiderweb, highlighted in fine droplets from the mist, and realized she was watching it. Phoebes are flycatchers and she was guarding that web and ready to take advantage of the spider's hard work should the opportunity present itself. I was pretty proud of this image. It was a difficult shot in the low light. I posted it to social media ... only to realize later no one could see the web on their tiny phone screens and the small drab bird didn't impress anyone very much. Sigh. The tribulations of a bird photographer. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzRNsyzpfKGAGUGaP4eOOnyC1wqlVZliYPDqliyAL40NQ7WCzA99JcX4bX_uHuybYUKuOMdQQF6e6jrLj4jna1Jh_BcNLSDNKoI-zxnTgOBS2UI111uaevE50sxX6Ontt1uQyu1BY3U-RK0UKQm6MTl9HfB6y_Ug67SO-348A9p3I6qwC7YJNlG3QY3w/s6000/Eastern%20Phoebe%20%2320%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzRNsyzpfKGAGUGaP4eOOnyC1wqlVZliYPDqliyAL40NQ7WCzA99JcX4bX_uHuybYUKuOMdQQF6e6jrLj4jna1Jh_BcNLSDNKoI-zxnTgOBS2UI111uaevE50sxX6Ontt1uQyu1BY3U-RK0UKQm6MTl9HfB6y_Ug67SO-348A9p3I6qwC7YJNlG3QY3w/w390-h312/Eastern%20Phoebe%20%2320%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of social media, this yellow-rumped warbler was also a favorite shot. They're very common birds in this area (along with about a dozen other species of warbler), but not easy to photograph as they tend to hide in the thick brush. Not only did I get a clear close-up shot, but one framed in beautiful fall colors of red and yellow. But when I posted it to social media, all anyone could talk about was that the leaves are poison ivy. I had to take the image down when people started complaining about being "triggered" and the conversations devolved into snide passive aggressive arguments -- as if they were somehow going to get a rash from looking at an image on a phone screen. I'm honestly not sure how some of these people manage to make it through the day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwP5arCHmiw2EpJNyAbf-m-tH6-b4p1fqGJdb3dYrWN9Qkly38r21MZLv3pprk456lDcQGlvByKSmFj9H5Nh6_OYZa9Jm6qGGfFpfG8ayIxoG_vVLDXZpQZ8KnJXQXQugzk7Jli5Yj5fgTSpZctmNJLCaJtHW5O8123HE8BvkLn69AKIbPb0mLrROxLU/s6000/Yellow%20Rumped%20Warbler%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwP5arCHmiw2EpJNyAbf-m-tH6-b4p1fqGJdb3dYrWN9Qkly38r21MZLv3pprk456lDcQGlvByKSmFj9H5Nh6_OYZa9Jm6qGGfFpfG8ayIxoG_vVLDXZpQZ8KnJXQXQugzk7Jli5Yj5fgTSpZctmNJLCaJtHW5O8123HE8BvkLn69AKIbPb0mLrROxLU/s320/Yellow%20Rumped%20Warbler%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div>And so long as I'm posting pictures of poison ivy, here are some bluebirds among colorful ivy leaves covering an old pine stump deep in the swamp. The light filtering through the forest canopy gives the silvered wood a blue cast, which I thought was a perfect compliment to the birds. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGO2mrGeWa7RaK8UAmBZD7X5H1X2txmfDiSbykAnTd4yWDRxCinx5xqNt7AreTesenp_WBpgdFLqvz1kbd2ThuluVRMg_k8p4Jgw4DX02NTKS92aOGVf6sqUwpmhpyZsm1h6aHJoBWsyhe3jEUUuOUIqj0celWDgOZLS1MLIrPkYIZll_l0rO9lBv0EY/s6000/Northern%20Bluebirds%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGO2mrGeWa7RaK8UAmBZD7X5H1X2txmfDiSbykAnTd4yWDRxCinx5xqNt7AreTesenp_WBpgdFLqvz1kbd2ThuluVRMg_k8p4Jgw4DX02NTKS92aOGVf6sqUwpmhpyZsm1h6aHJoBWsyhe3jEUUuOUIqj0celWDgOZLS1MLIrPkYIZll_l0rO9lBv0EY/s320/Northern%20Bluebirds%20%231%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I drove out into the country to an Audubon sanctuary I happen to know about. I didn't find any birds, but the fields were full of butterflies and bees, like this Viceroy -- a monarch mimic. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06Mq-vPhBpny5hbix1zg51voq9e7V6-hr6XD52vewHmQ9sNCRsSLtEYBY4S9sfR7MFP21VV0F83gcm17JO9lgl14FxD4nqHSZrLizOcaXijknsdcfmwGFtGqs3-8RMLV_DnfKeTKcfx7Q5iEeFyP4AKvtSlbv_dNnTZZw2X2HF3cPCCYSwqyMQ_DEHRI/s6000/Monarch%20%23100%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06Mq-vPhBpny5hbix1zg51voq9e7V6-hr6XD52vewHmQ9sNCRsSLtEYBY4S9sfR7MFP21VV0F83gcm17JO9lgl14FxD4nqHSZrLizOcaXijknsdcfmwGFtGqs3-8RMLV_DnfKeTKcfx7Q5iEeFyP4AKvtSlbv_dNnTZZw2X2HF3cPCCYSwqyMQ_DEHRI/s320/Monarch%20%23100%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I left Michigan and drove a thousand miles south to the Florida Panhandle. </p><p>Migration isn't quite in full swing here yet. </p><p>I caught this this female kingfisher in the pines of Santa Rosa Island near Fort Pickens. I feel a kinship with her, given that's the same WTF? expression on my face most of the time these days.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6wCuSAwC0j-7nCed1n3-DS_KkSa7a7rtvLk0_ouKJJxL8FodG32AlrKZa9twxEtatTXudpFB5VOXQ4kcLR4WHLEwjiVsHjeNNRjsvXClJFuNXNQ4GWzughS67XGXHg77ogFDub3P9zre10TO6o8EhGnR2d0OzsAhSdJtdo2-g6TA5GUm6RKsQtrOUuM/s5400/Kingfisher%20%2330%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6wCuSAwC0j-7nCed1n3-DS_KkSa7a7rtvLk0_ouKJJxL8FodG32AlrKZa9twxEtatTXudpFB5VOXQ4kcLR4WHLEwjiVsHjeNNRjsvXClJFuNXNQ4GWzughS67XGXHg77ogFDub3P9zre10TO6o8EhGnR2d0OzsAhSdJtdo2-g6TA5GUm6RKsQtrOUuM/s320/Kingfisher%20%2330%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>These feather-legged scoliidae wasps were busy gathering nectar in the flowers outside my office. They look fearsome indeed, but they're the good guys. They are non-aggressive pollinators and they destroy the larva of invasive tree bark beetles. Scoliidae are an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. Plus they just look so damn cool. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUys9TNgqLdW6_3kQ3BYbKNrQp8KMRpxnlcdZsn6xQ3WsUp349-t60I9WPlmlShUvoSjSLqxuJJdbBk2ShM9xyLZjACHWVGAH0e8l3xQpS3Qj_ZrI1DD7OBn7fFPewLGJ1EIc_m874i8_kuRdMTZYNHc64LsqWOAzM3S1O5FDEjzt-kp7x3HTcn61T78A/s5400/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23100%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUys9TNgqLdW6_3kQ3BYbKNrQp8KMRpxnlcdZsn6xQ3WsUp349-t60I9WPlmlShUvoSjSLqxuJJdbBk2ShM9xyLZjACHWVGAH0e8l3xQpS3Qj_ZrI1DD7OBn7fFPewLGJ1EIc_m874i8_kuRdMTZYNHc64LsqWOAzM3S1O5FDEjzt-kp7x3HTcn61T78A/s320/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23100%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvYMNh4wM_Vwx-nndEdjBasrdjmnCqcLuV2hIoXW6NZBhw1xUF7Hwkhs-iYpTXTZhiGI9OfDCmnswuHsBDxTlsTFi4Q6RJFCUTmimVXDnXZazcYpDvYmO2EmO0QEvV-ghUXnrnN5q-wPnlF3IiR8Narso-xJYrlMXFoj0wblwVMdNBS6m1kDGRvgZwlw/s6000/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23101%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvYMNh4wM_Vwx-nndEdjBasrdjmnCqcLuV2hIoXW6NZBhw1xUF7Hwkhs-iYpTXTZhiGI9OfDCmnswuHsBDxTlsTFi4Q6RJFCUTmimVXDnXZazcYpDvYmO2EmO0QEvV-ghUXnrnN5q-wPnlF3IiR8Narso-xJYrlMXFoj0wblwVMdNBS6m1kDGRvgZwlw/s320/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23101%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLHQmYOkBNo0nq-dn-EQ9MmoD4-dlL4UPmfLABsxCCzjXhQ9eeTYyoNxZSvjEnMe3Im3oR1ySFZhYaZwPhcQY_LlQ7troTAzYaUGzVADX3Zdj-J3bAcquSlYQ3WksjyPYddJyuVGRWf8f1oo4HXABrAynQW5Re4OBk8i0aPGEZILSXvH5XuDU9M_EKxI/s5400/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23102%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLHQmYOkBNo0nq-dn-EQ9MmoD4-dlL4UPmfLABsxCCzjXhQ9eeTYyoNxZSvjEnMe3Im3oR1ySFZhYaZwPhcQY_LlQ7troTAzYaUGzVADX3Zdj-J3bAcquSlYQ3WksjyPYddJyuVGRWf8f1oo4HXABrAynQW5Re4OBk8i0aPGEZILSXvH5XuDU9M_EKxI/s320/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23102%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUoew7RB0XsF54hTyTB2FGVZk9r_JVMeHue4BIOV1hDrP0UnErGkojuQDlF98kWi8TL2WUUVTxc9LUaQZFpi8X9WCsyox7c58X_MjWuo_yLtv-_G054N3DIz5I_CkH7teBBsqZDoQPsbHq0vvLEyN7DuHhI6KU18dYo3pyuCJ8gCJj0eUgvE1yCAVa6Y/s6000/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23103%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUoew7RB0XsF54hTyTB2FGVZk9r_JVMeHue4BIOV1hDrP0UnErGkojuQDlF98kWi8TL2WUUVTxc9LUaQZFpi8X9WCsyox7c58X_MjWuo_yLtv-_G054N3DIz5I_CkH7teBBsqZDoQPsbHq0vvLEyN7DuHhI6KU18dYo3pyuCJ8gCJj0eUgvE1yCAVa6Y/s320/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23103%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyt4S-oUMAxw6MwPvA2akP1xHsDCZpTK3qE5QucN1MznHuy9Fs5GFN4l24l8YfeSJ2MbmpkWBIDXVV7zAZno0QkjN7DRXI5P1LXsxq_JDoNXmtAH3DdJdWs0w61xLXML9OQ0qyvciR-ttKjS7uOPgiEd4HO2__1snGA5JbFPzJXnQXCLCRAU57DxrjXI/s5400/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23104%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyt4S-oUMAxw6MwPvA2akP1xHsDCZpTK3qE5QucN1MznHuy9Fs5GFN4l24l8YfeSJ2MbmpkWBIDXVV7zAZno0QkjN7DRXI5P1LXsxq_JDoNXmtAH3DdJdWs0w61xLXML9OQ0qyvciR-ttKjS7uOPgiEd4HO2__1snGA5JbFPzJXnQXCLCRAU57DxrjXI/s320/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23104%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGgAir9kowc40m0YwPOUUrJwXme9iUhKVa-6tW7s1hIfvXsPIEeFEkxS9ITciwIMEDqyHMcHoh-O3Zbqila2i4pDjRbEH-I3Oiugy17zqGNds-UocE0ADqrvgX0Hl9-xsrNtFTqtzx2Qb7wQn6RKRWHl30BfLjQAnZOSN9vEdlNB0akAmSiY8G9XGpDo/s6000/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23105%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGgAir9kowc40m0YwPOUUrJwXme9iUhKVa-6tW7s1hIfvXsPIEeFEkxS9ITciwIMEDqyHMcHoh-O3Zbqila2i4pDjRbEH-I3Oiugy17zqGNds-UocE0ADqrvgX0Hl9-xsrNtFTqtzx2Qb7wQn6RKRWHl30BfLjQAnZOSN9vEdlNB0akAmSiY8G9XGpDo/s320/Feathered%20Legged%20Scoliid%20Wasp%20%23105%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The hummingbirds are still passing through on their way south, though most of the males have gone on ahead now and I mostly only see the less colorful females and juveniles. Like this beautiful lady, backlit by the morning sun. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXPkrc2Z9ubsMqUkKBIHf43aTICNiCWw0Ce3miCdbYOhqCDOmx3g2fRsbeHXroSgoiNhpPWsIitVkBEVBAwuJIbJQKFq4LEzJxfiPAUCDv5pyyNt3SrNllPfBC4M8pkSbQe_du3p1EfDJew-ogsdZYsjQrNakdpLkE8ZJoFXDH-tdZpStchqQVlOb81w/s5400/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23330%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXPkrc2Z9ubsMqUkKBIHf43aTICNiCWw0Ce3miCdbYOhqCDOmx3g2fRsbeHXroSgoiNhpPWsIitVkBEVBAwuJIbJQKFq4LEzJxfiPAUCDv5pyyNt3SrNllPfBC4M8pkSbQe_du3p1EfDJew-ogsdZYsjQrNakdpLkE8ZJoFXDH-tdZpStchqQVlOb81w/s320/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23330%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_d6_NfZdYfc5aZCw6Ntg3znCa10akYAp_5XcKgNUVyzY7Bhw5ghs6ubC3UrxArNUBSCKWZ7BDw_4zdCRgstUs_wit-Vti94T8lV2H-6WVLeMZHvd6wm1qTdZMa1fjc_O9sCP6gqvXUJB11Y278oxhPgqjK-pcveeQItPaP8A2T71ixVntAixB4yj1X2A/s5400/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23331%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_d6_NfZdYfc5aZCw6Ntg3znCa10akYAp_5XcKgNUVyzY7Bhw5ghs6ubC3UrxArNUBSCKWZ7BDw_4zdCRgstUs_wit-Vti94T8lV2H-6WVLeMZHvd6wm1qTdZMa1fjc_O9sCP6gqvXUJB11Y278oxhPgqjK-pcveeQItPaP8A2T71ixVntAixB4yj1X2A/s320/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23331%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I spent much of yesterday out near Perdido Key and in Big Lagoon State Park with a friend and fellow photographer.</div><div><br /></div><div>We'd barely gotten out of the car and were still setting up our equipment when this lone bald eagle appeared over the bay. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPowK9GL5DWkII-ExL1dvv7mwoRsl5FbKr0baMW1bdhYRbm9wFkLGU7-puqW5x9BeKd9ZYDKvmvAgF2jrePVt25DmhbK5eSy4M6meDxyXxRWCTTkEK9xalrY6QNOppahWz82RtlVicmQhOAdI4OMyADb66br-P2kQ-A_fWQuXVs3AwnGFsUGPfd03K_I/s5400/Bald%20Eagle%20%2360%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPowK9GL5DWkII-ExL1dvv7mwoRsl5FbKr0baMW1bdhYRbm9wFkLGU7-puqW5x9BeKd9ZYDKvmvAgF2jrePVt25DmhbK5eSy4M6meDxyXxRWCTTkEK9xalrY6QNOppahWz82RtlVicmQhOAdI4OMyADb66br-P2kQ-A_fWQuXVs3AwnGFsUGPfd03K_I/s320/Bald%20Eagle%20%2360%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I must have at least 10,000 shots of Great Blue Herons, but I'm always taking more pictures of these birds. I can't help it. They're such weird dinosaurs-looking creatures. Like this one, standing in the wind-whipped grass of a small barrier island off Perdido. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenJRJb9Wu3xaBZf4hQxpkJ3Di7Bsfaar9bPbRSwSERQliV0XroQgFv05B6pjXEuFjccTuqKp3fW1ymdDOlFTCs3pYjmpC03RTZvVzwWRoLb8cyQHLVH0Brgb16wTmvli9WqDzOklzTl-_2nyQxgNd5gRgGyDjzbEsqLLeMjZjdzxiIEUrQO0pt9PCB9U/s6000/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23310%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenJRJb9Wu3xaBZf4hQxpkJ3Di7Bsfaar9bPbRSwSERQliV0XroQgFv05B6pjXEuFjccTuqKp3fW1ymdDOlFTCs3pYjmpC03RTZvVzwWRoLb8cyQHLVH0Brgb16wTmvli9WqDzOklzTl-_2nyQxgNd5gRgGyDjzbEsqLLeMjZjdzxiIEUrQO0pt9PCB9U/s320/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23310%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Note the bird's pupils are different sizes, one in the light, one the shadow.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPFwTL-fCQtdBw_DRXUuyALtFPlB_jMJ3CO-EPCSNVnUoD6NJpHPOT8OeDc4JxPzkd9drKx7iRxd4Vqt-Io8Odf6DxRcCGEvXcMp2eUl96YQudJS3v3MLiFIsZCB32G0ECwnXd426iM_anLtPzQ8gXAwMPWzh7BVoS9Z47yN4YJitS203ZVUnrHKo0fg/s7200/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23311%20Print%2024x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7200" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPFwTL-fCQtdBw_DRXUuyALtFPlB_jMJ3CO-EPCSNVnUoD6NJpHPOT8OeDc4JxPzkd9drKx7iRxd4Vqt-Io8Odf6DxRcCGEvXcMp2eUl96YQudJS3v3MLiFIsZCB32G0ECwnXd426iM_anLtPzQ8gXAwMPWzh7BVoS9Z47yN4YJitS203ZVUnrHKo0fg/s320/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20%23311%20Print%2024x18%20Upload.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Osprey (seahawks, aka river hawks) are very common in this area year 'round. There's a boardwalk and an observation tower at Grand Lagoon where you can watch them diving in the inland waterway for fish. This shot is a composite, a stack of five images merged together showing an osprey in the last moments of her dive. Note how the legs and talons swing forward, going from a high-speed low-drag aerodynamic shape to forward-facing grapples ready to snatch the bird's prey on impact. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViUgpNvY3n2qNRFw-IOa912xh54hGTJg5I4O04OrOI_am_vcZzynL-7UVsIJXn0rs4Qxt-ij0dZAnkREgh0QOanBV3zqe2TC34mOX8m1Ksnyij0nlChw8beIDxv7vPtrAizK-Gu678Lm7pVVdmOFIsGQJYrKkc27XgKDIMGbHWgcE3zavLYsrGJal_Z8/s5400/Osprey%20Dive%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViUgpNvY3n2qNRFw-IOa912xh54hGTJg5I4O04OrOI_am_vcZzynL-7UVsIJXn0rs4Qxt-ij0dZAnkREgh0QOanBV3zqe2TC34mOX8m1Ksnyij0nlChw8beIDxv7vPtrAizK-Gu678Lm7pVVdmOFIsGQJYrKkc27XgKDIMGbHWgcE3zavLYsrGJal_Z8/s320/Osprey%20Dive%20%231%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>She was successful, catching a large mullet. </div><div><br /></div><div>But, she dropped it about twenty feet into her climb out. That's got to be disappointing. </div><div><br /></div><div>She later caught another mullet and settled into this treetop to finish the meal. This is probably my favorite shot from yesterday. I love the stark, almost black and white pencil sketch look. I'm going to print these in large poster size on canvas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPQZ_MjwbTJOX0vGI096jibSxJcoIaPjIuN0amyOkHd88rh7Pb_v0eJye1nF-bqI5lE9wr1OC5BcWIXw8vAPycrY2mWyXFIJiNHxwJyav4zgZYLNeuif7jlesgqXWV6IiAzigvoPAqPrPLO7z3mEGxVpEctHnn0OVBRpunVZrTFWdYKGQWoFW-oJDamM/s6000/Osprey%20%23340%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPQZ_MjwbTJOX0vGI096jibSxJcoIaPjIuN0amyOkHd88rh7Pb_v0eJye1nF-bqI5lE9wr1OC5BcWIXw8vAPycrY2mWyXFIJiNHxwJyav4zgZYLNeuif7jlesgqXWV6IiAzigvoPAqPrPLO7z3mEGxVpEctHnn0OVBRpunVZrTFWdYKGQWoFW-oJDamM/s320/Osprey%20%23340%20Print%2020x16%20Upload.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And finally, there is this young red shouldered hawk, hunting the pine barrens over Perdido Key. The wind was blowing hard and he was beating into it, hovering, looking for prey in the scrub below. One of those moments where everything just lines up, the camera was ready and programmed to the correct settings for the conditions, the light was behind me, and the bird held position for several minutes. I got these amazing shots ... and then he was gone, gliding effortlessly off in search of a meal down the coast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnpcT5SshLEBZTUsxJLnpODGidIZBUVxtmB5kDN4bjP-iHMDYJ8Of0BJ0cY-k2GBR6rVdRplOlrYhh-k13zjyAYTg3rVdil5GjKrE82CJz2ptl6G0ZDtBu1FHY4vFQyBFINboU-d07UHtPtCl0wR5KyyVi-aEqPEuy5d_CWae-aklQJP9LeotnUAt9XA/s6000/Red%20Shouldered%20Hawk%20%2320%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnpcT5SshLEBZTUsxJLnpODGidIZBUVxtmB5kDN4bjP-iHMDYJ8Of0BJ0cY-k2GBR6rVdRplOlrYhh-k13zjyAYTg3rVdil5GjKrE82CJz2ptl6G0ZDtBu1FHY4vFQyBFINboU-d07UHtPtCl0wR5KyyVi-aEqPEuy5d_CWae-aklQJP9LeotnUAt9XA/s320/Red%20Shouldered%20Hawk%20%2320%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBpItnXbU_isDIN6hnxjfsr4Lx7nYp0IwnSCGWBYOvtLcuDljNwrAU9UbgcMmTSoqrSlAp6IZjQJdQNliZjnOkzyUdPvSUD6GXLWGQRy9JK7wJ7YVlemxI9F6BF33Pd25yYop6S2Y9HcSwfg85J3QiDZ5ch6XXZ081nYVN8h9MD3f1yty3wwbytYH_lM/s6000/Red%20Shouldered%20Hawk%20%2321%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBpItnXbU_isDIN6hnxjfsr4Lx7nYp0IwnSCGWBYOvtLcuDljNwrAU9UbgcMmTSoqrSlAp6IZjQJdQNliZjnOkzyUdPvSUD6GXLWGQRy9JK7wJ7YVlemxI9F6BF33Pd25yYop6S2Y9HcSwfg85J3QiDZ5ch6XXZ081nYVN8h9MD3f1yty3wwbytYH_lM/s320/Red%20Shouldered%20Hawk%20%2321%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNu656Y0BZ-7tQqSBMeYj8j6kUy2dwUzl0OZKlIQsnUODNcVQtUDkFq7MVses_t96z5dP5O65bduv8OZ5AGEgMMvnbCq5ns0uV8hm3hYq8k9fHFe2islefQdE38H2C9QGcSSkqMHRBK60XZMqJiGHqey0v_Vagwe0OewIDFrOiqqvaldhjs8_coShMdvY/s6000/Red%20Shouldered%20Hawk%20%2322%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4800" data-original-width="6000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNu656Y0BZ-7tQqSBMeYj8j6kUy2dwUzl0OZKlIQsnUODNcVQtUDkFq7MVses_t96z5dP5O65bduv8OZ5AGEgMMvnbCq5ns0uV8hm3hYq8k9fHFe2islefQdE38H2C9QGcSSkqMHRBK60XZMqJiGHqey0v_Vagwe0OewIDFrOiqqvaldhjs8_coShMdvY/s320/Red%20Shouldered%20Hawk%20%2322%20Print%2016x20%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>That's it. That's my week in pictures. <br /><br /><br /></p></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-22835999550744027402023-09-26T13:39:00.003-05:002023-09-26T13:39:43.089-05:00Stonekettle Pen Sale<p> </p><p><br /></p><p>I don't usually post notices of sales on my store here on the blog. </p><p>Or I haven't in the past. I don't know why. Laziness probably. Posting the notices to social media was much easier. </p><p>But with the ongoing collapse of social media, I figured it was time to start. </p><p>So: Announcing this month's Stonekettle Pen Sale!</p><p>I've been on the road or deathly ill for the last few months. As such, it's been a while since I've done a sale. And I've built up a lot of inventory. Today there are three types of seam rippers. There are letter openers, hobby knives (a new item), fountain pens, several models of mechanical pencils, and a wide variety of pens. More than just what's in the picture below. </p><p>Plus photography prints, canvas, cards, metal prints, puzzles, coffee mugs. </p><div>Here's the store: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Stonekettle">https://www.etsy.com/shop/Stonekettle</a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLMf5_AxzGU8S0YbFgZVEyQAEfT4sytkaaSKlPvdnL7Ht_JXrIm6HbGTtNOe8WZcCToFK2BjEUgbKFAZJSAI8r1QU7d0nH2Ua5mDLFyDnPPU9PfvBymvN6JqPyx0xPdf4HAyY69KFZ4imMZwILYsPdF-2ka83FHUq-VhYPG3iwFKVFxUB4cZT-Y1slAM/s3312/Sale%209-26-23%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="3312" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLMf5_AxzGU8S0YbFgZVEyQAEfT4sytkaaSKlPvdnL7Ht_JXrIm6HbGTtNOe8WZcCToFK2BjEUgbKFAZJSAI8r1QU7d0nH2Ua5mDLFyDnPPU9PfvBymvN6JqPyx0xPdf4HAyY69KFZ4imMZwILYsPdF-2ka83FHUq-VhYPG3iwFKVFxUB4cZT-Y1slAM/s320/Sale%209-26-23%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Note I'll be uploading new prints and artwork over the rest of the week. That's a lengthy and time consuming process for me, so it takes a while. If you've seen images I've posted recently and they're not on the store, check back periodically and they'll likely be available as I get them uploaded and listed. <br /><br />Thanks for dropping by // Jim<br /><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-12947569487098478552023-09-25T15:07:00.012-05:002023-10-02T06:37:50.461-05:00Not Long Before The End<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?</i><br />--<b>Henry II</b>, 1170, referring to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket<br />(four knights subsequently murdered Becket, interpreting the King's comment as an order)</p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Well, we've apparently reached the "Kill All The Military Professionals" stage of the Revolution.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCRzXAN1Ivc-WqZdeurJ-Onb3Tpe3nFuXL3IdgR-Kh9-oPos9NjVVh_SMikWQ0s2-lW56E_t_AnN0ecscsaSFmRq_DKP4jORE_Zl63cNOjg3ISqHb2xA5pUec1_F_fD2GUX3o3CYsQL2adfNiQEgQ3Rlv4Jo5020lv4859rz8lU2QqgR5zB1byO4m7xQ/s465/Post%209-25%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="465" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCRzXAN1Ivc-WqZdeurJ-Onb3Tpe3nFuXL3IdgR-Kh9-oPos9NjVVh_SMikWQ0s2-lW56E_t_AnN0ecscsaSFmRq_DKP4jORE_Zl63cNOjg3ISqHb2xA5pUec1_F_fD2GUX3o3CYsQL2adfNiQEgQ3Rlv4Jo5020lv4859rz8lU2QqgR5zB1byO4m7xQ/s320/Post%209-25%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>That's, of course, the leading Republican candidate for president, Donald Trump, on his failing social media network last Friday.</p><p>Note how Trump accuses General Milley of leading the Afghanistan withdrawal and not Joe Biden? </p><p>Yeah, that's because Trump was the president who committed America to that withdrawal, and who himself gave the order, in the final days of his office. </p><p>But, it's that last bit, after the part where Trump throws in that bonus, randomly capitalized "Woke," that is the real kicker, where he is basically accusing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, of treason and suggesting Milley be put to death.</p><p>I mean, that's...</p><p>What? </p><p>No he didn't? Trump didn't suggest Milley be put to death?</p><p>Heh. </p><p>Yes, he did. </p><p>That's <i>exactly</i> what Trump did. </p><p>Because that's exactly what Trump always does: encourage violence and murder, couched in weasel words so that he can pretend he wasn't doing exactly what he was indeed doing. </p><p>You know it. I know it. There are tribesmen in the deepest, unreached portions of the Brazilian rainforest who have never had contact with the outside world and they know it. Oh, you Trump apologists can most certainly clutch your fleshy pale chests in mock outrage, no doubt aghast I would suggest such a thing. No, no! You cry. He said, "in times past!" That's what he said. In times past, the olde timey time, back when America was Great. Yeah, that's it! Trump was just saying <i>historically</i> anyone who did what Milley had done, well, yeah, back <i>then</i> he would have been put to death. </p><p><i>Historically</i> speaking, see?</p><p>Trump the student of history.</p><p>Trump the historian. </p><p>Trump, the guy who knows more about war than the Generals. Of course he does, just ask him. </p><p>You know, like that. </p><p>It's not like Trump was once again engaging in his usual incitement and stochastic terrorism. Not like he has an extensive history of doing <i>exactly</i> that. </p><p>Over and over. </p><p>Yeah. </p><p>And what was it Milley did, that our ancestors would have put him to death for? He contacted his counterparts in the Chinese military, <i>with the permission of the Trump Administration,</i> following Trump's attempted insurrection to assure them that he would not allow Trump to unleash America's nuclear arsenal in a fit of unhinged rage. </p><p>You know, just in case the crazy bastards on the other side with the nuclear weapons were maybe thinking about a preemptive strike. </p><p>So long as we're talking <i>historically,</i> there has never been a situation like a raving defeated president who was refusing to leave office, blaming China, and who was <i>STILL IN CONTROL OF THE GODDAMN NUCLEAR BOMBS. </i></p><p>So long as we're talking about history and all, I mean.</p><p><br /></p><p>Look, this is pretty fucking simple: if you don't want the generals calling the people you're threatening to vaporize, maybe start acting like a <i>President</i> instead of a character out of a bad HBO movie. </p><p><br /></p><p>What Trump doesn't understand, and has never understood, is pathologically incapable of understanding, is that the military swears its oath to the <i>Constitution</i>, to the nation, to the defense of the people of America. </p><p>The US military does <i>not</i> swear personal fealty to the President. Any president. </p><p>The Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs is responsible to the <i>law </i>first. It's right there in the oath. </p><p>The president also swears an oath of loyalty to that same instrument -- but, ironically, unlike members of the military, the president's oath isn't legally binding. </p><p>And speaking of oaths that aren't legally binding: Trump wannabe henchman, the absolute dumbest drooling booger-eating ass-picking member of a congress that includes Lauren Boebert, Arizona Republican Paul Gosar said "in a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung.” </p><p>I'm not quite sure how anyone could know the word "quisling" but not the correct term for execution by gallows. Nevertheless, here we are. I do admit, however, I would dearly love to watch Paul Gosar explain who he thinks Vidkun Quisling actually was and why his name is synonymous with treason, particularly in the context of giving aid and comfort to fucking <i>fascism</i>, because I suspect that would be hilarious. </p><p>But I digress. </p><p>Also "sodomy promoting?"</p><p>Right. Anyone want to guess at the contents of Gosar's browser cache? </p><p>Anyway, and leaving aside the part where a supposedly educated adult man probably means "hanged" and not well endowed, here's a member of Congress calling for the execution of a General Officer of the US Armed Forces. </p><p>Execute the generals. </p><p>Because that's never been done before, right?</p><p>Execute the generals. </p><p>Because, <i>historically,</i> the examples of, oh, say the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, North Korea, Hungary, or perhaps more relevant to the current situation: the execution of Rome's last great general, Flavius Stilicho, for "treason," -- who died not in war but arrested and beheaded at the command of faithless politicians for being too damn good at his job and (perhaps) foolishly too damn loyal to the nation he served -- didn't all end in utter disaster. </p><p>Funny, isn't it? </p><p>Funny ironic how those who claim to be the arbiters of history don't seem to <i>know</i> any of it? </p><p>And funny how they consistently suggest they would <i>themselves</i> commit the very worst actions of the oppressive regimes they claim to despise?</p><p>Yeah, funny indeed. </p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com74tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-82017692401432298092023-09-18T15:51:00.007-05:002023-09-18T16:09:02.281-05:00The Week in Photography: Hummingbird Migration<p> </p><p><br /></p><p>New feature.<br /><br />The Week In Pictures<br /><br />As many of you likely know, in addition to being a writer, I'm also a photographer. I've been told I'm reasonably decent at both, but I'll leave that up to you. <br /><br />Anyway: I'm going start posting a summary of the previous week's photography here on Stonekettle Station.<br /></p><p>I typically post images I take as I go on social media, but not everyone follows me on those platforms and the photos aren't summarized by week. And those platforms are subject to the arbitrary whims of infantile zillionaires, which I often find irritating. I've had images (OF BIRDS) removed from Facebook, because some fanatical birder tagged them as "false information" and "hate speech" because she didn't agree with my identification (and in case you ever wonder why I find fanatical birders obnoxious, that right there is a pretty good example. Or see the time they got me suspended on <i>two</i> platforms over hummingbird feeders, etc). And it looks like the end is sight for my Twitter existence, so ... new feature. </p><p>We'll start with the Ruby Throated Hummingbird migration that's been passing through the Florida Panhandle over the last week. <br /><br />These images were all taken by me, on my property, with a variety of gear, primarily a Nikon Z9 and a Nikon Z8, but also the Z7, Z7ii, and a D850 (you can never have too many cameras. I need more. More). Lens included my primary bird glass, the Nikkor 600mmf4E. Also a Nikkor Z 70-200mmf2.8, a Nikkor Z MC 50mm Macro/Micro lens. A Venus Optics Laowa 60mm 2x Ultra Macro. A Laowa 25mm Probe Macro lens. And probably some other glass I've forgotten about at the moment (you can never have too much good glass either). Most of the time the equipment was tripod mounted and operated remotely using a radio frequency controller. Some of the shots were taken using the Z9's autocapture function. </p><p>There is very little post processing, other that some white balance adjustment and cropping to fit my standard formats. <br /><br />Most of these images will be available for sale in my store next week. (I'm travelling this week, so it's going to have to wait). There will be a pen sale as well, including a variety of products. <br /><br />As to the hummingbirds: migration is mostly over for us here now. I'm seeing a few stragglers, but the males are all gone and it's just a few females and juveniles early in the morning. <br /><br />Let's get to it. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsN0Uw30mmUavoor4_gJc1zj3Fd4u29jSEdJ4C0SJr4Otl3OcoPPVg645MNv3jPMG6MOZKVMb8JE-R_ggpdK9fsx1dpjAj8YalkGjqxtQux3uqRf_Wsl-HPO_8RfF7UQJuxNU3onDQ29LvpvtmG1-X5fN-sr3ixSq4NnLxy0UVAA_XNi50cv7PAIeMVwE/s5400/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23310%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsN0Uw30mmUavoor4_gJc1zj3Fd4u29jSEdJ4C0SJr4Otl3OcoPPVg645MNv3jPMG6MOZKVMb8JE-R_ggpdK9fsx1dpjAj8YalkGjqxtQux3uqRf_Wsl-HPO_8RfF7UQJuxNU3onDQ29LvpvtmG1-X5fN-sr3ixSq4NnLxy0UVAA_XNi50cv7PAIeMVwE/s320/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23310%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHpR5xGVcRRI-sJbuGopEIqMZ9YP2toI-dUfScDgnh75eo54FDXn8FBXOROHx-oBD09cF78D2Ai4NmoY33DP-p7DcaIs1bbmMQCCN835YHadDEpi2ZwUJb4OBIKhv0mvxtTirEyXIIkSlIxm5PwkpYHK_emzMt-ufMuOwc6JszUjXJtenHeJMko-qXR4/s320/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23240%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgGPrEFvcAEnsiCZLEGrOiUNeBJuvzDX3X1Dc1YIUTM5V2M0IEjUJujI4TTyhHiXj8sqQzp56_QqntBCx7nxp71frsBMV_TPP5D9OI37l-HeKCnIkMnTVaRjjLQLCL6FM5HhRCQMV4cvN9LKxNXiYEkwCYoqTb-O_E3hwZAAt_pbqH39NstOT8uCs8cs/s5400/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23241%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="5400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgGPrEFvcAEnsiCZLEGrOiUNeBJuvzDX3X1Dc1YIUTM5V2M0IEjUJujI4TTyhHiXj8sqQzp56_QqntBCx7nxp71frsBMV_TPP5D9OI37l-HeKCnIkMnTVaRjjLQLCL6FM5HhRCQMV4cvN9LKxNXiYEkwCYoqTb-O_E3hwZAAt_pbqH39NstOT8uCs8cs/s320/Ruby%20Throated%20Hummingbird%20%23241%20Print%2018x18%20Upload.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />That's it. That's the week in Pictures.<br /><br />Future editions of this feature will likely include commentary about each image, but I am pressed for time today. So, you get images sans my narration. <br /><br />Hope you enjoy this new feature. Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-27575408882151603392023-09-09T17:33:00.013-05:002023-09-12T13:44:10.253-05:00A Criminal, A White Nationalist, and an Insurrectionist walk into a Bar...<p> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote>There's no problem that can't be ignored if we really put our minds to it!<br />-- <b>His Majesty Ralph Jones</b>, <i>King Ralph</i></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Stop me if you've heard this one. </p><p>Talk about a bad joke. </p><p>The leading Republican candidate for President of the United States is a unrepentant seditionist currently under criminal indictment in four jurisdictions (and likely soon to be five), charged with nearly a hundred major felonies and who was recently found liable for sexual assault. <br /><br />He's not the first candidate for president with a mugshot, but he might be the only one who got arrested, fingerprinted, and had to call a bail bondsman <i>while</i> he was running for office.</p><p>He may or may not be the only candidate to try and make a buck off his criminal indictment, but he is most certainly the only one with supporters dumb enough to <i>give </i>him money for it. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOd-8GzAUFsW6qTGQ48478ogSF6qPl4wIZY_Z-zosZFvRwWw7RK7h3guXcFaLlqGIXCMKShZG_SwWcukFowhRfUtxKoK9nHMqws2qDtjBN8bE9yMNU8FprSLgeJjm80zO_fTJ72yc33KpUj4rMtNMU_0XBN_HKrhpRQojzqw4VoFknIr4Ih8c0uAivvrY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOd-8GzAUFsW6qTGQ48478ogSF6qPl4wIZY_Z-zosZFvRwWw7RK7h3guXcFaLlqGIXCMKShZG_SwWcukFowhRfUtxKoK9nHMqws2qDtjBN8bE9yMNU8FprSLgeJjm80zO_fTJ72yc33KpUj4rMtNMU_0XBN_HKrhpRQojzqw4VoFknIr4Ih8c0uAivvrY" width="228" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br />When he's not getting arrested, Donald Trump spends all day, every day, on his rapidly failing social media platform, crowing about his polls, attacking his imagined enemies, and ranting in all caps and the third person about how unfair everyone is to Trump. The more this guy talks, and the more he talks about himself in the third person, the more delusional he sounds. Trump is quite literally his own worst enemy and if he was your dad, you'd have him sedated and put into an elder care facility with big burly mean nurses and doors that lock from the outside. </p><p>Trump's entire presidency was nothing but excuses -- well, that and golf.</p><p>He accomplished quite literally <i>nothing</i>, other than an ill-conceived trade war and record unemployment. And yet, somehow, the dipshits he screwed the worst are firmly convinced it's all somehow the fault of woke trans people, Joe Biden, and illegal immigrants. </p><p>A bizarrely high number of his lawyers are disbarred or in prison. </p><p>The only members of his administration who didn't end up writing books about how insane and incompetent and outright dangerous he is are the ones currently negotiating plea agreements to keep from going to prison for him themselves. </p><p>Trump's most loyal supporters are the convicted felons he pardoned on his last day in office. </p><p>He was a terrible leader, the worst kind in every aspect. He's the boss from hell. He's the officer who gets you killed, in peacetime. He's your crazy ex, the stalker who keeps violating the restraining order. He's the nut on the corner who smells like cat piss shouting about UFOs and CIA brain implants. He's racist Mel Gibson in a drunken rage leaving a voicemail on your phone. </p><p>And he just might be the <i>least</i> presidential candidate to ever run for office -- and that list includes lunatic extremist and hardcore antisemite Lyndon LaRouche who ran for president <i>from prison</i> and who likewise had a violent cultlike following of deluded morons, brawlers, and antigovernment seditionists who <i>still</i> want him to be president even though he's dead. </p><p>Trump is the foul distilled essence of the very worse aspects of America. He's loudly bombastic and proudly ignorant, all glitz and fake-gold veneer over a hollow shell of greed and dirty stained sheets like an Atlantic City casino. He's overfed and underinformed, the cold, stale, limp fast-food cheeseburger of politicians. He has more money than sense -- and he lies about how much money he has. He is chronically, pathetically, and <i>desperately </i>insecure and he spends every waking moment furiously compensating for his impotent inadequacies like a human shaped pair of rubber Truck Nutz dangling from the rear bumper of some jacked up, coal-rolling Texas 4x4 with a Molon Labe decal in the back window and a fake cowboy with a giant hat in the front seat.</p><p>Trump is right now openly threatening the Courts, attacking law enforcement, and promising to lock up everyone he feels done him wrong the minute he's back in power. </p><p>Donald Trump appeals to the worse, most base, most shallow elements of his supporters and they love him because he makes it okay to be the very worst version of themselves. </p><p>Trump...</p><p>What?</p><p>What's that? </p><p>Gee, Jim, why don't you tell us something we don't know already?</p><p>All right. Yeah. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. True. But, see? That's the thing. That, right there. I know. You know. Everybody knows. Hell, even Republicans know -- and they do. Oh, yes, they do. They know what a complete piece of shit Donald Trump actually is, <i>but he's still the leading candidate for the Republican ticket by at least 40 points, </i>maybe 50, depending on who you believe.</p><p>Republicans know, but they'll put him in power again if given even half a chance.</p><p>If you don't show up, Republicans are going to put Trump in the White House and they'll queue up behind him like good little storm troopers and they'll commit every atrocity and gleefully watch the Republic burn without so much as a single twinge of regret or a moment of conscience. Because while Trump was horribly bad for the country and the world at large, he was pretty good for Republicans. They got everything they wanted out of him and then some. He was the perfect Republican president, loud, stupid, cowed by wealth and power, easily manipulated by business and religion, and enthusiastically willing to screw all the people Republicans hate. They don't care what happens in the future, so long as they get rich and they get revenge <i>now</i>. </p><p>They'll put Trump back in office. </p><p>They absolutely will. </p><p>How do I know? Well, Trump is not only the leading candidate for the Republican ticket, the guy in second place isn't even close. </p><p>And who <i>is</i> the guy in second place?</p><p>Does it really matter? The official second place? Numbers, polls, etc? Really? I mean, they're all varying degrees of terrible, little goosestepping copies of Trump all busy trying to be the most extreme.</p><p>At this point, it's probably Vivek Ramaswamy.</p><p>Every time Ramaswamy opens his mouth it's to announce some authoritarian extremism that he plans on implementing his first day in office despite the fact it's blatantly illegal and grossly unconstitutional -- something that doesn't seem to much bother the party of self-declared "Constitutional Conservatives" given how few Republicans (zero) have denounced his fascism. </p><p>Yesterday, Ramaswamy promised that if elected president, he'll <i>deport</i> American-born children of undocumented immigrants even though they are by law U.S. citizens. Deport them … where? To what country? They're Americans. By birth. By law. By the Constitution. They've never lived anywhere else. They're likely productive members of our society. They grew up here, went to school here, speak our language, live our culture. <i>They</i> didn't break the law, but they'd get punished for the sins of their parents and, man, it just don't get any more Christian than that, does it? Deporting them would be completely illegal, unconstitutional, a violation of international law and agreements, far beyond the authority of the president (or any member of the government), and a very, very Trumpian thing to promise.</p><p>And the crowd cheered. </p><p>Previously, Ramaswamy wanted to ban 18 to 25-year-olds from voting, unless they passed a test based on his criteria -- or had military service, something he himself seems to have avoided. Again, illegal, unconstitutional, beyond the scope of the president's authority, but a very, very Trump thing to say given the common perception that young people tend to vote liberal and military service makes you conservative. The Republican response to any vote against them is to ban those people from voting and then tell you how we don't actually live in a democracy. </p><p>You have to wonder exactly what answers you'd have to give to "pass" that test. </p><p>Probably one of the most telling statements Ramaswamy has made is: "I've fired underperformers in the private sector. I'm going to do it for probably 75% of the people who work as federal bureaucrats in the government in Washington, D.C [...] Mass layoffs are absolutely what I'm bringing to the D.C. bureaucracy." This is yet another conservative who thinks you can run government like one of Trump's bed-bug infested hotels. Liquidate a few divisions, outsource essential services, jack up the stock prices and bonuses for all the executives. Like Trump, he doesn't see you as citizens, but rather as suckers to be fleeced for profit. </p><p>Government as a business, run by a techbro like Elon Musk, and not a real great place to work hardly seems like the kind of country that would be much fun to live in, does it? </p><p>Following the recent Jacksonville mass shooting, where a self-described neo-Nazi murdered three black people in a Dollar General and then turned his gun on himself, Ramaswamy immediately blamed the racially motivated hate crime on Democrats, Higher Education, and the Media, essentially saying that if people of color would just be quiet about rights, black lives, and justice, well, then racists wouldn't have a reason to kill them. Ramaswamy seems to think that if he's the biggest asshole in the room, all the old white Conservatives will forget he's a brown skinned son of immigrants with a funny name, an Ivy League education, and a rich Wall Street elite who runs a pharmaceutical company. </p><p>The worst part is that he might not be wrong. </p><p>Who else?</p><p>Well, there's Ron Pudding Fingers DeSantis, once the MAGA heir apparent, now just another wannabe fascist thrown under the Trump bus with Eric and Mike Pence. </p><p>What can I say about Red Tide Ron that hasn't been said already? I mean, goddamn, when your biggest, most outspoken, most visible supporters are the flabby balding toothless genetic failures wearing Nazi uniforms and waving Swastikas in front of Disney, I'm not really sure what I can add to that. </p><p>The pathetic sadness of DeSantis' attempts to appear manly is exceeded only by how much he fails at it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFG6K9_wBOxOy879goFx0bAatqP2OzlcjRRR_rtXXX2JfczMX2fO7b6nG0dDoVJgOp997LafxwcGXcKZmfnFTucY1tpyrDR8nX7T9fJxVqPiS9pe4ZIwwTX9m7sI43a_okrsBISs7eZIusKC6JnaWlQH9Vr_cOiAAF3wLGI1BZY2PaIFf0lejCEZL6BkQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="392" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFG6K9_wBOxOy879goFx0bAatqP2OzlcjRRR_rtXXX2JfczMX2fO7b6nG0dDoVJgOp997LafxwcGXcKZmfnFTucY1tpyrDR8nX7T9fJxVqPiS9pe4ZIwwTX9m7sI43a_okrsBISs7eZIusKC6JnaWlQH9Vr_cOiAAF3wLGI1BZY2PaIFf0lejCEZL6BkQ=w217-h446" width="217" /></a></div><p>Every time DeSantis thumps his chest and declares in his little squeaky voice how much of an anti-woke stud he is, I picture him in a gimp suit getting his ass spanked by an insurance executive in a leather Goofy costume holding a Little Mermaid themed cat-O-nine-tails. The only thing bigger than Ron DeSantis' failure is Matt Gaetz forehead. Ron DeSantis couldn't get laid in The Villages with two front row tickets to The Grand Ole Opry and a handful of Golden Corral coupons.</p><p>Who else?</p><p>Mike Pence might be the only point of agreement in America: everybody hates him. Left. Right. Moderate. Extremist. There are probably space aliens living in some incomprehensible technological construct a thousand light years from here that hate Mike Pence and wouldn't anal probe him even if he was the last redneck on a remote Nevada highway. Everyone hates Mike Pence -- which sounds like a sitcom starring Kevin Sorbo and Roseanne Barr that got cancelled halfway through the first episode. </p><p>Pence did <i>one</i> noteworthy thing in his entire ingrown toenail of a life. </p><p>That one time, on January 6th, when he actually did his job and refused to stop the election certification. It wasn't heroism. It's just in that moment Mike Pence suddenly realized he hadn't gotten permission from Mother to be the villain he'd always wanted to be. So, he did the safe thing. Now, yeah, great, that worked out for us, for the Republic, but Mike Pence isn't any hero and the worst part about it for him is that he can't even pretend to be. </p><p>That one thing, that one single action in his entire life when he actually did the moral thing, he can't run on it. </p><p>He can't even mention it. </p><p>It's his Waterloo. </p><p>The Republican Party is so far gone that they're willing to hang a politician who actually takes the moral high ground. </p><p>Mike Pence is as dead as Kevin Sorbo's acting career, he just hasn't figured it out yet. </p><p>Chris Christie? LOL. C'mon. Might as well uncrate Mitt Romney in whatever dusty warehouse they're keeping him in, pop in a new battery, and let him regale us with stories of how much he loves dogs. I mean, sure, compared to the previous mentions, Christie seems almost human in comparison. But it only seems that way. </p><p>Chris Christie is a petty, petulant sack of limp dicks who would be reviled as one of the worst politicians in America if Trump hadn't come along. </p><p>Nikki Haley? </p><p>Well, you know, Haley <i>is </i>one of the few former Trump confidants and Administration officials who <i>isn't</i> actually under indictment or in prison, so, I guess maybe that's something. </p><p>But, the key thing there is that she <i>was </i>in the Trump administration and like Christi and Pence, she only <i>seems </i>rational in comparison. She only won the Republican primary for governor of South Carolina due to an endorsement<i> by Sarah Palin</i> and if you think she's reasonable, I'd remind you that the fucking Tea Party had her give the Republican "rebuttal" to Barack Obama's 2016 State of the Union Address. You forgot about that hour of insane conspiracy theories, racism, and outright lies, didn't you? Yeah, go look that up on YouTube and tell me she's the rational one of the bunch. Haley is another child of immigrants who is determined to pull the ladder up after herself. I got mine, fuck you. She might have some reservations about the Republican war on abortion, but she as hell isn't going to stand up for any liberal woman's right to choose, not if she wants the endorsement that is. </p><p>Haley isn't the savior who pulls the GOP back towards the center, she's just another extremist only smoother and with better hair. </p><p>Who else?</p><p>Tim Scott? Favorite recipient of Koch Brothers money? Maybe. But I have my doubts just how far Scott can go in a party that is increasingly open about its white nationalism. And like Haley, who appointed him to the Senate in 2013, Scott only seems reasonable in comparison to the rest of the Republican Party. Though, truthfully, if my choices were Scott or (Trump, DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Haley, et al), I'd grit my teeth and fill in the little circle for Scott. It better not come to that. </p><p>Who's left? </p><p>Ryan Binkley, Doug Burgum, Larry Elder, Will Hurd, Perry Johnson, Asa Hutchison? I miss anybody? </p><p>The only way any of any of these dipshits are going to get anywhere near the nomination is a faulty electrical connection in a rainstorm. </p><p>That's right. You heard me. A bolt of lightning. </p><p>Like in <i>King Ralph</i> when the entire British Royal Family gets electrocuted during a photoshoot and they have to call in John Goodman -- who would probably make a vastly better president than anyone Republicans currently have in the lineup. </p><p>That's the terrible unfunny punchline of this terrible unfunny joke, right there. </p><p>A criminal, a white nationalist, and an insurrectionist walk into a bar and, yes, we <i>have</i> heard this one before. Too damn often. And the punchline should be, "what can I get you, Mr. Trump?" but it's not. Because it's not just Trump, it's the whole rotten, miserable, ideology. </p><p>It's the whole damn bunch. </p><p>This is the best conservative America can offer us, this motley assortment of criminals, seditionists, bigots, and flag waving Nazis who want to crank the clock back to 1950. </p><p>You know, Joe Biden might be old and he might not be everything we want and he might have gotten himself elected on the simple fact that he is not Trump, but at this point that's enough. </p><p>We're not going to fix this in one fell swoop. </p><p>Some young charismatic hero isn't going to drop in, unite the country, and move us back to level center. </p><p>It's going to be a <i>long, </i>grim, painful slog, uphill all the way. </p><p>We're going to have to beat these goons one contest at a time, and push them back into the wretched shadows whence they came. We're going to have to recover all the ground we lost before we can make any progress -- exactly as I goddamned warned some of you back when you were telling me how everything you care about was settled law.</p><p>At least you better hope it'll be a long hard haul, because the alternative is even worse. </p><p>Just in case I'm not being clear here: we got rid of the Nazis and reset German society in four years, but it was a little hard on the furniture. </p><p>We could have had the change we wanted more quickly, but, well, here we are. And for all those people who yelled at me four years ago, "DON'T TRY TO SCARE US!" I sure hope you're scared now. If you're not, you're a goddamn fool. </p><p>I hope you're scared enough to show up and do your duty even if you really, really don't want to. </p><p>You know where I'm going with this, don't you? </p><p>But I'll say it anyway: You want a better nation? Be a better citizen. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote>Don't talk like one of them. You're not! Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper! You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve.<br />--<b>The Joker</b>, <i>The Dark Knight </i>(2008)</blockquote><p></p><p> </p><p></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-35189526322489158272023-08-18T14:08:00.016-05:002023-11-21T07:55:06.112-06:00Where you can find me<p> <br /><br /><span style="color: red;">Edit</span>: Twitter X has become increasingly antisemitic, actively promoting and agreeing with antisemitic conspiracies and allowing advertising and promoted posts from self-declared white supremacists. Elon Musk's latest open Antisemitism is the last straw. I will no longer post my material there. I'll keep my profile as a placeholder, until that's no longer permitted. And I'll post links to my other sites. But I'm done with it. <span style="color: red;">End Edit<br /></span><br />I promised my followers on Twitter that I wouldn't leave the platform until they threw me out. </p><p>I'll stick to it, (<span style="color: red;">Edit</span>: I'll stick to it. I'll use it to keep current and stay in contact with certain people, but new material will be posted elsewhere. The only thing I'll put on Twitter are links to those sites <span style="color: red;">End Edit</span>) but Elon Musk announced today he will remove the block option from the platform.<br /></p><p>Additionally, Twitter, or "X" as it's calling itself these days, also finally killed Tweetdeck, which was my primary interface. </p><p>I'll keep my account there, as promised, but the platform has become essentially unusable to me. </p><p>I've been bleeding followers there for months, since Musk took over, and frankly I'm at pains to understand why I should provide the world's richest man with any more free content -- the guy should be paying me. Particularly now that I'll have to deal with thousands upon thousands of trolls, bots, and screaming haters that I am no longer allowed to block while also working through X's garbage basic browser interface. <br /><br />Oh, and not to mention that I continue to be rate limited. </p><p>I mean, you don't have to fuck me over more than a dozen times or so before I get the message. </p><p>So, I'll be reducing my presence there starting today.</p><p>If you still want to follow me, here's where you can do so: </p><p>Obviously here, on <a href="http://www.stonekettle.com" target="_blank">Stonekettle Station</a>, I'll be moving a lot of content back here to my own website. </p><p>My personal <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Stonekettle/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, maxed out, you can view the content there and share it, but I can't accept any new "friends." That's a Facebook limitation and I have no control over it<br /><br />The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/795017370654044" target="_blank">Stonekettle Station</a> Facebook group, a closed group, you'll have to request to join. Answer the membership questions, or your application will be rejected immediately. But once in, unlike my personal page, there aren't any limits and you can comment on everything and participate with 50,000 other super cool people. There are strict rules regarding behavior, so read those first and adhere. Act like a jerk, you get airlocked immediately. <br /><br />My professional <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StonekettlePro/" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a>, unlimited, unfiltered, unblocked. But you'll have to deal with the trolls and the jerks and the pedants. I don't moderate or curate the comments. </p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/stonekettle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, where most of my professional photography resides and some additional narrative. Also technical discussions of photography. </p><p><a href="https://www.threads.net/@stonekettle" target="_blank">Threads</a>,<strike> limited at the moment as the platform really isn't useful to me until, if, there is a desktop interface</strike>. [There is now a dedicated desktop interface and I'm using Threads the way I used to use Twitter. Also, starting to see a lot of folks I enjoyed interacting with on Twitter now on Threads, also news services, information sources, celebrities, etc. If you want to follow me in a fashion similar to Twitter, this is the place I'll be putting most of my effort] I'm hoping this grows into a useful replacement for shortform, i.e. what Twitter used to be. <br /><br /><a href="https://counter.social/web/accounts/26787#" target="_blank">Counter Social</a>. It's like Mastodon, but without all the people who hate me. <br /><br />Speaking of Mastodon, I do have an account there. It's in mothballs, I won't use it or post in the Fedverse anymore. The environment there was extremely unwelcoming to me. Your experience may be different, but I really, really felt unwelcome. Also there are a number of accounts in the Fedverse pretending to be me, using my name and my content that they're skimming from other platforms. Apparently that's acceptable on Mastodon. Just another reason for me to avoid the place. </p><p><a href="https://post.news/@/stonekettle" target="_blank">Post</a>. A nice platform. Small. Not a lot going on. Still in development. <br /><br /><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/stonekettle.bsky.social" target="_blank">Bluesky</a>. I'm there. I'm posting. I'm leery, given that the guy who runs it was the guy who sold me out to Elon Musk, but I'm there. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.patreon.com/stonekettle" target="_blank">Patreon</a>, you can support me here. I do some additional blogging there. Shortly there will be exclusive content just for Patreons. I intend to start a weekly video podcast. I'm set up. I've scripted out the first dozen or so episodes, but I've been on the road for the last eight months due to some family issues and haven't been able to get it up and running. I've hopefully resolved that situation and the first 'cast should drop shortly. </p><p>You can also support me via <a href="https://paypal.me/Stonekettle?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US" target="_blank">PayPal</a> and I very much appreciate that. <br /><br />And my store is here, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Stonekettle" target="_blank">Etsy</a>, where you can find prints of my photography for sale, puzzles, pens, shirts, coffee mugs, and other cool things. <br /><br />See you around // Jim<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-31046991509066148042023-08-18T12:24:00.004-05:002023-08-18T17:47:00.013-05:00What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>I had assumed that I would age with all my friends growing old around me, dying off very gradually one by one. And here was a plague that cut them off so early.<br /></i>--<b>Thom Gunn</b></blockquote><b></b><p></p><p><br /></p><p>As some of you have noted, I've been meaner than usual recently.</p><p>I'm told it's been noticeable over the last week or so on my various social media feeds. </p><p>I don't dispute that. Nor do I apologize for it -- though interestingly enough a number of people wrote to tell me they liked the new meaner Stonekettle, so there's that. </p><p>Anyway.</p><p>My increased crabbiness comes from the fact that I have COVID.<br /></p><p>I've been fighting it for the last week or so. </p><p>Now, you might be one of those cheerful sick people, but I'm not. I feel like crap most of the time these days, a legacy of spending most of my life in a profession that tends to beat the hell out of you on a good day. Twenty years of <i>that</i> and, well, yeah, I feel lousy most days now. So anything that makes me feel <i>worse</i> isn't something I handle all that well. I'm not a good sick person. And COVID has been kicking the piss out of me for a week with the primary side effect being that it's making me even more unpleasant than usual. </p><p>Anyway, I mention it now because people have noticed and because maybe a narrative of what happened to me will help you, should you be unfortunate enough to get this crap. </p><p>First, let me say this: I don't want any advice. </p><p>REPEAT: I don't want any advice. None. Thank you. </p><p>Second, and I can not stress this enough, I don't want, need, or require any medical advice. </p><p>I have a doctor, for the moment, you're not him, thanks (and more on that subject in a minute).</p><p>I got it on the last day of my recent photography trip to Navajo lands in the Southwest with my wife. I know exactly where I got it and I know exactly who gave it to me. The relative who infected us in Las Vegas (yes, my wife got it too) didn't know they had it either, until it was too late. So, there wasn't much we could do to avoid it. </p><p>Worst part is that over the last few years since this disease first emerged, I've attended two Worldcons and a half dozen smaller cons, and if you know anything about science fiction conventions, it's a miracle I never got it before this. </p><p>One fucking day in Vegas though...</p><p>Fortunately, we left Las Vegas (not knowing yet that we'd been exposed) and drove pretty much straight home. Two days, almost all of that in the car by ourselves. And when we stopped, we were far away from others (we're not particularly social people). We still wear masks in public when appropriate. We still use hand sanitizer. And we didn't start feeling the first symptoms until we were nearly home -- literally about three hours away. So, the likelihood we may have infected anyone else along the way is fairly low. Hopefully.</p><p>We got to our home in Florida late at night. Went to bed and woke up the next morning with sore throats and coughs. </p><p>We tested right away. My wife was positive but I wasn't. </p><p>We isolated of course. Had groceries delivered, given that we'd been on the road for two weeks and there wasn't any fresh food in the house. Called everyone and told them to stay away. </p><p>That first day wasn't too bad. Mild headache. My neck and shoulders ached worse and worse as the day went by. Sneezing. Sore throat. Called my doctor and asked for Paxlovid, only to be told by the receptionist that the practice (three doctors) would not prescribe the antiviral. Beg pardon, I asked? We don't prescribe Paxlovid, she said in a tone dripping with disdain like I'd asked for a big jar of Fentanyl. Like just a blanket won't do it? Not based on patient condition? Just, no? That's right, she said. The doctor eventually called in a prescription for the sore throat, but not pax. Guess I'll be looking for a new doctor then, because that's just bullshit -- but common with conservative doctors in The South since the advent of COVID and politics-based medicine. </p><p>The next day was the worst. I slept through most of it. Fever. Body aches. By then I was testing positive. I got up around noon, had some soup, wandered out to my office to see what was going on, and ended up with chills so bad I couldn't stop shaking. I was suddenly so weak I wasn't sure I could get back to the house. I got outside my office, it was about 98F in the shade. I sat down on the pavement in my driveway, which was hot enough to burn my ass in the blazing sun, and I was wearing a huge heavy hoodie, and I was <i>still</i> freezing. I eventually made it back into the house, crawled into bed and buried myself under a bunch of quilts and slept for the rest of the day. And don't think I wasn't still pissed about being denied Paxlovid, because I was. And still am. </p><p>Day three was better. Still felt like I had the flu, still had a fever, but no chills. Throat was really sore and I had a persistent cough. But, I got a lot of work done that day, actually. Wrote an essay, processed a bunch of pictures from the trip. Finally ate something. You want to lose weight, I don't recommend COVID, but it does work. </p><p>Lost my sense of smell on day five. </p><p>That second day, I was ill to death, fever, chills, and the trash was full in the kitchen because we'd cleaned stuff out the fridge when we got home. I pulled the bag out, but I wasn't walking out to the road and trashcans. </p><p>So I tossed it into the garage. </p><p>And I forgot about it. </p><p>It's a 100F here.</p><p>I forget about it for a couple of days. </p><p>My wife eventually went out to the garage for something and I hear her retching, <i>OMG SOMETHING DIED OUT HERE! </i></p><p>I'm like, really? I don't smell anything. </p><p>She looked at me, seriously? You don't smell that? Gag. Something must have gotten in here and died. </p><p>I looked at the beagle, the beagle looked at me. And even he was wrinkling up his nose in disgust and it takes a <i>lot</i> to disgust a beagle. Trust me. </p><p>That's when I remembered that trash bag from the kitchen. </p><p>The one that might have had some raw shrimp in it. And had been sitting in the heat for days. </p><p>Ooooh! The light came on. </p><p>Hey, I've lost my sense of smell! That's not great, but from your expression it <i>is</i> convenient! I'll get that garbage out to the cans now. Sorry. </p><p>It's weird. I can taste certain things, but not others. </p><p>I can't really smell much of anything. </p><p>Coffee? I can smell that. And taste it too. And it tastes as great as it always does to me. No problem. But fruit juice? Might as well be cold water. I don't know. I had some pizza last night and it tasted fine. I bleached the hell out of the kitchen and the garbage cans. Nothing. Couldn't smell any of it. Which was, again, convenient. So, there's that. But then it's Florida. This place mostly smells like cancer from the paper plant and moldy swamp water. Who wants to smell anything anyway, amiright? </p><p>I'm told I'll get taste and smell back in a few weeks or so. </p><p>We'll see. I not in any hurry. Especially since I'm the one who has to take out the trash in this horrible heat. </p><p>Over the rest of the week, I wrote another essay. Processed more pictures from the trip. Wrote a bunch of social media posts. Rewatched The Mandalorian and the Book of Boba Fett. Watched Trump get indicted again and watched Elon Musk continue to destroy a $40 billion platform with all the finesse of that armed chimp in the movie <i>Nope.</i> I mowed the grass, or an acre of it anyway. The pasture can wait another week. I'm feeling better, still got that cough though. Still isolating. Still testing positive. Still a little tired. </p><p>It's the first time I've gotten it. </p><p>Hope it's the last, but it probably won't be given that the disease is endemic now. </p><p>I'm fully vaccinated and have received all the boosters and, yeah, I still got it. But it was mild, I didn't die, didn't end up in the hospital with a tube shoved down my throat, hopefully won't have any long term complications. That's how vaccines work. </p><p>I'm still pissed about not getting the Paxlovid. </p><p>But, really, for me, the worst part about having COVID is that I can't see my 8-month-old grandson for a few more weeks. </p><p>That blows. </p><p>Though my lovely daughter-in-law is a sending me pictures nearly every day and Facetiming the good stuff. </p><p>Getting old sucks, so does COVID. But being a granddad makes up for a lot.</p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com145tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-91607215510397383542023-08-14T15:47:00.012-05:002023-08-15T08:08:26.715-05:00Baloney<p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Why is “Phoney” (Like in PERFECT “PHONE” CALL, get it?) Fani Willis, the severely underperforming D.A. of Fulton County who is being accused of having an “affair” with a Gang Member of a group that she is prosecuting, leaking my name in regard to a Grand Jury pertaining to Election Fraud & Irregularities that I say took place in Georgia. I made a PERFECT PHONE CALL OF PROTEST. What does Phoney Fani have to do with me?</i><br />-- <b>Donald Trump</b>, Truth Social, 8/13/2023<br /><br /></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">"Phoney"</p><p style="text-align: left;">Phoney. Like <i>Phone. </i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Phone <i>call</i>. Phoney. Phone. See? And then Phoney is like Phony. Get it? Ha ha. Phoney. Hilarious. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I am very clever. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Oh yes, very clever indeed. </p><p style="text-align: left;">You know, a perfectly normal, rational, adult message from a man who used to be President of the United States and wants to be again. Like that. Sure. Go ahead and have the lawyers put that on the legal documents and sing it in court <i>Foney Fani bobani fofanny nanni mo nanni bonana...</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">What?</p><p style="text-align: left;">Yeah, you're right. I'll stop. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Besides, you probably don't get it anyway. Too intellectual for us poor chumps, am I right? <span style="text-align: center;">T</span><span style="text-align: center;">hat's the Wharton Business degree talking right there. You gotta be well bred, Ivy League, upper crust...</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">What? </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Fine. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;">A former president, currently under more than 70 felony charges, screaming online about how the election was stolen (or as he puts it "stollen") from him yesterday morning, and threatening witnesses and court officials today in advance of even <i>more </i>criminal indictments for attempted election fraud, is just how democracy works in America now. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;">He claims to have "Massive and Conclusive Proof" of election fraud. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Massive and Conclusive Proof [sic].</p><p>Gigantic, colossal, immense, tremendous, the most massive Brobdingnagian proof like no one has ever seen before!</p><p>Proof. </p><p>Except so far the only proof Trump has managed to produce is an amateurish YouTube movie made by a convicted felon who was put in prison <i>for committing election fraud</i> and who Trump himself pardoned and some random gibberish from a failed pillow salesman who is mostly famous for cocaine benders and unhinged conspiracy theories. </p><p>Which is weird. </p><p>Really weird. </p><p>Because despite millions of dollars and endless accusations and repeated promises of earthshaking evidence, these sons of bitch <i>still</i> can't prove election fraud in even the most sympathetic court of law. </p><p>I mean, it's just <i>astounding</i> how far up their own assholes these Trump cultists are. Absolutely astounding. I honestly don't know how they're getting enough oxygen to keep what little brains they have operating. </p><p>Or maybe they aren't.</p><p>Look here: Trump himself when he was president, first thing he did after being handed an office he didn't deserve by the Electoral College, formed the Advisory Commission on Election Integrity -- because he was mad that he'd lost the popular vote and was determined to prove that America loved him more than Hillary Clinton. </p><p>You remember this, right? </p><p>Sure you do. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. That's right. But a lot of other people seem to have forgotten all about it. Include the Press. </p><p>And who did Trump put in charge of his big giant enormous Commission? </p><p>Former Kansas Secretary of State (now Kansas State Attorney General), Kris Kobach, a hardcore Republican partisan who was absolutely convinced there was chicanery afoot and who was determined to prove it. Which is always what you want in an AG, a guy who starts out absolutely convinced of the conclusion and then goes looking for evidence to support it. No chance of a legal system going completely haywire with a guy like that in charge of Death Row, am I right? </p><p>But I digress. </p><p>AND EVEN WITH THE FULL POWER OF THE US GOVERNMENT BEHIND IT, THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE PRESIDENCY, KOBACH COULDN'T FIND A SINGLE CASE OF ELECTION FRAUD.</p><p>Well, I mean, he couldn't find a single case other than than a bunch of old white Republicans double voting, but somehow that doesn't count (see the previous note about forgone conclusions). Oh, and lest I sound too dismissive, a Republican "election" investigator hired by the commission <i>was</i> indicted for possession of child porn. So, you know, at least they got one arrest out of it. </p><p>But again, I digress.</p><p>Trump's commission made repeated claims of voting by non-citizens. They told America with absolute certainty that millions -- not just one or two, but <i>millions</i> -- of illegal aliens were voting for Democrats. </p><p>Millions. </p><p>That was their count, not mine. Millions. </p><p>But in the end, they could produce exactly zero evidence of this astounding claim. They couldn't even find one bedraggled Mexican fence-jumper to pin the whole thing on. </p><p>Not even with the full power of the federal government behind them. </p><p>And, ironically, even grossly openly-racist red states like Mississippi told Trump to "go jump in the Gulf of Mexico" and that their election systems were secure. The commission folded up and closed its doors in less than six months and Kobach slunk back to Kansas in defeat. </p><p>Here we are, seven years later, and this ongoing lie about election fraud cost Fox News nearly a billion dollars in a lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Probably over a billion when you total up the settlement and the lawyer fees. </p><p>And again, with all the resources, all the money, all the lawyers, all the billionaire backers and the complete and utter lack of any integrity or belief in any actual truth, Fox News <i>still</i> couldn't prove a single case of voting fraud or any exploited vulnerability in Dominion's electronic voting systems in any fashion whatsoever in any state including those controlled by political organizations sympathetic to Trump himself and more than willing to give Republican operators like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell illegal access to their machines. Fox News couldn't show <i>any </i>compromise to the systems and had to admit in public that they were wrong. And then they had to pay. $787.5 million dollars to Dominion. </p><p>And looks pretty certain that Fox News is going to lose a similar lawsuit to Smartmatic as well, maybe even harder. </p><p>And speaking of Georgia, that state will likely cost Republicans engaged in this conspiracy theory dearly. </p><p>For Trump, Georgia may very well be his Waterloo. </p><p><i>Foney Fani bobani fofanny nanni mo nanni bonana...</i></p><p>What? <br /></p><p>Right. Sorry. </p><p>Anyway. In every state, the integrity of the elections has been examined down the molecular level. In no case is there any evidence whatsoever of any significant vote tampering or voter fraud. There are minor isolated cases of corrupt voting officials attempting to change results and a few people voting illegally either on purpose or by accident (and in Ron DeSantis' Florida, "accident" and "illegal" have very questionable definitions, but still...), but in almost every case those votes were <i>for</i> Trump and/or Republicans and were never, ever, enough to change the outcome of any election in either direction. </p><p>Not even close. </p><p>Here's the thing: The real threats to democracy aren't at the ballot box and never were. </p><p>The real threat comes from those like Trump who would ignore democracy and the will of the people altogether and who daily attempt to replace democracy with disenfranchisement, gerrymandering, intimidation, dark money, and when all that fails: seize power with violence and insurrection. </p><p>Trump is the inevitable end result of that loathsome trend started by Nixon and Reagan.</p><p>It's the ideology of racism, selfish saber-rattling nationalism, endless corruption that is never held to account, slathered over by a thin veneer of the shallow aw-shucks John Wayne patriotism of those who themselves never served. </p><p>It is the dimwitted paranoid maladapted knuckle-dragging inheritor of McCarthyism, Jim Crow and the German/American Bund, the distilled unhinged essence of violent cowardice whored up and presented as strength and manliness to the brawlers and the goons and the shouting mob too damn stupid to realize they're being used even as they are gleefully thrown into prison for the crimes of their leaders. </p><p>It's not some foreign nation.</p><p>It's not some army at our border or some navy on our shores. </p><p>It's <i>this</i>. This rot. This corruption. This cancer. This swollen orange carbuncle on the ass of humanity, sitting on a toilet in Mar-a-Lago right now, shitting his colon inside out in rage and furiously tweeting hate and threats and fascism with his tiny sausage-like thumbs. </p><p>This is always how democracy dies. </p><p>This violent selfishness from those too lazy and stupid to do the basic grunt work of citizenship. </p><p>When you demand the population swear allegiance to a flag but give your own fealty to party and ideology without a shred of self-awareness; when you demand business be given the same voice and rights as a citizen but then punish that corporation when it doesn't say what you want; when your prisons are full to bursting with the poor but not the rich; when justice and liberty are hereditary birthrights of privilege and increasingly unobtainable to the lower classes and when even violence can no longer change this condition, well, the end of the Republic isn't far away. </p><p>The worst part is that in every case -- every single case -- the collapse is never a surprise. </p><p>When it all falls apart, well, the warning signs were there all along. Loud. Obvious. Laid out in plain order, one after the other. Stop! Go Back! Danger! Danger! And in every case, the course of the fall could have been altered, or reversed, at any time, at any point along the way, if only the population had the will to do so. </p><p>The greatest strength of a democratic republic is the citizen. </p><p>Ironically, that's also its greatest weakness. </p><p>It doesn't take much to bring down the mightiest Republic. </p><p>You just have to stop believing in it. <br /><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><i>An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.</i><br />― <b>Plutarch</b></blockquote><p></p></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com74tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-72039001811261921122023-08-10T11:21:00.020-05:002023-08-10T21:37:16.368-05:00The Latter Days of a Better Nation, Part VI<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>“They want to be the agents, not the victims, of history. They identify with God's power and believe they are godlike. That is their basic madness. They are overcome by some archetype; their egos have expanded psychotically so that they cannot tell where they begin and the godhead leaves off. It is not hubris, not pride; it is inflation of the ego to its ultimate confusion between him who worships and that which is worshipped. Man has not eaten God; God has eaten man.”</i><br />― <b>Philip K. Dick</b>, <i>The Man in the High Castle</i></p><p> </p></blockquote><p></p><p>Nothing like this has ever happened before!</p><p>"Just found out that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ secretly attacked my Twitter account..."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxnRtWCcsWYKnG_yJzMWHj0iLAWXiXZgu50uBrYuXk_nCBzzu3S54JuFE4ghGzI5TH_ZbpEHZ3nI1j4KKK2rVMrzh61X4-1-ShfX0jiIiMYStUKgd7Yjx33Y0bsY4tzR1lvuppsKn8QozURYaP67idqQ4miR6vvbMhXuBjZQb6atZXkB2JzycyFImIoW4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="469" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxnRtWCcsWYKnG_yJzMWHj0iLAWXiXZgu50uBrYuXk_nCBzzu3S54JuFE4ghGzI5TH_ZbpEHZ3nI1j4KKK2rVMrzh61X4-1-ShfX0jiIiMYStUKgd7Yjx33Y0bsY4tzR1lvuppsKn8QozURYaP67idqQ4miR6vvbMhXuBjZQb6atZXkB2JzycyFImIoW4" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The President of the United States secretly attacked my social media account. </p><p>Attacked. <br /><br />My Twitter. </p><p>Note Trump doesn't bother to explain what he means by "attacked" or how he found out and who told him.</p><p>Note also Trump doesn't actually use his personal Twitter account, even though it's supposedly been restored by Twitter's new owner, so how exactly this alleged secret attack affects him in any fashion or in any way infringes on his campaign is left as an exercise for the reader. (It also brings up a fascinating implication that Twitter -- a privately held social media company in the hands of a foreign born billionaire infamous for irrational statements and actions and a self-professed hard conservative bent -- has direct influence on American democracy and if that is indeed the case then perhaps social media should be subject to strict government regulation and oversight, but I digress). <br /><br />Note that if Trump is talking about the account he used during his presidency, that by definition is public information, intellectual (sorry) property of the US government, and physically in possession of one Elon Musk, available to not only all Americans but the entire world. And he's the one who posted it for all to see, Donald Trump. Nobody else. And we're going to come back to that. </p><p>Note also Trump's First Amendment rights seem to be fully intact -- and in point of fact, that man never shuts the hell up. He's been given an undeserved platform on every social media site (and he literally <i>owns </i>one) and every news channel and every pundit is lined up ten deep to interview him for free and broadcast his insanity to the world. There isn't a late night show or a political rally that wouldn't have him on board at the last moment. The First Amendment grants Trump the right to spew his bile and conspiracy and madness, but no one has to listen to him or give him a platform. </p><p>And finally, if you're still unclear as to what a Begging the Question Logical Fallacy actually is, "<u>Did </u>Deranged Jack Smith tell the Unselects to DESTROY & DELETE all evidence?" is a textbook example. </p><p><br /></p><p>But, thus is the world we live in now, this bizarre construct of Reality TV. </p><p><br /></p><p>It's not Joe Biden. </p><p>It's not Hunter Biden.</p><p>It's not Democrats. </p><p>It's not the DoJ. It's not Merrick Garland and it's not Jack Smith. </p><p>It's not some grand conspiracy led by Hillary Clinton and the Illuminati with a candlestick in the basement drawing room of a Washington DC pizza parlor. </p><p>It's Donald J. Trump. </p><p>It's <i>all</i> Donald J. Trump and no one else. </p><p>Trump abused his office and he bragged about it. </p><p>Trump broke election law in multiple states and he tried to do it in others and he boasted about his fraud on live TV and swore he'd do it again. </p><p>Trump led a violent insurrection against the United States of America and he's proud of it. He could have stopped it -- and his staff and political party begged him to do so -- and he <i>vehemently </i>refused, and he did so on record. He committed sedition and treason right out in the open and is unashamed and determined to do it again. </p><p>Trump violated <i>every </i>standard of morality, ethics, and the values of his position and he pissed on his oath of office every single day and he's not only unrepentant, he's out there right now unabashed in front of his Nuremberg Rallies and on Social Media profiting from his chicanery and malfeasance. You don't need to take my word for it, you can see and hear him for yourself. </p><p>Trump <i>literally </i>told America, the World, that he could commit murder on the street in public and not only get away with it, but he wouldn't lose a single vote and here he is every single day determined to prove that statement correct. And it's looking like he wasn't wrong.</p><p>Nearly every lawyer who defended Trump, nearly every violent Brown Shirted brawler who rallied to his banner on January 6th, they're all in prison or facing serious legal consequences for actions committed in Trump's name. </p><p>Those testifying against Trump in court, those <i>bringing</i> charges against Trump in court, they are almost all members of his own party, some of them even voted for him. </p><p>No, this isn't on Joe Biden or Democrats or anyone else. </p><p>It's all <i>Trump.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>“Hitler lied shamelessly about himself and about his enemies. He convinced millions of men and women that he cared for them deeply when, in fact, he would have willingly sacrificed them all. His murderous ambition, avowed racism, and utter immorality were given the thinnest mask, and yet millions of Germans were drawn to Hitler precisely because he seemed authentic. They screamed, “Sieg Heil” with happiness in their hearts, because they thought they were creating a better world.”</i><br />― <b>Madeleine K. Albright</b>, <i>Fascism: A Warning</i></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Donald Trump is the reason for Donald Trump's predicament and no one else. </p><p>Trump lies shamelessly about himself and about his enemies every single day. </p><p>Trump convinced millions that he cares for them, when, in fact, he would sacrifice them all without a second thought and has done so repeatedly. </p><p>Trump's murderous ambition, avowed racism, and utter immorality are given the thinnest mask, and yet millions of Americans are drawn to him precisely because he gives them license to be their own worst selves. They scream "MAGA!" with happiness in their hearts, because they think once they've eliminated all of us, they'll somehow have a better world. </p><p>And the more things change, the more you see the relentless cycle of history coming 'round again and again. </p><p>This time, it's Trump. </p><p>It's all Trump and it's all Trump in his own words and it always has been.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfgeVflJec-2JyHR5y9Ht9wRhuU1Bwa_qq1DfPy0MgEYNBnwOuVZD5-ZlIiXRtuhQDVZpQgBzeJ44sK_vn9FLFfNpXKl6_bp_Kyy2cfR-l8dwdGn6MX7AikxkktBmP6gFoCuWtWiMl5SmjeQsyYFTxvJODpUjlr6M9i8lp82x6oL097Sehw0gW2V4A_Yk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="469" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfgeVflJec-2JyHR5y9Ht9wRhuU1Bwa_qq1DfPy0MgEYNBnwOuVZD5-ZlIiXRtuhQDVZpQgBzeJ44sK_vn9FLFfNpXKl6_bp_Kyy2cfR-l8dwdGn6MX7AikxkktBmP6gFoCuWtWiMl5SmjeQsyYFTxvJODpUjlr6M9i8lp82x6oL097Sehw0gW2V4A_Yk" width="258" /></a></div><br />The thing about extremism is that each position must be more extreme than the last, more hyperbolic, more unhinged, more fanatical, until you're just screaming obvious insane spittle-flecked nonsense.<p></p><p>But if you do it long enough, like Hitler if you do it with enough rage and hate and <i>fury</i>, then people start to believe. </p><p>See, these people, they often tell you how there can be no morality without their religion. Without their god, they say, everyone would rape and murder and steal and burn down civilization. It is only fear of their god that holds back the dark of night. </p><p>But what happens when they replace their god with someone who gives them license to be their own worst selves? </p><p>The ironic part is that the final apocalyptic book of their own Bible warns them of <i>exactly </i>that -- and yet those who sound the alarm most dire of the (alleged) coming End Times fail to see their own god's warning of evil in guise of salvation. </p><p>Ancient religions aside, it's bad enough when it's just Cat Piss Man on the corner mumbling about UFOs and CIA brain implants, but when this raging irrational insanity becomes a political movement, civilization can collapse in an orgy of violent self immolation that nothing can stop it until it burns itself out and billions are dead.</p><p>And every time -- <i>every</i> fucking time -- afterwards, in the ruins of the once great cities, after the war crimes trials, after the remaining criminals have been hanged or thrown in prison, with the gut-churning raw-lamb smell of the rotting corpses and the acrid stench of the burning buildings still in your nose, well, <i>then</i> the survivors all look at each other in embarrassment and shame and wonder: how could this have happened? </p><p>How could this have happened? </p><p>Why did we listen to that guy? </p><p>How could we have been led so far astray? </p><p>How could we have let hate consume us like that? </p><p><i>How?</i> </p><p>And why didn't someone stop it?</p><p>Oh yes, why didn't <i>someone</i> stop it?</p><p>Yeah. Someone.</p><p>Because in the end, among the ruins and the destruction and the dead, even then, they can never ever see how it was <i>them</i> who were the monsters all along. </p><p>It was <i>them </i>who let it happen, while the ones they were convinced to hate were led away in chains and who stood by while the ashes from the ovens fell on their roofs like snow.</p><p>Yeah, why didn't <i>someone</i> stop Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, Trump, before it was too late?</p><p>Because someone never does. </p><p>Today, now, here, in this place, that someone is <i>US</i>.</p><p>And that moment is <i>NOW</i>.</p><p>This is the deflection point, right here. This is the crux, the pivot that history will turn on. </p><p>And that someone is us. </p><p>Every generation these dirty rotten insane sons of bitches come again. The madness starts to rise up yet again. The barbarians are at the gate and the drums of war and revolution are beating loudly yet again.</p><p>The madness must be stopped now while it's still possible. </p><p>This time we have a chance to stop them <i>before</i> they burn the world down yet again. </p><p>Before it's us, those of us lucky enough to survive, standing there among the bodies of our countrymen, wondering why somebody didn't stop it. </p><p>We're that somebody. </p><p>And we better show up. </p><p><br /></p><p>Not someone, <i>you.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>You want a better nation? You want a better world? A better future? </p><p>Then <i>you </i>have to be a better citizen. <br /></p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><i>“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.”</i><br />― <b>Hannah Arendt</b>, <i>The Origins of Totalitarianism</i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-89683302179977054792023-05-11T11:45:00.017-05:002023-05-12T13:58:04.402-05:00Caveat Emptor<p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>"You furnish the pictures. I'll furnish the war."</i><br />-- <b>William Randolph Hearst </b>to Frederick Remington<br /> Spanish American War (possibly apocryphal)</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>In America, the media is driven by profit. </p><p>Profit. </p><p>Not a sense of duty. </p><p>Not patriotism. </p><p>And certainly not the truth. </p><p>Profit.</p><p>Like everything else in this country. </p><p>The bigger the controversy, the bigger the conspiracy, the bigger the car crash, the bigger the fire, the bigger the rage and hate and insanity, the bigger the boobs, the bigger the jaw, well, the bigger the profit. </p><p>If it bleeds, it leads. </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>That</i>, right there, is Trump's only talent, being the biggest, loudest, bloodiest show. </p><p><br /></p><p>The rest of the media will follow CNN. </p><p>They'll give Trump whatever he wants.<i> </i></p><p>And they'll do it <i>knowing</i> it will be the same as last night.</p><p>They'll do it <i>knowing</i> that if they push Trump on America, he'll burn the country down just as they and he did last time. </p><p>They know it. </p><p>Like any arsonist, they'll light the fire <i>knowing</i> they can't control the blaze. Knowing people will die. But, that's the whole attraction, that's the <i>thrill</i>, that's what brings out the crowd. </p><p>And the crowd is the payoff. </p><p>There's an old adage in transactional analysis that goes something like: bad strokes are better than no strokes. Now, I'm not going to spend any time regurgitating freshman psychology, but basically the idea is that people allegedly prefer good interactions with others to bad, <i>but</i> bad interactions are better than no interaction at all. And maybe from a personal mental health standpoint that's even true, however evidence would suggest that in this age of ubiquitous 24/7 news, talk shows, and social media, society as a whole <i>prefers</i> bad strokes. Bad strokes and as many as they can get. </p><p>We seek it out, those bad exchanges.</p><p>We revel in them, no matter how destructive they are to our own mental health and thus to our society. We're addicted to the drama, the show, the fight, the rage, the hate, the endless argument. </p><p>It's validating. </p><p>It's entertaining. </p><p>No one goes looking for news stories about making the world a better place. </p><p>That's why the holy men never talk about their hippy prophet's messages of peace and love, but rather shout their god's threats of violence and damnation from the pulpit and the street corners and across social media. Don't believe me? Read those signs posted in front of all those churches, never once do you see quotes from Jesus to love your neighbor, feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the poor, do unto others, give up your wealth, reserve judgement for your deity. No, it's always hell and damnation and hate.</p><p>Peace and love doesn't put asses in pews or money in the plate. </p><p>Rage does and bad stroke are not only better than no strokes, they're a lot more <i>profitable</i>. </p><p>Rage, hate, insanity, conspiracy, hyperbole, these are the things that drive clicks and likes and thus <i>profit</i>. </p><p>Essentially: If it bleeds, it leads. </p><p>Because Americans, most of them anyway, aren't interested in a media -- or a religion -- that tells them The Truth. </p><p>Americans by and large aren't capable of managing a four-way stop let alone critical thinking. </p><p>They don't <i>want</i> to be challenged. </p><p>They <i>want</i> their own viewpoint reinforced.</p><p>They want to be told they are right, that they are special, exceptional, superior, and that it's everyone else who is in the wrong.</p><p>Most of all, they want to be entertained. </p><p>Bread and Circuses while the empire burns, same as it always was.</p><p>That's Trump. </p><p>Trump is our Nero. </p><p>He reinforces the very worst in us. </p><p>He tells us it's okay to be an asshole. He tells us it's okay to hate, to rape, to bully, to be violent, to steal, to be greedy, to not give a damn about anyone else, to be crass and uncouth and to gleefully fart in the elevator, to be selfish, to be ignorant, to believe in a world of paranoia and conspiracy, to take the easy way out, and to value profit above all else. </p><p>Trump is Gordon Gecko, greed is good the ends do in fact justify the means -- which is exactly the appeal of every rich man in America. When you're a star, they let you do it. </p><p>He tells us it's okay to fiddle while Rome burns. </p><p>Because <i>he's the one who lit the place on fire for his own self-aggrandizement. </i></p><p>We're outraged CNN gave Trump unfettered airtime last night, with only the feeblest of resistance and a live audience of handpicked MAGAs to cheer him on and whip him into his usual red-face sweaty frenzy. </p><p>But it wasn't any more an accident than the Great Fire which consumed Rome in 64 AD. </p><p>It wasn't any naïve idea that Trump would act like a rational human being and a normal political candidate. </p><p>They did it on purpose and with malice aforethought, just as Nero did. They don't care about the lives destroyed by the fire, they only see the grand palace they intend to build in its place. </p><p>Warner Brothers Discovery (CNN's parent company) and Chris Licht (CNN's new conservative CEO) knew <i>exactly</i> what would happen.</p><p>Licht knew Kaitlan Collins would immediately lose control of the situation. And she did. </p><p>Now to be fair to Collins, it's unlikely given the conditions which were specifically tailored to Donald Trump's worst tendencies that <i>anyone</i> could have kept Trump from doing what Trump does. But, since we're being fair, my sympathy for Collins is about a flat zero, given her <i>extensive</i> personal history with Trump, there's no way she didn't know exactly what she was walking into and exactly what would happen. Also, this is where I remind you that Kaitlan Collins started her career peddling hysteria, hate, and conspiracy theories for <i>The Daily Caller</i>. So long as I'm being fair and all. </p><p>No, everyone at CNN and its parent company knew <i>exactly</i> what would happen. </p><p>They counted on it. </p><p>Because that was the plan all along. </p><p>And from a <i>profit </i>standpoint, it was brilliant. </p><p>Just as Elon Musk offering Tucker Carlson a show on Twitter is brilliant and something that might actually make Twitter profitable again. Maybe not so much great for democracy or ultimately the Republic itself but Musk doesn't give any more of a shit about the future of America than CNN does. </p><p>And not caring about any future beyond profit is what we're talking about here, isn't it?</p><p>CNN got exactly what it wanted. </p><p>Fox can only drool in jealousy and you can bet they'll offer Trump airtime on his terms just as soon as they line up advertisers. Ditto CNN, MSNBC, et al.</p><p>Now, I'm not really telling you anything that you don't already know, am I? </p><p>But the part that gets overlooked is this: News Media, whoever they are, left, right, their politics change direction at the whim of their drive-by CEOs. Their talking heads switch conviction and allegiance with a Gumby-like flexibility Mitt Romney can only boggle at. If Elon Musk suddenly discovers he can make back his billions from liberals, Tucker Carlson will be pushing vegan diets and solar panels next week without a single backward glance or an admission that he ever believed anything else. Just like that time Glenn Beck decided he hated Donald Trump and thought he could fleece liberals out of a few bucks, then switched back to full MAGA and pretended like it never happened. </p><p>Just like Kaitlan Collins went from <i>The Daily Caller</i> to liberal CNN and is now the darling of the new MAGA CNN. </p><p>There are no heroes. </p><p>There is only profit.</p><p>And I don't expect any better from the Press than I do from Donald Trump. They are one and the same, made for each other like a snake eating its own tail. </p><p>Depressing? </p><p>Sure, but it's no different than it's always been. </p><p>From the broadsheets of the British colonists to the yellow journalism of Hearst and Pulitzer to the content scraping blatant plagiarism of outfits like Occupy Democrats to this latest stunt by CNN, in America, the media has <i>always</i> been about profit first, second, and last.</p><p>(So have our politicians and our religions, but I digress)</p><p>Now, there are plenty of <i>journalists</i> with integrity and who hold their professionalism and convictions dear even if it costs them their livelihood -- and sometimes even their very lives. </p><p>But the <i>institution</i> itself is about profit and always has been.</p><p>In America, the Press is supposed to be the watchdog of liberty, which is why it is the <i>only</i> private enterprise specifically given enumerated rights in the Constitution. And there are times when it is that, maybe less so now than in recent memory, but those periods of principle over profit are comparatively few and far between in the overall history of the business.</p><p>Expecting anything else is going to get you nothing but bitter disappointment. </p><p>As always, the burden is on us. </p><p>The Press, the politicians, the various gods and their prophets -- or <i>profits</i>, depending -- will not save the Republic or build a better future. </p><p>They will not because they have no interest in any better future and never have. That better future is <i>boring.</i> It is war and chaos and hate and rage and hysteria that sells newspapers -- or clicks and likes and YouTube views in the modern currency. </p><p>Or votes, for that matter.</p><p>No, that better future is on <i>you</i>, Citizen. </p><p>Just as it has always been.</p><p>That's why the Constitution begins with "We the people..." not politicians, not political parties, not religion, not the Press, not corporations, but we the <i>people</i>. </p><p>Because that's where the real power lies, if only we have the wit and the determination to use it wisely. </p><p>If you want a better nation, be a better citizen. </p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>“Every time a newspaper dies, even a bad one, the country moves a little closer to authoritarianism…”</i><br />--<b> Richard Kluger</b>, Pulitzer Prize winning American author. </blockquote><b></b><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-44830611103010041952023-03-07T15:16:00.006-06:002023-03-07T18:01:03.642-06:00Enough<p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><i>You've got an invalid haircut<br />It hurts when you smile<br />You'd better get out of town<br />Before your nickname expires<br />It's the kingdom of the spiders<br />It's the empire of the ants<br />You need a permit to walk around downtown<br />You need a license to dance<br /></i>-- <b>Warren Zevon</b>, <i>Life'll Kill Ya</i></blockquote><i></i><p></p><p><br /></p><p>What if you had enough? </p><p>No, really, what if you had <i>enough</i>?</p><p>You ever think about that? </p><p>Really think about it? </p><p>What if things were okay. Not great, but okay? </p><p>What would you do if things were okay? If you had enough?</p><p>What would you do? Who would you be? </p><p>What if you had enough money? I mean, not rich or anything. Maybe not even "well off." But mostly enough. That's the measure in our society, isn't it? Money. That's how we measure happiness, success, contentment. So, what if you had enough? Enough money.</p><p>What if you were better off than your parents. Getting by. You got a house, a car, some nice things. Sure you have a mortgage and a car payment, who doesn't? You're not living under a viaduct somewhere, right? Hopefully anyway. I mean, you <i>could</i> maybe live in a smaller place. You could drive a small cheaper car, something that gets good gas mileage instead of that monster $70K SUV with the V-8 and the 4-Wheel drive that you don't actually need, not to mention all that chrome. You could do that. But the thing is, you have the option and you don't want to. </p><p>What if you had enough to eat? Maybe not steak and lobster every day, but enough to eat. What if you mostly ate food that you liked? Because you could? What if you had extra food even, enough that you didn't have to worry about every bite and could scrape the parts you didn't like into the trash? What if you routinely had the option to turn your nose up at certain foods and pick something else from the menu? What if you could expect a full belly, every day? And snacks. And drive up windows. And you could even eat stuff that was bad for you, not because you have to, but because you <i>like</i> it. And then you had the option to go to the gym and work it off, but you could just sit on the couch and watch 900 channels of TV instead. If you felt like it. </p><div>What if there was no war? I don't mean holding hands and singing Kumbaya and all men are brothers or any of that John Lennon hippie bullshit. But what if there was no war right now? I didn't say the world wasn't dangerous, but what if the country was more or less at peace? No draft. The economy good enough that young people don't <i>have</i> to join the military for a decent paycheck or a college education. What if there was no danger of your kids dying in some incomprehensible fight overseas? What if the enemies of you nation weren't bombing you? Hell, couldn't even really reach you, because of oceans and distance and lack of capability. </div><p><i>But...</i></p><p>What if you wanted to go to war <i>anyway</i>? What if you actually had that option? You live in a country that isn't at war, but you could go to war if you really wanted. What if there was a war overseas somewhere that didn't really involve you, <i>but</i> if you really <i>wanted </i>to fight, you could volunteer? You didn't have to, but you could? You could kit up, get yourself outfitted, and head on over to fight for some other flag? What if you were so privileged, you actually had that option, right? </p><p>What if there were plenty of jobs? Maybe not great jobs, but plenty of them. You don't like what you do? You could quit. Because everyone was hiring. What if you could join a union and get better benefits and pay and working environment? What if there was record low unemployment and business had to kiss your ass because they needed you? </p><p>What if you had all the civil rights? What if no one tried to stop <i>you</i> from voting or living in a certain place or being who you wanted to be? What if the cops didn't stop you for no reason or beat the shit out of you on the street just because they can? What if you could just identify as who you felt you were inside and then you could go out in public and <i>be</i> that person -- oh, I'm not talking about gender, though that too, but identity as a political party, an ideology, a patriot, a protester, an evangelist for your religion -- all the kinds of identities we just take for granted. What if you could wear the symbol of your religion or a hat with the words of your political affiliation on it in bold letters and the worst that happened to you was that you maybe got a dirty look once in a while? </p><p>I mean, what if you had all the privilege of your society? <br /><br />What if the world just assumed you were right simply because of who you are?</p><p>What if there were social safety nets? Nothing great, but you aren't going to end up in some "sanitarium" or an old folks home or a work house like your grandparents generation. </p><p>What if you wanted to take a vacation and there were plenty of safe places to go? </p><p>What if you wanted your kids to go to school and there were multiple choices -- including a religious option funded by the government that taught your particular brand of hate and intolerance and non-scientific fantasy-based bullshit and the rest of the country had to regard that "education" as valid? And your kid didn't even have to take the smelly old bus like the public school riff-raff because you had the luxury of driving your precious little snowflake to school every day in your giant gas swilling SUV?</p><p>What if you needed an operation? Or a cavity filled? And you could just go get that done?</p><p>What if you turned on the tap and clean potable water came out? </p><p>What if you breathed the air and it mostly didn't give you cancer because government required the local factories to obey regulations?</p><p>What if there were public services, fire, library, schools, police, etc. And you could depend on them always being there when you needed them? </p><p>What if <i>that </i>was your life? Or enough of the above anyway? What if you had enough?</p><p>What would you do <i>then?</i> </p><p>Really, what would you do. That's not a rhetorical question.</p><p>What kind of <i>person</i> would you be? </p><p>If things were okay, not great but okay. And not only okay, but a good chance that they could be better. That it would be better for your kids and better for their kids and so on? </p><p>What would you do?</p><p>Would you just live you life? </p><p>Would you enjoy it?</p><p>Maybe go play ball with your kid? Go for hike and enjoy the outdoors? Read? Watch a movie. Talk to your neighbors? Learn a skill? Go dancing? Putter around in the garden? Visit your family? Grill out? Go to the beach? Have a snowball fight? </p><p>What would you do if you had enough? </p><p>Would you <i>enjoy </i>your life? </p><p>Would you <i>really</i>? </p><p>Because that's the reality for a significant number of Americans. </p><p>Not all, certainly. No, certainly not all. But many. Most even. We have enough. <i>More </i>than enough. Especially compared to those elsewhere in the world who very much don't have anywhere near enough. </p><p>But, that's the funny thing, isn't it? </p><p><br /></p><p>That's the thing about having enough: it's never <i>enough</i>. </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, say you did have...</p><p>What's that? </p><p>What?</p><p>Oh. </p><p>Heh heh. Yes I see you. There in the back. Red faced. Yellow eyed. Mad as hell. Fingers reaching for your keyboard in righteous rage. Oh yeah, I see you. You'd be hard to miss. </p><p>Who decides what's "enough?"</p><p>That's what's pissing you off, isn't it? You've read this far and you're furious, aren't you? You're about to tell me to go fuck myself. Any second now you're going to start shouting accusations: Socialist! Commie! In America we're capitalists and for capitalists it can <i>never </i>be enough, we can't be happy unless we always have <i>more</i> and even to suggest such is downright unamerican! Do you even know who Jeff Bezos is? Elon Musk? Howard fucking <i>Hughes</i>, man? Come on!</p><p>That's what you're going to say, isn't it?</p><p>Who decides? I'd like to answer: You do. </p><p>You decide what's enough for you. That's the answer you want, right? </p><p>I decide for me. We each decide for ourselves. Yeah?</p><p>But that's not really true, is it? </p><p>LOL</p><p>No it's not. </p><p>You see, society decides what's enough. </p><p>Entertainment. Hollywood. Social media. Pundits. Politicians. Popular music. Our neighbors. </p><p>Most of all, in America, the <i>rich </i>decide for the rest of us and then use their power and influence to convince us it was our idea. </p><p><i>That's</i> America. </p><p>The majority of Americans today have enough. More than enough. </p><p><br /></p><p>But they for damn sure don't enjoy it. <i>Especially </i>the rich. </p><p><br /></p><p>I think about this stuff as I'm driving. </p><p>And lately I've had opportunity to do <i>a lot</i> of driving. </p><p>Due to a family issue, I'm now making the journey between Florida and Michigan twice, three times, a month. A thousand miles each way in the car, 14 hours on the road. </p><p>Lot of angry Americans on that road. </p><p>Lot of very angry Americans. </p><p>There's a sign, on Highway 65, bit north of Indianapolis. </p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>"No Fence. No Jobs. Just crime and drugs."</i></blockquote><p></p><p>That's it. That's the whole thing. No fence, no jobs, just crime and drugs. Huge letters. Giant commercial billboard next to the highway. </p><p>No Fence. No Jobs. Just crime and drugs. </p><p>Somebody was mad enough, unhappy enough, that they <i>paid</i> to rent that billboard and broadcast that message to the angry drivers southbound through Indiana twelve hundred miles from the border in question. </p><p>No Fence. No Jobs. Just Crime and Drugs. </p><p>No fence, but of course there is a fence. There's a wall. There's an entire branch of government dedicated to patrolling the border. But most ironically, the very people who are the most unhappy about that supposed lack of a fence are the very same people name for name who once cheered a Republican president when he stood in Berlin and demanded oppressive foreign leaders<i> tear down walls</i> instead of building them. I wonder, what the response from America would be if our neighbors built huge walls across our shared borders and told <i>us </i>to keep out and somewhere in the back of my head I can hear the ghost of Ronald Reagan howling in rage. </p><p>No jobs, but of course we currently have the lowest unemployment rate in our history. Business is <i>begging </i>for workers. I drove two thousand miles last month and the one thing that was the same from end to end was the help wanted and we're hiring signs. No jobs. What? </p><p>Just crime, as if there is no crime committed by those born north of that border. As if there isn't plenty of homegrown crime. As if all the crime in America was committed by brown-skinned illegal immigrants from south of the border. As if the kind of crime that affects most Americans most severely <i>isn't </i>some crackhead breaking into your car, but rather <i>trillions </i>in crimes committed by Wall Street investment bankers. As if the biggest criminals aren't the ones who have repeatedly vaporized your mortgages, jobs, retirements, and college funds. And not only do you not see any signs along the highway bemoaning the lack of accountability for these crooks, but we elect them to run our country. </p><p>Just drugs. As if the only drug in America is Chinese fentanyl from Mexico. Right now, certain pundits and politicians and smug angry speakers at the recently concluded CPAC 2023 are advocating for military action against Mexico. Literally, like the previous president, suggesting we <i>bomb </i>Mexico in a massive escalation of the so-called War on Drugs. As if <i>that</i> would somehow get rid of drugs. As if we wouldn't just find something else to shove in to our veins, or up our noses, or down our throats. And if that's not a metaphor I don't know what is, because if Americans didn't <i>want</i> drugs, I mean really want drugs, Mexico wouldn't be supplying them -- same as immigrants and that aforementioned cheap labor. </p><p>Not to mention, Opioids? Well, yeah, <i>that </i>scourge was foisted on us by an amoral AMERICAN company run by a billionaire family in a blatant display of absolute naked greed. The Sacklers had more than enough money, gobs more. But it just wasn't enough. And they didn't care how many American lives they destroyed, so long as they made more. They still don't care. But you never see angry signs along the highway holding Purdue Pharma to account. </p><p>What would you do if you had enough?</p><p>Would you be happy?</p><p>Or would you look around for something to be miserable about? </p><p>Would you put up a sign next to the highway?</p><p>I've got a neighbor here in this backwater little Southern town where I live. If you watch the various podcasts I'm on, you've heard me mention him before. Got to be about 80. Lives in a nice house, middle of town. Nice neighborhood. I don't know, but he looks well fed. Drives a nice SUV. Huge sign out front. <i>XY equals Male! </i> He's so mad about trans people that he's got a sign in front of his house. That's how mad he is. But, in this town, the odds that he's ever even met a trans person (that he knows of) are vanishingly small. I doubt he could count on the fingers of one hand the number of trans folks he's met in his entire life. Yet, he's mad about it. So mad he's got a giant flag in his front yard. He can't be happy so long as <i>those</i> people exist somewhere in the world even though they literally have no impact on his life in any fashion. Goddamn, is he mad about it. Miserable. Angry. Happy people don't put up signs like that. </p><p>But then, happy people don't go to church or watch Tucker Carlson either. </p><p>What about you?</p><p>Instead of enjoying your life, would you go looking for someone to hate? Even if it had nothing to do with you? </p><p>Would you listen to some millionaire TV pundit or some billionaire politician telling you how you're really a victim? That it's really drag queens or immigrants or the commies in China making you miserable, and not your own shitty self? </p><p>What would you do?</p><p>Who would you be?</p><p><br /></p><p>You ever really think about that? </p><p><br /></p><p>A bit further down the same highway, just outside Indianapolis, there was another sign: </p><p></p><blockquote><i>"Life's Too Short for Shitty Tacos!"</i> </blockquote><p></p><p>Maybe I've had enough of people telling me to be miserable, but that seems like a pretty good philosophy. </p><p>And maybe I've had enough brushes with mortality lately -- which is why I was on that road in the first place. </p><p>Life's too short for shitty tacos. </p><p>And shitty people. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><i>Life'll kill ya<br />That's what I said<br />Life'll kill ya<br />Then you'll be dead<br />Life'll find ya<br />Wherever you go<br />Requiescat in pace<br />That's all she wrote</i><br />-- <b>Warren Zevon</b>, <i>Life'll Kill Ya</i></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com173tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-65182937754063726802023-02-21T11:29:00.013-06:002023-02-22T12:02:11.510-06:00Piss and Vinegar<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><i> Symbols matter: a Kennedy or a Reagan at the Berlin Wall; a Churchill with a cigar and a bowler; for that matter a green-clad Zelensky growling, ‘I need ammunition, not a ride.’ Simply by taking the hazardous trip to Kyiv, Biden made a strategic move of cardinal importance.</i><br />— <b>Eliot Cohen</b>, <i>The Atlantic</i></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Joe Biden went to Ukraine.</p><p>In the middle of a war. </p><p>In the middle of a war waged by Russia.</p><p>And oh goddamn were both the Russians and Republicans mad about it. </p><p>The symbolism of Biden's visit to war-torn Ukraine wasn't lost on the enemies of America. </p><p>(Note: enemies, plural. Foreign and <i>domestic</i>. But I'll come back to that)</p><p>Vladimir Putin was damned unhappy about it. </p><p>As well he should be. Because that was the intent. And there was a time when all of America would have cheered such a message. Up yours, Russia!</p><p>But that time is long gone. </p><p>Be that as it may, Vladimir Putin is mad. </p><p>You can tell from his speech this morning. </p><p>It was the Moscow version of an American State of the Union Address. I could give you the Russian name of it, but you don't care and loosely translated its mostly just Putin's semi-annual They Hate Us Because They Ain't Us address. </p><p>As such things go, it was a beauty. </p><p>Putin gave the standard invader trope of how his war is <i>really</i> (mostly, sort of) about <i>freeing Ukrainians</i> from the tyranny of Kiev something something gazpacho oppression Nazis Western Powers and so on. No one really cares. Russians know it's bullshit. We know it's bullshit. Putin knows it's bullshit. Ukrainians for damn sure knows its bullshit. But, that's the official line Putin used to start the war and so he's got to ride that bomb all the way down like Slim Pickens a whoopin' and a hollerin' and waving his giant hat all the way to impact (or George Bush looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction, you pays your money and you takes your metaphor). <br /><br />So, anyway, the Russians are just trying to help out the poor Ukrainians. Please clap. </p><p>Meanwhile, official signs are going up around Moscow that say <i>The Russian Border Ends Nowhere</i> -- which is totally the thing you say when you're just trying to help your neighbors with their government and not rebuild the Russian Empire. </p><p>Putin then launched into how the war is really about standing up to the West's unreasonable oppression of Russia. Also, he says, war is really good for Russia actually because Russian unemployment is down, the Russian economy is booming with making all the Russian war stuff, and also it allows for federalization of Russian business like in the good old days that every good Russian misses. </p><p>Most important, Putin says, the war demonstrates to the world Russia's superior military might and power and enviable victories. </p><p>Please clap.</p><p>I gotta tell you, it kind of made me nostalgic for those old Soviet speeches in Red Square. </p><p>Stalin, Khrushchev, Andropov, you knew they were totally full of shit. I mean we knew they were full it, the Russian people knew they were full it, the Soviet Government knew they were full of it, but damn could those Old Guard Communists give a speech while the tanks and missile trucks rumbled by -- most of those machines barely able to finish the parade without breaking down, some actually being towed because they <i>had</i> crapped out before the ceremony even started. </p><p>Putin finished up with a bit about mutual inspections under New START treaty and loudly rejected any access for US inspectors and you change a few names and boy does <i>that</i> sound like something you'd read on Truth Social. </p><p>Anyway, looks like the extremists over there <i>and</i> over here got that new Cold War they've been wanting since the Berlin Wall came down. </p><p>Speaking of extremism over there and over here:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLy_4g-lcVz4rHJjnT4Wr_YqRlhg_8pS4MHvQlqgbWEOCQz-w10di1RhqDm5P9URl_At6N7BW3Y9Za7mzm01X1aBV_CUrpnShM2KXxMXB5i1snq46WlUO1lsehXFquHATZelrZW1xiNypJYesWaql7mEW0eUVrVd3lL5Iql3K_ascu83ai4U_uKsn/s1330/2-21%20B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="1330" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLy_4g-lcVz4rHJjnT4Wr_YqRlhg_8pS4MHvQlqgbWEOCQz-w10di1RhqDm5P9URl_At6N7BW3Y9Za7mzm01X1aBV_CUrpnShM2KXxMXB5i1snq46WlUO1lsehXFquHATZelrZW1xiNypJYesWaql7mEW0eUVrVd3lL5Iql3K_ascu83ai4U_uKsn/s320/2-21%20B.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>That's sedition. </p><p>From a sitting member of Congress, that's sedition. </p><p>Of course, we apparently allow that sort of thing nowadays and it might even get you a choice committee assignment. </p><p>And I told you we'd come back to enemies domestic and so we have. That's what you're looking at here. An enemy of America. Someone who wants to demolish the United States. Those are her words. 26,000,000 views, as of the time I took the screenshot. </p><p>She might hate America as much, or more, than Putin. </p><p>Greene is not alone in her sedition. Whenever Republicans don't get their way, and can't see any path to getting their way, they start talking about divorce and you don't have to look much further than Texans and their eternal threat of secession for an example. </p><p>I don't suppose it's much of a surprise Greene, elected by people who continue to wave the Confederate flag 160 years after the South lost the Civil War, would suggest breaking up the Union. These people are nothing if not bereft of any new ideas. Just like their ancestors, MAGAs like Greene would rather burn the country to the ground, they would literally rather see America broken up, than live in peace and equality with the rest of us.</p><p>For them, life is <i>always</i> and forever a zero sum game. If others gets more, they always feel like they get less. If others are raised up, they always feel diminished. For them, freedom, justice, liberty, these are all measures of relative worth. For them, their perception of their own self worth is a measure of how much better they are than the people they despise. Equality is the single most horrifying concept they can imagine.</p><p>For those like Greene to be free, others must always be in chains. Always. </p><p>And just like Vladimir Putin, and likely why they idolize him as a symbol of strength, Republicans of Greene's foul MAGA ilk are intolerant fanatics who are perfectly willing to kill all the rest of us over some manufactured outrage.</p><p>Greene, of course, is seen as the most likely candidate to be Trump's running mate in the coming election. That's right, she's angling to be Vice President of a country that she thinks should be broken up and a government that should be eliminated and if that isn't the very epitome of the MAGA mindset I don't know what is. </p><p>Trump himself is on Truth Social this morning again carrying water for Putin. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqAQdKSxnOsbaNfOO2WnFDtjpJMUy-0FmxRE7NZpdgJpXHHefdqUB1SQ5GERu0unh2qMgN68WOfc45IfkLXs5_IbTpqdESfmn3p9BXjLEQFVWkbQMcZS7IO1JxNe370oYhdiq1hgFrx98jqv5TIjDPx55UXxDBIvVqxMcT913miUv2jKGrbw10cRC/s1300/2-21%20C.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="1300" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqAQdKSxnOsbaNfOO2WnFDtjpJMUy-0FmxRE7NZpdgJpXHHefdqUB1SQ5GERu0unh2qMgN68WOfc45IfkLXs5_IbTpqdESfmn3p9BXjLEQFVWkbQMcZS7IO1JxNe370oYhdiq1hgFrx98jqv5TIjDPx55UXxDBIvVqxMcT913miUv2jKGrbw10cRC/s320/2-21%20C.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>I'll spare you the Neville Chamberlain analogy and simply point out the staggering irony of presidential candidates, who themselves continue to engage in open insurrection, cheering on a reborn Russian Empire while at the same time suggesting the literal dismantling of the United States. </p><p>And not only do Republicans see this as a legitimate political position, they consider it <i>patriotism.</i></p><p>We live in dangerous times. </p><p>And I suspect this is one of those moments in history where we are (again) on the very cusp of global madness and destruction. Time will certainly tell. We've stepped away from the brink in our past, though our history is one where we more often scream <i>Geronimo</i> and jump over the edge into the abyss a whoopin' and a hollerin' and waving our giant hats all the way down to violent impact. </p><p>We live in dangerous times. </p><p>But then we always do. </p><div>I do see hope.</div><p>Because in this comparison, so long as we stand together, the fanatical dreams of MAGA Republicans like Greene and Trump are very likely as doomed to ultimate failure as is Vladimir Putin's hollow war. </p><p>Which isn't to say there won't be violence and destruction along the way. Because there most certainly will be. It's inevitable now. </p><p>But, just like Ukraine, if you want a better nation, then you're going to have to stand together with other good people and <i>fight</i> for it. </p><p>And in the end, we <i>will</i> win. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><i>President Zelenskyy and all Ukrainians remind the world every day what courage is. They remind us that freedom is priceless. And worth fighting for. For as long as it takes.</i><br /><i>-- </i><b>President Joe Biden</b></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com121tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-78480283516035363062022-12-14T13:14:00.010-06:002022-12-15T08:35:40.527-06:00The Mad Titan<p> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p></p><blockquote>I know what you're thinking, 'cause right now I'm thinking the same thing. Actually, I've been thinking it ever since I got here: Why oh why didn't I take the <i>blue</i> pill?<br />-- <b>Cypher</b>, <i>The Matrix</i></blockquote><i></i><p></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>Elon Musk is doing us all a favor.</p><p>We should probably thank him for it. </p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQxwYMyPjr3ryxfa1erEJiwreaDofcPpSyScEknhJUNN_9DCMcePLPrXr23lnok8DaW41mnD_kVzUfbwxHrkd83n_uX7tL98lwlYJTd2O-6Uw7n__T4amEmPyAAVuaKKOtI2ZzdNJLLKQtN5G0-6CqNwUlXNtlLMdCDntq75ZLLrEECQ63q6oRjQf/s280/Dec%2014%20-%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="280" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQxwYMyPjr3ryxfa1erEJiwreaDofcPpSyScEknhJUNN_9DCMcePLPrXr23lnok8DaW41mnD_kVzUfbwxHrkd83n_uX7tL98lwlYJTd2O-6Uw7n__T4amEmPyAAVuaKKOtI2ZzdNJLLKQtN5G0-6CqNwUlXNtlLMdCDntq75ZLLrEECQ63q6oRjQf/s1600/Dec%2014%20-%202.png" width="280" /></a></div><br /><p>No, no, we really should. We should thank Elon Musk. </p><p>Oh, you know, not for destroying a platform that some of us, like Yours Truly here for example, have invested over a decade in, slowly building an audience, writing the content people actually come to Twitter for. </p><p>I don't mean we should thank him for vaporizing <i>that</i> effort, because that's infuriating. </p><p>No. Not that.</p><p>I mean we should thank Elon Musk for firing most of Twitter's employees, then using his massive platform to ridicule and harass them and send hordes of his drooling violent sycophants to destroy their lives. Thanks, Elon!</p><p>We should thank him for the Twitter Files. For releasing the internal corporate emails of his predecessor, the ones any rational person would interpret as nothing other than people doing their jobs. But we no longer live in a rational nation, and thanks to Elon Musk, the conspiracy nuts, the foreign agents bent to our destruction, and those determined to burn everything to the ground now have more fuel for the fire. </p><p>Oh yes, we should thank Musk for giving voice to the absolute <i>worst </i>elements of our society, the mean little trolls, the racists, the bigots, the misogynists, the violent nationalists, the self-proclaimed Nazis, the Ultra MAGAs, the proudly stupid, the deliberately ignorant, the bullies, the chaos agents, those who hate for hate's sake, the conspiracy nuts, the antivaxxers, the religious lunatics, the seditionists and insurrectionists and the violent howling mob of unhinged bomb throwers. Thanks to Elon Musk, they now not only have a voice, they have full command of the narrative and can spin themselves as victims and martyrs, just as their kind always has to justify their violent hate. </p><p>We should thank Elon for raising up the knuckle-draggers, the Brown Shirts, the goons, the barbarians who would gleefully tear down the fundamental institutions of civilization, civil rights, national infrastructure, equality under the law, education, social safety nets, justice, science, et al, and who would cast doubt on the integrity of democracy and the very worth of civilization itself in order to replace it all with selfish libertarianism, fanatical religion, and violent anarchy. </p><p>It's freedom of speech, not freedom of reach, says Musk. </p><p>Clever. Catchy. And completely <i>arbitrary</i>. </p><p>And so, we should thank Musk for his random autocratic style of unfettered capitalist greed where you never know what's going to get your voice promoted, or more likely suspended, de-platformed, ruined, starved, and/or made into a target of the violent furious mob for some billionaire's amusement. </p><p>Twitter 2.0 has become the twisted fantasyland of a capricious mad god. </p><p>There are no rules, no appeal, no possible way to know what might offend, or amuse, Elon Musk from one moment to the next, a man who by his own admission finds most social interaction incomprehensible -- and there's the definition of irony if ever there was one. </p><p>Every day on Twitter under Musk is a minefield of dog turds and cat vomit that you must navigate in the dark, barefoot and off balance, ass backwards into the unknown. </p><p>Musk tells us that social media is the town square of democracy, that Twitter is about freedom of speech, and it <i>is</i> -- so long as you are willing to <i>pay</i> for that right, so long as you can afford to give a billionaire your money each month for the privilege of eating out of his garbage can, and so long as you don't make him mad or give offense to the wealthy. Because if you can't or you are unwilling to pay and bend the knee, well, then your voice no longer matters.</p><p>Freedom of speech <i>and</i> freedom of reach for $8 a month. What a bargain. </p><p>In a world run by the rich, only those who can pay are worth listening to. </p><p>Yes. Yes, indeed, we should all thank Musk for <i>that, </i>for showing us <i>that</i> world. </p><p><br /></p><p>Twitter has become a Second Life simulation of <i>that</i> dystopian America.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ironically, that's exactly what the Constitution was designed to protect us from. </p><p>The Constitution was <i>literally </i>designed to protect Americans from the capricious impulses of arbitrary power and to prevent some foreign-born despot from ruling over the nation.</p><p>Yet, again ironically, those <i>most </i>vocal in their fanatical sycophantic support of this new Twitter and its rule of self-declared absolutism are those who most vocally define themselves as <i>Constitutionalists</i>. </p><p>Of course, Twitter isn't the government and the Constitution doesn't apply to global social media platforms run by the world's richest man.</p><p>(Or second richest man, or whatever his status is today. The exact degree of his wealth and power hardly matters down among us pig shit covered peasants). </p><p>You see, Twitter is a bellwether for what an America, a <i>world</i>, run at the mercurial whims of fickle immoral unrestrained oligarchs would look like. </p><p>And it looks exactly like what our founders were most afraid of. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjyEitGSwDqfM2CNhQ-yJGlOMNhSmGq0515lla1YasNRiH_2WTL4x-_Uu1qCifX0kk-C6m6YOGbIFDiTT5Vi95wMINiCsTFLtgiM1UPW9bAXTLn29B23RLIHYsdrcyYOs1QlNoZhsbw137UZQRinRyu5CtDhP_gakLermIISaQLAQ2XOG1QqpeDco/s291/Dec%2014%20-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="291" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjyEitGSwDqfM2CNhQ-yJGlOMNhSmGq0515lla1YasNRiH_2WTL4x-_Uu1qCifX0kk-C6m6YOGbIFDiTT5Vi95wMINiCsTFLtgiM1UPW9bAXTLn29B23RLIHYsdrcyYOs1QlNoZhsbw137UZQRinRyu5CtDhP_gakLermIISaQLAQ2XOG1QqpeDco/s1600/Dec%2014%20-1.png" width="291" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyone else find it particularly ironic that those self-styled "Alpha Men" who have spent most of their miserable pinch-faced lives bullying those born biologically male as betas, cucks, sissies, fags, queers, gay, girly, pussies...</p><p>... and demeaning those born biologically female as <i>butch</i>, dyke, tomboy, masculine, et al...</p><p>...are now somehow mad because they are being asked to call LGBTQ people by their preferred <i>pronouns</i>? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLHAu0wM0zYI-KprKymDb-KZSoohlR6Y5sYz192lErdQ9SpD7aZHP7hCxi6X7SP46wroO31mUugyahHLIbAAtI0c1DpYQEhX_DUeGQvtQsc6D0gP6DRyGqTNFrsfr-d00j6F6zSYop5c8xcvGZhEWvCsi29RDQHy1Y6ZR0jtavDqIoYj9gqKVhI_9/s551/Dec%2014%20-%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="544" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLHAu0wM0zYI-KprKymDb-KZSoohlR6Y5sYz192lErdQ9SpD7aZHP7hCxi6X7SP46wroO31mUugyahHLIbAAtI0c1DpYQEhX_DUeGQvtQsc6D0gP6DRyGqTNFrsfr-d00j6F6zSYop5c8xcvGZhEWvCsi29RDQHy1Y6ZR0jtavDqIoYj9gqKVhI_9/s320/Dec%2014%20-%203.png" width="316" /></a></div><br /><p>Musk's complaint is daily echoed by petulant conservative politicians who are right now on his platform decrying <i>wokism. </i>They seem to think the basic common courtesy of calling someone by their preferred address, be it their name or a pronoun, is some terrible form of oppression of the sort where you have to press #1 for English. </p><p>I am particularly boggled at the part where a man whose entire vast fortune was derived almost entirely from the work of science and engineering in the service of capitalism, now turns to unhinged conspiracy theories in an attack on science. That's what he's doing here, you know, by going after Dr. Fauci. That "gain-of-function" dog whistle. Musk knows, couldn't help but know, that gain-of-function is a common tool of virology and medical science, used by science the world over to prepare for and anticipate possible harmful viral mutations of common diseases. Without gain-of-function testing, and loss-of-function, you wouldn't have many common vaccines, or at least not in time to do any good -- and the military would be without a method of protecting its troops from possible weaponization of things like small pox and anthrax. </p><p>There's simply no evidence of the accusations perpetuated by Musk in the second paragraph above. </p><p>In fact, the evidence shows just the opposite, i.e. that Dr Fauci and those scientists like him have quite literally saved the lives of <i>billions.</i></p><p>But blaming experts, the "elites" for some imagined crime combined with the idea that common basic courtesy and respect for others is somehow something something gazpacho OMG NAZIS! is exactly the sort of thing the Nazis themselves actually did to justify their own sense of victimization. </p><p>Musk knows it. Republicans know it. </p><p>They do. Because you notice they never actually provide any specifics. </p><p>Oh no! We're being oppressed by pronouns!</p><p>Under the Nazis, Jews and others deemed undesirable, such as LGBTQ people, were murdered wholesale in the camps. </p><p>Under the Soviets, those arbitrarily deemed criminals, such as again LGBTQ people, were sent to the Siberian gulags to die.</p><p>In North Korea, they publicly execute people with antiaircraft guns at the whim of Kim Jong Un.</p><p>Under Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge murdered so many of their own people, the skulls of the dead were stacked in pyramids as high as a 3-story building.</p><p>In East Germany, the Stasi infiltrated every layer of society, turning paranoia into an artform where brother informed on brother and children on parents and people were disappeared into the brutal national security apparatus and never seen again. </p><p>In Argentina, they threw people out of airplanes for fun. </p><p>We still have no idea how many of his own citizens Idi Amin Dada murdered. Or Baby Doc Duvalier. Or Saddam Hussein for that matter. </p><p>Here in America, we once kidnapped Africans from their homeland and turned them into farm equipment, literally made them into livestock and forced them to work in the fields. And the genocide of Native Americans, well, we really have no idea how many died and we really didn't care as our government herded the destroyed ragged remnants of their civilization onto forgotten reservations -- until we needed the resources of that land, I mean. </p><p>But all of that horror pales in comparison to the oppression of ... pronouns. </p><p>The "woke mind virus" as Musk calls it. </p><p>Woke. "The belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them." That's w<i>oke</i>, as defined by lawyers representing Florida State Governor, Ron DeSantis, who is right now in court defending his administration's authority to apparently perpetuate that very systematic injustice instead of correcting it. </p><p></p><blockquote><b></b></blockquote><b></b><p></p><p>The belief that there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them. </p><p>To quote Morpheus, <i>huh</i>. </p><p>I mean, the same people complaining about "woke," about "cancel culture," are the very people complaining on Twitter about how <i>they</i> are personally being systematically persecuted by American society and "cancelled" due to their beliefs. </p><p>I hate to keep using the word "irony," but there's a degree of perverse hilarity when a man who feels <i>pronouns</i> are oppression named his own most recent offspring "X Æ A Xii" which Musk says should be pronounced "X Ash A Twelve." </p><p>Not to mention that for a guy who is often referred to as being "redpilled" both by himself and by his conservative anti-woke fans...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWV1uWlyz33nSR-kG6D1f5XyekgO0QUsHPEFdiCuuCBG6pfPEeb37x94hSdmx9RLaTYLLs3fauT97MuBcN229C-RpO16nZ9pybv_K_6SRnKT46gxa5HQKJTIHeubvM4WNUmHI6UxSvcqsZV9mJ_PN6FAgNYGiwRfWCYDrnUP7DcPH57E7pgu1NO-1/s572/Dec%2012-%205.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="572" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWV1uWlyz33nSR-kG6D1f5XyekgO0QUsHPEFdiCuuCBG6pfPEeb37x94hSdmx9RLaTYLLs3fauT97MuBcN229C-RpO16nZ9pybv_K_6SRnKT46gxa5HQKJTIHeubvM4WNUmHI6UxSvcqsZV9mJ_PN6FAgNYGiwRfWCYDrnUP7DcPH57E7pgu1NO-1/s320/Dec%2012-%205.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>... there's a stunning lack of self-awareness, given that the term "redpilled" itself entered the anti-woke vocabulary via a film literally written and directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski -- who are perhaps two of the most prominent and influential <i>trans women</i> <i>in history.</i></p><p>As I said, repeatedly, ironic. </p><p>And sad.</p><p>And more than just a bit bizarre. </p><p>Of course, for Musk, it's personal. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOjRBi76bEj83saDBsIG0GQUb5SdLmc2atyfQ8JGhZiv5maZcr4HhOsks2GBE_SetgTTvSNa6Cp4lVKKEyJpf4nwKYto2d0dAUO3t08wduqVJNkPLezgRSeisCjVbeezNSzRonXPRHReaqWXwabdA8SycUfP4ZpY3pkI8nGyLrsXojw-E0xe1GBf6/s1541/Dec%2014%20-%204.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="1179" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOjRBi76bEj83saDBsIG0GQUb5SdLmc2atyfQ8JGhZiv5maZcr4HhOsks2GBE_SetgTTvSNa6Cp4lVKKEyJpf4nwKYto2d0dAUO3t08wduqVJNkPLezgRSeisCjVbeezNSzRonXPRHReaqWXwabdA8SycUfP4ZpY3pkI8nGyLrsXojw-E0xe1GBf6/s320/Dec%2014%20-%204.jpeg" width="245" /></a></div><p></p><p>And what of those caught in the middle? </p><p>Those like me. </p><p>Like most of you. </p><p>The ones who actually create the actual content of social media?</p><p>The ones currently losing followers and being driven off the platform? </p><p>Musk's business model makes zero sense -- and I'm being charitable by assuming there is such a thing as an actual model or any sense to his behavior whatsoever. </p><p>I mean, what is Musk's end goal? </p><p>He says he wants to make money, that Twitter must be <i>profitable.</i> </p><p>Okay. I can see that. The guy spent $44 billion buying the place, he probably needs to make that back at some point, if only to pay off his creditors. But, instead of building a platform where content creators attract <i>more</i> users, and thus advertisers, and thus <i>profit</i>, he's turning Twitter into a wasteland that attracts only a particular sort of self-abuse.</p><p>Musk is gambling that reinstating Donald Trump, James Woods, Laura Loomer, et al, will attract users.</p><p>And maybe it will. </p><p>But that is a very limited pool and those aren't the sorts of users who mainstream advertisers are willing to engage. </p><p>And if those who make and sell art, actors who make movies, manufactures who sell soap and frozen pizzas and gewgaws you can't get on Amazon, bloggers, YouTubers, writers, comics, cartoonists, buskers, donut makes and small business owners, and those who don't give a damn about American politics (oh, you forgot about that, didn't you? That a significant number of Twitter's users <i>aren't Americans</i>), or even just people who want to grow a following by tweeting cat pictures, i.e. users who can no longer build a business on the platform because they can't depend on Twitter to establish and obey its own rules, to be reliable, to be supportive, to be responsive to their needs, then they <i>won't</i> build a business on that platform. </p><p>And thus that platform will <i>never</i> be profitable. Q.E.D. </p><p>And what does that leave Musk? </p><p>Because platforms of anti-woke angry users already exist. Parler. Gab. Truth Social. And they're not the sort of places that grow much beyond a certain point, or attract advertisers, or turn a profit. They become a toxic stew of hate and spammers so vile that even the most fanatical MAGA hat loses interest and wanders back to mainstream platforms specifically because there are liberal voices there to scream at. </p><p>And those places, those platforms of anti-wokism, are hardly bastions of free speech. </p><p>In fact, they become incubators of the very oppression Musk says he fears above all else. </p><p>Owning the libs turns out to be a terrible business model. </p><p>And once again, as a metaphor, it's a lousy way to run America. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><blockquote>We've survived by hiding from them, by running from them. But they are the gatekeepers. They are guarding all the doors, they are holding all the keys. Which means that sooner or later, someone is going to have to fight them.<br />-- <b>Morpheus</b>, <i>The Matrix</i></blockquote><i></i></blockquote><i></i><p></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-82791688263398632382022-12-03T13:43:00.005-06:002022-12-03T17:53:26.991-06:00A Republic If You Can Tweet It!<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><i>GIVE ME HUNTER BIDEN DICK PICS OR GIVE ME DEATH!</i><br />-- <b>Patrick Henry</b>, MAGA, probably<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWu1bHobNRhjnax1ky4hyQP11diseod2fwDjqNDIYM-PZmF5Ywfix3W6yJVIxtps3rHjeatV3en6ITB5ocw9WMQm1K3R_xP6IHjaIgdfRixuOmHONJ0KHV6RNlToiEdJNhSjHLmqTZXWDpaJchCjMxqZvmfCIpzMCyGcOnZGTenWru5KMdvVYsJu5/s495/Dec%203%20-%207.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWu1bHobNRhjnax1ky4hyQP11diseod2fwDjqNDIYM-PZmF5Ywfix3W6yJVIxtps3rHjeatV3en6ITB5ocw9WMQm1K3R_xP6IHjaIgdfRixuOmHONJ0KHV6RNlToiEdJNhSjHLmqTZXWDpaJchCjMxqZvmfCIpzMCyGcOnZGTenWru5KMdvVYsJu5/s320/Dec%203%20-%207.png" width="193" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>As I noted elsewhere: I feel like the American education system has failed me.</p><p>It's true. </p><p>Failed. Utterly failed. </p><p>Because I honestly had no idea allowing washed up actor James Woods to post unlimited Hunter Biden dick pics to Twitter was the cornerstone of democracy. </p><p>Had. No. Idea. </p><p>None. </p><p>It literally never came up once between kindergarten and a couple of college degrees.</p><p>So, I totally didn't know that. </p><p>Imagine how embarrassed I am. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuGugldxv1bO3Ce61Ceg_MHdWjxed8pAWTyScW6GX859rfuhRcl6oMfRdbAOn_nObMvvvZZ4sKG7dDB0c7w6i6wgG54dW323sc04DY-jtr3fDzJycr_oMdp652nIiCJD8xizIKi8VG8V_y82KKQ6wAw2I5u7yAd4RGw6zrmf8xQaEaE_0W46GnceX/s570/Dec%203-%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuGugldxv1bO3Ce61Ceg_MHdWjxed8pAWTyScW6GX859rfuhRcl6oMfRdbAOn_nObMvvvZZ4sKG7dDB0c7w6i6wgG54dW323sc04DY-jtr3fDzJycr_oMdp652nIiCJD8xizIKi8VG8V_y82KKQ6wAw2I5u7yAd4RGw6zrmf8xQaEaE_0W46GnceX/s320/Dec%203-%203.png" width="166" /></a></div><br /><p>Dick pictures, key to freedom, Folks!</p><p>Also, I spent 20 years in the US military. I took the oath as an enlisted man and later as an officer countless times. </p><p>That oath comes from the Constitution. </p><p>The Constitution. That's as <i>American </i>as it gets, right? </p><p>And I totally can't believe the powdered wig wearing idiots who founded this country completely left out the part where the Republic will completely collapse unless we get advice on how to run civilization from self-proclaimed Nazis, White Supremacists, Confederates, seditionists, washed up actors, Incels, and Russian trolls in the town square.</p><p>I mean, what the <i>hell</i>, George Washington?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGm5ToOCJJ-xbT_jGa_pNTqhOtMT_Z_XCsVnaeENCbL-jjfFIDHW-1-Xp69gyo0HSv-JYqY1xIwdaEBZdT-1V1AIdsQus-gAOFRPOwwXEWYwl1lzBS-dzo3IaYncUcWf2PiOPQFLgWWjrX1fU8hgHzmCWnb7SnHQwLR2zxQYE6b_GV0xSfI5fSCpMp/s516/Dec%203-%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGm5ToOCJJ-xbT_jGa_pNTqhOtMT_Z_XCsVnaeENCbL-jjfFIDHW-1-Xp69gyo0HSv-JYqY1xIwdaEBZdT-1V1AIdsQus-gAOFRPOwwXEWYwl1lzBS-dzo3IaYncUcWf2PiOPQFLgWWjrX1fU8hgHzmCWnb7SnHQwLR2zxQYE6b_GV0xSfI5fSCpMp/s320/Dec%203-%204.png" width="176" /></a></div><p>Hide the stuff that matters? </p><p>You mean like Hunter Biden's dick? </p><p>If his wang was that important to democracy, you'd think the Founding Fathers would have put a dong clause in the Constitution, right? </p><p>At least mentioned it in passing? Carved it into Mount Rushmore or the Lincoln Memorial or something, right? <br /></p><p>Post more dick pics! For freeeeeeedom!</p><p>What? </p><p>What's that? </p><p>Oh, I see. The Lincoln Memorial didn't exist when America was founded by Jesus? </p><p>Yeah, and Joe Biden wasn't president when his campaign asked Twitter to abide by their own rules, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be impeached for abusing the office he wasn't occupying at the time either dammit! </p><p>Or something. </p><p>I'm not really a Constitutional expert -- except on the internet, like everyone else. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRbrahTogYXGv4YpZXxRVdLxc8Vl5bMHbH6iGGbA-gthpdeYXcRAfoXKKalbi94rhsPkbJopZ47b2JFX6Frs329iCZq3z0LnzakamnoG682OJzyG6MVUNa43g1GLzrik39OGI0EZru9NS0w0IBtJfD8341Nd8MLX7fCqhqWisE3dJAdcltGtN1gAE/s417/Dec%203%20-%205.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRbrahTogYXGv4YpZXxRVdLxc8Vl5bMHbH6iGGbA-gthpdeYXcRAfoXKKalbi94rhsPkbJopZ47b2JFX6Frs329iCZq3z0LnzakamnoG682OJzyG6MVUNa43g1GLzrik39OGI0EZru9NS0w0IBtJfD8341Nd8MLX7fCqhqWisE3dJAdcltGtN1gAE/s320/Dec%203%20-%205.png" width="223" /></a></div><br /><p>You're welcome.<br /><br />Thanks to you for <i>not</i> serving. </p><p>Whatever, look, here's the bottom line: even for a bunch of folks who thought women were livestock and black people were only 3/5s of a human being, it really does seem like a glaring oversight on the part of the Founding Fathers is what I'm saying here. </p><p><i>Any</i>way...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NUKLS2Qix5rDlirxJgQF4x1ByL4MPwTFwBTQdc7tRZAYGhOEsll71qN5dnLKuy3JgqXRzApijbHRHQROcbHlw00EWFZFHGoiiLMT6tFscg2Tr-nC1kC0lfe5AsNXXxK8qmT8Rwl4rbdrdu_vdEsA52ERV15HleKptn_NqXSgBxnhYjth_WbxqArV/s503/Dec%203%20-%206.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NUKLS2Qix5rDlirxJgQF4x1ByL4MPwTFwBTQdc7tRZAYGhOEsll71qN5dnLKuy3JgqXRzApijbHRHQROcbHlw00EWFZFHGoiiLMT6tFscg2Tr-nC1kC0lfe5AsNXXxK8qmT8Rwl4rbdrdu_vdEsA52ERV15HleKptn_NqXSgBxnhYjth_WbxqArV/s320/Dec%203%20-%206.png" width="226" /></a></div><br /><p>You know, for a group that does nothing but complain about "groomers" these people sure do think about dick a lot. </p><p>I hope they eventually find one that makes them happy. </p><p>Moving on.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_sblvfMq7Mf3cpfg86RtVs8OKLJGYAi6zM5l5uNb-SAPLcvWuTbh5Ee5GFQH3868M6TLXe9adMu22TP3tPw2B9T5pdN3oyDYi5LCozfCL4KTiJ3-GH1ZSoSezZKTQyMAs1shIF9BYuYfth_-28VaLL_RdeRpkAZdmbt6M_vftx3CfRGRT_jDvKvN/s312/Dec%203%20-%208.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="312" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_sblvfMq7Mf3cpfg86RtVs8OKLJGYAi6zM5l5uNb-SAPLcvWuTbh5Ee5GFQH3868M6TLXe9adMu22TP3tPw2B9T5pdN3oyDYi5LCozfCL4KTiJ3-GH1ZSoSezZKTQyMAs1shIF9BYuYfth_-28VaLL_RdeRpkAZdmbt6M_vftx3CfRGRT_jDvKvN/s1600/Dec%203%20-%208.png" width="312" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It's not about penis! It's much <i>BIGGER</i>! Wake up before you <i>LOSE IT!</i> </p><p>Stop laughing you guys! </p><p>It's like the tallywacker scene from Porky's</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwI3TC7jBMV4VH55nibtTBlnlsDKOvBfG6WDLuohsmrhognOgK66H2ar-olexxszgmQxT3XKMWb_1F4GT4PVjosFDYQRwRmmrkGsPw5u7GnG_k4FpRW0eeDrWWvJ96UMvut7zlJrP-gI5gG05VC6mlyuRliYc_m-obn68zgrePlPqg4soBLlzuQ4n/s469/Dec%203%20-%209.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwI3TC7jBMV4VH55nibtTBlnlsDKOvBfG6WDLuohsmrhognOgK66H2ar-olexxszgmQxT3XKMWb_1F4GT4PVjosFDYQRwRmmrkGsPw5u7GnG_k4FpRW0eeDrWWvJ96UMvut7zlJrP-gI5gG05VC6mlyuRliYc_m-obn68zgrePlPqg4soBLlzuQ4n/s320/Dec%203%20-%209.png" width="203" /></a></div><br /><p>You know, at first I was a little disappointed Republicans took the House in the recent election.</p><p>No, no, I was. A little disappointed. A bit. </p><p>But now? </p><p>I gotta be honest: I'm excited Kevin McCarthy is going to be Speaker. </p><p>I am. Excited. I really am. </p><p>Because I am <i>so</i> looking forward to the House Special Select Committee To Investigate Hunter Biden's Dick Pictures. </p><p>I wonder who they'll appoint as "Special Master?"<br /></p><p>It'll have to be a real master debater...</p><p>Okay, that was a cheap shot, I know. I don't want to debase a debate run by people talking about dicks, how much they love Hitler, and currently supporting a candidate for congress who thinks the most pressing issue of freedom is whether it's better to be a vampire or a werewolf. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWuYYGiX8ONsXIHl3tGJH4Nfnvwu8LKyaFOAQHYMkUzHP0pqf1JQ03sQfcabB7K9ea4ejU8B01bMayhGtNkR5_xlKWOxGnGEDamxBjwAHWkJQr_K6i7muRODi6vYfmGN-3f9Qq7bQSe7JU1ZlZWAsz8jeaFiYzfXRVSpDKjy2gLNSTpvqp8Z0dY7L/s473/Dec%203%20-%2010.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWuYYGiX8ONsXIHl3tGJH4Nfnvwu8LKyaFOAQHYMkUzHP0pqf1JQ03sQfcabB7K9ea4ejU8B01bMayhGtNkR5_xlKWOxGnGEDamxBjwAHWkJQr_K6i7muRODi6vYfmGN-3f9Qq7bQSe7JU1ZlZWAsz8jeaFiYzfXRVSpDKjy2gLNSTpvqp8Z0dY7L/s320/Dec%203%20-%2010.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyway, I imagine when it comes to investigating dick pictures, the list of Republican "expert witnesses" is going to be pretty extensive.</p><p>Kevin McCarthy be like: Okay, settle down! We're putting together a task force to investigate a major threat to National Security. And we're going to be looking at a lot -- a <i>lot</i> -- of pictures of male genitals on the Internet. Now, which one of you, yes, <i>YES</i>, I see you Congressman Gaetz, put your hand down, you too Congressman Jordan, besides <i>those</i> two, who else considers themselves an exper... Whoa, that many huh?</p><p>They'll probably have to set aside at least 3 days for Lauren Boebert's testimony alone.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>First, they came for the dick pics, and I did not speak out -- because I was too busy watching Tucker Carlson and thinking about Hunter Biden's laptop</i></p><p><i>Then they came for vaccine deniers spreading misinformation, and I did not speak out -- because I was rage tweeting about Drag Queen Story Hour</i></p><p><i>Then they came for the election fraud conspiracy theorists, and I did not speak out -- because I was marching in the street with actual Nazis shouting Jews will not replace us and waving a Swastika flag</i></p><p><i>Then they came for me -- ha ha, just kidding, I'm a white allegedly straight Christian male in America, no one ever comes for me and in fact billionaires like Elon Musk buy social media platforms and give me a place to spew my bile and they call it free speech!</i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-57792177232597716732022-12-01T13:54:00.007-06:002022-12-01T19:04:14.816-06:00Flawed<p><br /></p><blockquote><p><i>I am flawed as a human. I am flawed as a person. As a man I am flawed.</i><br />-- <b>Kanye West</b></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>We have apparently reached the Nazis Weren't So Bad portion of the MAGA movement. </p><p>(And if you read <i>MAGA movement</i> in the same internal voice as <i>bowel movement</i>, well, then I've done my job as a writer)</p><p>The artist formerly known as Kanye West, Ye as he's currently calling himself, on Alex Jones' show yesterday: </p><blockquote><p>"I see good things about Hitler also. I love everyone" (followed by five minutes of West explaining in detail why he really, really doesn't love Jewish people so much).</p></blockquote><p>And </p><blockquote><p>"They (the Nazis) did good things too, we've got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time."</p></blockquote><p>And </p><blockquote><p>"Well, I see good things about Hitler also. Every human being has value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler."</p></blockquote><p>Especially Hitler. Oooh, boy. </p><p>Ye also carefully explained how Adolf Hitler was "born a Christian." </p><p>(Yes, I did indeed listen to Alex Jones' whole damn show. And if you want to know how unpleasant that was, Dear Reader, you may imagine it for yourself) </p><p>Speaking of Jones, you know the guy who spent literally <i>years</i> attacking the bereaved families of children murdered by gun violence and promoting thinly veiled anti-Semitism (the globalists! the globalists!), yeah, that guy, even <i>he</i> was taken more than a bit aback by Ye's virulent anti-Semitism and repeated admiration of Hitler -- though I'm not really sure what he thought was going to happen when he invited proud anti-Semites Nick Fuentes and Kanye West onto his show. Maybe he thought they were going to talk about puppies and Christmas cookie recipes. Hitler loved dogs and cookies, I guess. </p><p>Ironic, this love of Hitler, given how Nazis would have treated Ye himself. </p><p>I mean, it takes a huge degree of self-delusion for a black American rapper to embrace <i>Adolf Hitler.</i> <br /><br />Nevertheless, such is the state of our nation and here we are. </p><p>Of course, if it was just Nick Fuentes, just Kanye West, just another deluded anti-Semite with a fascism fetish, it wouldn't be noteworthy. </p><p>But it's <i>not</i> just them. </p><p>The former President of the United States invited this ideology to dinner at Mar-a-Lago because this is what MAGA has always been about -- despite Trump's feeble protestations that he didn't know who Kanye West and Nick Fuentes actually were. </p><p>Meanwhile, outside the gates of Mar-a-Lago, in Ron DeSantis Florida, Americans <i>literally wearing Nazis uniforms and waving Nazi Swastika flags </i>are marching in the streets shouting "Jews will not replace us!" </p><p>And Donald Trump, the man who declares himself the smartest man in the world, who says he knows more about everything than literally everyone else, claims he didn't know. </p><p>Yeah. </p><p>Maybe Trump really is that naïve, I doubt it but maybe. But his supporters? They know. </p><p>Oh, they know. </p><p>Sixty-Two million of these goosestepping assholes voted for exactly this in 2016.</p><p><br /></p><p>They'd love to do so again in 2024. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here's the thing: We spent most of the last century asking ourselves, why didn't someone -- <i>anyone </i>-- stop the Nazis <i>before</i> they destroyed half the planet and murdered 12 million people? </p><p>Well, you're looking right at it. </p><p>No one stopped them because their hate and their violence was normalized. </p><p>There were a million warning signs -- just like those above. </p><p>There were tens of thousands of moments where they could have been defeated, stopped, sent back into the sewers from which they crawled. </p><p>Why didn't anyone stop them? </p><p>For the same reason no one is stopping them <i>now</i>. <br /><br /></p><blockquote><p><i>I'm gonna give you a little somethin' you can't take off!</i><br /><b>-- Lt. Aldo Raine, </b><span style="font-style: italic;">Inglorious Basterds</span><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>(2009)</p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-36933459208647488072022-08-12T13:15:00.028-05:002022-08-19T09:48:04.499-05:00Loose Lips Sink Ships<p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>How can we expect another to keep our secret if we cannot keep it ourselves.</i><br />–<b>François de La Rochefoucauld</b>, Maxims</p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>What did Trump take?</p><p>What was in those classified documents?</p><p>What did the FBI find in the basement of Mar-a-Lago? </p><p>More importantly, what did Trump intend to do with that information? </p><p>I don't know. </p><p>I don't know what his intentions were, because there's no way to know what he was thinking. Revenge? Profit? Self-aggrandizement? Maybe he thought the information would exonerate him at some future point in history. </p><p>Maybe it was more like Gollum and the One Ring: Mine! My Precious! </p><p>I don't know. </p><p>Even if Trump tells you, most of the time he's about as coherent as a rat trapped in a hot box and his story changes from minute to minute as his feverish brain scampers madly about trying one excuse after another until he fastens onto a narrative that works for his fanatical dogmatic supporters. </p><p>I don't know. </p><p>I don't presume to know at this point. </p><p>Because to <i>really </i>understand what Trump's intentions were, you'd need to know <i>exactly </i>what classified documents he took. </p><p>You have to know what those documents were, what they say, what they pertain to, how they were obtained by Trump and what exactly they meant to him personally from moment to moment. </p><p>We're likely never going to know any of that ("We" being the general public). </p><p>Now, yes, there are reasonably credible reports that the documents involved both nuclear weapons material and SIGINT and if true, this is extremely troubling. </p><p>Nuclear weapons materials and SIGINT, this is some of the most sensitive material there is.</p><p>"Nuclear Weapons material" covers a lot of ground. </p><p>That information has its own special classification and is very, very closely guarded, and it could be anything from how the weapons work, to their estimated reliability, to how many we have, to where they're stored and deployed, to how they might be activated, to who they're aimed at. </p><p>We know Trump was obsessed with the US nuclear arsenal. </p><p>We know he often thought about using that vast power, whether against nature or our enemies. We don't have to guess, <i>he </i>said so, over and over. </p><p>We know he was particularly interested in the age of the weapons and the state of the arsenal's aging technology, again because he said so, over and over, and we know he very often attempted to make political hay with those issues and score points from his opponents. </p><p>So, perhaps that's what the documents pertain to. </p><p>But we will likely never know, either vaguely or for certain, because that information is some of the mostly closely held secrets this nation has and for damn good reason. </p><p>SIGINT, well, that's even <i>more </i>dangerous. </p><p>SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) is highly, highly sensitive information. It's what the National Security Agency (NSA) does. </p><p>That's what I used to do for a living, for more than two decades. </p><p>SIGINT is the intercept and analysis of <i>signals</i>, usually electronic but not always. Most of the time those signals are some form of communication, between humans, between machines, between instruments, and any of myriad variations in between. But SIGINT may also be derived from non-communications signals such as radar or other sensors systems and perhaps other things I'm not going to talk about. It is a vast, vast field of intelligence, broken up into many, many sub-specialties, and it changes constantly following advances in the state of the art. It can involve the intercept of rudimentary decades old forms of communication such as morse code sent via simple on and off carrier wave, to communications so sophisticated that you could barely even comprehend the technology without enormous processing power to assist you. The modern US signals intelligence system is the end result of literally centuries of effort, sacrifice, and expense -- most of which you've never heard of and will likely never know. This source of intelligence, like other intelligence, can give our nation and our allies advantage not just in war, but also in diplomacy, in economics, in just about everything. And yes, it can most certainly be abused (and has been, Watergate being an infamous example and one of the few we can sort of talk about) which is why it is so very, very important to have systems in place to ensure control, protection, and release of that information. </p><p><u>I'm going to focus primarily on SIGINT for the rest of this essay</u>, because that's my area of experience and expertise. </p><p><u>I'll leave the nuclear stuff to those who are experts in that area. </u></p><p>Now, while it's true that a president can declassify most anything SIGINT related, (it's my understanding he cannot declassify information regarding nuclear programs) it's <i>extremely </i>problematic for any president to do so in any sort of impulsive or cavalier fashion. </p><p>The fallout (yep, I did that on purpose) could be devastating to national security. </p><p>(Yes, really -- and I suspect you react the same way I do to the words "national security" used as justification for anything these days, given how abused that phrase is, but nevertheless here we are)</p><p>Certain information can only be gathered in a certain way. </p><p>Sometimes that information is the end result of decades of effort and billions of dollars and no matter what you think of the US government and the power and potential for abuse of these systems, compromise may very well result in destabilization of global political structures and could very well result in far, far worse things than you've already imagined -- from war to the complete collapse of economic and social systems.</p><p>The very fact that we have certain information, or that we even know that it might exist, reveals things to our adversaries. </p><p>That information might have cost lives to obtain, ours, theirs, innocent bystanders. </p><p>This is not hyperbole. </p><p>Revealing that information, even its <i>existence </i>if not what it actually says, might cost more lives, ours, theirs, innocent bystanders. </p><p>Again, this is not hyperbole.</p><p>For example: say some of those classified documents contain information that could have only been gotten by an agent in place. I.e. a spy. </p><p>The very fact that that information exists tells the enemy that <i>source</i> exists. </p><p>Look up Israeli spy Eli Cohen to see what happens then -- he may have saved his country, but it cost him his life. </p><p>The source doesn't have to be a spy. </p><p>And it probably isn't.</p><p>Sometimes information can only be obtained from a particular methodology. </p><p>For example, the intercept of electronic communications, i.e. SIGINT. And sometimes that intercept can <i>only</i> be achieved via a particular means. </p><p>For example: During WWII, British cryptologists at Bletchley Park led by a guy named Alan Turing broke German encryption early in the war, i.e. the infamous "Enigma" cipher, specifically the naval variant used by German <i>Oberkommando der Marine</i> to direct U-Boats in the Atlantic. </p><p>Breaking the Enigma cipher was the result of an <i>enormous</i> effort, one that literally cost many lives (directly and indirectly) and what would be billions of dollars today. In the current vernacular: a Moon Shot. </p><p>Being able to intercept and read those transmissions told the Allies exactly what enemy was doing. In detail. </p><p>But the intelligence that resulted from that incredible achievement couldn't be used.</p><p>Or could not be used directly. </p><p>Because unless there was another way the allies could have obtained it, one obvious to the Germans, use of that SIGINT to avoid or kill U-boats would immediately tell the German High Command their communications were being read in detail by the Allies.</p><p>If the Germans knew their military communications were compromised, they would have immediately stopped using that method and changed to something else we might not have been able to break in time.</p><p>And all of those lives, all of that money, all of that vast effort would be for nothing and many, many more allied Navy and Merchant Marine seaman in the Atlantic supply conveys would have died. </p><p>More than that, the Battle of the Atlantic might have gone another way. </p><p>Another example from that war is the Japanese JN-25 naval code, and you can read about that particular effort on NSA's own webpage <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/History/Cryptologic-History/Historical-Events/Article-View/Article/2740680/jn-25/">here</a>. (You can also visit the National Cryptologic Museum, outside of Fort Meade, just north of Washington D.C. and see the actual machines used to break that code, along with authentic Nazi Enigma machines, and other more modern equipment from the Cold War and later used by American codebreakers and information warfare specialists -- some of which I myself once worked with. And if you do visit the museum, stand for a moment in the lobby before the Memorial Wall, where the names of those who gave their lives to these efforts are listed. I knew some of those men and women personally. As I said, not hyperbole).</p><p>Now, yes, Franklin Delano Roosevelt could have just said, fuck it, I'm declassifying this stuff. Hey, Adolf, I'm reading your mail, up yours, you Nazi goon, ha ha! </p><p>He could have done that and it would have been legal. <br /></p><p>I don't know that he would have survived it, but he could have done it. </p><p>I hope you can see that there would have been grave consequences -- starting with the fact that both of those SIGINT efforts I mentioned as examples up above were first pioneered primarily by our allies and trusted to us in the strictest of confidence. Disclosure of that SIGINT would have not only done great damage to the United States, but also our many allies in that war and moreover would have put other nations into a position of not being able to trust us. </p><p>Today, SIGINT is vastly more complicated. Vastly more difficult. And even more sensitive. And the repercussions of its careless disclosure could have disastrous results. </p><p>So when a president, Trump, Biden, whoever, says, I'm just going to declassify this and make the information public, there's a <i>process</i> you have to go through. </p><p>Because if that information isn't sanitized, then very likely you are revealing far more than you intend. </p><p>Unless those documents are first examined by experts, by people who know what to look for, then you might not even be able to calculate what an adversary might learn from them -- meaning, there's no way for those sworn to defend this country to even begin to figure out if our own systems are compromised or what new threat from the enemy might result.</p><p>For example: If those documents do indeed contain SIGINT, then they are marked with specific classification markings, including <i>codewords </i>that designate the compartment of special intelligence they fall under. </p><p>Yes, compartment. </p><p>Just because you have a clearance, doesn't mean you get to see everything. </p><p>SIGINT is something called Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence, SCI. </p><p>It's maintained inside something called a Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence Facility, a SCIF. </p><p>Ah, you've head that term before, haven't you? SCIF, that's where Congressman Matt Gaetz chose to make TikTok videos and post to the internet -- and you have no idea how utterly insane that is. If I had done that, I would have gone to jail. </p><p>That aside, the key to that classification is the word "compartmented."</p><p>Just because you're cleared to see the information in one compartment, doesn't mean you are allowed to see information in another. You have to be read into each compartment, you have to understand the requirements of each compartment individually and what they cover, and you <i>have to have a need to know</i> that information. </p><p>Those compartments are designated by <i>codewords</i>. </p><p>Those codewords are <i>on</i> the documents. </p><p>So, even if you're not cleared but you somehow find out the the codeword, say you're a reporter for example, and you do enough digging, eventually you can figure out with a reasonable degree of certainty exactly what those documents might pertain to even if you don't know exactly what they say. </p><p>In other words, you call tell what country, program, or target that intel might pertain to.</p><p>And the very fact that information exists in the first place, the very fact that compartment exists, and that Trump was so interested in it that he swiped it, tells you something -- might in point of fact tell our enemies something, and give them systems, facilities, and specific people to target for <i>more</i> information. </p><p>So, there has to be a process.</p><p>The president can't just wave his hand and say these documents are now declassified!</p><p>Well, okay, he can, but there are problems:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>“I have fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining to the single greatest political CRIME in American History, the Russia Hoax. Likewise, the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal. No redactions!”</i><br />-- <b>President Trump</b>, via tweet, Oct 2020</p><p></p></blockquote><p>That's Trump, waving his tiny hand. </p><p>I have authorized the total declassification of <i>any and all documents</i> pertaining to my political enemies!</p><p>Any and all documents. </p><p>Any and all. </p><p>Except, you never saw any of that, did you? </p><p>You never saw any declassified documents pertaining to Trump's alleged "greatest political crime in history."</p><p>And you really think you would. <i>If</i> it was the greatest political crime in history, I mean.</p><p>Trump said he "authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents" pertaining to what he called "the Russia hoax"</p><p>So where are those documents? </p><p>Where? Still classified. Still stored safely in their respective SCIFs. That's where. </p><p>Because that disclosure would have likely been highly classified SIGINT, either phone records, texts, emails, something, from US citizens or SIGINT intercepts of our adversaries -- and this might perhaps even be the very documents recently recovered from Mar-a-Lago. And he supposedly had information that would put Hillary Clinton and everyone he hated in prison. Or at least he thought he did, though it's unlikely he actually saw anything concrete himself -- thus the caveat "any & all documents." He figured if he just shotgunned it out there, somebody, the "analysts" at Fox News and OAN would find something, <i>anything</i> (and, of course, ignore any information that didn't fit the narrative).</p><p>So, where are those documents? </p><p>Trump could declassify anything, right? That's what his rabid supporters are telling us right now, aren't they? He had a right to do whatever he wanted and he wanted Hillary Clinton in jail and he declassified any and all documents pertaining to the greatest crime in history. </p><p>He gave the order in public, via tweet. </p><p>You saw it. You can <i>still</i> see it, if you look in the right database.</p><p>So, where are those documents? </p><p>Yeah, funny thing. When the public and News agencies attempted to obtain these "declassified documents" via the Freedom of Information Act, Trump's very own Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said: </p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>“The president indicated to me that his statements on Twitter were not self-executing declassification orders and do not require the declassification or release of any particular documents.”</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Heh. </p><p>In other words, Trump's order couldn't be carried out. </p><p>Not without grave damage to National Security.</p><p>Any and all? What does that even <i>mean?</i> Where do you start? Where do you end? What systems and methodologies does that order encompass? What other information does that impact? What agencies and personnel might that compromise? What is the cost, in dollars, in people, in effort? Who's responsible? Any and all? Who decides what's relevant? What's the timeline? </p><p>The ramifications and reverberations are endless and unpredictable and uncontrollable. </p><p>Trump might have damaged his political enemies, but somebody somewhere finally got it through his thick empty skull that the <i>damage to Trump himself</i> would have been far, far worse because he would be seen by Americans, including those in his own party and the entire intelligence community, as the guy who completely blew up National Security. </p><p>Folks, classification doesn't exist in a vacuum. </p><p>Intelligence doesn't exist in a vacuum.</p><p>There is <i>never </i>a piece of information that is its own compartment, classified unto itself without any connection to any other piece of information. We live in an age of vast, complex, interwoven information and that information can be, and often is, manipulated by those who would do us harm -- foreign AND domestic.</p><p>Yes, domestic. </p><p>You ever wonder why all those big trucks with the militia stickers have Medium Frequency whip antennas in the back? Because they're convinced the government will monitor or shut down phone service, and so they have CB radios and codes to communicate. And they are not wrong. </p><p>They are openly preparing to be domestic enemies.</p><p>Some already <i>are</i>.</p><p>Some have already openly declared war on the United States, in the name of their leader, Donald Trump. One was shot dead by the police yesterday. </p><p>What if those documents contain SIGINT collection on <i>those </i>people Trump said he loved? </p><p>Enemies, foreign and domestic. </p><p>You might not be thinking about this stuff, but <i>they</i> certainly are. </p><p>And you don't have to look much beyond January 6th, 2021, to see it. </p><p>What did Trump take? </p><p>I don't know. </p><p>You don't know. </p><p>The media doesn't know. </p><p>The FBI probably does, but they're not going to tell you. Merrick Garland isn't going to tell you. Joe Biden isn't going to tell you. They <i>can't</i>. </p><p>And Donald Trump sure isn't going to tell you (he might make something up, but you'll never see any proof of its veracity)</p><p>There are hints, rumors, speculation, but we don't really know and we likely never will. </p><p>And thus we likely will never know exactly <i>why </i>he took those documents or what he intended to do with that information. More importantly, at this point, we don't know the depth of the breach. We don't know who has seen these documents. We don't know the extent of the damage to national security. </p><p>And there <i>is</i> damage to national security.</p><p>There is. </p><p>The very fact that Trump was able to take classified documents likely regarding some of our nation's mostly closely held secrets and stash them in a golf course is proof of that. </p><p>Right now, intelligence agencies, years, decades of effort, hundreds, thousands of lives, billions upon billions of dollars might be at risk because of it. </p><p>We just don't know. </p><p>Those who guard this nation, the ones who keep the wheels turning and the lights on and who every day stand against the fall of night and who may thus one day end up on a forgotten memorial wall in some dusty museum no one ever visits, the ones Trump and his supporters call the Deep State, the Swamp, they are right now in damage control mode, just trying to figure out what's been compromised -- and the worst part is they may <i>never</i> be able to fully assess the damage. Meaning we will have to operate in an assumed compromised state until systems can be changed, upgraded, or shut down and other sources of information developed. </p><p>And that means those out there on the pointy end of the stick, the ones Trump called suckers and losers, are in even more danger. </p><p>What did Trump take? </p><p>I don't know. But the very fact that he could walk out of the White House with classified material shows you that we as a nation need much better oversight and control of this process. </p><p>Trump's own supporters often talk about "our way of life." </p><p>And that's ironic, because the very foundation of our way of life is that the president is not a king and he can't just wave his hand and make it so. </p><p>This material does not belong to him, it belongs to <i>us</i>. </p><p>The president is not above the law. <br /><br /><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>I’m talking too freely, but you know. The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy shit.<br /></i>-- <b>Maryanne Trump Barry</b>, retired federal judge, Donald Trump's sister, regarding Donald Trump's presidency</p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com135tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-62661028285647001812022-08-02T13:07:00.004-05:002022-08-11T07:25:34.273-05:00Mind If I Play Through?<p> </p><p>I made a joke. </p><p>It was in bad taste. </p><p>Deliberately so.</p><p>But then, nowadays? What's good taste? </p><p>See, Ivana Trump died. She fell down the stairs. "Accidentally," I'm told. </p><p>That's terrible. A tragedy. </p><p>Sincerely. </p><p>I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone. I mean, I don't have much use for rich socialites, but I certainly didn't wish her ill. She was once married to Donald Trump after all and her kids are... well, let's just say she probably suffered enough. </p><p>Or, maybe not. </p><p>Because Donald Trump had her buried on his golf course. </p><p>Donald Trump buried his ex-wife <i>on his golf course.</i> </p><p>Donald Trump had the woman who divorced him for "cruel and inhuman treatment," the woman Trump had to pay $14 million to <i>and</i> hand over his mansion in Greenwich, that woman, buried on first hole of his golf course in New Jersey. </p><p>But wait, there's more!</p><p>Given Trump's record of grift and revenge combined with naked greed, he likely did it because under New Jersey law, designating Trump National Golf Course as a cemetery -- even if there's only one grave on the whole vast estate (and there is, only one grave) -- means that the property is now exempt from both taxes <i>and</i> sale or seizure for collection of judgements against the company that owns it, i.e. Donald Trump. </p><p>I mean, god<i>damn</i>, that's the punchline to a <i>at least</i> a dozen late-night monologues. </p><p>So, I made a joke. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XZhu_vSn9mjKnS6edgt8howRG-6KYAKc9Rp0RU692-O8oilbqBYtaLo44rS-uBK1DxJ2KOUxc09TGgiJ4zOU-H4tl0WHeH8bWH2WDBdTsyJ3yQKW5zIQ4Z2oASVxGRR2w4sC186UDHe0jsJEoRiBFyA0D85nvEwX7gRhIrCHtW00kHZiNUTlQAax/s490/Aug%202%20-%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="490" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XZhu_vSn9mjKnS6edgt8howRG-6KYAKc9Rp0RU692-O8oilbqBYtaLo44rS-uBK1DxJ2KOUxc09TGgiJ4zOU-H4tl0WHeH8bWH2WDBdTsyJ3yQKW5zIQ4Z2oASVxGRR2w4sC186UDHe0jsJEoRiBFyA0D85nvEwX7gRhIrCHtW00kHZiNUTlQAax/s320/Aug%202%20-%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Crass? </p><p style="text-align: left;">Insensitive? </p><p style="text-align: left;">Disrespectful? </p><p style="text-align: left;">You bet. And why the hell not?</p><p style="text-align: left;">Don't speak ill of the dead? Depends on the dead. Why do I owe these horrible people any respect whatsoever, living or dead? The Trump family, her own goddamn <i>kids</i>, had her buried on a fucking golf course owned her ex-husband for a tax break. I'm not sure where my wisecrack ranks, disrespect-wise, compared to <i>that</i>, but I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying about it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Also...</p><p style="text-align: left;">Well, you know me. Sometimes I make comments that are bait. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And once the waters of Twitter were chummed, well, it didn't take long for the outraged bottom-feeders to start circling 'round. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTc9E27ubKV_RdeNbHtWIa2zKq08nITt4ATq4bM8gv72LxpZOvuo2QoIeOYyMeTtddpd0ENAkqySTS-ym_L-0F67IV_Cnav47ABKuTTHFOhvC023HV9oaYWC24juFZ-JyzA_XaXJfFx55awucCe3a0gjow8in_pdcyDczeBA5U6-Q6TQUhpGylFE1/s292/Aug%202%20-%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="292" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTc9E27ubKV_RdeNbHtWIa2zKq08nITt4ATq4bM8gv72LxpZOvuo2QoIeOYyMeTtddpd0ENAkqySTS-ym_L-0F67IV_Cnav47ABKuTTHFOhvC023HV9oaYWC24juFZ-JyzA_XaXJfFx55awucCe3a0gjow8in_pdcyDczeBA5U6-Q6TQUhpGylFE1/s1600/Aug%202%20-%202.png" width="292" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Pretty big talk from Andrew The 766956302nd. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-u29Maztow2icyCzryYNFCFznuJIxaVBcmbgYBhyyD292cTtswBlS9Y8Qjsxnq29iM9UFjRbMPP_UmUSFAM4puepdxeOHu_y_8OOLWQMW_OJtQkDdXBxV86GrI22RgNOgzCVa_DNAfV7pZqAlqlm84JL8ZtqwkbvfTKWH-_BbpiPphVZYVjGGhPs/s297/Aug%202%20-%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="297" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-u29Maztow2icyCzryYNFCFznuJIxaVBcmbgYBhyyD292cTtswBlS9Y8Qjsxnq29iM9UFjRbMPP_UmUSFAM4puepdxeOHu_y_8OOLWQMW_OJtQkDdXBxV86GrI22RgNOgzCVa_DNAfV7pZqAlqlm84JL8ZtqwkbvfTKWH-_BbpiPphVZYVjGGhPs/s1600/Aug%202%20-%203.png" width="297" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Oh, probably a lot of things, but you're right. You're right. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Suggesting they turn Melania into omelet topping was wrong. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Given the amount of silicon involved, the responsible woke thing would have been to recommend plastics recycling. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrkVr2f0fgBhTl_YX6aVhF5x1XMvtwN9d9rFSf-lUxNez1Ggmr76qJIWx3nQNuoik6OHRKD2NhTeEXDBGDhRLAl85E2wCaFACaYDSo4JCih11qFG1u-1kilHyAKmZcIiqCLlL0PwYobvOZyTjoliUMamG2d7sY6KYfm70AwG8l9pJsIYgNj2W31kW/s299/Aug%202%20-%205.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="299" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrkVr2f0fgBhTl_YX6aVhF5x1XMvtwN9d9rFSf-lUxNez1Ggmr76qJIWx3nQNuoik6OHRKD2NhTeEXDBGDhRLAl85E2wCaFACaYDSo4JCih11qFG1u-1kilHyAKmZcIiqCLlL0PwYobvOZyTjoliUMamG2d7sY6KYfm70AwG8l9pJsIYgNj2W31kW/s1600/Aug%202%20-%205.png" width="299" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Yeah, I'm the one with the giant Trump signs in my yard and plastered all over the back of my car. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Next to those Confederate flags. You know, a nation of slaver seditionists who only lasted four years and have been defunct for a century and a half now? </p><p style="text-align: left;">Who's obsessed again?</p><p style="text-align: left;">Anyway. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I could go on, and if you're really interested in every response, you can peruse my Twitter feed for yourself. No, It was this guy, Jeff, angry old white man with his technology impaired off-center, up-the-nose laptop selfie, who I was waiting for. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Like I said, bait. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And he didn't disappoint. </p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhX56yNd6ISy8ovsbkbBm_TJvcJ7wGNI4xob7Xq0fFvVsVCKxj9FB7haRp8HmbEdnHBF-IZ6WoJ8zVFrHyim95hIRQTdcdD7Kj0aZNQDuXEGN2cWABtzCYM3WjXWyoHwxjtiqD3ATFHK-GusGrQc_k1mVbYCN-XcNH-xDlpaziJ5nBSOj6AAms9yXp/s537/Aug%202%20-%206.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="285" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhX56yNd6ISy8ovsbkbBm_TJvcJ7wGNI4xob7Xq0fFvVsVCKxj9FB7haRp8HmbEdnHBF-IZ6WoJ8zVFrHyim95hIRQTdcdD7Kj0aZNQDuXEGN2cWABtzCYM3WjXWyoHwxjtiqD3ATFHK-GusGrQc_k1mVbYCN-XcNH-xDlpaziJ5nBSOj6AAms9yXp/w186-h349/Aug%202%20-%206.png" width="186" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I hope they spread you over a pile of cow shit, he says. </p><p>Fair enough, I suppose. The roses will look good. </p><p>Me? I hope my readers have me stuffed and set on a concrete pedestal in front of your house, giving you the finger for all of eternity. Every time you look out your window, every time you mow your grass, every time the priest comes over for dinner, there'll I'll be. Up yours, Jeff! </p><p>Hell, for that matter, I'd be thrilled if you put my petrified carcass right next to Ivana on the sixteenth green and Trump can kiss my bronzed ass every damn day. </p><p>Make him earn that tax break. </p><p>That said, what's your problem? </p><p>What are you mad about? </p><p>You, you Trump voters? You Republicans? Isn't this what <i>you</i> wanted?</p><p>Well, isn't it? </p><p>Isn't this <i>exactly</i> the world you want? </p><p>This kind of crass, unfeeling, laugh-at-other's-misfortune world? </p><p>That's the guy you love, the guy you follow, the ideology you embrace. That's what you voted for, isn't it? </p><p>This is <i>you</i>, right? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzp7bqD29JYOd5bvntzs2UCd8TpvKaeVV57HBUunEkEY5W2e4k_kVqvLI0CM8RTP1E6WVL8_xDXP-4Lejs9vF9ThK8pwPfRaiQaOgm-iQhO5T-7eVioRN4h3bMqcs6dTiCyk1Ir434FyYpC6RGQ_rCXkznp3UELBtYxobUiGXb165FKUQ1alsH9gM/s504/Aug%202%20-%207.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="504" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzp7bqD29JYOd5bvntzs2UCd8TpvKaeVV57HBUunEkEY5W2e4k_kVqvLI0CM8RTP1E6WVL8_xDXP-4Lejs9vF9ThK8pwPfRaiQaOgm-iQhO5T-7eVioRN4h3bMqcs6dTiCyk1Ir434FyYpC6RGQ_rCXkznp3UELBtYxobUiGXb165FKUQ1alsH9gM/s320/Aug%202%20-%207.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>This is you, right here. Fuck your feelings, Snowflake! </p><p>You mad, Bro? </p><p>You sad, Cuck? Awww. </p><p>That's <i>you</i>, isn't it? </p><p>Sure it is. I mean, you laughed when Trump flopped around on stage, flapping his arms, making weird noises, awwww, ooohhh, laaaaaaaa, mocking a disabled reporter. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXDnAMyoxD3eXj3mdl1JnhxyDJVkbMbJUYc737BJ83J4zc2K8jhwse8BZ3F9VIijjjR1UgiXBX-pAVpq8hzzeznqMuFK0ELM2kpJaXMnlJ2f6kkwpmq2JPrcvVhxSqR1ZjDGUCymVKpQdlyqehjMH1eryt42z7wgY3T_DRWkEDhoLDSrT50Ws6G4c/s564/Aug%202%20-%208.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXDnAMyoxD3eXj3mdl1JnhxyDJVkbMbJUYc737BJ83J4zc2K8jhwse8BZ3F9VIijjjR1UgiXBX-pAVpq8hzzeznqMuFK0ELM2kpJaXMnlJ2f6kkwpmq2JPrcvVhxSqR1ZjDGUCymVKpQdlyqehjMH1eryt42z7wgY3T_DRWkEDhoLDSrT50Ws6G4c/s320/Aug%202%20-%208.png" width="284" /></a></div><br /><p>That shit was fucking fun<i>nee</i>, wasn't it? Sure, it still is, to you. </p><p>That's the MAGA world you wanted, wasn't it, Pussy?</p><p>Pussy, cuck, snowflake, soyboy, that's what you call people, don't you? I mean, you sure as hell don't use those terms out of <i>respect</i>, do you? </p><p>Hell no. </p><p>Crass, uncouth, ill-manned, uncultured, insensitive, that's what you voted for. That's what you wanted. </p><p>You hate the fucking elites with their effete manners and emasculated decorum. </p><p>That's why you proudly call yourself politically incorrect.</p><p>You're Unwoke. Grab 'em by the pussy and hold on! You're a 60-year-old man, but you're <i>finally</i> one of the cool kids. It's funny to own the libs, isn't it? Ha ha, grow a thicker skin, Beta! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8O3FzcHahq9J_ExIOZ7rw2C8Y109JmQNWzsZIsmf4NfaaqO0CR4TRYlmM9qX28Kke5SbfQA_-6-yqrcsdmHNKL0V1OYaHKgACtGVxsy_nMWXZjBC5KfNqwBTj4XKXpORRNXVt52Sxe--7DDLQbCTDumdnDvz67D7FuLAiXOfZkEnhGOvq13G1WmdO/s395/Aug%202%20-%209.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8O3FzcHahq9J_ExIOZ7rw2C8Y109JmQNWzsZIsmf4NfaaqO0CR4TRYlmM9qX28Kke5SbfQA_-6-yqrcsdmHNKL0V1OYaHKgACtGVxsy_nMWXZjBC5KfNqwBTj4XKXpORRNXVt52Sxe--7DDLQbCTDumdnDvz67D7FuLAiXOfZkEnhGOvq13G1WmdO/s320/Aug%202%20-%209.png" width="293" /></a></div><br /><p>Right? That's <i>you</i>, isn't it? </p><p>You're furious, every day. Aren't you? You're mad about everything, Black Lives, teachers, kneeling, masks, Antifas, Trans people, you got a whole damn list. Your pronouns are "fuck off" and "AR-15" and you're not on social media to make any friends and you're not afraid to let everyone know it. </p><p>Because you got no respect for anyone whose identity doesn't conform to your idea of how America should be.</p><p>I mean, that's <i>you</i>, isn't it? </p><p>You're so not <i>woke </i>you're damn near in a coma! And you're proud of it. </p><p>Proud? Hell, you love it. You love every nasty, hateful, spite-filled insult. Shifty Schiff. Little Rocket Man. Little Jeff Zucker. Cheatin' Obama. Crooked Hillary, Crazy Maxine Waters. Crazy Jim Acosta. <i>Pocahontas</i>. Crazy Bernie. Creepy Joe. Nervous Nancy. You absolutely <i>loved</i> it when Trump lowered the political dialog to grade school level. Ha ha, hilarious! Suck it, libs! Die mad! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEifwNhOWewVYbRdPL8fdn-7yEeSWCzNl4XiUN7tSE11_11cHupFrPvPi-hJ9K3hcYR3dbPujsJmtdkk7G60NLNTt7-2IDge2vZtKAdf8WfZuo0kZhgesr1ZSIKSgMlnkoQ1SurDeLFrR8yVYX4DegKp7lGBNWfuSW33SqoEH77v5dSD6SfaqfBJr9/s592/Aug%202%20-%2010.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="592" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEifwNhOWewVYbRdPL8fdn-7yEeSWCzNl4XiUN7tSE11_11cHupFrPvPi-hJ9K3hcYR3dbPujsJmtdkk7G60NLNTt7-2IDge2vZtKAdf8WfZuo0kZhgesr1ZSIKSgMlnkoQ1SurDeLFrR8yVYX4DegKp7lGBNWfuSW33SqoEH77v5dSD6SfaqfBJr9/s320/Aug%202%20-%2010.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>When Cottoncandyhair McBonespurs called veterans like me "suckers and losers," where was your outrage? </p><p>No, to you that was just Trump saying it like it is. </p><p>That's what you love about him, don't you? That he says what you think, <i>how</i> you think word for word, and he's not afraid to say it out loud. </p><p>You cheered when Joe Wilson shouted "YOU LIE!" at President Obama in the middle of a State of the Union speech. Oh, you did, don't deny it. You still think that was great and you want more of it. Keep calling 'em out, Joe!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISrtLgUDKiT8-OGscNcx8ugY34VXPwdB5I9RCiofuKrFtqDZhfsZjDpEhJ2XmHzkWTqHlD4eWqP8rlRNq0ZJFG5qJXApfz9tO00_ZLC4SRYJ4h__Q5OSIWuZP1ma-E6Pxmba6B6PcfgAH3AE5rQ9ZDvQEcj26Bn9-4rNiRe9XXFQ89bcK__M_rb4B/s975/Aug%202%20-%2011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="975" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISrtLgUDKiT8-OGscNcx8ugY34VXPwdB5I9RCiofuKrFtqDZhfsZjDpEhJ2XmHzkWTqHlD4eWqP8rlRNq0ZJFG5qJXApfz9tO00_ZLC4SRYJ4h__Q5OSIWuZP1ma-E6Pxmba6B6PcfgAH3AE5rQ9ZDvQEcj26Bn9-4rNiRe9XXFQ89bcK__M_rb4B/s320/Aug%202%20-%2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>This, right here, <i>this</i> is the ugly, mean, gun-toting, crass, ignorant, jeering face of your ideology. </p><p><i>This</i> is who you are and you're damn proud of it. </p><p>You're finally one of the cool kids, finally part of the in-crowd, you're one of the bullies now and man it feels <i>good</i>. This is who you've always wanted to be. As far back as you can remember. Isn't it? Yeah. Remember how you laughed when Rush Limbaugh called Michele Obama a "Silver Backed Gorilla?" </p><p>No? </p><p>I do. I remember. </p><p>No outraged protest from you <i>then</i>, was there? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK6-gXQHNOPX7VnxbVfl4HoY9TMsBeHUaboMTpKsTL6FdYVRFyucg6T-P9J4pwvm1tnb3O88gakG6fJSBbub_1Ki9aqkQCqceFU1xyV4-aUW8BMnB7Y0YCdW6QnuJkkZYc5mPenf-7P_8RsoLdzGc6JZ5QV9MRB9O5H6OgKOM8y8RNjmOMgtDqlgw/s574/Aug%202%20-%2013.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="574" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK6-gXQHNOPX7VnxbVfl4HoY9TMsBeHUaboMTpKsTL6FdYVRFyucg6T-P9J4pwvm1tnb3O88gakG6fJSBbub_1Ki9aqkQCqceFU1xyV4-aUW8BMnB7Y0YCdW6QnuJkkZYc5mPenf-7P_8RsoLdzGc6JZ5QV9MRB9O5H6OgKOM8y8RNjmOMgtDqlgw/s320/Aug%202%20-%2013.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>No, you loved every insult. Every jape. The hate made you feel special, better, superior. Every time Rush, or Glenn Beck, Anne Coulter, Alex Jones, et al, called a woman a slut or made a gay joke or was a racist. Funny shit, man. Funny shit. And so true, right? Yeah, they ought to give Rush a medal...</p><p>My joke?</p><p>My disrespect? My insensitivity? My glee at your loss and tragedy? That's the world <i>you </i>asked for. </p><p>That's everything <i>you </i>ever wanted. </p><p>That's <i>your </i>callous ideology. </p><p>That's <i>your</i> miserable political party, every damn day. </p><p>And <i>that</i> is <i>your </i>crass sophomoric hateful ignorant bully of a president. That's everything you ever loved about him. </p><p><i>That</i> is the world <i>you </i>wanted. </p><p>You're one of them now, just like you always wanted to be. </p><p>Choke on it. </p><div><br /></div>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com163tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-80211186630665647332022-07-22T12:20:00.019-05:002022-08-10T18:27:39.853-05:00Democracy Harder<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>What makes me worry today is the alarming decline in the trust in democratic institutions - political parties, parliaments, political leaders. Less and less people are going to the polls in most advanced democracies. <br /></i>--<b>Ivan Krastev</b><i>,</i> political scientist <br /> Institute for Human Sciences<i>,</i> Vienna</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>President Biden's polls at all time low!<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYmgsYCEAIY31Q77JdPgpz6Fbbev8W7NGRHqVvWhKlxzGmE6NyFXuw1pndmvTbWWSHe1RFJhCAY5Y24JV46brfNIvPL5pMqd0s6SXQVSw9jnOy9ey4Czgmc5J7Bva6c9Fh9wsth7KYHxb1vNdRnPmFnBCoo1oRe05gqpA-bFFsjpr_gZNkLv73zkS/s522/Jul%207%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYmgsYCEAIY31Q77JdPgpz6Fbbev8W7NGRHqVvWhKlxzGmE6NyFXuw1pndmvTbWWSHe1RFJhCAY5Y24JV46brfNIvPL5pMqd0s6SXQVSw9jnOy9ey4Czgmc5J7Bva6c9Fh9wsth7KYHxb1vNdRnPmFnBCoo1oRe05gqpA-bFFsjpr_gZNkLv73zkS/s320/Jul%207%201.png" width="175" /></a></div><br />Biden's approval rating falls to a new low!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ApBMncWf2XRe10_NkYQk0CIroB6RzukFJJADNhBI9M5J_2YXzIUsnC8tQEx2hTrk-i5kHuY1EhVYLh5aje7_hlbRo2UCpz_uWS1T9f4XNmInZsbDJ2xDXi0cPmcLjWB-0I8IiT_KPnxkOhcHMAve8jhAp_PFEYMMOWjdmmWB_wQv18EWvK9fqrgP/s335/Jul%207%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ApBMncWf2XRe10_NkYQk0CIroB6RzukFJJADNhBI9M5J_2YXzIUsnC8tQEx2hTrk-i5kHuY1EhVYLh5aje7_hlbRo2UCpz_uWS1T9f4XNmInZsbDJ2xDXi0cPmcLjWB-0I8IiT_KPnxkOhcHMAve8jhAp_PFEYMMOWjdmmWB_wQv18EWvK9fqrgP/s320/Jul%207%202.png" width="299" /></a></div><p>Biden's support among Senate Democrats reaches new low!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMsi8xQXAQHv5nnLhnCj8INvbN2S7i2UPuCYmYHJwK0niJA-w2axOn67HX9quAyO-5hGIe9tXbGuaLPkYLuqnb3NptOwH-fPYm0sZF-m-GP84F9Gnk3qCnIMCTa_zGYxXN8clIEWI2HW2qBj0hFtlUMNO6CpNzb9ahjWKgkOjOEI4LBnVL50IW40s/s448/Jul%207%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="448" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMsi8xQXAQHv5nnLhnCj8INvbN2S7i2UPuCYmYHJwK0niJA-w2axOn67HX9quAyO-5hGIe9tXbGuaLPkYLuqnb3NptOwH-fPYm0sZF-m-GP84F9Gnk3qCnIMCTa_zGYxXN8clIEWI2HW2qBj0hFtlUMNO6CpNzb9ahjWKgkOjOEI4LBnVL50IW40s/s320/Jul%207%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>The Left's disappointment with Biden is a new low!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSacXMlnWmyJV7n0MW5xl0axkCfqf9ZTmgSAuk8q5QYRKYKzYgsSdvVrdLei0Ssp9znWSSpoY35jdQGv76bmkXq6nQyGdmYmiohfP9yGoztqNxTA92ZHPnEJDk8087ghSMsYR4mR0DrDcb9eTmhGfNuPT4Tg_wmv4RS6Vyrd_N5nU0fwxCE-36ODIn/s520/Jul%207%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSacXMlnWmyJV7n0MW5xl0axkCfqf9ZTmgSAuk8q5QYRKYKzYgsSdvVrdLei0Ssp9znWSSpoY35jdQGv76bmkXq6nQyGdmYmiohfP9yGoztqNxTA92ZHPnEJDk8087ghSMsYR4mR0DrDcb9eTmhGfNuPT4Tg_wmv4RS6Vyrd_N5nU0fwxCE-36ODIn/s320/Jul%207%204.png" width="292" /></a></div><p>Low, lower, lowest. Things are looking pretty grim for Biden. </p><p>Well, I mean, you <i>can</i> sort of see where they're coming from, can't you?</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough, has he? </p><p>Biden hasn't done enough when it comes to fixing the Supreme Court.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough about codifying abortion Rights.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough about ensuring and extending LGBT Rights.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to end the war in Ukraine.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to address Climate Change.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to stop gun violence in America.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough about healthcare and what ever happened to Medicare for All anyway?</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to stop inflation.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to secure our borders or fix our immigration system.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to stop the spread of COVID and <i>now</i> there's the Monkey Pox.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to lower gas prices.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to promote sustainable energy.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough to wipe out student loans.</p><p>Biden hasn't done enough, not nearly enough, to bring the former administration to justice.</p><p>Biden hasn't... well, no point in flogging a dead horse. I could go on, but you get the idea. </p><p>And that's only a partial list of disappointment from the Left. You don't want me to start listing the <i>Right's </i>complaints, you really don't. </p><p>Left, Right, one thing we can all agree on: Joe Biden just hasn't done <i>enough</i>, has he? So disappointing. I mean, Biden fist-bumped a Saudi Prince for God's sake!</p><p>It's okay, you can say it. </p><p>We're all feeling it, aren't we? </p><p>Joe Biden, what a goddamn disappointment...</p><p>Except...</p><p>Well, funny thing...</p><p><i>Joe Biden is doing precisely what we elected him to do. </i></p><p>That's right. </p><p>Joe Biden is doing <i>exactly</i> what he was elected to do. Yes, he is. </p><p>Joe Biden is exactly the president we all asked for. Well, most of us anyway. </p><p>Joe Biden is exactly the guy the Left wanted. </p><p>And Joe Biden is exactly the guy most of the Right wanted, even if they won't say it.</p><p>Joe Biden is doing exactly what we elected him to do. </p><p><br /></p><p>Joe Biden isn't Donald Trump.</p><p><br /></p><p>That's it, that's the whole thing, right there. </p><p>That's what we elected Joe Biden to be. Not Donald Trump. </p><p>Remember? Vote Blue, no matter who? </p><p>Remember? I'd vote for a ham sandwich with rancid mayonnaise, so long as it's not Donald Trump. </p><p>Remember? Anyone but Trump?</p><p>Remember? That's what we said. That's what I said. That's what you said. </p><p>We elected Joe Biden to be <i>not </i>Trump. </p><p>That was the whole thing. </p><p>We didn't elect Joe Biden to remake America. We didn't elect Joe Biden to implement some radical progressive agenda of unicorns, rainbows, and socialism. We didn't elect Joe Biden to be some icon of liberalism. We didn't elect Joe Biden to give us universal healthcare like they have in civilized countries, or to take away all the assault rifles, or to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and heal the sick. We didn't elect Joe Biden to bring about peace on earth and some miracle of universal brotherhood and understanding. </p><p>No, Sir. </p><p>Oh, certainly, we hoped he'd maybe do some simple things like address student debt, but that's not why we elected him. </p><p>We elected Joe Biden to be <i>not </i>Donald Trump. </p><p>That's it.</p><p>And in point of fact, Joe Biden is doing a bang up job of being <i>not </i>Trump. </p><p>Now, Biden might not be the most eloquent speaker, but when he talks he makes sense, even if he stumbles over a word or two now and then. </p><p>Biden might not be much at foreign policy, but he hasn't started any wars -- though he <i>did </i>finally end one after 20 years. Maybe he could have done it better, but then again maybe not, either way, the war is over for us. </p><p>Biden hasn't screwed up any international agreements or threatened Mexico or started a trade war with China or even shoved some foreign leader out of the way so he could be on camera. </p><p>Biden might not be all that current when it comes to science, but he hasn't suggested nuking any hurricanes either. Or nuking any countries for that matter. </p><p>Biden might not be the world's biggest women's rights advocate, but he hasn't appointed any drunk rapists to the Supreme Court either. Or any religious nutters, for that matter. And I'll remind you that he pointedly went against his own religion in support of abortion -- something you'd never, ever, see the former guy do. </p><p>Biden might not be the staunchest ally LGBT people ever met and maybe he came late to the party, but he <i>is</i> an ally and you sure won't see him trying to keep LGBT people out of the military or dismissing their contributions to America or treating them as anything less than full equals. </p><p>Biden might not be the most accessible President we've ever had, but he isn't calling The Press the enemy of the people and daily endangering the lives of reporters -- or openly mocking disabled ones for that matter. </p><p>Biden might not have done everything he could to welcome immigrants to this country, but he's not trying to turn America into a prison surrounded by walls and barbed wire and armed goons. </p><p>Biden might not be any Ronald Reagan when it comes to facing down the Russians (Reagan really wasn't any Ronald Reagan either, but never mind), but Biden for goddamn sure isn't writing love letters to foreign dictators either, or greasing up old Vladimir Putin for a hotel deal in Moscow. </p><p>Biden might fall off his bike once in a while or trip going up the stairs to Air Force One, but he has yet to spend a quarter of his presidency on the golf course at our expense. </p><p>Biden could certainly have handled the pandemic better, no argument from me, but he's also not out there every day promoting conspiracy theories and pseudo-science and deliberately getting people killed. And yes, Biden got COVID despite being vaccinated, but he admitted it up front and because he listened to the doctors he's got a mild case and he's still working without endangering others instead of having to be airlifted to Walter Reed and then going on a I Love Me tour of the crowd while still infectious. </p><p>But, yeah, no doubt there is a hell of a lot of things Joe Biden could be doing better. </p><p>But the one thing that Joe Biden is doing just fine at is being <i>NOT </i>Donald Trump. </p><p>Biden is doing a fucking stellar job of being <i>not</i> Trump. </p><p><br /></p><p>And that's <i>exactly</i> what we elected him to do. </p><p><br /></p><p>What's that? </p><p>What's that you're mumbling over there?</p><p>That's a hell of a weak sauce endorsement you say? </p><p>No. </p><p>No it's not. </p><p>Not at all. </p><p>See, I never expected Joe Biden to be any great president. </p><p>I never expected, and I certainly never told you, dear reader, that Joe Biden would be anything other than <i>not</i> Trump. </p><p>Because in 2020, that was good enough. And it <i>still</i> is. </p><p>If all we ever get out of Joe Biden's presidency is <i>not </i>Trump, I'm okay with that. </p><p>Hell, I'm better than okay with it and you should be too. </p><p>Because I don't honestly know how much more of Trump this country could have taken and survived. You've seen the testimony. You've watched the January 6th Committee. You, Left, Right, whoever you are out there reading this, you know what happened. You know what Trump is, and what he and his fascist thugs were planning to do. You heard it in their own words. </p><p>What happened on January 6th, 2021, was a pretty good indicator of what could have happened on a much larger scale if Trump had won. </p><p>Because if Trump was president right now, those seditionists, those insurrections, those MAGA goons who stormed the Capitol, they'd be running the damn country right now. And they'd very likely be visiting violence on us, on you and me, right now, instead of looking at prison (no matter how lame most of their sentences are). Trump would be up there, right now, egging them on instead of screaming in impotent fury and throwing his lunch at the wall in Bedford. </p><p>If Joe Biden <i>wasn't</i> president right now, no matter how disappointing you think he might be, things would be one hell of a lot worse. </p><p>So, what am I saying? </p><p>You should be happy with mediocrity? </p><p>You should settle? </p><p>You should be happy with not Trump and that's good enough? </p><p>Yes. </p><p>That's what I'm saying and, man, I just bet that pisses you off, doesn't it? </p><p>It's okay. Be pissed. Stay pissed, we're going to need that energy. </p><p>But, see, we could have had the president you wanted. </p><p>We could have had the leader you wanted. The one who would have been an order of magnitude more than just <i>not</i> Trump. The one who had a plan. The one who would have been more than just a lukewarm ally. The one who would have ripped Vladimir Putin a new orifice and shoved a couple of American tanks up there. The one who didn't come around to your viewpoint at some late date but who'd been there all along, loudly, out front on every issue you hold dear, all of her life. </p><p>You could have had that president. </p><p><br /></p><p>But America didn't want her either. </p><p><br /></p><p>And so, here we are and I am reminded of 2010 like it was yesterday. </p><p>See, back then, we <i>had </i>the president you claimed you want. Young. Charismatic. Eloquent. Brilliant. Educated. Honest. Hard working. And he cared deeply about all the things you say you do. He'd fought for those things his whole life. It was personal to him. He wasn't born to it, he worked his way up to it every damn day of his life. </p><p>And just like now, the Right hated his goddamn guts. Loathed him. Despised him. To the point of utter and absolute madness. </p><p>He just kept on, fighting for those things we all claim matter to us. Nothing ever got him down. He'd play a game of ball at lunch, and then be right back at it. You'd never catch him throwing his lunch at the wall in childish rage. He was an adult, one we could be proud of. </p><p>But two years into <i>his</i> presidency, well, you were disappointed. </p><p>After two years, he hadn't done <i>enough</i>. </p><p>And you were disappointed. </p><p>Just like now. </p><p>And so, you didn't show up. </p><p>And you handed Congress over to the fucking Tea Party. That'll teach him. Burn it all down. </p><p>Remember? </p><p>No? <br /></p><p>I do. I kept the tweets, the emails, the DMs. I remember. </p><p>And, boy, if you were disappointed <i>before</i>, oh man, once Obama was hamstrung by a blood-maddened batshit insane Congress of kooks, nuts, and conspiracy theorists who fought him over everything no matter how trivial or benign and shouted lunacy at him during every State of the Union speech like the uncivil, uncouth raging louts they are, well, yeah, talk about real disappointment. </p><p>But it was too damn late <i>then</i>, wasn't it? Yeah, you sure showed him, didn't you? </p><p>Oh sure, once the burn-it-all-down crowd got a taste of what arson actually looked like, they were scared enough to get their asses to the polls in 2012 and make sure things didn't get any worse. But, by then we were fighting a delaying action without any chance at all for that real progress you say you really want. </p><p>I mean, we had a chance to build a better future for America, but in 2010 we threw it all away. </p><p>Because we were disappointed and mad because the guy we elected didn't get it all done in two years. </p><p>And goddamn if we aren't right here <i>again</i>. </p><p>On the cusp. </p><p>Only worse. </p><p>Now, for sure and for certain Joe Biden isn't any Barack Obama. </p><p>Biden isn't even a Hillary Clinton. </p><p>But he's the guy we elected to do one job -- and he's doing <i>that </i>about as well as anyone could at this point. </p><p>Should we demand more than just <i>not </i>Trump? Should we still hope for that better future we once believed in? Of course. Absolutely. But you're not going to get it if you don't show up come this November. You can't even hope to hold the line, hope that things will at least not get <i>worse </i>even if they don't get better, if you don't show up. </p><p>If you do to Joe Biden what you did to Barack Obama, we are all of us screwed. </p><p>And yeah, I've heard it. I've heard the sneering contempt of the "LOL, just vote harder" crowd of Lefties. </p><p>I've read their tweets and their blog posts and their articles in the Daily Beast and their emails to me and I hear their sneering contempt. They want change. <i>Real</i> change. And they want it <i>now</i>, they're tired of waiting. They want you out knocking on doors, pounding the pavement until your feet are bloody, shaking the trees, community activism, burn the motherfucker down if needs be!</p><p>And they're not wrong. </p><p>They're not. </p><p>But none of that matters if we don't all show up and vote harder. </p><p>Activism without voting is the sum of fuck all. It's really just that simple. </p><p>Well, unless you really do decide to burn it all down, but I've been in the middle of civil war and you can keep it. </p><p>If we once again hand Congress over to the bitter wretched dregs of miserable conservative ideology, the MAGA goons, the sorry ragged descendants of the Tea Party, the credo of swaggering proudly ignorant louts, well, <i>then </i>you're going be in for some serious disappointment indeed. </p><p>Folks, one thing you learn in the military, in war, in disaster: things can <i>always</i> get worse. </p><p>Things can get a <i>lot </i>worse, very fast. </p><p>No matter how bad things are, the situation can always -- always -- get worse. </p><p>Unless you stop it. </p><p>I don't know if Joe Biden will be the guy I vote for in 2024. I don't know if he should be. Eight years is a long damn time indeed to be satisfied with just <i>not</i> Trump. Not fascism. Not getting any better but at least not getting any worse.</p><p>Maybe someone better will come along in the next two years. </p><p>Someone young and charismatic, smart and educated, eloquent, someone who cares deeply about all the things you and I do and who has the courage to turn this country around. </p><p>I don't know. </p><p>I honestly don't know. </p><p>Maybe the best we can ever hope for in our lives now is just <i>not </i>Trump. Maybe, in our disappointment and apathy, that's what we've done to ourselves. Maybe that's all there's left for us and our slowly dying Republic.</p><p>I don't know. </p><p>I sure hope not. I hope we can turn it all around. I hope we can leave the nation in better shape than we found it for my grandkids. </p><p>But for now, this is where we are. </p><p>This is what you voted for, own it. And 2024 is a long way away at the moment. </p><p>What matters right now is <i>this</i> moment. </p><p>This moment right here. This election. </p><p>And if you want a better nation, if you want to even hope for a better nation, a better world, a better future for our kids, then you have to be better citizens <i>NOW in this moment. </i></p><p>Ignore the polls. </p><p>Put your disappointment aside.</p><p>And show the hell up. </p><p><br /></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>I haven't trusted polls since I read that 62% of women had affairs during their lunch hour. I've never met a woman in my life who would give up lunch for sex.<br /></i>-- <b>Erma Bombeck</b></p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p>Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com93