Have The Day You Deserve

I love this sentiment, especially when it pertains to magats who are finally learning the hard way what the current regime in power in the US is all about. 

These people voted for this demented megalomaniac, It should have been abundantly clear to them what kind of person he is. After all, he's been a terrible, evil, greedy person for his entire life. We saw what he did and how he acted and how he spoke during his first term. So why in the world would anybody vote for him again? 

And now they're acting oh so shocked and so surprised when his demented actions and words impact them. Now they're learning the hard way that he doesn't give a rat's ass about them or anybody else. His only interest is in himself and his money and how to get more of it.

So go ahead! Have the day you deserve. You'll get no sympathy from me. You got what you voted for. So so remember, decisions, especially votes, have serious consequences.

Honor the Light

I am an avid photographer. 

Photography is my hobby, and it is something I absolutely love to do. My favorite subjects are wildlife and landscapes.

As I started this blog post I was sitting in an airport waiting for my flight back home after spending 3-1/2 days in Utah. We had only two days rather than the three we had planned to photograph some of Utah's beautiful wild mustangs. The herd we photographed was habituated to humans, so the horses -- some 150 wild horses -- didn't run away in fear. In fact, there were times when the horses were walking our way and we needed to move so we didn't get too close to them. 

The thing about photography is that light as much as anything else is so important. Without light, there is no photography. And light at different times of the day can make all the difference in a photo. 

One photographer I know uses the motto "it's all about the light." I have chosen the motto of "honor the light." Another photographer I know has as her motto "chasing the light." However the word is used, the most important element to any photographer is light. Is it warm? Is it bright and harsh? From which direction is the light coming? Is the subject backlit, front lit, or side lit? Is it creating harsh shadows?

Light, for most people, isn't something they think much about. It's either present or it isn't. We tend to think about light only if the room is too dark and we need to turn on a light. But for photographers, light is all important and it is something we as photographers of any level need to acknowledge and appreciate.

Light is the reason I and my fellow photographers get up before dark so we can be in position to capture the warm light of sunrise. And light is the reason we get in position before sunset to take advantage of the warmth of that light. Doing photography in the middle of the day doesn't work, because the light is too bright, too harsh, and it produces shadows. 

So aside from all the other benefits of sunlight - - allowing our crops to grow and lifting our spirits - - It is so essential to any kind of outdoor photography.

So Tired

I am tired of being angry. 

I am tired of being upset. I'm tired of being disgusted. I'm tired of being embarrassed. I am tired of being afraid.

What the current regime in power in Washington and in so many states has done to this country angers me. It upsets me. It disgusts me. It embarrasses me. 

When the chief muskrat and his minions slashed funding for NOAA, what did they expect would happen? Meteorologists aren't getting the data they need to predict life-threatening meteorological events. Case in point: the devastating floods in Texas that claimed the lives of more than 100 people, including numerous children. They slashed FEMA funding, which means there will be little to no assistance for people whose lives have been devastated by natural events. 

So yeah, I'm angry and disgusted and embarrassed. Americans are supposed to look out for each other. The government is supposed to help Americans in need. But now, instead of helping those in need, we're helping the billionaires get even richer.

Non-profit organizations are struggling to help those in need, as more and more and more people need assistance. I am bombarded everyday when the snail mail is delivered with appeals for donations. I just made a donation to the local Meals on Wheels chapter. I do what I can, but I can't afford to support every appeal for money. And I refuse to donate to any organization if it isn't one to which I already donate. That would just open more floodgates of appeals for funds.

I have to wonder whether the members of the regime, and their millions of magat followers, enjoy eating. If they do, they might want to think about who is going to gather the food they enjoy -- the fresh produce, the fruits, the meat they devour. The people who harvest the crops and process the meat are by and large immigrants, many of them here illegally. Who is going to spend eight or more hours every day picking strawberries or harvesting other crops in back-breaking work? Some regime idiot said that once work requirements for Medicaid recipients take effect there will be lots of people to work the fields. Do they expect the disabled or the elderly to show up to pick crops in 100° temperatures?

Every day brings news stories highlighting the depravity and cruelty of this regime. There's nowhere to go to escape. I have been limiting my exposure to the news in order to try and safeguard my sanity. This has not been easy, as my professional career, all 20 years of it, was spent working with the news media, either for a large non-profit organization or for a federal agency. So news is something that I used to need everyday. I like to keep informed about what's going on, not just in the United States, but around the world.

So how do I keep from losing my sanity? First, let me say, it’s not easy. But as I noted above, I limit my exposure to the news media. I stay physically active every day. I read a lot, mostly biographies or historical fiction. I listen to upbeat music. Sometimes it’s Tchaikovsky or Mozart, but lately it’s been ABBA. Anything to distract me and to lighten the mood. Recently I put together a couple of photo wall calendars, one for a friend and one for me. I am fortunate that I can afford to take a variety of photography trips to beautiful locations.

I know I'm not alone in feeling frightened and depressed and overwhelmed. All we can do is take this one day at a time. Thinking that we still have three and a half more years of his madness is something I can't even consider.