Today I cast my vote in the presidential election, as well as voting for a congressional representative and state candidates, plus a number of local bond issues.
I like the fact my state has early voting, so I don't have to wait in a long line on election day. As it was, I arrived at the polling place just 10 minutes after it opened and still had to wait in a fairly long line. But the entire process took just 18 minutes from the time I got in line until the time I walked out the door.
People in other
countries have quite literally died for the right to vote. They have faced intimidation and even death for the right to cast a ballot. Elections in some countries are anything but free and fair. Yet many in
the United States swear they will sit out this year's election because
they don't like any of the major candidates for the presidency. The stakes for our country are, in my opinion, higher than they have ever been. Each of us citizens needs to make our voice heard.
The seemingly mundane task of voting is, after all, a cornerstone of our elective government. I cannot in good conscience refuse to cast a ballot just because I am disappointed in this year's candidates. I often ask if this is the best we can do in a nation of more than 300 million people. Never in our history have the major candidates been so disliked by so many people.
I know people are disenchanted by our elected officials. I feel the same way. I feel that the voice of the 'little people' like me isn't being heard. Only those with great wealth and influence seem to have any sway over our government. I am angry about many things our government does or does not do. But exercising our right to cast a vote for or against may just make a difference. If we don't vote, we have no room to complain about the outcome. If we ever hope to change the way our government operates, we must start at the ballot box.
If I had my way, we would have term limits for all elected officials at all levels. We have term limits for the president; why not for members of Congress? "Vote them out if you don't like them," people say. If only voting someone out of office were that easy. Once in office, they quickly garner the power and resources from lobbyists and corporate donors that make it nearly impossible to vote them out of office. Remember a few years ago when a new crop of representatives swept into office, vowing to end 'business as usual'? What these seemingly well-intentioned novices quickly learned was that if they didn't play by the rules, nothing would get done. No one would support their legislation. It was either play by the rules or go home.
If I had my way, the political campaign season would last but a few weeks, as it does in the United Kingdom. We would not be subjected for many months to the barrage of television ads and mailers that tell us nothing about what the candidate plans to do for us average people, but that merely attack the opponent.
If I had my way, the moderator of every debate would have the authority, and be required to, turn off the microphone of any candidate that goes over the allotted time allowed to respond to a question.
If I had my way, debates would be for the purpose of explaining to the voting public what the candidate's plans are to address a given issue. I'm tired of debates being nothing more than a forum for slinging mud at and insulting one's opponent.
The 2016 election will be over in two weeks. I think the nation will breathe a collective sigh of relief when that happens. I hope we will continue our more than 200-year-old tradition of a peaceful transfer of power, and that while there undoubtedly will be disappointment, I hope there are no riots or violent protests. I hope this year's election sees a record turnout by voters. We owe it to ourselves, to our descendants and to our country to let our voice be heard, regardless of the outcome.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Trying Something New
I'm trying something new this year -- wall calendars.
I travel a lot and take thousands of photographs every year. My online friends always comment about how much they enjoy seeing my pictures of far-away places. So this year, I am offering to make a calendar featuring any of my photographs for only $20, domestic postage included if paid by PayPal.
Here's what makes my calendars unique: I will make each calendar using the photographs the buyer chooses. I have just finished the first six orders, and no two calendars are the same. Most of my photographs feature either wildlife or landscapes, although I do have photos of ancient ruins, buildings, etc. Here are a couple of examples.
If you or someone you know loves elephants, for example, I can design a calendar with only photographs of elephants. Or perhaps you prefer scenes of the American Southwest. I can do that, too. I just finished a calendar as a gift for a friend I met on this trip to Kenya, featuring photos of elephants and other wild animals we saw on that trip.
By offering these one-of-a-kind calendars for sale, I hope to raise funds for the scholarship program of Save the Elephants, a wonderful organization in Kenya that has been studying and protecting elephants for many years. Through its scholarship program, high-achieving pasturalist students will have the opportunity to attend high school. Without a high-school education, these bright students will likely spend their lives herding goats and cattle. I already am sponsoring a female student, whom I hope to meet in Nairobi next summer.
My best shots are on my page at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ann-sullivan.html?tab=artwork or you can choose from the many photos on my FB page, Desert Mountain Photography. I pay for the printing of the calendars, the tax and PayPal fees, so a full $10 from the sale of every calendar will be donated to the scholarship fund. I make NO profit from these calendars.
I get a couple of new wall calendars every year, and I know lots of other people do, too. So why not order a custom wall calendar and help a deserving student go to school at the same time?
Questions? E-mail me at desertmountainphotography15@gmail.com
I travel a lot and take thousands of photographs every year. My online friends always comment about how much they enjoy seeing my pictures of far-away places. So this year, I am offering to make a calendar featuring any of my photographs for only $20, domestic postage included if paid by PayPal.
Here's what makes my calendars unique: I will make each calendar using the photographs the buyer chooses. I have just finished the first six orders, and no two calendars are the same. Most of my photographs feature either wildlife or landscapes, although I do have photos of ancient ruins, buildings, etc. Here are a couple of examples.
If you or someone you know loves elephants, for example, I can design a calendar with only photographs of elephants. Or perhaps you prefer scenes of the American Southwest. I can do that, too. I just finished a calendar as a gift for a friend I met on this trip to Kenya, featuring photos of elephants and other wild animals we saw on that trip.
By offering these one-of-a-kind calendars for sale, I hope to raise funds for the scholarship program of Save the Elephants, a wonderful organization in Kenya that has been studying and protecting elephants for many years. Through its scholarship program, high-achieving pasturalist students will have the opportunity to attend high school. Without a high-school education, these bright students will likely spend their lives herding goats and cattle. I already am sponsoring a female student, whom I hope to meet in Nairobi next summer.
My best shots are on my page at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ann-sullivan.html?tab=artwork or you can choose from the many photos on my FB page, Desert Mountain Photography. I pay for the printing of the calendars, the tax and PayPal fees, so a full $10 from the sale of every calendar will be donated to the scholarship fund. I make NO profit from these calendars.
I get a couple of new wall calendars every year, and I know lots of other people do, too. So why not order a custom wall calendar and help a deserving student go to school at the same time?
Questions? E-mail me at desertmountainphotography15@gmail.com
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Birds and Tigers and Calendars
All proceeds from sales of photographs and other products go to funding a scholarship for a deserving Kenyan student through the Save the Elephants scholarship program.
COMING SOON! 2017 photo calendars. Cost is $20 each, postage included. Calendars can be personalized with your choice of photos from my collection. E-mail desertmountainphotography15@gmail.com with questions.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
New Photos Available
Female leopard in South Africa scent-marking a buffalo skull.
Clouds hover in the Grand Canyon as seen from its north rim.
The moon rises shortly after sunset at Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.
Prints are available at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ann-sullivan.html and at https://desertmountainphotography.smugmug.com/
All proceeds from sales of photographs and other products go to funding a scholarship for a deserving Kenyan student through the Save the Elephants scholarship program.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Powerless and Disenfranchised
Lately, I get up every morning with a great deal of trepidation and dread.
Every morning, I wonder what unbelievable thing the Republican presidential nominee has said and which group of people he has insulted. Then I wonder what new attack is being carried out on the environment and the wild animals with which we supposedly coexist. And what new efforts by a bunch of misfits and their allies in Congress are aimed at selling our public lands to private companies for logging, mining and other destructive ventures? Then there are the daily reports of cruelty to animals and still more murders of innocent people by a group of thugs misappropriating the Muslim religion. .
I have a good life. I am healthy, I have a beautiful daughter and a terrific son-in-law. I live in a fabulous house in a beautiful, if poor, state. I get to travel to incredible places several times a year. So why do I approach each new day with dread?
Why, indeed. It's because the world in which I grew up and have spent my adult life is disintegrating. Just think about it:
I feel powerless to do anything to stop these horrendous acts. After all, I am just one person. My voice, along with the voices of countless other 'little people' also concerned about the goings-on in our world, is not heard by the power brokers. Our so-called 'representatives' in our state and federal governments listen only to the wealthy individuals and companies that fund their campaigns.
Is it any wonder so many of the American people feel powerless and disenfranchised? Corporate greed always wins the day. Everything, it seems, is valueless unless it has some economic value. Where is the value in a beautiful seashore devoid of oil drilling platforms? Where is the intrinsic value in a grizzly bear or a wolf or an elk? Where is the value in an old-growth forest if it can't be clear-cut to provide timber to the insatiable demands of the Chinese?
I and others see the value in these things, but sadly, our government and our culture, along with governments and cultures around the world, do not. To Robert Mugabe, the long-serving dictator of Zimbabwe, baby elephants are nothing more than a commodity to sell to the Chinese. It doesn't matter that these elephants will suffer horribly by being torn from their families, shipped to a cold country and mistreated. To those in the US who want to set up a gold mine on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park, the peacefulness and serenity of the park that will be destroyed by a gold mine mean nothing. To the cattle industry in Montana, destroying the nation's only wild herd of bison to protect their precious cows seems a fine thing to do.
So yes, there is an undercurrent and a groundswell of anger and disillusionment among the American people, over a wide variety of issues. But sadly, I don't think next month's election will do anything to change our country for the better.
.
Every morning, I wonder what unbelievable thing the Republican presidential nominee has said and which group of people he has insulted. Then I wonder what new attack is being carried out on the environment and the wild animals with which we supposedly coexist. And what new efforts by a bunch of misfits and their allies in Congress are aimed at selling our public lands to private companies for logging, mining and other destructive ventures? Then there are the daily reports of cruelty to animals and still more murders of innocent people by a group of thugs misappropriating the Muslim religion. .
I have a good life. I am healthy, I have a beautiful daughter and a terrific son-in-law. I live in a fabulous house in a beautiful, if poor, state. I get to travel to incredible places several times a year. So why do I approach each new day with dread?
Why, indeed. It's because the world in which I grew up and have spent my adult life is disintegrating. Just think about it:
- ongoing, unwinnable wars in the Middle East
- terrorism at home and abroad
- climate change that threatens our very existence
- pollution
- corruption
- continuing efforts to exterminate wolves (especially the red wolf and Mexican gray wolf
- continuing efforts to remove protections from and let states 'manage', i.e., hunt, endangered predators such as grizzly bears, gray wolves, cougars and other apex predators
- the never-ending decimation by China and other Asian cultures of elephants, rhinoceros and pangolins, either for ivory trinkets or for their alleged powers to cure everything from impotence to cancer
- race-driven riots and murders
I feel powerless to do anything to stop these horrendous acts. After all, I am just one person. My voice, along with the voices of countless other 'little people' also concerned about the goings-on in our world, is not heard by the power brokers. Our so-called 'representatives' in our state and federal governments listen only to the wealthy individuals and companies that fund their campaigns.
Is it any wonder so many of the American people feel powerless and disenfranchised? Corporate greed always wins the day. Everything, it seems, is valueless unless it has some economic value. Where is the value in a beautiful seashore devoid of oil drilling platforms? Where is the intrinsic value in a grizzly bear or a wolf or an elk? Where is the value in an old-growth forest if it can't be clear-cut to provide timber to the insatiable demands of the Chinese?
I and others see the value in these things, but sadly, our government and our culture, along with governments and cultures around the world, do not. To Robert Mugabe, the long-serving dictator of Zimbabwe, baby elephants are nothing more than a commodity to sell to the Chinese. It doesn't matter that these elephants will suffer horribly by being torn from their families, shipped to a cold country and mistreated. To those in the US who want to set up a gold mine on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park, the peacefulness and serenity of the park that will be destroyed by a gold mine mean nothing. To the cattle industry in Montana, destroying the nation's only wild herd of bison to protect their precious cows seems a fine thing to do.
So yes, there is an undercurrent and a groundswell of anger and disillusionment among the American people, over a wide variety of issues. But sadly, I don't think next month's election will do anything to change our country for the better.
.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Where Were You 15 Years Ago?
Tomorrow marks the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks on America.
This dark day in American history is one of those "where were you when" days. I remember where I was when I learned that President Kennedy had been assassinated. I remember exactly where I was when we learned of the loss of space shuttle Challenger, and later, space shuttle Columbia.
I remember hearing about the cowardly attacks on New
York City as I was stuck in a massive
traffic jam on 9/11. At the time, I thought it was simply another California traffic jam. What I soon learned was that the traffic was the result of the gates to my federal workplace having been closed. When I heard the news of the first attack, I immediately called my parents to let them know that I was OK. I knew they would worry as I worked for a federal agency.
I remember the nearly 3,000 innocent people who were murdered that day, those whose lives are forever shattered, and the first responders who went into the buildings when everyone else was racing to escape. I remember the horrible pictures of people jumping to their deaths, and fleeing from the black cloud of toxic dust and debris as it roared down the streets of New York City.
I remember the unflagging dedication of the search dogs and their handlers -- several from my agency and surrounding area -- as they looked for survivors and later, for the remains of the murdered. One of my friends and her amazing search dog responded to the call to search for survivors. I remember the exhausted faces of the handlers and dogs after their return home, and the frustration of some members of the disaster response team at my federal agency who were unable to go. They had trained for just such a disaster, but not everyone was called to respond.
I remember being told to send our staff home, and how my supervisor and I stayed at work, fielding innumerable calls from the news media, developing talking points, coordinating with agency headquarters and feeling totally numb. As federal employees, we felt especially vulnerable that day, so our center was closed and all but a few essential personnel were sent home. I remember working many long days without a break and how panicked I felt when I heard an airplane approaching the runways shared by my agency and the military, even though I knew it was an agency plane that was expected. The sound of this airplane's engines sent my heart racing. Even now, thinking back to those post-attack days, I feel a sense of panic and my eyes fill with tears.
And I remember when I finally got a day off work, sitting in my living room watching the endless replays of the planes hitting the Twin Towers, and the towers collapsing, finally at last being able to give in to my grief and letting the endless tears flood over me. I remember how this nation, and the world, came together in the aftermath of these cowardly attacks. There were no claims of responsibility as there are today following other cowardly attacks on civilians by religious terrorists. This was the dawn of a new world order.
People wanted to do something, anything, to help. International disputes and rivalries were set aside as the world came together to mourn. People lined up to donate blood, and monetary donations poured in to organizations to help survivors and their families. Celebrities came together to appear on a quickly organized program to raise funds. Pride in our country was so great that it was impossible to find an American flag for sale.
Our world has changed greatly since 9/11/01, and not for the better. The war against terror that began that day continues unabated 15 years later. Terrorists still murder innocents in the name of their religion. Air travel has become a major hassle. Billions of dollars have been spent on enhanced security around the world. Muslim extremists like those who attacked the United States on 9/11 have become even bolder in their attacks on innocent people. They have kidnapped hundreds of schoolchildren in Nigeria. They have murdered countless innocent people in Iraq, Kenya, France, Turkey, Tunisia and Belgium. Individuals brainwashed by this sick interpretation of religion have murdered people in the US, Germany and other counties. Soldiers from a coalition of nations continue to die in efforts to stop the spread of this hatred.
In my dreams, I wish the world would come together once more without being prompted by a huge tragedy. But that dream seems less of a reality than ever. And I am glad that 9/11 has not been made a federal holiday, as some have suggested. Like other holidays such as Memorial Day, I fear that a 9/11 holiday would lead to nothing more than barbeques and holiday sales. The real reason for the holiday would be lost. Besides, there is nothing about 9/11 to 'celebrate.'
Let us come together to fight those who would attack our nation and its citizens, and to tackle the world's injustices without shedding more blood. And let us always remember those who lost their lives on 9/11/01, as well as those they left behind.
This dark day in American history is one of those "where were you when" days. I remember where I was when I learned that President Kennedy had been assassinated. I remember exactly where I was when we learned of the loss of space shuttle Challenger, and later, space shuttle Columbia.
I remember the nearly 3,000 innocent people who were murdered that day, those whose lives are forever shattered, and the first responders who went into the buildings when everyone else was racing to escape. I remember the horrible pictures of people jumping to their deaths, and fleeing from the black cloud of toxic dust and debris as it roared down the streets of New York City.
I remember the unflagging dedication of the search dogs and their handlers -- several from my agency and surrounding area -- as they looked for survivors and later, for the remains of the murdered. One of my friends and her amazing search dog responded to the call to search for survivors. I remember the exhausted faces of the handlers and dogs after their return home, and the frustration of some members of the disaster response team at my federal agency who were unable to go. They had trained for just such a disaster, but not everyone was called to respond.
I remember being told to send our staff home, and how my supervisor and I stayed at work, fielding innumerable calls from the news media, developing talking points, coordinating with agency headquarters and feeling totally numb. As federal employees, we felt especially vulnerable that day, so our center was closed and all but a few essential personnel were sent home. I remember working many long days without a break and how panicked I felt when I heard an airplane approaching the runways shared by my agency and the military, even though I knew it was an agency plane that was expected. The sound of this airplane's engines sent my heart racing. Even now, thinking back to those post-attack days, I feel a sense of panic and my eyes fill with tears.
And I remember when I finally got a day off work, sitting in my living room watching the endless replays of the planes hitting the Twin Towers, and the towers collapsing, finally at last being able to give in to my grief and letting the endless tears flood over me. I remember how this nation, and the world, came together in the aftermath of these cowardly attacks. There were no claims of responsibility as there are today following other cowardly attacks on civilians by religious terrorists. This was the dawn of a new world order.
People wanted to do something, anything, to help. International disputes and rivalries were set aside as the world came together to mourn. People lined up to donate blood, and monetary donations poured in to organizations to help survivors and their families. Celebrities came together to appear on a quickly organized program to raise funds. Pride in our country was so great that it was impossible to find an American flag for sale.
Our world has changed greatly since 9/11/01, and not for the better. The war against terror that began that day continues unabated 15 years later. Terrorists still murder innocents in the name of their religion. Air travel has become a major hassle. Billions of dollars have been spent on enhanced security around the world. Muslim extremists like those who attacked the United States on 9/11 have become even bolder in their attacks on innocent people. They have kidnapped hundreds of schoolchildren in Nigeria. They have murdered countless innocent people in Iraq, Kenya, France, Turkey, Tunisia and Belgium. Individuals brainwashed by this sick interpretation of religion have murdered people in the US, Germany and other counties. Soldiers from a coalition of nations continue to die in efforts to stop the spread of this hatred.
In my dreams, I wish the world would come together once more without being prompted by a huge tragedy. But that dream seems less of a reality than ever. And I am glad that 9/11 has not been made a federal holiday, as some have suggested. Like other holidays such as Memorial Day, I fear that a 9/11 holiday would lead to nothing more than barbeques and holiday sales. The real reason for the holiday would be lost. Besides, there is nothing about 9/11 to 'celebrate.'
Let us come together to fight those who would attack our nation and its citizens, and to tackle the world's injustices without shedding more blood. And let us always remember those who lost their lives on 9/11/01, as well as those they left behind.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Killing Our Planet
We are killing our planet.
Think about it. Our beautiful planet Earth -- the only known habitable planet in the solar system -- is under attack, not by aliens but by us, the supposed 'higher' life form, the 'most intelligent' life form, the only technologically advanced life form.
Our oceans, a source of food, a key player in the carbon cycle and driver of Earth's weather, have become garbage dumps full of floating islands of plastic and discarded fishing nets, the whale species hunted relentlessly under the guise of 'research.'
Rain forests - sources of oxygen, medicine, species not yet discovered and thousands of known animal species -- are being clear-cut and plowed. Our great mammals -- elephants, rhinoceros, bears and wolves, whales and dolphins -- are killed for simply existing and for competing with humans. Rivers are filled with toxic chemicals and flooded with waste.
Think about it. Our beautiful planet Earth -- the only known habitable planet in the solar system -- is under attack, not by aliens but by us, the supposed 'higher' life form, the 'most intelligent' life form, the only technologically advanced life form.
Our oceans, a source of food, a key player in the carbon cycle and driver of Earth's weather, have become garbage dumps full of floating islands of plastic and discarded fishing nets, the whale species hunted relentlessly under the guise of 'research.'
Rain forests - sources of oxygen, medicine, species not yet discovered and thousands of known animal species -- are being clear-cut and plowed. Our great mammals -- elephants, rhinoceros, bears and wolves, whales and dolphins -- are killed for simply existing and for competing with humans. Rivers are filled with toxic chemicals and flooded with waste.
Species are now becoming extinct at a rate some 1,000 times faster than before humans overran the world. Why? According to a study by Mark Williams of the University of Leicester, England, "the extinctions are being driven by the effects of just one single species, Homo sapiens." Previous mass extinctions were the result of asteroid impacts and huge volcanic eruptions. Now there is just one culprit -- humans. Here is a link to the entire article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/21/mass-extinction-science-warning
Elephants and rhinoceros are facing extinction because Asians believe that rhino horn will cure cancer and/or make them more virile. In reality, rhino horn is made of the same stuff as our fingernails. And let's not forget the insatiable need, including among people in the US and UK, to possess those must-have trinkets and carvings of elephant ivory. Hunting of endangered lions, tigers, African elephants and other animals continues to fuel the perverted needs of hunters who want a trophy to hang on their walls.
Human populations continue to grow unabated, spreading into wildlife habitat and using more and more of the planet's resources. A recent study published in the Journal Current Biology states that of all the world's wilderness, 10 percent has been lost in just 20 years. But we must have that new subdivision or shopping mall, right?
There appear to be no limits to which the oil, gas and mining industries will go to extract the earth's riches, regardless of the irreparable damage done to the planet. Two companies want to set up gold mining operations near Yellowstone National Park. A secretive organization tied to the billionaire Koch brothers allegedly is aiding Arizona politicians' and special-interest groups' efforts to block a bill that would ban uranium mining around the Grand Canyon in Arizona. These and other public lands are under attack from special interest groups and their puppets in Congress.
What we do right now -- or what we fail to do -- will determine the future, not just for us and our descendants, but for our planet. mining operation on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. Spraying to kill mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus resulted in the deaths of more than a million bees. Without bees, there will be no food.
I believe that progress has been made. The air and waters aren't as polluted, at least in the U.S., as they once were. Still, our world is at great risk. Oceans are rising and glaciers are melting. Many types of fish are overexploited. Water sources are threatened by pollution and human population growth.
Will we demand an end to the pollution and slaughter, or will we sit idly by while trophy hunters, cattle ranchers, lumber companies and corporate interests destroy our world? Sadly, it seems that it will take a major disaster before we open our eyes and demand significant changes. Our Earth can recover from the damage we humans have inflicted, but only if we change our ways NOW.
Elephants and rhinoceros are facing extinction because Asians believe that rhino horn will cure cancer and/or make them more virile. In reality, rhino horn is made of the same stuff as our fingernails. And let's not forget the insatiable need, including among people in the US and UK, to possess those must-have trinkets and carvings of elephant ivory. Hunting of endangered lions, tigers, African elephants and other animals continues to fuel the perverted needs of hunters who want a trophy to hang on their walls.
Human populations continue to grow unabated, spreading into wildlife habitat and using more and more of the planet's resources. A recent study published in the Journal Current Biology states that of all the world's wilderness, 10 percent has been lost in just 20 years. But we must have that new subdivision or shopping mall, right?
There appear to be no limits to which the oil, gas and mining industries will go to extract the earth's riches, regardless of the irreparable damage done to the planet. Two companies want to set up gold mining operations near Yellowstone National Park. A secretive organization tied to the billionaire Koch brothers allegedly is aiding Arizona politicians' and special-interest groups' efforts to block a bill that would ban uranium mining around the Grand Canyon in Arizona. These and other public lands are under attack from special interest groups and their puppets in Congress.
What we do right now -- or what we fail to do -- will determine the future, not just for us and our descendants, but for our planet. mining operation on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. Spraying to kill mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus resulted in the deaths of more than a million bees. Without bees, there will be no food.
I believe that progress has been made. The air and waters aren't as polluted, at least in the U.S., as they once were. Still, our world is at great risk. Oceans are rising and glaciers are melting. Many types of fish are overexploited. Water sources are threatened by pollution and human population growth.
Will we demand an end to the pollution and slaughter, or will we sit idly by while trophy hunters, cattle ranchers, lumber companies and corporate interests destroy our world? Sadly, it seems that it will take a major disaster before we open our eyes and demand significant changes. Our Earth can recover from the damage we humans have inflicted, but only if we change our ways NOW.
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