Anatomy Of A Photo: Forlorn Angel

This photo is an example of what I call a happy accident. While wandering in a cemetery in Rome, Georgia, I found this stunning, weather worn sculpture. I took my camera (then a Nikon P-50) from my pocket, composed the shot and pressed the shutter button. It was an overcast day and the exposure was a bit longer than expected; also, the P-50 had noticable shutter lag. The result is this photo, in all its blurred, slightly offcenter composition. This happy accident is a much better photo than what I had in mind when tripping the shutter.

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Carrying Fire

I started carrying a lighter a couple of years ago. Reflecting on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, it struck me that most of the soldiers carried matches. Imagine being in a trench, under a cold rain, the only source of heat now rendered useless in your pocket as the rain continues to fall. What would a doughboy have given for a small, reliable source of flame with which to build a fire to warm himself and his fellows? All the roses in Ireland, I suppose. My carry began with a Zippo that belonged to my late father-in-law, but I decided it had too much sentimental value for everyday use. Also, Zippo lighters have a habit of leaking or evaporating fuel. This isn't something you want when your lighter is needed, so I put the Zippo away for safekeeping and picked up a mini Bic. Tiny, almost unnoticeable in the pocket, the mini carries well. It has also came in handy on many occasions, such as at a child's birthday party when the time comes to light candles and t

January 6, 2021, or The Turner Diaries Live!

The attacks on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021 had their roots in a novel titled "The Turner Diaries" by the late William Luther Pierce. The novel, long a favorite of the extreme Right, has inspired violence before. In the 1980s, a group calling themselves The Order robbed an armored car and assassinated a radio talk show host, among other crimes before disbanding after their leader was killed in a standoff with the FBI. The events of Jan. 6 were disturbingly similar to the plot of the book, which, unlike many who mention it, this writer has actually read. The racism, the hatred of government, even the gallows erected on the hill recall the book. Clearly it was used as a script for the attack, which thankfully failed. The question on my mind is one many are asking: What's next?

The World In Which We Live: Pandemic Edition

What a year 2020 has become. As the federal government (particularly the head of the executive branch) dithered, a microscopic killer grew in strength and swept across the globe. A novel virus; one which humans have not been exposed to and thus have no immunity from. No effective treatment, no vaccine at this time. The possibilities are horrendous. At first it was a China problem, then an Asia problem, before it became a global problem. In my home state of Georgia, it has become a human behavior problem. The state has been partially shut down for a matter less than one month, yet is set to reopen in days. Never mind that our governor claimed he was unaware that the virus could spread via asymptomatic persons, earning himself a place on the Dumbest Governors list. The state is reopening with a mind-boggling list of businesses: hair salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors, massage parlors, bars. These are the last businesses that should open, yet Kemp, doing his best impression of a son

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