A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day~72 Deepest Sympathy And Love For Aurora

If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a land,
I'd walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home again.

~Author Unknown


**Warning... this post is not a lighthearted one. If I offend anyone, I apologize... but I am not sorry.


FUCK YOU! The Rant Paragraphs...


Every time I hear someone say American is the greatest country on the planet I want to borrow their rose colored glasses, so I could see the world the way they do. And yet at the same time, I want to point out how very wrong they are. I did a little Googling, and as an example, we don't lead the world in EDUCATION, but want to know what we do lead the world in... HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. That is what we are doing for our children, that's the world we are giving them.. AMERICA... LEADING THE WORLD IN SCHOOL SHOOTINGS SINCE 1999. 1999... And the Columbine Massacre.


Both Mitt Romney, and President Obama held their respective press conferences today, and neither candidate had the BALLS to say ENOUGH. GOD BLESS AMERICA  and GOD BLESS THE FUCKING NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION. If I hadn't made up my mind before, it's made up now. If President Obama doesn't do anything SUBSTANTIAL about gun control between now and November, I will NOT vote for him, or anyone else who can't stand up the NRA. And don't give me that BULLSHIT about if you don't vote you can't complain... SHUT UP! As a matter of fact I can, and I will. LOUD. Because that's what AMERICA is about. The freedom to speak. To seek change. To insist that our government DO IT'S JOB!


The Government has kept us safe since 9/11? No, not really. The government has us being molested at airports. The Obama administration has more guns on the street now, then when George W Bush was in office, and oh by the way, we weren't being molested at airports during his administration.


There are more Americans, then members of the NRA. It's time for those of us who can think straight to make our voices known, not just loudly... DEAFENING!


PRESIDENT OBAMA. DO SOMETHING NOW! I DON'T WANT A PRESIDENT WHO CAN'T STAND UP TO THE NRA!


WEEP... The Sadness Paragraph...


Every time one of these shooting takes place, invariably I will learn about someone's life. Someone extraordinary. And while I may have never met them, I never forget them.


(Dr. Michael Griffith)
1991 - Lubby's Masacre


(John Scully)
1993 - 101 California St Shooting


(All The Children Of Columbine)
1999 - Columbine High School, Columbine, Co.


(Amish School Children)
2006 - Amish School, Bart Township, Lancaster, Pa


(Gabby Giffords)
2011 - Tucson Shooting, Tucson Az


(Jessica Ghawi)
2012 - Aurora Century Theater Shooting, Aurora Colorado


In Aurora, as of right now... 71 Shot or Injured. 12 Dead.


Enough...weep... weep... weep. I am sorry, I will PRAY for you is just NOT ENOUGH.


Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence (Website)


Brady Campaign (On Twitter)


Please take a moment to sign the Petition at the Brady Campagin to Prevent Gun Violence.


Share These Badges In Support Of The Victims Of The Aurora Shootings. (From ABC7 News San Francisco Facebook Page)
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~Me :(

NOTE: I am taking a few days off. I thought I would make it to my goal, but I just feel the artist in me draining out, and an exacerbation of my Fibromyalgia flowing in.  I will be back soon I think. Gotta take care of the health first.


:(

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 71: San Francisco Brides

"Longed for him. Got him. Shit."


~Margaret Atwood


On any give Tuesday, or Wednesday you can probably find a bride and groom, posing for romantic pictures, somewhere in San Francisco. I have had amazing luck in finding such scenes to photograph, and it always makes me a bit reflective. In the moment, I will more than likely not have much time to grab my camera, put it on the proper setting, and get the photo. My best luck has been in Golden Gate Park, at the various picturesque points, but the Palace of Fine Arts and the Legion of Honor are great spots as well. I mostly photograph the couples in color, but I think I have gotten my best scenes in black and white.


I don't ever show the faces of the brides and grooms, as I am mindful of the moment for them. But also because sometimes it isn't the couple themselves that makes the photo, but the scene around them. Of all the photos of bridges and grooms I have done over the years, this is one of my very favorites. I think there is a lot to take in. Is the man walking away from the bride, as in letting go of a lover, or is he the Best Man, and simply done fulfilling his job as the witness? Is the man more of a haunting figure? Does the presence of the man evoke a sad feeling, or one of indifference? Personally, I am not sure how it feels to me. I was there, and I know who and what he was, but I still find myself pondering the man's part in the photo 6 years after taking the photo.


So, tell me your impression. Do you like the addition of the second man in the photo? Or should I have simply cropped him out and had the photo be just about the couple? Does the second man diminish the romance of the bride and groom? Good photo? Bad photo? What was your first thought when you saw it?


Opinions. Opinions.


"I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury."


~Groucho Marx


~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 70~ 211, 212, 213

Careful now.
We're dealing here with a myth.
This city is a point upon a map of fog;
Lemuria in a city unknown.
Like us, it doesn't quite exist.

~Ambrose Bierce

 

And the beat goes on. I am in pain head to foot, but I am dealing with it as best I can. I know in a few days it will be better again. It's just the nature of the beast, but it isn't super helpful when dumb stuff happens to make it worse. Folks with Fibromyalgia cannot tolerate SPLENDA (Sucralose). Not in any way, shape or form. It causes us to experience painful headaches, extreme stomach troubles and all the extra symptoms tends to exacerbate the usual pain. Well, the other day, Alan and I decided to split a burger meal from McDonald's. He wasn't thirsty, so I ordered a large Coke for me. What I got was a large diet Coke, and it was diet by way of SPLENDA (Sucralose). I am so used to drinking diet sodas because of my diabetes, I didn't even notice it wasn't a regular flavored Coke So, the rest was, shall we say, bathroom history. LOL. It was painful, unnecessary, and inconvenient. And the stupidest part of all was, McDonald's didn't just mess up the drink order, they gave me the wrong burger as well. LOL. All you can do is laugh... right?

Sure! :)


Oh well, the important thing is that I am keeping my word, I have posted 70 blog posts in a row now, and that is phenomenal, compared to my energy level of just a year ago. So, onward and upward.

 

Tonight I am bringing you the results of the Huffington Post Photo Contest, which was held in honor of the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th Anniversary. I submitted 3 photographs, and didn't win, but it felt good to take part in the fun along with the other shutterbugs.  It's good to participate in things. I don't mind that my photos weren't chosen, I know I am not the beginning and end of semi-amateur photography, but it helps a lot to see how others approach a subject. I hosted the Round Robin Photo Challenges, the Monday Photo Shoot, and even the Weekend Assignment for a while, and it was good for me, so I will probably be back to doing the EMPS sometime in the autumn if there is enough interest in my doing so. If not, I may just put a random challenge out there, something not quite as structured as the EMPS, on a semi-regular basis. We will see.


Anyway... here are the non winning photos, and a link to the page on the Huffington Post where you can see the winning photograph. It's awesome. But if I am telling the truth... I like mine better!



LOL. WINK~


"One day, if I do go to Heaven, I'll look around and say, "It ain't bad, but it sure ain't San Francisco."


~Herb Caen


~Me :)

Golden Gate Bridge Photo Contest Winner Revealed


And now... go and see what our friend JR is up to today!


JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/07/apadf6-69.html

And
 http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/07/apadf6-68.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 69~ Here Ghostie, Ghostie, Ghostie

"An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself."


~Charles Dickens


And the Fibromyalgia pain continues. So, tonight I thought it would be fun to just sharing a little about what is probably the strangest item on my Bucket List, my desire to see a ghost one day, better yet, to actually photograph a ghost. Yep. A ghost.


Why a ghost?


Well, why not a ghost?


It's not to become famous, although why photograph a ghost and then not share it with the world? On the other hand, if I did manage to capture a specter, I would also be very tempted to keep it to myself. I think that would be a rather personal and profound thing. I would be a little caught up in what the ghost thought of me. Did the ghost connect with me on some level? Did the ghost like me. Hate me? Did the ghost appear to anyone who sought it out? There are some questions above and beyond the immediate. I think that good ghost or bad ghost, the entity deserves respect. People, live people that is, rarely seem to put much thought into what comes after the sighting.


I have seen some things in my 50 years. Not all of which I can fully explain. I do know, however, there is a certain responsibility to things beyond this life. Respect should always be the first step. After I am gone, if I do end up being earthbound, I don't want to be one of those cheesy... "GET OUT"... ghosts. I want to be a... HI LIVE PERSON, SIT DOWN AND I WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT. "It" being whatever they want to ask me. LOL. Call it the top item on my After Life Bucket List. Of course if my sense of humor follows me into the beyond, I could also see myself as a prankster. I would probably mess with the ghost hunters by wispering something stupid like... SARAH PALIN SUCKS MOOSE ANTLERS. LOL. Can you imagine?


Ghostie Me: Sarah Palin Sucks Moose Antlers.


Ghostie Hunter: Ohh.. The spirit seems to be saying... Sarah Palin Suck Moose Antlers?

Ghostie Hunter: Clearly what we have here is an Intelligent haunting!


Ohh... how about... MacArthur Park Is Melting In The Dark (Worst Song Ever)


You gotta admit... it would leave them guessing. LOL


When I leave this current existence I have here, I would like to be cremated and my "remains" GOD I HATE THAT WORD... "Remains" put into a strong ziploc bag and sewn up into a teddy bear. Alan thinks that creepy, but who hasn't wanted to be a teddy bear... now I ask you?


Yes... I would like to see a ghost. Probably. Well... I mean... sure. Right?


Hmmm...

 

So how about you? Anyone wanna go ghost hunting? And what about orbs? Personally, I don't buy it. Dust. It's dust I tells ya!


Opinions Please.

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 68~ It's Just So Dull :)

Chip Conley: "How often are you up in Sacramento?"


Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom: "Like one day a week, tops. There's no reason... it's just so dull... Sadly, I just, ugh, GOD."



I am still in a bit of a Fibromyalgia funk, still widespread pain, but I haven't lost my sense of humor. LOL. For today's posting I bring you a different bridge. This is the Tower Bridge in Sacramento. The bridge itself actually sits on the banks of Old Sacramento, which in my opinion is the most picturesque part of the city. Oh don't get me wrong, there is a lot to admire and photograph in Sacramento, especially in autumn, but I always gravitate toward the Old Sacramento area because it's such a lovely peaceful part of town. The wooden streets, and shop fronts right out of the old west, not to mention just down the road is the California Railroad Museum, It is pure charm to be sure, and I haven't spent nearly enough time there with my camera.And as much as I am looking forward to exploring Old Sacramento, I also have the Governor's Mansion on my list of THAT WHICH MUST BE PHOTOGRAPHED while on vacation in October. Exploring the whole town is something I am looking forward to.

 

So, how about that quote of Gavin Newsom's? LOL. Delightfully honest isn't he? I have been to Sacramento in the summer... OMG... It's 1000 degrees and boring as hell! NO JOKE. But poor Gavin, I think he is talking Sacramento at any time, any season! LOL, Personally, I agree! And I miss Gavin Newsom now that he is Lt. Governor, because he brought a lot of honesty to San Francisco when he was mayor as well. Given the mess with Ross Mirkarimi, I wonder how differently he might have handled things. Shrug. I wonder if Mirkarimi would be throwing around the same allegations he has with Mayor Lee. Shrug again.The world will never know I guess.



Since Gavin Newsom left San Francisco, he is rarely in the news anymore, well except for this flub. LOL. But see, I understood what he meant, I think most folks did, but it was still amusing. Newsom can be so delightfully honest about how he feels about things, and that's what I love most about him. You pretty much get the truth from him. He is kinda cut from the same cloth as Joe Biden, and that is a good thing. :) Those two are honest, and while some folks insist on calling that honestly flubs, I don't, as I am an occasional flubber or is it flubeee... myself. LOL. Those two are characters... and there is always room for a little more character... right?


Wink. ;)

~Me  :)


Today's Link


JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/07/apadf6-66.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 67~ Photographic Evidence

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."


~Aldous Huxley Complete Essays 2 1926 - 29.

 

I have proof! I have the evidence! But that's the middle. Let me start at the beginning. One of my favorite movies is The Graduate. Great acting, Great cast. Great soundtrack. It was partially shot in Berkeley, in around the Cal Berkeley campus... which is Great. What's not so great? That irritating scene where the character of Benjamin Braddock drives up the coast from Los Angeles to Berkeley, to talk the girl he loves out of marrying another man, and his car is shown driving into San Francisco on the Bay Bridge. Why should that bother me? Well... see... if he did that he would be going away from Berkeley... not toward it. LOL. And yes, it bugs me every time I see it. Why did director Mike Nichols do that? If the scenery was such a big deal, why not have Benjamin fly into SFO and then drive across the bay into Berkeley? Oh yeah, that's right, when going from the city into the East Bay... you take the lower deck. There would be nothing to see. Okay... reluctantly... I get it. It was an important scene, and the sight of San Francisco did make the emotion of the scene come together. Okay.


But enough is enough. Today I found a promo for a new ABC show, set the debut in 2013, called RED WIDOW. Apparently set in San Francisco, RED WIDOW is about a young widow who finds herself reluctantly drawn into organized crime in an effort to keep herself and her children safe. Ummm... huh? On it's most basic premise it doesn't sound particularly new or interesting. That premise has been done before, but who knows maybe it will start out old hat, but go to new places. Let's hope so. It seems like scripted shows are having their share of struggles, with "reality" based shows becoming all the rage, not to mention they are cheaper to produce. So don't get me wrong, I really hope the show does well, I just wish Hollywood would stop changing the skyline of San Francisco, especially when I think it's beautiful just as it is. 


I mean look at these photos... what's not to love?





I love San Francisco, and all the crazy beautiful bridges in the area. If Hollywood wanted to show off the gorgeous San Francisco skyline, why didn't they just photograph it from either Oakland, or Alameda. From Treasure/Yerba Buena Island for that matter. Come on Hollywood... you can do better.


:)


~Me :)


Now, go see what my pal JR was come up with. His photos are awesome...


JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/07/apadf6-65.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day66~ Another Attempt At Natural Monochromatic Conditions

"No matter how much water a sink takes on, it never lives up to it's name. The Titanic would never have sunk if it were made out of a sink."


~Jarod Kintz, The Titanic Would Never Have Sunk If Were Made Out Of A Sink.


Well, I almost posted a new photo each day this week, but this morning I got up and could barely move. For whatever reason, my Fibromyalgia has decided to knock me down. It's okay, this happens from time to time, and all I need to do is rest and do my best until it passes. We had a few really hot days this past week, then a sudden cool down, which sometimes triggers it, but who knows... only the Fibromyalgia. Alan is a lot of help when it hits me hard, and as I have shared in previous posts, he is a trooper about the situation. He speaks ME. LOL. It's hurts, and days like today it's all I can do to move, but I know it's important to try.


So, lets discuss the photo for today. I am still working on spotting those opportunities to photograph naturally occurring monochromatic scenes. I think I came close here. I  was out with the camera while back, when I decided to grab some lunch and take it down to the Pacifica Pier. It was around 2 in the afternoon, and there wasn't much going on, even the surf was down that day, but I did begin to notice, that the sun was beginning to cast an even tone onto everything. Over all I was very happy with what I got that day, and I suppose if I had waited another hour or so, it may have delivered that grayscale I was looking for, but I think I came pretty close here. But then again, you know what they say, a miss is as good as a mile. Right? SHRUG. :)


Oh well, I will keep trying. That's all I can do... right? :)

"Always be like water. Float in the times of pain or dance like waves along the wind which touches it's surface."

~Santosh Kalwar




:)


~Me :)


Today's Link...


JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/07/apadf6-60-64.html