Turning Down The Volume Of Life

 

“Quiet is peace.

 Tranquility.

 Quiet is turning down the volume knob on life. 

Silence is pushing the off button.

 Shutting it down.

 All of it.” 

~Khaled Hosseini,

  The Kite Runner 

 

The little bird you see in the photo is a Least Sandpiper. It is a mighty little bird, in fact they are the smallest of the sandpipers. They are about the size of a sparrow, and I have misidentified them more than once, but I have come to know them now, and I look forward to them every year. I love their sound. While I can't wait to photograph them, they are quite a challenge as they move about in a manic pace. I also enjoy just putting the camera down and observing them. I know I say this about all the birds I photograph, but I love them. I truly do. Each bird is so unique, and for these birds it's how small and mighty they are. They inspire me to keep trying. They migrate thousands of miles in a year, and are only around for a little while before they are on their way, so it is a true honor to just turn off all the noise and be thankful for their visit to my corner of the world.

 

Learn More About The Least Sandpiper Here.

 

 

“My imagination functions much better

 when I don't have to speak to people.” 

~Patricia Highsmith

For The Love Of Money

 

Download the decision here, via the New York Times.

 

Top 15 Things Money Can’t Buy

Time. Happiness. Inner Peace. Integrity. Love. Character. Manners. Health. Respect. Morals. Trust. Patience. Class.

 Common sense. 

Dignity.

 
~Roy T. Bennett

  The Light in the Heart

 

 

RICO CASE #23SC188947

 

Inmate No. P01135809

Charged with the following...

 

 

Click Graphic To Enlarge

 

 

 

 What happens if it all goes away? What happens if the case is thrown out due to misconduct on the part of Fulton County D. A. Fani Willis? As Rolling Stone said today, it's "messy". It feels like one more arrogant person (Willis) thought, once again, they could out Trump... Trump. I want to believe in Fani Willis. I do. But right now, I feel like I saw her make mistakes today, when she took the stand, that did her NO good. I totally get her emotion, I get the damage he has done to her, her reputation and her life. It seems like she should have known better than to get involved with someone she worked with, especially under these circumstances, or do anything for that matter, that a gave the impression of impropriety. We all watched Trump's attempts to steal the election. We watched as his surrogates defamed Ruby Freeman and her daughter. We watched as fake electors were chosen, and we watched and heard recordings of Trump strong-arming election officials in Georgia, so prosecuting him should have been easier than this. In a perfect world it would have been, but alas, we are not in a perfect world are we? All I know is people make big mistakes sometimes, and what Trump did was no mistake, it was a deliberate act of trying to overturn the results of a free and fair election.

 

 

50 Worst Decisions In The Last 50 Years Of American History 

 

I just noticed that this post looks really weird. I am unable to fix it. I can't get the form to move to the left, and the font went off the rails. Figures. Trump in all ways is a pain in the ass. Can't fix it, so FUCK IT!

 

 

End Of Discussion... AGAIN.

 

“Speaking personally, you can have my gun, but you'll take my book when you pry my cold, dead fingers off of the binding.” 

~Stephen King 

 

Once again, Stephen King makes the most poignant of points.

 

Another mass shooting. 

 

Do I have to say it again?

 

Stricter gun laws must be put in place! No one takes an assault rifle hunting. No one has a "God given right" to own a gun. Open carry is stupid! Do you really need a gun to buy a can of peaches at Walmart? Why can't there be mandatory courses for gun ownership and use? Assault weapons need to be banned... END OF DISCUSSION! Stricter laws for misuse of a gun need to be put in place! Misuse of a gun should mean a mandatory sentence of 50 years only if the victim is injured, if a death is involved life in prison with no possibility of parole. If a gun is not stored properly, you lose your gun for life. If your child takes your gun, and uses it with or without your permission, you get a mandatory sentence of 10 years above and beyond any other charges. 

 

Most voters are ready to move forward with common sense laws regarding guns, but our politicians love the support ($$$$) they receive from the gun lobby more than the will and support of their constituents. A good sign, that perhaps means there is a small movement toward something positive, the NRA has seen a steep decline in membership in recent years. I am not sure if it is due to the virus of gun violence, or if it is because the former CEO of the NRA is a giant crook!

I am done with this post. Currently at least 20 were shot in Kansas City this morning, and 1 death. I am sure that will change, it always does. All these folks were doing was celebrating the amazing historic Super Bowl win of the Kansas City Chiefs. It should have been a fun day. The schools were given a celebratory day off to have fun with it. It was something to be happy about! I know if the San Francisco 49ers had won, I would have been filled with all kinds of pride. I may have even tried to talk dear hubby into going to whatever celebrations being held.

 

 

I have nothing more to say on the subject.

 My heart goes out to all touched by this stupid gun epidemic. 

Sporting events. Schools. Churches. Grocery Stores. Parades.

Where will it happen next? And will you are I be there?

 

Oh and by the way, it is also Valentine's Day, so there's that!

 

And By The Way... Birds Aren't Birds, They're Drones!

 

“Suppose you were an idiot.

 And suppose you were a Republican.

 But I repeat myself.” 

~Harry S. Truman 

 

Common conspiracy theories...

 

*Birds are drones

*Lizard people are living among us

*John F. Kennedy jr, will return from the dead

 and join Trump on the ticket 

*Wind turbines cause cancer

*Michelle Obama is a man

*Jan 6th insurrectionist were actually F.B.I. agents in disguise

 

I have nothing to say to anyone who believe these and other conspiracy theories. They always lack any sort of evidence, and when you confront the nutjob spreading the bullshit you get responses like, "leading experts say..." and when they cannot produce any logical or believable argument, their "feelings" come into play. "I just know Joe  Biden stole the election." 

I am so sick of the bullshit. Funny how most conspiracy theories propagated by republicans, usually end with gullible people buying a,"Never Surrender" t-shirt that's made in China, and costs a mere $34.00! A steal! It never occurs to these people that he did exactly that, four times, and covering 91 felony charges? But by all means, arrest Dr. Fauci with no evidence of wrong doing on his part, and remember... wind turbines give you cancer, but I am sure all you have to do to cure it, is drink bleach! Don't believe me, just ask leading experts!

Full disclosure... 

DRINKING BLEACH WILL MORE THAN LIKELY KILL YOU!

In Search Of Leonardo DiCaprio

 

“The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so you have to work it out all yourself from the clues.”
~Terry Pratchett,

  Moving Pictures

So what if I told you that last Tuesday, Leonardo DiCaprio came all the way to Stockton to film a movie? If I heard myself say those words out loud, I would have to say back to myself, umm... what? Leonardo DiCaprio? Why the HELL would he come to this GOD FORSAKEN place to film a movie? At first I thought it was a joke, because really, and I can't stress this enough, why would he be in a film that has anything to do with Stockton? But low and behold, it was no joke, he was actually in town filming a movie! In fact he was just a couple miles away!

 

 The movie will be based on the bestselling book,Vineland, by Thomas Pynchon, and aside from that, I don't know a lot about the project. In 2012, when we followed Woody Allen around San Francisco as he was filming Blue Jasmine, we managed to find out a partial cast list, Alec Baldwin and Cate Blanchett, and that on the days that they filmed, there were signs taped up along the blocks that read, W.A.S.P., which stood for, Woody Allen's Summer Project. I have always wondered it that was a joke, or a funny oversight? Either way, it gave us a bit of a giggle. Just from small clues, we were able to watch a couple days filming, and I got to photograph Woody Allen in action. I had the time of my life!

 

Anyway, this film crew has permits in Sacramento through at least the 20th of February. There were several Warner Brothers trucks lining the streets surrounding the courthouse here in Stockton and the capitol in Sacramento. I know Sean Penn will co-star in the film. I don't know if I am too late to get just a glimpse of Leo, but I am trying to do a little lite stalking of where they might be filming next! Social media and Google maps are excellent for that, but it isn't easy. You have to get as much information as you can, and in then check the maps for closed off streets. Wish me luck! As demonstrated by these photos, I am way less than 100 percent on my game. It's February. It's cold, I am old, we are in the middle of redecorating, and it hasn't just been cold, we had an atmospheric river come through! Did I tell you we picked out a nice shade of green for the hallway up stairs? I need more energy than this if Hollywood is going to be visiting Stockton!