A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 179A~ I Can Has Voting

"Voting for the lessor of two evils is still voting for evil. Next time, go all out and write in Lucifer on the ballot."

~ Jarod Kintz, 99 Cents For Some Nonsense

I created this graphic for the 2008 Presidential Election. It made me smile back then because things seemed fun and exciting, and there was a real passion for voting in America. You could feel it everywhere in the days leading up to, and especially on, Election Day. The news talked about a record turnout in California, and it was true. And while there has been a good bit of malarkey surrounding elections, we don't talk about the 2000 election, or Gore v. Bush in our house, in 2008 it seemed as if the stealing of an election was all but gone from the landscape.

But here we are in 2012, and on American soil more than one American governor, is actively working to make voting in their states historically difficult. Americans denying Americans the most basic of rights is shameful on any level. I voted by Absentee ballot a week ago, and I did so with pride. But shame on me if I hadn't! I am lucky to live in a state that supports its citizens. Not all Americans do. For me to ignore voting, when I know some folks have been waiting in line for hours, if not days, to exercise that same right is morally wrong! So, if you can go vote today, please do.

Vote Democrat
Vote Republican
Vote Green
Vote Independent
Vote Libertarian
Vote Freedom
Vote Whatever Your Conscience Tells You To Vote
Vote In Honor Of Those Who Have Been Denied That Right

JUST VOTE

Okay... done now. One more politically themed post to come, then it's back to our usual fun.

I hope.

I am pretty sure anyway.

;)

~Me :)

PS Here is a link to the FactCheck Awards For for this election season! Go have a look see! You'll LAUGH. You'll CRY. You'll wonder WHY?! WHY? WHY? WHY? LOL.

Go say HI to my pal JR. He is a kind man who puts up with me. He is also a talented photographer! He's AWESOME!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/apadf6-177.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 179~ LIES AND RUMORS OF LIARS

"Freedom isn't free. It shouldn't be a bragging point that "Oh, I don't get involved in politics," as if that makes you somehow cleaner. No, that makes you derelict of duty in a republic. Liars and panderers in government would have a much harder time of it if so many people didn't insist on their right to remain ignorant and blindly agreeable."

~Bill Maher

The sentiment in the above photo is a blatant, ignorant, LIE! Obama isn't Hitler. Hitler killed over 6 million people. Obama hasn't. And to the best of my knowledge, he bares no real comparison to Hitler in any way. This is a LIE made up by a sick mind. You think there might me some kind of 9/11 conspiracy? I am willing to listen, but not when this kind of destructive bullshit accompanies your theory. Don't do this. You look stupid. I think you are stupid. Anyone who can still think clearly thinks you are stupid. If you want to work for the country you say you love, help others get to the polls on Tuesday. If you want to work for the country you say you love, work to help America overturn Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission. Individual states have already made some headway toward lessening it's power. I think the Disclose Act is a good idea... don't you?

Maybe in your passion to work for the country you say you love, you could ask yourself...

 If I have to LIE. If I have to create a deception in order to see a positive change... but wait... a deception isn't a good thing... hmmm... can I fight for my principles without compromising my values?

 If the only answer you can come up with is NO...

 Get the HELL away from my blog, and DON'T COME BACK!

I don't even want to know a coward like you!

If you can find the courage to commit yourself to working with others in honesty.

THANK YOU for making the world a better place. I am proud of you!

With this election, like no other I can remember in my lifetime, it's about dispelling the lies and the fear and the bullshit.

Choose with courage.

Lies are Lies no matter who tells them.

 "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

~Groucho Marx

~Me


Today's links comes to us by my friend JR. He is an excellent photographer, and a loyal participant in my APAD project. Go say hello!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/apadf6-176.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 178~ Falling Back Into Politics

"Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government when it deserves it."

~Mark Twain

Okay, time to discuss the subject I have been avoiding... avoiding with a passion... POLITICS. There was a time when I lived and breathed it. I watched a lot of analysis. Read a lot of opinion. Did a lot of researched into it. I formed my beliefs and opinions as I searched for facts. I wanted to know why I believed a certain way about things. I smiled when I remembered that my first ever crush was when I was 3 and I fell HARD for Hubert Humphrey. Was it his looks? Well, no. Was it his voice? Well, no. Was it his political fighting style? Well, no. Personally, I think it was the fact that when Hubert Humphrey campaigned for the office of president, my father had one less worry line on his face just imagining a democrat in office. Well... and yes... as politicians went, he was kinda nice looking. But it meant a lot to me that my father saw some HOPE in him.

It wasn't to be, and the rest is history.

But while that elections and history was being made, California, and the Bay Area specifically, was also making history. The massacre at Berkeley's People's Park left a deep hole in the heart of the Bay Area. It's something that's never been fully forgotten, and it nor should it. If nothing else it should serve as the strongest of cautionary tales about not taking political choices for granted. It should be a stark reminder that just because someone says they are a democrat, it doesn't mean they actually hold any democratic principles. in 1969 Ronald Reagan trick-or-treated as a democrat, then called in the National Guard to bring their tear gas and weapons to enforce the government stealing of Peoples Park and the active silencing of Freedom of Speech. By the time it was all said and done, 1 person was dead, one person permanently blinded, dozens more injured, and Berkeley permanently scarred.

You can see some amazing photos of the changes California went through in the 1960's, including the People's Park incident right here... Picture This: California's Perspective On American History.

The next National Election is only 2 days away. I have a lot more I want to say in the next couple days. If it's too big a bummer to tune in, I get it. Believe me. I get it! I have done a good bit of ignoring all the nonsense and useless chatter the last few months, but I now find myself incredibly frustrated as we head into Tuesday. But I also find myself incredibly grateful for some things as well. Like Chris Christie putting party politics aside to give credit where it is due. I am glad that Donald  Trump got called on the car floorboard by Chrysler executive, Ralph Gilles, because of Trump's lies about Jeep sending manufacturing jobs to China. Liars are being called on their bullshit and IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! Now, if only someone would put Willard "Mitt" Romney in his place!

If you want to avoid my rants, it's okay, but please comeback later in the week. I will be back to a more normal blog of photographs with a few words to bring it all together. I still have a lot to share with you about what I have seen and done the last month. But for now, I am looking back, before I take any steps forward.

The "People's Park" Mural, by artists O'Brien Thiele and Osha Neumann, is difficult to post in one photo, so I have decided to post vignettes of the mural.

 

 

 

 

Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight. Spring FORWARD. Fall BACK. :)

So tell me, are you ready for Tuesday, November 6th, 2012?

Mitt Romney's Seven Biggest Debate Lies

Whoppers Of 2012: Final Edition ~FactCheck.org

Obama's Numbers: Statistical Measures Of The Presidents Term To Date. ~FactCheck.org



~Me :)

Now, please drop by my friend JR's blog and say HI! :) My APAD project is nearly over, and he has been a loyal contributor. It has been very much appreciated! Thank You JR!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/apadf6-175.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 177~ RRC: In The Dark

"There are only two types of darknessess. One that harvest the shadows and one that leads the light."

~Warda Patel

Round Robin Challenge: In The Dark

This challenge round was fun! I got to do some photos in the dark and in low light and it felt good to stretch my creative muscle a bit. I did fairly well with finding just the right opportunities, but I also did some tiptoeing through my archives to see what had captured my imagination in previous night time jaunts. I found some photos I completely forgot about, so I am including them in with the new shots. Enjoy!

1. The Lights At The Peppermill Casino, Reno Nevada, October 2012 (New)


2. Coit Tower Lit In Red For World AIDS Day December 1st 2009 (Archive)


3. Conservatory Of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (Archive)


4. San Francisco, As See From Treasure Island, December 20, 2008 (Archive)


5. Window Girls, August 5th, 2007, Berkeley Ca. (Archive)


6. The End Of A Sunflower's Life, Half Moon Bay, Ca, October 23rd, 2012 (New)


7. Jellyfish At The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Ca. (Archive)


8. Starbucks Early In The Morning (Archive)


9. San Francisco Skyline At Night As Seen From Twin Peaks


10. San Francisco Neon In The Adult Entertainment District, Columbus Ave, San Francisco. (Archive)


11. Breast Cancer Awareness Rose (Pink Promise) From My Garden, October 2012 (New)


12. Coit Tower Dressed In Orange Celebrating The Giants Making It To The 2012 World Series, And Their Win Against The Detroit Tigers! Go GIANTS! (New)


Okay, that's my contribution this time around. No go check out what all the other Robins found in the dark! Just click the link at the top of the page to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog! That's where you will find all the information to play along, and a list of all participants. :)

Today's APAD contributer is from my pal JR! Go say HI! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/apadf6-174.html

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months:Day 176 ~ Look Ma, No Valium!

"You wanna fly? You have to give up the shit that ways you down."

~Toni Morrison


Yesterday, when I posted my favorite photographs of October, I found myself wishing that my favorite month had 32 days! LOL. Of course I pretty much wish that anyway, but on a practical note, there was one more October event that I wanted to share, but I knew I wouldn't have the photos edited in time, so I am posting them today. It's of our aerial tour of the San Francisco Bay!

I had been looking forward to the tour for a long time, well, since last June when it became available on Groupon. I have had a lifelong fear flying, which didn't stop me from flying mind you, but I never really enjoyed it. You see, between the ages of 12 and 18 I would routinely experience dreams of airplane crashes. These dreams didn't always end in horrific crashes, sometimes they bordered on cartoonish situations where the plane crashes, and everyone on board was simply sitting at a diner counter eating donuts, or something similar.

There were times, however, when the dreams I had... contained details... which were strikingly similar to real crashes which would take place within a few hours of when I woke up. The first took place on September 25 1978 in San Diego, California, between a single engine Cessna and a PSA commercial airliner. The second dream I had was about the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare airport in Chicago, on May 25th, 1979. I know in my rational mind that it was coincidence, but I was also of the belief that someone was trying to tell me something, so why not listen. That meant not flying. And I didn't for a long time.

Then in 1992 Alan and I were given 2 free tickets to fly anywhere we wanted. Anywhere! Alan and I thought about it for a long time, and considered many different places, but I knew it was important to Alan to fly to the East Coast to see his family, so for him I loaded up on the Valium, strapped my seat belt on, and grit my teeth for several thousand miles. As flights go, it wasn't the worst ever, in fact I had a lot of funny stories, from the many different legs of the adventure to share. Ask me sometime about the "Muffins Over Illinois" story. A true and cautionary tale! I don't know if it was all the Valium I took, or the 12 cans of coke I drank between San Jose and Columbus Ohio, or if it was the extreme turbulence we experienced over Colorado, whatever it was, by the time I reached Columbus I knew I would never look at banana muffins quite the same again!

LOL.

Lordy, it is SO funny now. But at the time, it was SKY HIGH DRAMA!

Anyway, fast forward to last Tuesday. When I saw the Groupon in June, I knew it would be a wonderful adventure for Alan and I, plus as a photographer, who would rather take pictures than breathe, everything in me said to do it. After all, some folks think the world is going to end on December 21st, and who knows, it just might! Hurricane Sandy scared me on a lot of levels. It would seem the earth is somewhat pissed off! Or maybe it's GOD who is angry! Or maybe it's neither! Maybe its just the natural order of things, I don't know, but it's not hard to believe that everything could just be over in a blink. Blinks can happen for a number of reasons, and as I was saying a couple months ago, I would rather die a bitch than a doormat! Well, lets add to it by saying I would rather die living my life as opposed to running from it.

Okay, Dials... Check. Doohickies Check... Whimmy Diddles Check... We're Good To Go!



Taxiing Down The Runway...



San Mateo Bridge...



Mt. Diablo And Oakland...



San Francisco Skyline, Bay Bridge, Treasure Island And Fog...



Bay Bridge And Treasure Island...



Alcatraz And That Famous San Francisco Fog...



Alcatraz



San Francisco



Embarcadero San Francisco...



Mt. Tamalpias, San Francisco Embarcadero



San Francisco Skyline...



Mt. Diablo And San Francisco...



Mount Tamalpias, And The Golden Gate Bridge...



The Marina Green And Marina District, San Francisco...



Bay Bridge, South Of Market, San Francisco...



San Francisco International Airport...



Palace Of Fine Arts, San Francisco...



Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island, Bay Bridge...



Autumn In Belmont California...



Mt. San Bruno, South San Francisco, The City Of Industry...





San Mateo County Eastern Side Of 101...



Coming In For A Landing...



And Back On The Ground...



The flight was an hour long, and Pilot Dan couldn't have treated us better! He answered our questions, pointed out special landmarks, and made the flight very enjoyable and fun. By the time we landed, I was already thinking about doing this again next year, if not sooner! It's sort of misleading to say I was afraid to take this flight, because it's not even a little accurate to say so. From the time I purchased the Groupon, I have been looking forward to it, so I don't think I slayed any dragons here, in fact I found out that I actually enjoy flying in this small plane as opposed to flying in a large commercial one. I doubt I will ever fly commercial again, the new regulations for flying is in my opinion ridiculous, but at least I know if I had to, my fears of the past have all been conquered. That's a good feeling!

San Carlos Flight Center, San Carlos, Ca

Happiness!

~Me :)

Today's Link Comes To Us By Way Of  JR!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/apadf6-173.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 175~ My Favorite October Memories

"In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October, when the trees are bare to the mild heavens, and the red leaves bestrew the road, and you can feel the breath of winter, morning and evening... no days so calm, so tenderly solemn, and with such a reverent meekness in the air."

~Alexander Smith

I knew the last four weeks would go by fast, but I had NO idea how fast! It's November 1st, and I am already mourning the loss of October. I love it so much. But there is one more week of vacation, and Alan and I still have a few adventures coming up this week, and a lot of photo opportunities, so I am am happy. The memories of our vacation will keep me warm all through winter.

Happiness :)






"Nothing is really lost to us as long as we remember it."

~ L. M. Montgomery, The Story Girl


~Me :)

Now, I wonder what my friend JR has posted for today. Let's go see, shall we?

JR
http://graffitionacyberwall.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-172.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 174~ Happy Halloween

"Witch and ghost make merry on this last of dear October's days."

~Unknown

 Elvis, as Woodstock, October 31st 2007
 


It's my favorite day of the year! I have learned to love the holidays over the years, mostly since marrying Alan. He understood about my aversion to holidays, a situation caused by the family of wolves who raised me, and he NEVER tried to change my mind. He just allowed me to come to terms with the ghosts of holidays past, and slowly we started our own traditions. Halloween was always the one holiday my family didn't mess with, and as a result it is the one day of the year I felt safe, and allowed to have fun. And I do! He and I do it up BIG. I am missing my Elvis today, because he loved having a costume on, and he loved the attention, but he isn't here, and while my two little fellas will put up with a costume, their heart isn't in it like his was. No one rocked a Halloween costume like Elvis. It's okay, Dylan and Hendrix are my little boys, and their happiness is the most important thing to me. So, no costumes this year... at least I think not... but there is lots of other fun awaiting. Pictures to come soon. Stay Tuned!

"I can see lights in the distance trembling in the dark cloak of night. Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing a waltz on All Souls Night."

~Loreena McKennitt

And Now A Clip From One Of My Favorite Movies... John Carpenter's The Fog.



~ Me :)

Happy Halloween!

Now, go see what my friend and fellow photographer JR is up to! He's awesome!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-170.html