Heather, I hear others referring to you as a national treasure. It’s not hyperbolic. People like you and Joanne do so much to educate us all to our past and our present. I’m glad you slept.
Lovely photo, as usual. Thank you. It's been overcast here mornings, and storms in the evenings, so a pretty sky is welcome.
As I tossed and turned in the wee hours, trying to get back to sleep, this thought occurred to me:
January 6th probably wouldn't have been possible if we, as a nation, had taught the Civil War truly - that it was a treasonous insurrection, not a glorious fight for 'states rights'. That's the big lie that has allowed so much of what we've seen over the past 20-30 years to metastasize.
And growing up in the South, that is exactly the indoctrination I received all my school years, and of course, outside of school as well. Thankfully, I fell in with people of a different mindset when I left home, and, over time, came to see how the whole Southern structure was one big lie, a lie that was, unfortunately, abetted by a national mindset that, with some exceptions, saw no reason to dispute it.
So many of the issues that plague us now, like gun rights, quite possibly wouldn't have reached this fever pitch without the romanticized fiction of the Glorious Lost Cause.
That was an idea worth mulling in the wee hours. I wish Texas (where we have made our home for 50 years) did not have such an outsized influence on the textbooks produced for this country.
Having grown up & living in NYS - not ingrained as much as in the South. But frankly, I doubt the TRUE history has been taught anywhere in the US. Certainly not what was done to Blacks and our own indigenous people. Only now all these years later, are we learning exactly what abuse & cruelties were inflicted upon them.. And still not in textbooks. Thats how we've gotten here right now - ignoring the horrible tragedies & pretending we - US - are nothing but brave & true human beings - never in the wrong!
As a Virginian who was raised in the Shenandoah Valley and lived in Charlottesville, Williamsburg, and Charleston SC, this was SO true of my culture and education, too. I couldn't agree more.
Spot on, Sandra. Read Heather’s latest book, “How the South Won the Civil War”, if you haven’t already. Lots of resonance there with your very clear reflections.
Thanks, Peter. I'm in the midst of it right now! Amazing that it's taken me this long to really 'get it' at a cellular level. Not that I believed the BS I was taught, but it's only recently that I've be able to see just how ingrained racism is in EVERY aspect of America and our history. The fact that it all started as a expeditious basis for a select few's economic dominance just rubs salt into the national wound.
Thank you Heather, for giving us a common sense approach to these trying times and taking taking care of your self also! I cannot imagine a world without you in it.
Good night to a national treasure. Gorgeous photograph. Thank you, Buddy, and for any part you play in sustaining and assisting the treasure. The connection to the natural world is such a gift.
I love all your letters, Professor. I’m so grateful for the time you spend to share with us. I’m happy when you get a night (or two) off. I hope you never stop. I will gladly renew, anytime, to be able to have your letter in my email. Rest well.
Thank you, Carla. I like writing. But last night when I posted this, I was so tired I was falling over. And tonight, I'm casting about hoping I'm hitting the right note with an idea I'm playing with. I hope it comes across right... and that it's not stupid. :)
Oh my ♥️ I’m officially a 66 yr old fan girl! Sorry for the delayed response … getting evaluated for surgery, off hours, 2 weeks before my Medicare kicks in … sigh… I read your idea … it’s not stupid … I live in a deeply red state, quite discouraging… I find most people have NO IDEA what CRT is but, by golly it’s wrong to teach anyone about it 🙄. And cops aren’t racist, blacks are bad and we need a wall. Seriously. I need to move away. I used to live here because my family lives here. Now I need to move because that is my family. As soon as I regain mobility after surgery, plans will be in the works. I’d love CA, but property taxes for retired folk are out of reach. Maybe New Mexico … at least it’s turning blue … I’m very tired of the GOP party liners. They are devisive and hate filled … with fascist, authoritarian leanings that spell the end to democracy. I’ve been encouraged by Merrick Garlands willingness to investigate the voter bills passes and to review voter accessibility. I’m disappointed in Biden not taking a stronger stand. Infrastructure equals trade. If we don’t invest in it, our supply chain is weakened, trade isn’t as economical and America falls further behind other countries.
Looking forward to it! It might turn out to be wrong: taking that risk is how we get to the great new ideas. It certainly isn't going to be "stupid." :-)
Please tell Buddy I love that small fishing boat that he frequently includes in his shots. I used to sail. One of the all around most sensual, spiritual experiences that I know of. A good breeze, and a yar little ship under you!
But there is a deep place in my heart for the small working boat beauty, and I think Buddy knows exactly what I mean.
Thank you, Gustav. And it's hard for me to take nights off because it's harder to come back after them. And yes, you get it about Buddy. His vision is that of a working man, and his photos, to me, sing because of that. They are active, not static.
"All I ask is a stout ship, and a star to steer her by............" Sorry if I messed it up - that's from memory.........😉 (daughter of a long line of seamen)
I worked primarily in the motion picture industry with side work making commercials between pictures. I started working as an apprentice, then as a 2nd assistant cameraman for 3 years before moving up to 1st assistant - focus puller-camera tech. I did all of that for 19 years before moving up to camera operator for 11 years. I went from the hardest job on a motion picture set to the most enjoyable, I loved operating, I got to look through the camera, (usually a million dollar Panavision Panaflex), and frame the movie as it was being shot, from the technical side of the movie business it doesn't get any better than that, it's the heart of the business, everything is focused on making that a magical moment. Now I'm retired from the industry and spend my time growing flowers and photographing them in a little studio I set up on my back porch, I'm thrilled with the images I'm making, they are very high resolution and could be enlarged to 4' x 6' if I wanted too. I'll be happy to send you files that you can look at, I can guarantee that you will like them.
I also make arts and crafts furniture, mostly Stickley pieces the same way he and his brothers made them, they are for my grandchildren's great grandchildren to be able to use long after I'm gone, making them is a labor of love.
If you like looking at beautiful flowers, and who doesn't, send me an email, I'm registered with you so you must know how to reach me. I send you one a week or one month, whatever you like, I've got thousands of them and would be more than happy to share them with you.
I treasure the letters you post, the way your mind works, and this entire community, it has been a blessing to have discovered it, all thanks to a very good friend that thought I might enjoy reading it on a daily basis, he was right.
A longtime Manchin adviser is working with a group spending big to get him to support the “For the People Act.”
"Manchin co-sponsored the legislation in 2019, but he announced on June 6 that he’ll oppose the bill because it “has garnered zero Republican support.” He warned that “partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy.”
Reform advocates are now working to change Manchin’s mind on the bill again — and one of his former advisers is helping lead the charge."
One angle I see would be to convince Manchin that with true voting reform states would find it easier to elect the kinds of Republicans who would go to Washington to work together rather than be obstructionists.
What politicians in general and Joe Manchin in particular say is just words. There's no reason to believe he or the Republickers would be swayed by a logical refutation, no matter how sensible (and this suggestion of Christopher's is extremely sensible.)
Don't ever forget:
a politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat except a man.
That's an opinion. I'm not in agreement with Manchin but most people don't know him as I do. His insistence on bipartisanship has been his modus operandi since he served 14 years in the WV state legislature. He does have a connection with Republicans but it goes back to his childhood when Republican Arch Moore (who later became governor) helped Joe's dad get a loan for his small furniture store when Arch was in Congress. Joe's family was and is still Democrats.
I repeat I'm not a fan of Manchin but all I read are condemnations for things he's not guilty of. He knows there are things that will sway some Republicans but he has to be brought to mind there is a shelf life to his logic/strategy. If the grassroots movement in his state to get him to support HR/S 1 gets enough traction, he could be swayed. All those Republican West Virginians over 50 were by a vast majority dyed in the wool Democrats.
The rotund lady with the horns on her helmet has not even begun to warm up.
Talk about timing. This morning while scrolling YouTube I saw newer video with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris doing a tribute to Joan Baez at the Kennedy Center, but wait there's more.
They did a medley of songs with the last being We Shall Overcome. It's just tradition that this song causes a spontaneous sing-a-long and this one was no exception, not done yet.
When the audience started singing they showed a shot of a member in the audience actually singing. It was Joe Manchin.
Guess Joe must've gone to some hootenannies back in the day. See/hear for yourselves.
Manchin needs to stop giving his blanket refusal to S1. Few can argue that there are serious flaws in the bill like having same day registration or removing the I.D. requirement for absentee voting. Also the campaign finance parts would only make it easier for extremists like MTG to raise MORE money.
He should hammer on getting these DOA provisions out of the bill and give the few remaining GOP moderates a path to be bipartisan.
I like to absentee vote but it's only for the convenience. I don't have a legitimate excuse to do it but Ohio offers it and I take advantage. If the times for in-person voting were expanded, it would make it a lot faster to vote.
I get that many Black Americans like to vote on Sunday. I don't see any harm in Sunday voting b/c many Americans work terrible shifts and Sunday may be their only day off. OTOH, I'm not religious but it seems a little weird to have voting on "the Lord's day". It works both ways.
Bottomline is there's a lot of fat to be trimmed out of H.B.S 1 that would not affect democracy one whit and I hope a lot of that was put in the bill(s) as sacrificial chips to be bargained away for the greater good.
C'mon Joe, you're 73, it's time to do great things.
I haven’t read the bill, so won’t comment on that. But a few thoughts: in Ohio, early in person voting lasts three weeks. That’s a fairly long time, even if there’s only one location per county. For now, at least. When I voted absentee, I didn’t have to provide an ID - isn’t that what signature matching is for? I received a text when my ballot was accepted, in plenty of time to fix it had there been a problem. I was impressed. And lastly, Sunday is the “Lord’s Day” only for Christians. For Jews, Muslims, and non religious people, it’s just another day. I believe weekends in the Middle East are Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday.
You have to provide some verifiable data like a D.L. number, last 4 of your SSN and something else I believe. Of course signatures are verified when the requests for ballots are received at the BOE.
It's utterly insane that the former guy/GOP can make unsubstantiated claims about absentee voting without being challenged every time to prove there is cheating. Absentee ballots are the best defense against cheating. That's why when you do hear about cheating it was a child voting illegally for their parent who died before Election Day and had not completed a ballot. I don't know if they were caught by a forged signature or by a record check to see if the voter had died.
Greetings, Christopher. Your comment, "OTOH, I'm not religious but it seems a little weird to have voting on 'the Lord's day' " leaves out countless millions of even religious people who do NOT think of Sunday as "the Lord's day" in such an exclusive and restrictive manner. Isn't how people celebrate Sunday (or Friday or Saturday or Tuesday) a personal choice?
Karen, these threats are not to be taken lightly. I've worked elections in my county over the years, as a Democratic judge in a very red county, one the Republicans have, literally, run with impunity for 70+ years. I have seen 'observers' known to be Republicans, 'help' voters in the booths beyond just family members. In these small, rural towns everybody knows everybody, and the unspoken terms of engagement are plain. The GOP owns the field, owns the refs and there is squat you can do about it, short of one of them waving a gun in someone's face. But hovering near a voter, as Trump did Hilary during the debate - well, that's just fine - that's 'assuring the integrity of the vote'. Or some such poppycock. When we had a Republican governor it was the worst, because the local Board of Elections head was a Republican and any complaints were shelved.
This stunning report shows poll workers and election officials are still actively under threat. And djt is still inciting violence against them. How is this not outright treason? These insurrectionists have become the modern day brown shirts terrorizing opponents on behalf of tRump.
Here’s “Brown Shirts” by my favorite folk revival folkie, John Gorka, written in the ‘90s, well before the Trumpian nightmare, but it sure hits home: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LDCuLhFhSMU
This is what makes my head ready to explode. These people, with all the names of "Liberty this and Liberty that", "Freedom" and the like are so hell bent on denying everyone else their liberty and freedom.
AOC, of whom I'm a big fan, is not always right and sometimes fires before she takes aim. She does little good creating division. If she wants to be proactive she should tell Joe if he doesn't come around she's going to WV to stump for him.
Feinstein is a lost, the new Strom Thurmond who didn't know when it was time to leave. Of course she'd back Manchin, she's still stuck in the 80's in her brain. Hopefully she retires before she dies but I'll take either option at this point.
Thank you for keeping this space to discuss our democracy: it’s strengths, it’s challenges, and especially its fragility. You are gift that keeps on giving. Rest well. You deserve time off!
The skies just before, during and just after the sunrises have been spectacular here in NYC. . I missed seeing the solar eclipse by 10 minutes. Wish I could email you a photo of one of those early morning shots. Thank you, Buddy, I always gasp at your beauties. Heather and Buddy, enjoy this spring Saturday. Thank you, Heather, for your steering through our shaky, shaky days.
I'm embarrassed to say I missed that there was a recent eclipse. Don't know how. But always send me any pretty photos. I am not an artist, but I would give a lot to be one, and art is never wasted on me.
I get newsletters from spaceweather.com and that is one I never skim over. They have a gallery for photos of all kinds of space events sent in by enthusiasts. Feast.
Would you believe that I actually slept to through noon that day (rare for me), and nearly missed the eclipse! Seemed dim, so I looked out to look at the sky and saw part of a sun above my barn! I was so groggy it didn't even register at first. When it did, I was dumbfounded. I actually [put these things in my calendar years in advance (next one for me 2023, will be visiting friends in center of path out west).
Thanks for stopping by Annie and sharing your solar eclipse story. Although I missed the very beginning by about 6 or 7 minutes, I did get spectacular pics, just not the ring. Have a good Sunday.
Nice photo ... but wherever YOU are, look at the beauty in the things around you, be they cityscapes, country abodes or something in between. All of them have daily sunrises and sunsets.
Agree, Jack. It is critical I think to always look for the beauty wherever we are when we are there. That said, I have to admit that I was drawn to this one, as it reminds me much of a place that still makes me homesick: the area around the bays and islands of northern Puget Sound.
I hope Dr. Richardson will forgive me for sharing this forum to add my $.02 for today.
There is no such thing as fake news.
There is no such thing as fake news. There is news and there are lies. These are distinctly different things.
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. The English word "news" developed in the 14th century as a special use of the plural form of "new". As its name implies, "news" typically connotes the presentation of new information.
News recording and reporting is the responsibility of journalists and subject to a professional journalistic code of ethics and standards. Journalistic ethics and standards comprise principles of ethics and good practice applicable to journalists. This subset of media ethics is known as journalism's professional "code of ethics" and the "canons of journalism". The basic codes and canons commonly appear in statements by professional journalism associations and individual print, broadcast, and online news organizations.
So while various codes may have some differences, most share common elements including the principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, and public accountability, as these apply to the acquisition of newsworthy information and its subsequent dissemination to the public.
There is no room for or exceptions in journalism’s code of ethics and standards for classification of untruths, lies, or propaganda as news. Hence there should be no fake news, only news or lies and untruths.
As the role of journalists is one of public service to observe, gather, record, and report news to the public, it is inconceivable that journalists would be “the enemy of the public.” Yes, there may be unethical individuals or media posing as journalists. However, doing so is a violation of the ethics and standards of journalism.
It is important also for all to understand that just as there is a code of ethics and standards for journalism’s reporting of news, there is an implied set of standards and ethics for the public in the consumption of news. As news consumers we have a responsibility to be discriminating in our choice of what journalism sources on which to rely for news. Do the sources we rely on subscribe to a journalistic code of ethics and standards? Do they publish or make available that code for examination? Is that code enforced by an editorial staff that reviews their reporting before printing or broadcasting of news to be sure it complies with those standards? Yes, mistakes will sometimes happen and be uncovered after news is first reported. When that happens, are corrections or retractions promptly reported as prominently and apparently as the initial news reporting?
We all have a responsibility also to be prepared to do our own research to fact check and verify information conveyed in the news we consume using multiple reliable sources before passing along information to others or acting on that information. We must remember that when we take on the responsibility of ourselves becoming reporters of news to others we must subscribe to those same journalistic ethics and standards we expect of others.
Being discriminating and responsible consumers of news also requires we take on the responsibilities of news literacy. This is even more important with the rise of new media that allows all of us today to become journalists by reporting or broadcasting news to others so easily.
I have previously encouraged the use of information, tools, and the educational resources of the News Literacy Project (https://newslit.org) to assist in developing better news literacy practices.
I make a plea for all to consider the support of responsible journalism through paid subscriptions to both major National and local newspapers. Today’s plethora of electronic or digital news media are ever present and dominate so much of our time and attention. However, their format encourages summation and sound bites often obscuring the details and complexities essential for a more comprehensive understanding of the news, of current events. Newspapers continue to provide a much more comprehensive and detailed level of news coverage than most electronic or digital sources. Additionally, most are now available electronically as digital subscriptions to make them easily consumable and convenient, as well as often more affordable than print subscriptions.
My final plea today is also for all to distinguish between news and analysis. News is reporting of events and facts. Analysis is the interpretation of those facts to make predictions about future events, trends, or the motivations of the events’ actors. Responsible journalists will generally make clear distinctions between reporting of news and the analysis of news, but that is not always the case. Therefore, we must take on the responsibility for making that distinction ourselves.
Today’s takeaways:
There is no such thing as fake news, only news. Untruths and lies are not news, not even fake news.
Choose your news sources responsibly and be a news literate consumer of news.
If you choose to take on the responsibilities of a journalist, be sure you adopt the journalistic code of ethics and standards.
Support responsible journalism with paid subscriptions to quality National and local newspapers. They remain the best news sources.
I subscribe always to a newspaper, currently two. One print, one digital. Can’t imagine not having a newspaper with morning coffee or tea for an hour. Thank you Bruce. I despise the term fake news and the shadow it casts on journalism.
Pam, have just this minute read this story when my Boston bred hubby sent it to my phone. Amazing! Especially that humpbacks have been known to be "altruistic" toward humans and was probably trying to help Packard by going to the surface to spit him out. Also that humpbacks are "slurp" eaters-- moving through water with mouth open and taking in everything in its path!
There has got to be a political analogy lurking in here somewhere!!
Pam, this has made my day! I laughed and laughed and laughed. Great information about whales and other things. I grew up in lobstering town in southern Maine but had never heard of lobster divers. Thanks for sharing this great story! I must go to finally read Moby Dick. Let's see ... "Call me Ishmael..."
Sleep well, both of you, with the gratitude of a nation that is better because of who you are and what you do. Thank you, Heather and Buddy!
Honestly, I was so tired I was falling over in my chair. Slept like the dead, both of us.
Heather, I hear others referring to you as a national treasure. It’s not hyperbolic. People like you and Joanne do so much to educate us all to our past and our present. I’m glad you slept.
Lovely photo, as usual. Thank you. It's been overcast here mornings, and storms in the evenings, so a pretty sky is welcome.
As I tossed and turned in the wee hours, trying to get back to sleep, this thought occurred to me:
January 6th probably wouldn't have been possible if we, as a nation, had taught the Civil War truly - that it was a treasonous insurrection, not a glorious fight for 'states rights'. That's the big lie that has allowed so much of what we've seen over the past 20-30 years to metastasize.
And growing up in the South, that is exactly the indoctrination I received all my school years, and of course, outside of school as well. Thankfully, I fell in with people of a different mindset when I left home, and, over time, came to see how the whole Southern structure was one big lie, a lie that was, unfortunately, abetted by a national mindset that, with some exceptions, saw no reason to dispute it.
So many of the issues that plague us now, like gun rights, quite possibly wouldn't have reached this fever pitch without the romanticized fiction of the Glorious Lost Cause.
Sandra, as a fellow (displaced) Southerner, what you write here rings true to my ears. Thank you for this very insightful comment.
That was an idea worth mulling in the wee hours. I wish Texas (where we have made our home for 50 years) did not have such an outsized influence on the textbooks produced for this country.
Brilliant analysis but with text books being printed in Texas not likely to happen sadly
You're right - contrary to the old saying. history isn't always written by the winners.
All of the replies to your comment are encouraging, Sandra... all Southern raised and each taught as you were and now realizing the truth of it all.
Having grown up & living in NYS - not ingrained as much as in the South. But frankly, I doubt the TRUE history has been taught anywhere in the US. Certainly not what was done to Blacks and our own indigenous people. Only now all these years later, are we learning exactly what abuse & cruelties were inflicted upon them.. And still not in textbooks. Thats how we've gotten here right now - ignoring the horrible tragedies & pretending we - US - are nothing but brave & true human beings - never in the wrong!
As a Virginian who was raised in the Shenandoah Valley and lived in Charlottesville, Williamsburg, and Charleston SC, this was SO true of my culture and education, too. I couldn't agree more.
Gotta put in here that the Shenandoah Valley is simply gorgeous. Those hills!
Thank you, Heather--you're a beacon of light, truth, and sanity in this world, and what you give is so very important.
Yes
Spot on, Sandra. Read Heather’s latest book, “How the South Won the Civil War”, if you haven’t already. Lots of resonance there with your very clear reflections.
Thanks, Peter. I'm in the midst of it right now! Amazing that it's taken me this long to really 'get it' at a cellular level. Not that I believed the BS I was taught, but it's only recently that I've be able to see just how ingrained racism is in EVERY aspect of America and our history. The fact that it all started as a expeditious basis for a select few's economic dominance just rubs salt into the national wound.
Yes. I totally agree.
Thank you Heather, for giving us a common sense approach to these trying times and taking taking care of your self also! I cannot imagine a world without you in it.
Thank you, Lynne. Isn't the best part of all this that we have learned how many like-minded folks are out here?
I couldn’t agree more! It’s time to dig in and fight harder, these Az Ntional democracy types have to be thrown out!!
Good night to a national treasure. Gorgeous photograph. Thank you, Buddy, and for any part you play in sustaining and assisting the treasure. The connection to the natural world is such a gift.
He's the best. :)
I love all your letters, Professor. I’m so grateful for the time you spend to share with us. I’m happy when you get a night (or two) off. I hope you never stop. I will gladly renew, anytime, to be able to have your letter in my email. Rest well.
Thank you, Carla. I like writing. But last night when I posted this, I was so tired I was falling over. And tonight, I'm casting about hoping I'm hitting the right note with an idea I'm playing with. I hope it comes across right... and that it's not stupid. :)
Oh my ♥️ I’m officially a 66 yr old fan girl! Sorry for the delayed response … getting evaluated for surgery, off hours, 2 weeks before my Medicare kicks in … sigh… I read your idea … it’s not stupid … I live in a deeply red state, quite discouraging… I find most people have NO IDEA what CRT is but, by golly it’s wrong to teach anyone about it 🙄. And cops aren’t racist, blacks are bad and we need a wall. Seriously. I need to move away. I used to live here because my family lives here. Now I need to move because that is my family. As soon as I regain mobility after surgery, plans will be in the works. I’d love CA, but property taxes for retired folk are out of reach. Maybe New Mexico … at least it’s turning blue … I’m very tired of the GOP party liners. They are devisive and hate filled … with fascist, authoritarian leanings that spell the end to democracy. I’ve been encouraged by Merrick Garlands willingness to investigate the voter bills passes and to review voter accessibility. I’m disappointed in Biden not taking a stronger stand. Infrastructure equals trade. If we don’t invest in it, our supply chain is weakened, trade isn’t as economical and America falls further behind other countries.
Joseph Nemeth (CA)just now
Looking forward to it! It might turn out to be wrong: taking that risk is how we get to the great new ideas. It certainly isn't going to be "stupid." :-)
Take the whole weekend.
You still know how?
Please tell Buddy I love that small fishing boat that he frequently includes in his shots. I used to sail. One of the all around most sensual, spiritual experiences that I know of. A good breeze, and a yar little ship under you!
But there is a deep place in my heart for the small working boat beauty, and I think Buddy knows exactly what I mean.
Rest well, in mind and soul, professor!
Thank you, Gustav. And it's hard for me to take nights off because it's harder to come back after them. And yes, you get it about Buddy. His vision is that of a working man, and his photos, to me, sing because of that. They are active, not static.
"All I ask is a stout ship, and a star to steer her by............" Sorry if I messed it up - that's from memory.........😉 (daughter of a long line of seamen)
"And the wheel's kick, and the wind's song and the white sails shaking, and the grey mist over the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking."
Thank you, Heather. I was too lazy to look it up. I'd forgotten just how beautiful the imagery was. I can almost feel the spray off the bow.
I think that's right.
As a man that made his living with photography for 30 years I’d say he has a very good eye 👁, I always enjoy seeing his work 🙏🙏🙏
What sort of work do you do, Dick?
I worked primarily in the motion picture industry with side work making commercials between pictures. I started working as an apprentice, then as a 2nd assistant cameraman for 3 years before moving up to 1st assistant - focus puller-camera tech. I did all of that for 19 years before moving up to camera operator for 11 years. I went from the hardest job on a motion picture set to the most enjoyable, I loved operating, I got to look through the camera, (usually a million dollar Panavision Panaflex), and frame the movie as it was being shot, from the technical side of the movie business it doesn't get any better than that, it's the heart of the business, everything is focused on making that a magical moment. Now I'm retired from the industry and spend my time growing flowers and photographing them in a little studio I set up on my back porch, I'm thrilled with the images I'm making, they are very high resolution and could be enlarged to 4' x 6' if I wanted too. I'll be happy to send you files that you can look at, I can guarantee that you will like them.
I also make arts and crafts furniture, mostly Stickley pieces the same way he and his brothers made them, they are for my grandchildren's great grandchildren to be able to use long after I'm gone, making them is a labor of love.
If you like looking at beautiful flowers, and who doesn't, send me an email, I'm registered with you so you must know how to reach me. I send you one a week or one month, whatever you like, I've got thousands of them and would be more than happy to share them with you.
I treasure the letters you post, the way your mind works, and this entire community, it has been a blessing to have discovered it, all thanks to a very good friend that thought I might enjoy reading it on a daily basis, he was right.
Meanwhile,
Manchin Ally Pushes Him On Voting Rights Bill
A longtime Manchin adviser is working with a group spending big to get him to support the “For the People Act.”
"Manchin co-sponsored the legislation in 2019, but he announced on June 6 that he’ll oppose the bill because it “has garnered zero Republican support.” He warned that “partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy.”
Reform advocates are now working to change Manchin’s mind on the bill again — and one of his former advisers is helping lead the charge."
https://www.dailyposter.com/manchin-ally-pushes-him-on-voting-rights-bill/
One angle I see would be to convince Manchin that with true voting reform states would find it easier to elect the kinds of Republicans who would go to Washington to work together rather than be obstructionists.
Thanks for posting this, Christopher.
Excellent point!
Lest we forget Manchin's seat in the Senate is part of what gives Democrats the leadership, control of the votes, appointments of judges...and ???
What politicians in general and Joe Manchin in particular say is just words. There's no reason to believe he or the Republickers would be swayed by a logical refutation, no matter how sensible (and this suggestion of Christopher's is extremely sensible.)
Don't ever forget:
a politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat except a man.
e. e. cummings
That's an opinion. I'm not in agreement with Manchin but most people don't know him as I do. His insistence on bipartisanship has been his modus operandi since he served 14 years in the WV state legislature. He does have a connection with Republicans but it goes back to his childhood when Republican Arch Moore (who later became governor) helped Joe's dad get a loan for his small furniture store when Arch was in Congress. Joe's family was and is still Democrats.
I repeat I'm not a fan of Manchin but all I read are condemnations for things he's not guilty of. He knows there are things that will sway some Republicans but he has to be brought to mind there is a shelf life to his logic/strategy. If the grassroots movement in his state to get him to support HR/S 1 gets enough traction, he could be swayed. All those Republican West Virginians over 50 were by a vast majority dyed in the wool Democrats.
The rotund lady with the horns on her helmet has not even begun to warm up.
Talk about timing. This morning while scrolling YouTube I saw newer video with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris doing a tribute to Joan Baez at the Kennedy Center, but wait there's more.
They did a medley of songs with the last being We Shall Overcome. It's just tradition that this song causes a spontaneous sing-a-long and this one was no exception, not done yet.
When the audience started singing they showed a shot of a member in the audience actually singing. It was Joe Manchin.
Guess Joe must've gone to some hootenannies back in the day. See/hear for yourselves.
https://t.co/rIpkDUrFdl?amp=1
Manchin needs to stop giving his blanket refusal to S1. Few can argue that there are serious flaws in the bill like having same day registration or removing the I.D. requirement for absentee voting. Also the campaign finance parts would only make it easier for extremists like MTG to raise MORE money.
He should hammer on getting these DOA provisions out of the bill and give the few remaining GOP moderates a path to be bipartisan.
I like to absentee vote but it's only for the convenience. I don't have a legitimate excuse to do it but Ohio offers it and I take advantage. If the times for in-person voting were expanded, it would make it a lot faster to vote.
I get that many Black Americans like to vote on Sunday. I don't see any harm in Sunday voting b/c many Americans work terrible shifts and Sunday may be their only day off. OTOH, I'm not religious but it seems a little weird to have voting on "the Lord's day". It works both ways.
Bottomline is there's a lot of fat to be trimmed out of H.B.S 1 that would not affect democracy one whit and I hope a lot of that was put in the bill(s) as sacrificial chips to be bargained away for the greater good.
C'mon Joe, you're 73, it's time to do great things.
I haven’t read the bill, so won’t comment on that. But a few thoughts: in Ohio, early in person voting lasts three weeks. That’s a fairly long time, even if there’s only one location per county. For now, at least. When I voted absentee, I didn’t have to provide an ID - isn’t that what signature matching is for? I received a text when my ballot was accepted, in plenty of time to fix it had there been a problem. I was impressed. And lastly, Sunday is the “Lord’s Day” only for Christians. For Jews, Muslims, and non religious people, it’s just another day. I believe weekends in the Middle East are Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday.
You have to provide some verifiable data like a D.L. number, last 4 of your SSN and something else I believe. Of course signatures are verified when the requests for ballots are received at the BOE.
It's utterly insane that the former guy/GOP can make unsubstantiated claims about absentee voting without being challenged every time to prove there is cheating. Absentee ballots are the best defense against cheating. That's why when you do hear about cheating it was a child voting illegally for their parent who died before Election Day and had not completed a ballot. I don't know if they were caught by a forged signature or by a record check to see if the voter had died.
Greetings, Christopher. Your comment, "OTOH, I'm not religious but it seems a little weird to have voting on 'the Lord's day' " leaves out countless millions of even religious people who do NOT think of Sunday as "the Lord's day" in such an exclusive and restrictive manner. Isn't how people celebrate Sunday (or Friday or Saturday or Tuesday) a personal choice?
Oh Jesus, I can't believe you went there. The reference was clearly for the Black American tradition of voting after church it is for them.
Agreed. This bill can be made better.
Along with Manchin refusing to approve the bill he wrote, there are other serious voting problems. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-trump-georgia-threats/
Karen, these threats are not to be taken lightly. I've worked elections in my county over the years, as a Democratic judge in a very red county, one the Republicans have, literally, run with impunity for 70+ years. I have seen 'observers' known to be Republicans, 'help' voters in the booths beyond just family members. In these small, rural towns everybody knows everybody, and the unspoken terms of engagement are plain. The GOP owns the field, owns the refs and there is squat you can do about it, short of one of them waving a gun in someone's face. But hovering near a voter, as Trump did Hilary during the debate - well, that's just fine - that's 'assuring the integrity of the vote'. Or some such poppycock. When we had a Republican governor it was the worst, because the local Board of Elections head was a Republican and any complaints were shelved.
This stunning report shows poll workers and election officials are still actively under threat. And djt is still inciting violence against them. How is this not outright treason? These insurrectionists have become the modern day brown shirts terrorizing opponents on behalf of tRump.
Here’s “Brown Shirts” by my favorite folk revival folkie, John Gorka, written in the ‘90s, well before the Trumpian nightmare, but it sure hits home: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LDCuLhFhSMU
He wants a civil war and is inciting his followers. It's despicable. It's also a sign of just how stupid American GOPers have become.
This is awful. The violence that T inspired(s) and never speaks out against (unless it is BLM protesters), is what I detest, and fear, the most.
This is what makes my head ready to explode. These people, with all the names of "Liberty this and Liberty that", "Freedom" and the like are so hell bent on denying everyone else their liberty and freedom.
Thanks for the link, really good article.
AOC called Manchin the "heat shield" for the incoming on the For the People Act. She is spot on as there are others, including the clueless Dianne Feinstein : https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/dismissing-gop-threats-dianne-feinstein-backs-fellow-democratic-sen-joe-manchin-on-the-filibuster/ar-AAKXgWX?ocid=winp1taskbar
AOC, of whom I'm a big fan, is not always right and sometimes fires before she takes aim. She does little good creating division. If she wants to be proactive she should tell Joe if he doesn't come around she's going to WV to stump for him.
Feinstein is a lost, the new Strom Thurmond who didn't know when it was time to leave. Of course she'd back Manchin, she's still stuck in the 80's in her brain. Hopefully she retires before she dies but I'll take either option at this point.
All through the night.
Angels watching ever round thee,
All through the night,
In thy slumbers close sur round thee,
All through the night,
They should of all fears dis arm thee
No fore bodings should alarm thee,
They will let no peril harm thee,
All through the night.
I goofed. Here’s the first line which i accidently cut off:
Sleep my love, and peace attend thee
Thank you for keeping this space to discuss our democracy: it’s strengths, it’s challenges, and especially its fragility. You are gift that keeps on giving. Rest well. You deserve time off!
The skies just before, during and just after the sunrises have been spectacular here in NYC. . I missed seeing the solar eclipse by 10 minutes. Wish I could email you a photo of one of those early morning shots. Thank you, Buddy, I always gasp at your beauties. Heather and Buddy, enjoy this spring Saturday. Thank you, Heather, for your steering through our shaky, shaky days.
I'm embarrassed to say I missed that there was a recent eclipse. Don't know how. But always send me any pretty photos. I am not an artist, but I would give a lot to be one, and art is never wasted on me.
I get newsletters from spaceweather.com and that is one I never skim over. They have a gallery for photos of all kinds of space events sent in by enthusiasts. Feast.
Would you believe that I actually slept to through noon that day (rare for me), and nearly missed the eclipse! Seemed dim, so I looked out to look at the sky and saw part of a sun above my barn! I was so groggy it didn't even register at first. When it did, I was dumbfounded. I actually [put these things in my calendar years in advance (next one for me 2023, will be visiting friends in center of path out west).
Thanks for stopping by Annie and sharing your solar eclipse story. Although I missed the very beginning by about 6 or 7 minutes, I did get spectacular pics, just not the ring. Have a good Sunday.
Nice photo ... but wherever YOU are, look at the beauty in the things around you, be they cityscapes, country abodes or something in between. All of them have daily sunrises and sunsets.
Agree, Jack. It is critical I think to always look for the beauty wherever we are when we are there. That said, I have to admit that I was drawn to this one, as it reminds me much of a place that still makes me homesick: the area around the bays and islands of northern Puget Sound.
I hope Dr. Richardson will forgive me for sharing this forum to add my $.02 for today.
There is no such thing as fake news.
There is no such thing as fake news. There is news and there are lies. These are distinctly different things.
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. The English word "news" developed in the 14th century as a special use of the plural form of "new". As its name implies, "news" typically connotes the presentation of new information.
News recording and reporting is the responsibility of journalists and subject to a professional journalistic code of ethics and standards. Journalistic ethics and standards comprise principles of ethics and good practice applicable to journalists. This subset of media ethics is known as journalism's professional "code of ethics" and the "canons of journalism". The basic codes and canons commonly appear in statements by professional journalism associations and individual print, broadcast, and online news organizations.
So while various codes may have some differences, most share common elements including the principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, and public accountability, as these apply to the acquisition of newsworthy information and its subsequent dissemination to the public.
There is no room for or exceptions in journalism’s code of ethics and standards for classification of untruths, lies, or propaganda as news. Hence there should be no fake news, only news or lies and untruths.
As the role of journalists is one of public service to observe, gather, record, and report news to the public, it is inconceivable that journalists would be “the enemy of the public.” Yes, there may be unethical individuals or media posing as journalists. However, doing so is a violation of the ethics and standards of journalism.
It is important also for all to understand that just as there is a code of ethics and standards for journalism’s reporting of news, there is an implied set of standards and ethics for the public in the consumption of news. As news consumers we have a responsibility to be discriminating in our choice of what journalism sources on which to rely for news. Do the sources we rely on subscribe to a journalistic code of ethics and standards? Do they publish or make available that code for examination? Is that code enforced by an editorial staff that reviews their reporting before printing or broadcasting of news to be sure it complies with those standards? Yes, mistakes will sometimes happen and be uncovered after news is first reported. When that happens, are corrections or retractions promptly reported as prominently and apparently as the initial news reporting?
We all have a responsibility also to be prepared to do our own research to fact check and verify information conveyed in the news we consume using multiple reliable sources before passing along information to others or acting on that information. We must remember that when we take on the responsibility of ourselves becoming reporters of news to others we must subscribe to those same journalistic ethics and standards we expect of others.
Being discriminating and responsible consumers of news also requires we take on the responsibilities of news literacy. This is even more important with the rise of new media that allows all of us today to become journalists by reporting or broadcasting news to others so easily.
I have previously encouraged the use of information, tools, and the educational resources of the News Literacy Project (https://newslit.org) to assist in developing better news literacy practices.
I make a plea for all to consider the support of responsible journalism through paid subscriptions to both major National and local newspapers. Today’s plethora of electronic or digital news media are ever present and dominate so much of our time and attention. However, their format encourages summation and sound bites often obscuring the details and complexities essential for a more comprehensive understanding of the news, of current events. Newspapers continue to provide a much more comprehensive and detailed level of news coverage than most electronic or digital sources. Additionally, most are now available electronically as digital subscriptions to make them easily consumable and convenient, as well as often more affordable than print subscriptions.
My final plea today is also for all to distinguish between news and analysis. News is reporting of events and facts. Analysis is the interpretation of those facts to make predictions about future events, trends, or the motivations of the events’ actors. Responsible journalists will generally make clear distinctions between reporting of news and the analysis of news, but that is not always the case. Therefore, we must take on the responsibility for making that distinction ourselves.
Today’s takeaways:
There is no such thing as fake news, only news. Untruths and lies are not news, not even fake news.
Choose your news sources responsibly and be a news literate consumer of news.
If you choose to take on the responsibilities of a journalist, be sure you adopt the journalistic code of ethics and standards.
Support responsible journalism with paid subscriptions to quality National and local newspapers. They remain the best news sources.
I subscribe always to a newspaper, currently two. One print, one digital. Can’t imagine not having a newspaper with morning coffee or tea for an hour. Thank you Bruce. I despise the term fake news and the shadow it casts on journalism.
Beautiful photo. Thank you Buddy for sharing it. Thank you Dr. Richardson for your amazing letters. We are never too old to learn our history.
Thank you (and Buddy)for sharing the beautiful photo enjoy some time for you and rest.
Buddy's pictures are always so serene and welcoming. As a lobsterman he's out early, hopefully on his boat. The following is what can happen to those who dive for lobsters! https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2021/06/11/humpback-whale-catches-michael-packard-lobster-driver-mouth-proviencetown-cape-cod/7653838002/
Pam, have just this minute read this story when my Boston bred hubby sent it to my phone. Amazing! Especially that humpbacks have been known to be "altruistic" toward humans and was probably trying to help Packard by going to the surface to spit him out. Also that humpbacks are "slurp" eaters-- moving through water with mouth open and taking in everything in its path!
There has got to be a political analogy lurking in here somewhere!!
Carol, I like the idea of this story being a political analogy, so will give it some thought. I find this an amazing story in itself!
Except republican humpbacks aren't altruistic toward humans...
Love this!💕💕
Pam, this has made my day! I laughed and laughed and laughed. Great information about whales and other things. I grew up in lobstering town in southern Maine but had never heard of lobster divers. Thanks for sharing this great story! I must go to finally read Moby Dick. Let's see ... "Call me Ishmael..."
Wow.
Oh my word!