When I came across a list of books by the, then 24, Democratic presidential candidates, I decided I was going to read them. Luckily, the major candidates have whittled down, so I’ve read 11 of the books available (not all have books). Interestingly, no bookstore had them all. One would think they would have a… Continue reading 11 Books Read by Democrat Presidential Candidates
Where Have All Our Leaders Gone?
Every morning I wake up with many questions running through my head. One of the questions is always about leadership. I wonder if I have been a good leader? Have I set a good example? Have I inspired anyone to do better recently? Have I encouraged others to take risks knowing I will be there… Continue reading Where Have All Our Leaders Gone?
Educators Unite
I’ll begin by saying I’m not an organizer and have never organized a protest of any sort that I can recall. What I’m about to propose I freely give the mantle for someone else to hang and run with it. I’ll also say what I’m about to propose is radical, out-of-the-norm in many ways, and… Continue reading Educators Unite
Kangaroo Congress + Kangaroo President = Kangaroo Courts
Each time President Trump does something outlandish and illegal, the Democrats talk about settling it in the courts (rather than doing what they should, which is impeach). They can say they are going to court all they want. They can file the court papers. They might even win the first few rounds. At some point… Continue reading Kangaroo Congress + Kangaroo President = Kangaroo Courts
What Did You Do that Was the First Ever?
Even now, it is weird to go into a high school and it has been 30+ years since I was in high school. Walking in the door just starts a flow of memories—some good, some not. It is a similar feeling when going to watch my teens perform at a band competition. This past Saturday,… Continue reading What Did You Do that Was the First Ever?
San Francisco Walkabout-ish
Today was a pretty good day to be in San Francisco. The fog was out at the ocean, but the breeze wasn’t too bad. The pelicans (one of my favorite birds) were flying about. The temperature in the Castro was just right for me. The vibe that is San Francisco was out in full force.… Continue reading San Francisco Walkabout-ish
Speaker Pelosi is Wrong
Ever since the 2018 congressional elections, I’ve often heard the election was about healthcare. Politicians are saying it, pundits are saying it and main stream media has been saying it. What I know from the circle of people who have shared their reasons for voting Democratic was about healthcare, but, and it is a big… Continue reading Speaker Pelosi is Wrong
Photo Fun
Today has been a good day. Did some weeding, some watering, Facetime’d with my mom, a trip to Costco with my husband, and was able to just sit and read one of the books I’m in the middle of at the moment (Bernie Sanders’ latest, Where We Go from Here).
Then there was the photography.
One of my son’s is taking a photography class at school. He has rented a 35mm Canon Rebel (Canon is the best btw) from school, and they are learning to use their phone camera better as well.
This morning he let me know he had an assignment due and he needed to go to the park for pictures. Now I pretty much plan out my weekend days because they go so quickly. My first reaction in my head was, what wasn’t I going to be able to achieve of my personal list to get him to the park? My second thought was why had he waited until the last moment to say he had to go. The first thought I kept to myself, the second I did ask him in the future to not wait until the last moment to say he had an assignment as the weekends can be pretty full.
Regardless, we finally had time late afternoon to go to Washington Township Park. It is a pretty good park. Can’t wait until the changing of the leaves to go back when it will be ablaze of color.
The assignment was emphasis. I asked what that meant in terms of the expectation of the teacher. He said the photo needed to include something of color that stood out from the background. Since he’d already been to the park before with friends, he let me know where to park and which trail to take.
Along the trails we crossed some streams, saw a couple of what appear to be old Native American huts of different types, and lots of green flora. He asked about how to use various features on his camera, which made me have to think through ISO, f/stop and depth of field. We also discussed how to make the camera focus on an object, then move the camera while keeping the focus on the same object, but keeping with the rule of thirds.
I had a good time with him and remembering how much I enjoy photography—if there was money in photography as an art form still, I’d enjoy it as a career. From what I could tell, I think he had a good time too. Hopefully I was also able to help him learn a few new things and different ways to frame a photo.
Here are a couple of the photos I took on my iPhone since I’ve not uploaded the ones from my Canon yet.
Hope you enjoy them.
—All images are my own and copyrighted to me.
This Isn’t Who We Are!
We often hear, “This isn’t who we are!” The truth is, this is who we are, who we are now, and who we have become. The good news is, we have a choice of whether this who we remain. Votes matter. Vote! And vote for Democrats unless this is how you want US to remain.… Continue reading This Isn’t Who We Are!
Trump is right, MSM is fake news!
Yes, you read that right; I’m agreeing with President Trump. Mainstream Media is fake news, but not for the reasons he thinks. It’s fake news because MSM is still trying to spin Trump as a usual president. They mince and wordsmith what is written in their online, TV, newspaper, and radio statements. To my knowledge,… Continue reading Trump is right, MSM is fake news!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 