I have just a few tidbits for you today, some which are photographic and some not.  I assume that those of you who know me, either personally, or via my online presence, always knew that I will write about whatever comes to my mind on any given day, be it, social, political, religious, or even photography. Despite the fact that when I write about politics or social issues, this blog gets very little visitation, but with photography it does.

Firstly, let us begin with a couple of great images.

This frog image is outstanding and was made by Facebook friend Cindy Grant. How can you not adore the subject, and appreciate the skills of Cindy?

Just once when I was photographing frogs I would have loved to have this opportunity. Of course, opportunities need to be taken advantage of, or created.

This next image comes from the Photography Life website. I know not the individual photographer who created this outstanding beach/surf scene, but I love the monochromatic aspects of the image. There are no real colors to detract from the mood and feelings of the photograph. It seems part sad, and part serene, and 100% beautiful.

A couple of my own.

I made this image of a Smoky Mtn. waterfall on film many, many years ago. This little gem was in the North Carolina portion of the national park.

I’ve obviously used a slow shutter speed to soften the falling waters, and compositionally I chose only a small slice of the actual falls.

To me, everything in nature was a subject.

There was nothing I enjoyed more than a single blade of dewy grass in the morning. Like any and every subject, this one deserved care with my composition. This is almost, but intentionally not quite, corner to corner, with that lone blade of grass. I used enough depth of field to keep the dew sharp, but little enough to keep the background soft and lacking in distractions. .

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The words I share below, are my observations, and my opinions. I have the right to them, and others have the right to their own, and to disagree with mine. Literally, not virtually, literally, millions of human beings have died to protect that right. The silencing of opinions we do not like, always makes us worse than the one who offered those opinions we would venture to stop. Tyranny, violence and the master/slave society, are all born of silencing the words of others. Slaves, were not accorded the right to speak freely. That can never happen again.

For those who’s words are meant to create violence, we have criminal laws and a court system to deal with it. For those who would spread lies about others, we have libel laws and a civil court system to bring justice to those who have been wronged.

Let us move on……

This country and the world, has never been so divided politically and socially than it is right now. Finding information in such a world is easy today, but it all comes biased to one side (especially) or the other.

The “mainstream” news media has long ago sold out their minds, hearts and souls to the left. They are however currently willing to throw the Biden Administration “under the bus” on Afghanistan and such, only because they are aware that he has been little more than a puppet president from the beginning. He was created to be moved out when the time is right. The liberal media probably wants the “pretend” president gone so they can get on with it. It will be Kamala’s turn.

The internet has many conservative news sights. They are by and large, more honest than the liberal mainstream news, but they exist for the sole purpose of bringing conservatives the point of view that cannot be found in other locations. Their reports are truly editorials, but then again so are those from the poorly named “mainstream media“.

I began watching a new national television newscast called The National Desk some weeks ago. I do enjoy it. It is on the air here early in the morning and appears to be a service in which smaller independent stations can subscribe. It has national and some international news, as well as national weather which is  reported section by section. They appear to report the news as it is, in an unbiased fashion. I wondered to myself, in this partisan and split country and world, would one side accept it and the other not?  Would both sides accept it?  Would almost nobody accept it?

I also wonder (my usual skepticism), if they (The National Desk) are totally reporting the news as it is, or are they at times intentionally giving a liberal bias, and other times a conservative bias?  An attempt to find some customers if you will, from all sides. It is almost impossible to not have doubts about everybody and anybody, especially in the news business.

I do know this, most liberals will find this news cast to be right-wing, and some conservatives will see a left-wing bias. We may be too far split in the world, to trust anything or anybody anymore.

That ship, has probably sailed.
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In any given week, the reports of tragedy, merely in the general area where I reside, are reaching epidemic proportions. Accidental drownings, particularly in Lake Michigan. Car theft. High speed fatal crashes. Wrong way drivers on the highway system. Murders (last weekend in Chicago, 44 people shot, 7 killed). Suicides. False accusations against others. Heroin overdoses.

None of this, I repeat none of this, comes as a surprise. It’s not just that it makes sense in a world where God has become for the most part unwelcome, but it was  foretold many, many years ago in His Book to us.

It seems the best we can do, is recognize it and understand where it has come from.  And of course pray, for those who are close to us, those who are necessary to the world, and for the whole world on general.

We need to not have fear to display righteous anger, but rather embrace it, while rejecting hatred. Lest we become like those which we comment on.

Have a great day, and may God Bless each of you,
Wayne