civilized ku # 1152-54 ~ where do these people come from? / wack jobs
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 08:18PM 
Following the herd ~ West Branch Au Sable River / Wilmington, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
2 stray sheep ~ West Branch Au Sable River / Wilmington, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Cattle ~ West Branch Au Sable River / Wilmington, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenGlancing at the pictures in this entry, one might be inclined to think I am referring to the gaggle of picture makers who yesterday descended en masse upon the banks of the West Branch of the Au Sable (although I am wondering where they came from). However, in fact, I am referring to the wack/nut jobs that seem to be coming out of the woodwork of late.
Not that the good ol' US of A has a lock on the nut job world, they seem to be in abundant supply just about everywhere but, that said, we here most definitely have our very own special wack/nut job franchise. One even left a comment here on The Landscapist recently.
In response to my entry, civilized ku # 1140-44 (which was about a neat local golf course), someone calling himself "Ron" (maybe a real name, maybe not inasmuch as most wack/nut jobs don't leave email or web address which might confirm their bonafides) left this comment:
"What's not to like about that (ed. the golf course)?" ... It's owned by Capitalist. We should taken it away from them. The government can run it and it could free for everyone. Not everyone can afford $10. That's not fair and equal. To hell with their spit, bailing wire and dedicated hard work, who cares. Let's get em. We'll stop em. There won't be anyone building anything like this again.
Now, it's worth speculating that this comment might be a put-on meant to get under my skin or incite a response from me which might try to refute or debate the stated political / social / cultural position advocated by "Ron". Not gonna happen - there's no debating with a wack/nut job, even if he/she/it is named "Ron" and he/she/it is serious.
Add to that wack/nut job loonyosity, the following Letter to the Editor in our local newspaper this AM under the title of "Greatest Generation?":
TO THE EDITOR: There has been much speculation as to which generation of Americans constitutes the "greatest generation". The generation of our war for independence, the generation of the Civil War and the generation of the Great Depression and World War II are candidates, but I believe the emergence of the greatest generation lies before us.
The Greatest Generation will be the one that relegates the Democratic party to the lunatic fringe of American politics where it belongs and keeps it there for the rest of their days.
If the American spirit of liberty and justice do not assert themselves and the Democratic party is allowed to continue bringing America down, freedom will perish upon the whole of the earth. If American sanity does not return, all of civilization will drown in a sea of socialist lust.
It is power that the Democrats desire above all things and such rights as life, liberty and prosperity are trifles to be tossed aside on a whim.
Giving credit were credit is due, that missive was penned / penciled / keyboarded by Leo J. Seney of Dannemora, NY - a real person opining with his real name and town of residency. And remember, you've been warned - better heed Leo' warning and don a Republican life-vest lest you "drown in a sea of socialist (aka: Democratic party) lust."
IMO, both of the aforementioned wack/nut jobs, while seemingly coming from opposite ends of the wack/nut job spectrum, have one thing in common - neither is dealing with a full deck. Which brings to mind a passage from Paul Krugman, NY Times columnist and 2008 Nobel Laureate (Economics):
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.
I can not state categorically that either wack/nut job was bookish or has read the either of the aforementioned books, but I think I can safely state that both are emotionally stunted ... socially crippled, and unable to deal with the real world.
Reader Comments (10)
There are kooks everywhere, but there seems to be a lot more in the US than anywhere else I have been. It seems like the US has industrialized political ignorance, and some people are making a lot of money from that industry.
As for all of the photographers in the scene, renowned wildlife and landscape photographer Moose Peterson is up in Lake Placid/Wilmington teaching a class. Those people were likely with him I would presume.
I am in the middle of watching Ken Burns "Prohibition", which I highly recommend. Always good to go back and read and study history, when you think that you live in unique times. What a stupid mistake this country made, and a lot of whack jobs were behind it.
That said, we have a woman running for President who introduced a bill in Congress a week or so ago that would require a woman to listen to the heartbeat of the fetus inside her before it was aborted. She's married to a man who runs a clinic that "Prays away the gay" in homosexuals. Sheesh.
I do believe Adirondack Life recently sponsored a Photo Workshop... Steve may be right about the host. Judging by the BMW's and bigass SUV's, these guys probably had the latest and greatest gizmo's and gadgets for their cameras. You must admit that you probably oggled at a few of their packages.
One of Paul Krugman's best quote!
Kinda looks like the photo crew is late for high season.
LOL too funny. Indeed, the idiots seem to get the headlines these days; in-between lie most of us.
And regarding the gaggle of photographers, I've seen such men before (they are always men) in groups with huge tripods, big cameras, serious looks, even camouflage. I chuckle, but then, I probably looks just as silly to others as I got about my own style of photography.
I agree with Andrew about the "serious looks". Can't at least one of them look like they might be having fun? And why the tripods? Judging by the conditions, you ought to be able to shoot at 1/500 sec. (or faster). Handheld should work just fine. I don't understand what they seem to be finding so fascinating, either. Not exactly great fall color in the distance.
As for the "whackos", what can you do? They'll always be there and you absolutely cannot shut them up!
It's peculiar: one single photographer, deep in concentration, adjusting gear, seeking a vision you can't quite see yourself, can appear interestingly serious. He may bear an intriguing message. But a gaggle of them? The total seriousness is divided by the number present.
You join the throng, though you purport to be critical.
If you really want a great laugh, do yourself a favor and rent "The Fountainhead." It's been called the funniest, non-intentionaly funny movie of all time, which is pretty true. Patricia Neal said of the movie, "It's a real stinker." She plays the female lead.