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This blog is intended to showcase my pictures or those of other photographers who have moved beyond the pretty picture and for whom photography is more than entertainment - photography that aims at being true, not at being beautiful because what is true is most often beautiful..

>>>> Comments, commentary and lively discussions, re: my writings or any topic germane to the medium and its apparatus, are vigorously encouraged.

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Entries from January 1, 2010 - January 31, 2010

Sunday
Jan312010

civilized ku # 369 ~ if you have to ask, you haven't been there

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The New Yorker ~ NYC, NY • click to embiggen
So, I did go to NYC in order to shake the no-snow-winter cabin fever which was making me crazy. While I was there, I did manage to get over to 9th and W34th - if you know what I mean - which is getting to be a bad habit.

In any event, I'm back home and headed to bed. More tomorrow.

Friday
Jan292010

ku # 669-71 / civilized ku # 379 ~ close, but not close enough

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Goodnow Flow cabin ~ Newcomb, in the Adirondak PARK • click to embiggen
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Goodnow Flow ~ Newcomb, in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
A few days I mentioned that the wife and I had checked out some vacation property about an hour from our home. One of those properties is located on Goodnow Flow in the town of Newcomb.

At first glance, the property seemed to be an attractive situation - a nicely wooded, one acre waterfront property. And, unlike many waterfront properties on a decent-size lake, the lake is owned by an association that has placed many desirable restrictions on the lake use - such as a 10hp maximum for powered boats (therefore no water skiing), no jet skis, and the like). But, the more we thought about it, the more it became clear that I am not an association-type guy.

FYI, in the Adirondacks, a "flow" is the name given to bodies of water - usuallly long and relatively narrow - that have been created by damming a river. The dams (with spillways) are normally around 100 years old - built long ago by lumbering companies to create winter impounds for harvested timber which would be released each Spring via the spillway to makes its way to a mill.

Much of this formerly privately held land has been acquired by NYS and added to the forever wild forest preserve. The dams have been maintained in order to preserve some wonderful wilderness waterways.

Thursday
Jan282010

civilized ku # 371-78 / ku # 667-68 ~ that's the method

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Pasture and distant / approaching snow flurries • click to embiggen
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The Jay Range • click to embiggen
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Cattle ranch landscape • click to embiggen
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2 Corners • click to embiggen
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Silo landscape in light snowfall • click to embiggen
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Field / light snowfall • click to embiggen
Yesterday afternoon, in an attempt to prevent my head from exploding due to a where-the-hell's-the-snow variant of cabin fever, I took a short 4-5 mile meander up in the hills above our village.

The area is a little weird, Adirondack-wise, in as much as there is a decent size - albeit quite "compact" in width - fertile valley that winds its way between some mountain ranges. Consequently, there are quite a number of cattle / crop farms spread over the landscape. Overall, the landscape is quite lovely.

Indeed, it could be very accurately described as "picturesque" and very unique in the Adirondack landscape scheme of things. But, that said, I'd be very stunned if more than a few hundred of the 10 million+ annual visitors to the Adirondack Park ever see the place, even though the one-and-only highway into the Adirondacks in the NE corner of the Park passes within view of the fringes of the area.

I have only occasionally explored the area. Each time I do, I make a pledge to return more frequently but something else, picture making wise, always seems to demand my time and attention. And so it was that, yesterday, I made the same pledge. We'll just have to wait and see how that goes...

In any event, enjoy the pictures and, of course, comments are always welcome. Especially so, in light of this:

If a more or less random snapshot is like an infinitely fine scale that has been scratched from the surface of reality with the tip of a finger, then in comparision the photoseries or photomontage lets us experience the extended massiveness of reality, its authentic meaning. We build systematically. We must also photograph systematically. Sequence and long-term photographic observation--that is the method. - Segei Tretyakov - in 1931

Wednesday
Jan272010

civilized ku # 370 ~ how about that weather?

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Snow? What snow? • click to embiggen
It was a mere 5 days ago that I posted a diptych involving this yellow truck and some nice fresh fallen snow. Well, on Monday and Tuesday, with a high temp in the 50s together with lots of rain, that snow vanished literally overnight. So, here we sit with no snow and a forecast of a 2 day, single digit highs, deep freeze for Friday and Saturday.

Yuck. Ugh. And, %#/*#!!!!

I'm thinking a trip to NYC this weekend might just be the antidote to lighten these snow-less blahs.

Wednesday
Jan272010

civilized ku # 369 ~ pure, unadulterated populist bullshit - PT. 3

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The bear and the eagle ~ Long Lake in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
THIS JUST IN - just as I had finished penning pure, unadulterated populist bullshit - PT. 2, an anonymous "RR" popped up and graced us with this populist deepity*:

As government expands liberty contracts.

... as fine example of pure, unadulterated populist bullshit if ever there was one.

*BTW & FYI, for those of you who may be outside of the thinking loop, a "deepity" is a statement that has two meanings, one of which is true but superficial, the other which sounds profound but is meaningless.

Only a dimwit who is completely devoid of any reading and understanding of history, in this case in these here good ole USs of America, could make a statement like the preceding deepity.

In the first place, as government "expanded" in this country, we got the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution, and the "liberty" to choose our representatives in representative republic.

Remember that, dimwit?

Over the years as government has "expanded" we got a lot more liberty, such as, the "liberty" of women's suffrage, the "liberty" of the Emancipation Proclamation, the "liberty" provided to children with the end of child labor, the "liberty" of a continuing effort to guarantee civil rights for all, the "liberty" to breathe clean air and the "liberty" to live on land that has not been polluted by industrial toxic waste, the "liberty" to travel on an interstate system of roads, the "liberty" to go to work in safe environment, the "liberty" to live under a system of law/laws intended to create and foster a civil society, the "liberty" to be educated, the "liberty" to free speech (to include speech from dimwits), the "liberty" of a free press ....

The list of liberties enjoyed by the citizens of this country goes on and on and has expanded exponentially over the years since its founding. To believe otherwise is to be a deluded fool.

Has government been "perfect" in this regard? No, it has not. But fixing those "imperfections" is best served by a conversation between and amongst an educated and informed citizenry and the educated and informed representatives they elect to perform the functions of government.

BTW & FYI, I want a government that is exactly (or as close as it can be) to the size it needs to be to get the job done. And here's a hint about the size that it needs to be - just in case you haven't noticed, it's a BIG country.

All that stated, can one, I'll settled for just one, spewer of populist BS out there please inform me as to just what liberties he/she has had taken away by "expanding government"?

And, BTW, please, if you include the "right" / "liberty" to do whatever you want, whenever you want, and where ever you want without restriction as a "liberty" that you have lost, do us a favor and keep that anarchistic piece of populist BS to yourself and your dimwitted fellow travelers.

Wednesday
Jan272010

relationships # 5 / civilized ku # 368 ~ pure, unadulterated populist bullshit - PT. 2

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A Congressman • click to embiggen
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At dinner with the Congressman • click to embiggen
One of the more popular populist lines of BS which has been taken to heart and soul by the poor (or near poor / struggling) deluded "little-guy" saps is that their life would be so much better if the big bad government would just let the market work its magic by getting of the backs of the the ruling oligarchs / oligarchies, re: "burdensome" taxes and "restrictive" regulations. They believe this big lie to be true because the oligarchs and their operatives have told them so and they, the little guys, know that those guys, the oligarchs, never tell a lie.

But, in fact, much more often than not, what's going on in my neck of the woods is a prime example of how the oligarchs are decimating the middle class (not to mention the working poor).

It seems that a big regional energy provider, National Grid (natural gas and electricity), in our area - an enterprise which made $1.5 BILLION in profits last year - has decided to outsource much of its information services work, including software programming, computer networking, and other functions. The net result would be the loss of up to 1,200 jobs in here in the NE region.

This corporate "citizen" is not under any pressure to outsource other than to increase profits. Apparently $1.5 BILLION isn't enough.

A visit to the National Grid's website will result in a tip-toe through the tulips of corporate double-speak wherein they extoll their virtuous "community involvement" and "corporate giving". Hell, they even claim to "support programs designed to help improve the way people live, work and play."

How they can make that claim with anything approaching straight face is way beyond my ability to comprehend.

That stated, what is even further over the horizon of my ability to comprehend is gullibility of people of the "populist" bent who do not grasp the intent - the right hand giveth, the left hand taketh away - of this blatant sleight-of-words attempt to distract them from the real business at hand - profits over people, the new gold standard of American business.

Tuesday
Jan262010

civilized ku # 368 ~ let them eat gateau

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Chocolate gateau ~ 7th Lake House, Inlet in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
To be more specific, one should hope that the gateau that we let them eat is as delightful and delicious as the Queen of Sheba Flourless Chocolate Gateau with Raspberry Sauce that I indulged in this past Saturday evening.

But, whatever the case, a question has been asked on my entry, what the world needs now is NOT love, sweet love, wherein I suggested that I was making a list (and checking it twice) to give to my Congressman at dinner on Friday last. A list of "things-to-do" that he might deliver to El Presidente. The question was:

Just what's on the list you've in mind?

In response, let me present here, in its entirety, a response by AnnS to a NY Times opinion piece, Obama's Credibility Gap:

Here is what Obama REALLY said

(1) need Food Stamps because you lost your job? So sorry - we have used up the money for that this year so you are SOL. Yeah we know that more and more people need them but tough noggie. We have to spend the money on bombs and Wall St.

(2) Need unemployment because there are 6.5 people for every job opening and you have worn out your shoes applying for everything you can find and your 26 weeks are ending ? GO starve. We don't have any money to do extended benefits.

(3) State governors: Please note that there will be no money to fill the gaps in your budgets which you have already cut to the bone. Please end your Medicaid programs. Please end your welfare programs. Please end all assistance to those who are disabled (and 70% of whom are below the Federal Poverty Level. Please begin to layoff off your police, fire departments, road repair crews and teachers. Try a bake sale if you really need think you should have police or not let allow someone in a wheelchair to be forced onto the streets.

Here is what he should have said:

(1) The US is 6% of the world's population. We spend 50% of all world spending on the military. I have told the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to get on planes and come home. (Iraq never was any of our business and NO foreign government has ever won a war in Afghanistan in all of recorded history and all have gotten their backsides kicked there - it's money down a rathole.) I will immediately slash the defense spending 88% to a level commensurate with what the rest of the world spend on their military. That is a savings of 44% in the Federal budget.

(2) I want to re-implement the 1952 tax code for the upper incomes (those individuals with more than $500,000 a year and couples with more than $1,000,000.) From $500,000/1,000,000 to $1,500,00/3,000,000 they will be taxed at 50%. Amounts above $1,500,000/3,000,000 - 3,000,000/6,000,000 will be taxed at 75%. Amounts above $3,000,000/6,000,000 will be taxed at 90%.

The only tax deductions in those tax brackets will be if they put the money into a real bricks and mortar business located only in the US that creates at least 7 jobs for every $1,000,000 spent on the business.

1/2 the money from these tax increases will first go to pay back the Social Security Trust Fund all the money borrowed to pay the deficit interest starting with Reagan so it won't be a problem in the future. The other 1/4 will go to creating a WPA type program to put Americans back to work now. 1/4 of the money will go to free or reduced price college education for the unemployed.

(3) Any compnay that moves jobs abroad from the US will be taxed and amount equal to 80% of the wages of the US employees it is firing. Further the products of any company which moved the facility that made such product out of the US will be hit with a tariff of 100% of the retail price at the time they moved out of the US when they try to reimport such good.

Now THAT would be change that would be believable. What we got was channelling Hoover (deficits hoorors! Better they starve) and Marie Antoinette (let them eat cake if they can't afford bread.)

Now, I don't agree with every single point that AnnS makes but, IMO, it is, as they say, close enough for government work.

More gateau, please.

Tuesday
Jan262010

civilized ku # 365-67 ~ pure, unadulterated populist bullshit

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Snowy scene ~ Newcomb, in the Adirondack PARK• click to embiggen
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Snowmobiles ~ Long Lake, in the Adirondack PARK• click to embiggen
In my recent entry, what the world needs now is NOT love, sweet love, a comment was left that suggested:

Most people don't want a big costly controlling government ... [I]t's about taking back our country and economy ... Live free or die. (emphasis mine)

Other than pointing out the fact that the comment is little more than a pavlovian-like spewing of FOX Network simpleminded sloganeering, I don't have that much to say about it except to state that I hadn't noticed that our country had been taken away. I get up every morning and go about my business in pretty much the same way that I always have for the past 6 decades or so. I feel absolutely no need to die, because I have been living free all these long years.

However, that stated, let me tell you about a little experience, including a missed picture making opportunity, I had this past weekend - the wife and I went a few miles south into the Adirondack Park - remember, we live in a park (and, in general, why is it that the further south you go, the dumber it seems to become?) - to get the lay of the land in search of some vacation property.

Long story short, we ended up spending the night in Long Lake, which is a nice little village in the north central region of the Park. Over the past decade, the town has had a problem with its water supply and it appeared, correctly so, that the only solution to the issue was to obtain its water from a nearby source which was located on state land.

Unfortunately, this use was not allowed by the "Forever Wild" amendment to the NYS Constitution, Article VII, Section 7 which was unanimously ratified on Thursday, September 13, 1894, by all 112 delegates to the NYS Constitutional Convention. In the fall of that same year, the voters of the state approved the addition to the Constitution. In 1938 the clause was given its own article in the Constitution, Article XIV.

Now, for purposes of this discussion, it should be noted that the state lands "now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law" were then and are now the state lands within the Adirondack Park, a park created by the state, i.e. - "fixed by law", in 1892.

So it was, as I was picturing the snowmobiles on Long Lake, I noticed - but did not picture - 2 nearby vehicles that had identical bumper stickers afixed that read:

The Adirondacks is not a park.
It's where I live and
It's where I work.

The bumper sticker emerged, as the result of populist anger, during the long course of the Long Lake water situation. Unfortunately, and not unlike most other recent populist sloganeering, it has a major flaw that any half wit, especially any half wit living in the Adirondack Park, should know - the Adirondacks is a park and has been for last 125 years or so. If you live here, you live in a park. If you work here, you work in a park.

It really is that simple.

Of course, the populists believe (and have done so even before the Park's founding) that their right to do anything they want has been taken away by "downstate" elite and effete residents and their elected officials. Those evil doers who, in the name of "taking our country away", want to drive out the locals so that they can vacation in peace and quiet in their own private park.

What the populists fail, or more likely, refuse to recognize is the fact that Article XIV required the approval (by vote) of all of "the people" of NYS in order for it to be enacted into law. And "the people" did so and have continued to do so again and again by defeating (at the ballot box) repeated attempts to weaken or change the "Forever Wild" protections afforded state lands within the Adirondack Park.

"The people" also continue to approve (at the ballot box) the money to acquire more land from within the Park boundaries (the Blue Line)- from private hands when it becomes available. Land that is added to those with "Forever Wild" protection. "The people" and their duly elected officials, acting in their capacity as caretakers and owners, recognize both the value and the responsibilities inherent in having such a unique and treasured natural asset.

So, once again, the "populists" have got it wrong. No one is "taking their country away". If they abide by the rules, they can live free and not have to die to do so.

It is also very worth noting that the Long Lake / Raquette Water District was allowed - by an vote/approval by 73% of "the people" of NYS to amend Article XIV - to have access to that 1 acre of State Forest Preserve Land which solved their water problem.

So there, not all of us nazi•socialist-tree•hugging-commie•pinko•facist-bastards are trying to "take the country away".