Man about town...

I lost a dear friend yesterday. I was privileged to work with him but for a few years and even though I left Atlanta twenty nine years ago, he remained my mentor and I always called him boss. He was an innovator in photo-illustration and his work expanded the meaning of that hyphenate for over forty years. If photography was rock-n-roll he would have been Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend and Jimi Hendrix rolled into one. The man could wail!

I came to Atlanta in January of 1979 to attend art school hoping to find my way into studio photography.  After a few months, I landed a job feeding film into a machine at E6 Labs.  There, I discovered in the catch tray of that machine what the best photographers in town did to make a living day in and day out.  I soon learned to discount the beauty shots on poster sized Kromekote. It was Krystal burgers, women's underwear and anything for Coca-Cola that kept the top professionals in their BMWs and bad habits.

But then there was Arington Hendley. This guy was searching for something. A new way of seeing. A way to elevate the mundane and make it heroic. He didn't believe in zero sum. Even when he was taken advantage of, and he often was, he would carry-on as if it were the mere cost of doing business in an extraordinary industry.

I think that it was HE who was extraordinary. I saw him in good times and bad and he always chose to notice the good in the situation. He was gifted that way too. Everyone that knew him was affected by him.  Everyone that knew him knew his laugh. A laugh from the belly without reservation. A man of extremes, he loved fine cognac, competitive pistol shooting and hiking glaciers above the Arctic Circle, just to name a few. 

I saw him in November and met his wife and partner, Lynda. He was a happy man. The world wasn't being kind to him and his health was failing yet he looked forward to working everyday. He also revealed to me that he'd once thought about becoming a world-class chef and I believe I remarked that that revelation wasn't lost on me. His work was always a dish made of the finest ingredients poked and prodded to perfection and delivered to the client just the way they ordered.

For me it comes down to this, Arington Hendley was my friend and I am so much richer for it. So long, my friend. There are no more deadlines for you to sweat over so roll one up and order us a pie. I'll see you soon enough.

Pay no attention to that man...

For Trump, I think it's the license to be an absolute asshole to the parents of dead soldiers, the victims of disaster, to elder statesmen, to decorated warriors, and even to our neighbors that bothers me most. In his defense, he's ALWAYS been an asshole. It's one of his more endearing qualities. His minions see the curtain moving and would rather cower before the pyrotechnic facade than see the man for whom he is. If anyone dares approach they will hear his thumbs tweeting out, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

The problem is he is not Oz. I mean, THAT would be swell. That means he would be the oafish huckster caught up in his own bullshit and that a precocious young girl could yank him back from the precipice of stupidity so he could steer the balloon back to Kansas. I've been to Kansas, so I understand his reticence.

But "the Donald" is an Oz of a different stripe. He's Ozymandias. If you haven't heard of him, go here. If you do know him, let's run a checklist to see if our POTUS qualifies for the honorific.

Grandiose self-image:  Check
Unchecked ambition:  Check
Eternal enmity toward those who disagree with him:  Check
No shame nor taint of conscience:  Check
Uses human shields:  Check, check, check, check, check...
Loathes the sick, the poor, the handicapped and especially immigrants:  BIG Check although he's sure some of them are very fine people...

We hereby affirm that Donald J. Trump is OUR Ozymandias!  And like most despoilers reeking of hubris, he will be remembered. His craven image will join the pantheon of the misbegotten dedicated to those that could have done so much more if they'd only had a heart. Until then, we may look on his works and...

Okay okay, I get it now...

I gave up on this blog last year after the country lost its shit and put a television personality in the White House. I have to apologize for that. I've always said that we get the presidents we deserve. 100% of vociferous malcontents agree, "He's the BEST! He's doing EXACTLY what we wanted." If by that you mean he's systematically undermining the very foundations of our democracy, then YES, yes he is!

While I knew he would be the usurper of all that is holy in D.C., I hadn't counted on the depth of our elected official's sycophancy. By now, ten months in, I am amazed that someone from either side of the aisle hasn't hung themselves from the gallery railing around the house floor out of guilt. It only takes a few minutes on C-Span to see what I'm talking about. When the camera sweeps the room watch for the ones with their heads in their hands and it's that kind of day, AGAIN! And there are more than three years to go. I mean, what were we thinking?

Personally, it's the vivisection of the GOP and to a lesser extent the Dems that enthuses me most about the current state of the union.  The two parties have had their run.  It's time again to renew our faith in the systems our forefathers worked so hard to get right. They knew Democracy will always be messy.  So stop demonizing the other side and let's get on with it for Christ's sake! Obviously the GOP needs to divide itself along the lines set out by the Tea Party. So let them be the third party. Go forth and be the party of usurpers. Selah.

As for the remainders, let them become NeoPublicans. No more GOP. Leave the Republicans in the grave they dug for themselves beside the historical Anti-Adminstration and Toleration parties. Time for new blood and ideas to bear up the weight of all this inanity. Time to heal thyself, gentlemen and gentleladies. Our country is at stake. Demagoguery has no place in a democracy. Leave that shit in church where it belongs.

This country can stand the strain and if by blood we need to seal the deal then count me among those who take the fight to our enemies. The enemy of truth. The enemy of thoughtfulness. The enemy of tolerance. The enemy of science. The enemy of the natural world. The enemy of reason. The enemy of hope. Let us declare war on all those that oppose us in this our holy quest. The quest for real democratic ideals of equality, opportunity and shared responsibility that our forefathers intended. Let us do THEM proud again. Yes yes, some were slavers AND the Mother Church burned people at the stake so can anyone say, "Bygones!"

America is STILL great. Our preeminence has not waned nearly as much as the naysayers of Breitbart, Hannity, Drudge, Limbaugh or Jones would have us believe. So let us start with THEM! Let's put them back where they belong--in their place along the tattered edge of reason. Out there on the fringe with the tin-foil hat crowd. The chem-trail theorists. The birthers and the bigots. Let's starve them for air.  Let us once again be embarrassed by our ignorance and make amends. For there is no shame in ignorance save for the sole exception of maintaining it.

But therein lies the rhubarb. If someone enjoys the aforementioned purveyors of pettiness and pseudo-outrage then they are indeed lost to reason. They're simply there for their daily ration of spew. They would rather brush their remaining teeth with hemorrhoid cream than be bothered with the WHOLE truth about anything.

Trust me, I can tell you this.

One more thing...

What I believed possible has come to pass, yes, the Donald has become the next POTUS.  Not that I voted for him or approve of his brand of buffoonery but rather I am old enough now to understand what a populace that feels marginalized can do when faced with more of the same. 

Rallying his minions beneath the banner of "it's THEM" and lip-syncing the siren song of 'Murica Furst, the Donald's stance on immigration and terrorism is as astute as any factoid wielding FoxNews bobble-head. With apologies to Mr. Gore, the truth was damned from the start for BEING inconvenient.
 
The evil that foments acts of terrorism doesn't discriminate based on age, income or even race, gender or hair color. It’s only purpose is to terrorize. When the fear becomes palpable it pushes us to demean or diminish those we see as different. It underscores the darkness, not the light.

History shows that barring those that would bring hard work, generosity and vision to our country is always a mistake. People who judge others only by their national origin or gender are always proved short on wisdom. Defending angry words as mere jokes or as slips of the tongue never works. All is revealed.

When we speak with respect and seek first to understand, we are charting a better course for us all. In the coming year, let us not give-in to the fear. Let us be slow to anger. Let us be wise.

Hoping for us all a very-very Happy New Year!

always,

Believe it or else...

Kim Davis is only one county clerk in Kentucky but, she is the one that Bible-beaters everywhere will count as the one that protected the hysterical in Christ from an infestation of same sex couples. Glory be! It's a shame she wasn't shown the door and fitted for an orange jumpsuit.

But, the powers of persuasion in the Kentucky state house came to their senses and CHANGED THE LAW. That's right, they stripped the counties of that power wholesale. Now the unclean in Christ can now wed without regard for any pointy headed county clerk to say otherwise.

As an aside, it's a fun fact that Ms. Davis has been married four times and sees no conflict of interest judging by her own behavior. Even the pontiff missed that one. Ahh, we all know the heart wants what the heart wants, right?

I was raised an evangelical but, I grew up and learned better. I still have my faith but I KNOW what my religion is because I've been able to step outside, walk around it and kick the tires. The "true believers" within any given belief system are the ones that will not only die for the sake of their sacred cows, they will butcher and eat them too. Pass that sauce, will ya, hon? Well, maybe not the Hindus but they have never had a dry-aged rib eye seared to perfection.

And there's the nut in the shell game. All religions can be a bit wonky in the make-sense department. From the Hebrew Hasidim avoiding mirrors on Saturday to Pentecostals speaking in tongues to Mormon's magical underwear, there's literally something for everyone. In the religion of my birth, there's a lot of dunking in water and chicken dinners afterwards.

As a warning, when you hew to a faith, you better believe their way or else suffer the slings and arrows from them that do. From excommunication to stoning, to female circumcision or aversion therapy, religion plays mediator between risk and reward to their own benefit. And they DO benefit. Ever been inside a cathedral or an evangelical MEGA church? You'll see where your tithes go.

Even in the 21st century if you flaunt your well rounded knowledge in front of those that lay claim to all things Godly, you're likely to end up like Jesus. And we all know how well that worked out for Him.

With One Sad Mistaken Mom and One Too Many SOBs...

When the GOP wrapped up its Warped Tour of the Damned in Cleveland it reminded me of an oft proved axiom--never underestimate silly people in large numbers.  As clueless to the cause as they are ill-informed of the remedy, the party faithful seem fed up with the status quo.  And they should be.  

But even with the real reasons (gerrymandering and Citizens United) staring them in the face, the Donald's minions are blinded by the same virulent contagion that infected the populace of pre-WWII Germany--ignorance playing itself off as enlightenment and hatred masquerading as love of country. 

And therein lies the rhubarb.  The Donald has taken the dirt road, plucked the low hanging fruit of collective angst, made hard cider and besotted the party of Lincoln.  To that end, the Donald would do Lenin proud.  The Donald would make Hitler swoon.  The Donald would make our forefathers steel themselves for a fight.  Hamilton would not have thrown his shot wide at the Donald.

Even Ted Cruz, a guy with plenty of chutzpah if only a teaspoon of good sense, tried appealing to the angels of our better nature.  But with the timbre of his voice reminding us of the strangling of lambs, no wonder they booed him off the stage. 

Full disclosure, I am an old-school Republican and no fan of Hillary.  But there's the devil you keep because she's the devil you know.  The Donald is a devil of another stripe.  The same stripe that runs down the back of all despots who pound their agenda with a cast iron hand.  The same stripe that dehumanized the non-Aryan.  The same stripe that holds no quarter for dissent nor even argument.  The same stripe that builds gulags and guillotines. 

Take heed, America.

Just a... 'nother brick in the wall...

I am lucky.  Lucky enough to be able to enjoy my fruits and veggies on the cheap.  Lucky enough to be the umpteenth grandchild to a family with roots planted here over one hundred fifty years ago.  Lucky enough to qualify me as native.  But how much time in-country does one have to spend to be considered a native?  Most of us were born here and that usually suffices.  Ask a real native American the same question and you might get an education. 

Suffice to say, we all hail from somewhere else.  Natural born is usually enough yet nowadays some say that’s not enough.  Think: birthers and the funny orange-haired rich guy behind that particular bowel movement who is now running for the highest office in the land.  Fun fun.  

How many of us really believe that in order to quell the touted tsunami of undesirables into our fair land that all we have to do is build a barrier between us and the more southerly regions of our shared continent?  Really? 

France tried that after World War I.  The wisdom of the French was to plant a line of big guns in the ground and point them at Germany.  Quite an imposing sight, I imagine.  If you enjoy grand examples of failure.  When the time came, a certain Bavarian corporal and company ignored the Maginot Line altogether leaving the lonely Frenchmen to buff their big guns while the Wehrmacht goose-stepped down the Champs-Élysées.  Perhaps monsieur would enjoy a little cheese with that whine?

It took me five minutes on Bing to illuminate our delusion.  The continental U.S. has over 82,835 miles of coastline guarded by satellite surveillance and the Coast Guard.  With only 41,000 active duty members, that means every uniform in the service would have to patrol two miles of coastline 24 hours per day 365 days per year with no potty breaks.  This fact alone makes the über fence along the 1,869 mile border with Mexico a colossal example of American stupidity.  

The self-righteous always flog the notion of legality but I'll wager no law ever filled an empty belly and no electrified razor wire atop a fence will ever keep a good parent from trying to feed their hungry children. The people that come here are not the bomb toting job stealing bad guys we have been lead to believe, but rather people who’ve heard of a place where they cannot only survive but thrive by the sweat of their brow if they will only risk the crossing. They don’t want state welfare, they want a chance. And who are we to deny them? 

Immigrants, that’s who.