Singing the Blues

Chickamauga Civil War Battlefield in North Gerogia USA

Bad wrist again; Carolyn is out trying to find a brace with a built-in splint. Used to have a good one but I cannot find it. Dammit, I am falling apart! The news from the heart doc yesterday damn sure sucked, too. Heart seems fine but he is having a problem getting fluid off my feet and ankles and of all places, my belly. Phooey!
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Right now, I am trying to help a new Megashot member find how to upload photos to communities.
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I hope to be back in full song by tomorrow.
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Have a Tuesday!
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Waiting for the light

Endurance

It fractures my sense of art—if I have such—that monochrome  (grayscale or black-and-white) is being tossed aside as a photographic medium. I suppose it is my being so old and so used to having grown up with it and having been trained to use it correctly in my art classes. I looked at today's forty-odd Level Three contest entries on Megashot, and only three or four of them were monochrome and only one of those was true black-and-white. Fortunately the b/w is mine. The last two generations have grown up with color movies and TV programs and most apparently see b/w photography as something archaic. The photo which leads today's bunch is sort of monochrome and it is a very good work of art; the only real problem I have with it is that this same shot has been done by photographers for ages. The girl or child running and leaping along the beach with a textile item extended above her head has been standard stock photo-fare ever since I can remember; no originality here. Originality. Originality is what separates the men from the boys in journalistic and documentary photography and I think it also holds true with art. The present contest called Mixed Categories should be a showplace for original concepts or ways of redoing the old ideas to make them look fresh. Fortunately, there are such presented there but the ones people seem to like the most are the ones they are comfortable with and it usually boils down to the same-old same-old colorful presentations. Maggie and Mark have taken the usual suspects and allow us to see them in a bit different way. Maggie's surf bird is positioned in a manner that does not precisely follow the rules of photography but instead in a way that makes the entire scene more dramatic. Mark chose to present a documentary artwork that tells a sea story and also is different from so many "cruise ships anchored in the bay" (lucky dogs) type photos. His photo of a well-worked shrimp boat at dock is a jewel in my opinion. Both of these photos have used the time of day to their advantage; Maggie's bird's long shadow paralleling the white surf line and Mark's warm lighting that may be saying the sun is setting on an American way of life. Both photos are composed in such a way that they demand to be looked at closely and I could spend a lot of sentences describing what I like about each one. The main thing they have in common is that both artists waited for the light to be right.

See differently, shoot differently, work differently, and present differently. In my art-challenged eyes and mind, it is the way to become noticed in a world of mundane and spontaneous offerings.
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Have a good worsh day!
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From around the net ...

Fall Branch, Tenn.

Paris Hilton booked for the third time before her 30th birthday. I bet she has learned her lesson by now: the mega-wealthy can do whatever they want and whenever they want. But then, so can the mega-poor; we just can't buy our way out of it.
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Seven more American troops were killed in a forsaken hell hole called Afghanistan:

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West Virginia governor wins Democratic primary to run for U.S. Senate. Same old same old! Americans will never learn as long as they have their heads in the kitty-litter box. Follow the money trail, folks ...
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Another of the "old school" reporters who put people and stories first and never succumbed to media glitter has died. Jules Loh was a retired features writer for the Associated Press and passed away at age 79. He was a wonderful humanist.
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As for my delicate self, my wrist refuses to get well and if not for using a brace, I would be unable to type these golden words. My knee has further weakened as my preponderant sitting sessions is reducing me to a bowl of jelly but the good thing about that is, I'm still sweet like the concord grape delight.
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I gotta go with Carolyn to work for awhile but y'all have a great Sunday!
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Evolution of Dance

Old Farts and Fridays

Grover

Yesterday was spent doing little; I had to wear a wrist brace that was a bit too small and it kept me in a foul mood all day long. Carolyn had to go out so I hitched a ride to get my shot; I could probably have driven but the world doesn't need another semi-invalid old coot driving on the worst traffic day of the week. Johnson City is small city in many ways, but on Friday afternoons it has some big-city traffic problems. To compound the insanity, our greedy conservative leaders have installed ticket-writing cameras at the busiest intersections. If said cameras have stopped a few minor accidents from occurring by curbing "yellow light running", they have sure caused a lot of extra sitting and waiting as confused and timid old farts suddenly throw on their brakes as the lights change from green to yellow while they are in mid-intersection. The city and the company that installed and maintains the system are reaping huge profits as are the auto-body shops that get to repair the rear-end collisions. My auto insurance rate also took a hefty increase this year.
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I've been a life long country boy and have been around many ground hogs, but until I met Grover (photo above), I did not know they could climb trees.
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Have a Saturday and remember: Make love not war!
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Black Cat Fireworks

Giving unto Caesar

 A local farm

Tammy must again be in Florida; Welcome back!

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Our new county commission voted to give themselves a huge increase in retirement benefits based on years served. They should be like everyone else and take a cut instead. This is the same bunch who put a whopping raise on our property taxes and then reappraised the worth of our homes to unrealistic values so they could squeeze even more money from us. The property tax increase was put in place because the county citizens voted down a wheel tax. The new revenue was supposed to go to education improvements but it seems to be making its way into the same old Republican pockets. Our personal household income has fallen nearly thirty percent in the past one and one-half years and that does not take inflation into account. There will probably be no increase in social security benefits for retirees again this next year; the government says inflation is under control. They should check health care prices before making such claims. Not only are the prices dramatically increasing, but as we grow older we need more medical services and it is basically devastating to people who have no income except the monthly government check. Even those people who were doing fairly well with other retirement sources of income have seen some or all of it cut because of the Bush economic fiasco. I took a $5 per month cut in my SS check beginning last January because the Medicare premium price increased and I will probably take another cut January coming. Five dollars doesn't sound like much to lose each month, but it could be my co-pay on a needed prescription medicine. Carolyn has absolutely no health insurance; she can no longer afford it.

Another bitch is the county and city business taxes; small-business owners have to pay the tax on every penny of income the business generates with no deductions for the cost of doing business and she has to pay to both government entities. The State of Tennessee is super friendly to big business but pays only lip service to small businesses. A few years back, Carolyn paid taxes on $105,000 in business generated income but she profited only $27,000 and then had to pay federal taxes on that amount. To make it worse, she had to pay the 9.5% sales tax on all the stuff she had to buy to stay in business. Her bring-home pay is now well less than $20,000 per year; not even $10 per hour for her work and I will get nothing for the time I spend keeping books and records. At least I am now officially off of Social Security Disability and onto regular retirement which means I can get paid for working for her if she had money with which to pay me. Phooey!
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My wrist is again getting sore so this may be the last blog for awhile. I never know from day-to-day what is going to be hurting.
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Have a Thursday!
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Jola vacationed in London

Thanks for the card, my friend

Robins have moved on to a warmer climate, and if I had any sense I would do the same. Insanity is rampant in my family and I am the craziest of the lot; I will tough out another winter here and end up being the worse for it. Speaking of changing seasons, this summer has quickly turned autumn-like. It is actually possible to once again sit on the porch for the entire day. College football gets into full swing in just more than a week from now. Tiny black crickets are everywhere as they usually are in late August, chirping continuously from dawn until dusk. I think they time their annual appearance to coincide with the robins leaving; if not, many would be fuel for the bird migration. In early to mid-October, the northern raptors will be filling the sky as they journey to the land of easier pickings. Many of our hawks, particularly the big red-tails, will hang around all winter dining on unwary cardinals, blue jays, and fat squirrels from around my bird feeders.

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Mosque.

I am not much of a knee-jerk conspiracy theorist, but in the case of the NYC Mosque, I do believe there is a real conspiracy. You will not make me believe that the people behind the idea of a Mosque in the vicinity of Ground Zero did not realize from the get-go that there would be an extremist Christian, Jewish, and "patriotic" uproar. I don't know whom is behind it; it could be anyone including Christians, Moslems, Jews, or some kind of nut group. Something stinks in Manhattan. The Mosque must be built or a building converted or whatever the plans are if the people behind it wish it to be so. Freedom of Religion must be preserved.

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Got the monthly water/sewer/garbage collection bill yesterday. When we moved into this house in 1994, the total was about $8.50 per month; now, it $45. That is about a 500 percent increase in 16 years. Something stinks in Johnson City, too.
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Happy Wednesday!

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Future History

Banner for my new Megashot community

My eyes were cooked and are coolin' on the window sill. A nominal visit and I shouldn't need my glasses changed for another year; I've worn these for eight years. Wrist is a bit better.
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TV is broken. Samsung is supposed to be good stuff but this one has been a problem since we bought it four years ago. It will cost more to fix it than it is now worth.
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Think about this; it is extremely unlikely to ever happen this way, but it could happen in some way: If the U.S. Supreme Court should say that the people of New York City have the right to block the Mosque from being built near Ground Zero; that ruling would eventually lead to the establishment of a National Religion. It would in effect nullify part of the First Amendment to the Constitution and pave the way for a one church state much as many European and Middle-eastern countries now have. The European countries may not openly admit to being such, but the fact remains a majority of those nation's citizens pay homage to the Pope in The Vatican, Italy before they do their own homeland. That is their business, but it is one place where the United States of America is still unsurpassed by any other nation on Earth; freedom to worship as we see fit or to not worship as we see fit. Who is behind the outcry over the Mosque in NYC? Are the real instigators Christian's indignations or Muslim's agendas or something quite else? I don't know the answer to that question but someone should be finding out. For now, the fact that it is happening is what's important and the fact that the most visible of the protesters are American Christians is very disturbing as they attempt to undo their own right to worship via self-inflicted ignorance, intolerance, and hate. If the US should at some future date become a State Religion nation, it would mean the end to all other religions and their denominations; no more Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Holy Rollers, snake handlers or anything else; not even the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. At first, the Catholic Church would probably prevail and run things; it has the organizational skills, the members, and the power (money) to do so. I once read a book titled The Pope of New York; that title isn't too far-fetched. But lurking around the edges would be the fastest growing and most devout large religion in the world; the Muslims. Whereas most Christians worship on a "need to" basis, these people live their religion. I would not be surprised if the American National Religion was one day dedicated to Allah. I suppose one god is as good as another if you don't believe in either.
Yep; I know all the above is bullshit speculation, but it is possible and maybe even probable that some kind of religion will some day rule this nation. If you ever get time and if you have tolerance for science fiction, please read Robert Heinlein's Future History stories. They were written mostly in the 1940s as best as I remember, but you should be able to see some of his fictional prophecies are not so fictional in this age. Google "future history" to find some info on Heinlein's world.
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If the above makes no sense to you, welcome to modern day USA. If it does make sense, you have my permission to feel sorry for us all. Please excuse the poor, spur of the moment writing.
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Have a Tuesday!
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Big Moma

I will have my eyes dilated Monday so here is something to tide you over as you anxiously await my return on Tuesday.

My friends, Big Moma Thornton:

Willie Mae "Big Moma" Thornton

1926-1984

Sore

I'm having a bit of problem with my left wrist today and for the past two days; it and my hand are swollen and very hurtful. Until it eases, I won't do much blogging. Nothing serious; just a RA flareup; I've had much worse.
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Have a wonderful Sunday.
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Bushes

Trust me

Former U.S. President G. W. Bush will be appearing locally at a benefit dinner for a College of Pharmacy. Most likely he will be pushing his forthcoming book detailing the accomplishments of his presidency. The tome will probably be published as auto-biographical, but should be sold as dark-humor fiction. Bush probably has more loyal groupies in this area than anywhere else in the USA.
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Yesterday was a near perfect day weather-wise, but today is again cloudy with rain imminent. The Night Race is being held this evening but the weather is iffy for the event. Again I will sit on the porch just before race time and again I will be disappointed when I don't get decent shots of the low-flying Navy fighter jets as they roar overhead.
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I suppose I soon should adjourn to the creek for my summer bath; the nights will quickly be getting cooler and I do not want to have a chill. This time, I have been thinking of maybe going to the Nolichucky River and doing my cleansing ritual. I know where there is a perfect spot secluded by willow bushes and a small sandy beach with a nearby meadow. There are always ducks snoozing along the river there. Besides, the creek I normally use for the ceremony flows into the Chucky just upstream and that means I will be using familiar waters.
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I have nothing planned for today after Carolyn's weekend work project fell through. I may drive into Gotham and see if there is a good photo source.
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Have a good Saturday!
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Friday 8-20

Jonesborough

The kid who set the fire near us was arrested the evening of the blaze and has been in juvenile detention ever since. He is 13 years old and was charged with aggravated arson. The boy was due to appear in court this morning. In Tennessee, aggravated arson is intentionally setting a fire with intent to cause physical harm to another person. There was only $1800 damage to the house. If I find out more, I will post it here.
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After all the rain we had for the past two days, this day has been exciting in its beauty. There was some fog this morning but soon the sun chased it to where ever fog goes and before me lay the mountains in their emerald splendor; all the haze which usually lingers about was gone, the air was sparkling with cleanness, and the humidity was low enough to make breathing a pleasure instead of just a need. Days like this are rare in summertime, and the evening is looking to be as lovely as I sit alone on the porch.
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Today was run here and run there; we went to post office and then to bank and then to drugstore. After all that, we had to drive to Piney Flats so Carolyn could pick up a key to be able to do a floor waxing tomorrow. The guy wasn't in and had not left the key like he was supposed to do. She had to postpone the job until next weekend if the guy can find a way to get the key to her; she won't make a second trip to get it. Finally to the doc's office for the ol' shot in the arm. Now I am pooped ... goodnight, you all.
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Have a sweet weekend.
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Laid back

You see it just as I saw it

Nothing of importance happening today; at least in my little corner of the cosmos. Carolyn has gone to buy supplies for the business; I am minding the fort because I cannot walk very far, particularly on concrete floors. Gives me a good reason to stay out of such places but I used to find excuses for a good rant in about any of them. Five years ago, a five gallon bucket of wax at Sam's Club cost about $32 plus 9.5% sales tax; it is now $69 plus tax. She decided not to renew her $35 annual club membership this year; she has been a member since 1995. Actually, there is not a lot of things to be bought at Sam's that cannot be purchased cheaper elsewhere but it takes a little more shopping. Like Wal-Mart, it has a plethora of imports from China, and many lack any kind of quality. Anyway, she went to Home Depot for floor wax to use this weekend, and to K-Mart for some paper and toilet supplies.
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Have a Thursday!
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Blade bummer

Janie's sox

Yesterday Carolyn went to the auto parts store and bought a pair of wiper blades for the Ford van. She came home with the cheapest blades they carry and those crappy things cost $30 the pair. That is a major rip-off by anyone's standards. More insulting, the cartons had labels saying for best safety, the damn things should be replaced every six months. One thing for sure, the sorry products they are now making barely last six months; this same van had them replaced in January this year. These are made by Anco®, a company that at one time made quality blades but now has joined the worldwide business model of "screw the customer".
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Not much going on today so I will leave you good folks alone 'til tomorrow ... or whenever.
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Forgive me on the pic, I've blogged it before but I ain't got nuthin' new. It was made at a party in 1982.
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Android

Bracket fungi disguised as pancakes

Some folk including myself are wondering when the Google Operating System will be released on the public. It is my personal opinion that it is already in the wild, disguised as Android OS for smartphones. It is not only very successful in the wireless market, it operates much the same as I imagine the Google Chrome OS will do. If I had bendable fingers, I would think about investing in one; it takes good digits to properly operate one the devices. I already have Google Voice, Gmail, and Google Docs easily accessible, so setting them up on a mobile platform should be easy as typing my logon name and password. Microsoft will dominate the desktop for a few more years, but I see Google eventually replacing them in that area. The only thing I can see that will stop the Google machine is if it gets too big for its britches and tries to dominate users like Microsoft once did. Google Android and Chrome are open source and do not depend so much on someone buying the OS, but on Google's longtime and proven money making strategy; delivering targeted advertisements.
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Things over on Megashot are still running smoothly and there has been a surge in membership the past two days. We still need a lot more people participating in the contests; I thought I was going to have a second place winner but it has since been bumped; c'est la vie! Anyway, a lot more people seem to be playing the Explore feature as well they should; it is an important part of the Megashot experience. The Critique corner is also doing well; I try to keep up with what is going on there but I don't offer much in critiquing as I know so little about the technical part of photography. I like what I like.
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This video should go hand-in-hand with the one Mark posted on his blog:

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When you wish the weekend was already here, you are wishing your life away ... damn, ain't it Friday yet!

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Have a Tuesday!

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Yellow melon

 Enjoy

It is plain too hot to do anything outside the house. We planned outdoor activities for the entire weekend, but was quickly forced to retreat to cooler environs of home. Shooting on the hot streets of Jonesborough was out of the question, and we wanted to spend a few hours at the Davy Crockett birthday celebration on the banks of the Nolichucky River. It was mostly in a shaded area but with little breeze, it would have been sweltering. I seem to be able to withstand the heat better than can Carolyn, but too much is enough for me. We did stop at a couple of markets on 107 and I got a yellow watermelon; not because the odd colored ones are better than the red variety, but I wanted a pic. The sweetness and the taste is pretty much the same but I get the sense of a tiny bit of pumpkin after-taste, although most people say they do not.
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I am reading one of my college textbooks; brushing up on my print journalism even though newspapers are about a thing of the past and real reporting has gone to pretty boys and girls on TV newscasts. I take that back; there is no real reporting anymore. Even my local paper's reporters shoot stills and videos of news scenes. Reporters no longer know how to effectively create a picture in the minds of readers concerning a story, and people no longer take the time to read and comprehend a real story. Everything nowadays has to visually stimulating and I am afraid books are going to be the same in the not too distant future.
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Thanks to you who have read or will read my story, and again, thanks for clicking the Google ads.
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The dog is again tangled and out of reach of his water. I'll see if I can get some to him.
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Have a great worsh day!
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Friday night this dog became tangled in a fence. He belongs to the neighbors whose house caught fire on Thursday. On Friday, the folks came back to the house and removed belongings and put water and food out for the dog. Sometime Friday night the dog, whose leash is very much too long, became tangled the same as he has dozens of times before. He howled and barked all night long. We gave the people who own him time to come back to the house and take care of his needs, but at 9:30 Saturday morning Carolyn called 911 and they sent a police officer out to investigate. He in turn called Animal Control and after 2.5 hours the control officer came out, made photos, snared and untangled the dog. He did not take the dog because there was water, food, and shelter for him even if he could not get to it. He said he had to give them a chance to remedy the situation and left a warning on their door. The people never did come back to the house yesterday, and this morning the dog is again tangled in the same place. He is not a very friendly dog, therefore we neighbors are fearful of approaching to try and help him. It is now afternoon and he is still in dire straits.

Please forgive the quality of the pics; I did something I rarely do and that is set the camera to automatic and trusted the auto-focus. The photos suck as does the Blogger Dashboard for making it so difficult to upload and arrange pics. This is as good as I could get then arranged. Google, you can do better than this!
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Have a good Sunday!
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Reading the signs

 Mid-autumn 1981 photography class assignment

Signs:

• Robins feeding until almost dark; sure sign of migration time
• Robins are no longer singing
  
• Should soon be plenty of mushrooms in the woods; they are always good photo subjects
• The lawn is half covered with brown and yellow leaves
• Squirrels are infested with warbels; some severely
  
• NFL "pre-season" football has begun
• Allergies; sinus; headaches
• Each foggy August morning will bring a snow in winter
  

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I've placed my longest short-story on the Brasstacks44 blog. It is one draft away from being final as I see some errors and it has not been fully spell checked or checked for clarity. I feel it is also my best story and I will leave it posted for a few days. An earlier draft of it was accepted for for publication in a prestigious regional magazine but we could not reach agreement on payment and terms as they wanted it with all rights for very little money. All rights means the story will no longer belong to me; ever; period. I will not sell my babies! Rent them out I surely will. If you have time to read it and if you like, dislike, or are ambivalent to it please take a moment to let me know your honest opinion. If you do not care for it, I will feel much like the following quote from the story: "I didn’t feel particularly uneasy about the situation–if there really was one. At age 70, I felt there was little harm that could be done to a man whose timeworn and now lonely life isn’t worth much anyway."
Thank you, my friends.
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Also, thank you for the clicks on my Google ads.
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Have a wonderful weekend!

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Just a Friday

Ducktown

No one was injured in the fire located two houses down from me which apparently was started in a child's bedroom. The circumstances brought city police detectives to the scene and I heard about some things which I cannot substantiate therefore I will not post them until I know for sure. I sent a link of my blog photos to the local newspaper but they had already sent someone to the scene. However, I do appreciate them giving my pics a look. Newspaper photo of the fire scene may be viewed along with a video at Johnson City Press website.
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If possible, I will be away from the house most of tomorrow and Sunday; I want to get back into Jonesborough for some photo tries and we are planning a picnic on the Roan Highlands for Sunday.
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It is hot outside and it is shot day.
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Have Friday and a super weekend!
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I finally found a tv commercial I like:

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Neighbor's House Afire

As far as I know, no one was injured.

Weathering

Downtown JC 2007

I am writing this first bit on Wednesday evening; six o'clock and the temperature is 96°F, down from 98° about an hour ago. The wind is picking up and I hear thunder rumbles in the distance. I love thunderstorms and I've always been fascinated by lightning; the awesome flashes mesmerize me and the more the better. I've forever wanted to witness a tornado so I could rip my clothes off and run around hollering "Auntie Em; Auntie Em". As for hurricanes, I've never seen a full blown one the like of which folk along the US and Canadian coasts are susceptible and I never want to. These hills are not invulnerable to some of their violence, though. Hurricane Camille's fury devastated parts of Virginia back in the late 1960s and Hugo did a number on us as its diminishing eye raced directly across were I lived in a trailer back in the 1980s. That is the only time in all my years that I feared for my life due to weather. The remnants of Hurricane Opal came through here in the mid 1990s doing much damage to the electrical grid. Thankfully I was seldom on the internet in that ancient time therefore I didn't suffer too many computer withdrawal symptoms. Threatening thunderstorms also make me weirder when I am blogging.
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Now it is Thursday morning and I can certainly tell autumn is approaching; I awoke before daylight with a stuffy nose and a marvelous headache. Sinus season! My back wounds are finally healing and I had Carolyn pick up a tube of Gold Bond® cream for a continuing rash from the tape I was using; it has very much eased the itch discomfort.
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The Ford Escape has been a very good car for us; I say "car" even though Ford Motor Company and the US government considers it to be a truck. Other than routine maintenance, it has had to have only one repair and that was a throttle-position device which JJ replaced a few weeks ago. The Escape had 44,000 miles on the odometer when we bought it five years ago and it now has nearly 88,000 miles. Most of the miles are from either local errand, shopping, or medical related driving. The next most are from photography sessions and they include some mild off-road trips; the missus won't allow me to take it to the giant mud holes like I want to do. No wonder my playtime has become so boring. It has been driven on only two out-of-town trips, one to Atlanta and the other to Chattanooga. We hope to return to Chattanooga with it over Labor Day weekend.

The Escape has also become a bit small for us as our leg and arm joints become stiffer with age and infirmities. We would like to trade up to a Ford Explorer but we still owe another year on the Escape and with all the work Carolyn has lost, we will have to make do. The later model Explorers get a bit better gas mileage than does the 2002 Escape. The Escape has one of the best engines ever built; a Mazda design that was first introduced in the mid 1980s and modified by Ford in the 1990s as their base V-6.
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May your toadstone be powerful on this wonderful Thursday!
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Thanks to you who clicked on the ads yesterday; I made nearly three dollars from Google through your kind help. It may not sound like much, but just a couple of bucks a day for a year will go a long way to help my cause which is to become a better photographer. As I write this I see an ad on the blog for Sigma lenses and I can vouch for the quality of their 105mm macro lens; it is tack sharp, light weight, and easy to use. Maggie also has ads on her blog and if any of you are interested in gardening and travel, give her My Garden a look and click an ad while you are there. How come I all of a sudden feel like Billy Mays? Only $19.99 Plus s&h.
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Today marks the end of Dog Days for 2010 and they have been mostly typical of seasonal weather conditions. It has been very hot, humid, with unsettled patterns of warm and cold fronts flitting through. Sure beats hell out of winter!
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I feel pretty good. Heart doc said I should get a blood pressure monitor to use at home and gave me a prescription for such, saying my insurance would pay for most of it. Bought one at the pharmacy, the pharmacist filled out the necessary reimbursement papers, and I called Medicare to get an address for sending them. Medicare man said they do not pay for BP monitors unless it is for dialysis. So I am out $69.95, a fact that made my blood pressure go from 125/80 to 131/77. Now I have to dig out my Medicare book and see if their man is lying or if the doc and pharmacist are mistaken in their belief the insurance covers the contraptions.
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Have a Wednesday!
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Loose Laces ads

I suppose you have noticed the ads now appearing on the blog so I figure I owe you an explanation for them. I am hoping to use them on my Megashot profile and communities but to use these Google Adsense ads anywhere I must first use them on a Google page such as Blogger/Blogspot. I am not allowed to click on my own ads, but you folk can do so at will and each time you do so, I make a few pennies. I am not doing it to get rich, but will use any money generated to offset some other expenses related to my internet usage. If you have your own Google blog, I suggest you give Adsense a try. You can find the link on your Blogger home page under the heading "Tools and Resources".

Any ad clicks you give me may help feed my starving children which I haven't as yet sired.
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Bambi

This was on the floor of the store where the scarecrow lived

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Carolyn had to buy tires for the Chevy van yesterday, and although she needed four, she had to settle for only two for the front. Apparently the Chevy dealer had not been rotating tires at oil change time like she was paying him to do. and to top that, the front wheels were slightly out of alignment. There is no reason why they should be that way. By the time she paid for two tires, alignment, and oil change the bill acme to $362 with taxes and that was for the cheapest tires the store had for her van. My lack of faith in Chevrolet trucks has hit a new low, my belief that a Chevy dealer can be trusted, and my dislike of General Motors has hit rock bottom. The van isn't four years old, has been driven less than 44,000 miles, and has never been off-road. The tires should have lasted a while longer and the wheels should not be out of alignment. There are other problems with the van that the dealer claimed to "fix"; one of them three times yet it is now out of warranty and the problem has popped back up. Nothing serious, really; just the oil pressure gauge reads zero. I am not much for giving advice, but if I were you I would never purchase an American made GM vehicle.

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Here is a link to my new Megashot community for railroad related photos and art. I think it may be the most successful community I have built; seems like a lot of people make RR photos. If any of you non-members decide to join us on the best photo sharing site on the net, please use the following link to sign up:

http://megashot.net/mega/registration.php?ref=b58g

That way I will get credit for bringing you aboard the site if you decide to purchase an account, but the purchase is not necessary to enjoy Megashot. Everything is still free and shall remain so until the first of next year and even then there will be free accounts; it doesn't have to cost you a penny to to become a better photographer. If you join and bring in new members, you too will be credited for doing so. Remember, Megashot.net is not just for pros and artists; if that was the case I would not be there. There are members with about every degree of photo knowledge you can think of, including novices that have never used much more than their phone cameras to long-time photographers who have lugged huge box cameras around the countryside and others whom are masters of photo-portraits. The beauty is, whatever you use to make a photo or whatever subjects you choose to shoot, in just a few days of being around all the helpful people who are members, your photos will begin to take on a more polished look. The feedback critique forum is becoming very popular as new shooters and pros alike post photos to be discussed by other members and everyone who participates gains technical and artistic knowledge. Everyone wins when we learn from and teach each other. The most important part of signing up; you will become a member of our family of Megashooters.

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Have a Mega-Tuesday!

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Wayward robins

Robin's on Roan

It may be hotter than having sex with Satan in Bakersfield, but signs of autumn are everywhere. Afternoon shadows are becoming longer much earlier as the sun hurries its southward journey. Poplar and sumac trees are shedding brown and green leaves but the most telling sign is robins have all but ceased their morning songs and are en masse combing the neighborhood yards for worms and bugs before facing the migration to the Gulf coast. In another two weeks, all the locals will be gone and only a few passers-by from farther north will momentarily stop by for a snack and a drink of water. For myself, it is the saddest and most melancholy time of year. Winters have been difficult for many years and I have considered migrating further south yet the lingering problem of leaving these hills persists to the point I would rather take a chance on one of our dreadful winters killing me than live longer and continuously pine for the highlands from the distant environs of a milder clime.
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Megashot is reaching more of the designer's goals as additional features are being put into place. It is taking on an aura of maturity but I hope it never grows up like some other similar sites have done. Actually, there are no other similar sites on the net; Megashot is unique in its ability to adapt itself to the needs and whims of each member's desire to represent and present himself or herself in the best way possible. The e-commerce will soon be up and running, and it will be easy to use something like Google's Adsense or other advertisements to create a bit of income for each person's site if they so desire. I am looking forward to each of us having our personal storefront to place for sale anything we like as long as it is legal. I don't have much to sell, but I do like to see what others have; it is much like going to a yard sale just to see how the neighbors live by viewing their personal stuff.
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The photo is of a find by Carolyn of a new art gallery and art retail store in JC.
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Have a wickedly wonderful worsh day!
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Golden

"My name is Louie the Shoe Man"

(Louie has a shoe repair shop across the street from this guy)

Sunday wisdom: In Bakersfield, California, anyone having intercourse with Satan must use a condom.

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Arnold "girly mens" Schwarzenegger is pushing the gay marriage thing in California. I wonder what that politician is up to? Did you know that any citizen can be appointed by the President for consideration by the Senate as a United States Supreme Court Justice, even those citizens not born in the US? Not that Obama would do so, but he might and I see nothing wrong with it and neither did the Framers of our Constitution. The next moderate Republican (oxymoron) president might consider appointing him if he is a good boy; maybe even to the lofty position of Chief Justice. His Honor Ahnold! Hourly steroid breaks for justices and lawyers? Instead of robes the justices will wear loin cloths made of animal hides; lady justices can wear pasties to cover their nipples. A weight bench behind every justice's chair. Actual dumbbells on the bench. One thing for sure, anyone, including me, you, and brain-dead Sarah Palin is as qualified as Clarence Thomas to be a high justice. 'The right-honorable Sexy Sara today decided a case involving a minority illegal alien who is gay and breathes only every other day to help keep the carbon dioxide out of the stratosphere. Justice Sarah asked if the defendant did floors and nails and when she was informed she did do floors but did not do nails, Sarah had immigration officials to cattle-prod her back across the border to her native Canada.'
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Got to talk with Keegan on the phone last evening. He will be home for a month beginning at end of September and then on to northern Japan for two years.
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Have a peaceful Sunday!
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Powered by ScribeFire.

Got legs ...

This is about as much use as it will ever get

Carolyn's new table finally has four legs to stand on. Monday last a replacement leg was delivered and JJ attached it to the table and moved the table to our tiny eating nook at the end of the kitchen. The missus then realized the table was a bit too big for the space, but she is stuck with it.

Yesterday UPS delivered another replacement leg; it is still in the box and inside the closet awaiting further instructions. The saga continues.
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In the photo and just outside the door on left side of pic you may be able to see a red cushion. It is the foot of the lounger where I sit and sun, lay around and snooze, and I've even slept there at night a few times.
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Have a Saturday!
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Impressions

Went to the skin doc yesterday and he wasn't pleased with my healing but he understood why the wounds are not coming along any faster. He also found two more cancers to remove but will wait until I am healed. Another three-month doctor schedule forever and ever and ever .... I'm a singin' the blues ...
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If American Christian extremists are not careful, some folks are going to declare open season on them much the same as the Christians have them. Any extremist religious organization should be placed on a terrorist-watch list, including Pat Robertson and his legions of brain dead zombies. Bible-thumping politicians only use these people as political tools and most do not believe their own words. I've got a good rant building and I soon will blow my unholy cork.
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I got my shot while I was out yesterday; the RA doc's office was unusually busy and I had to wait nearly an hour to get a 10 second injection. By the time I got home, I was dead tired from lack of sleep for several nights. I took a sleeping pill at 10:30pm and slept until past 10:00am this morning. I feel better.
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Carolyn is having work done on the old Ford van and I will haul her to Dry Creek to pick it up. I don't have any new photos to post anywhere, so I will spend the remainder of the day doing some writing.
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Duct tape is like the force; it has a light side and a dark side, and it binds the universe together.
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Have a good Friday and weekend!
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A little trim, please ...

c. 1982

Back to the doc to see how well my back is healing. This medical stuff is becoming a revolving door; it is getting close to time for saying "Enough!".
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Fox News (oxymoron) again admits that, to them, all African-Americans look alike. They seem to see only white, right-wing, cross-burning extremist Christians as being real people; the rest of us are clumped together as liberal do-gooders with no basic Constitutional rights or protections. Atta girl, Greta!

Fox News is not a bona fide news gathering and disseminating  organization; it is the main propaganda wing of the Republican Party and its splinter groups such as The Tea Bag Party, the Christian Coalition of America, and whatever toilet seat Sarah Palin is squatting on.
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Have a frabjous Thursday!
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66

 Carolyn spotted the curtains therefore
I had to stop and get a pic

Today I am 66 years old, but it sure feels more like 67! Yesterday was so good, everything I did that was wrong was right.
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Mark's vampire photo won yesterday's level two in the Megashot contest; congratulations, my friend. He can possibly win some cash when the contest is over. The forums have an explanation of how the contest basically works. When a pic disappears from the contest calender; it becomes "static" and can no longer receive votes. If you are not satisfied with where your photo finished, you can pull it from competition and re-enter and hope it will do better. There are prizes in all three levels. None of my entries have ever finished in any top three in any of the prized contests. Boo-hoo!
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Keegan is due to come home from his Air Force training near the end of September. He will stay a week then be assigned to Japan. I think Japan is the preferred place to be when a service person is stationed outside the US.
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Have a Wednesday!
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Happy ...

 I left the wilted flower as a balance point

to my youthful demeanor

Oh, you lucky people! You get a genuine self portrait of yours truly as a present on my birthday. Thanks everyone for all the kind comments, greetings, and wishes you have bestowed upon me. I truly am blessed.
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This crash diet I'm on is really clicking: Two months and I've lost two pounds! In just 4.75 years I will be down to my target weight of 220 lbs; 70 years old and fit as a fiddle! Nohow, the doc put me on more fluid pills to try and get the swelling out of my feet and ankles and that means I will be hanging close to the bathroom more than ever. Thursday I get to go back to the surgeon who removed the doo-dads from my back. Two of the wounds are healing very well but the lower one is still running fluids of various colors and consistencies.
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I have found what I believe to be some equality on the internet in the form of the Megashot contests. Everyone who reads this blog and enters photos in the contests seem to be doing about the same, which is to say better than average but not up to par with the art crowd. Mark and Maggie both have had photos hang around for awhile on level three and so have I. I will say this; we all three like b/w photos, but it is pretty obvious ours or no one else's are going to be winners. Even if there was a monochrome only contest, a tinted shot would likely be the winner. Like one guy said, "I see in color and I dream in color and black and white means nothing to me". Well, I may dream in color—I don't really know—but I know how to see in b/w when it comes to photography. It is something that has to be learned but is never perfected.
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Have a good day!
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