November 1, 2023 - by Heather Cox Richardson

Prettiest angry with Christians in the United States these days. Evangelicals seem the main problem, but I believe other branches are complicit.

Johnson rejects the separation of church and state in our government, saying that the framers' idea “clearly did not mean…to keep religion from influencing issues of civil government. To the contrary, it was meant to keep the federal government from impeding the religious practice of citizens. The Founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.”

From this morning’s walk…

Nightscape, table and chairs in upper left corner casting long shadows down to the lower right corner, unseen security light casting shadows

Timber frame skylight and support structure in outdoor atrium, lit by security lights

“Town & Country” supermarket neon signage at night reflected in wet parking lot pavement below.

End of low height wall with chain dangling from top to pavement below, concrete stairs in shadow beyond, scene illuminated by unseen security light to the right

Streetscape with driveway approach running from upper left to lower right, arrow pointing to lower right of frame painted on asphalt surface

Chlorophyll prints - nature expresses itself - AlternativePhotography.com

Just learned that this process is a thing. Really interesting! Also a link to review of a photo book using process:

The Enigma of Belonging | Conscientious Photography Magazine

From this morning’s walk…

Stairway to basement level of commercial building at night, lit by lights at bottom of stairs.

Interior of coffee shop at night illuminated by lights at the back of shop.

Three story commercial building with Red Hot Nails Salon on the ground floor at night.

Concrete retaining walls and driveway streetscape.

Piece of thick broken glass on interior window sill at night illuminated by security lights outside.

Post with board directional signs pointing the way to various commercial establishments.

View down alley between commercial buildings with multi story commercial building emerging from the shadows in the distance.

Exterior stairway to second floor of a commercial building at night lit by a security light.

Street corner with corner of commercial building on left and back ot stop sign on post on the right. Church emerging out of shadows down and across the street in the middle.

From this morning’s walk…

Streetscape through trees at night.

Shadow of shrub on side of building cast by landscape lighting.

Circular shade light fixture on side of building at night.

Car, streetlight and rear of building at night.

Alley between commercial buildings lit by security lights on building on left.

Large conical shaped tree in parking lot lit by streetlights.

Backside of commercial building at night with ladder leaning against wall and trash bin silhouetted in foreground.

Stairs and stair railing with vertical lattice lit at night by building security light.

Rear facade of commercial building lit by security lights.

From this morning’s walk…

Canopied walk at night.

Sidewalk and shrubs with edge of building beyond. Building lit by unseen security light.

Back of wooden post and sign rising above shrubs. Lit by streetlights.

Alley behind commercial buildings lit by security lights.

Chair tables and door lit by security light and viewed through shrubs from a higher elevation.

Blue commercial cottage lit by security lights.

Fire hydrant in the midst of weeds, lit by streetlights.

October 29, 2023 - by Heather Cox Richardson

After Johnson’s election as speaker, extremist Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida spelled out what it meant for the party…and for the country: “MAGA is ascendant,” Gaetz told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, “and if you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.”

Few things piss me off more than fundamentalist Christians telling the rest of us how to live. An important read.

From this morning’s walk…

Rear end of an ambulance lit by streetlights.

Sailboats in the harbor at night.

Interior of messy restaurant kitchen with stand mixer in the left foreground.

Concrete island with brick pavers in front lit by streetlights.

Giant knife and fork sculpture with giant strawberry impaled on top of fork.

Selfie of leg and foot lit by sidewalk lights.

Rock sculptures in a weedy field with trees in background.

Looking up a tree trunk of a large pine tree.

House at top of hill with weedy bank below.

From yesterday…

Tree trunk and branches lit by streetlights.

Two tree trunks and branches lit by streetlights.

Leaning tree trunk with leafed out branches hovering above, lit by streetlights.

Tree trunk and roots in foreground, small building with security light lighting the scene on a rise above.

Heavy timber lumber stacked behind chain link fence.

Fencing at a wall above a parking lot with vines lit by a light on the backside of the fence post.

Branch and leaf shadows on a CMU wall.

Bonus photo because it’s such a nice one…

Single hydrangea bloom head in the midst of tall grass.

From this morning’s walk…

Night view of Bainbridge Island harbor with Venus in the sky.

Hand truck and dolly in concrete block wall corner illuminated by night light.

Funny clay sculpture of a woman in an art gallery window.

One story commercial building at the edge of a parking lot at night.

Brick wall shadows composition nightscape.

From this morning’s walk on Bainbridge Island WA…

Streetscape, shrubs, security light, building wall and road.

Windows of diner lit from within at night.

Single flight of steel stairs lit by security light descending from upper left to lower middle.

Road, diamond lattice fencing, vertical posts and tree trunk.

Gnarled tree trunk closeup, lit by streetlights.

From this afternoon…on my way to West Coast.

Industrial landscape.

Transmission towers in meadowlands.

Power line towers in industrial landscape.

Whale mural in underpass.

Women’s armpit campaign billboard in time square.

Dumpster covered with red netting in urban landscape.

The new Tapanzee bridge.

The new Tapanzee bridge.

From this morning’s walk…

Dial face on antique scale in shop window.

Dresses on dress rack, red in the middle, white at the ends.

Dress rack with light to dark from left to right.

Light cast onto pavement from storefront.

Antique lamp base and jar lids in uranium glass.

A fifth group, the bissu, are seen as equally embodying the roles of the four other groups while also standing outside them all. As with many two-spirit figures among First Nations peoples, the bissu’s specific place within society leads them to be seen as spiritual leaders of the people.”

— Here Be Monsters: How to Fight Capitalism Instead of Each Other by Rhyd Wildermuth a.co/4h410gN

… the calalai are women who dress and act in masculine ways, while the calabai are men who dress and act in feminine ways. Their roles in society are a bit akin to many of the Western stereotypes of gay men and lesbian women: calabai are the hairdressers and wedding planners, while the calalai craft tools and do other “masculine” work.

— Here Be Monsters: How to Fight Capitalism Instead of Each Other by Rhyd Wildermuth a.co/4h410gN

… the most intriguing of these non-capitalist forms is that of the Bugis people in Indonesia, who have five genders. While attempts have been made to map modern formulations of gender onto their society, no easy correspondences can be truly made. The two primary groupings are analogous to (cis) men and women, but the second set of groupings, the calalai and the calabai, are biological men or women who take on specific artisan roles that Westerners might associate with the other sex.

— Here Be Monsters: How to Fight Capitalism Instead of Each Other by Rhyd Wildermuth a.co/4h410gN

From this morning’s walk…

Society of Lash window graphic with gas station reflection overlaid.

Valero gas station across the street at night.

Light and shadow from storefront lighting on concrete sidewalk.

Door and light recessed into brick wall at night.

Rapids and falls after heavy rains.

Tree branches with green leaves, flash exposure.

One way traffic sign and shadow on brick wall. Lit by streetlights.

The Death of Information

The only possible positive result of the Death of Information is that more people will focus on their core values, not some list of alleged facts. People (and society) will benefit if they stop arguing about media outlets and their red hot teams, and instead nurture and pressure test the principles which guide their lives.

The Death of Information

I’ve written at length about reciprocal violence in the past—which I consistently oppose in all situations (including my own life). So I am not persuaded by any argument that killing innocent people is justified if other innocent people were killed in the past. Evil actions do not legitimize other evil actions. I condemn the murder of innocent people in ALL instances. –Ted Gioia

From this morning’s walk…

Neklace in a display case with circular display lighting illuminating it from below.

Black wedding dress in window of bridal boutique.

Top of building and sky above in pre-dawn light.

Shadow self cast across street with brick building in background.

Electric switch and meter panels illuminated by streetlights.

Streetscape with railroad crossing signage in foreground.

Raindrops and streaks on car windshield and hood lit by streetlights.

Friendly pumpkin creature in shop window display.

From this morning’s walk…

Tree lit by streetlights.

Streetscape with traffic barrier components leaning against a building wall and signage saying “Amarcord” attached to the wall on right.

Alleyway lit by building lights.

From this morning…

Portrait, man with thick rimmed glasses and shoulder length gray hair.

Unopened can of organic jackfruit sitting on a trash receptacle.

Illuminated “WE BUY GOLD” sign in shop window.

Flagpole and plywood construction fencing illuminated by streetlights.

Jackfruit cookbook in shop window display.

Cylindrical finned light fixture in shop widow, scene bathed in purple glow.

Abstract pattern dress on mannequin in shop window.

Utility pole with power and communication wires radiating out.

Front elevation shot of red delivery truck cab.

From this morning’s walk…

Closeup of electric meter lit by building lights.

Building spotlight illuminating concrete block building wall.

Red illuminated exit sign through a building window.

Amber colored light cast on stone wall.

Trapezoid light patch cast on concrete sidewalk.

Construction ladders illuminated by streetlights.

Green wicker chair in front of storefront with vertical blinds illuminated by streetlights.

… this week there is little news time devoted to Donald Trump… i am sad about the cause of that… i would trade having to listen to Trump if it meant the attack hadn’t happened… but i can’t help noticing how good his absence feels…