Summer 2013 Continued... [I don't know how I got into politics here]

The widest point of the Hudson river. There are many places around where the night sky is visible as light pollution isn't bad.


***

This summer is fleeting as far as I'm concerned. If I were a lifeguard, I'd be having the winter blues about now. OK, I promised myself to take any opportunity available this August, which just started, to do something interesting and create memories. Yes, we are who we are to a great extend by the experiences we have and our memories. Even if all else remained the same--disposition, character, intelligence, etc--without the particular memories I have, I wouldn't be the same person, for better or worse.

Anyway, I've been engaging in all sorts of projects and thus haven't taken many pictures, which is one of my favorite hobbies.  But, I do keep my eye on the surroundings and I make frames in my mind. Much of photography is about framing. The focus, the emphasis, the point of view. 

From a recent gallery exhibit in Beacon, NY, titled "the XXX show" or something like that.

Photography has changed humanity, because this technology has enabled us to capture moments that many can't be replicated. A camera can be seen as a time machine. Recording, documenting, and ultimately reinforcing our memories.

The visual often has a greater impact on people's minds. Human rights abuses, civil rights movements, natural phenomena & catastrophes, for example, sensitize a greater number of people.

It's the generations after the late 1980s or more likely the 1990s that have their lives documented so much in pictures and videos, oh, and emails, and other social media. The older among us know that it wasn't always like this. We don't have many pictures from our earlier life. I grew up with film photography. I learned the art working with a totally manual camera--all the settings had to be adjusted depending on the conditions--which meant I had to understand what aperture, speed, ISO, clouds, sun, flash, etc, all did. The film had 24-36 frames and it had to be developed; no instant feedback nor gratification. 

It got to be very expensive and my Olympus SLR was getting old. Needed new expensive lenses. I dropped this hobby for many years until the new digital technology arrived.

I got my first digital camera in the early 2000s, and a good one (for its time) in 2004 while working for a US presidential candidate in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of the media team. Once I made the transition I was elated I could take up my old hobby and enjoy it even more. So many more options and possibilities. Easier to share too.

***

We've heard how the TV played a major role in the election of 1960. By that time almost every household in the US had a TV set. That period marked the transition from party politics to media politics. The candidates increasingly relied on TV images to get their message out and attract votes. The party power decreased as a result. Nowadays, it's the candidates themselves that raise most of the money, decide when to run and on what issues. 

Under the George Washington bridge on the Jersey side

By the way, one of the problems in our system is gridlock, divided government is often the norm, that is, different party blocks control power; one the Executive and another the Congress (or one of its Houses) so there's gridlock. 

What's stranger is that the members who can cause dysfunction come from areas of the country that are far from the mainstream. For example, the Senate Minority leader--whose stated priority has been to make Obama a failure under any cost--comes from very conservative Kentucky. His political fortunes depend on representing this brand of backward conservatism, because the votes for his (re)election come from there. As conservative as he is, he'll have an even more conservative [I say, a wingnut tea partier] challenger in the Republican primary!

I shouldn't have started on politics, but maybe there's no free will as Sam Harris (among others) contends, so I steered into the political sphere inadvertently.

The Bear Mountain Bridge I cross often

Looking south from Bear Mountain, NY. The Hudson river is very interesting!

Where Did the Summer of 2011 Go?...

I can't believe it's been months since I posted here; not that I forgot but it wasn't the best summer I've had. Nothing too seriously wrong, just too many loose ends and stuff. So, I looked into my Summer picture folder and found a few pictures worth posting. 

Some weird performance in the Lincoln Center reflection pool

Lincoln Center had several free, open air events this past summer.

A view of Jersey City from Battery Park City. NJ is building its own skyline now.

On the ferry to Governor's Island with a view of the financial district and the 3 East river bridges.

A great summer day on Gov's isle.

The Staten Island ferry is free and a great way to "sail" the NYC harbor.

 As I'm writing this, the leaves are starting to turn. I hope this autumn is spectacular, though I hear it may not be. If it its, I'll take a drive up to Vermont, or at least up to the Berkshire mountains--one of the best places in the country to see the magnificent nature in the autumn. 

Soon....

Blazing Pumpkins Nicely Put Together

Every year in the past few, this event is getting bigger and bigger, but so do the crowds.... and, this is the problem, for me. On the Saturday I visited--on the first day of the 2010 season--there were too many people. Not that the tour has to be completed by a certain time, but if you're in a long line of people, you feel others on your back... not to mention the stroller that keep attacking your feet.

Those of you who do night photography know how important it is to have a steady camera without being nudged by other bodies. No tripods allowed and there aren't flat surfaces where you can place your camera to take proper long-exposure pictures. Most of my pictures from this night are better suited for the Museum of Modern Art.

This old house dates back to 18th century. Allegedly ghosts still haunt it.

But, overall it was a great night to be out and see pumpkins carved and arranged in such a creative way.

Spider Web, a little heavier than usual

The expert carvers are doing several hundred pumpkins every week while the show is on--which is about a month. However, you have to ask in order to find out that the 5,000+ lighted pumpkins on display aren't all real. They do have real ones--those that have candles burning inside, but most of the displays are styrofoam with a shelf life of 5 years; those have miniature electric lights.

Nailed to a tree

With the weather being unpredictable as autumn rolls in, we got lucky to visit on a great night. In the several days prior, we had storms with heavy downpours in the tri-state area. This wouldn't be a problem if you could just go when the weather is good, but they only sell a limited number of tickets and for specific times; ours was the 9 pm slot. The tickets have to be purchased well in advance as they sell out quickly.

It looked more impressive when I saw this

Creating Memories... and, Recording Them.

Is photography a means to reinforce memories or there's something more to it?

Creating memories is what I think makes for a full life. Of course there are lots of other important elements but I believe doing something memorable every day is good. Obviously I can't say that I can do it every day, but I try. It doesn't have to be big. Actually, I don't believe passing time looking forward to big events. Yes, they can be transformative with big impressions left over, but it is the smaller things that make a bigger difference in life.

Let me explain. Going on a nice month-long vacation to a beautiful place is certainly a welcome event. Yet, what do you do the rest of the year? Taking smaller but much more frequent breaks to do something interesting--being with a friend, engage in a hobby or any other joyful activity--are more important. It is said that it's not the absence of stress but the lack of many positive events that make a person unhappy.

Taking pictures is a hobby I enjoy. A picture is like a mini story. Framing, emphasizing (or excluding), and even tweaking the appearance of the "natural" picture is what photography means to me. I took up photography when I was a teenager. I was given a good all-manual camera, no batteries except in the attachable flash. I learned how to estimate the required speed, aperture, ISO, and whatever else. And, it wasn't easy because it was slow. In the days of a 24 or 36 frame film, it took me several days if not weeks to go through it--unless it was a special event that I could go through a 24 frame at once.

Now, I don't remember using the one-hour processing, if that was available back in the days. Even if it was, there was no money for that. So, I had to wait several days to see the results of my shooting. I may have kept some notes about some pictures I had taken but it wasn't very practical to walk around with a notepad writing down what settings I had for what picture.

Anyway, while in college--for a good stretch of it--I had no money for such a hobby. I had a budge of $20 per week for food. That included all food at school & trips to the supermarket. Spending $5-7 on film, processing and prints was not an option. I gave it up. It was also during that time that my car was broken into and my manual camera was stolen.

After I graduated I took some pictures here and there with a small cheap camera. It wasn't until 2004 when I got my first digital camera that my love for photography returned. I still use that bulky Olympus, not-intuitive and (by now) old technology camera. Most of the pictures I have today are from this one. Any DSLR new(er) camera is big now and they all have great features--and much better designs that those available a few years ago.

However, a great camera is one that is being used. If it stays in the closet it's not all that good. My point is that sometimes the size/weight of a camera may prevent its owner from using it or carrying it around. That's why I got myself a Nikon Coolpix recently. It seems that I always have this one handy, in my car or attached to my belt. I've taken some great pictures with it. The most important thing is that I was able to take a picture because I had a camera with me! It sounds stupid but it isn't. I have pictures, a record of things I experienced, that otherwise I know I would not have had. On many occasions it wasn't practical to carry my big camera, so the little one came in ..handy! And, let me tell you, the small ones today pack oodles of features and capabilities.

As I'm writing this, the night is well worn. One way to relax before bed is to do a crossword puzzle or work on the pictures I've taken. I had used Photoshop once; too big; the Elements, a smaller version, may be more appropriate for many photographers. However, for most amature photographers, Picasa is a great photo program to have. It's part of Google and it's free. Try it. I have a Gmail account, but I don't know if you need one to be able to upload your pictures on the internet. Yes, you'll need to do that if you take many pictures. I've been doing this for a long time now. You can use Flickr or a number of other free programs/sites. For example, here's a link to one of my online albums: Hudson Valley You could also link only to single picture: Pier on Hudson.

If you take pictures at an event or for any occasion that you want to share them with many other people the only sensible thing is to upload them to the web. I do it through Picasa, then I sent the link to a number of people instead of emailing them a bunch of pictures. That way they can choose for themselves what to do, including downloading any picture they like. You can have those online galleries private so only those who have the key to them can see your pictures.

I think photography is a great activity. I'd recommend it. It's rather inexpensive. Same thing with writing. Thinking about expressing a thought, an idea, an image, etc, are all great for the mind. Happy trails fellow traveller!


PS> All the pictures here don't have a common theme other than I took them in New York state this month (July 2009). They are among many, not superb or artsy but I like them and that's all there's to them. By clicking on them you can make them bigger. I found out that IE does keep this available, but Firefox removes this option when I move the pictures around within the post. That's why on some previous posts clicking on the picts doesn't do anything.


UPDATE: As per request, and in order from top to bottom:
1. Amusement park; 2. Hudson river by Rhinebeck; 3. Coney Island; 4. Hyde Park; 5. Coney; 6. Lower West Side; 7. LWS; 8. Harriman; 9. Woodstock; 10-12. Central Park; 13-15 Esopus/Kingston; 16. Peekskill; 17. Kingston lighthouse; 18. South St. Seaport; 19. Coffeehouse; 20. Coney.

The Power of Culture and Indoctrination

It's been a national story soon after it happened on Sunday on a highway in Westchester, NY. Actually I was going to NYC on Sunday when I heard that the Taconic parkway--the one I take to go to NYC--was closed due to a horrific accident. It happened right by the place I work. I know the area well and I can't imagine how a driver could get on the northbound lanes and travel at high speed southbound (against the heavy traffic) for 1.7 miles before colliding head-on with another car resulting in 8 people dying, including several children. There are many questions to be answered and the investigation continues.

Immediately the references to God became apparent. Of course, they followed the same pattern: God gets only the credit for good stuff, not the bad. That he should be praised for allowing one child (of the 4) to survive the crash. The other ones, all under 10 years old, weren't deemed worthy of survival. God may have "special plans" for the survivor, etc. Prayers and special church services are now part of this unfolding story. It's amazing to me that people haven't figured out that even if there's a God he doesn't interfere; he doesn't alter the laws of nature that he allegedly created. Therefore, praying to any god or to the sun yields the same results. [George Carlin explains this one here.]

And here's a longer version. Do you find it offensive?


We all know that bad stuff happens all over the world, though usually we tend not to focus on the suffering for too long. It's not a bad thing, because otherwise we couldn't have a normal life. Obviously people have different ways to deal with adversity and grief. One common thread is religion. They pray. The want to believe that God is active in their lives (intervening) and he takes care of the departed souls. Making imaginary friends or any entity is an old phenomenon. Culture and indoctrination from childhood make this illusion all but real for most people. Very few of us have escaped this predicament. Hopefully, more and more humans will shed this prejudice, superstition, and this need for the supernatural.

The following video could be very challenging to those who don't want to see the obvious. It shows human behavior and thought processes that go against the logical, reasonable approach to everyday life--it ain't easy, but wanting to believe in something simply because it gives a false hope is not appropriate for grown-ups.



Well, are you up to it? Can you handle the truth? It's a bold question and a bold step to leave behind ancient explanations fit for people who didn't know any better. But, we do! And, we know that the universe doesn't revolve around humanity. We've progressed a lot, learned so much about the physical world and there's so much more to find out. Yet, have you pondered, how do we know things? What is the process, the tool we use to systematically discover, invent, and reason? It's the scientific process. This is the best method/tool we have to understanding ourselves and the universe itself.

Give it a try. But, be careful: once you take certain steps, you can't go back, that is, if you decide that you want to know--no matter what the truth is--you can't revert to being ignorant. It's like losing your virginity...

Oldies but Goodies

I've been away and rather busy the rest of the days--OK, this includes catching up on sleep--so I haven't posted in a while, but I have lots of stuff on backlog! Where to start? Let's see, how about something for the boys?

If I had lots of money, I'd definitely have a few cars, maybe 3, 4 or 5. Of them, 3 would be really classic, oldies but functional. I spoke to the guy who restores old cars; he showed me pictures of how he found them. They looked total junks, and unrecognizable. He puts lots of new parts, new engine, etc. He spent $9,000 on one--for parts only, because the labor is all his. He had just given that car to his daughter for a graduation present!

There are many clubs of owners of oldies in the US, and there are frequent shows everywhere. All the cars have to get to the show [this case was in a big parking lot in Peekskill, NY] on their own power. So, yes, they are all in good shape. They open the engine hood so you can see they have new engines or a rebuilt one with lots of modern parts. It makes sense.

Take a closer look at the Ford with the wooden cabin. It was built in the early 20th century (like 1921 or so)--not much later than the very first cars appeared in the US. I think the license plates of historic cars also show their year of production.

In one of the photos, there's the interior of a 1971 VW Beetle. When I was in college I drove one. It was built in 1971 and it was a fading yellow color! Ha! I had wheels, that was the most important thing. But that car was horrible on gas mileage, very wide turn radius, not very safe, no heat (AC? haha), and your face was a couple inches from the windshield! But it took me places, and it helped me with my social life.

In the end, the engine was consuming (or losing) as much oil as gas, so I had to junk it because the labor to fix the problem seemed exhorbitant to me back then. Then, I think, I got a Ford Pinto station wagon! IT was not an improvement... Didn't last that long though.

Spring has Sprung and the Action has been Local

As I wrote on my political blog, it's been a hard long couple of months but now I have some free time to catch up with friends and other projects. I was so busy that I didn't take pictures of our lovely campus in, appropriately named, Pleasantville.



Here are some of the pictures I managed to take over a span of several weeks this Spring.

A Lake, A Stroll, and Gallery Hopping

I've been busy and a little lazy updating this blog here, but life is going well over all. Lots of new experiences and new places I discovered nearby. Last Saturday, I took a drive to my favorite park, Lake Minnewaska, and on the way back I stopped in New Paltz's Huguenot "village."

Then, crossed the Hudson river to my next stop, Beacon, New York. The latter is a happening place, at least judging from my last couple of visits there. Two weeks ago they had a huge St. Pat's outdoors party on Saturday when also many of the art galleries had opening receptions. Not sayin' whether I got loaded with wine & cheese...

Spring break is over; back to work this week.... and it'll be heavy loads until early May. No complaints though, because I've held some bad jobs in my earlier years, so I maintain a good perspective on what's good, bad and ugly. Enjoy the Spring. I'll get out to take pictures when nature blooms but haven't seen anything yet around here.

A Test of Citizenship

I've been debating with myself whether to post something so serious here at the Casual Cafe, but I'm really disturbed by the continuous violence in Greece. I wrote about this elsewhere, but then my fellow blogger, Doctor [who also has a couple posts on this subject], sent me a link with these pictures...

It's easy to have an emotional reaction to all this, but some deeper thinking is required. What are the causes of this mayhem? Why is it necessary for young (?) Greeks to demand their rights by trampling on the rights of others? Of course, I understand the frustration and anger, but employing such methods of violence?...

I don't live in Greece, so I writing this from abroad and trying to understand what's going on there. I've been asked by my friends, What do those Greeks want? I'm not sure I know the answer. What makes thousands yell, "pigs, murderers" (at the police), and "the state is the biggest terrorist"? Isn't the state of, by, and for the people? Is Greece under foreign occupation? The police represents the state. The police may be a manifestation of the state's incompetence, so it's in everyone's interest to reform it. But, when people demand change by destroying private and public property and putting lives at risk isn't a civilized way in my opinion to ask for improvements.

The killing of the 15-year old was not the reason for the revolt & destruction but it the trigger. I didn't see what most Greeks don't really know what happened when a number of youngster threw stuff at the police. I'm withholding my judgment until we know what happened between the police and the victim. The Greek police is ill-trained and serves as the convenient target of both the public & the government! As for the incident, a bunch of teenagers can be dangerous, so although I'm deeply sadened by the death of the 15 year old, I also accept the principle of self-defense. Many horrible wars & mass killings in Africa showed that children-soldiers can be deadly. Ballistic tests indicate the bullet ricocheted [Kathimerini] No well-trained police fires bullets into the air to scare of demonstrators, but if the Greek police did that in self defense, then the motive is different than murder.

Likewise, Prime Minister Karamanlis declaring, shortly after the incident, "there will be no leniency" for the policeman who shot the kid is a ridiculous statement. The PM and his government aren't in charge of the courts, are they? The police represents the state and if they're incompetent it reflects on his own government. At best, the government through the prosecutor can ask for certain penalties but it should be up to the court to decide what happened and evaluate the circumstances. The PM should wait for an official inquiry before he makes his judgment. Leniency should depend on the circumstances I reckon.

On the other hand, he should also make sure that the police are trained very well, because "firing in the air" to scare the protesters isn’t a technique used by well-trained police! Likewise, it’s appalling that the Greek police beat up the arrested persons. This is another example of an ill-trained force. The Greek government(s)are ultimately responsible for this.

Shifting the blame may be convenient but every citizen should look him/herself in the mirror first. Good parenting is necessary. For example, what were those youngsters doing skirmishing with the police? Good citizenship means being polite to your fellow human beings, that you do not litter, that you protect the forests, the sea and the environment--your own place where you live, your country. Oh, and that you show up on time and perform your duties to the best of your ability.

Little children, immature as they are, sometimes hate their parents but at the same time want them to solve all their problems. Some adults, too, behave like children: they hate the state but demand it solves all their problems!

Certain societies operate by solving their political differences with bullets. Violence against the current government? Sure, but such behavior sets the tone for the next one too. The hard question is this: assuming Greece is not under foreign occupation, what are those qualities that make some countries perform so much better, are more efficient, there’s less corruption, and their people record higher levels of happiness?

PS> I'm including the following because some of the responses to my editorial spoke about "enemies"(foreign and domestic), conspiracies, illegal aliens, etc.

I’m afraid that Greece isn’t being threatened by external enemies as much as from internal problems.The latest events are not the result of foreign enemies, illegal aliens, and a few anarchists. The violence spread all over Greece. If, indeed, those agents are present everywhere and are able to inflict this, then those enemies have won already.

Pass the Gravy, please... Happy Thanksgiving!

I figured that if I have something to be thankful for, then this life is worth it. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, because for me it has a more universal value, not much commercialism, and not overly religious. Even those who don't pray to a supreme being can express thanks to those who make our lives better. That's more practical and beneficial. As a matter of fact, I'd rather see more of helping each other than devote untold energy, resources, and time to imaginary deities--as if they actually care about what happens in this remote corner of the universe. Let me take this opportunity to say a big thank you to those who have enriched my life. You are appreciated.



So, even if the turkey tastes like cardboard, and the family picks this day to showcase disfunctionality, and that you have to work on Friday, and that you must get in the middle of the night to catch those 4 am super sales, and that you can't retire before 2054, I hope you have a wonderful day. Make it an attitude to be happy and enjoy the moment. If you don't get enough this day, you can do it all over again for xmas soon!



Enjoy!

A Slice of the Good Life

It's been a while since I posted something here. All is well. I just went through a very busy time and had to relocate & shuffle things around. How do you like my new place? OK, I confess, not all of it is mine... Do you recognize this place?

I only have this part of the building. The balcony is rather small, don't you think? Hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to heat this place in the winter.

But the views of the Hudson River are spectacular!
This is the entrance to the garden.
A quiet spot, great for contemplation.

The Italian Gardens.
Of course, some parts of the garden need lots of work, so between that and other stuff, I didn't have time to post anything. You understand...



This little mansion and its lush environs is located in New Hyde Park, NY. Some very wealthy guy named F.W. Vanderbilt built it. Rather modest compared to the guilded-age mansions of the robber barons. Join me on Friday, Dec. 12th, for a Gilded Age Christmas!