Night Caps....plus

         I've been "experimenting," playing around, with shots of the night sky, lit by the moon and stars.

      I'm fascinated by the light play. These shots are best seen on larger screens, enabling a "painterly" feel.

      Shooting them is fun. The brace of the Pacific air and the canopy of stars are healthy. It's an antidote to my worry about a nuke plant being the middle of a war.

        

        The Nocturnal Ledger.........

        

        There is no good future without treaties or a strong international alliance to intervene. 

        Critical infrastructure anywhere with impact of a global scale needs protecting.

        This part of the California central coast has been blessed with fog, despite the drought. The heat on the other side of the Santa Lucia mountains draws marine air into the valleys leaving rivers of fog. There are nights with stars overhead while fog shrouds trees, and vegetation, even here on the ridge.

    

        The Nocturnal Ledger....

             The secret documents at Mar-a-Lago should mean strong justice and penalty. Knowing what we do, it's not hard to believe he was using our national secrets for his advantage. Treason is easy to believe. Is there anything at all that dissuades you of the notion? 

            Holding him accountable would be good medicine for America's tarnished image and diminished reputation.

         A phone screen may do this shot no justice, but it was taken by an iPhone. It is not a great astro-photograph, but it captures a layer of a little corner of our neighborhood.

        

        Of more earthly sightings, Lana's Amaryllis has put forth its best face(s).

        

            And a shout out to the bougainvillea I face each time I step out of the door of my study. It glows in the afternoon sun.

        Enjoy the last days of summer, it is on the run.

           See you down the trail.  

           Peace

#PIVOTS & NARRATIVES AND A SUMMER CHRISTMAS

PIVOT! 
silliness ahead, but first

joy of the season

    This lovely specimen is an Amaryllis and is generally known as a Christmas bloomer. At least that is normal but this gift to Lana from daughter Katherine has chosen summer to bloom.

   And to keep it interesting, a companion is also preparing to bloom.

    And all of this makes perfect sense as we have begun our tradition of "re-visiting" the past season's Christmas cards.

    A few years ago Lana suggested we spend a few minutes each evening after dinner looking at last season's cards, enjoying them again and remembering those who sent them.

    Though many have abandoned the "old" custom of sending cards, I remain hooked on the sentiment, beauty and civilized act. In the rush of the season the cards are often read hurriedly. Bringing them back for act II is fun, refreshing and stirs a wee bit of that spirit-lifting Christmas cheer. Now with the Amaryllis in bloom let me wish you A Merry Christmas.

     Dickens had it right.

#LET'S PIVOT

    So, lets drill down and unpack this journalistic narrative sans the big data and pivot to media jackals who must have decided not to go there, there being a moment to listen to themselves. Hashtag, #!

     How many times have you heard some talking head talk about the "pivot" to--who knows what all or whatever? In most recent usage it has been the pivot to the general election. But maybe they really want to pivot to # hashtag!

     It's one of those buzz words that are cliche' almost the moment they are uttered. Whatever!

     In the recent past there was the "let's drill down" a newer version of "let's unpack this" whatever.

     Oh you say you "don't want to go there?" Sorry. That's our "Narrative."  You know, narrative can also be historical.  What was the silliest thing I heard? "Barrack Obama's historical narrative was more important than Hillary Clinton's narrative and that's why he won 8 years ago."  

     You'd think narrative was maybe something they wore, or a body part, as important as it was. Could it have been a #narrative? 

      But we won't go there, since most people have decided they have already been there or figured being there wasn't so bad. So, maybe it is safe to go there. Whatever!

      And maybe going there is what gave everyone this uncontrolled desire to say hashtag. I must be utterly un-hip. When someone sneezes I want to say Hashtag! 

      So, so now when someone comments or begins to answer a question they frequently begin with So,.  That is so, with a pause.  Is that a thinking moment, a deep breath moment or whatever? I think maybe their brain is just about to do a #pivot.

      Not sure what the big data would say about any of this.

Whatever!

      Can we pivot to the #English teachers, #writing teachers, #journalism professors, #editors and ask WTF? When did whatever pivot from being the tool of hormonal teens to a frequently used word of illumination and enlightenment from #television experts?  Must have been a stealth pivot about the time Facebook became a journalistic institution. 

      #whatever

     See you down the trail.