What I See - Random Images of Nature that Look Like Animals

For a while it seemed that every time I would take some photo's I would later see an animal image depending on how I cropped it (REAL photographers don't use PhotoShop, we use our raw image and resize or do the effect with lense filters ON THE SPOT, not on a computer).

Here is one example up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, on the Parkway in fact, at a very well known spot.  See if you can name the location?

What do you see?

If you don't see anything but rock and tree's then I'd have to classify you as a person that thinks that "gettin and workin and workin and gettin" is what life is all about...WRONG!!!!

And you probably work for my ex-employer, or one just like him (he thinks you have to work 12-14hr days EVERY DAY or you ain't making money).

While not actually a part of my "picture" series, here is a little bit of advice for you job seekers.  If your employer went to college, ask them how much "partying they did" while in school or if they were in a Fraternity and what that organization did for the community.  If he/she says "oh yeah I partied my a$$ off, steer clear of them because they are most likely the kind of person that is having to work triple hard now to make up for what they should have already done in college.  You don't want to work for that kind of person.  They don't understand what life and family are about even though they say they are "all about family".  It's a cover up and a LIE!  I like Joe Wilson's "YOU LIE".  Ask them what's the predominant thought on their mind as they head off to work every day.  If they say anything but, "can't wait to get back home to my family", look elsewhere for employment.  They will suck the life out of you and brand you as not being a team player since you don't subscribe to their ideals.  As a side note, the USA is one of the few, if not the only, country that has a 40+ work hour work week as a general rule.

Ok back to my blogging.  The next photo is local, Cayce Riverwalk on the West Side, in the Capital City.  I originally took the photo of two young girls just sitting on a large river boulder.  They were just sitting there holding hands, as girlfriends are apt to do (you know way back when, when young girls out together were JUST BEST FRIENDS) and after a few shot's I noticed something else as I was zooming/cropping the frame.

What do you see?  If you don't see anything but a rock and some water.  That's ok that you you have no imagination!

And last but certainly not Least, I come to the most intriguing photo I think I have ever taken.  I and the wife (she's with me at all these locations, I couldn't imagine her not being with me anywhere.  After all she's my best friend, my best girl.  She's my bfbgbb!) were attending a civil war re-enactment and the Blue Coats were advancing on the good ole boys in Gray and it was a helluva battle, Musket fire, Cannon Fire, noise and explosions, whoops and hollers of the wounded and the about to be wounded and dead.  I was just rippin off frame after frame trying to catch some of the plumes of smoke being ejected from the black powder cannons. I did pretty good I thought.  Later that night my wife was uploading our pictorial event to her facebook page when she got a message from a cousin of hers that just blew me away.  I had not seen the image in the smoke...but her cousin did.  Once I was looking for it there it was just as plain as the nose on your face.

This photo has since been named, Ghost Rider.  I suspect it was Wade Hampton, but I could be mistaken.  You decide.

 

Well there you have it!  This is just a sampling of  What I See.  Sometimes I see it straightaway, sometimes others see it first...but tis there regardless and it only takes a bit of clearing your mind, forgetting everything you were taught up to this point in life and just looking with an open mind.  Being ready to accept a new concept, a shift of paradigm's, thinking out of the box.

One last final note on my blog today.  After my first entry, as I was on my way to run errands, I was listening to a new CD I made with some of my favourite songs and I heard one that really stopped me cold.  It seemed as though it had a lot do with what I had just posted.  I saw this performer live back in the 1970's and this was just one song on their latest album but it struck a chord with me way back then and if it don't hold true to this day, well then Grits ain't Groceries.

Leon Russell and the Shelter People - "Stranger In a Strange Land" (Russell, Don Preston)

Here is an excerpt that just seemed to fit in so well with my first blog entry:

Well, I don't exactly know

What's going on in the world today

Don't know what there is to say

About the way the people are treating

Each other, not like brothers

Leaders take us far away from ecology

With mythology and astrology

Has got some words to say

About the way we live today

Why can't we learn to love each other

It's time to turn a new face

To the whole world wide human race

Stop the money chase

Lay back, relax

Get back on the human track

Stop racing towards oblivion

Oh, such a sad, sad state we're in

And that's a thing

Do you recognize the bells of truth

When you hear them ring

Won't you stop and listen

To the children sing

Slainte`

G23

We Can Agree to Disagree - Tolerance of the Ignorant and Naive, It's a Two Way Street

My hope is to provide some day to day viewpoints, some of which will no doubt be radical and while not intended to "Flame" anyone....it most likely will.  My thoughts are my own as are yours.  When I say "This is What I Think, This is What I Feel, This is What I See, you can't argue with how "I" feel or think....

It's how "I" feel about something and how I see it and how I feel about it.....Period.

When you say, This is How You Feel, Think, See things....I can't argue with it or say you are wrong

It's how  "YOU"  feel about something and how YOU see it and how  YOU feel about it.....Period.

Another way to put it is.....respect of others opinions without agreeing with them (or pulling some ghetto stunt).

I don't have to "like" your viewpoint(s), or even like you for that matter and I most likely won't, but I would like to think that in a fully developed civilized society which we have yet to achieve but would like others to believe we have and to subscribe to our Golden Ideals of respectfulness which we preach but don't practice.

Learning to "get along" and just be polite dammit!  Is that so hard to do or comprehend?  It must be because the older I get the less I see of the common everyday courtesies that I grew up with and was told was mandatory!

Here are a few examples:

1.  I have a slight disability with my knee and most days I need to use a brace and/or walking cane to keep the pressure off my knee.  I go to the same convenience store every other day and have for the past couple of years so it would be safe to assume that a few folks recognize me, as I do them.  Now I come to my point, with my knee brace and walking cane, 100% of  people will go out of their way to hold the door for me, ask me if  I need help.  Black, Brown, White, Yellow (haven't had a little green one yet but would expect better results as they are touted to be a more advanced civilization) it doesn't matter skin color.  It matters that I have what they perceive to be a "NEED" of their courtesy.  Odd thing is I have that same need without it as I would extend to the person behind me, carrying a package or a child, or can sense someone is in a greater hurry than I.

Now to my second point of this above example, some days I have the need to take pain medication and while medicated it doesn't hurt as bad and so for that short walk into the store (where my Wife has driven me because I do not drive while on pain medication) I don't have on a brace or the walking cane and 90% of the same people don't even give me a second look.  What is the difference in the courtesies being extended or denied?  Sorry if you were looking for the answer to that as I do not have it.  You will need to do some research on your own to identify personality compatibility and idiosyncrasy.

Ok if that didn't cause you to come up with a thousand ways to tell me I'm wrong ( you can't, it's what I think, see and feel.....remember?) here is another example.

2.  Respect of personal space.  Some people don't mind if you get "in their face" and others do.  I have a four foot space that I don't like invaded by strangers (a stranger is someone other than family and not all family are exempt).  I grew up in a fairly large town and there were certain parts of town that you didn't go to if you were not born on that street or were not related to someone that lived there and even then that didn't get you too far.  If you violated that "space" you were told you were not welcome and if you persisted you most likely got your ass kicked, you know the good ole kind of one on one type that was only intended to teach you a lesson not maim or kill.  Yes there were a few souls that didn't have a clue of what "Common Sense and the Fear of God meant and they would attempt to show out.  It didn't last long.  I respect your space and you respect mine.  After all I don't just show up at your house and come busting in 'cause I don't think I ought to have to knock on the door.  A bit of a stretch but the principle is the same.

Today's definition of  Respect/Disrespect are not the same as when I was being brought up.  An Aussie acquaintance once gave me their definition of those who have manners and those who don't as "I was brought up, not drug up", the latter being without manners.  My grandfather had a similar saying, "Po people have Po ways".

Ok back to it, now the Ghetto Style would be a few drive by shootings, gang rapings, gang stabbings, gang beatdowns on one poor soul that could only survive if they had a Dillon Aero M134.  I have witnessed a beatdown on a single person because someone didn't like them looking at them..."they were eyeballin, plottin on me.  He look like he wanna do sumpin to me".

Ok my point to #2 is simple, there are just some places and at some times that we just don't belong or need to be where we are.  If  the "offenders" innocently encroach we should "cut 'em some slack and let 'em pass".  Now this brings me to what I would suppose is my clincher.  I am a fixin to get personal so the faint of heart and those with overly sensitive sensibilities.....the exit is down the hall and to the left.  Are they gone yet?  Oh well if not they were warned.

Lets presume you know a family that just had a homosexual member die of whatever.....do you really think it's respectful to publicly tell any kind of "fag" joke (when I lived in Oz it was common to go outside the restaurant and drink a beer and have a fag with your mates....a smoke) .  If you can't see the harm in it then I invite you to go over to Brown Road in South Richmond County or 2160 and "show out".  I did go into 2160 once but was with a person that vouched for me.  I REALLY didn't want to go inside because I knew I didn't belong but against my better judgement and repeatedly being told  It's ok I know 'em I'll vouch for you, I went inside.  That lasted about 2 minutes and both me(Caucasian) and my 'bro (you figure it out) had to make a quick getaway while dodging a few bottles and pool cue's.  Me for even thinking about it and him for being STOOPID for bringing me in there.  I laugh now but it wasn't even a little funny then.  Oh yeah....this was in the middle 70's y'all.

If you are an American, and if you don't know what that fully entails you don't belong here....GET OUT until you are ready to be an American.  Lets presume you had a family member die as a result of ANYTHING to do with Muslim's, Islam, Sharia Law, September 11, 2001, do you find it RESPECTFUL that anything or anyone to do with Muslim's, Islam or Sharia Law would want to place a place of worship on the spot where America suffered our Nations most tragic event?  That place of worship has NOTHING to do with remorse, repentance or be a place where a common healing for all affected peoples could EVER take place?

I can accept the Muslim religion wanting to put up a Mosque, but NOT THERE!  It's not respectful of the suffering of American's be they Christian, Hebrew, Hindu, Holy Rollers, Mormon's or Muslim (if I left any religion out....TUFF STUFF.  It's my Blog and I can omit whomever I want) and I'd hazard a guess there were some people of all of those religious faiths that died in the attack on the Twin Towers that had NOTHING to do with it.  Okay, maybe no Holly Rollers as I don't think they live in the Cit-tay.  They were everyday people that were just trying to make a living and go home to their respective families.  If it were to serve a COMMON purpose for Healing, bringing about a respectful resolve to "What I think, feel, see" then that is a different story.  

It's what I think, it's how I feel

G23