Category Archives: Ranting
Off to Another Adventure
SunTrust Atlanta.
Not much time for blogging this week. Busy processing photos from last week’s wedding.
Tomorrow we are off to New Hampshire and Lake Winnapasaukee (or however the heck you spell it). We’ll stay a couple of nights, get time with the chili clan, and see Vertical Horizon play a show (GooGoo Dolls, too, I think).
Apparently, a lot of folks are getting arrested for taking video of cops going about their business. Apparently, some prosecutors are actually proceeding with prosecution. They are hanging their hats on wiretapping laws for goodness’ sake! Well, it ain’t illegal. One wonders why all the news reporters don’t get arrested. Is that next?
Lying.
Trolley, Illinois Railroad Museum, Union, Illinois.
I may have already mentioned that I spent a great afternoon walking around the Railroad Museum with my big brother. We took lots of pictures, and saw some awesome machines. I paid little attention to detail, but was impressed with an old steam locomotive which weighed 975,000 pounds. Wouldn’t want to be stuck on the crossing when that sucker came by. Other than the museum, I barely caught a glimpse of Union.
I’ve been pretty silent on the “Big Issues” of late. Here’s my brief offering:
The more I see of what’s reported on how our, and other nations, are run, the more I think that the underlying principle of all forms of government, whatever cute name they have for it (democracy, kingdom, communism, socializm, nazism, dictatorship, etc.) is dishonesty. Outright lying. It’s infectious, and permeates all journalism, education, entertainment, and social interaction. It cuts across party lines, racial lines, gender lines, and railroad lines. It is the lingua franca of human culture and society.
Evils of Photography: Part III
Winnie Palmer Hospital, Orlando.
I took the above picture of the “Winnie” a couple or so years ago. I suppose it was just chance, but no security folks tried to run me off. I still like it.
Today, I went there to take pix in a different condition of light, and with my wider-angle lens. I had snapped a few when a guy in a security guard came by and said the hospital didn’t allow photos except for official purposes (whatever that is). He was reasonably cheerful and polite for a person (on orders, I’m sure) interfering with my Constitutional rights. I said I wasn’t going to argue, but that I was standing on a public street, looking at a highly visible structure that could be easily seen from a distance (you can see it from Interstate 4). He reiterated the hospital’s position, and I wandered away.
I actually thought about telling this guy that I was within my rights, that the hospital didn’t have anything to say about whether I took pictures, and that if he’d care to summon the police, I’d be happy to wait. I wanted to add that I was a lawyer, licensed in Florida, and would be happy to pit my legal ability and knowledge against whatever law firm the hospital used. I wanted to add that since the Arnold Palmer Foundation actually ran/owned the place that perhaps Mr. Palmer, who presents his smiling face to the public, would like to get involved in a petty dispute over the hospital’s unenforceable policy.
But I didn’t. Maybe I’m a sheep. Actually, another picture of their building isn’t going to change my life. I wonder why Mr. Palmer invested in such an architecturally interesting building (something rare in Orlando-land), if he didn’t want people looking and snapping pix.
Oh, well.
Here’s another image, taken today.
Evils of Photography Redux
Yesterday, we (our little family) were out and about, and had a few minutes to spare before arriving at our first destination, so I (not driving) asked to stop so I could take pictures here and there. I spotted the black and white motif on this business, and we pulled over. Exactly what I wanted to make of it, I’m not sure. I think maybe I wanted to square up to the front of the building, and shoot the black and white area against the sky. The gate was open so I walked in.
A lady came out and demanded to know what I was doing. I said very sweetly that I thought the black and white pattern was attractive, and wanted to photograph it for no reason other than my own pleasure. She said the owner wasn’ t there, and they weren’t open, so I should leave. I didn’t argue, I just stepped out the gate, onto the public street, and shot this pic (mostly to make this blog post). I really don’t have much to add. We live in a paranoid/selfish sort of society to a great extent. What can I say?
We drove down to Universal Orlando, mostly to renew/purchase our annual passes (they were running a special). We had a fun lunch at Bubba Gump in Universal City Walk (they ask you Forrest Gump trivia questions at the table, and provide good and cheerful service, and the food was tasty). We then went to the automated kiosk to retrieve our tickets (which we had arranged for by telephone). Saved a good bit over last year’s price.
It was rainy, so we didn’t really tour the place (where we’ve been many times). The ladies went into the shops just inside the entry to Islands of Adventure, and I scarpered off hoping for some pix of the Harry Potter feature.
The Harry Potter thing is partially open, but part of the view is still blocked by a construction fence, so I did what I could:
Since it was a gloomy day, and the subject matter seems to lend itself to a gloomy treatment, that’s what I did. This pic is actually 3 exposures, so it is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image.
The Evils of Photography–and Street Performance
The Las Vegas PoPo.
Actually, these enterprising young ladies were standing near the Parisian posing for tips. Quite a few men posed with them, and had the lady they were with take pictures. I got them to pose by being charming, but gave them a tip anyway. At least they weren’t hassling people taking pictures, which leads me to my theme for today.
Officious police/rent-a-cops who think photography is a terrorist activity (or who just enjoy hassling people for no good reason).*
I have been asked at various places why I was taking pictures, and told, in some of them, not to do so. Others have had the same experience. I’m not sure how much of this post-dates 9/11, but I’m sure that the Patriot Act (i.e., the “yippee, the terrorists gave us a good opportunity to enact the Restrict Americans’ Freedom Act) encouraged this sort of police-state mentality. The minions of the king (or minions of the corporations) seem to think that terrorists cannot access any information they want, visual or otherwise, on the internet.
When I’m out and about taking photos, particularly shots of buildings/architecture, I fully expect these days to be accosted by some guy with a gut, a gun, and a grudge.
It’s gotten so bad, that some folks with cameras are hassled in tourist areas, like Downtown Disney. Like this guy. Scroll down a bit to read his letter to Disney, and a bit more to read of the encounter. I will say I have not been hassled by the Disney security folks, and some of them have been quite near to me when I was taking pictures, including in the House of Blues area where Mr. Beem ran into trouble.
What’s next? Are theme parks (which already have security checkpoints when one goes in) going to start forbidding bringing cameras?
I know that often those given a bit of authority, or semblance of authority, turn into petty martinets, and puff themselves up, and that many companies and police forces do not actually instruct their employees to hassle photographers (or at least I’d like to think so).
* I have no idea as to whether these young ladies were engaging in an “illegal” street performance or whether they got hassled. Apparently the “powers that be” in Las Vegas (including the Strip which may not technically be in Las Vegas but in unincorporated Clark County) have decided that street performers, buskers, and the like have no place there. They hassle and arrest these performers, although they sometimes apparently just hold them in jail for some hours and charge them with nothing at all. The ostensible “crimes” are operating a business without a license, begging/soliciting alms, obstructing the sidewalk, disorderly conduct, obscene materials (?), and being a public nuisance.
The ACLU has brought a legal action contending that the performers are being subjected to non-applicable and unconstitutional laws. I can testify that the guys who hand out flyers/cards for smut are allowed there (because of an ACLU lawsuit).
If it isn’t apparent, I think street performing and busking and the like are an important party of our culture, and many others. See my next post about this.
I am posting this old pic of the House of Blues in solidarity with Mr. Beem’s travails:
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