UC Davis Pepper Spray Noncharges

Remember the Occupy UC Davis incident where the police used industrial strength pepper spray (the same product that Megyn Kelly of Fox News described as "essentially a food product"). Judge for yourself, the original incident is below:



I saw this bizarre line in a Washington Post news article reporting the noncharges.

"In reaching their conclusion, prosecutors said they relied on facts included in the task force’s report. Among them was the finding that the officers perceived they were dealing with a hostile mob and needed to spray the protesters to clear a path to safety." (emphasis mine)

They're saying protestors peacefully sitting-in (resisting arrest but not fighting back) are considered a "hostile mob". This vocabulary would make George Orwell proud.

Having unindicted criminals in uniform degrades their colleagues who are on the level & it makes it 20x harder for those officers to simply do their job. Why would anyone cooperate w/ the "good" cops when they've experienced so many instances with the "bad" cops? You're seeing this already w/ the backlash over the NYPD's controversial "Stop & Frisk" policy.

Such impunity stiffles free speech in a different way. Being in a holding cell is like aversion therapy, it gives you PLENTY of time to think. You start going over all the events that lead you there, how stupid you were, & start blaming yourself (even if you did everything you could to avoid it). It sends the message that if you dare to stand up for your rights or even come close to anyone exercising theirs, this is the treatment you can expect.

This means the police have COMPLETE impunity to do what they want & when they want & those investigating after-the-fact will take everything they say at face value.

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum we should ALL be worried about this mentality.


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The shot below is of Sarah & Breanna, two buds simply being themselves.



Feel free to comment on any part of this if you so desire.

Dear New Start-Up Company

Dear new Start-Up Company,

Thank you for the offer but I cannot justify shooting your exciting new product line on a trade basis. I'm a small independent artist who does this out of love, not money. I fear that if I give you my time & efforts, you will not respect me in the morning.

I'm flattered you like my work but the promise of exposure is like over-usage of the exclamation point. Everyone uses that promise & I've NEVER met anyone who can actually deliver on those promises. If you can prove to me that you have the right connections &/or back it up w/ facts & statistics, I'm open to reconsidering at a later date.

Also if you're going to turn a profit, specifically based on the images I produce, I think its only fair I get paid. No, I am not inclined to work on spec either. Yes, I'm sure you're an honorable fella but I've been in to many instances where Person X promises L, M, N, O, & P only when it comes to crunch time, I'm the one left without a chair when the music stops. I have to protect myself. I'm sure you can understand.

Another reason why I'm declining your generous offer is that we do not have a preexisting work relationship. My (admittedly lame) justification goes like, "Well you already helped me out in the past when I needed it, I can justify helping you out now." Its my way of giving back.

I'm willing to negotiate a price that's not only fair & respects my time & the quality product I deliver but also is within your budget. My point being you've got to give me something to work with. I cannot draw blood from a stone, nor will I bother trying.

Its nothing personal.


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This is Ashley.

She's led an interesting & challenging life. I admire the battles she's faced, the difficulties she's overcome but want to wish her well on the long road ahead.



Feel free to comment on any part of this blog if you so desire.

People Who Dive into First Base Should Be Shot

If you're playing baseball & slide into First Base, you deserve being summarily shot. No trial. No defense. Double tap to the head. Bamm, you're dead.

Anyone who knows me will confirm this is one of the things that drives me bonkers each & every (expletive deleted) time. So much so its #7 in my life rules, "If you slide into first base, you deserve everything that's coming to you."

The pet peeve is bad. It doesn't matter if I watch it on Sportscenter or a game at the local Single A level or high school baseball. I go apesh** each & every time.

The whole point of BEING ALLOWED to overrun first base is because the batter, unlike all the other base-runners, is starting from a stationary position & has no chance to build up speed. That & all their attention is simply focused on making contact with the ball. The act of sliding into any base is designed to slow down ones momentum so the base-runner DOES NOT overrun his base & thus be tagged "out."

Why buggers still continue to dive into First is beyond me? If I were the manager & one of my players does that, their butt is being benched for stupidity. I don't care if they're a highly priced free agent or a minor league trying to earn their spot on the roster.

Oh, sure they'll try to claim they were avoiding a tag. But this isn't American Football where one can strip the ball from the fielder (alla A-Rod in the 2004 ALCS style). To make this stupidity even worse, 95% of the dives to first base happen when another fielder (say the shortstop or 2nd base) is making the throw for the 1st base force out. Yes, those batters periodically will get on base by diving but (as the saying goes) a broken clock is right twice a day.

Below is the latest example & the player should not only be royally mocked not only for diving into first base but also because he's a big-time player w/ a fat contract who ended up hurting themselves doing something dumb he shouldn't have been doing in the first place.

http://www.nesn.com/2012/09/mark-teixeiras-horrible-decision-to-slide-into-first-rewarded-by-bad-karma-from-baseball-gods-video.html


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This is an outtake of Cait playing around in one of the local baseball/softball dugouts.



Feel free to comment on any part of this if you so choose.

Eagle Scout Award Turn-In

Its no secret this blog is a supporter of gay marriage & equal rights under the law. You can read the original entry where we make our case here if it floats your fancy:

http://farenellphotography.blogspot.com/2011/06/nys-gay-marriage-vote.html

W/ the nature of the internet where anything can be found if one looks hard enough (or wastes enough time), I found a Tumblr site dedicated to Eagle Scouts turning in their awards in protest to the Boy Scouts of America's discrimination policy against gays. BSA will not accept gay Scoutmasters, nor Scouts themselves who are openly gay.

Supposedly its about youth protection but for the life of me, I don't see why an adult guy liking another adult guy or (in the case of 2000 Supreme Court case Dale v BSA) an adult girl liking another adult girl is a threat to the health & well-being of young boys. Nor am I understanding how a person's sexual orientation violates the Scout Law (trustworthy, loyal, friendly, helpful, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, & reverent).

The Scout Oath also asks its members to be "morally straight". How can a person be morally straight if they have to lie about who they are? This makes no sense to me.

I don't expect it to. To quote Aesop, "A tyrant will always find ways to justify their own tyranny." Its the same w/ bigots. Just examine how the up-standing religious community in the South justified the existence of both slavery & Jim Crow.

The Boy Scouts of America I knew was more focused on providing good mentors (some of whom REALLY need it) as well focusing on being good citizens. My troop was like a 2nd family, providing a haven of sorts for the utterly depressing days of both my middle & high school life. My Scoutmaster to this day still feels like a 2nd father. My love of the outdoors grew from my many camping trips & hikes. The Boy Scouts of America that I currently see seems more about protecting its bank accounts & fundraising streams (75% of their national donations originate from Utah).

As an Eagle Scout myself, I've thought about getting involved again but simply haven't. I'd be lying if the reasons were based on upholding some great moral principle. I struggle w/ whether if by becoming a mentor at the local level if I'd be condoning the objectionable policies as set forth by higher headquarters. Since I don't want to deal quandrey one way or the other, I choose not to participate.

I don't remotely plan on turning in the Eagle Scout Award, the awardt I worked my ass off to earn, but I can certainly see why others do. This makes me sad.


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This is Amy.

I was blessed in being taken to shooting at her childhood escape as part of my ongoing Abandonment series. When we got there, it was burnt to the ground. Literally. This is what's left.



Feel free to comment on any part of this, if you so choose.

Paperless Employment Applications

Its not a secret that photography is something I do in my spare time. I've been searching for a 2nd day-job to simply keep me busy because the hours at day-job #1 alone, simply isn't cutting it.

The paperless application process is a headache because nothing ever goes smoothly.

The following is a recent conversation I had at a local, half-way respectable, chain eatery.

Me: I wanted to talk about what kind of positions you have available.
Manager: You'd have to go online. Its all there.
Me: I suspected as much & when I tried before coming in, it gave me an error message. Would you mind taking a look at my resume?
Manager: All employment opportunities go through the system. That's how its done now.
Me: If the system isn't working or someone is having problems, how do you suggest they rectify the problem or who would I talk to for help?
Manager: You'd have to go online & it'll point you in the right direction.
Me: I actually tried looking but I couldn't find any contact info or anything. Do you have any suggestions.

(Manager hands me a card that informs people how to do the online employment application. The same online application process that was giving me errors.)

Then there's another chain store who's manager even admits that he's had multiple complaints from prospective employees that their computer system (which of course has to be done at home because the store itself doesn't have an employment kiosk) kicks people out before they're able to complete the process.

Then there are those god-awful personality quizzes that go on, & on, & on. One establishment asked me over 150 different scenarios. "What would you do if you saw a coworker take money from the register but you knew he'd repay it later that week?" Or those mind-numbing "do you seriously disagree, disagree, no opinion, agree, or seriously agree w/ (the following statement)?" I never really know how to answer ANY of them. Whatever happened to just common sense or someone who either has the experience you're looking for &/or someone who is ready & willing to work? Has that become a thing of the past?

Then there are multiple establishments that want you to use 3 capital letters, 2 numbers, a nonalpha-numeric character, & needs to be 14 letters long. Do they really expect people to remember that stuff for every place they apply to?

Then there's the manager who said she hates the new corporate paperless policy because in a sea of apps, they all start looking the same. It also makes it harder to match the name to a face. She went on to mention, she doesn't see the point of it because the same corporate policy requires her to print out those same job applications once they come through the system.

Keep in mind these are all business that are actively looking for help.

Its a passive-aggressive way to ignore people because companies have become lazy & simply don't want to take the time. Its a lot easier to blow someone off if you never have to look them in the eye.


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The following is of Ally taken in Albany, NY's Washington Park.



Its also a piece currently being exhibited in the North Country Art Center's 2nd Annual Juried Photography show being held at Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls during the month of July. Y'all should go check it out because there's a lot of really nice work besides my own.

Although "Untitled" is a perfectly acceptable piece, I'm open to hearing title suggestions. The best I could come up w/ was "Morning Sunlight" or something like that.

How to Thank a Serviceman

I've been mulling over my previous blog entry, "Thank You for your Service," & felt like it was missing something.

As someone who has smelt a whole lot of BS in my day (& dealt my fair share), words mean very little to me. Yes, some peoples words are their bond. While others whether they had every intention of doing what they said but simply are not in a position to deliver or never had any intention of doing so in the first place w/ is quite irrelevant. Whatever was promised never materialized.

I've found what a person does speaks louder than what they actually say.

You want to thank a serviceman (from here on out they'll be referred to as a GI..."serviceman" sounds so sterile), mow their lawn.

You want to thank a GI? Give the non-deployed spouse some free time by watching their kid(s) while their spouse is deployed.

You want to thank a GI? Buy them groceries. It should be a national embarrassment that over $31 million worth of food stamps were spent in US military commissaries (as reported by the Military News).

You want to thank a GI? Donate your books to any of the book drive organizations that specifically cater to the military. Operation Paperback is a good one.

You want to thank a GI? Volunteer your time at your nearest VA hospital. If they're anything like the one in Albany, NY, they can ALWAYS use the help.

You want to thank a GI? Hire a returning vet. Nor does it hurt the company usually gets some sort of tax break.

You want to thank a GI? Send them a CARE package. Operation Troop Aid is an organization that does something like that.

You want to thank a GI? Donate the old, crappy cell phone that you don't use anymore. Cell Phones for Soldiers is an organization whose mission is to provide deployed and returning troops cost-free methods to communicate with family while serving in the United States military.

You want to thank a GI? Donate or volunteer to Operation Shower. Their mission is to provide baby showers for military families to ease the burden of deployment.

You want to thank a GI and a photographer? Join the Yellow Ribbon Photographers network. They provide pictures of loved ones for those who are deployed.

You want to thank a GI? Take a look at Operation Holiday Stockings. If you knit, you can make your own stockings. Or if you'd prefer, you can donate money to help w/ the shipping costs as well as paying for the treats that will go inside those stockings.

You want to thank a GI? Write them a hard copy letter. I can personally vouch that getting "snail mail" is still the highlight of their day. It reminds them they're not forgotten.

So there you have it. If you want to thank a GI, get off your butt & do something about it.


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This is Charissa.

She wanted to do a set partially to give something to her Afghanistan-deployed Marine husband but also partially to make a statement of sorts. As a veteran myself, I may have left the Corps but the Corps never completely leaves me. So how could I refuse such a request? =)



Feel free to comment on any part of this if you so desire.

Thank You for Your Service

I often hear "thank you for your service" after someone discovers I'm a veteran. Though I appreciate the sentiment & have learned to smile & keep my trap shut, it makes me uncomfortable.

I'm not a dang hero "just because" I served. All I did was be stupid enough to sign up, meet the physical fitness requirements, survive basic, & just do my job day-in & day-out. I don't regret the path I CHOOSE because it was something that I needed at that point in my life.

But let's for argument's sake say that it does.

What about our medical professionals, law enforcement, the academia? To me, its a lot more heroic in knowing full well what the odds are, go through the thankless, daily slog of trying to build something than it is to destroy ones target. I guess its just not as sexy losing life & limb from ones own people than from a "weird" foreigner.

Its tragic.

When did the military become a proxy for everything that is to be admired & great about America? The amount of time we in America spend promoting & "loving" the military really speaks volumes about how far we've ALLOWED the rest of our civil & private institutions to decay.

Heroes are people who do their job, knowing the odds of whatever it is in succeeding are slim to none, & yet do it anyway. Heroes protect their brothers & sisters at the detriment to themselves. Heroes do what they do because its the "right" thing to do, regardless if its popular or not.

Its easy for people wanting to lay down their lives for their cause or buddie or whatever because they don't have to expend the blood, sweat, & tears in fixing what they think is wrong w/ this world.


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This is a family friend taken years ago. I'd like to think that it still holds up.



Feel free to comment on any part of this if you so desire.