Reflections on My Trip to So Cal While Watching RHONJ and Talking to the Dude

Women multitask. Which is how I can watch the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" with my BFF at her house and blog while making snarky commentary.

Real work done today. That makes this an official business trip.

My photography has so trained my eye that I can really notice differences in light, both in its intensity and color cast, between California and Tennessee.

I miss home. I miss my husband and kids. Yeah, and the dogs too.

My friend, Trish, gave me a beautiful gift - a cross made from the old pews of my former church, St. Joseph's. I shot her a portrait of her with her chicken. She really wanted one!

Speaking of light, the hills of So Cal are browning up. The glare is getting stronger, and it hurts my eyes. I need my greenery to absorb that.

Life is beautiful. And I am stronger. God is always great.

Passive-aggressive behavior on Facebook makes me laugh. As do the women on Real Housewives of New Jersey.

ABC News reporting on earthquakes: "We're overdue for The Big One." FALSE. Saying it's overdue implies it is known when it should have occurred.

You can't go home again, because it no longer is . . .

When I arrived in Southern California for this visit, I drove by the house where I lived from 1995 until our move last June.

I parked outside, took a picture, and waited for nostalgia to hit. It did not happen.

People may forget what is meant by nostalgia. Nostalgia is defined to be a yearning for the past, where the past is regarded in an idealized state. The lack of nostalgia does not negate good memories - as well as bad - of the past, nor does it prevent cherishing certain memories.

A lot went on in that house. My husband and I were married in the living room. My babies came home from the hospital to that house. My mother-in-law died there, and my mother spent here final years there. My husband and I hosted many a party and holiday there. Great parties, too, from Oktoberfests to 4th of July to milestone birthdays to my annual Dia de Los Muertos gathering.

But now - it is only a house and is someone else's home. I have moved on and as I write this, as much as it has been great seeing old friends, I yearn to return home, to Tennessee. My real wish is to have old friends visit me there, so I can open my home to them.

You see, when I moved, the party didn't stop. It just changed location.

Keep the faith, keep it strong . . .

Happy Birthday to the Dudes

Light blogging as I'm in Southern California.

And why? Because today is the 50th birthday of my sweet friend and sister-by-choice, Mariana!

We're twins, you know . . . just born exactly one year apart . . .

Tiffany Again

Tiffany Intense, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Okay, just one more portrait that I took last night, I promise, no more beautiful women appearing on my blog . . . for awhile.

(C'mon, I am proud of what I am learning in my photography classes and what I can do!)

Gotta Glam With a Beauty Dish

TiffanyGlamB&W, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Paramount lighting - yes, as in the Hollywood studio, is a technique whereby a beauty dish is set high above the model and emitting light down, with a reflector underneath the model's face to avoid heavy shadows under the eyes.

While shooting Tffany in my Portrait Photography class, I asked her to strike a glam pose, looking upward, very old Hollywood. For fun, I added some editing using Topaz Adjust and Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Hungry Like the Wolf

Hungry Like the Wolf, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

I am really pleased with how some of my portraits are coming out. I am taking the time to bring them into Photoshop and make reality . . . better.

Here is Tiffany again, giving a rather sultry look at the camera. I think I will drive my single brother and single male cousin crazy and text this picture to them.

I love my cousin . . .

Because Pete said that I will use his second season ticket for THE NEW YORK GIANTS OPENING GAME AGAINST THE COWGIRLS ON SEPTEMBER 5TH IN THE MEADOWLANDS!

ELI!

Sara Smile

Sara Smile, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Oops! I found out yesterday that Sara does not use an "h" in her name!

Sara mentioned that she hopes to have a baby soon. I hope she does and passes on that gorgeous red hair to another generation!

Hope a picture of a beautiful woman makes your day!  FYI, she is half-Irish and half-Cherokee - what a great combo!

Taken April 23, 2012 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN.

Wow, he really is a narcissist, isn't he?

The douchery is strong in this one.

Jude Look Stunning in This

The Anti-Defamation League is calling out retailer Urban Outfitters for a shirt the Jewish group claims bears a symbol strikingly similar to the one used by Nazis to identify Jews during the Holocaust.


The sale of the shirt, which comes on the heels of National Holocaust Remembrance Day, is just the latest in a long line of offensive products from Urban Outfitters, the ADL tells FoxNews.com.


The manufacturer of the shirt [Wood Wood], which retails for $100, reached out to the ADL with an apology Monday, assuring that the logo consists of “patchwork and geometric patterns” and that it was not a Star of David.
Urban Outfitters is presently saying nothing.

Okay, "strikingly similar?"  That is to say the least.  Yes, the notorious "Jude" star  used by the Nazis was yellow and this one is not - see, instead it's on a yellow shirt.

And it's just geometric patterns!

Be honest, people - at first glance, what did it make you think of?

"All we are trying to is punish that person for two counts of homicide or two counts of assault on that woman who has chosen to have her child . . ."

Thank you, my sweet Tennessee.

The Senate approved and sent to Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday legislation that allows criminal prosecution for causing the death of "a human embryo or fetus at any stage of gestation in utero."


Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mount Juliet, the sponsor, said legislators have since learned that, under the scientific definition of a fetus, the term only applies when eight weeks or more has passed since conception. Adding "embryo" covers from the moment of conception.

When is a baby not a baby?  When it is wanted.  The thing that has bothered me the most about abortion is the decision by the mother that "I don't want this child" means "I get to define its humanity, and I defined it now to be naught but the by-product of conception."

Of course, such a bill is not without its opponents.


Sen. Beverly Marrero, D-Memphis, told Beavers the measure would be construed to require a pregnancy test for "every woman who is shot."


"No, Sen. Marrero, I don't see it that way at all," replied Beavers.


"All we are trying to is punish that person for two counts of homicide or two counts of assault on that woman who has chosen to have her child," Beavers said.

Because in the prosecution of a homicide, an additional $15 for the cost  of a kit is just too damn much.  Tell you what, in the limited cases where a homicide is perpetuated against a pregnant woman, call me - I'll buy it for you.

In the House, Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, the law could now could lead to a business owner who allows smoking being charged when an employee miscarries because of secondhand smoke or charges against a motorist who causes a careless minor accident that resulted a miscarriage.


"It seems to go too far," Stewart said. "What's the limiting factor?"

Did he not read the term "criminal prosecution."  Does he really think that if the waitress - pregnant or not - died of secondhand smoke that the business owner would be prosecuted for homicide?  Or is there an assumption of risk that the waitress incurs by working in a smoking environment.

As for the motorcyclist, if the "careless minor accident" was, say, the result of him or her recklessly driving drunk, yes, the circumstances might warrant a criminal charge.  Otherwise, civil liability for negligence could be pursued.

Rep. Jeannie Richardson, D-Memphis, said that about 50 percent of all conceptions "miscarry naturally" before the embryo reaches eight weeks and the new law is vague enough to allow prosecutions in such cases.

And people die.  So why prosecute any homicide knowing that the victim might have passed away in a relatively short time.


Rep. Johnnie Turner, D-Memphis, said the bill would give "veiled support" to the anti-abortion movement.


Evans said that is not the case. He noted the measure explicitly excludes any harm to an embryo or fetus cause by the pregnant woman herself.

Say, is there a common thread running among the opponents?

BTW, Rep. Jeannie Richardson - I see you are Catholic.  Talked to your priest much about this?

Truth or Consequences

I got an email from a friend in Southern California today.

I am so looking forward to seeing you next week when you're out here.  We have a lot to catch up on.  You never told me why you and [Name Withheld] are no longer friends, so I want to talk about that.  You two were so close, like brother and sister . . .

Oy. This is going to be hard, especially since I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place to answer any questions this person may have. And I know they will not be the only ones asking, "What happened?"  Earlier this year,a long-time and very close friend - and unfortunately, a person whom I introduced to many of my other friends - terminated our friendship.

I can play Monday morning quarterback and say why I think he did so.  The problem is, the story involves some rather personal details.  Before this former friend dumped me, while we were still friends, there was an agreement between us to keep the facts confidential.  However, it creates a situation where should I say, "You know, I really can't talk about it . . .", I can expect some people to assume the worst.  Wow, it must have been really, really bad . . . I bet it was due to . . .

And I have a suspicion as to what they think the next word would be.  And that is not the case at all.

Oy.  I think the easiest thing to do is just say what it isn't and suggest they call or swing by the workplace of [Name Withheld] and ask him.  I call that the "Facts of Life" approach:

"Daddy, where do babies come from?  

"Go ask your mother."

And then . . . refocus.  "Say, how 'about them Dodgers?"

Or . . . say I don't want to discuss it and let people speculate.  I cannot be responsible for the inferences they could make.  And even more so - I cannot assume they will even make any.

Tiffany

Tiffany, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Tonight I had the pleasure of shooting beautiful Tiffany. This picture was taken in the early evening light at the University of Tennessee gardens.

Poor girl - we are having a chilly spell, what locals call a Blackberry Winter (because the blackberry bushes are blooming) and she was posing in her bandeau top.

Seen along I-40W through Knoxville . . .

The Los Angeles Times Owes an Apology to Dominican Nuns

For using a picture of them on this opinion piece by Steve Lopez.


So who's in trouble with the Vatican?


Nuns.


You know, the thousands of women who took vows of poverty to work with the poor, the sick and disabled.


Why?


They're just not toeing the line, says the Holy See. Instead of frittering away so much time on "issues of social justice," they should be speaking out against contraception and homosexuality. They should also muzzle themselves on the ordination of women and other "radical feminist themes."


The ones I spoke to were shaken.

And to whom did Lopez speak?

This is the same church that ignored people who were being pedophiles," said Sister Jo'Ann De Quattro, who, as a Los Angeles nun for more than 50 years, has worked as a teacher and advocate for peace and justice. Cracking down on nuns, said De Quattro, was a convenient way of shifting the focus away from the church's ongoing abuse scandal. "We really know why they're focusing on the women. It's all about control. It's all about exercising authority."

De Quattro, seen below being arrested for trespass on the Federal Building in Los Angeles during a peace demonstration, is not representative of all American nuns, just as orders like the Dominicans, the Sisters of Mercy, the Franciscans, the Sisters for Life, and other traditionalist orders in the Catholic Church are not representative of all nuns.

"My conscience is supreme."

However . . . those traditionalist orders should be.  The Catholic Church is not a democratic institution.  It is a religious institution whose tenets of faith require adherence to its rules, as promulgated by its teaching authority, the Magisterium.  This is not a case of the "big bad boys" of the Vatican being mean to "the girls" in order to deflect interest in any sexual abuse.  It is about house cleaning and expecting those members who chose a religious life to adhere to the Church's precepts.

"My conscience is supreme, not what somebody tells me," said De Quattro.

De Quattro is being disingenuous - she is not concerned about sexual abuse by priests.  She is, however, right about exercising authority, but the issue on authority abut which she is concerned is her own - because nobody can tell her what to do.  She took specific vows to God when she entered the religious life, but tose do not matter - her conscience, not God's revelations as revealed through the teachings of the Church, is supreme.

"We're in the Easter season, when we remember with great joy Jesus' resurrection," said Sister France White of Pasadena, a nun for half a century. "But we also know his crucifixion was caused by his being prophetic, as the religious are called to be in the church….The church also teaches freedom of conscience….Certainly I consider what the church teaches, but when experience and prayer have told me different….I can't deny that."

"God did not make mistakes," said France White, who told me she believes people ought to be able to express their love for each other regardless of sexual orientation. As for birth control, she opined that "the methods the church says are acceptable don't work."

"Mother Protector - Creation Goddess" - original artwork by France White, SHCJ

White needs to review her catechism.  Catechism of the Catholic Church 1782 states:  "Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. 'He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters.'"  But that conscience is not man-made and nor does that section of the catechism give free license to moral relativity as the individual decides.  "'Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.'"  Catechism of the Catholic Church 1776.  "'Moral conscience, present at the heart of the person, enjoins him at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil. It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil. It bears witness to the authority of truth in reference to the supreme Good to which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the commandments. When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking.'"  Catechism of the Catholic Church 1777.

God is speaking . . . not White's experience and prayer.

If she believes, however, that her experience and prayer is God speaking, that cannot be denied her - but it is not consistent with the teaching of the Church.  And so long as she professes to be a Bride of Christ within the Catholic Church, then she either remains true to her vows . . . or divorces herself from Him.

It is interesting to note that these nuns complaining the most are elderly and have eschewed traditional garb of habit and veil.  I looked at their orders' websites and see a grey and ageing membership.  May I offer this picture of women from the Dominican Sisters of Nashville who took their first vows a year ago?

They look so oppressed by the patriarchy . . .

1st Holy Communion at St. Albert the Great

I had a great time this morning shooting the 1st Holy Communion service at St. Albert the Great Church.  Congratulations to my friend, Angelina, pictured above!

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez playing nice with Catholics . . .

. . . or at least pretending to do so.

From a friend's Facebook page, I saw that Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) visited my children's former school in Santa Ana, St. Joseph.  There was no accompanying story but other pictures suggest she was there as part of or at the invitation of a non-profit organization, America On Track.  At least, there is a picture of her and students standing in front of one of their banners.

I am all for programs that benefit underserved youth, as America On Track does.  I would, as a Catholic parent, be uncomfortable with my kids receiving a visit from a politician who supports abortion and is friendly to Planned Parenthood and, to be frank (and assuming I was told in advance of the decision to have her visit the school), would have kept my children home that day. I doubt the children's only access to the services of America On Track are contingent upon having to host Sanchez.  And I do not like the tacit approval such an invitation suggests.

I have to admit, I am surprised, since I would expect a Catholic institution - especially a grammar school - to be a little more particular as to which politicians they allow to visit, especially given that the current animosity show the Church by Obama, whom Sanchez supports on nearly all issues (she was quite pleased to vote for Obamacare, mandates and all, although she is siding with Barney Frank (D-MA) on reining in the "death panels").  I wish I could say Bishop Tod Brown would not approve, but I honestly believe he would not disapprove either - he simply would not care.  I would have expected the church's pastor, Fr. John Moneypenny - whom I have known to have more conservative values - to nix this visit, but that is assuming he even knew about it (recently selected as Vocational Director for the diocese, perhaps his interests are being refocused more towards diocesan matters now).

An interesting footnote to St. Joseph's history:  I was not present, but had a good friend tell me about the time Sanchez came to Mass during an election year.  While people were at Mass, she had her campaign workers enter the church's parking lot and slip flyers beneath windshield wipers.  This was discovered by Fr. Al Baca, then assigned to St. Joseph.  I am told that after Mass, when she went back to gladhand him, he lit into her, letting her know she was a disgrace to Latinos for her pro-abortion views.  That was then, this is now.  Last I know, she came to Mass for Christmas 2010, as a guest of affluent parishioners (yes, St. Joseph still manages to have a few).

Alisa

Alisa, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Taken April 21, 2012at the University of TennesseeArboretum in Oak Ridge, TN.

This sweet girl would rather play World of Warcraft than shop in the mall. Careful, she's a young'un but knows how to shoot!

Sarah

Sarah, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Today I went on a field trip to the University of Tennessee Arboretum to do some outdoor portrait shooting.

Isn't Sarah lovely? There is a story behind her tattoo - it is a forget-me-not that was done in honor of her late grandfather, Pawpaw Bob.

More pictures of this lady can be seen here.

Epic Travis

Go to this guy's photo on Flickr and show your appreciation for a great sense of humor!

Derp Jesus

Hey, it's art . . .

No Gentiles Need Apply

For 2,000 years the enemies of Christ have certainly tried their best. But think about it. The Church survived and even flourished during centuries of terrible persecution, during the days of the Roman Empire.

The Church survived barbarian invasions. The Church survived wave after wave of Jihads. The Church survived the age of revolution. The Church survived Nazism and Communism. And in the power of the resurrection, the Church will survive the hatred of Hollywood, the malice of the media, and the mendacious wickedness of the abortion industry.

The Church will survive the entrenched corruption and sheer incompetence of our Illinois state government, and even the calculated disdain of the President of the United States, his appointed bureaucrats in HHS, and of the current majority of the federal Senate.

May God have mercy especially on the souls of those politicians who pretend to be Catholic in church, but in their public lives, rather like Judas Iscariot, betray Jesus Christ by how they vote and how they willingly cooperate with intrinsic evil.

As Christians we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, but as Christians we must also stand up for what we believe and be ready to fight to defend our faith. The days in which we live now require heroic Catholicism, not casual Catholicism. We can no longer be Catholics by accident, but instead be Catholics by conviction.

In our own families, in our parishes, where we live and where we work – like that very first apostolic generation – we must be bold witnesses to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We must be a fearless army of Catholic men, ready to give everything we have for the Lord, who gave everything for our salvation.

Remember that in past history other governments have tried to force Christians to huddle and hide only within the confines of their churches like those first disciples before the Resurrection locked together in the Upper Room.

In the late 19th century, Bismark waged his “Kulturkamf,” a culture war against the Roman Catholic Church, closing down every Catholic school and hospital, convent and monastery in Imperial Germany. Clemenceau, nicknamed “the priest eater,” tried the same thing in France in the first decade of the 20th Century.

Hitler and Stalin, at their better moments, would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open, but would not tolerate any competition with the state in education, social services, and health care.

In clear violation of our First Amendment rights, President Obama – with his radical, pro-abortion and extreme secularist agenda, now seems intent on following a similar path.

Now things have come to such a pass in our beloved country that this is a battle that we could lose, but before the awesome judgement seat of Almighty God this is not a war where any believing Catholic may remain neutral. 

               -- Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, IL

Cue the hysteria.

Rabbi Daniel Bogard of Peoria's Anshai Emeth congregation told the Peoria Journal-Star that "casual use of the Holocaust and tragedy in general is really inappropriate."


"It's demagoguery. These are very serious things," Bogard told the Journal-Star. "The Holocaust is not his to use."

Really?  Between 12 to 13 million people died in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, of which 6 million were Jews.  Yes, these are very serious things, Rabbi - that is why the Bishop is using the figures of history in his homily.  Two of the Church's greatest saints, St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (nee Edith Stein) and St. Maximilian Kolbe, were martyred in the Holocaust - but it's not "ours" to use?  How offensive!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Sulu

Oh my . . .

I may not agree with his position on gay marriage, but I admire him for promoting his agenda with grace, good manners, and aplomb as a gentleman - and without resorting to campy or bitchy behavior.

And he's funny as hell.

Happy birthday, George Takei!

Why My Pastor is Friggin' Great . . .

1st Holy Communion Practice - April 19, 2012
Stephanie Richer Photography - (c) 2012

Because Fr. Chris asked me to shoot the First Holy Communion to take place this Sunday at the 9:00 Mass at St. Albert the Great.

Because when I went to practice, I saw that he has made sure the coordinators will reserve a special seat for me up front.

Because then I see he has devised a way to distribute Communion to the kids that gives a clear, unobstructed shot and has them receive right in front of the altar.

Because after he explains how they will receive Communion, he turned to me and asked, "Does that work for you, Steph?"

Because then he told the gathered parents - "The ONLY person taking pictures during the ceremony will be Miss Stephanie here!"

And that is why my pastor is awesome . . .

Yum!

A donation to Barack Obama's re-election campaign could end up buying a few lucky contributors a night with the president and George Clooney, the campaign announced Thursday.  Donors will be entered into a lottery for a chance to join the two at a high-profile May fundraiser in Clooney's Hollywood home.

I will NOT tolerate another criticism that Obama has nothing in common with the mindset of America's Founding Fathers!

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there . . .

I am getting a kick out of the fact that the "Obama has eaten dog meat" meme won't die.  No, this is not a right-wing conspiracy:  in his book, "Dreams of My Father," Obama admits that his step-father, Soetero, would feed him dog meat.  The Dems made a big stink about Romeny transporting his dog in a carrier on the roof of his car during family vacations.  Hey, better the carrier than the cooler, if you know what I mean . . .

Jim Treacher has been having a field day - and a hifreakinlarious one at that - on his blog.

What is funny is that I have often used an old childhood expression from the Bronx in reference to Obama:  "I wouldn't trust him to walk my dog."

Now I know why.

To be fair, with Bill Clinton I would use a different expression:  "He comes to my house and the dog sits down."

Sugar

Sugar, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

My husband calls our oldest Blue Weimraner, Sam, "Sugar" - because Sam has one of the sweetest dispositions we have ever seen in a dog. And this is a good thing, since Sam is a large - no, VERY large - pup.

Taken last night on Dog Hill porch - the rockers are in use, now that the weather is warm again.

Habemus Papam

It was 7 years ago today . . .



I love my German shepherd.  Let's all pray for him today, and for the continued vocation of good and holy priests.

Living as I do in the Bible Belt, I know a lot of local Christians view Pope Benedict XVI as the Anti-Christ.  And he is also castigated by "progressive" Catholics who disagree with him on issues of healthcare, marriage, and ordination.  The poor man cannot win.

Redemption in the Comic Strip

Nola has seen the light due to a chance encounter with a hobo. Me and my affectation for Mary Worth!

An honest life is the best life.  Do you know to whom it is the worst being dishonest?  Yourself.  Because if you  mistreat yourself, you will never treat others rightly.

Think about this:  the martyrs of the Church did not seek martyrdom.  They sought to bring the Kingdom of God to this world.  Other circumstances, however, brought martyrdom to them - which they accepted.  We do not like people who are selfish, but a manifestation of such a trait is self-imposed martyrdom, whether figuratively or literally.  Who says you get to "die" - whether that means losing your actual life or sacrificing a part of your life, such as religious do - and get the glory without putting in the work first?  People who view their life's work as a burden grow to resent others.  There is no sacrifice, there is no honesty.

RIP, Dick Clark

Bad Brooklyn Hipster Photography

It does not take much to get a gallery "show," although I suspect this guy basically is calling his loft apartment a "gallery" and showing his pathetic photographs:

Okay, I posted on Facebook about a bad Santa Ana Fauxla Photography - I just made up that word, Fauxlo/Fauxla, to describe young Mexican-Americans who think they marched with Chavez, and waste el dinero de sus padres to go UCI, UCLA, USC, and Cal State Fullerton for degrees in Education and Chicano Studies, and tie the bandanas cholo/chola style around their heads as they munch on vegan quesadillas in downtown SanTana with a $5 chai latte sweetened with organic honey and a side of maiz that they don't realize came from a can of corn opened by Nando, the undocumented cook in the back - and got a rash of shit about that, so I might as well rag on the Fauxhemians of Brooklyn.

Okay, Nathaniel - can I call you Nate, mate? - it is pretty pathetic by making "art" by photographing another person's "art," albeit graffiti art.  But it's shitty graffiti art.  And there is this thing on your camera - which I am guessing you keep it on the (P) setting, am I right? - called a light meter, that when properly used gives you proper exposure, so you can see the details of the sides of the buildings you are photographing.  Unless, of course, you're going for shots that evidently you exposed for the brightest part of your picture, i.e., that thing called "the sky."  Which leaves the presumed focus of your project - the sides of buildings - underexposed.

Now, someone may say, Digi, what does it matter to you?  You're right, it doesn't, except to snark and perhaps relieve a little frustration at what passes for photography.  I spend time and money to improve mine, and then an Iowan transplant to DUMBO (for you terminally unhip, that stands for a neighborhood of Brooklyn called "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass") calls this dreck "photography."  Okay, it is photography . . . it's bad photography, in my opinion.  

But wait, there's more!  Let's see the Artist As a Young Man in Action:

Ah ha ha ha ha!  Is that a kit lens I spy?

Yom Hashoah

Sundown tonight started Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day.  Between 12 to 13 million people died in the concentration camps of the Third Reich, of which 6 million were Jews.

Holocaust deniers make me angry.  My father, God rest his soul, liberated one of the death camps during WWII.  He told me, on that day, he saw Hell.  My father is not a liar.

Twice I have been to Dachau.  It is a sobering experience.  You go there and tell me nothing happened.  You can't.

Pray for the souls lost in the camp.

And this inspires me to post one of my favorite videos.

Today, on Facebook . . .

From an old friend from Cardinal Spellman High School:

So this young woman comes up to me in the store a few weeks back, tells me she's teaching Hamlet, and asks me if I have any ...books that could help her.

I think "Well, you could try taking Hamlet and opening the play to act one scene one like a real teacher."

I say "Let's have a look."

So we look in the Shakespeare section, don't find anything useful aside from Hamlet, but we do find a graphic novel of Hamlet which she finds quite intriguing. We next go looking in the computer to see what's available. I am scrolling through the options and talking to her as she's flipping quite excitedly through the graphic novel.

She says, "Wow, they must have abridged this."

I say, "Well, I'd be surprised if they didn't in a graphic novel. It's quite a long play."

She says, "Yeah, it doesn't even have the three witches at the beginning."

A long pause follows in my mind as I consider the abyss of the ignorant to which I have somehow been wrongly condemned. In my mind's eye I turn to her and scream "You block, you stone, you worse than senseless thing."

Then, after a moment, without looking up, I say in as gentle and low a voice as I can: "Macbeth is the one with the witches."

"I love that play!" she replies. "Is there a graphic novel of that?"

"Let's have a look," I said....

Because I hate you all . . .

Per Buzzfeed:  they make Rebecca Black - she of "Friday" fame - look like Adele.

I so hope this is meant to be a joke.  Because their singing is so bad, they cannot even be auto-tuned.

Possibility as Bishop of Orange?

Pure musings - sorry, I lost my "in" to the Diocese of Orange's personnel board - but sent to me by a friend at the USCCB to consider . . .


Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria told the 500 men who attended the diocese’s annual men’s march and Mass that “the days in which we live now require heroic Catholicism, not casual Catholicism.”


“We can no longer be Catholics by accident, but instead [must] be Catholics by conviction. In our own families, in our parishes, where we live and where we work--like that very first apostolic generation--we must be bold witnesses to the Lordship of Jesus Christ,” he preached. “We must be a fearless army of Catholic men, ready to give everything we have for the Lord, who gave everything for our salvation.”  

A guy like that would be wonderful for Orange, but unlikely as he is not Hispanic.  I think given Gomez to the north and Flores to the south, Orange will get a Latino bishop.

Again, it is sad that they won't promote from within.  Fr. Al Baca, pastor of St. Cecelia in Tustin, would make a great bishop.  Yes, I suspect some of his brother priests would disagree with me as some see him as being "too religious," but there is that vow of obedience . . .

The Girl Who Cut the Blackface Cake

As part of the installation, which was reportedly meant to highlight the issue of female circumcision, the culture minister began cutting a large cake shaped like a black woman, symbolically starting at the clitoris.

"According to the Moderna Museet, the 'cake party' was meant to problematize female circumcision but how that is accomplished through a cake representing a racist caricature of a black woman complete with 'black face' is unclear," Sabuni said in a statement.

So the outrage is against the cake rather than the act of female genital mutilation? I have to admit, it's art of the highest degree of whimsical f**kery. But I am less offended at bad art than I am at cutting up the labia of little girls.

Bone Head

How pathetic is this? Obama is asking donors to send in $10 as part of the "Throw Bo a Bone" campaign to keep his tail wagging in the White House for four more years.

Ad Limina

Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange in Southern California is on his ad limina visit to Rome to report to the Pope. May Benedict XVI and he be discussing the Bishop's successor. And may that person be a good orthodox and holy man who is unafraid to expect his priests and his people to be the same.

The diocese deserves no less.

Today, on Facebook . . .

Friend's status update: "I'm waiting to hear if Obama is going to count those Columbian hookers as jobs created or saved."

Jordan

Jordan, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Last night in my class in Portrait Photography, we had the opportunity to shoot hi key and low key photography.

Our model was Jordan, a very lovely young lady. Look at those eyes! Jordan hopes to go into acting and modeling.

More can be seen here.

Who's a good boy?!

Found this on Reddit this morning.

And it's a corgi!

More of the Liberals' War on Women

Liberals to Ann Romney: Happy Birthday, bitch. Hope you die.

Nice, huh?  Remember this in November.  NSFW language in the article.

Oh . . . and happy birthday, Mrs. Romney.  Frankly, I do not think your husband is the best choice for the GOP nomination - I still wanted to see Santorum get it - but you do not deserve to be treated like this.

In other news, home sales are predicted to rise in Texas . . .

A new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found a strong majority supports Governor Jerry Brown's tax-hike proposal in order to address California's $9.2 billion budget deficit.


The survey published Sunday discovered that 64 percent of polled voters said they support the governor's measure to increase sales tax and raise levies on upper incomes to help fund schools and balance the state's budget.

I am sure the money will be spent wisely.

The 5 Things That Should Never Be in Your Photography Portfolio

Catching up on past episodes of The Grid with Scott Kelby (seen Wednesdays at 4:00 PM EDT on Kelby TV, an Internet channel).  I liked his list of Five Things That Should Never Be in Your Photography Portfolio, likening these things to designing graphics using Comic Sans fonts:

1.  Cats
2.  Homeless People
3.  Dead trees and/or tree stumps
4.  Anything or anyone on railroad tracks
5.  Flowers

Post them on Facebook, just don't put them in your professional portfolio.  I have to agree,

"Occupied"

A favorite trick of photographers is to give ourselves projects in order to liven up things and force us to look at things with fresh eyes.

Nina Katchadourian spends a lot of time on planes.  A lot, evidently.  Using paper towels and other items, she fashions costumes for herself in the style of the Flemish masters and uses her camera phone to take pictures.

While in the lavatory on a domestic flight in March 2010, I spontaneously put a tissue paper toilet cover seat cover over my head and took a picture in the mirror using my cellphone. The image evoked 15th-century Flemish portraiture. I decided to add more images made in this mode and planned to take advantage of a long-haul flight from San Francisco to Auckland, guessing that there were likely to be long periods of time when no one was using the lavatory on the 14-hour flight. I made several forays to the bathroom from my aisle seat, and by the time we landed I had a large group of new photographs entitled Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style. I was wearing a thin black scarf that I sometimes hung up on the wall behind me to create the deep black ground that is typical of these portraits. There is no special illumination in use other than the lavatory's own lights and all the images are shot hand-held with the camera phone. At the Dunedin Public Art gallery, the photos were framed in faux-historical frames and hung on a deep red wall reminiscent of the painting galleries in museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

And why not?  It is as good a use for plane flights (I get bored on them, easily) as anything else.  I am getting on an airplane at the end of this month.  I might have to try something, though I am less Vermeer and more Bosch, frankly . . .

Death by Treacle

They told their stories not so that others would defer to their sensitivities or hear their voices more loudly than those of other citizens, but to change the status quo. It’s the difference between a sentimental display that aspires to transform consciousness and one that aspires to raise awareness. The two overlap, certainly, but the former emphasizes I tell you this story so that you will change something. The latter emphasizes I tell you this story so that you will feel something.


There’s a danger that the lite intimacies of the sentimental culture might deplete the resources of our true intimacies. If the intimate building blocks that once belonged mostly to a domestic partner or family—the sharing of a million little details about our moods, and what we ate for breakfast, and our daily rituals and secret gripes—now belong to everyone on Facebook in the world of lite intimacy, then how much deeper do we need to go to find the everyday material out of which to recognize, solidify, and build that deeper intimacy? Do we have to scream emotions louder to be heard over the cacophony of the lite intimacy? A mild hypothesis for the new social life of our age: the easier it is to be close but not intimate in public, the easier it is to be close but not intimate in private.


It’s hard to imagine human sexual instinct undone or perturbed by the virtual—some would say pretend—intimacies of social media, but sex researchers worry that it’s so. Maybe the amplification of sentiment in public life is like an addiction to high-fructose corn syrup sodas. Drink too many—consume too much fast food of sentiment—and eventually you get diabetes of the soul. It’s harder for the soul to process and use sentiment, even the healthy stuff, and it works sluggishly and inefficiently. None of this happens suddenly; it occurs bit by bit but momentously over the years.

Maybe this century’s culture is a culture of feeling in which the ideal citizen-feeler has the qualities of soulful transparency, audacious disclosure, and candor, who knows the skills of whispered confession, intimate revelation, and the trade in secrets to make you think that you and you alone are hearing something new and experiencing a new feeling; who emerges as somebody not through the achievements of character or the mesmeric charm of personality but by the emotional spontaneity of personal impressions and stances. From these, the citizen-feeler will build an empire on the ephemera of thousands of confessions, posts, and tweets


Go read more here.

Happiness is . . .

. . . paying state income taxes to California for the last time.

Pay for your own bullet train, schmucko.

Dear Activist . . . have a nice flight. XOXOX, Bibi

Of the reported 1,500 pro-Jihad activists who had planned to arrive in Israel for a 'Welcome to Palestine' rally, nearly 1,000 received notice that their flights were canceled. Any making it to Israel were to receive the following letter from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Outstanding!

Happy Birthday to Pope Benedict XVI

When I was at my old parish of St. Joseph in Santa Ana, one of the religious assigned there at the time said to me while they were choosing Pope John Paul II's successor, "I hope that Nazi, Ratzinger, doesn't get elected."  Ha, ha, Sister- looks like he got the last laugh!  And you're still not able to be a priest . . .

Teacher's Got a Camera . . .

My buddy, Tim Childers, is a delightful fellow and I have shot with him before.  He loves images, and whether it is his DSLR or iPhone, if he sees something, he captures it.  Tim is also an educator.

I read his blog post this morning.  It is about the subjectivity of photography.

As teachers, we know we can’t test everything a student knows with multiple choice questions. We can assess the basics. But to stretch students into being creative creatures, we need to learn different assessment techniques. We need to move away from “you didn’t make this look exactly like mine,” to “I see you are mastering this concept.”

What makes a good photograph?  I have seen technically "spot on" pictures that have no soul, I have seen emotionally powerful photographs with blow-outs.  The real questiosn are what are you trying to do with your photograph and did you get there?  How you get there is not that important.

Season of the Witch

Season of the Witch, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Last Monday, we took some studio shots of Julie, a lovely model. In playing around with the lights, I recalled that side-lighting is often used for the subjects of composite photographs, so I took a shot, asking her to "give me some attitude."

I recalled I had an eerie shot of the trail leading up to the Cumberland Gap. I used that as the background. While working on this, I kept thinking of the Donovan song, "Season of the Witch."

What do you think?

Mark

Mark, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

I had to do a homework assignment with loop lighting and decided to use natural light. My husband begrudgingly posed for me on our porch. He HATES getting his picture taken!

Don't knock my smells and bells . . .

A lot of the Protestant denominations like to disparage the Catholics for our "smells and bells," that is to say, our candles, statuary, incense, etc. that decorate our churches and enhance our liturgy.  "God," they say, "doesn't need that.  It's distracting.  People should be listening to the Word . . ."

While acting as a second shooter for a friend this past weekend at a local Baptist church, he remarked on the large, expensive video cameras and the elaborate lighting in the main sanctuary.  "Man, they could have an Aerosmith concert in here . . ." he said.  Lights, music, and yes, even jumbotrons - because their services are multi-media affairs.  Don't get me wrong - this was no church with a simple PA system but one with really elaborate and sophisticated audio and video systems.

Which all serve to . . . do what?  I am sure the answer, if the question were to be asked, as a tool for evangelization and to aid the congregation in their worship.

In short . . . the same reason for our smells and bells.  To involve all the senses in worship.  Because God deserves the whole of us.

I was thinking about that as I sat at Mass today.  St. Albert the Great is lovely in its Easter finery.  My son served for the first time at this church, and by sheer coincidence, there were two altar boys and a deacon on the altar, all named Patrick.  What are the odds of that?

How They Killed Disney

Yes, I love animation.  I could shoot iCarly, though . . .

Hey, a couple of days ago I learned that Tim Curry does the voice of Nigel Thornberry of The Wild Thornberrys.  Smashing!

You don't stop being a Catholic when you enter the voting booth

Because laughter IS the best medicine . . .

Jack Hanke, 18, arrived at rehearsal wearing a giant sombrero and green kimono. Noah Britton, 29, took off his pants mid-practice, explaining that they still stank from last night's concert. He ran through the rest of his comedy troupe's practice wearing boxers, and the group's signature T-shirt, which reads: "I don't want your pity."

Britton, Hanke and the other two members of Asperger's Are Us don't care who thinks they're weird. Or even funny. They think they're hilarious. And if others don't, who's the one with the disability?

Hey, it's Autism Awareness Month- which is appropriate as a birth month for someone like me and my cyclothymia and OCD tendencies.  God bless these kids.

And . . . don't be ashamed of having a disorder.  If it results in inappropriate behavior then yes, you have to work to refocus on better conduct.  But having a condition like this is nothing to be ashamed of.  In fact, there can be strengths to be garnered from this, such as these boys are doing.  Bill Gates is said to have Aspergers and I think he's done fairly well for himself, eh?

Raising Catholics

This morning I checked in on Facebook and saw a picture posted by a friend at my former parish of her daughter's Confirmation.  I was somewhat taken aback by the caption, which read something along the lines of "I [meaning, the mother] fulfilled a promise made at her [meaning, the daughter] Baptism and now the rest is up to her."

Meaning . . . what?  Is it up to this 15-year-old girl to get herself to Mass and figure out how she will be a Catholic as an adult?  Among the books I am reading is Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman.  In reading it - and being old enough to remember things like the "Moonies" and dodging Hare Krishnas in airports - it occurs to me that people in their late teens/early 20's are precisely the targets of dangerous cults, such as the Scientologists (and perhaps I give more credence than is due by calling Scientology a cult, since I think of it more as an evil Ponzi scheme).  What are these kids looking for that Mom and Dad are not providing?  I understand that if a child leaves home it is hard to keep up with their spiritual life, but on the other hand, if they are nearby, make it a date to attend Mass together each Sunday, at the very least.

Now, I suspect my friend will stay involved with her daughter's spiritual life in the Catholic Church.  I may be sensitive to a remark like that having recently seen the disorder of a damaged vocation in a priest I knew and also experiencing so many divorcing parents who seem to abdicate their roles, convincing themselves that their kids are more "mature" than they actually are and thus "need" them less.  Although my parents grew lax in spiritual upbringing as my siblings and I entered young adulthood, they at least continued to engage us in conversation regarding Catholicism and the faith remained a big part of our family identity.

I hope to keep my kids active Catholics.  Even if I have to bribe them with Sunday dinner.  Hey, whatever works . . .

So many of his childhood friends that weren't killed in Vietnam went on to become criminals, prostitutes and/or Democrats . . .

Damn, I wish I lived closer to Colorado so I can attend this funeral!

Blanchard, Michael "Flathead"
1944 ~ 2012

A Celebration of the life of Michael "Flathead" Blanchard will be held on April 14th, 3 pm 8160 Rosemary St, Commerce City. Weary of reading obituaries noting someone's courageous battle with death, Mike wanted it known that he died as a result of being stubborn, refusing to follow doctors' orders and raising hell for more than six decades. He enjoyed booze, guns, cars and younger women until the day he died. 

Mike was born July 1944 in Colorado to Clyde and Ethel Blanchard. A community activist, he is noted for saving the Dr. Justina Ford house from demolition and defending those who could not defend themselves. He was a Republican delegate, life member of the NRA, founder and President of the Dead Cats MC. He loved music.

Mike was preceded in death by Clyde and Ethel Blanchard, survived by his beloved sons Mike and Chopper, former wife Jane Transue, brother Stephen Blanchard (Susan), Uncle Don and Aunt Cynthia Blanchard(his favorite); Uncle Dill and Aunt Dot, cousins and nephews, Baba Yaga can kiss his butt. So many of his childhood friends that weren't killed in Vietnam went on to become criminals, prostitutes and/or Democrats. He asks that you stop by and re-tell the stories he can no longer tell. As the Celebration will contain Adult material we respectfully ask that no children under 18 attend.


Rest in peace, good sir, and Godspeed to Paradise.

Baptist churches are like Vegas casinos . . .

No windows, no clocks - nothing to distract you from the task at hand.

And a challenge when shooting a wedding.  I am helping a friend by being his second shooter today.  We went last night to check out the church.  Mega barn with no decent backdrops.  Speedlites whimper and die.

What did I say about liberals being mentally ill?

Comedienne Sarah Silverman joined America's current War on Women yesterday after she tweeted a hoax before-and-after abortion photo.

Reigniting the women's rights movement via Twitter, the 41-year-old wrote: 'Got a quickie aborsh in case R v W gets overturned.'

The comment captioned two photos of Miss Silverman made to look like she was pregnant before getting an abortion, which caused a wave of support from hundreds of pro-choice Americans.

You know, if you think this is funny or appropriate, and you consider me to be your friend . . . we are no longer.

There are limits.

And if you know someone who thinks this is funny and still consider them to be a friend or "a part of your life" . . . I suggest you rethink that.

Because this is as funny as pedophilia. Which. Fucking. Isn't.

I sometimes think being a liberal is a mental disorder . . .

Or is it that people with severe mental disorders are prone to being liberals?

Warning:  NSFW language in the graphic and link.


I was taken aback at the utter hatred expressed by the left towards Sarah Palin.  Indeed, a former friend and neighbor achieved the status of "former" when she and one of her friends had no problem calling Palin a c**t but objected when I called Obama a socialist.  I had tolerated her liberal views out of friendship but then it dips into misogyny, a line has been crossed.

True to form, Ann Romney is now the target.  You know, I despise people like Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, etc.  I think they are selfish women with bad intentions and do not think what they think is right for this country is the correct solution.  But to call them c**ts serves only to demonstrate that I am low class and, quite possibly, mentally disordered since what that does is to dehumanize the recipient of the insult.

Even with insults, there is a line . . .

Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.

I have the good fortune to belong to the Knoxville Area Photographers Group, and through them I was able to learn of a great opportunity to use my photography skills shooting a local Special Olympics track and field event in nearby Lenoir City.

I am downloading them now, and will then chimp through to select my top 100, which will be sent to the organizers so they can create a slide show for all the competitors.  But this is not something I am doing for them - these kids gave me a gift today, being able to watch them and see a side of humanity that is not often on our radars.

Doing it for Mary.  All the kids wore purple shirts with this written on them.  Mary Mills was the longtime director for Special Olympics in this area.  She suddenly and unexpectedly died last December.  We need more people like her.  Twelve white doves were released at the beginning of the day for her.

The title of the post comes from part of the oath taken by the kids at the beginning of the games.  Ha, these kids know more about sportsmanship than a bunch of kids in some progressive area of the country where the local youth sports leagues do not even keep score because little Octavius might feel a dent to his self-esteem.  These kids play to win - and those who do get their ribbons and climb up on the podium.  Let me win.  But if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt.  There is a great lesson there for the rest of us - live life, don't worry so much about the outcome but be brave in the attempt, whatever it may be.

I will post my pictures when all are done.

Dollywood

At Dollywood with my kids. Renewed our season passes, upgrading them to include Splash Country. $400 for all. When I last paid for Disneyland passes in 2010, one alone cost $389. How much are they now?

Updated: the new ride, Wild Eagle, is awesome. I only had a second's worth of absolute panic triggered by my vertigo.

In addition to attractions, Dollywood has the nation's largest sanctuary and breeding programs for the American bald eagle.  This is one of the eagles there.