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Do I Stutter? I Said Put The Camera Down! (Day 147) In response to feedback I received on a recent post (specifically James “Manly Man” Hill on Day 142), I decided to stretch myself and explore the world of nature and outdoor photography. To that end, I got up early (again) and visited a nature preserve in northern Virginia. Unfortunately, the beavers that had long made the area a watery bird haven had since departed for greener pastures (get it?) and left the area a somewhat lifeless bog, save for some Red-Winged Blackbirds who didn’t like having their pictures taken. Please give me credit for the effort; there was a Wal-Mart nearby that would have been easy picture pickins. Oh, and for a contrasty boardwalk alternate shot, click here. (2009-05-31 9:20am)
OtherShot A DayTravelUnited StatesWashington DCshot200905313631
![Catch 22 (Day 154)<br />
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We will call today’s shot a feeble foray into photo journalism.<br />
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Don’t know if anyone is familiar with the Free State Project (FSP). To quote Wikipedia, it “is an Internet-based political movement, founded in 2001, to get at least 20,000 libertarian-leaning people to move to New Hampshire in order to make the state a stronghold for libertarian ideals” [many of which, most sensible people, myself included, believe in … less government, lower taxes, etc]. <br />
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However, every movement has its more extremist members [my words] and the Free State Project is no exception; to include a group who live in Keene and the environs. For more information, you can visit <a href="http://freekeene.com">http://freekeene.com</a>.<br />
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So, anywho, as I was driving to Starbuck’s to get coffee this morning I passed a statue on our town square adorned with this sign and upside down flag. For those keeping score, Sam Dodson, our local “political prisoner”, was arrested for filming in the lobby of the local court house. While not illegal (but posted), the local police asked him to turn his camera off because he was potentially invading the privacy of people coming into the courthouse (e.g. battered women and children) … seems reasonable to me. He refused and was arrested. Now, two months later, he still is residing at a local jail because he refuses to provide his name (citing his Fifth Amendment rights). The Intranets state that he was on a hunger strike at one point.<br />
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So, why the title, Catch 22?<br />
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While acts of civil disobedience are sometimes necessary to evoke positive change, they can often have unintended negative consequences. While the FSP wants lower taxes, Mr. Dodson’s incarceration in our local jail will actually cost me and other property owners, who are paying for his stay, in the form of higher taxes. And, while not vandalism (and I thank them for that), acts like the above can actually make citizens embrace more government to help protect them from threatening societal elements like the FSP. <br />
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I guess any movement has to balance their desire to get their message out with the risk of alienating themselves. <br />
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… Just my opinion.<br />
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PS - I had another run-in with the police while I was taking this shot but that is a story for another day.<br />
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(2009-06-07 9:08am)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Galleries/Project365/Project-365/i-cqqrTsR/41/29e0592b/Ti/Shot-A-Day-20090607-4032-Ti.jpg)
k dunlap
on June 9, 2009Nice shot.
James Hill
on June 8, 2009Alright, I usually try to limit my comments on one person's gallery in any given day, lest I be accused of playing favorites (or stalking) but I ran across this rare nature shot in your gallery as I was leaving. I got a kick out of the commentary and then realized no one bothered to comment yet. Hmm, that's a sign, I'm just not sure if it's speaking to you or about me.
For what it's worth, I like the boardwalk shot. It works well in high contrast B&W. This one's pretty good too, but bird folks always want a frame-filling birdy. That's tough to do with a 200mm lens. I like the action you caught here and commend you again for stepping out of the comfort zone.