Author: duckshots

Lapsed lawyer. Reader. Photographer. Jewish. Strongly attached to loving, caring, wife-Sharon. Working at remaining relevant. Hoping that my body and mind outlive my dreams. Maybe something I blog will make some sense.

Jack Kevorkian, Dead at 83

Jack Kevorkian encouraged people to take control of their lives at a time when that life might not have been worth living. Others say that people cannot do that; alleging all lives have merit despite the drain on family, friends, and resources and the depression that comes with not being able to function as one once did, pain or no pain, awareness or no awareness. He served 8 years in jail for helping people end lives that were more difficult to endure than to terminate, a feat accomplished by the system who amended laws to make him subject to them.

Some religions make saints out of people who perform miracles that sometimes ease suffering and pain. Dr. Jack qualifies not only due to his mission, but the fact he had to do time and then was forced to renounce his faith to earn his freedom. Then, ironically, he died the common way, in a hospital bed, without anyone’s help.

Paul Fixes a Guitar

He wanted to speak photography. Has a camera received for doing body work on a car, in addition to $300. Has my card on his coffee table. Chased me down for ablums I left in a bag on the bench, next the woman who thought I might shoot her image and the guy, Greg, who wants to leave but who may not have told her and who didn’t want his image which she took, and kept working on his guitar.

He used a tool which a friend had given him that day.

VT and Its Street Art

So you cannot have a billboard, but you can leave an earth mover on a piece of land for months. Not very attractive. No company name on it. I assume there was no room in the garage. You would think that someone would have use for this. Aren’t these babies expensive?

Everything Under Control at Burlington Marathon

Move them away from the barricades. Down the block, they don’t have barricades. The people just stand in the middle of the street and cheer.

How about cutting down on noise pollution. Don’t you hate that sound.

Don’t want the dog to interfere with the runners

Neatness counts as much as water.

Clean Up on the Battery.

“I’ll be back next year,” he said. Too bad the bike path may not.

 

Eric and Homer

Received a comment from someone in the virtual world about this image of Eric which I posted on dpreview. Person questioned my point of view and referenced Homer. You know, Homer of the Illiad, etc. When I shared the story with Eric, he lightheartedly and good naturedly asked if the person was talking about Homer Simpson. Could be? But the questioner had it wrong. Eric isn’t loitering. He lives here. Its a stoop. He’s sitting. Who says he needs to be going somewhere to do something? Take that Homer. This is real life.

Captain Jack

Thinking Like Captain Jack

Pirates of the Carribean has no plot; it does have Johnny Depp, amongst others. Pennelope Cruz acts postmodern. Jeffrey Rush’s pirate seems 1950’s-greed, shough, and evil. Keith Richards never went to the Fountain of Youth.The Brits and the Spanish armada. What’s the difference between pirate and a privateer? Ok. What is the difference between a banker, the Federal Reserve, Goldman Sacks, and the Congress? Wait. So, you don’t want to know when you will die, eh. You live closer to the present than most.

Burlington Parks and Rec Join Community to Cleanup Lake Champlain

Signup

Lake Champlain has the highest levels ever. Debris marks the landscape, keeping the beaches and bike path off limits. Parks and Rec organized a cleanup. Not well publicized, so it was not well attended. Bright beautiful sun. Some might say that the weather and Lake Champlain make Burlington what it is. Maybe. It could also be that the people care about their environment, maybe to a fault. And when they give up four hours on a Saturday morning to pick up garbage, you have to feel better about your community.

Mayor Kiss Showed Up.

Mayor didn’t say anything publicly, you know, like, “thanks.” And lots of people just rode by, walked by, or jogged by without comment. I mean, like, “don’t you care?”  Marathoners showed up, but not many. They’re too busy training, hoping someone will clear a path so they can run. A person approached me. “What’s this?” “It’s a cleanup.” “I didn’t hear about it.” Then she walked away.

Zack Describes The Pickup

Lots of wood to pick up. Some had nails. Some can be used to make furniture or heat homes. Zack had a list telling us what to pickup and what to leave.

Pile Up the Bike Path

Bigger pieces on the bike path. Smaller ones in plastic bags.

Rake the Shorleline

No real plan. Just take a stretch of affected shore and pickup the debris.

Fill the Truck

Good exercise, lifting and bending. Picked up the stuff.

No branch too big or too small

The twigs and garbage didn’t fit nicely together. Lots of trips back and forth.

Watch out

 

Community

Kid out for a bike ride stopped by to help. No better lesson about the value of community. I didn’t know anyone, except to know they care about where they live in the same way I do. Tell that to the kid!