i know i shouldn't, but. . . .

Originally Posted Wednesday, September 9, 2014

This is the photo on Mark Tucker's website splash page just now.  He is a tremendous photographer whose work I've admired for a lot of years.  He does a lot of commercial work, but when he goes out to shoot on his own. . . man, I wish he could afford to just do that.  I always wish, too, that he would take more chances with the subject matter, but hell, this photo is dangerous enough as it is.  It takes awhile to get it.  A little boy with his pet rabbit.  In a camo chair.  Sighting the viewer through the ears of the rabbit that is held like a firearm.  The eyes no longer look so innocent.  The fate of the rabbit seems in question.  Innocence turned on its head.  When Tucker makes pictures like this, I want to get up and do jumping jacks.  He could be a modern day Arbus, perhaps.  But there is always the need for money.  Did people not need money in the past?  How did all the artists of the 40's and 50's and 60's manage?  Certainly people didn't need money back then. 

I've decided that I will not talk about politics or the news anymore.  That is what I decided this morning.  I'm going to just talk about restaurants and food preparation, wines on the market, county fairs, etc.  The other is simply too difficult.  Try talking about Ray and Janay Rice without saying the things you are supposed to.  You don't even have to opine.  Just ask a few difficult questions and state a few uncomfortable facts.  You won't have to make any judgements.  Just ask.  You will be run out of the building at the very least.  You really don't want to mention ISIS anywhere around that conversation, either. 

Both Ray Rice and ISIS are scary.  The thing that scares men is knowing that Rice would knock them out just as easily as he did his wife.  I watch that elevator video and shake.  It probably gave me nightmares last night.  I have a friend who is as maniacal as Rice, a trained fighter who is even bigger and stronger than he.  He is my friend, and still I have nightmares about him coming into my house and looking in my eyes while he breaks things.  I know such people and grew up with them, so I have a healthy and abiding fear of being badly beaten.  I'm against both beatings and beheadings. 

So, who are you going to ask to stop the people who are doing the beheadings?  MaybeRhonda Rousey.  Oops.  That is perhaps not appropriate.  It's problematic, to say the least. 

So I am going to stop talking about such things.  I will become a nature writer or a spiritual advisor.  I am just too ornery for my own good.  Hell, even when I talk about a cute portrait of a little boy holding his pet rabbit. . . .