Camera Issues part 2

When was the last time a sequel was better than the original?
Give up?
Well a few weeks ago that I was having camera issues and needed to send it in for some cleaning. Got it back and not only is it clean and taking good pictures again, but Canon did the Cleaning as a warranty repair!! Can it get any better? I also have some good friends visiting, and had the opportunity to test the camera out at the Ross Creek Cedars in Montana! I think they came out great. I will post some as soon as I get a chance.
Whoo hoo!!

Hypocrisy in the White House

Again the Pretender in office has made a fool of himself, and a mockery of the position that he holds. He has finally deigned to appear at the annual NAACP convention. For the first 5 years he refused to attend for any reason, the only sitting President who has refused to attend. I can't find any 'excuse' that he may have given. Now that his approval ratings are in the dumper he is trying to make up for past slights.

One of his statements according to AP:
“For too long, my party wrote off the African-American vote, and many African-Americans wrote off the Republican Party.”
Why doesn't he (and his party) understand the need to earn respect from the African American community. They need to be more than talk about wanting to be on their side, and actually do things that will help the community. Where do they stand on:

1. Minimum wage improvements - Against
2. Lower taxes for lower income people - Against
3. Health care - Against
4. Intelligence - Obviously they are Against

There also is the interesting point being made in many places that this is the first NAACP convention since Katrina, and thcoincidencece that he, his administration and Republicans in general dropped the ball there. As well as what aid they have provided has been disproportionately to white and rich communities. Draw your own conclusions.

Camera Issues

Finally capitulated and sent my digital camera in for a professional service/cleaning. I have been having trouble with dust and 'cloudiness' on certain pictures that I have taken. I know that it is on the mirror or sensor, because it didn't matter which lens was on the camera body, the problems were in the same place on my captures. I have tried in vain to clean it myself, and nothing has worked. If I take pictures that are fully filled with subject matter that is varied in colors, the problem is mitigated pretty well. However I take lots of landscapes with the sky very prominent, and they look like there is a wave crossing the sky, with dark specs in the waves (ugly!!!).
So off to Canon it went, hope to hear from them on Monday or Tuesday as to what the cleaning will set me back. They look over the camera and send a confirmation email to let you know how much it will cost, then you approve it.
They say once you confirm it, you should get the camera back in 7 days under normal conditions. Let's hope it does!!

Rolling Stone Magazine

The last few issues of Rolling Stone have been just fantastic. They continue to run stories that the corporate right wing media (nearly all television, radio and newspaper media) are unwilling or unable to run. Point in case the issue that just arrived in my mailbox. Excellent interview/article with Al Gore winner of the 2000 presidential election (I know Gore didn't take office, just got more votes than the pretender in office, of course a few weeks back another issue touched on another 'election victory for the pretender' .) But back to Al, he shows the convincing evidence of Global warming and its impact on the world. And how our Oil President is ignoring a real threat to the US, while he pursues the imagined threat of Saddam (yes he was/is a horrible guy who the world is better off with him being out of power, but the same could be said about the current US Prez). I have not yet seen the documentary ( An Inconvenient Truth ) that Al Gore starred in, but will as soon as it becomes available.

Celtic Nots

Went to Downtown, to watch hear the Summer Concert in the Park presented by POAC this afternoon. Heard a great group The Celtic Nots . I have heard of them on the local NPR station KPBX , and had heard a few snippets of their music, but never really heard them before. Let me tell you they are very good. Got to hear them perform for about an hour, and it was great fun. The weather is very HOT right now, but we were able to be mostly in the shade, and sitting still, so bearable. Hope the rest of the series is just as good!