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Stormy winter evening.

I

‘ve been struggling to find topics to write about. I’ve been trying to keep my posts lighthearted but we are living through some of the worst times that I’ve ever seen.

The country is so polarized that I’m pretty sure that we can’t agree about the color of the sky. Now we’ve got the Florida legislature writing a new law that will protect white people from being made upset by things said about them. Talk about snowflakes.

In Virginia the newly elected governor who presented himself as being moderate during his campaign is turning out to be anything but that. He signed two executive orders. One bans teaching Critical Race Theory. The other bans masks in school.

Where do these people come from? A bigger question is what are they afraid of?

People like him keep talking about freedom. What freedom? The freedom to kill me? Or, you? Or, you and you?

A

few housekeeping matters. Email. I have email. After waiting for the happiness dweebs to respond I finally gave up and figured out how to validate Laskowitzpictures.com.

When they finally did reply, the first person was mostly worried about my non-renewal of my .net domain. They’ve been nagging me about that since I started the process of moving. I’ve told them more than once that I don’t need that address. That’s not good enough. I’ve cancelled that domain. There is a big red reminder posted at the top of my administration page that I continue to ignore.

I wonder what they are going to say when I tell them that I want to move all of you and my pictures to my new web and blog site.

I guess that I’ll find out.

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Into space.

S

pace. The final frontier.

This picture was assembled from bits and pieces of other pictures. I’d say it was layered, but it wasn’t exactly that. Normally, I lay one entire picture over another. This time I laid a portion of a picture over the base and blended until you can’t see the edge. It took some time, but I learned a lot.

That’s almost more important to me these days than repeating myself.

N

ow to the point of the post.

I’ve managed to work through the process of creating a second Storyteller using my preferred address of Laskowitzpictures.com. Preferred because I’ve used it since the 1990’s. I’ve also moved hosting from Go Daddy to WordPress.

That was in an effort to keep it simple. It wasn’t simple.

That said, I have a few questions. I’d like to focus on certain kinds of pictures. As sort of a test I post pictures to various social media platforms and it seems my best response is to “real” pictures, not the art that I mostly post here. Even here, the highest response that I’ve seen in January was to the black and white picture of the welder. I’m not sure if that was because the technique or the content.

So, what would you like see?

This is really important so please take a couple of minutes and help me out.

A note, the minute that I activate the new blog, this place will be hard to find. It is Laskowitzpictures.org. The new location will be Laskowitzpictures.com.

I’ll let you know when, but it will be sooner rather than later because at this point I cannot access my email.

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All day and all night.

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nother experiment and another morning nap. There’s a reason for both. It’s my nature to experiment even when the picture gets a little bleak. The other is something that makes me nervous.

You know about my back and hip problems. I’ve been feeling good for a while. Yesterday I seemed to collapse. Everything went wrong. I had a full day of errands so I managed to push through the pain. But, it was hellish. I woke up this morning feeling okay, but still a little tired. So I slept. I’m fine. Now, I’m wondering if it isn’t something else. I guess I’d better pay attention to myself for a few days.

Anyway.

I

made this picture in daylight. It was interesting because of the train rolling over the Huey P. Long bridge. But, in daylight, meh. So, I started playing with it and arrived at the train entering the gates of hell. Or, something.

One more thing.

F

acebook has been force feeding me people I’m supposed to follow. It’s annoying. Yesterday they kept showing me posts from a band called, Black Pumas. They are a blend of old school soul and 1960s and 70s music. Boy, are they good.

Thanks, Facebook for getting it right one in 25,000 times.

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Look up.

S

heesh. I started this post and forgot about it. Until now.

I try to post at noon my time. Obviously, I’m late. Very late. Sorry about that.

Let’s talk about stupidity and failure.

There is a guy who posts as NOLAphotoguild on Instagram. Today he wrote an eight page screed about freedom. I bet you know where this is going. He is calling for an end to all protections, all testing, all vaccinations for all things Covid. He wants FREEEEDUM.

A little research, starting on Facebook, revealed that he has started a number of photo-oriented ventures. Everyone of them failed. He started what amounts to a collective on Instagram. It earns no money but it has a lot of followers. He finally has one thing. A platform.

He’s bitter. He has a platform. His bitterness is going to kill someone like me.

What next?

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Symbolic of changing.

T

oday is a big day.

In New Orleans, January 6th marks the start of Carnival with a parade through The French Quarter and a streetcar ride. It only grows from here until the season ends on Mardi Gras Tuesday.

More importantly, today marks the one year anniversary of the insurrection, storming and temporary take over of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

One event marks a season of joy, the other, a country filled with hate. I could recap what happened but it is enough to say that a former president would do anything to hold onto power. He was not used to being told no. Many of his followers believed him. Most of them still do. The attacked our government. They attacked my belief system and my country.

They say the presidential election was stolen. After audit upon audit there is no evidence of that, so I reply to the so-called stop the steal group, “Prove it.” Don’t tell me you know. Tell me what and how you know.

You can’t.

This picture is more spring-like than wintery. It is about rebirth. The nation is tottering right now. Between extreme polarization, a weakened economy and Covid-19 to name a few issues, don’t you think it’s time for a little rebirth?

I do.

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A long day.

A

dark sky along with a dark day.

I’m trying to decide two moral dilemmas. I suppose we all should take the high road, but I also feel that paybacks are in order to just to make sure that consequences of short sightedness are understood.

First, understand that I stand with all the states and people who were hurt by the weekend tornadoes. I know what it’s like to feel natures wrath. I’m with them all the way, but one of those states senators has voted no to every federal request for aid after a natural disaster. We, in the gulf south are still picking up pieces after Hurricane Ida blew through. Should we take the high road and help with federal aid. Or, do we say no with the intent that the voters in the state kick that dumb bonehead out of office? You tell me.

Then, there is me. My body. My primary care doctor will no longer prescribe Tramadol, the most lightweight of all opioids ever made. A couple of weeks ago, after trying to find ailments that don’t exist in me, he decided to take away NSAIDS, leaving me with only Tylenol to fight inflammation. I’ve been in agony for days. I can’t even sit up long enough to get any meaningful work done. That’s why I’m always late here.

This doctor never even looks at me, instead typing away at the examination room computer.

This is closer to home than the states that were blown apart. I’m inclined to help those folks, just as I’m inclined to have my lawyer write my doctor a love note. If that doesn’t get his attention it’s off to court we go.

Put me in pain and I’m going to do the same to you. I’m not normally like that, but enough is enough.

It’s reckoning time.

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Like fire.

I

t seems I went backwards today. My last two posts were artistic in nature. They were pictures that helped you to feel. I hope.

This picture is more traditional in the sense that it helps you to see the end of a day as I documented it. It may also help you to feel. But, everybody’s life experiences are different.

As many of you know, I’m not big on basic sunset images. It has to be wonderful to move me. It’s not that I don’t like sunsets. I do. It’s just that there are so many that are kind of meh. Enjoy the light. And, just look at them.

I also think that you need something in the sunset to give it some kind of context. That’s why there are silhouettes at the base.

I believe that you should turn around and see what that amazing like is illuminating. On this day the light was reflecting off and through the light cloud cover. It was too broad to light anything dramatically.

So, that’s what I think about sunsets.

And, you?

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Not so dark in the sky.

W

ork. It’s all about the work. If it’s important the work is simple, but simple things are hard. In any case, the work is the prayer.

I’m sitting here listening to a pod cast with Donnie Osmond. Wait, what? Yes. Donnie Osmond. It turns out he is one helluva a musician and a great guy. Forget the early music. “Puppy Love” doesn’t count in this conversation.

He talks about talent. He talks about his career. But, he talks about work. Hard work. And, that’s what it takes.

That’s what it takes in photography. And, that’s what it takes for me. That’s where the problem lies. I know that it’s a combination of pandemic languishing, a bit of personal illness and just flat out being lazy.

There I said it.

I’ve been very lazy for the past two years. I have nothing but time and I’ve been pretty good at wasting it. It’s one thing to take a needed break. It’s another thing two waste two years.

It’s time to get going. I’ll have to break a couple of routines that aren’t so bad for me, but they get in the way.

Wish me luck.

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From another perspective.

D

o you remember what I said yesterday about November 21 being the start of my year? Well, I started that. After some thought I decided that I wanted to take a look back at my traveling life.

This does two things.

You get to see photographs that you might never have seen. You know. Exclusive to the readers of Storyteller. I have further plans for that.

This also forces me to work through my archive and do something about the 50 year old mess.

I also am playing with, tinkering with, and experimenting with different art forms.

Anyway.

T

his is The Church of Saint Francis Assisi located in Taos, New Mexico. It’s actually in Rancho de Taos. The plaza that is built around the church is dusty and has seen better days.

Just about everybody and their brother has photographed it. And, their brother’s brother too. It’s a challenge to do something different. I think I did, but only because of luck and timing. Saying that is a gamble. Obviously, I haven’t seen every picture that was taken there.

Happy Tuesday.