The Palmer Report on Trump:

An excerpt from this very well-written essay:

So in addition to the numerous political arguments for why Trump isn’t fit for the job, based on everything from his extremism, to his lack of decency, to his election rigging, to his lifetime of financial crimes, to his obstruction of justice, we now have this more fundamental issue. Even if Trump had been doing a suitable job as president up to this point, his collapsing cognitive condition alone is enough to make the case for his removal by the 25th Amendment.

The whole piece is very worthwhile.


http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/alzheimers-dementia-conversation-donald-trump/4116/

In today's LA Times: Before transgender was a word, women served as men

The link takes you to the paper as a whole, and then this article will load. It's a fascinating look at a very timely topic.

http://enewspaper.latimes.com/desktop/latimes/default.aspx?pubid=50435180-e58e-48b5-8e0c-236bf740270e


By Bonnie Tsui
One of the toughest military enlistments in the Civil War was served by a woman who dressed as a man. Private Albert D.J. Cashier, born Jennie Hodgers in Clogher Head, Ireland, marched thousands of miles and fought in dozens of battles and skirmishes with the 95th Illinois Infantry.

Cashier joined the regiment at the beginning of the war for a three-year term, and continued fighting until after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. After mustering out, Cashier lived out the next half-century as a man, spending three years at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home in Quincy, Ill., until, nearing 70, he suffered the onset of dementia and was sent to a state mental hospital. There, hospital staff discovered Cashier’s secret and forced him to wear a dress.

Well, it isn't big, or centered, or even interesting...

But I just took it about an hour ago, without any help, which is a first for me. I did get the right angle viewfinder, which was an enormous help.

Anyway, for those interested, the data: 1/60 of a second @F3.5, and 16mm.

I feel much more confident about getting some decent eclipse photos.

Just saw this great article on Facebook:

I thought it explained what happened very well.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/28/16055132/murkowski-collins-mccain

Here's an excerpt:

Murkowski and Collins were the only Republicans to vote against a motion to proceed with the health care bill debate. Both women cast votes against the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which could have led to 22 million more uninsured Americans. They both also voted against the Obamacare Reconciliation Act — repeal and delay — which could have led to 32 million more uninsured Americans.

Both senators said they could not support bills that would leave millions of people without health insurance. When skinny repeal — seemingly the last shot for the GOP — came down, they stood their ground and voted no again.

Through all of this, the backlash against these two women senators was severe. Two House Republicans threatened them with violence...

This POS "president" is turning our country into a horrifying 3rd world country...

OK, so I'm trying to practice taking photos for the eclipse.

The solar filter is on the camera and I've got the whole thing up on the tripod.

Now I can find the sun when I handhold the camera. The problem is when I'm using the tripod.

The angle of the sun is so high that it's nearly impossible for me to see it. The camera is waaaay up at a high angle, plus the solar filter blocks my view. (It's reflecting my face!)

I'm thinking that I need to be outside when the sun is much lower in the sky, which will make it easier to see, and hopefully, find.

Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted!

Help!

On edit: Here's a successful sun shot:

The Filtered Sun

Today, I got my solar filter for the upcoming total solar eclipse, next month.

The salesman kindly gave me some tips and we took some photos with the filter. Here is the best one I got:

*July 4, 1894...My grandmother's birthday*

Today I honor her memory...

Her parents saw, and lived, the American Dream...

They came from Sweden, met and married here...

She was their oldest child...

She was a bright, hard-working, motivated lady...

She and her husband raised their six children on a farm outside Chicago...

They had a pump in the kitchen...

She would kill and clean chickens for their meals...

She baked bread every week...

And still had time to go into Chicago for concerts...

She lived through the World Wars, and the Depression...

She did not let adversity shrink her soul...

My Grandmother! How much I still miss her, and her example!

I wonder what she would say if she could see what's happened to her beloved country...

Her birthday, today...

I salute her!