jeffl7

Thank God we are well beyond this stage. Star Wars is much more interesting. Selective color makes Barney pop. Well, not literally. That would be a purple mess....

Deb and I were in Amsterdam, walking around gawking as we do, when suddenly we were overtaken by a menagerie of paper mache heads, gauzily-dressed bewigged supermodels, and a child being toted on a sedan chair, dressed like a Pharoah in the making. This was a meber of the entourage. Weird.

There is real humor here. Everything seems to repeat--the ropes, the wrinkled clothes, the hands..... Like swinging.....forward....back.....forward....back

A nice sense of calm in a resin-colored environment.

Now we salute our fallen comrades.

The triune self. Body, soul and spirit.

The title pairs well with the spectacle displayed here. I love the tones and the strong diagonal of the wave.

I like how the color spills upward from the turquoise lid.

This has your classic charm, humor and color. The rhythm works perfectly.

Ego is right. I suppose anyone who wants to be a politician has to have his or her fair share of narcissism, but the amount of empty bluster, self-aggrandizement and egomania is shocking. A friend of mine from England was saying how entertaining he finds this. I find it absolutely terrifying that angry ideologues and mendacious snake oil salesmen can garner such a following. P.T. Barnum's apocryphal quote about suckers being born every minute was right on the money. And speaking of money....

I tend to have a cynical streak on a good day, but I've been absolutely broadsided by the rampant bigotry, rancor and anti-intellectualism (stupidity) of the present political cycle. Just when I think that we've hit rock bottom, a new bottom emerges. Here, there's no face, minimal light, and the words can't be read. There's nothing left but a metal wall.

Love the eyes. Quite piercing. The bars and the stripes of his shirt add a lot of energy.

You've animated this scene quite well with your expert eye. The color is great.

This is my favorite of the bunch. It seems beautifully unposed.

Stark.  The only hint of life is beneath the pots, except for the one sprig poking up in the back as if to say "I'm still alive."  The before picture in a Prozac ad.

The wolf on his sweatshirt....it works.  Intense connection here.

An effective crop. You're a creationist at heart, calling life from nothing.

Impressive in its absences. Plus, that cone.... Room to breathe.

His waist is in focus, which makes me think of him having a stable core, despite the blur. I would hope that'd be true for most of us.

I like the creaminess of the water.  Just enough frozen action in the foreground to preserve a sense of movement and drama.

Since the impetus regarding this shot is woven from several of the thoughts you gents expressed, I thought it easier to respond collectively.  I feel unbelievable sadness and rage when I hear our pompous, fear-mongering leaders and hopefuls denigrate an entire swath of people because of the evil of a few who happen to fall loosely under their umbrella.  Terrorism feeds on the terrified.    I cannot fathom how so-called "believers" can vilify and reject refugees, twisting scripture to excuse hatred and racism.  I'm far-removed from my religious right roots, but I still find that each new prophet with a bullhorn shocks the hell out of me (or perhaps the heaven).  My read of scripture is that there's a clear divine mandate to care for the refugees and others in need.  I'm also mindful of the fact that the Book clearly points out that Satan can quote scripture, which is what I hear when I catch snippets of our pontificating politicians and pundits.  I think of the ocean liner St. Louis turned away from Miami during WWII because of fear and bigotry regarding potential Nazis among the Jews on board.  A national sin.    Excuse the religious imagery.  There are times when the concepts of sin and evil seem a useful shorthand.   The picture several weeks back of the drowned three year-old washed ashore absolutely floored me.  As did the picture of his father who lost everyone he was trying to save.  I lost sleep because the images were so troubling.  Lady Liberty seems so cold and faceless and angry and paranoid these days.  Her promise and her light seem so out of reach.