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“FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET”

Sorry for the Superman quip it’s just that the analogy seems to fit this situation. I purchased a Nikon lens for my camera from a dealer in Narita, Japan this past Saturday afternoon at about 4 P. M. New York time so it was very early Sunday morning in Japan. Narita is 37 miles east of Tokyo, but it is also home to the Tokyo International Airport. Kudos to DHL Shipping. I have always used FedEx or UPS for shipping purposes, but this is the second time that I have bought a lens in Japan and both sellers have used DHL. Allowing for Customs processing in Japan and the U. S. the lens arrived today, Thursday at 2:15 P. M. It doesn’t get much better than that. The lens is in perfect shape. A 40 year old used lens that appears as new.

“I HAVE COME HERE TO CHEW BUBBLE GUM AND KICK ASS,…

and I’m all out of bubble gum”. The movie line, of course, is from “They Live” (1988) starring Roddy Piper and Keith David. Game over folks. According to a CNN report today 91,000 people have died in the U. S. since the reopening. There’s a killer on the loose, and he’s hungry. This is not a macho thing. Wearing a mask will not last forever, but it is the smart move perhaps one of the few moves that will save us until better days have come. I’m not asking you to wear a mask or imploring you to wear a mask, I am telling you to wear the mask! The first person that we lay eyes on upon entering this world is wearing a mask, “The Nurse“; U. S. c.1920. Unfortunately, for some of us the last person that we may see when we leave this world will also be wearing a mask, but this time with the addition of gloves and a face shield as well. Don’t be stupid. Follow the science.

AND YOU EXPECT THEM TO WEAR MASKS?

O. K. I get it. The virus is like carbon monoxide. Invisible, colorless, oderless. Why should I wear a mask? Some people are just non-believers in science. Thrill seekers. These folks just have to look over the edge at the precipice in California despite the warning sign. Can we assume they they are illiterate? That they cannot understand the meaning of the word danger? I think not. So for varied reasons not everyone will wear a mask despite the overwhelming evidence that wearing a mask will save lives, maybe even their own.

“Danger“; California c.1990

PLEASE WEAR A MASK

Maybe not exactly what they had in mind when they said we should wear a mask, but this could work! Any face covering is better than none. It just gets a little sticky when the temperature hits 90 degrees.

“Trick or Treat“; U. S. c.2000

“RIDING HIGH IN APRIL, SHOT DOWN IN MAY”

Thank you Ol’ Blue Eyes (Frank Sinatra) – “That’s Life”. This virus doesn’t care. Rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative, race, gender or whatever. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you will be infected. It does not discriminate. You cannot afford to make a mistake. Shown here is “BMW on the Food Line“; North Babylon High School (7/17/20).

CAVE CRICKETS

Cave Crickets (Rhaphidophoridae). Apologies to those folks in some parts of our world who consider cave crickets to be a delicacy. Some people even keep them as pets. I realize that on God’s green earth they are here to serve a purpose by killing harmful insects. They accomplish their task in life by primarily living outside of our homes, eating whatever they find and making little crickets. As their name suggests they prefer dark, damp environments such as caves. But when they decide to take up residence in my crawl space a conflict is created between man and beast. Although they may pose no danger to me or my family I choose not to live among them. Here on Long Island they are considered pests or a nuisance. To rid one’s home of the invaders sticky pest strips seem to do the trick. They are sold in boxes containing five strips in hardware stores and run about $10.00. Five days goes pretty fast before you need a refill. Which bring us to my solution.

WORLD HUNGER

An issue that more and more of us can now relate to as a result of the impact of COVID19. As we line up at the food bank each morning we connect with those around the world for whom hunger is endemic. This photo “Hunger” c.1960 connects us to the work of Dorothea Lange during the Great Depression. Perhaps we are not that far removed from another Depression as what goes around comes around albeit in a slightly different format.

HOMAGE TO ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

Alfred Eisenstaedt would have probably be awarded the Pulitizer Prize in 1945 for his Times Square photo were it not for Joe Rosenthal’s photo “Flag Raising on Iwo Jima” on Mt. Suribachi. Eisenstaedt’s photo was of the sailor kissing a nurse – “V-J Day in Times Square” a/k/a “V-J Day” a/k/a “The Kiss”. It remains one of the most recognizable photos ever taken. Maybe it’s foolish to even try to compete with these masters of photography, but it does not stop us from trying. DPI’s photo “The Kiss” (July 1948) might have been influenced by Eisenstaedt. This romantic couple’s smooch occurred nearly three years following Eisenstaedt’s photo which was published in Life. I have a sense that there might have been a connection to the church across the street (Episcopal Church of the Incarnation). We are left to wonder if the couple participated in a happy event at the church such as a wedding or a baptism.

A BRIDGE TOO FAR

It has been said that the winners write the history books. So where will this all end? I’m talking about the removal of statues currently taking place. Remember that the Taliban dynamited statues of Buddha in Afghanistan when they were in control? History, after all, remains history whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Should we be more tolerant of all peoples of course we should. That is the underlying premise ingrained in Dispatch Press Images. But blowing up statues is not the end all and be all. Changing what is in someone’s heart it the real challenge for society.

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