Photoblog #1

A Dying Breed...

We just had some stone work done on a wall in our living room (see photo above). For 8 days we had Harry from Artistic Masonry in our home, diligently working to get "the wall" finished before Patti had a big baby shower here last weekend.

As you can see, the stone facing came out great! While he was here working, I couldn't help but think about the craftsmanship and pride that went into Harry's work. I had entertained the thought (for about 5 seconds) of trying to do this myself, and seeing him work made me really glad I didn't attempt it. Harry has honed his craft and knows what he's doing.

I have a friend (who will no doubt read this - sorry!) who likes to do things himself, like a lot of other people these days (what did we all do before Home Depot?). While this can be seen as a positive thing, I think it has also contributed to the decline of quality workmanship and customer service in our society.

People train, apprentice, go to school, and work hard to learn a trade, and they deserve the opportunity to make a living doing what they've invested their life into. I do photography and videography... with the advent of cheap digital cameras, video cameras, and computer editing tools, "amateurs" are increasingly gaining the tools to do my job. But are they also gaining the skills? I can go buy a hammer, but that doesn't make me a carpenter.

Once upon a time, if you needed something done, you found someone who specialized in that, was trained in it, and did it well. Nowadays, you look online, go to Home Depot, and "do it yourself" (DIY). So the need for trained specialists and craftsmen has declined, and so therefore, has the quality of work and products. We live in a society of cheap, throwaway products. Our furniture is particle board, covered with wood-look laminate, our food is fast and cheap, virtually everything is disposable.

In the midst of that, you have a few people like Harry, who are a dying breed of quality craftsmen, who take pride in their work and whose main concern is that the end result is a happy customer. When was the last time you felt like someone in a service industry actually gave a crap about what you thought?

I urge you to consider this when planning your next "project." What if the people you provide a service or product for all called you and told you they were going to do it themselves from now on? Let people earn a living, and you can relax and know that the job will be done right. And, if you're considering having some stone work done, give Harry at Artistic Masonry a call. E-mail me for his contact info.

Impeach Bush!

There are so many reasons... so many lies, cover-ups, war crimes. G. Dubya needs to be impeached now! Here are a couple of online petitions, but there are probably better ways to get this rolling. Any ideas?

http://votetoimpeach.org/

http://www.votenader.org/get_involved/impeach.php

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/impeachment/petition2.htm

http://www.votermarch.org/petitions.htm

While you're at it, why not buy a T-shirt or some bumper stickers from CafePress, and spread the word!!! By the way, "Impeach Bush" is one of the top search terms on Cafe Press! This is the one I got: http://www.cafepress.com/bobharris/824580.

9/11 Revisited

In a recent entry (War For Oil), I talked about my doubts regarding the attacks on Sept. 11. I've always questioned how the World Trade Center towers fell, and fell perfectly and symmetrically, which always looked to me like the controlled demolitions we here in Las Vegas are so used to seeing with older hotel/casinos.

There is growing evidence that the 9/11 attacks were NOT what we've been told, that there's much more to the story, and the implications of the possible reality are deeply troubling for the American people.

A BYU physics professor recently published a paper to this effect, which is gaining a lot of notoriety on the Internet and in non-mainstream media. Professor Steven E. Jones says that it is "likely that there were 'pre-positioned explosives' in all three buildings at ground zero." Read the Deseret News story HERE, which has a link to the actual report.

If Jones' assertions are true, or at least partially true and indicate a cover-up by our government regarding the "official story" of the 9/11 attacks, then we Americans (in my opinion) have WAY more to be concerned about than extremist terrorists in other countries. Who would have the kind of access to place explosives in the WTC buildings, who would authorize it, and who would knowingly allow the murder of thousands of Americans?

Free hat - sweet!

I watch a little G4 (formerly TechTV) now and then... a very frequent advertiser on that network is your very own U.S. Army. I guess they figure most of the people watching a channel geared toward video games are Army-aged guys living at home, with not much hope of a career.

The ads themselves are pretty nice; exciting visually, promises of college money and/or thrilling careers... One of the ads looks quite a bit like a video game. In fact, they show a 'targeting cursor' finding its mark on the back of an Arab's head, from the perspective of the TV viewer. Makes you kind of feel like you can just squeeze a trigger (either real or game controller) and drop that diaper-head (who's gotta be an Iraqi insurgent or terrorist)!!!

Watching that commercial gives me an odd feeling. It's very tempting to watch someone (who you've been told is your mortal enemy) appear in the crosshairs of what seems to be your very own AK-47. I find myself almost wishing it WERE me looking down the barrel, just a small squeeze away from taking out a 'terrorist.' It gets a little adrenaline flowing, which I guess is the desired response. Then some kid calls the number on the screen, enlists, and goes to give his life overseas for the Great Bush/Cheney Lie.

In case you didn't know... the "No Child Left Behind" act requires secondary schools to furnish personal information of students to the military when requested, or face a cutoff of federal funds. An education bill, supposedly created to improve the lives of 'underpriveleged' children, gives the military access to our kids? Mother Jones news story.

Wow. I just saw a commercial for the Army. Now they're offering a free "boonie" hat for those who call to inquire about military service. A free hat AND the chance to put a bullet in a freedom-hating camel jockey??? Sweet! Call my high school and sign me up!!!