But Weren't the Swedes Vikings?

Originally Posted Sunday, July 14, 2013

Stop the presses.  The Zimmerman trial is over.  I don't know what my mother will do with her days now.  Wait for the next big trial, I reckon.  I didn't watch a minute of it.  I guess I realize the importance of the trial now, though.  It was about race in a sense.  Q has had a good take on this, and I have little to add.  I'm guessing the Stand Your Ground law was not designed with black people in mind.  Well. . . they were in mind, just in a certain way.  I will say this seriously, though; nobody ever feels threatened by a Swede no matter how big they are.  Do they?  I mean, it is cultural.  There are certain behaviors that make my adrenaline pump, like people getting close to me and jerking their hands and talking in very loud voices.  I've learned to deal with it, but I never like it.  Nothing makes me want to swing like an angry Arab or a prancing Puerto Rican.  I have Arab and Puerto Rican friends, and they know what I mean.  Hillbillies and cowboys don't really like theater and posturing.  The people I grew up with were like pit bulls.  They didn't bark before they bit.  You knew you had to be careful not to piss them off because there wasn't going to be much warning.  I was very respectful to the cowboys I met in New Mexico.  They liked that.  But most people do, don't they? 

I love Mohamed Ali, but I'm afraid he legitimized disrespectful behavior. 

Most telling to me is that CNN ran a report of the reaction of pro athletes to the acquittal.  Take a look and see if you can find a racial divide (link). 

Here's the real after-story, though (link).  As in the Snowden case, true criminals are not being prosecuted.  And this trickles down into every aspect of life.  Anita has a horror story to tell about corrupt local politics (is there any other kind?).  Every corporate head or owner of a smallish company is conditioned by knowledge of this kind of abusive power.  It has become omnipresent. 

Well. . . it probably always was.  But when it becomes evident, we must do something about it. 

I didn't plan on that, especially the ethnic/culture trashing.   Sorry yo.  Just sayin'. 

I ran more experiments yesterday.  I'm getting closer to success of sorts.  And here is a picture from the Holga camera that I processed in the instant chemicals, the monobath.  I like the look.  It is easy, and anyone can process at home.  You don't need a darkroom nor trays nor any of that.  All you need is a changing bag.  It's easy.  Shoot a roll of film, go home, and ten minutes later hang the roll to dry.  Then just scan the images and do what you do in your digital processor with tone and contrast.  Bing bang bong.  So there is one success, one little piece of delight. 

It didn't work so well with the 4x5 film, though. 

I am not sure exactly, but I think it is because the film wasn't covered by liquid in the tray all the time.  I Jimmy-rigged something in the changing bag, but it was far from ideal.  I may be losing my patience with the larger format cameras as the medium format gives me such wonderful pictures without any of the hassle.  I am considering abandoning the large format effort.  It is too slow and grueling I am beginning to think. 

Sunday morning, coffee gone.  I will make tuna tacos for my mother tonight cooking far more tuna than we can eat so that I can make fresh tuna salad for tomorrow.  My god, you can't believe how good it is that way.  Between then and now, though, lies the mystery.  What will I do?  What can be done?  Well, there is the the trip to the gym to fuck everything up.  It is such a time suck.  But it is the YMCA in my wealthy little town where Swedish rules apply.  There is no cursing and everyone moves slowly.  I am the nigger in the crowd.  After the Zimmerman ruling, I'd better watch how I act.  I think I'll where a hoodie.