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Angry Mob Mentality

What the hell are the Republicans doing at these campaign rallies? By yelling racial slurs and inciting violence, they are taking partisanship to an extreme and exhibiting Klanish behavior. Why is this acceptable behavior? WTF? I would love to see police in riot gear hose down a crowd at a Sarah Palin speech.

The Huff Post (of which I've vowed to be a more regular reader) quoted a former McCain campaign strategist this way:

John Weaver, John McCain's former top strategist, says the Republican candidate is making both a moral and a a tactical mistake by letting abusive hecklers have free rein at rallies:

"People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Senator McCain," Weaver said. "And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive."

So guys, listen up. Not only is this mob mentality DANGEROUS, but it looks bad to the undecided independents. So despite your feeble attempts to call Obama a "good family man", and cull the anger, your crowds are out of control. What happens to that anger when Obama wins because the handful of indecisive voters see what a better leader Barack Obama will be over John McSame? Hide the guns, honey.

Image courtesy of Jason.

Portland v. Portland at Maine Roller Derby

Heather and I checked out the Maine Roller Derby on Saturday - my second bout ever. I went with Kas to a bout in New York this summer and watched the Bronx kick Manhattan's butt. Saturday was a mix of Portland teams competing, but still fun. I tried shooting it, but realized I will need a longer lens if I'm going to shoot any sports. My 28-70mm just doesn't cut it for these things. My thought is to get some sports shots in my portfolio in case I apply to newspaper jobs. It's not my favorite shooting to do, but necessary for any hometown newspaper. I think I'll try shooting a rugby or basketball game, or maybe ice hockey, since those are the sports happening now around here.

When You Meet Paul Bunyan...

...be sure to pet his dog.

I met a guy named Chuck this week, who has agreed to be the subject for my documentary project, and I'm elated. He's a Paul Bunyan-type, Renaissance man who has started a small farm on a piece of land he bought from a developer to prevent it from becoming lawns and new homes. He is determined to bring agriculture back to this area that hasn't been tilled since the 1960's, and to preserve the old way of life. He's building a barn that will be part museum, part educational center so the younger generations can learn from the past. He's a gentle giant, too, and this is his dog, Ace, an Australian Shepherd that likes to chase chickens.

I'll be posting more about Chuck and Ace in the coming weeks, but I don't want to reveal too much or post photos of him just yet. But let's just say, I'm totally psyched for this project. More to come...

Photo (c) Claire Houston/SALT, Ace at the Farm Stand, 2008

Pretty

This was the view from the ferry as it was leaving port today at 10:00am. So friggin' pretty!

Fall is Happening

Foliage is happening north of Portland, and it's GORGEOUS. I took a few shots out the window on the long drive back yesterday, and though it was overcast, the colors burst. I admit, I tweaked these shots a bit with brightness and saturation, but it's only to emphasize a point, not change the subject entirely.

We had a good day at the mill and UMaine, and we got an earful of things I never thought I'd ever need to know if life. We learned about things like, "forest products", acetic acid, cellulose (a food additive made of wood - think Wonder Bread!), and a whole slew of industry jargon and chemistry terms. We met with Dan at the Mill who used to be a mill worker for 28 years, but now acts as the HR manager. He also used to be VP of his labor union; it's an interesting story. This isn't the story I envisioned when I came to Salt, but it's not NOT interesting. I guess I'm interested in just about anything where I'm learning. Lucky me. We're still honing the story, but we've got a lot of information to start with, and thankfully, Larissa was recording the whole time.

Tomorrow, Marc and I are Damariscotta and Waldoboro bound in search of more winterization stories. I'll be sure to take more foliage shots for those of you who are missing the New England fall.

Vader Was Framed

Funny thing about Maine - they LOVE lobster around here. I've never been a fan myself, but I'm fascinated by these prehistoric looking creatures. They are some funky crustaceans. And moose. Lots of imagery with moose here, too. I haven't seen one yet myself, but I hope to, and hopefully not plastered to the windshield of my car.

Tomorrow I'm headed up to Old Town (true name) and Orono to do some research for my other collaborative project with Larissa. We're touring the Old Town Mill and interviewing some professors of forestry and engineering at the University of Maine. With a two hour drive each way, it's going to be a long day. I'm bringing my camera, but I'm skeptical that I'll get any good shots yet. I'm trying to keep an open mind. The writers can get more excited about their subjects early, but as a photographer, I've got to see it first before I can get excited about the project.

I loved this guy's shirt in the seafood store. He offered to pull out "a big one" to show me - how could I say no? He calculated that this lobster was (9) years old, based on its weight of 4lbs. NINE!? His shirt made my day.

Photo: Claire Houston/SALT (c) 2008: Vader Was Framed