Children and snakes…and an orange iguana!

Whilst driving through Port Dickson recently, noticed a group of children with a rather large collection of snakes. Only managed a few shots as they were touting for money for photographs – and I’m cheap and wasn’t in the mood to negotiate, irrespective of any ethical concerns – but grabbed a few, including the most startlingly orange iguana I have ever seen. The albino python crawling around one child’s waist was something to behold as well!

Once I started showing interest, at least 12 assorted constrictors started emerging from under clothes and being placed on the table. I wish I had had longer to check out the back-story as these were well looked-after and healthy reptiles. Perhaps another time…

Not on this beach…

Well, all beaches have some rules to be followed or ignored as the mood takes you, but I love the graphic depiction of “immoral activities” as seen on this beach warning sign in Port Dickson.
Just the concept of the sun setting, the obvious time for romantic feelings to flourish, and the gentle leaning towards each other in a display of emotion – obviously completely immoral and forbidden.
A disgrace to common sense, human feelings, and the restriction of idiotic religion. Inane, and pathetic, and so Malaysian.

Disturbing…

Only some kind of warped humour could produce this…

If real horses need hay…

Then do colourful plastic ones need gas?

My favourite pen: Redux.

A while ago I wrote a post about my favourite pens, the Fisher Space pens, which I have used for many years, and continue to use today, one at home, and one which is permanently in my bag.

For my birthday recently, my parents decided to send me a new one, the original full-size (as opposed to my other bullet sized pens) Space Pen. As used in space.

And I love it just as much. Very solid, very well-made, very nice writing action. Clicks open solidly, and closes positively. Still Made In the USA, and still as good as ever. My new desk pen. Thanks!

A little slideshow of pics follows:

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Gone fishin’. Well, sort of…

Went fishing recently, from an estuarine pier which is a new experience for me – previously have only been a fresh-water angler with very occasional forays into deep-sea boat fishing – and initially was quite bemused by the very organized nature of the endeavour. Fishing “huts” on the pier, with running water, bait cutting trays and benches are far away from my usual “take everything in boxes and cases and find some riverbank”  approach.

And it wasn’t the most successful trip ever, either. ;( 3 hours in boiling sunshine, with crabs regularly stealing the bait doesn’t compare to the more relaxed, dare I say “refined” nature of river fishing.

But I caught a fish. “A” singular. And not exactly something to boast about, either. In fact, it was so small I promptly set a larger hook and used the poor bugger as live bait in order to try, without luck, to try and snag something larger.

But FWIW here it is, my sole catch – a Spanish Snapper or some such thing – shortly before becoming sacrificed in the quest for an “upgrade”. Still, it was a fun trip, worth repeating if the fish hadn’t been disturbed by the arrival of blue jellyfish that scared all the fish away for the day, effectively halting play. Apparently this particular jellyfish is safer to eat than the fish. Huh, who would have known (at the time)?

Random shots: Pastel bench

Just for the colours..and the nice smooth bokeh from the Oly 45mm f1.8 lens.

 

Random shot: Wrong drink, wrong place.

This did not come out of that vending machine. As someone who sees these *everywhere* I could do without also seeing them randomly dumped. Please people, if you drink Boost drinks, dispose of them responsibly. The environment thanks you.

Random shots: Busker.

Recently took a few shots of a busker at a market. It was quite funny to see his huge smile on seeing me take his picture (which I missed by a second) followed by a less dramatic, but no less pleasing smile which lingered…

After that he continued to shoot glances at me to see if I was still shooting, somewhat suspicious glances from the look of this crop, lol!

*Pictures taken on my Olympus EPL-1, with the frankly awesome 45mm/f1.8 “portrait” lens.

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City

Makes nothing but sense to me, although we have all been complicit in allowing things to get this bad, and go this far. Time to get off our collective butts and change things before it is too late.

This document was accepted by the NYC General Assembly on September 29, 2011, with minor updates made on October 1, 2011. It is the first official, collective statement of the protesters in Zuccotti Park.

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As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

• They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
• They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
• They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
• They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
• They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.
• They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
• They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
• They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
• They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
• They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
• They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
• They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
• They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
• They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
• They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them.
• They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
• They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives or provide relief in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit.
• They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
• They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
• They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
• They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
• They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
• They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*

To the people of the world,

We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

Join us and make your voices heard!

This article was published at NationofChange at: http://www.nationofchange.org/declaration-occupation-new-york-city-1317784408. All rights are reserved.