One of my favorite new alternative rock groups is AWOLNATION. The lyrics are deep & the group name resonates with me politically, as I feel our nation has been AWOL way too long. One of my favorite songs off their Megalithic Symphony CD is Knights of Shame, & the lyric "Is anyone out there breathing?" is something I've often asked myself, for IF there were, we as a country would not be in the fix we're in, as a planet or people, have created the poison we drink, breathe, eat. Is anyone paying attention, I question. No matter how broke we are, we can't afford NOT to at least pay attention. To complain without taking action is useless. No matter how busy we are, there are quick, easy ways to participate, especially those of us online, where there are web sites that do ALL the work of setting up fax/email databases so all one has to do is click a web page button to send pre-written messages to our local, state & national representatives--for any cause, belief or issue! ONE minute a day, or a week, anyone can afford to give a minute of time towards a positive action & outcome. Why DON'T so many do the very least? Are we a country of lazy whining complainers with our heads up our collective butts(or in the sand if you prefer), rather than the revolutionary history, freedom & so-called democracy we're famous for? One of my favorite quotes, though I am paraphrasing here, is "Those who would give up their freedom for a little security, deserve NEITHER". When people say we get the leader we deserve, not so for those of us who didn't vote with the empty headed majority. Millions never vote at all, ignoring a freedom billions in the world would give their lives for, & our ancestors died to provide for us! Again I echo AWOLNATION, "IS there anybody out there breathing?" Knights of Shame song title, IMHO, points to those we have trusted to represent us, who instead have forgotten the people who put them there.

I was disabled the last 10 years, literally homebound & just recently (Jan. 2011) went off over 20 medications that were masking the fact that the original problems they were meant to treat, no longer existed! Instead the meds were what was disabling me & robbed me of a decade of living. I'm grateful to have found this out--the hard way, as usual for me--and feel as if I've been reborn in many ways. I'm 47, most of my relatives died by age 55, that's a scary fact for me. I'm embracing life with both hands & both feet, catching up & making up for lost time. Rather than live each day in a fog of blindness, too busy to pay attention to the world we're all creating in that lack of awareness of the world around us, I want to make every day I have left count for something positive. Is there anyone out there breathing, who will commit to the same, no matter what your beliefs or cause, to take SOME action no matter how tiny, daily or weekly?

Let's see if this works.
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I found Estrip from an article on
The Ledges in VT by Paul, since I'll be doing a photography session for a client/friend there later this summer & knew nothing about the place. Thanks to Paul's post & photos, I now can't wait to go.

I decided to join Estrip, but I have to say, despite my years as a computer professional, I'm LOST. How do I change my avatar pic, are there required size standards, does this site assume I'm part of Google Cloud, and is this service for only Buffalo, NY members?

So far I'm enjoying exploring everyone else's posts, great reads & quality photo-journalism styles. I don't normally need hand-holding to figure out how a site or service works, but...ok, I'm admitting that I could use a few hints, at least ;)
Gina