Barrel Roll

My iPod takes an interminably long time to update for some reason, so while I'm waiting for that, just a stray thought or two.

Obviously, Engel wearing an orange barrel on the street IS art.

Had a brief thrill this week when I was contacted by a photo editor at the New York Times asking permission to run one of my shots of Katie Reider in a profile they were doing. I of course granted permission and sent them the high res file immediately. Then they decided there was only room for one photo, which would be the typical singing/playing guitar shot, so mine would not be used. I think I jinxed it when I mentioned it to some people I know in NYC, hoping they could grab me a copy (it was set to run in the Metro section, only available in NYC) so the cosmos must have caught wind of it and stomped on it. When I first got the news, Tia said that it must be karma, after doing what I could to spread the word and promote her fundraiser, which felt sort of warm and fuzzy as a concept. Following that logic, having it pulled out from under me must also be karma, too, possibly for being excited about having a photo published as part of an obituary. Obviously thinking it would be used, then to have it "killed" is harsher than never being considered at all.

Turns out the article focused largely on Katie's continuing to keep faith in God, despite the devastating illness that caused her so much suffering before her death. I don't know... I simply couldn't believe in any god that would subject someone to that kind of torture just to teach them some sort of a lesson. Katie had a female life partner with whom she had two children, a lifestyle so vilified by most "Christians" that it seems to me to add an extra irony to her managing to keep her faith. So many "Christians" would tell her that it must be God's wrath and punishment for being homosexual, yet she kept her understanding of God clear in her mind. While I don't share her belief, I do have to admit that her faith was mighty strong.