I would like to discuss about what the other person who I interact with would care about on their mind.  It is to exchange ideas about how to deal with problems of the world or their universe.  Listening to the other person first and exchanging ideas for me can inspire into better things in the solution realm.  Maybe that is the hope.  Maybe looking outside of your own issues will bring forth some solutions into your issues that you need to deal with.  That I hope will encourage the exchange a dialog with other people or groups. 

Crossposted also at Vox
This blog entry will be more of a talk more then a show and display due to the copyrights restrictions by the photographer, Dennis Brack- the current White House News Photographers Association's President.  He was speaking at the Kodak Lecture Series. 

The Kodak Lectures is an ongoing international lecture series programmed by the School of Image Arts at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada for 25 years.  This unique program has featured over 200 photo-based artists, filmmakers, curators, writers and theorists discussing their work in front of an audience made up of the city's cultural community. 

Dennis Brack started his career as a law student, but he also have a passion for photography.  It took a while to get his work recognized.  His connection with Black Star, a photo agency for over 80 years basing in the New York City have their works recognized at Time, Newsweek

, CBS, US News, and businesses such as National Geographic and Getty Images.  He does most on Presidents starting from LBJ to George W.Bush Jr.  Some photographers like taking photographs because it tells a story and earn them a buck or it has some artistic value.  Some of Brack's favorites presidents or politicians were/are: Nixon, Regan, Joe Biden and the Kennedy's.  The Clintons turned out to be very emotional subjects to be photographed.  McCain's moment limited what he can do in photographs.  Photographers such as Brack earned the trust of the Presidents such as LBJ or Regan to obtain exclusive photos for various magazine covers.  Some of the unflattering photographs of the past presidents such as Nixon, Ford, George Bush Sr were liked by the presidents themselves.  

For more about the photographer-- Black Star @ Ryerson University

Black Star Official Homepage

Dennis Brack Archive

Making decisions are an everyday occurrence to me and to a number of people in their lives.  Decision-making requires a lot of trial and errors.  It requires courage, strength and wisdom to accept the choices that you make after a decision is made.  Decision making requires time consuming process of going through the pros and cons of the choices one has to make.  Sometimes choices that one has to make requires some consultation with other people like friends, family, relatives or people that you know.  For me, I do pray a lot of times before I reach for my decisions.  I analyze about the pros and cons of the situations before making a major decision.  Does anyone talk to their pets before making any major decisions? 

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”--  Tom Robbins

Way too many negativity around or reminding me of the past.  That then sets me back.  The main reason: mistrust.  I could not bring myself completely to trust anyone with my whole heart and soul.  I am a cynic.  As a result, I am working on loving the people that I care the most.  My parents and my partner.  I do not know how to be a cynic and

be at the same time trust too.  Once get pinched, twice get ditched.  The only thing I know how to do at this present time, hear it by ear with the situations that I could not control.

Q AND A with Gaia new Friday Five:
1) What are you thankful for today?
2) What do you appreciate about the Earth?
3) Who is the last person you said “thank you” to?
4) When was the last time someone thanked you?
5) What is your favorite way to say thank you?
I will say that I had a difficult week due to the winter to be blues, I guess.  I am not ready for these weather extreme changes.  It is a mixed blessing to say thank you that the week will end. 
The Earth is still around and I am ever so grateful. 
Who did I say thank you, my partner from work, not the one that I go out with for dates.
I always either say thank you on the phone or emails or Facebook.  Thats where my friends now reside.
I wish I even remember who said thank you to me, oh dear, probably my co-worker. 

What have I been wondering about?  I do wonder on a great deal of things in life and it varies from day in and day out.  I would say that right now that I would discuss about the economic issues of the day.  Notice: I am not an economist or speculators.  Ever since I grew up as a child, I knew that money was not easy to come by.  The economy in the 1990s at best stressful at best.  I witnessed families getting issues with money and quarrel over how much funds they would have after they split up.  I do see some of the people around me using credits the means to the end.  I did not understand the consequences.  I did not until a few years ago that I went into a deep depression and was broke.  It did not help being broke and in a hole.  I believe it became worst after 2001.  The economy we knew went down the tubes in the slow aging decline.  No one or countries seem to know what to do with the economic downturn, only that the fact is that the downturn are affecting almost all corners of the world.  Most of us do not remember our human needs are simple in good and bad times: jobs, roofs on our heads, food, health and safety.   Why do the Wall Street expect the government to bail them out?  How about recently the big three car manufactures expect the government to bail them out too?  Who will be next for bail outs?  I wonder when our vicious cycle of government grants that does not make any sense to even the government will end?  How come? 
I wonder we would learn from this economic chaos or we would remain forgetful as usual?

The last work of art I saw were actually movie posters of Miri and Zac made a Porno, Australia, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  These are actually movie posters that stood out for particular reasons that are very different.  I will post a link for 2 of the mentioned movies above.  The other one, Australia, looks very beautiful and striking, but at the same time, I am aware there might be a factor of selling some tourism.  I think movies(cinematography) are becoming a very powerful tool selling places of interest.  It can lead people to go to places that have ever been to the countries or landscapes before. 

Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.-- William Ellery Channing

Shooting photographs of people and things that moves.  Shooting some videos:)

Worth: noun

the value or merit of someone or something.  There are very often that we find material worth more prevalent nowadays then love, relationships, social interactions and the meaning of life.  During the most difficult days, the most worthwhile things around me are: love from my two cats, my love from my partner, my family and God.  I know that these things will remain as days or years gone by.  Despite of how imperfect humans are, love are worth
a
while to keep and pursued.  Keeping your pets, such as cats in midst of hard economic times are worth every moments, even when you could be down to the dumps and meows or woofs could cost you a few vet bills or two.
Note: I was in awe when I heard from someone about healthy pets that are being put down by pet owners and are willing to pay for it.  That is why for me, love for my pets and even humans are worth a while, unless if they are unnecessary in need of suffering in ways that we could not imagine.