Tulip City Dispatch

 The assignment was to take an old disposable camera that I'd found in the basement, jimmy-rig a polarized filter out of an old pair of sunglasses, then shoot what I saw in and around Downtown Holland, Michigan. Some key takeaways? It's not necessarily worth using a filter like this when the clouds are making diffuse light anyway (except when it is) Rule Of Thirds is a general guideline, and I hope I didn't create too much imbalance Holland has some really cool architecture!   A view of the sidewalk in Holland Heights, looking westward along E. 8th Street The entryway to the Windmill Way subdivision, at the corner of Paw Paw Drive and E. 8th St. A retaining wall looking west on E 8th St, just a bit down the road from Windmill Way Construction in front of Barber Ford, looking westward at US-31.  Background has the Shell Station and the plaza where Ditto and the Secretary Of State office are Barber Ford looking south along Homestead Drive.  Love that Blue Oval! The sam...

  On Friday, August 4, 2023, Amagansett Press hit the mean streets of Holland, Michigan for purposes related to auditing the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Basically, the dude stands in front of storefronts or on public sidewalks and just...films people.  The people are either entering or exiting businesses, or just walking down the sidewalk.  His goal seems to be to get police to interact with him , then he'll sue the police departments .  Heralded as a folk hero by some , he's pretty financially successful on his Youtube channel , having monetized it to almost $300,000 per year according to this Redditor . A quick Google search for "Amagansett Press" shows a library of news articles about him suing variou...

 As I was driving around West Michigan today, I got thinking about old - the concept of old, the abstract idea of the good ol' days , the stories and experiences of those who came before us, and just how the hell we all got here.  Hemingway said “Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name,” and when I consider my own path here, and the reasons why I made this blog, I want to uphold that idea as best as I can. Part of what draws me to thrift stores and antique stores is wondering about the stories of the items around me...part of why I did the $50 Thrift Store Golf Challenges was to take something I enjoy (golfing) and explore the experience of using old clubs that I'd find.  Let me tell ya, you really gain an appreciation for modern metallurgy and computer design after playing with some of those old stinkers...yet, those are the clubs I learned on back in the day at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Hudsonville; those are...