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Continue reading →: David duChemin’s AdviseI was looking at some of my old photos recently and pondering David DuChemin’s newest advice about making the big scene the subject of a photo. He cautioned misusing the “fill the frame” advise as always meaning something from the macro world. Advice for a beginning photographer can become a…
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Continue reading →: The Treaty of Versailles and Creation of a New World Order
It seems to me we’re at one of those era-changing moments where the ultra-rich and oligarchs take back control of the government, economy and who knows what else. Of course I could be wrong, probably I am, but thinking about it gives me a chance to look back on the…
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Continue reading →: The Panic of 1873 (formerly known as the Depression)
When the Southern Rebellion was over Congress asserted its powers and took control of reconstruction. It a unified voice it passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments abolishing slavery and granting former slaves full citizenship with all its rights and privedges, in part to guarantee the war was not fought…
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Continue reading →: Silents with the Sprekels Organ in Balboa ParkThe silence is deafening, at least it is with a Buster Keaton movie from the 1920’s when it’s accompanied by the 81 rank Spreckels pipe organ at Balboa Park. Gifted to the city and the world by the sugar magnates and brothers John & Adolf Spreckels for the 1914 World’s…
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Continue reading →: Mailbox Monkeys Part 1
I didn’t do anything wrong, I’m not doing anything wrong, but it doesn’t feel right. They talk to me, I think, or maybe its all in my head. Maybe I’m going crazy. No, if I was going crazy all the houses would be the same, all the houses would be…
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Continue reading →: Clouds of SailI recently visited the Maritime Museum in San Diego. I heard the H.M.S. Surprise was about to leave forever and wanted to take a last look before she left. Being on that ship takes me back to plesant hours reading Patrick O’Brien’s Napoleonic seafaring books. I can smell the coffee…
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Continue reading →: Black and White MondayI’m working on a couple of book reviews but I’m not happy with them so back to the editing. In the meantime, my photo club is coming up and I’ve committed myself to submitting black and white for the next couple of months. So this is just a quick post…
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Continue reading →: The Know-Nothings PartyIt’s all the same except the batteries. With all the press about immigration and immigrants, I thought I would look back into American history and see if there was anything we might look at and compare to today. Sure enough, I found the Know Nothing Party. The Know Nothings are…
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Continue reading →: John Quincy Adams: Possibly the most qualified candidate to be president
He may have been the most qualified candidate to become president. As a young teen his dad took him to Europe where he met diplomats and observed what life was like on the continent that birthed the ideas our new nation would be founded upon. He started college there before…
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Continue reading →: The Case of the Mad Doctor-P.D.Lennon DK Random House 2025One of the beauties of fiction is putting things together that don’t necessarily exist in real time. Such is the case with Isaiah Ollenu, P. D. Lennon’s lead character in The Case of the Mad Doctor. Isaiah, is a Black Lawyer, a nearly impossible situation in 1770 London. Tasked by…
Hello,
I’m Dave
I’m a retired civics and history teacher and photographer. On this site you can access posts about taking better photographs and visit various places I’ve been.
I also host a monthly live series called History with Dave where I look at important events and issues from the past that might have some relevance to today. History with Dave is a voice over PowerPoint talk.
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