You are right. Then Reagan gave a huge tax cut and covered it by pretending the social security trust fund was part of the budget. Since then every president--Republican and Democrat--has done the same thing with or without changes in the tax code.

The one or two exceptions that allow benefits to go to those who have not paid in are so small as to be non-existent. As I recall there was one amendment by one congressman to pay his grandmother benefits and it also covered a few (very few) other people. Otherwise you have to pay to play.

Good answer. There are a couple of other ways they could reduce payments like making the retirement age older or the disability requirements stricter but generally you are right. One reason they are out of wack now is the baby boomers are collecting and so there are more beneficiaries than workers paying into the system. That will change once the baby boomers die off and the baby bust following them starts collecting.

Great collection--I really laughed MAO... I love the locker room one--when we were allowed to go to the Y this one never failed and it never failed to amuse all us old farts there. Have a funny day...

I'm sorry that I don't have any experience with the Leica Q2. I do have an affection for the Leica brand as my last film camera was a Leica and I loved it.

Moving on I have a perspective that drives me. I am a 73 year old male who shot with Nikon dslr for years. The equipment started getting heavy on different trips--specially on mountain paths and boats so I decided to go with something lighter. (I would also mention that the weight limits on small planes was also a consideration.) I decided to go mirrorless but like many of my decisions things went amok. I wound up changing from a crop sensor Nikon to a full frame mirrorless Sony with Sony lenses. I haven't helped that much with weight but the real advantage is that the change gave me a new perspective on photography and I believe my pictures are better. At least it injected a new energy into my photography.

So my perspective is that you can teach and old dog new tricks and it's really fun to learn a whole new approach to your pictures. I think you have a lot of good reasons to switch to the Leica Q2 or some other similar Leica that will give you what you want. I wish you great shooting and like you, I'm dying to be able to travel again when we can. Happy travels and shooting...

I too like the first one the most. The composition is great and to me it speaks of sky and earth and in that shot you get a better sense of earth and the light filtering through the clouds creates a perfect connection between the sky and earth. Very nice shot--thanks for sharing.

That's a useful perspective.

You have a great family!

I agree Jerry--I also have Great Courses and have learned amazing things through their lecture series. However, I don't watch them exclusively. I also read a lot. Having said that I still like to get away to escapism and trashy old or new movies and good B movies (yes, I think a good B movie is way better than a regular big studio movie). Mindless entertainment is good and even surprises you sometimes and makes you think while big time moves seldom make you do anything beyond wishing you had not started it. So thanks for the recommendations.

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Thanks, you did clarify your thinking to me. I agree that sometimes people grapple with an image they created and try too hard to analyze it--probably failing. On the other hand there are also many excellent discussions you can have about a photograph (or any art) that simply point out what works for you and what doesn't and why. This can be a very stimulating discussion if done in good faith and good humor.

First, great work on both parts, the image and words together transcend each one alone.

Second, it's nice to hear good stories about FB. I use it and am often disappointed in the junk and pettiness posted there. But then I've also keep in touch with old friends that won't write, call or email and I've made a number of new friends that constantly delight and challenge me. You got a winning combination.

Ah, lighten up--there is no need to define what a good subject is. To add and add to a paraphrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the [artist/photographer] beholder." I think that the pictures posted so far in this string prove to me that a tree can be a perfect subject for a photograph. Just as a mountain or stream or . . .

I do laugh though because one of my early influences in photography used to say that you had to shoot light coming through redwoods before you could call yourself a photographer. Of course he was speaking tongue in cheek and we all laughed about it--but all of us shot pictures of light through the redwoods for years after that always remembering that day. I say take any picture of anything that speaks to you in some way and that you can imagine the image.

I will save that picture for Thanksgiving...

Nice post--don't exactly know why I find these, "when things went terribly wrong" videos so funny but I do. I think it's that we can see ourselves potentially in these hapless situations.

Gila Bend is a good half way spot but it's a dying little town and has been that way for years. I stay there when I'm alone on my bike because I can cut south, north or east from there and I'm often not sure where I'll want to go the next day. Almost no restaurants and a lot of cheap motels.

Tucson is a better option for going to Silver City. Lots of options for lodging and as has been noted, Saguaro National Park (both east and west) is a great option. From Silver City I really like the ride to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument--great photo ops, not too crowded and not a bad walk to the ruins. It's a great trip--hope you enjoy it.