The butterfly effect

A few years ago I had a friend who was a student in psychology. One day she asked me to take a Rorschach test for training purposes. Now I suspect, that she wanted to lock me up in a psychiatric hospital...

So, she showed me the first picture and asked me : "What do you see ?". I answered very quickly :" a butterfly". She wrote my answer, and showed me the second picture and asked the same question. My response was the same for the second : "A butterfly."

I saw a butterfly in each of the first series of pictures. At this point she told me : "you can't see a butterfly in each picture. You must open your mind and try to see something else in this shape, not only butterflies!"

In the second series of the pictures I saw only butterflies... again... I was very annoyed because perhaps I was not normal. Maybe, my imagination was poor.... My attempt to help somebody has turned into a huge inner turmoil.

The years passed and my confusion stayed... One day I was organizing pictures of butterflies, and I remembered this test. I decided that this test exists only to create confusion and self doubt. Psychiatrists use it as an excuse to schedule many appointments and earn money. Those shapes are really butterflies, and if you try to see something else you're in trouble... Perhaps.

Field of dreams

Baseball.... This word, for many people, is religious. Now the interesting question is, which team does God cheer for ? For me the answer is the team that Jesus played on, because, as you know, a good father always supports his child's team. If you want my advice, don't ask the true fan this question... or say ''Yes'' to all he says. Your life may depend on this.

Out of curiosity, I went to see a baseball game. Prima facie, this game is scary, very scary. Let me explain why. As in " West Side Story", where "the Jets" and "the Sharks" are in confrontation with each other, two gangs are on the same field. One guy on a mound, looking at another guy (his enemy) with dark eyes... Holding a projectile in his hand behind his back. The second guy has only a piece of wood (sometimes the more modern gang uses a piece of aluminum), to hit back the projectile... If he is successful in hitting the projectile, the rest of the gang try to catch the projectile and throw it back at him...

More seriously, many people have said to me, " you'll see, Baseball is boring..." Perhaps it's true, but I love it...

For me it's like a volcano, you know something is going to happen, but you never know when... Before each throw, an intense calm reigns on the field, the electricity is all around us. And when the batter hits the ball, the little sound on the bat resonates like thunder in the fan's heart.

I love this game and for the photographer, it's the perfect game.

The Birds

A short time ago, a friend (or now I'm not sure) told me : " You French, if someone gives you a head of garlic, you could eat it all....,'' you must understand, because we eat snails and frogs... You know what ? They're very tasty...

One day, I was walking in the countryside, and I shot different birds (with my camera, I wasn't looking for my diner), and big surprise, I don't eat these birds.

Two possibilities ; the first, I haven't any garlic. The second I haven't a recipe for this type of bird. However if you have garlic or recipe, you can send them to me by e-mail (good luck with the garlic).

Another possibility exists, you can watch these birds like me, just for the pleasure of it, (but perhaps they are tasty... with garlic. I don't know.)

I will publish a specific post for these sea eagles. I love them, and without garlic...

Back to the future II

Excited by my previous journey back in time, I decided to use my DeLorean-Hyundai to take me at 77 mph to revisit the past ( actually, 35/45 mph because the cops have the perfect piece of paper for bringing you back to the present day).

I was looking forward to seeing Charles Ingals from "The Little House on the Prairie" again , to relive the peace and quiet of a bygone era. But, but but........... Perhaps, my car went too fast, and I found my self in the middle of  "Gone With the Wind"... The Confederates and the Union troops engaged in a battle for a little church... Much noise and confusion, many dead on each side, but the power of beer and the friendly mood resuscitated everybody for the next reenactment.

My second visit to the Bethpage Restoration was even better than the first. Many different characters, more new-old professions on show. I even saw a photographer taking pictures with an fully working early camera.

It was a good journey, and like the last time, I suggest you go with your children.

For my next journey to the past, I will try to meet " The Little Big Man", at least I hope...