Category: agrarian

Pro Camera One Roll Project

For their one roll contest I thought Pro Camera would select a CHO-style photo like this exposure from the DJT DC 6/14/2025 event. Instead they chose old white guys…
These two. I met the old-feller on the right when I was six, met the one on the left when I was twenty-three.
They are wild, philosophical, and fun.
They can edit, sail, hammer, talk, teach, and rabble rouse.
we are going down a road together
Above, my friends’ grandfather, at his farm. The Pro Camera Team’s pick of a corn-photo of Mr. Frank’s descendants 100 years later is an example of the film silver halide magic, Stitching across time.
I started chasing shadows in 1968. I’ve been a farm-laborer, photojournalist, toiletologist, dishwasher, janitor, retail photo clerk, plumber, HVAC tech, auto mechanic, CAT scan tech, computer worker, dog walker and tree-planter. Photos are a favorite thing, my heart and memory.

13,000 years later, still locked up

Sheep were among the first animals domesticated by humans, with the process beginning between 11,000 and 8,000 BCE in Mesopotamia (part of the Fertile Crescent in the Near East).
This domestication originated from wild mouflon ancestors, primarily for meat, milk, and skins, with later selection for woolly traits emerging around 6000 BCE.
Genetic and archaeological evidence, including findings from sites like Aşıklı Höyük in central Turkey, supports an initial domestication over 11,000 years ago.
There is also evidence of possible independent domestication around 7000 BCE in regions like Mehrgarh in South Asia.

robot plumbers?

My opening lesson as a toiletologist. Pasting in below a link to a conversation between Ross Douthat (NYT) and Daniel Kokotajlo, former Open AI employee. I’d thought repair plumbing was less at risk from large language models than the practice of medicine. Daniel is causing me to rethink. Dan is pessimistic, he reputedly places the probability that A.I. will decimate humanity at 70 percent. Eek! Same as the chance your toilet will misbehave.

Dan’s website

day of rest

broad steepled churcg
Shiloh Baptist Church, Palmyra, Virginia

Based on the prevalence of biblical names and the size of the U.S. church population (approximately 500,000 churches), a conservative estimate suggests there could be several hundred to a few thousand churches with “Shiloh” in their names.

The term “Shiloh” has multiple layers of meaning in scripture, which contribute to its appeal:
•Geographical Place: Shiloh was an ancient city in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Jerusalem, where the Israelites set up the Tabernacle after entering the Promised Land (Joshua 18:1). It was the central place of worship during the period of the Judges, where figures like Hannah prayed and Samuel received his prophetic calling (1 Samuel 1:3, 3:1-10). Its role as a sacred space makes it a symbol of God’s presence among His people.
•Prophetic Figure: In Genesis 49:10, “Shiloh” is widely interpreted by Christians as a Messianic title. The verse suggests that a ruler from Judah will hold authority until “Shiloh comes,” to whom the nations will gather. Early Jewish and Christian scholars, including the Targum Onkelos and Church Fathers, saw this as a prophecy of the Messiah. The term may derive from Hebrew roots meaning “peace-giver,” “he to whom it belongs,” or “messenger,” all of which Christians apply to Jesus.
•Symbol of Peace and God’s Presence: Shiloh’s association with rest and tranquility reflects God’s promise of peace. In the New Testament, this is fulfilled in Jesus, who offers spiritual rest (Matthew 11:28-30) and is the ultimate dwelling place of God’s presence (John 1:14; Colossians 2:9). The fall of Shiloh due to Israel’s disobedience (1 Samuel 4; Jeremiah 7:12-14) also serves as a warning against spiritual complacency, a theme Baptists often emphasize in preaching repentance and faithfulness.

Relation to Jesus
The connection between Shiloh and Jesus is primarily rooted in the Messianic interpretation of Genesis 49:10, which is significant for Baptist theology:
•Fulfillment of Prophecy: Christians, including Baptists, believe Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Shiloh as the descendant of Judah who holds eternal kingship. He is the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5) and the ruler to whom the nations are gathered (Philippians 2:9-11). The scepter (symbolizing authority) remains with Judah until the Messiah, Jesus, establishes His eternal kingdom.
•Bringer of Peace: Shiloh’s meaning as “peace-giver” aligns with Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) and the one who brings reconciliation between God and humanity (Ephesians 2:14). Baptist churches often emphasize salvation through Jesus, who offers rest for the soul, mirroring Shiloh’s connotation of tranquility.
•Spiritual Temple: In the Old Testament, Shiloh housed the Tabernacle, where God’s presence dwelt. In the New Testament, Jesus is seen as the ultimate temple (John 2:19-21), and His Spirit dwells in believers, making the church the new “temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16). For Baptists, naming a church “Shiloh” may symbolize the church as a place where believers encounter Jesus, the true source of God’s presence.
•New Covenant: The fall of Shiloh and the departure of the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:22) foreshadowed the rejection of the old system and the establishment of a new covenant through Jesus. Baptists, who emphasize salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), see Jesus as the fulfillment of Shiloh’s promise—a new, eternal place of rest.-Mr. Grok