Rob at new blogrollee CrabAppleLane has an interesting post regarding a disturbing police policy in Long Beach, CA:
Police Chief Jim McDonnell has confirmed that detaining photographers for taking pictures “with no apparent esthetic value” is within Long Beach Police Department policy.
Leaving aside the matter of incipient police state activity (which I leave aside because Rob handles that quite nicely), I have Pythonesque visions regarding the charge of “no apparent esthetic value.” To wit:
“Your honor, the defense would like to call Dr. Iman Artcritic, who will argue that the defendant’s pictures of the car crusher were in fact a gripping testament to human cruelty and the decay of civil society.”
“Nonsense, counselor. I may not know art, but I know what I like. The defendant’s pictures show a stunning disregard for composition and really, are rather derivative. Lock him up.”
Kind of gives indecent exposure a new meaning, doesn’t it?
May your day be picturesque, and no more suspicious than you wish it to be.
Professor Mondo 
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