click photo to enlarge
Today I went to cast my vote in the local elections and did something that I've never done before - I spoiled my ballot paper by writing on it "None of the above". That's something that I never imagined I'd do. It's always been my feeling that you should exercise your democratic right even if it only means voting for the least worst option. Today my problem was that there wasn't a least worst option! They were all completely unpalatable.Should I have voted for the Conservative Party candidate? Well, let's set aside the host of reasons why I won't, and the fact that I'm congenitally incapable of doing so, and simply consider the fact that if it was between the Mafia and the Conservatives I'd vote Mafia because they exhibit less self-interest. Should I have voted for UKIP? Though they protest otherwise they are essentially a single issue, Little England party, and I find their core policies distasteful. Then there is the party that currently holds power locally, the BBI - another single issue party trying to convince us that they have sound policies across the board and the core competencies necessary for local government when all the evidence shows that they don't. And that was my choice. No Labour, Lib-Dem, or Green Party candidates. I'd have voted for any of those as the least worst option (though I would have needed a peg on my nose to vote Lib-Dem). Incidentally, it's something of a sore point with me that my opinion will not be noted and my ballot paper will simply be counted with all the other spoiled examples. I believe that in some political systems "None of the above" is a choice offered for your "X", and we'd do well to offer it here too. For anyone who is wondering, yes, I did cast my vote in the referendum on AV. Mine was a "Yes" for change.
Today's photograph has nothing at all to do with local politics. It's a photograph of a few rhododendron blooms that I took on a short walk at Woodhall Spa recently. I hopped around the bush until I found this composition that quite pleased me. I liked the foreground bloom with its "ruff" or "necklace" of leaves, and the way the other two fill the frame and become less distinct with distance.
photograph and text (c) T. Boughen
Camera: Canon
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 60mm
F No: f4
Shutter Speed: 1/50
ISO: 125
Exposure Compensation: 0 EV
Image Stabilisation: On
