Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2011

What Is This Relic?

I was out and about today and I saw the item pictured below. It looked vaguely familiar, but I just couldn't quite place it. It was like it came from another time and another place. It almost kind of looks like a precursor to my cell phone, but with all of those buttons on there and that long cord-like looking thing, it couldn't be. Well, whatever it is, I found it fascinating.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

A Horse Is A Horse, Of...Course?

Seriously? I've got nothing today. It's not like it's a totally slow news day, but pretty much. They're still protesting in Wisconsin and there isn't a Democrat Senator in sight. Sarah Palin has spoken up and stated that President Barry's problem is that he's inexperienced. This coming straight from the mouth of a woman who didn't quite manage to finish out half a term as governor. We've got a college professor at Northwestern University who apologized for the live demonstration for one of his classes of a couple of people using a sex toy. (A sex toy that, as it turned out, was attached to the end of a reciprocating saw, for cryin' out loud.) And the Nissan Leaf, the car that was supposed to cut our nation's dependence on oil so that we can stop kissing the ass of the sand lands, managed to sell 67 in the month of February. Not 6,700. Not 67,000. 67. (Mind you, we're a country of over 300,000,000 people. They sold 67. Gas is going to be $4 a gallon any day now. And you and I are going to be bending over at the pump and paying it. We are so scroomed.) And while that seems like a lot of stuff to choose from, it all just makes my ass so incredibly tired I cannot even tell you. (And yeah, I don't know what the deal is with that sheep. But it kind of sums everything up in a weird sort of way.)

So for today, compliments of BuzzFeed, what say we just enjoy the best family portrait ever. At least, I think it's the best. It could be the worst. All I know is that it has a little bit of everything. Daughter with a look of despair on her face and what appears to be an expired guinea pig hanging from her belt. A woman in a wheelchair in the background. Dad with an arm garter with one dollar bills tucked into it. Did I mention that the dad is also wearing some sort of horse costume so that he looks like a centaur? He is. And the mom with a child's airline pilot wings stuck to her forehead and her ample cleavage mostly squashed into her failing corset. There's no telling how far south these folks live. I'm also going to guess that there isn't a full set of teeth between the three of them. Behold!



Thursday, December 30, 2010

Keep Your Shirt On!

As you may or may not care to be aware, President Barry is vacationing in Hawaii, the state where he was born (NOT Kenya!). The other day, the White House issues "strict instructions" (whatever that is supposed to mean) that they were not allowing anyone to take any pictures of President Barry without his shirt on. Isn't he the leader of the "free world"? Doesn't sound so "free" if pictures can't be taken of him without his shirt on. But what if someone were to take a picture of a shirtless President Barry? Would that be so bad? Have you seen him without his shirt on before? Hell, no, it wouldn't be that bad. Behold!


See? I don't see what's so wrong with that! He looks fine! Since when can someone lay down rules about what one can and cannot photograph? In America! Don't get me wrong. If they were going to say that no one can take a picture of the President shirtless, I certainly wish they would have made that rule long before now. Do you know how many other Presidents have been photographed shirtless? Way too many for my taste, thanks. Let's have a look. We'll start with Bill Clinton. Really? Did we need to see this? Behold!

Put your shirt back on. Please? I also found the picture below of ol' Willie Jeff shirtless. I don't quite understand what's going on to each side of him, but I'm sure that he found it pleasurable. Probably in more ways than one.

Here's Ronald Reagan sans shirt. Why wasn't there a moratorium on photos like THIS?!

No, I don't know why it's in black and white. I'm pretty sure that he was President during the years of color photography (even though he probably spent most of his life sitting for oil paintings). And here's Gerald Ford without a shirt.

Not bad, but he's kind of old so it's kind of weird. And what's with the poolside robe? Was that an early 1970s trademark? Wearing a robe before taking a dip? Interesting. And again with the black and white picture. Here's Lyndon B. Johnson getting as close to shirtless as I am comfortable with, as he shows reporters his scar from his gall bladder surgery.
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How many of us know an old guy who is just like that? They'll start telling you a story about something that happened to them and the next thing you know, they're practically disrobing right in front of you as if you wouldn't believe them otherwise. No, no! I believe that you almost had your grundle shot off by the Nazis, Grandpa! Put your pants back on!

I just don't get what the big deal is. If President Barry doesn't want his picture taken without his shirt on, as the leader of the free world (with the key word there being "free") I suggest that he keep his shirt on rather than telling folks what they can and can't take a picture of. I'm also going to say that I'll be deeply disappointing in all of the paparazzi out there if they can't manage to get a picture of him shirtless anyway. That's their job. After all, the word "paparazzi" is derived from an old Italian term meaning "A-holes who invade your privacy to get pictures that tabloids will pay for". Chop-chop!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Photos: AWP Conference

Here they finally are! I'd almost forgotten that I took them, or how enjoyable the conference was. Denver!

Alison Meyers and Duriel Harris at the Cave Canem Booth
Cave Canem director Alison Meyers and Duriel Harris at the Cave Canem booth, at AWP
At Leela's, a really cool spot
At Leela's, a really cool little Denver café
Forrest Gander and Dan Beachy-Quick
Forrest Gander and Dan Beachy-Quick
Young poet and Treasure Williams
Treasure Williams (at right), and another poet (I cannot recall her name)
Young poet and Jericho Brown
The one and only Jericho Brown, in foreground
Hannah Tinti (my former grad school classmate)
Hannah Tinti, my former grad school classmate, and editor of One Story
Tim Liu and Nathalie Stephens/Nathanaël (fellow panelists)
Timothy Liu and Nathanaël, who were on a panel I organized, on LGBTQ translation
Nightboat Books crew, including Stephen Motika (at right)
The Nightboat Books crew, with writer Edwin Torres (at left), and editor Stephen Motika, at right
Saeed Jones (snapping a photo), a friend, Cyrus Cassells
Saeed Jones, a friend, and Cyrus Cassells
Mitchell Douglas and Indigo Moor
Mitchell Douglas and Indigo Moor
Duriel Harris and Indigo Moore
Duriel Harris and Indigo Moor
Randall Horton reading at the Cave Canem table
Randall Horton, reading at the Cave Canem booth
Tiphanie Yanique
Fiction writer Tiphanie Yanique
Amina Cain at the AWP Book Fair
AWP Book Fair, with Amina Cain approaching the camera (in the sunny blouse)
The Translating Contemporary Literature from Latin America panel
Translating Contemporary Latin American literature panel, with Kristin Dykstra at the podium, and l-r (unknown poet, Daniel Borzutzky, Monica de la Torre, and Urayoán Noël)
Anne Waldman
Ann Waldman, reading at the Mandorla reading at the Denver Center for Contemporary Art
Mónica de la Torre
Mónica de la Torre, reading at the Mandorla reading at the Denver Center for Contemporary Art
Steve Thomasula
Steve Thomasula, reading at the Mandorla reading at the Denver Center for Contemporary Art
Gabriela Jauregui
Gabriela Jauregui, reading at the Mandorla reading at the Denver Center for Contemporary Art
Dawn Lundy Martin
Dawn Lundy Martin
Patricia Smith, and a fellow poet
Patricia Smith, and a fellow poet, posing for a photo
Denver by night
Denver night streetscape
Gar Patterson at the Black Nature panel
Gar Patterson, speaking at the "Black Nature" panel
Cyrus Cassells at the Black Nature panel
Cyrus Cassells, who chaired the "Black Nature" panel

Friday, April 16, 2010

Tea Party Photo Goodness


Yesterday was tax day here in the US. And as one could expect, there were Tea Party protests/rallies/demonstrations across the country. They were entertaining, but not as entertaining as the health care protests last summer were. Now those were something. One of the main differences that I've noticed is that the Tea Party folks, for the most part, can spell. That doesn't mean they know what they're talking about, but it is concerting that they have a grasp of the basics. That being said, let's take a look at some signs and scenes from yesterday, shall we?

Here we have a child being made to hold a sign that is supposed to represent her feelings. The sign reads "Obama took my toof fairy money!" He apparently also took the forward facing Fs, Rs and Es, as well as the TH sound.


That wasn't the only sign wielding child out yesterday. Here's another one. Um, honey? I'm not so sure that you want to be part of a "tea bagger family". Tea party family, perhaps. But I think that being a "tea bagger family" is probably illegal. Definitely off-putting.


I appreciated the originality of the Tea Party Mobile or whatever you want to call it below. I like how there's just a little bit of everything thrown in there. Jesus. Truth. Insanity. Disaster. Lies. Taxes. Pork. Health care. Right. Wrong. Repent. Perverts. Wait. Perverts? Yep. Over there on the left. Next to Pork. Perverts. OK. I'm against perverts. Nice. Thanks.


This was one of the very few misspelled signs that were out there. The sign to the left of it was one of the most all inclusive signs out there.


It wouldn't be a protest in America without some nutjob questioning President Barry's citizenship. What is wrong with you people?


Where's the birth certificate? It's on the Internet, nutjob. And yes, it's real. For cryin' out loud.

And along those same lines, it just wouldn't be a protest without someone making the Obama-Osama comparison. Yes, we know. They sound a lot alike. Adolf and Rudolph sound a lot alike as well, but you don't hear folks comparing that little reindeer fellow to Hitler, now, do you?


Ahh. Go back to Kenya. Lovely. You're not doing a lot to add credibility to your cause, but you do make me laugh, so that's something. By the way, HE'S NOT FROM KENYA! Morons.

And here we have a little birther action combined with a little "In Living Color" action. Interesting combo to say the least.


Why bother with multiple signs when you can just cram it all onto one piece of poster board. The problem with it is that they're really only taking a stand against two of those things. They don't want the fascism or the socialism and they seem to think that the Obamacare sucks. Other than that, they're just sort of stating issues. Oh, how I only wish they had stated what "ALIAN CARE" was exactly and why it is illegal.


I've got feathers and a pitchfork. I also have torches and axe handles if you need some of those as well, sir.


And finally, we have these folks. The one, dressed like a priest (I think) is proclaiming that God hates taxes. I don't know why God would care about taxes. God doesn't pay taxes. But that's not really what I'm focused on here. I'm focused on what in the hell that is over to the right of that dude! It's like one of those guys from the cantina in Star Wars wearing some sort of mossy coat and trousers. It's odd and I have no idea what it has to do with tax protests. And I'm dying to know what brochure he's holding.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Random Photos: New York City

A few recent photos, from hither and thither, or as NS wrote in a recent email, "here or yon."
Fashion shoot at NYPL
A fashion shoot at the New York Public Library. (You didn't think all people did was read books there, did you?)
Recession Special, Gray's Papaya
People noshing at that old "recession special mainstay," Gray's Papaya, in the West Village
Afternoon nap
An afternoon nap, in Bryant Park at the library (this was not staged)
Life-size chessboard
A life-sized chessboard at an outdoor chess tournament at 34th St., near Herald Square
Empty storefront
One of the many empty storefronts in Manhattan, this one in Soho, along Spring
Performer
Street scene, Provincetown
Cowbear
Cowboybear (it was the beginning of Bear Week in Provincetown--wouldn't he make an excellent posterman?)
Grand Central Terminal, w/ Chrysler Bldg behind it
Grand Central Terminal, with the modernist Chrysler Building behind it
Street artist near Grand Central Station
An expressionist street artist's rendering of the same
42nd St. & 6th Ave.
Crossing 42nd St. (I love all the contemporary NY summer indices in this photo)
Street artist, 7th Avenue
Another street artist, 7th Ave., West Village
Street scene, 7th Ave., Village
Another street scene, 7th Ave., West Village
Village character
Another Village character (note the wreath-as-hat!)
People observing a treeworm
People observing a treeworm of some sort (it's the hanging thing at the photo's center), in Bryant Park