2007
Our 'Est' Culture: How Should We Actually Measure Success?
Dec 26 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
On the way home from Virginia I read a piece in Time ("Hold The Cheers," 13 Dec. 2007) about the troop surge in Iraq. I wanted help in how to go for deeper understanding of how we're actually doing there - and not the processed nuggets of information we are fed by the national media.
This print article describes a much different yardstick for success than the Bush administration would have us use, and I thought it important to put it out there: while fewer combat deaths are of course desirable, circumstances on the ground make the calm there tenuous at best. Without a viable political structure, we can talk success all we want; you might want to think twice before you swallow the bullshit that the bragging administration spokespeople put out there.
Cut to this afternoon, when I caught The Situation Room reporting by Barbara Starr, which was, in my view, a gravely limited evaluation of what's going on over there. CNN's own sister magazine is reporting the whole story, but Starr's report - and the ensuing tag by Wolf - focused mainly on troop deaths. So, I fired off the following e-mail:
All I'm urging you to do is not fall prey to flat, one-dimensional accounts of progress. And don't settle for a surface understanding (succumbing to highly palatable, simplified "Est" language) when something more meaningful is there when you dig deeper.
This print article describes a much different yardstick for success than the Bush administration would have us use, and I thought it important to put it out there: while fewer combat deaths are of course desirable, circumstances on the ground make the calm there tenuous at best. Without a viable political structure, we can talk success all we want; you might want to think twice before you swallow the bullshit that the bragging administration spokespeople put out there.
Cut to this afternoon, when I caught The Situation Room reporting by Barbara Starr, which was, in my view, a gravely limited evaluation of what's going on over there. CNN's own sister magazine is reporting the whole story, but Starr's report - and the ensuing tag by Wolf - focused mainly on troop deaths. So, I fired off the following e-mail:
"To the Sit Room producers: Barbara Starr's reporting about combat-troop deaths was unbalanced and missing important pieces of how the country is still divided down religious and ethnic lines -- which, in *combination* with the so-called "surge," has produced lower fatalities.Does it actually matter that we've only lost 20 troops this month when 2.5 million Iraqis have been driven from their own country, and the ones who are there don't feel safe? This is YOUR reporting in Time, but it is apparently lost on CNN.In future reporting, please read articles like this one:
www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1694441,00.html
In it, Bobby Ghosh reports about the four elements that temper, and at worst, make irrelevant, any improvements in conditions there.I am SICK and tired of having CNN and other news outlets serve as an "EST" mouthpiece for the Bush administration ("fifth least", "safest month", "quietest week"). The time for that has come and gone now after pounding the drumbeat for war in the winter months of 2002.You are in effect doing their bragging for them -- you know as well as I do that they do that just fine without Barbara Starr's help.So... go back to the drawing board and pull these other threads into your reporting about combat deaths. otherwise, it's hollow, incomplete... and wrong."
All I'm urging you to do is not fall prey to flat, one-dimensional accounts of progress. And don't settle for a surface understanding (succumbing to highly palatable, simplified "Est" language) when something more meaningful is there when you dig deeper.
Comments
In Honor Of Boxing Day, A Slap In The Right Direction
Dec 26 2007 Filed in: N&Ns
Ah yes, it's time for our periodic review of all things aggravating... When that urge rises up in us to squeeze our young ones, our animals, our partners - even a stranger on the street - past the point of (almost) no physical return.
Ah yes, it is Violent Affection Syndrome (VAS) at work. See below, and remember, VAS has produced at least one very important (and popular) spinoff in The Daily Slap.
Enjoy, and remember to be good to each other.
Ah yes, it is Violent Affection Syndrome (VAS) at work. See below, and remember, VAS has produced at least one very important (and popular) spinoff in The Daily Slap.
Enjoy, and remember to be good to each other.
On Christmas Day, A Lesson In Getting Along In Georgia
Every once in a while we are shown a reminder of how great we are as a people - as champions of goodwill, togetherness and, eventually, prosperity for young people. The International Community School is one such example, joining refugees from some 40 countries with other families in Decatur, Ga., for a unique and enriching learning environment in Stone Mountain, Ga.
The school's story, told today in The New York Times, shows that our best learning begins with the environment and tone we set for our young people and their instructors -- not with quotas and false, pressure-filled benchmarks. The school's "experimental" status, says the NYT, means it is
In this case, "No Child Left Behind" can actually mean "No child left out."
Take a minute and click through to the NYT article and soak up this unique example of learning, compassion and inclusion.
Merry Christmas and Happy Happy to all today.
The school's story, told today in The New York Times, shows that our best learning begins with the environment and tone we set for our young people and their instructors -- not with quotas and false, pressure-filled benchmarks. The school's "experimental" status, says the NYT, means it is
"more at risk of closing if its students fail to make adequate yearly progress, the standard by which the national education law judges public schools."
In this case, "No Child Left Behind" can actually mean "No child left out."
Take a minute and click through to the NYT article and soak up this unique example of learning, compassion and inclusion.
Merry Christmas and Happy Happy to all today.
ARTvision 2007: Give In To The Spirit And Support ASP
Dec 25 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Another shameless plug for our ARTvision artists -- we need to make a last-minute push to make some money!
Click through to ARTvision now and browse for great pieces of sculpture, photography, art and music. 100% of proceeds go to AIDS Survival Project.
O Holy Night... Can It Be?
Dec 25 2007 Filed in: YouTube
If you can get past the Disney-fied falsetto and the squeezed notes at the end, this is actually pretty good. Thanks to Musty for passing this along for the holiday season.
And yes, no foolin', this is a guy singing!
And yes, no foolin', this is a guy singing!
"Run For Justice" Raises $15,000
Dec 24 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Hey, I did my part...I Ran for Justice to help those less fortunate... A 5K race to benefit Atlanta Legal Aid, a group that represents Atlanta's poor in civil cases (since 1924 I might add).
Oh yeah, and I ran to celebrate 5 full years of no Marlboro Lights.
Slow and steady, no stopping - and I survived the Virginia Highland hills, too.Click here for fotos, and you can see I talked someone into snapping my pic post-race.
I'm in the cattle-shot in the beginning, but it's impossible to see me.
Enjoy...
"Petticoat No. 10" Tears A Page From Old-school Telephone Poles
Dec 23 2007 Filed in: New Captures
Did you know that these glass caps are collectors' items? They were used as insulators in old-time telephone poles. If anyone has any additional info on them, let me know.
You like? Go to JPGmag.com and vote now!
In Honor Of Shawn Mullins Playing Eddie's Tonight...
Dec 23 2007 Filed in: YouTube
If you're going, you'll probably be treated to this soul-stirring song... At least that's what I'd be yelling for.
I keep begging him for "Pandora" and "Soul Child," but so far no dice.
I keep begging him for "Pandora" and "Soul Child," but so far no dice.
"Winslow Morning" Shoots To Capture Fishing As Zen
Dec 22 2007 Filed in: New Captures | Travel Blogs
Mike, Nettie and Dean Pollock (and me) approached this scene at Snoqualmie Falls outside of Seattle.
As luck would have it, the fisherman was cold when we arrived, but soon after caught a few.
Go to the Seattle travel blog, or click through to vote at JPG Magazine!
As luck would have it, the fisherman was cold when we arrived, but soon after caught a few.
Go to the Seattle travel blog, or click through to vote at JPG Magazine!
The Pup With A Forked Tongue
Dec 18 2007 Filed in: Zainy-mals
I had to post this... Alex is a goof.Alex "Fat Girl" Pollock just recently turned 17 and I've been cataloging her graceful move into canine geriatrics...
I've got YouTube vids of her, as well as this -- a capture of her forked tongue.
Hope you enjoy.
YouTube playlist appears below, with more to follow.
Missing Del Edwards (1955-2007) & Sharon Lester (1963-2007)
Dec 17 2007 Filed in: Cool People
(Atlanta :: 21 December 2007) - As we approach the final days of the 2007 holiday season, many Atlantans - especially those in the tennis community - are feeling the loss of two great community leaders, friends and family members: Del Edwards and Sharon Lester.Del Edwards, one of my first friends here in the city when I moved in 1994, died Nov. 13 of melanoma. Del was a 28-year veteran teacher, beloved by his students, family and friends. He is survived by his partner David, who led Del's uplifting and joyous memorial service at the Jimmy Carter Center. I've included some photos from the service -- but they don't do it justice. Del was 53. Go to the AJC story
Sharon Lester, when she wasn't busy running the Piedmont Tennis Center ship, was *always* keeping us laughing. She saw through the expert renovation of PTC, and fought to keep the city and the Conservancy from marginalizing the center and, in essence, shutting it down. Together with Joe and Daryl, Sharon (pictured here with Michael Graham) worked at PTC to inspire and motivate us to be that much better. Sharon was 44. Go to the AJC story
In passing, both Del and Sharon remind us all to love and live every moment. They would want us to... that, and to swing our tennis racquets as hard and as much as possible.The 'Ol Hizzy Gets Her Day In The Sun (And On Camera)
The green renovation of my house has, it seems, some admirers... Lynn Saussy, the landscape architect for "Team Pollock" as we call it sometimes, hooked us up with HGTV's "Groundbreakers" show. Last week they came to the house and did some initial interviewing.
I was, as the saying goes, "a pig in shit." I'm hoping that I'm only on the 2nd of my 15 minutes -- because it was a TON of fun.
Thanks to Mary Grace, Justin and the entire crew for making the day so awesome.
Below is a bad export of one of the movies I took!
...And I'm Always Blaming The Dog
Dec 10 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember
I overheard this on a travel-writer listserv:
-Lawrence Kasdan
"Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life."
-Lawrence Kasdan
New Captures Loaded, With More To Follow
Dec 10 2007 Filed in: New Captures
Take a look at some new event pictures:
- The Velcro Show at Composition Gallery, and
- The Therapeutic Art Show at Parkside Office Suites
More to follow later today, with an advance ARTvision buying opportunity!
Happy 300th Episode To NBC's 'ER'
Dec 09 2007 Filed in: General Posts
With all the yammering I do about Keith Olbermann, Law & Order, etc., you'd think I was a flak for NBC.Alas, no, it's just me being a dork.
"ER" is still the best show on TV, and it just celebrated 300 episodes -- endeavoring (successfully) to create fresh storylines and characters. Amazing.
For All My Fellow Sports Fans, A Tribute To The Football Gays
Dec 08 2007 Filed in: YouTube | The Funnies
Tunes Page Updated!
Dec 08 2007 Filed in: Tunes
ARTvision 2007, Now Live, Celebrates The Nation's Musicians
Dec 07 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | Cool People
ARTvision 2007 is now live! Click through to explore our artists -- a wide representation of the arts.Today, we celebrate three talented musicians/groups who've agreed to participate this year. I'd like to extend personal thanks to them, and an invitation to other artists who share our drive to raise money before the end of the year to donate a CD, signed poster or something else that might raise some cash.
Even a testimonial would help our cause -- please contact me for more info.
Adding this category was a no-brainer this year, given my love of music, performing and taking in live tunes. Check out ARTvision's new music vibe:Julia Murney
The Wayne Fishell Experiment
Jennifer Paige
This year, ARTvision's beneficiary is AIDS Survival Project.Check in at www.artvisionatl.org throughout the month for some great buying (and giving) opportunities! More in this and other categories soon.
Cheers.
It's About Time... L&O Returns In Its Old Time Slot
Dec 04 2007 Filed in: General Posts
Venerable NBC drama Law & Order will return next month in its old time slot, Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Junkies rejoice!
Junkies rejoice!
Take A Listen To Lara Johnston
Dec 01 2007 Filed in: YouTube
Full & Major Update Coming Soon
Nov 30 2007 Filed in: General Posts
Sorry for all the quiet on the Will front... lots of travel and more travel have been keeping me busy.
Meantime, watch for a major update over the weekend, including:
-- An event update
-- Clickable header captures for sale
-- The launch of ARTvision 2007
-- More pictures of me (I've been getting complaints)
-- A new links page
-- More captures, including a full report on my brother's wedding
Stay tuned for more.
Meantime, watch for a major update over the weekend, including:
-- An event update
-- Clickable header captures for sale
-- The launch of ARTvision 2007
-- More pictures of me (I've been getting complaints)
-- A new links page
-- More captures, including a full report on my brother's wedding
Stay tuned for more.
Thanks To Everyone Who Attended 'Therapeutic Art Show"
Nov 07 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | New Captures
Beware Of Global Warmings (Researched Fully On The Google)
Nov 02 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Thanks to Aunt Denny for passing this along.
Sleeping Pilots. Agency Perks. Consolidated Power. Angry Yet?
Nov 02 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
Sometimes I wonder who's running the ship -- by "ship," I mean ANYTHING involving government oversight. And by "running," I mean anything that might *resemble* responsible management.The head of the CPSC angrily rebuffs criticisms of LeadPaintGate. Then, revelations of comped trips.
News of collisions and near-collisions at the world's airports. Then, news of sleeping pilots.
The more tired of Iraq we are, and the lower Bush's approval ratings, power continues to consolidate around him.
No mater what your political stripes look like, all of these issues should trouble you.
Is this seriously how we want our government to operate?
(Thumb courtesy of Jupiter Images)
It's Been Awhile... Lots Of Stuff To Follow
Oct 30 2007 Filed in: General Posts
Busy, busy, busy getting ready for a bunch of upcoming events, travel and other goodies. WP.com has been updated, too, with a few new items. To wit:
> New Tunes page. With iTunes reviews and a last.fm playlist, the page is a bit livelier.
> Updated Seattle page. The Seattle Pollocks are successful, multiplying and extremely photogenic.
> More YouTube clips added, with Hanson videos to follow.
More soon...
> New Tunes page. With iTunes reviews and a last.fm playlist, the page is a bit livelier.
> Updated Seattle page. The Seattle Pollocks are successful, multiplying and extremely photogenic.
> More YouTube clips added, with Hanson videos to follow.
More soon...
The Crush Grows, As If I Needed An Excuse
Oct 29 2007 Filed in: YouTube | Cool Events
This is ROTFL stuff... I was wheezing laughing so hard.
A Return To Depth And Understanding...
Oct 25 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember | YouTube
John Amaechi, speaking on Oprah's "Gay Around The World" program this week, was asked about why he came out of closet."There's something incredibly powerful about people who are genuine or authentic," he said, "not just in terms of their sexuality, but in every regard. There is something almost transcendent about it."
If you haven't heard him speak, watch it on YouTube, or below. And if you don't think we still have a problem, just look at the user comments on YouTube -- they'll change your mind about how much work's left to do.
Alert The Media: I'm Officially Switching Allegiance To NBC News
Oct 23 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
I'm back from my first-ever Yoga session, and as I limped home, I crawled into bed to watch Countdown, as I do every night.
Tonight, our Southern California friends are facing arguably the worst and most destructive, disruptive fires in their history. Keith Olbermann interviewed NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams at the top of the broadcast - Williams hung around to give viewers a more intimate and casual yet confident, personal view of what's going on there.
I used to worship Peter Jennings, and his ABC News field reporters. But today, after living through "The Path to 9/11" and other seemingly odd GOP influences at ABC, I have fully gravitated to the NBC and MSNBC nightly broadcasts. (My TV is, of course, tuned squarely on CNN throughout the day, culminating in The Situation Room.)
I highly recommend them, although Keith's new set doesn't give him enough room to throw his papers.
Tonight, our Southern California friends are facing arguably the worst and most destructive, disruptive fires in their history. Keith Olbermann interviewed NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams at the top of the broadcast - Williams hung around to give viewers a more intimate and casual yet confident, personal view of what's going on there.
I used to worship Peter Jennings, and his ABC News field reporters. But today, after living through "The Path to 9/11" and other seemingly odd GOP influences at ABC, I have fully gravitated to the NBC and MSNBC nightly broadcasts. (My TV is, of course, tuned squarely on CNN throughout the day, culminating in The Situation Room.)
I highly recommend them, although Keith's new set doesn't give him enough room to throw his papers.
Eleanor Roosevelt Was A Cool Chick
Oct 23 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember
"Women are like tea bags - you never know how strong they are until they get in hot water."
Just heard on the Situation Room while Wolf was interviewing Maria Shriver. How cool is that??
Just heard on the Situation Room while Wolf was interviewing Maria Shriver. How cool is that??
Crusty Gives Thumbs-middle To Shaun's
A group of us, including Chris "Crusty" Haddle, went to Shaun's on Saturday night. His review on AccessAtlanta is spot on:
"While I admit that Shaun Doty is a talented chef, it's too bad that talent didn't get transferred to the operation of his eponymous restaurant. I made a reservation 2 weeks in advance for 8pm on a Saturday night. It was apparent that the hostess didn't have a good handle on the seating because it took us 45 minutes to be seated, even with a reservation. She showed us the table, then walked off. Is it too much to expect a little apology for the wait? Our waiter was apathetic and only mildly efficient. The food was OK, but I was hoping to be "wow-ed," especially by a chef of Doty's caliber. The best part of the meal was the dessert of sticky toffee pudding, but even that was a small portion. Basically, Shaun's is just OK, but I would suggest going during the week. I must say it baffles me why the AJC continuously puts mediocre-to-mildly decent restaurants on their Top 50 List (see Trois...ugh!). This city has so much more to offer."
They really did seem to be in over their heads... but I still think the joint has a lot of potential.
Medill School Of Journalism's Reputation Matters. Period. (Vol. 2)
I had a number of factors converge in the past few days -- a wave of editorials, e-mails and other news -- so I could no longer contain myself. I wrote the following editorial and sent it to the Medill School of Journalism alumni listserv. Here it is:"I'm thoroughly enjoying our discourse on preserving the name and reputation of our beloved Medill School of Journalism... Seems like it's long been simmering, and it makes me proud to be an alum and a subscriber to this listserv. I'm more convinced than ever that Dean Lavine's truncated name and focus change for his Medill is dangerous for the school's place in the J-school universe -- and is coming at precisely the wrong time.
Why?
We are now well into our sixth full year of seeing the maddening machinations of a wholly neutered D.C. press corps, with polite hand raising and (what appear to be) unnecessary allowances for a challenged Commander in Chief; we are constantly seeing journalists put in the line of fire and, some would argue, have been complicit in advancing a single line of rationale as we charged off to a devastating conflict (I am still, to this day, angered by CNN's "TARGET: IRAQ" series in the fall of 2002); and our credibility as a profession as a whole is, shall we say, "peppered" by people of dubious credentials and training.
I'm not writing to make a political statement, quite the contrary, so please don't read it that way. Bottom line: Are you satisfied with the quality of journalism you're seeing, and if not, does that make Lavine's change appropriate? The answer is categorically "No." I'm not surprised for us to have heard from Donna Leff, one of my most prized and memorable Medill professors, due to her leadership on journalistic ethics and law -- a topic that I found gravely lacking in my Medill education. I want us to spend more time on theory and practice, on the "classics," and not be tantalized by how blogs, news feeds and on-demand e-mail have somehow eclipsed the import of traditional reporter training. It's absolutely preposterous.
We also heard from Abe on how we can thankfully count on *at least* keeping the brand name "Medill," due to donors' displeasure. To say I'm relieved is an understatement. To that I'd also add this: we as alums are donors ourselves, and I'm curious if you would hesitate giving back to a school that is seemingly abandoning the very spirit and letter of the journalism law that we signed up for, that many of us are indebted to, both financially and otherwise. I myself will curb all gifts until we re-shift back to what I see is our true purpose.
I've been blogging/getting the word out about this issue for a number of months now, and just recently picked up a Google alert about Jon Friedman, reporter for MarketWatch (where I myself did a rotation at Medill News Service in D.C.), who posted both a written and video editorial on the subject.
The video piece is available here:
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1260615388
The editorial, here:
http://tinyurl.com/3b9lpc
Friedman refers to Medill as the "Sellout School of Journalism." I agree.
If an alum, a leader in Internet reporting, is impugning Medill's direction and decision-making to lean more in favor of new media, I'd say it's time to rethink what we're doing. Also, the D.C. Rotation for Medill students is a good litmus: What do our news partners -- from MarketWatch to the Lake County News-Sun in Peoria -- think of this rebranding? (Art Janik's "Clairvoyant Journalism" post last month was dead on the money.) Medill's D.C. Web site also has been stripped of any mention of the word, "journalism." Further, Medill's main Web site now looks like it could be a third-rate cable company's Internet splash page -- not one from a storied, respected institution. Hardly any Northwestern purple, and again, no "Journalism."
One last point: Medill needs the IMC and Journalism arms both separate and strong. I was part of the Magazine sequence (Urban Classroom) at Medill and yet I snagged a long-term, corporate-writing gig through the IMC listserv after graduation. I am proof of the unbelievable connection that both arms of our school have. Dropping the "journalism" is just absolutely the WRONG direction -- it will weaken, and has already weakened, that dual-pronged strength we have embodied for coming up on 100 years. Let's dump the Kool Aid down the drain and return back to what we're known for: real-world, feet-on-the-pavement JOURNALISM. In the coming years we will be called to be even better, more seasoned, at-the-ready professionals in an ever-growing definition of what "journalist" means. If anything, we should redouble our efforts in classic Medill training and not go further down this troubling path."
I've gotten a few great responses -- I'll post them later.
Georgia Drought News Conference Ignored By Atlanta Media
Oct 20 2007 Filed in: Seriously? | Ascribe.net Preview
As you know, I get upset about a great many things... but this is just unbelievable. The Governor of the State of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, just gave a news conference this morning about our state's rapidly disintegrating water supply -- reason enough to declare a state of emergency in a number of our counties. We are taking the Army Corps to court, and Florida and Alabama and threatening action of their own.
But you wouldn't know it because nobody carried it on the air.
Yes, shockingly, NONE of our local affiliates carried this news conference. NONE. The only local news channel who did, in fact, carry a piece of it, was CNN -- which is not local at all. And even with CNN, based here in Atlanta, with the network's Planet in Peril series coming, they themselves did not stay with Perdue's news conference.
We are three months from our taps running dry, in Atlanta and elsewhere, and ABC (WSB-TV), NBC (WXIA) and CBS (WGCL) *ALL* kept children's programming going. WTF?
We are a city of stations who feel beholden to cover the state of Georgia, instead of focusing more on our great city, so this huge omission. Further, our great TV stations cut into prime time when a mattress falls off a truck on I-85, so WHY in God's name would they not cover this?
Outrageous. Somebody correct me and tell me I'm missing something...
But you wouldn't know it because nobody carried it on the air.
Yes, shockingly, NONE of our local affiliates carried this news conference. NONE. The only local news channel who did, in fact, carry a piece of it, was CNN -- which is not local at all. And even with CNN, based here in Atlanta, with the network's Planet in Peril series coming, they themselves did not stay with Perdue's news conference.
We are three months from our taps running dry, in Atlanta and elsewhere, and ABC (WSB-TV), NBC (WXIA) and CBS (WGCL) *ALL* kept children's programming going. WTF?
We are a city of stations who feel beholden to cover the state of Georgia, instead of focusing more on our great city, so this huge omission. Further, our great TV stations cut into prime time when a mattress falls off a truck on I-85, so WHY in God's name would they not cover this?
Outrageous. Somebody correct me and tell me I'm missing something...
Hanson Brings Their A Game To The Roxy In Buckhead
Come hell or high water, I always say.
Not even a suicidal maniac could put the kybosh on this rare nighttime trip to Buckhead. My boys, Hanson, rocked the house at The Roxy.
See below, and enjoy.
Not even a suicidal maniac could put the kybosh on this rare nighttime trip to Buckhead. My boys, Hanson, rocked the house at The Roxy.
See below, and enjoy.
Congratulations To Brenda McMillen For Winning Best In Show!
Oct 16 2007 Filed in: Cool People | Cool Events
ARTvision artist Brenda McMillen recently won Best in Show at a recent exhibit at DeFoor Centre. The piece, pictured here, was purchased by the owner of The Art School in Sandy Springs. Brenda will once again be exhibiting in ARTvision 2007, with at least two pieces. Stay tuned for more. Make sure to send Brenda congrats.
New Stuff Coming Soon!
Oct 15 2007 Filed in: General Posts
Stay tuned for:
-- New movie posts to YouTube
-- An interactive Tunes page with music reviews and other playlist info
-- News about ARTvision 2007, totally redesigned this year; sneak peek coming soon
-- The latest Green Machine post, this week
-- Much, much more!
-- New movie posts to YouTube
-- An interactive Tunes page with music reviews and other playlist info
-- News about ARTvision 2007, totally redesigned this year; sneak peek coming soon
-- The latest Green Machine post, this week
-- Much, much more!
Gunn, Pelosi & Ugly Betty Players Lead A Star Parade In D.C.
(Washington, D.C. ~ 14 October 2007) - The tuxedos and ball gowns came out in full force for HRC's National Dinner, led admirably by Ted Toon and Sarah Booth. What an awesome time!We had the absolute pleasure of sitting with many of Ted's family members, Rolando, as well as other pals Clarke, Sam, Val and Rebecca. The food was tasty, when we weren't glued to the stage -- and since this photog was six feet from keynote speaker Nancy Pelosi and one table from Tim Gunn, I didn't spend very much time eating!
Ken and Dale and Laurice and Rebecca were all within spittin' distance from us, too. So much fun to be amongst so many familiar faces.
The best way to describe the night is as a "peak experience" - where people came together to hear how hard Pelosi has worked from the beginning on representing her San Francisco constituents in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS, as well as many other issues. Even some surprise war protesters could not dull the evening.
Once I saw how close I was to Tim Gunn, I was immediately on a mission to meet him and have a good story to tell Penny -- who is a stalker-level fan of Guide to Style. I treated Pen to a tribute page with a collection of pix from my meeting with Mr. Gunn, who gave me some props for my "cream" colored tuxedo. Thanks to Sam for his great shots of that moment, and to everyone for alerting me to the many other photo opps we had throughout the evening. 
Thanks also to Ted and Rolando for being such spectacular hosts; to Ted's whole family for being so awesome; and to Rolando and Rebecca for asking me to design the program ad. How in the hell did we keep that a secret??For more, visit the Kodak Gallery event pictures, as well as the page I loaded on candids. Movie clips to follow...
Enjoy!
Call For Participation In ARTvision 2007; ASP Named Beneficiary
Oct 11 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | Charity
ARTvision will return for another year with a new focus -- and a new beneficiary. Here's the story:(ATLANTA – 11 October 2007) ARTvision is pleased to announce a second year of its online art and photography benefit, returning in 2007 with a new beneficiary: AIDS Survival Project (ASP). Atlanta's own ASP is a leader in fostering self-empowerment and enhanced quality of life for people living with HIV, working through advocacy, education, peer support and treatment activism.
With a number of other organizations under its umbrella, ASP works throughout the state of Georgia using community-based advocacy and HIV treatment education.
ARTvision is now known as ARTvision Atlanta, with the intent on enhancing global awareness of ASP and to bring attention to the philanthropic spirit and burgeoning growth of our great city.
ARTvision Atlanta's sales will open on December 1st, World AIDS Day, and conclude on December 31, 2007 - punctuated by Will Pollock's Sixth Annual Gourmet Pizza Extravaganza on New Year's Eve.
ARTvision is now in its Call for Participation phase. If you or someone you know would like to donate a piece for this online art show, or know a potential sponsor, please contact Will Pollock or ASP's Craig Eister via e-mail. More details on artists and sales to follow. - Will Pollock
Busting The Dope Rhymes: Hilarity On A Hillbilly Cartoon Date
Oct 10 2007 Filed in: YouTube | The Funnies
Do We Need Science To Compel Us To Take Care Of Planet Earth?
Bollocks. It's all hooey.CNN's Rob Marciano ignited quite a shitstorm a few days ago when he unexpectedly slammed the global view in Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Marciano questioned whether or not the strength of recent hurricanes like Katrina could be attributed to global climate change.
CNN apparently got a lot of mail about his comments, and the next day he retreated into neutral territory by examining both sides of the climate crisis argument.
Actually, there's quite a strong anti-climate-change movement out there - in the blogs and elsewhere.And my thought for this Green Machine post is simple. We as Americans can only be responsible for ourselves and live by example... And yet we're notorious for living in excess, lacking in the ability to self-police or self examine.
Seriously: this is actually a call for cultural change, underscored strongly by natural signs. Some of this climate-crisis blowback is, at best, misplaced, since we should be lessening (read: correcting) our impact on the planet regardless of where the facts point us.
Some of these folks espouse contrarian views for the sake of being fancy assholes... on the way to fat ratings. But hey, Fox Noise needs a reason for being, too.
With its forthcoming Planet in Peril series, Rob's comments are, shall we say, against the CNN grain.
In The Electronic Age, Always Remember The Personal Touch
Oct 09 2007 Filed in: Articles
Great piece in the Sunday Times about how e-mail can be misinterpreted... and how a phone call or a drop-by can be the best cure-all. E-mail, the article reads, might be behind much of the miscommunication we have with one another:
"This is becoming more apparent with the emergence of social neuroscience, the study of what happens in the brains of people as they interact. New findings have uncovered a design flaw at the interface where the brain encounters a computer screen: there are no online channels for the multiple signals the brain uses to calibrate emotions."
Shows the irony of the "reach out and touch someone" ads of the past... although I still think that e-communication can be just as powerful, thoughtful and effective when done with care.
(Illustration by Stuart Goldenberg for the NYTimes.)
New Travel Logs & Captures To Follow Shortly
Oct 08 2007 Filed in: New Captures | Travel Blogs
The Rumors Are True
Oct 05 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Like A Green Neighbor...
Oct 04 2007 Filed in: The Green Machine
A Medill student named Sarah Baicker, working in the position I had at MarketWatch while at Medill, wrote a piece recently on the effect of conservation on neighbors. Since I've started a green renovation of my home in midtown, here are some other changes I've made to help ease our impact on the planet:
-- Kleenex, kitchen towels and other paper products are now 100% recycled
-- Transitioning from standard cleaning products to environmentally sensitive detergents of all kinds (dishwashing, laundry, etc.)
-- Using Atlanta's recycling and reducing landfill waste
If Chicago can do it, anyone can.
I'll post with other conservation methods later on. If you have a unique way that you're conserving, let me know, and I'll put it up!
-- Kleenex, kitchen towels and other paper products are now 100% recycled
-- Transitioning from standard cleaning products to environmentally sensitive detergents of all kinds (dishwashing, laundry, etc.)
-- Using Atlanta's recycling and reducing landfill waste
If Chicago can do it, anyone can.
I'll post with other conservation methods later on. If you have a unique way that you're conserving, let me know, and I'll put it up!
Did You Catch The Clip Of San Diego's Mayor?
Sep 30 2007 Filed in: YouTube
A touching change of heart, and for San Diego's population, an expanded world view drawn from personal experience.
Dude, Where's My Slap? Thigh Sparks A Guest Slap Of Seann
Many of you know of my longstanding issue with V.A.S., or "Violent Affection Syndrome," where you get so aggravated by someone being cute that you want to squeeze them until their eyeballs pop out. (VAS is never anything you'd ever really do, it's just a feeling/surge you get from, say, nieces and nephews.)
The affliction started with Penny's dog Petey, who was just so hideously ugly that he was, consequently, irresistibly cute -- hence the V.A.S. frustration. For example, you'll often hear me say: "that one is so cute, you just want to slap him/her." It's a natural reaction.Henceforthwith, for those of you not in the know, V.A.S. has spawned another very important (and entirely popular) Web feature called "The Daily Slap," a section of BentBlog run by my pal Rob. Yesterday I did a "guest slap" of actor Seann William Scott, who, according to recent birthday boy Mattie "Thigh" Moore, turned up at a party with the same affable demeanor we all see in his movies. (SWS has got five flicks in development as of this writing.)
Thigh, pictured at left, with Seann on the right and Joanna Scholl as the "meat in the man sandwich." The photo was snapped at a GQ Fashion Show after party that had all the blogs buzzing. Thanks to Joanna for supplying the picture.
I'm looking into V.A.S. rehab now...
Dublin Named Most Expensive International Real Estate Market
Sep 27 2007 Filed in: General Posts | Travel Blogs
From Inman News today:"Dublin, Ireland is the most expensive international market included in the index, with subject homes selling for an average $2.1 million in U.S. dollars. Next on the list is Milan, Italy, at $1.9 million, followed by Rome and Paris at $1.7 million (all in U.S. dollars). Bogotá, Colombia, ranks as the most affordable international market, at $140,100, followed by Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh at $144,896; Charlottetown, Canada, at $157,630; and Granada, Nicaragua, at $158,375. Warsaw, Poland, at $417,760, is closest to the $422,343 U.S. average of all of the foreign markets covered in the latest index."
More Ireland photos to follow soon... promise...
The Onion Runs Another Zinger
Sep 26 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Apparently he's taking time away from campaigning, GOP strategy sessions, petting Barney and being blessed with his next mission from God.
Shawn Mullins Brings His A Game To Eddies... Again
This is the first in a series I'm gonna upload this week... Shawn Mullins once again knocked us all over at Eddie's Attic, ending with a standing ovation after "Shimmer." Still the best in the business.
Thanks to Thom, Kim and Jimmy BB for making the company just as awesome as the entertainment. Pics and other videos to follow soon...
Thanks to Thom, Kim and Jimmy BB for making the company just as awesome as the entertainment. Pics and other videos to follow soon...
A College Professor Of, With And For The Human Spirit
Every once in a while we come across someone who presents life's tools as a beautiful map on how to use them to the best of our ability.
This latest incarnation is in the form of Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Pausch has terminal cancer and recently gave a speech at that school will blow you away. It's amazing how, through humor, instruction is not only engaging -- but also profound and transformative.
In a culture that is fascinated by Britney's choreography, Lindsay's latest line or which Anna-Nicole ex-lover is sleeping with whom, THIS is what life is about for me. But, as we're reminded by Pausch, humor is one of the most expeditious pathways to healing.
GMA did a piece on him this morning that knocked my socks off, and I found the YouTube link below. The video is nine minutes, and it's worth every minute. Enjoy.
This latest incarnation is in the form of Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Pausch has terminal cancer and recently gave a speech at that school will blow you away. It's amazing how, through humor, instruction is not only engaging -- but also profound and transformative.
In a culture that is fascinated by Britney's choreography, Lindsay's latest line or which Anna-Nicole ex-lover is sleeping with whom, THIS is what life is about for me. But, as we're reminded by Pausch, humor is one of the most expeditious pathways to healing.
GMA did a piece on him this morning that knocked my socks off, and I found the YouTube link below. The video is nine minutes, and it's worth every minute. Enjoy.
Seriously? Is A Censored America The Country In Which We Want To Live?
OK, this is basically Twirl Factor 10... I have been absolutely twirling about these last few instances of morality trumping expression, and excessive force trumping judgment. To wit:
-- Student Tasered in Florida for acting up at a Kerry rally:
Question: why didn't Kerry step in and at least ask the police to stop? he just kept on droning. Did the "officers" need to taser the guy when he was down and cuffed? I don't think so.
Sadly, it's not the first incident of tasering at a U.S. college campus. See another one here.
-- Sally Field censored by Fox at the Emmys. (PS: Fox should not be allowed to broadcast awards shows -- guys, stick to sports.) So, given their penchant for censorship, let's look at the full, uncut version here:
Question: Did Fox do this to protect against fines from the post-Powel FCC, or because of Field's statement against war? Neither reasoning passes the smell test, and I'm twirling. Talk me down from the ledge!
Aside from the fact that I 110% agree with her, I love the fact that Sally is nutty, speaking as a fellow nutty person. I'm going to start watching that show for that reason -- and because they have a few decent gay characters on there as well.
-- Student Tasered in Florida for acting up at a Kerry rally:
Question: why didn't Kerry step in and at least ask the police to stop? he just kept on droning. Did the "officers" need to taser the guy when he was down and cuffed? I don't think so.
Sadly, it's not the first incident of tasering at a U.S. college campus. See another one here.
-- Sally Field censored by Fox at the Emmys. (PS: Fox should not be allowed to broadcast awards shows -- guys, stick to sports.) So, given their penchant for censorship, let's look at the full, uncut version here:
Question: Did Fox do this to protect against fines from the post-Powel FCC, or because of Field's statement against war? Neither reasoning passes the smell test, and I'm twirling. Talk me down from the ledge!
Aside from the fact that I 110% agree with her, I love the fact that Sally is nutty, speaking as a fellow nutty person. I'm going to start watching that show for that reason -- and because they have a few decent gay characters on there as well.
Is This The Start Of Something Big?
Sep 16 2007 Filed in: The Green Machine
...big as in, breaking our dependency on -- and obsession with, at least politically -- foreign oil. CBS Sunday Morning ran a piece this morning on the state of our pursuit of electric driving.If you're not tuning in to that show each week, you should. It's still one of the best and most thoughtful "round-up" TV storytelling out there.
The Tesla seems like a big step in the right direction (aside from being unbelievably sexy).Seriously? Piedmont Park, A Car Deck And No Transparency
Have you been reading the series of editorials in the AJC about the Botanical Garden's parking-deck? The project has been sold to us as a boon for business, OK for the environment and a help to congested neighborhoods. I'm not convinced. Since I can't get anyone to publish such a long editorial, here it is. With no-bid contracts, waste and corruption causing all sorts of embarrassment here and around the world (New Orleans, Iraq), a "trust us, you'll see" approach is lame. Enjoy. And stay informed!
(Thumb courtesy of Jupiter Images)
The Garden, Parking Deck & Conservancy: Of Two Minds In Midtown
(ATLANTA – 14 September 2007) I’m following the debate over the Botanical Garden’s parking deck, as I hope many city residents are. The work of the Piedmont Park Conservancy has benefited me -- as an investor at Piedmont Crest, a new Park-side condominium development off of 12th street; as an ALTA player out of Piedmont Park Tennis Center; and as a frequent visitor to Park events such as Screen on the Green, the Dogwood Festival and the Dave Matthews Concert.
I am also a paid member of the Conservancy. Their work has, without question, brought this great park of ours forward – and has made it greener, cleaner and more full of life. We are the better for it.
So it’s with a heavy heart that I question the defensive and self-promoting editorial by Debbie McCown, the Conservancy’s Executive Director (“Conservancy openly takes park from blight to bright,” @issue, 22 August). This stuffy piece was the second of the one-two punch I read in the AJC, after a gaggle of attorneys wrote in defense of the Botanical Garden’s independence from city affairs and state Sunshine laws (“Plan will be a boon; Garden has nothing to hide,” Saturday Talk, 25 August 2007). Why are we rehashing this stuff?
Both McCown and Team McBeal are missing the point. We are on a slippery slope when we as a city give ourselves wholly over to the private sector. It’s one thing to source corporate assistance to help create a commercial thoroughfare such as the Midtown Mile; but quite another to give over a natural jewel such as Piedmont Park. Not only have our city planners ceded control of that treasured asset – we are, in many ways, relinquishing the spirit that our residents, our Mayor, our visitors and our city council members have worked so hard to build. As an activist, property owner, journalist and business manager here in Atlanta, I stand firmly behind Mike King’s plainly worded editorial (“Park groups should let sun shine in,” 17 August 2007). It asks, in simple language: Now that the Botanical Garden’s Grecian Army of lawyers has snake-charmed the presiding judge to toss many of the claims brought by Friends of Piedmont Park, just come clean.
Show us how you’ve awarded contracts, to whom, and why; disclose your finances and balance sheets; and give us less lip when we ask you to comply with Georgia’s Sunshine laws. You’re doing the city’s work, the people’s work, even if it’s not coming directly from City Hall. If you’ve given no-bid contracts to friends of the Conservancy, as is rumored, then I want to know about it. And so do a lot of other folks.
Doug Abramson, principal of Friends of Piedmont Park, the advocacy group leading the legal opposition to the parking deck, also says our great gains in beautification have come at a price.
“The Garden and the Conservancy do some good work in the Park, but when questioned about their decisions and their practices they respond that they have raised millions of dollars over the years and somehow that should insulate them from public scrutiny and accountability,” he says. “As stewards of our public park and as representatives of the City, they should act transparently and disclose how and where money is spent, and otherwise conduct their affairs publicly.”
Actually, the current parking arrangement works pretty well. Piedmont Park Tennis Center – one of the last units of the park still managed by the City of Atlanta, run expertly by Sharon Lester and her team – enjoys regular access off Park Drive to the modest yet ultimately convenient parking lot adjacent to Magnolia Hall and, yes, the Botanical Garden. We have managed with this arrangement because the unpretentious parking area provides a small, controllable yet effective resource when these great events happen (including our home tennis matches). My teammates and I use this lot frequently and do not want to see it torn up. Rather, it should be maintained and used as is. What about eco-friendly asphalt? Low-water landscaping? More restricted access? Other creative uses? This area could be a testing ground for new environmentally friendly landscaping products, but all we ever hear about is how this mammoth car deck is going to be our savior, an expansive car heaven that will alleviate Midtown’s parking woes.
Let’s also remember how royally the private sector can fumble the public ball. After mulling this issue, I kept having nightmare reminders of Iraq reconstruction getting handed over to the likes of Halliburton, Parsons Corp. and others -- only to have billions wasted. Do we need such a profound example of alleged no-bid private contracts gone awry? I don’t think so. Privatization, in some weird way, seems to absolve officials from the personal care and obligation that comes with public management. And since secrecy breeds skepticism and mistrust, here we are.
I write this, clearly, of two minds, because again, I know full well the benefits we’ve seen in the Park. I may be a Conservancy member, but remain a dissenting voice, hoping the air around this project is cleared. But this nose-thumbing, redundant, “look what we’ve done for you lately” approach is maddening and makes me want to scream – and it should bring all Atlanta residents to their front porches, too, to do the same. McCown earned nearly $115,000 in annual salary in 2005, which has most certainly increased since then; in that year, the Conservancy, a non-profit, paid more than $100,000 to an external PR firm. Are these needed expenditures or extravagant usage of donors’ generosity? And that’s only the stuff we know about.
Simply singing one’s own praises does not magically immunize you from public speculation – particularly when you have people in the city who enjoy the park set-up as is, and would rather not indulge the Botanical Garden’s desire to give their members in Alpharetta a more convenient place to park in the city. I use the tennis center proudly, along with its parking area, knowing the recently updated clubhouse and courts there are the last bastion of municipal-managerial excellence that the park has.
I am a traditionalist and would prefer to see the park’s car-management system kept the same while still have the park expanded and enhanced. However, if the parking deck is our savior, show us how. If any of our private partners must stand on a pedestal to claim grand success, and continue to move us forward in this great city of ours, let us peek behind your curtain so we’re all on the same page. Without that, it’s a mystery too great to accept. - Will Pollock
# # #
Let the AJC know how you feel.
Update: Atlanta Business Chronicle reporting that the Botanical Garden and its parking deck project are not subject to Georgia Sunshine Laws. Pending further appeal, it looks like the project will proceed.
Tim & Will(y) Give Rick Astley A Run For His Money
Sep 11 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Thanks to Gary for dubbing some seriously scary vocals over a surprisingly lame Rick Astley video from the '80s. Can you guess which vocal belongs to whom?
Clearly, it's the duet of a lifetime.
Clearly, it's the duet of a lifetime.
New Header Capture & Link To My Kodak Gallery
Sep 11 2007 Filed in: New Captures
For print ordering, go directly to my Kodak Gallery. Many more photobooks to follow.
Enjoy... more to follow.
Enjoy... more to follow.
The Peanut Butter & Jelly Song Kicks Off In Lombard
Sep 10 2007 Filed in: N&Ns
Being an uncle from a distance is awful. Jacob is so cute here I just want to jump through the computer screen and shake him! Ugh.
Olbermann's Special Comment: 'Playing' Our Hand In Iraq
Sep 07 2007 Filed in: YouTube | Cool People
Nothing else to say except... watch.
Sex Sting, A Prostitute's Black Book, Page Scandals... What's Next?
Sep 05 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember | The Funnies
OK, this made me laugh out loud. After Jack Cafferty asked his viewers whether or not Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) should reconsider his resignation, this response from Charles in Lansing, Mich.:
"That's a hard call. Half the Republicans want him to resign, and the other half want his phone number."
How funny is that? CNN and The Situation Room have some truly clever viewers.
You *Will* 'Remember This' Video From Jeff Scher
Aug 30 2007 Filed in: General Posts | N&Ns
This video reminded me how important capturing your youngins' early activites is... Follow this link to view the video on the NY Times Web site.If I'm ever lucky enough to have a kid someday, this is the model I'll follow -- through photography, of course. Like, duh!
'No End In Sight': You Haven't Felt Anger Until You've Seen This Film
Aug 27 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
Just caught this movie over the weekend. It is an unbiased, unvarnished look at just how badly the Iraq conflict has been handled -- and what our obligation might be to fix our flawed choice to go in.
If "No End In Sight" is playing by you, go see it. Even if it's not, it's worth the drive.
Tell your friends.
If "No End In Sight" is playing by you, go see it. Even if it's not, it's worth the drive.
Tell your friends.
Zach 2.0: Another Zachary Comes To Life Across The Country
Aug 27 2007 Filed in: N&Ns
Congrats go out to Wayne, Eddie and their entire families for their new, beautiful addition: Zachary Sun-Weiming St. Michael. Lots and lots of new captures and videos and memories (and diaper changings) to follow.Clearly, I need to do another M.A.N.S. entry. I'll get to that ASAP. Meantime, I've reconfigured wp.com to include a new category -- N&Ns. Nieces and Nephews are springing up all over the place, and I can't keep up with it all! As a photographer, these are good problems to have.
Hey Zach, How 'Bout Some Extra Ham With That Mug?
Aug 26 2007 Filed in: N&Ns
Zach yuks it up at Zesto's after Eddie's concert at St. Mark. The ice cream, and the circle snaps, were flying. For those of you playing at home, Zach is Marc and Kelly's son!
I Just Love That Gary Nurenberg.
Aug 25 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember | Emotional Intellect
His lead into a CNN piece this afternoon on the Powerball jackpot (now up to $300 million), was absolutely classic. On how everyone is clamoring for the cash:
"If we weren't a nation of dreamers, the lines wouldn't be this long."
I'd add a link to his CNN bio, but I couldn't find one on the anchors & reporters page.
"If we weren't a nation of dreamers, the lines wouldn't be this long."
I'd add a link to his CNN bio, but I couldn't find one on the anchors & reporters page.
Seriously? Hey Mr. Martin, Saggy Jeans Do Not An 'Epidemic' Make
Aug 23 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
Governing is such tedious business. Just ask Atlanta City Councilman C.T. Martin, who wants to outlaw baggy pants -- through an amendment to the city's indecency laws. He has reportedly called the issue an "epidemic" and has urged his colleagues to take up the matter.
"Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it's the in thing," Martin told the AJC today. "I don't want young people thinking that half-dressing is the way to go. I want them to think about their future."
The proposal includes exposed g-strings and other undergarments that wouldn't meet with Mr. Martin's approval. Lame.
Seeing dudes with denim shorts around their ankles is actually sort of humorous and entertaining. But more than that, this type of morality legislation will never see the light of day -- it is a waste of time, money and energy. I thought that regulating decency inspired by Puritanical bullshit was saved for the Commonwealth of Virginia. I guess I was wrong.
Here's my e-mail to him:
Dear Councilman Martin:
On the decency idea published in today's paper? Absolutely a complete and utter waste of time.
How can you legislate morality, but more importantly, make the assumption that Atlanta's parents can't handle this responsibility on their own?
My strong suggestion to you is to abandon this ridiculous idea and work on feeding the needy or housing the homeless -- a much greater problem here.
Yours as a city resident and taxpayer,
Will Pollock
Send a note to Councilman Martin and let him know what you're thinking.
Medill School Of Journalism's Reputation Matters. Period.
Aug 22 2007 Filed in: Seriously? | Ascribe.net Preview
Regular news hits from blogs and other sources are still popping up on my radar screen... New Medill Dean John Levine -- widely criticized for scrapping Medill's tried-and-true, real-world journalism education -- has called the outgoing curriculum "old-fashioned" and that to keep things as-is would be "immoral."I'll spare you a rant about a dean of my alma mater using that word. However, Medill was my choice for grad school exactly because their approach was forward-thinking and totally different than Columbia's, for example. (Which, by the way, has panned Medill's new move.)
This ain't gonna fly for me. If the school is moving to an Internet and Marketing focus, with the presumption that all jobs are going that way, what does that say about the magazine business, for example? What about an acknowledgment that newspapers will rely heavily on their Internet counterparts -- but not be supplanted by them, probably for a generation? What about alumni who want the same great school behind them?
This is an embarrassment. This smacks of a top-down, edict-style governing decision... And we all know how well THAT goes over in this country.
Oy. More to follow. Stop the insanity!
Update: Lame, squishy piece in Chicago magazine about this issue ("Campus Revolutionary," Chicago magazine, Sept. 2007). Reminder to readers: we are in the midst of a concerted attempt to subvert the power and import of our media. This effort is actually happening within its ranks, too, with unqualified anchors and reporters masquerading as journalists.
The correct posture is to hunker down even further into the traditions of journalism -- not discount its bedrock spirit. Dean Levine's surly disregard for the Medill faculty's ideas and preferences smacks of another Commander in Chief -- a deeply unpopular head of state who is on his way out. Hmmm... sounds like a good idea to me.
Keith Olbermann Brings His Snarky, Awesome Show To NBC
Aug 21 2007 Filed in: Cool People | Ascribe.net Preview
News judgment is the "quiet gatekeeper" of how our news and information is presented to us, and how we absorb it... To that end, MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann is an always sophisticated hour of cable news -- without the shouting, distorted perspectives and revolving anchors of other cable shows. Olbermann will bring a special edition of Countdown to NBC on Sunday before a preseason NFL game, and will also stay on to the call the game with his colleagues (returning to his sports-reporting roots briefly after a long hiatus).
If you're not watching Countdown regularly, now's the time to see how the show is a distinct media watchdog to the partisan crap that our current administration would have us believe. Plus, what's the alternative? Trust me, you're bound to learn something every night -- and also laugh your ass off, with "Worst Person" honors and "Oddball."
Enjoy!
Best 'Bronx Beat' So Far
Aug 20 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Betty & Jodi live it up with Peyton Manning.
Witness The Birth Of 'Grawesome' (Here's A Hint: It Includes Booze)
Aug 18 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Captures Page Updated
Aug 16 2007 Filed in: New Captures
Captures page updated with new direct links and a few updates.
More to follow!
For Sale: Fancy-pants Chandelier Group
Aug 16 2007 Filed in: General Posts
We're going from gay-grandmother to historic-hip at the house... If any of you guys know of someone locally who might be interested, let me know! There's a deal to be had.
The sale is now live on Craig's List!
Why On God's Green Earth Is The Media Not Reporting This?
Aug 16 2007 Filed in: Seriously? | Ascribe.net Preview
There are no words that can describe my reaction to this video... if you haven't seen it, sit down and watch. Your mouth will drop open.
The fact that DICK continues to defend the decision to invade and conduct a de facto adoption of a mideast country we have no business being in is the HEIGHT of arrogance.
Update: Countdown did a piece on this clip and another from 2000 that reveal DC as King Changemind.
The fact that DICK continues to defend the decision to invade and conduct a de facto adoption of a mideast country we have no business being in is the HEIGHT of arrogance.
Update: Countdown did a piece on this clip and another from 2000 that reveal DC as King Changemind.
A Day In The Fort Lauderdale Life
Aug 14 2007 Filed in: Travel Blogs
OK, so you know what they say: lemonade from lemons, yeah?Well, I took that to heart this week when Tim ClemNey
After some extra time with Thigh, I decided to call Delta and see what kind of specials they were running. I ended up here, in Fort Lauderdale, because a few hours on the beach -- and a stay at a great hotel (Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort) -- was just what the doc ordered.
I landed no sweat and was pounding the pavement before noon for lunch... Had a great lunch right on the beach, while the heavens opened. It poured. Came back to my mack-daddy suite, laid out on the beach, worked out -- then went to Thai on the Beach, a very cool restaurant just down the street. Both meals were fish, of course -- the lunch was grilled tilapia over field greens, while the dinner was masman curry grouper. AMAZING.
Some of the captures are cool, so make sure to check them out.
Continental Passengers Diverted, Delayed, Corralled Like Cattle
Aug 14 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
At least Delta let us off the plane during my nine-hour extravaganza... is this the best Airlines can do?
Holy Cow. New York & The Yankees Lose Our Scooter
Aug 14 2007 Filed in: Cool People
One of the most recognized voices in baseball fell silent today... Phil Rizzuto was a Yankees shortstop and beloved announcer for five decades. He'll be missed.The attached Yahoo! story includes a comment, for some reason, from Rudy Giuliani. You can skip that part.
As a kid growing up in Manhattan, Rizzuto made my usually sucky Yankees that much more awesome.
Let There Be Light... (And No More Crappy Wallpaper)
Aug 13 2007 Filed in: The Green Machine | Cool People
The "joker's wild" wallpaper is down, my pink-hell patterned migraines will be diminished... and now, the dining room has newly enhanced illumination. Thanks to Jim, my partner in crime for this round of house updates. He's an expert wall skimmer for sure -- and not afraid to tackle 100-year-old plaster.
Landed In NYC, Ready & Willing To Celebrate Mattie
Aug 10 2007 Filed in: Cool People
Many of us are gathering in the big city for a huge party for Matt "Thigh" Moore's 40th birthday bashAnyway, birthday/NYC travel blog to follow.
PS: NYC airports suck really bad. Nine hours door to door.
Jones Pierce/Wickstead Named For Green Renovation Of 844
Aug 09 2007 Filed in: The Green Machine
Congratulations to Jones Pierce Architects and Wickstead for winning the bid to add to and enhance an already great dwelling.The renovation will reflect environmentally conscious building choices and adaptive re-use. More to follow.
Stay tuned!
The World Is Speaking... Are We Listening?
Aug 07 2007 Filed in: The Green Machine
Here's a new feature, called "The Green Machine," that will highlight reasons why we must act now on global warming and climate change -- before we pass the breaking point. In the first half of 2007, we've had record-busting "weather events" that show it's not your daddy's world anymore. Our natural resources are too important to be complacent.
Watch for more stories, clips and news about this issue from me going forward -- including details of a green renovation of 844 Myrtle.
Zoe Executes Her Many Tricks, With Amazing Precision
Aug 07 2007 Filed in: Zainy-mals
Here's another gem from San Diego... Zoe is, as always, in the palm of Wayne's hand (and in mine).
Here's An Idea: Let's Give Pundits The Rest Of The Iraq War Off
Aug 05 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview | Emotional Intellect
I listen to and enjoy both sides of the ideological media spectrum, from George Will and Stanley Fish to someone as nutty (and super cool) as Arianna Huffington.But it's with continuing admiration that I read Frank Rich's columns in the New York Times, with this week's piece as no exception. "Patriots Who Love the Troops to Death" (available only to TimesSelect subscribers) is a sweeping statement about how the once-fervent supporters of the Iraq war are starting to turn -- even ones who confidently predicted we'd be showered with eternal gratitude as liberators.
"That’s disingenuous," Rich wrote about the prognosticators, particularly Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, both of the Brookings Institution. "For all their late-in-the-game criticisms of the administration’s incompetence, Mr. Pollack proselytized vociferously for the war before it started, including in an appearance with Oprah, and both men have helped prolong the quagmire with mistakenly optimistic sightings of progress since the days of 'Mission Accomplished.'
"You can find a compendium of their past wisdom in Glenn Greenwald’s Salon column. That think-tank pundits with this track record would try to pass themselves off as harsh war critics in 2007 shows how desperate they are to preserve their status as Beltway “experts” now that the political winds have shifted. Such blatant careerism would be less offensive if they didn’t do so on the backs of the additional American troops they ask to be sacrificed to the doomed mission of providing security for an Iraqi government that is both on vacation and on the verge of collapse."
Actually, Bill Maher has been out in front on this issue for nearly a year now... that our country's crack-pot predictors are, well, dicks.
Rich also talks about the role of the media and others, including our beloved "experts" and political leaders, who have deep-seeded culpability in the way this war is playing out in the public consciousness.
I'm so mad that I go out into the world each day with venom spewing out my ears. I do what I can to manage it. The future, it would seem, is ours to create -- so let's make our own way and look for sensible solutions instead of putting our direction and judgment in the hands of people who don't deserve it.
Can We Have Civil Liberties AND Security? The Answer Is "Yes"
Aug 04 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
I see some Democrats have lost their spine again... CNN is reporting that the Dems have caved on specific eavesdropping guidelines that the White House wanted in place as we update FISA.I felt secure before 9/11, and feel even more so now that we've been taught a lesson not to sleep at the security switch. But I refuse to feed the Executive Branch more latitude when they can't be trusted to police disasters or protect our food supply or look at our healthcare system.
In this case, blame AND shoot the messenger. (I'm speaking metaphorically, for those scouring the Internet for Evil Doers.)
Thumb courtesy of Jupiter Images.
Update: the House passed the bill late last night amending FISA, 227-183, with many conservative Democrats voting with the GOP. Question: is the President's bully pulpit really the same when your approval is in the mid 20s?
Great Thanks To All The Pollocks For An Awesome Week In Seattle
Aug 04 2007 Filed in: New Captures | Travel Blogs
The full Seattle travel blog is coming soon. In the meantime, take a peek at a few of these... And make sure to drop me a line and let me know what you think!
Pipes From The Past... Cyndi Lauper Blows On You(s)Tube
Aug 03 2007 Filed in: Tunes
Take a look at Ms. Lauper on YouTube (courtesy of Crusty). She's way more than the girl who wants to have fun -- she's a controlled, accomplished singer. WTG.
Sleepless In Seattle: The WSJ Merger Not Yet A 'Slam Dunk'
Aug 02 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
While we're in this great state of Washington visiting Pollock relatives, the Bancroft family eked out a minimum thumbs-up for News Corp.'s acquisition of Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal.
Say what you want about Murdoch, but consolidated media ownership continues to suck for journalism. With a FCC review looming, Russ Britt writes for MarketWatch writes that it's too soon to call the deal done.
Update: NYT reporting that News Corp. may have improperly paid fees and influenced the deal close.
Say what you want about Murdoch, but consolidated media ownership continues to suck for journalism. With a FCC review looming, Russ Britt writes for MarketWatch writes that it's too soon to call the deal done.
Update: NYT reporting that News Corp. may have improperly paid fees and influenced the deal close.
Am I A Slinky To You?
Jul 30 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember | The Funnies
The Palace Takes Shape: Crusty & Eddie's New Digs
Jul 29 2007 Filed in: New Captures
A palace in progress...
Thanks SO MUCH to Crusty for correcting me (eyeroll).
Seattle Here We Come
Jul 29 2007 Filed in: Travel Blogs
A Pollock family reunion awaits... Pics and details to follow.A Rare Moment Of Self-censorship: Bush Deletes A Line
Jul 29 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
Democrats objected to being blamed for delays.Will wonders never cease?
Forget about partisan bullshit. Here's the real question: do you want people spying on you without permission? Could that be construed as preserving freedom? Probably not.
San Diego Updated! With My Other Fave SNL Skit, Deep House Dish
Jul 27 2007 Filed in: YouTube | Travel Blogs
The upcoming SNL season figures to be awesome (or is it "grawesome"?), led hopefully by Deep House Dish. Ken reminded me to include that inside joke on our San Diego blog. Here's a snippet from SNL. Bo'kay?
Watch For The Next-best Saturday Night Live Skit: Bronx Beat
Jul 26 2007 Filed in: YouTube
San Diego: "F- Da Po Po" And So Much More
Jul 26 2007 Filed in: Travel Blogs
The San Diego Travel Blog is now live! Lots of great stuff to catch up on there... Good times at Mission Beach, at the San Diego Open, and with Wayne and Ed. Click here for more.
Let The Shuffling Continue: Paula Zahn Out At CNN
Jul 24 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
I've always thought of her as a class act, and as her good-bye note (courtesy of MediaBistro) shows, she seems genuinely saddened about her departure. Which was made more hasty, some say, by the arrival of new-hire Campbell Brown. Her letter:To All,
It is with mixed emotions that I announce my departure from CNN, effective Thursday, August 2nd. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my tremendous respect for my good friends and colleagues, their talent and high standards.
It's been an extraordinary journey since my first day on the job, September 11th, 2001. During my 6 years with CNN, we've covered the war in Iraq, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the death of a Pope and the massacre at Virginia Tech. I am enormously proud of the work we've done covering these stories as a team.
Now is the right time for CNN and me to move ahead on different paths. I wish good luck and success to everyone I was fortunate to work with. And for the first time in 30 years, I plan to take a break between jobs and catch my breath before I take on my next role. - Paula
Thanks to Pete for livening up every afternoon at SFM with the TV Newser. It's a page-turner!
I'll miss "Out in the Open."
In Good Company: On-site Photos From Composition Gallery
Jul 21 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | New Captures
Thanks to Ron at Composition Gallery for putting on a great show. As you can see from these pictures, I was in great company -- I even bought two prints for myself.
New show opens there on rock-star pictures tonight... I saw a preview yesterday and it's super cool! Following rock stars around and snapping pictures of them? I want that job!
Who Says I Ain't Patriotic?
Jul 15 2007 Filed in: New Captures
Taken during our July 4th extravaganza of a vacation in San Diego... Mission Beach rules! Ken and I went "spouse shopping" during a day out for lunch.Important inside jokes:
1) Shoes.
2) Give it up for Feathers!
3) Spouse shopping
4) Frat-boy WiffleGOLF (it's the new volleyball)
5) Impromptu beach breakdancing
6) Deep, existential beach conversations over (what else?) COCKTAILS
7) Would it be "grawesome" to "CHILLAX"?
8) "Would the owner of a white station wagon please go f%$#$% yourself?"
Anyway, enjoy the pic. O say can you see... I'll load a collection of SD pics soon. Promise.
New Captures Page Added...
Jul 13 2007 Filed in: New Captures
Zoe Won't Let The Sun Go Down...
Jul 08 2007 Filed in: Zainy-mals
Wayne and Eddie's Zoe does her best Elton John a few years back... I nearly spit out my coffee when I saw this one. She's a loon... and adorable. I'll post a great video of her soon. One of the many gems I left San Diego with. More to follow soon. Enjoy.
Chalk One Up For Reality Creation
Jul 06 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember
I stumbled across this little gem on the Hasselblad Web site: "The best way to predict the future is to create it." -- Peter Drucker
I put my money on prosperity.
Liven Up Rainy Wimbledon... More Shots Like These, Please
Jul 04 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Nadal has had the shot of the tourney so far...
Velcro Show: Support Local Artists And Visit Composition Gallery
Jul 03 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | New Captures
I'm showing a couple of pieces at the upcoming Velcro Show at Composition Gallery... Including one seen below entitled "Dusk for Doolin," which I shot during my recent trip to Ireland. The show will go on for most of July, so make sure to check it out. Reception and show kick-off: Saturday, July 7, 2007 (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
Show concludes: Friday, July 20, 2007
Composition Gallery is located in Candler Park and features affordable photographic works from local and regional artists. If you can't make the reception, please be sure to stop by the gallery and take a look.Contact the gallery here, and access the map for directions. Or... plot it on Mapquest!
Jack & Ken: Division A Champions In San Diego!
Jul 02 2007 Filed in: Tennis! | Cool Events
Rain @ Wimbledon: Eyes On The Prize There, Buddy
Jul 02 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Sent to us in SD from one of Ken's buddies... notice where (most of) the attention is directed as the tarp comes out.
The Boys In San Diego: So You Think You Can... Prance?
Jul 02 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | Cool People
Having a blast out here at the San Diego Open, where I bombed out of the tourney early, but Jack and Ken are in the finals this afternoon! I'll follow up with event pics later.
Meantime, during off-court time at Barnes Tennis Center, Jack and Ken visited with Mary Murphy -- famed judge of So You Think You Can Dance and repped by former Atlanta resident Michael Sanchez (brother of Season One host Lauren Sanchez). I wasn't able to meet her, but I heard all about it. The pic here is of Jack and Mary with Kynni behind the cell camera.Many more pics to follow, including captures from Mission Beach and some landscapes.
The Dictionary Of Jack: A Bible From Which We Should All Draw
Jun 24 2007 Filed in: Cool People
Dude, you need to "CHILLAX." I officially have a new You(s)Tube crush...
'Welcome Home': Rev. Paul Beats Back 'Wave of Hate' At Atlanta Pride
Jun 24 2007 Filed in: Articles | Emotional Intellect
By Will Pollock
(ATLANTA :: 24 June 2007) Amidst the angry shouts of hellfire and wished damnation from protestors at Piedmont Park yesterday, one lone voice stood up at Atlanta Pride and declared, “Welcome Home.”
Rev. Paul Graetz, an eight-year pastor at First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta, was manning his church’s booth at the largest gay and lesbian Pride event in the southeast. He became fed up with signs that read, “JESUS THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE CONDEMNS YOU TO ETERNAL HELL,” and stormed out to the park's entrance to counterprotest.
“They’re lying to my parishioners,” Graetz said, holding his lone sign. “It’s just an unacceptable wave of hate as you approach the park. Georgia doesn’t tolerate hate. Hate speech is not free speech.”
The religious objectors’ words blared over a bullhorn as they manned numerous entrances to Piedmont Park as well as the 10th and Piedmont intersection in Midtown. Rev. Graetz questioned their purpose.
“Why are they here? They’re adamant about their homophobia, their fear. Radical groups need someone to hate, yet the bible’s message is one of love. There’s no room for hate. God said he did not give us a spirit of fear. God’s love is here for all.”
For their part, Pridegoers proceeded past the protestors peacefully, with one woman entering at 14th street calmly saying to a protestor, “Have a nice day, Sir.”
“I am having a great day,” the protestor retorted. “Y’all think about eternal life, it might be right around the corner.”
Despite their somewhat sordid welcome, thousands of visitors to Pride were undaunted and enjoyed the many vendors and other attractions at the event.
But for Rev. Graetz, the angry language is a stark reminder.
“This is really a symbol for the type of world gays and lesbians face,” he said. “We have to walk through hatred to get home, just like people have to walk through these people’s hate to get to Pride.
“So I’m welcoming people here in love,” he added. “The hate was just too overwhelming as you approached the park. Jesus would be saying, ‘Happy Pride!’” (Additional reporting by Thom Anderson)
Rev. Paul Graetz Represents At Atlanta Pride
Jun 23 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | Cool People
Thom and I ventured out today and met Rev. Paul... For more, visit the my Pride captures or go directly to the Atlanta Pride YouTube channel. Cheers!
Not Your Average Complacency
Jun 20 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Here's a hint: it's a comment about our "ho hum" attitude about what's happening in our country... unless Paris Hilton is having a perp walk -- then we're glued to the TV.
Digital Maître d': OpenTable Lands In The NYTimes
Jun 18 2007 Filed in: Articles
The NY Times reports on a phenomenon that we Atlantans know all too well: OpenTable.com. How else would one lock in a night of ice jimmies at Repast?
Click here for the story.
Click here for the story.
Weekend In D.C.: A Meeting Of Minds (And Appetites)
Jun 18 2007 Filed in: Cool Events | Cool People
Great thanks to Ted and Rolando for hosting me in D.C. ...and to Michele "Snush" Segre for organizing our great outing in Bethesda, Md., at Mia's Pizzas.The day itself was expansive to say the least. Ted, Rolando and I hoofed it in Bethesda to Discovery Galleries -- a destination that caught Ted's eye from a mailer to area residents. The hybrid-concentration gallery was showing pieces by Christos Palios and Anne Packard -- both of which had stunning works on display. I'm going to try and pitch a story about this gallery in the coming weeks.
We were joined later that afternoon by Michele, Rebecca and Larise at Mia's as the six of us did "market research" for the forthcoming sixth annual NYE Gourmet Pizza Extravaganza. But we also connected with our great host (and Mia's' owner) Melissa as she graciously donated a gift certificate for the HRC's Eleventh Annual National Dinner, an extravaganza in its own right being co-chaired by our very own Ted Toon!
Volunteer possibilities abound for this event, so make sure to learn more and get involved.
Back to the matter at hand: If you haven't checked out Mia's, this new hip and happenin' joint, definitely make the trip. For more on this great day, jump to the captures.
Anchor Blues: Who's Tarting Whom?
Jun 16 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
They're at it again... more instances where anchors/journalists are trying to squeeze out actual newsmakers with shenanigans, bold statements and general assholic behavior.- Dan Rather ignites a feud with his former network. Accusing CBS of "tarting" up its broadcast by hiring Katie Couric, Rather told Joe Scarborough's that the network was trying to "dumb it down, tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience." CBS chief executive Les Moonves called his remarks "sexist," to which Rather replied that Moonves "doesn't know about the news." This spat is such a waste of space... news outlets are spending time on this! I don't particularly like Katie Couric in her new role, and never watched Today, but can't we give her a chance to find herself before we pass judgment? Um, hello, it's been nine months since she started. Many anchors took years to catch on -- and even got fired (Peter Jennings, early on) before they dug in their heels.
- Just getting the story... or too close to the action? Despite how CNN's Rick Sanchez irritates the hell out of me, the kid in Georgia got the wrong sentence for his sex crime and that injustice deserved attention. But in reporting the story Sanchez became outwardly jubilant and pressed himself inside the frame when word came down that the judge threw out the 10-year sentence (the prosecutor is appealing). It was WAY too much, too soon, too close, when Sanchez should have stood back and let the events unfold. Watch the clips on Pipeline if you don't believe me.
- Oh by the way... Longtime NBC Nightly weekend anchor John Seigenthaler was replaced by Lester Holt, in one of the most underreported cost-cutting moves of the year. Seigenthaler had an 11-year run at helm of the weekend broadcast -- a position that, apparently, "was a luxury [NBC] could no longer afford," according to USA Today. Seigenthaler's rich, bass, deadpan (and dead-on) delivery was yet another comfortable chair we'll not get to enjoy anymore.
Artistic Expression Emits From The Most Unusual Sources...
...including a phone salesman in England. Remember: never second-guess yourself or feel inhibited to chase your dream.
Or, even in what you might deem small or insignificant, never censor your own creative energy -- no matter who you are or what you do. Case in point:
Phone Salesman Amazes Crowd - Watch more free videos
Or, even in what you might deem small or insignificant, never censor your own creative energy -- no matter who you are or what you do. Case in point:
Phone Salesman Amazes Crowd - Watch more free videos
Andy Roddick Loosens Up On Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
Jun 14 2007 Filed in: Cool People
Thanks to Musty for sending this along... He may not be winning much lately, but his self-effacing humor is alive and well.
Seriously? The Strong Arm (And Fist) Of The Alabama Law
Jun 08 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
Honestly? If someone let me in the White House I might punch someone out, too.
But c'mon... for those of you who are strictly in favor of states rights, here's an example of those locally generated taxpayer dollars at work. They might as well be at a trucker bar outside Birmingham. And now, in this corner, Mike Tyson...
But c'mon... for those of you who are strictly in favor of states rights, here's an example of those locally generated taxpayer dollars at work. They might as well be at a trucker bar outside Birmingham. And now, in this corner, Mike Tyson...
Always Pug-nacious: A Must-see Story From The Onion
Jun 05 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Those of you who know me know how crazy I get around Pugs... they are a whole lotta hideous and adorable all rolled into one. Click through for the hilarity.
'Boot In The Ass' Politics: Diplomatic Row No. 1,867
Jun 05 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview | Seriously?
While I agree with Bush (try not to fall out of your chairs) that Russia seems to have abandoned many of its democratic reforms, I'm SICK to death of cowboy politics. Here's the latest brilliant idea: we're apparently continuing plans for a missile-defense system for some of our European allies and, in the meantime, pissing off Russia and dismissing their objections -- while we are fast on the way to destabilizing our end of once-solid relations. Sound good?
We are led by an administration that espouses "instead of" politics, and we should all be furious. And NOT quietly furious, outwardly so. Don't ever think that holding a contrary opinion is weak, or "un-American," or cowardly. It's none of those things.
The whole 'I've seen Putin's soul' thing sounded phony at the outset, and now, the comment has become irrelevant anyway. As for missiles, one bad move deserves another. (Graphic courtesy of BBC.com)
The Mutt Stays In The Picture
Jun 02 2007 Filed in: General Posts
It was boys' night out at the first official party in the Piedmont Crest club room. The bash went off spectacularly (thanks Crusty). But the real star of the show had four legs, lots of hair and an easy disposition. Click here for the party YouTube channel, or jump to the party captures. I'm in negotiations with Kynni's "people" about posting his star turn on YouTube, but it's a sticky situation. Oops... too late. Thanks to everyone for a great time!
Viral Marketing... In Its Purest (And Most F^&$#%#%ed-up) Form
Jun 01 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
I was literally crying-laughing at this so I thought I'd share... Thanks to Crusty's dad for sending it around.
It's 4:30. Have You Slapped Your Child Today?
May 30 2007 Filed in: N&Ns
Violent Affection Syndrome (aka VAS) knows no boundaries... Just today I have been hit with a flurry of reasons why aggravation can be an outgrowth of love. Don't believe me?
Let this be a reminder to those of you reading this who have additional slap-worthy pictures that are not in my possession. Send away, and I'll post them to the lot. The more the merrier.
And of course, thanks to all my nieces and nephews for making my life a LOT more exciting... and annoying!
Veterans Day: In Honor Of Opa
May 29 2007 Filed in: Cool People | Cool Events
I'm named after my late grandfather, William Stone Weedon, who was a decorated veteran of World War II and a fixture at the University of Virginia. With my birthday and Veterans Day converging at the same time each year, I thought it appropriate to use "The Google" and find some information on him -- some of which I didn't know before. Here's what I came up with:• In 2003, UVa named an Endowed Professorship in his honor
• He received his undergraduate degree (1929) and graduate degree in Arts & Sciences (1936) from UVa, and continued on as a professor long afterward
• He advanced the understanding of East Asian architecture within the university community
• He received the Raven Award, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, and in 1976, the Thomas Jefferson Award -- UVa's highest honor.
• He was named to University Professorship, which entitled him to teach any subject of his choosing on the UVa campus.
I hope he's watching with approval.
Last Year In My 30s... ARRRGGGHHHH!
May 29 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
This image sums up (basically), in abstract pie-chart form, how I'm feeling today... but I intend to be the sexiest, sassiest 40 year old EVER by next May 29th. Just wait! (Awesome cartoon courtesy of Julian Bevan)Tori Amos For President
May 28 2007 Filed in: Cool People
I hereby nominate her because she's (one of) the coolest chicks on the planet. Her soft and kind delivery, along with her views on religion, Christianity and femininity, absolutely fascinate me. Take a look at that link and watch some of the interview... it's worth the few minutes.Fame Is Fleeting...
May 27 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
...wait, only 15 minutes?Thom, Jimmy BB and I went out and took in some great tunes at Red Light Cafe... David Atlanta was out in force getting the shots.
Anchor Blues: The Update
May 25 2007 Filed in: Seriously? | Ascribe.net Preview
About a month ago I wrote an editorial about how anchors are increasingly stepping in front of their stories and becoming the news. Should I make this a monthly thing? Vote yes or no by sending me an e-mail. Meantime, here's an update thumbnail:- The claws come out... again. Audience members were shifting nervously in their seats as Rosie and Elisabeth had a hideous smackdown on "The View" about the Iraq war and the Bush administration. (Babs was off that day and unable to referee.) But what went completely unreported in this latest melee was that the entire thing was sparked by Joy Behar (actual quote: "don't interview each other") who is understandably infuriated by the latest revelations on how our country is being run and ran down a laundry list of things she doesn't like about our current government. (Current YouTube views: approaching 2 million) Question: what happens to the show when Rosie leaves?
- Honey, tell Consuela to avoid 60 Minutes. Lou Dobbs was recently interviewed by Leslie Stahl on CBS' "60 Minutes" about his populist mission that includes securing the borders with Mexico and restoring our quickly sinking country's order. Wherever you find yourself on the immigrant issue, the anchor, again, was the story here. Stahl uses the unfortunate catch phrase of "fair and balanced" to question Dobbs about whether his program is actually news. What do you think?
Update: Rosie to leave "The View" early and not complete the last three weeks of her contract.
Ireland!
May 17 2007 Filed in: Travel Blogs
The Ireland Travel Blog is now live, and will be continually updated as I have time to load pics and reflections.Annie Leibovitz Shares Her Public & Personal Lives At The High
May 12 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
(ATLANTA) - Mike King and I attended the Annie Leibovitz show at the High Museum in Atlanta yesterday... She made emotional and heartfelt remarks to an appreciative crowd, marking the debut of her new exposition, "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005." The late Susan Sontag, as well as Leibovitz's mother and father, were all remembered in the collection and in Leibovitz's speech. Set against the High's new space, it was surely an evening I'll never forget. The collection itself is a bold and courageous look at one of our country's most cherished creative talents. Jump to the YouTube clip
A Photographer's Life: An Evening With Annie Leibovitz (and Mike)
May 10 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
One of our most cherished photographers (and one of my idols) will be visiting Atlanta tomorrow to kick off her show at the High Museum. Mike King and I will be attending and I hope to post some pictures from the event... This is a no brainer, since I always try to support the arts community here, and also, I'm hoping even a fraction of her awesomeness will rub off. Recycle For Success: Jenny Krasner Talks Some Trash In New York
May 09 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Our great friend Jenny Krasner takes her "trash talking" girl power to Albany for a waste/recycling panel and exhibition at the NY State Environmental Agency. "Artists who Work With Discards, Media and Message" included (from left) Valeri Larko, Chakaia Booker & Jenny @ Bolton Landing.Props To Everyone For The Taste Magazine Shoot
May 09 2007 Filed in: New Captures | Stone Four Projects
Thanks to Chef Dean, Andy, Michael, the staff at South City, McCall, Jim and John, and all of my awesome friends and neighbors for a great afternoon last week. The "New South Cuisine" article for Taste Magazine is slated for the Summer 2007 issue! Jump to the sample picturesJack Jean Wins 'Excellence in Education' Award At The Ted
May 07 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Gibson, Andrea and I were happy to go drink beer while Jackie Jean accepted his "Excellence in Education" award (I took pictures, of course). The Bravos promptly lost a lousy game to the Padres, during which there was a great deal of mutual plunking. As I learned later, the Padres' pitcher, Chris Young is nearly 7 feet tall! (He's 6'10".) ---> Jump to the capturesQuote 2 Remember: Garry Shandling on 'Real Time'
"You talk about War -- it's an old paradigm," Garry Shandling told Bill Maher last night during the "Real Time" panel discussion, referring to our "War on Terror" language. "This winning and losing thing is where we are behind in our consciousness. I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." (Photo courtesy of nndb.com.)
You've Got A Friend In Me...
May 03 2007 Filed in: YouTube
Jacob Frulla slays them at his school talent show...
Quote 2 Remember
May 02 2007 Filed in: Quotes 2 Remember
"Imagination encircles the world." -- Albert Einstein
CNN's American Morning...
Apr 30 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
Seriously? We Can't Agree On The Press' Role As Agenda Pusher?
Apr 29 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
Are we seriously still thinking the press wasn't complicit in the Iraq war -- dating back to the fall of 2002? We picked up the drumbeat and the rest, as we know, is ugly history still unfolding. Jump to the Huffington Post piece by Marty Kaplan
Dinner at Zinc in Charlottesville... AND a Celeb Sighting
Apr 28 2007 Filed in: General Posts
Dinner out at new Charlottesville restaurant Zinc with the parentals... *and* a John Grisham sighting. Tomorrow, a big birthday dinner for my mom's 69th. (Photo courtesy of UVa Law School)Jake Hits His First Single...
Apr 28 2007 Filed in: YouTube
Just make sure to watch the careful finish when he gets to first base successfully... GO YANKEES!!
Quote of the Day: Don't 'Keep Quiet'
Apr 24 2007 Filed in: General Posts
From the esteemed Jenny Krasner, responding to "Anchor Blues": "We are only doomed if we keep quiet." Go Jenny! (Photo courtesy of Jeremiaheads.)
"Anchor Blues": The Catharsis
Apr 23 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
In the past six to nine months, we've seen a whirlwind of shifts, firings, hirings and meltdowns in the TV media that have caused me to twirl. Here's how I worked out my frustrations, available at Medill's "Alumni Voices" Web page:"For Medill’s part, it is more critical than ever to know what your personal ethics are as a journalist as you enter this nutty business. Do not be the news, be the impartial gifter of it. If you go to the producer side of things, don’t hang your anchors out to dry because you think your closest competitor is gaining on you. Stand in your integrity. As a journalist working in a few different areas, that’s my mission, and it always will be, and it should be for all of us. Your self-defined purpose matters, and your audience cares." ---> Jump to "Anchor Blues"
Update: Great related op-ed entitled "They Call This the News?", posted at Common Dreams and written by Jerry Lanson, a Journalism professor in Boston. Sent courtesy of Uncle David.
Seriously? Dilute The Brand... Then Kill The Mothership?
Apr 22 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
NBC is considering canceling its venerable "Law & Order" series... this, after diluting the series with three spinoffs, one of which never made it through season one. The original and best installment of this brand was banished to Friday nights this season, and now reportedly sits on the bubble for renewal -- despite its rabid fan base following it to the best extent possible. Don't let this awesome show get axed! Here are this fan's guidelines:
---> Bring back Angie Harmon, stat. I hear she's free.
---> Move the series back to its home on Wednesday @ 10 p.m. Fridays are lame.
---> Ease the constant "ripped from the headlines" formula and work harder to spin great stories.
---> Return to your expert directors and writers to recapture the old glory.
Reminder to NBC: are all the ka-jillions you make on widespread syndication not enough to tip the scales?
post on the L&O boards | USAToday Article | read the Dick Wolf blog
Susan Werner Brings Her 'Strange Nation' Back to Eddie's Attic!
Apr 21 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Thom and I went to see Susan Werner at Eddie's Attic in Decatur -- and we were treated to two other opening artists: Danielle Miraglia and Larry Zarella. I found Susan on a night about 10 years ago when she opened for Joan Armitrading at Variety Playhouse. Spectacular folk singer and storyteller... always treats people at Eddie's like familiar friends. As she always does after her shows at Eddie's, Susan hung out with us after she slayed everyone with an a cappella encore. (see pic, at left).
Her original "My Strange Nation" song is the perfect antidote for our global troubles and frustrations. For more, go to myYouTube Live Clips page.
Go Yankees!
Apr 21 2007 Filed in: YouTube
Jake & Frank cheer on the best team on the planet (ARod notwithstanding).
Let The Backtracking Begin: Two Lulus From Both Sides of the Aisle
Apr 20 2007 Filed in: Ascribe.net Preview
Comments from Harry Reid and John McCain that should have been caught in the internal editor. Neither were. ...with more proof that verbal diarrhea is a bipartisan affliction. (Photo courtesy of AP)
Seriously? We Don't Have Another Phrase Beside "War on Terror?"
Apr 19 2007 Filed in: Seriously?
I'm wondering if we as a country have the courage to question how we chacterize the "War on Terror." I for one would like us to care more about the way the world sees us. (Photo courtesy of ITReviews)A Clip of Soulstice ~ In Honor of The Fallen At Virginia Tech
Apr 18 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Sunday Brunch @ Greencroft
Apr 15 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
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A Grand Brunch At Barboursville Vineyard
Apr 07 2007 Filed in: New Captures
The day before Easter a bunch of us went up to Barboursville Winery, where we witnessed firsthand how well the Virginia wine scene has come up in the world. Four-course meal, four wine pairings. Everything was awesome... For more, jump to the captures.
Bringing Home The Bacon, While Earning Equity
Apr 05 2007 Filed in: General Posts
A topic near and dear: Great article in the latest edition of BusinessWeek's small business publication on office condos. ---> jumpAlso make sure to check out Motto Magazine, a groundbreaking publication supporting small business and promoting a graceful work-life balance. Hoping to contribute to that publication someday soon!
Quick JP Clip
Mar 27 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Crazy-lame quality, but here's a quick cell-phone clip of Jennifer Paige warming up the Smith's crowd with "Crush." Gene and I bought "Best Kept Secret," Jen's EP prelude to her new CD. A few great tunes to check out!
Jennifer Paige & Josh Kelley Rock Midtown Atlanta
Mar 26 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Alex Snores Her Way To Sleep
Mar 10 2007 Filed in: YouTube
Click here to jump to YouTube, or take a look at the video below. My YouTube page has "Part II," which is more snoring and convulsing...
YouTube Videos!
Feb 27 2007 Filed in: The Funnies
And The Winner Is...
Feb 27 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Craig Eister's Annual Oscar bash is coming up on Sunday! Make sure to check it out... ---> jump The event benefits ASP and recently earned ink in the AJC. Check out the article in yesterday's Peach Buzz.
North Georgia!
Feb 24 2007 Filed in: New Captures
The Frullas Invade Atlanta
Feb 17 2007 Filed in: New Captures
Penny, Jake & Frank take Atlanta by storm. ---> jump
Click here to jump to Jake & Frank's You(s)Tube videos.
Click here to jump to Jake & Frank's You(s)Tube videos.
JJ's Awesome Performance
Feb 11 2007 Filed in: Cool Events
Jack Jean rocked the (opera) house in the sticks with a winning xylophone solo... ---> jump
Read More...
Read More...
New Jumps!
Jan 13 2007 Filed in: General Posts