philly

If it's Tuesday, it's Drinking Liberally

Not only is it time to have drinks with Philadephia-area liberals tonight, it's also the birthday week of our own Susie Madrak. So, $1 of drinks from 6p-9p and free [really good] wings at Tangier — 1801 Lombard St from 6p until stumbling.

It should be pretty cool to see Richard from All Spin Zone and Matt from Tattered Coat to talk about their time at the march in D.C. this weekend. Also Noz will be there, fresh off a trip to Syria.

Fellow Philadelphia photog and Flickrite Laura Kicey has written an article on self-portraiture on the photo website Utata.org. I've been looking at her photographs for many months now and I've had the pleasure of going out on shoots with her around Philadelphia twice now I think. She recently got a new camera, the Canon Rebel XT and I expect big things. She took the photo on the right with this new camera and although it is not a self-portrait, it is one of my favorite shots from her collection and indicative to the inquisitive nature of her photography.

She's taken self-portraiture to woderful highs in the months I've seen her expose her inner self to us on the internets. Tons of experimentation, lots of more traditional shots and abstractions. I'd say more often than not, the shots are incredible, and not just because she's got an alluring gaze; they're simply just great shots. But why does she take so many self-potraits? I think she boils it down well here:

If you have a camera, the first person available to photograph is most obviously yourself. Whether it is a narcissistic impulse, or a convenience, using the self as subject allows us the most freedom we can take with a model. We are completely aware of our own intentions. It also offers the most control we can exert over our own self-image.
…
I have always felt that everything we make is, in a sense, a self-portrait. Our photographs are a reflection of our personal vision; using our own face is just doing so in the most literal sense. My camera acts as a confidante.

I used to snap shots at arms length all the time. Wherever I went with my mini digicam, the U10, I'd be taking shots of my mug. Alone. With an arm draped around a friend. Whatever. However, I've never really been comfortable with other people taking my photo. I guess I just like being on the other side of the lens. But since I've had this bell's palsy, I've been even more reluctant to be in front of a lens. I dunno what it's gonna take for me to get over it. Maybe I'm just going to have to go gung ho and take on a self-portraiture series to just get over it.

It was fun and educational to read her thoughts. You learn something more about a person when you see them in a medium different than you're used to seeing them in. I'm used to seeing her feelings and thoughts poured out through photography, to see her thoughts and feelings through her writing was different and I like it. I hope to read more.

Some of my favorite self-portraits by Laura here, here, here and here. Check out more self-portraits from her me set and her entire collection starting here.

On my bike ride to work today, my bike's chain went off track/gear, whatever the phrase is. It jammed up for a sec at first, so I back-pedalled just a teeny bit to see if it would fix it [sometimes that works] and then I pedalled forward. A nasty metal on metal click, no go. So I pulled over on Walnut/34th Sts. I looked around in my bag for a napkin or something to grip the greasy/oily chain with. No dice. So I just had to yank it with my hands and put it back on gear. Which I did.

Then the gunk on my hands. I tried to only use the tips of my gingers and for the most part that worked out okay. No black streaks on my face or clothes as a result. Nice. I think my bike needs a tune up.

Good grief. Benator Affleck?

That's the hot new idea being tossed around by Virginia Democrats, who are desperately searching for a big name to challenge the reelection bid of rising GOP star Sen. George Allen next year, now that outgoing Gov. Mark Warner has ducked out.

Please tell me that Ben Affleck is not what VA Dems think will be the saving grace of the party. At least get Matt Damon.

Just read [it's in the fine print] over on 1L Hell, a law blog written by my buddy AK, a 1L'er that cell phones are going to be fair game for telemarketers.

Dunno where he heard it. Haven't heard it myself, but I have heard it being constantly threatened and lobbied for.

I just placed my celli on the Do Not Call Registry. I hate telemarketers.

Heh. It seems as if I have my first political troll on my flickr. The peace march photos I took dowin in D.C. have piqued the interest of sixteen-year-old Luke Sharrett who lists as some of his favorite artists: Bob Dylan, U2 and Johnny Cash. I know that Dylan and Cash were both against the Vietnam War, but I'm not sure on their stance on this one. I know that U2 is anti-war. I'm not sure how this teenager from Central Virginia came about their music or his personal stance on the war [he's for it from what I can see], but it's funny to see a political troll on my flickr site which is a photographic destination. Granted, the photographs are of an anti-war rally and I am against this war.

I'm not saying that you can't like a person's music and disagree with what they stand for personally, but with a band like U2? Odd. I'm not going around blaring Toby Keith while I'm taking part of an anti-war protest.

His photos aren't half bad though.

The two comments are on this photo and this photo.

How I love thee. The bit on reporters and the hurricanes with Ed Helms starting off the report with a 'survivor' slung over his shoulders to the 'This Week in God' with Steven Colbert [it's French, bitch] in total hurricane mode. That bit was 'debatable' oh the hilarity. Pat Robertson has his own health drink. Good God.

And Mehlman wasn't on tonight. I don't know why. Was it because he chickened out? I dunno. Haven't read anything on it. He was replaced by Dr. Irwin Redlener Associate Dean, Mailman School of Public Health [Colulmbia University] and Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness. He didn't brighten my day.

The ladies from Code Pink for Peace were out in full effect on Saturday.

We were standing next to a huuuge group of them while waiting to get out of the ellipse area and caught up with them later in front of the White House. Donned in pink from

head to toe, they were turning heads, you just had to look at them. It also helped that they were at least 500 strong I'd say. Once

we made the left turn onto 15th St, one of our group, AK was

stopped to do an interview.

Questions on the war, the protest, Condi Rice among others, I didn't hear all of the lady's questions. Not sure where she was from

either.

At the corner of 15th & E Sts, two girls performed a skit that attracted a good sized crowd and tons of cheers. Next to them

stood W with blood on his hands holding a "Buzzards

of Compassion" sign.

We picked up a gigantic sign which read "Guilty of War Crimes – ImpeachBush.org"

and carried that up 15th St until we turned the corner on Pennsylvania Ave to the White House.

This guy was standing just west of the White House on the north side of Pennsylvania Ave. You saw him as you were getting ready to turn up 17th St to loop back to the start of the march. For us, he was one of the last images we encountered as we were headed to recharge our batteries to come back for the concert. He had the word "Loco" tattoed on his neck across his Adam's apple. He was pretty intense. Holding up a sign which read "I was there in 91 now back a decade later?" was particularly poignant. But what would a protest be without a guy in a gas mask right? This guy didn't seem to be a part of the Anarchist Army judging by his friendliness. And I could tell this guy had been to a few protests in his day as he had a through-the-sign hole so that he could hold the sign from the middle as opposed to from the top or the sides which makes it easier to hold methinks. The last signs of police before our break was the line of Smith & Wesson police issue bicycles which I found quite odd. When did they start making bikes?

My full flickr set of Saturday's march.

Flickr! You're driving me fucking insane today!

Tonight on The Daily Show is RNC Chair Ken Mehlman. Should be a good one.