archives: Thailand, 2005

I am so saddened by what is going on in Thailand, and their neighbor India. I love it there, everywhere, and hope to return before too long.

Go see: Black Watch

I went to a play tonight called Black Watch in Dumbo, at St. Ann's Warehouse, which is a pretty amazing space. (Kind of the worst night in a while to walk right down towards the water at the harbor, freezing winds ripping your face off. ah winter!)

The show was great - especially the choreography, but I am not talking about modern dance. It is put on by The National Theatre of Scotland, about the elite infantry of the Scottish armed forces, which is reason enough right there to go. They talk about the history of the division, but it deals mostly with why why why are they involved with the conflict in Iraq. Why is anyone, for that matter. It's intense.

The run has been extended to December 21. Mom really dug it, and she was proud of herself for finding the place with no problem. ha.

Working Life: Margot, 10/23/08

Can you guess where she works? The lobby of the office is insane.

do you still write to Santa?

I haven't for a long time, but lots of kids do, and the USPS lets folks try and help Kris Kringle out. What a great idea. Christmas is still way off, but the decorations have been up at Macy's since September.

Fantastic

I have been photographing part of the Brooklyn Museum's extensive costume collection this month, while my friend Lolly is away at an artist residency in Rochester. I was very flattered and happy to take over while she is away. Clothing and accessories are a magic window into the lives of people long since gone. I have been shooting ladies folding fans, which are especially intriguing because this is an item that has essentially disappeared. I can't even imagine that a fan would help that much on a hot day here in NYC, but I think they were just as much a tool for communication in times when the social rigors were much more strict than today.

This feathered fan from the late 1800s looks like an animal to me, or a sea anemone.

archives: Washington, DC, 2004

This is from April of 2004 when I went to DC for the pro-choice rally on the mall. The weather and scenery that day seemed out of the ordinary to me. Washington seems to be on the mind these days for me and many others. Sometimes the glimmer of hope is almost too powerful and painful to really see, and in this way I have felt that politics has been something unmentioned for some eight years now, wars, terrorism, patriot acts and the like. But with the new administration, at least it isn't scary to go to DC, and to hope that maybe things will change, for the better. A speedy end this needless war and I would be content for some time.

Go see: William Eggleston at the Whitney

This picture makes me crazy. It's so beautiful.


I am excited to see this show, which opened this past Friday. Runs through January 25, 2009 (which will be Mr. Obama's fifth day in office, ok, I need to think about something else for a minute. It's hard. I am going to head down to DC for the inauguration to see what I can see with a 4x5).

Change Gon' Come - Sam Cooke 1964

1964 - what a different country we had then; Medger Evers and the Freedom Rides to the south.....and tonight my friends and I were screaming alongside the fireworks set off by neighbors in Brooklyn. It makes me cry and these are tears of joy. Mr. Obama, I am so proud of your campaign and what we are capable of with you as president.

+++++++++++++++++++++

I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I been a runnin' ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming but I know
A change gon' come oh yes it will
It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cuz I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming but I know
A change gon' come oh yes it will

I go to the movie, and I go downtown
Somebody keep tellin me "don't hang around"
It's been a long, a long time coming, but i know
A change gon' come oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say "brother, help me please"
But he winds up knocking me
Back down on my knees
There been times that I thought I wouldn't last for long
Now think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, along time coming but I know

I voted!

I voted!, originally uploaded by dirtystan.

Such a beautiful day here in New York, and what a pleasure to vote for someone I truly believe in.

Five Leaves in Greenpoint

It's been a while since I said anything about food, but the burger tonight at Five Leaves, right at the top of McCarren Park made me very happy. This place has several things going for it, namely the huge buzz created by their now deceased financial partner named Heath Ledger and the lovely interior, designed by the same chaps in charge of Moto, another of my favorite spots. Luckily the food is also delicious, especially the burger. I judge a restaurant on three very simple catagories (maybe too simple, but I'm no food critic): service, hamburgers, and bathroom. If you have a fantastic restaurant with a disgusting unusable bathroom, chances are they won't be around forever. There are exceptions yes, but it makes a difference in the overall impression that a customer comes away with. The bathroom at Five Leaves has this crazy metal door that used to be on a ship. Very cool. It strikes me that this depression era decor is really becoming a major trend. Ironic! The lighting and old mirrors work. It's a nice place to sit and enjoy a nice long dinner with good friends. Besides the wonderful grass-fed burger, we had prawns with lemon and pistou. I can't remember the name of the wine, but it was good and $7 a glass, which is totally reasonable.

That being said, the most important thing is service, because I can make a pretty amazing meal if I don't say so myself, so when you go out you want to have a nice time and have your meal be brought to you with no attitude and in a timely fashion. The waitress tonight was the only dull spot on an otherwise spotless evening. But Jeni overheard her say she only worked Sunday nights, so that's an easy fix, just avoid Five Leaves on Sunday and you won't get a little speech about how they don't give bread and butter before it was begrudgingly served. I hate to cut someone down this way, seriously, but she hated us from the moment we walked in and we still left her a good tip. I have worked in tons of restaurants/coffee shops, etc and I always thought the fun part was getting to talk to people all night long. She seemed pissed to be working in a restaurant. I dunno.

archives: Marathon 2004

This is at Calyer and Greenpoint Ave, back when I lived with Greg and Andrew on Lorimer Street. If you had told me then I would be a runner, I would have laughed really hard, while smoking. Will I ever run the marathon? I highly doubt it, but stranger things have happened.

p.s. how awesome is Tuesday going to be, actually Wednesday morning?