Commuting with Nature / 14.04.2008

Gotta get off, gonna get, hafta to get off from this ride Gotta get hold, gonna get, need to get hold of my pride When did I get, where did I, how was I caught in this game When will I know, where will I, how will I think of my name Theme from Valley of the Dolls k.d lang Only by sheer routine can I get myself ready for work and out the door each day. I get up the same time; I eat the same cereal; I exercise the same way and I walk the same path to the subway each and every morning....

Artistic Tendencies / 06.04.2008

Jukebox Photo Gallery Slide Show at In Our Path If you are familiar with iTunes' Jukebox Cover Flow (the ability to scroll through your playlist album covers) you might get a kick out of the "cover flow" slide show I've just created with my In Our Path photographs. You can use the scrollbar or your cursor to flip through the entire portfolio. And if you double-click on an image it takes you to the photo's object page with a larger image and accompanying text. It's a nice way of presenting the work as a whole and it's techno-kewl! [ Photography, iTunes, Cover...

Artistic Tendencies / 23.03.2008

The new and improved In Our Path In the 1980s and 1990s I photographed a swath of Southern California real estate that was to become the Century Freeway, or as it's more commonly called by commuters, I-105. Running east from LAX, this was to be "the last freeway" to be built as part of the state's master plan for the region (although there were many additional freeways proposed and many where completion was still in limbo). In Our Path marked a big change in the type of photographs I made and how I approached the intersection of art and culture. Up until...

Fairly Odd Parents-Present, News Outta My Control / 18.02.2008

Women have a right to expect that showers and locker rooms are not occupied by persons who retain their equipment. From the Good Folks at NotMyShower.com Dinnertime at our house is a family affair. And evening meal is the time when we talk about our day. As father of the brood I am eager to hear the news. When I ask my daughters "How was your day?" they uniformly answer in the typical "youngspeak" of the early twenty-first century: "Goood." (Think slight Swedish intonation with the end of the word rising a bit in pitch.) How's school? "Goood." How's your teacher?...

Fairly Odd Parents-Present / 09.02.2008

Get a better look at our bathroom vision! Six months ago we renovated our bathrooms. That fifty year old retro look we loved when we bought the house was really getting old. Our green tub, along with its matching sink and toilet had lost their luster. And a complete bathroom redo was in order. Suddenly, this weekend, when I opened our beautiful new wood veneer medicine cabinet I spied an apparition --a vision-- but from who or what? A controversy is brewing as to who is trying to contact us. Who was trying to contact us? What do you think? Click each...

Worker's Comp / 19.01.2008

The brain is an incredible organ. Our ability to express complex and meaningful ideas sets us above the rest of the animal kingdom --if you can harness and master it. Without cognitive control humor can turn into fits of hysteria, anger into unbridled rage, and intelligent thoughts into pure pabulum. Yesterday, I was part of a high level meeting to discuss Web strategy. My strategy in these types of meetings is to sit quietly, absorb the dialogue, and to contribute something meaningful only when the opportunity presents itself. I do not want to appear stupid, or, more importantly, not...

Artistic Tendencies, Commuting with Nature, Professional Auteurism / 13.01.2008

When DC's Metro unveiled a new concept car last week this logo identity mysteriously appeared. Local officials first billed DC's proposed transit system as "America's" subway when it went to Congress for financial backing. Last week the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) unveiled designs for new subway cars that could make their appearance as early as 2013. Here in DC we've been debating seating designs for years. Should we continue with the traditional 2x2 seats? Or should we use more bench seating like New York City's system, which would allow for greater passenger capacity? The debate continues. Of greater interest...

Idiosyncratic Celebrations / 08.01.2008

Honor. Prestige. Wealth. These are some of the things that a Bloggie won't bring you. But that won't stop the Web from voting, because this is the annual non-profit competition that determines which blogs are the best of the best. Get ready to find out who the 2008 Weblog Awards are going to. Who could forget this tribute on the fifth anniversary of Life Outtacontext two years ago. You say you never saw it?! (Click on image to start the movie. Quicktime 4.5 MB). It's awards season: the Oscars, the Grammys, the Golden Globes. But, what with the writers strike and...