Friday, July 30, 2010

Madden Hotel Sale

I'm conflicted.

A part of me wants to unleash my scorn at Jack Diamond (the Glens Falls mayor), the Post-Star, and the city system of Glens Falls for their collusionary eminent domain tactics in closing the Madden Hotel. It was clear from the start that no matter who owned it, nor how much they compiled w/ the city's request to get it in code compliance, the city was going to force a closure. The city was bound & determined to get their way, kicking out even legitimate residents like the Open Door food kitchen. I guess they are collateral damage in this tiff.

The city has spent so much tax payer dollars cracking down on the property & its residents, one has to wonder if those expenses could not have been spent more wisely. Like fixing the drainage system by Kensington Elementary School that floods everytime there's a minor rain or snowstorm.

Then there are days like today when I walk to my local library. My route takes me past the hotel. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, there is ALWAYS riff-raff in front of that place clogging the sidewalk. Furthermore, they act like I'm burdening them when I politely say "excuse me" because I'd like to pass through.

I'm not delusional in thinking that the Madden's closure will actually solve the problems of finding a place in the city for affordable housing. But if its closure (& hopefully its demolition) addresses trying to get rid of the riff-raff that's CONSTANTLY there, all I can say is good riddance.

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In other news...
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This here is Danielle.

The antcedote behind this image is that the day prior it was an unseasonably humid 80 degrees. The day this was shot it was a frigid 50 degrees. It didn't help matters that a downpour earlier that day forced me to cancel a shoot w/ her roommate. Well, that & any sort of inclement weather turns drivers into complete (expletive deleted) morons one of which nearly sideswiped her while yacking on their cell phone.

Anyway, Danielle was participating in my ongoing Abandonment Adventure series. The one people sometime refer to as "Urbexing" or "Urban Exploration." I like the visual contrast between the "dirty, blah" environment juxtaposed against the "pretty, clean" model.

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Feel free & comment away if you so choose.

Enjoy.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Operation Paperback

Saw an interesting blog entry by Bee Balm Gal about Operation Paperback:

http://www.operationpaperback.org/

This organization collects gently used books and sends them to American troops deployed overseas. Since 1999, they have shipped over 1.1 million books to locations around the globe. They are also specifically looking for active-duty, National Guard, Reservists, & their spouses to figure out the needs of the military community.

As a firm believer in encouraging books to have their own adventure once they're read (& thus be aggressively giving mine away), this is an organization is something that I can get behind.

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This here is Corey.

She came up to the area last Autumn, a little after the peak leaf season but prior to it being blistering cold.It was a fun, quick shoot that cut short by her being called into her workplace. Bummer maybe but I can't hold it against her.

After she got the results, I wasn't pleasantly tickled that she not only acknowledge receipt of the pictures but called to gush how pleased she was. That doesn't happen often (the gushing or the acknowledging), mostly because people get busy w/ their lives. I've been there, trust me. It just is what it is.

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Feel free & comment if you dare.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Polanski

Everytime Roman Polanski appears in the news, I always hear about how "cruel" the prosecutors are for continually dredging this up & thus causing the victim more pain.

I have to disagree.

The prosecutors bent over backward to give him a sweetheart plea deal for drugging & then anally raping a 13 YEAR-OLD GIRL to spare her the agony of going through a trial.

Supposedly he fled because the judge reneged or was going to give him a harsher than expected sentence (which is his perrogative). Let's assume that's the case & not the self-serving statement that it is. If he truly didn't like the sentencing agreement, Polanski could have withdrawn his plea agreement & taken his chances at trial.

Yes this whole thing is being perpetuated because there's a big-name attached to a high profile criminal case. Its no wonder that the 13 year-old girl 33 years later wants to just put this sordid affair behind her.

On the other hand, its also about the integrity of the entire criminal justice system. Because it is a high profile name attached to the case & they let (publicly) let him go, its telling EVERY criminal out there that if you have the means to flee; it ok not to take responsibility for ones own actions.

I empathize w/ the victim but I care more about the integrity of the system because it effects EACH & EVERY ONE OF US. If someone rapes my sister, its ok because if the case is to tough, we won't hold the perp accountable. If someone beats their wife sending her to the ER, they won't be held accountable. If someone steals my identity, that's ok because they won't be held accountable. Victims have to have faith & trust the system because A. they won't report the crimes (a problem already showing in cities as well as immigrant communities) & B. it encourages people to take the law into their own hands.

I'm also bothered by the hypocrisy. If the Polanski did not have a high-profile name attached, no one in their right mind would think its ok to let someone go who drugged & anally raped a 13-year old girl. I guess that's what having a high-profile name gets you, reasonable doubt off-the-bat regardless of what the nondisputed facts are.

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In other more cheerful news...
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This here is Vanessa.

She was looking for actor-headshots but kinda wanted a natural light kinda vibe to it. I'd like to think I did the best I could under the weather circumstances provided (bright overcast sky that kinda blinded you even when you weren't looking at it).

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Feel free to comment on any part of this blog if you so choose.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Whole Lotta Nothing

I had a blog planned out but I just don't feel like posting it anymore.

It ran something along the lines of ass-hat says something questionable; I challenge said notion & ask for a clarification; ass-hate opens mouth & proves they're an ass-hat (as opposed to keeping it shut & giving himself reasonable doubt).

Whatever. The schmuck isn't worth the effort.

Stuff really hasn't changed much or has been said better elsewhere.

1. The idiots in the NYS legislature still haven't reached a budget as I write this. Depsite this being, 2 months overdue if not more. God forbid they do their one constitutional duties. I'm not sure which is worse, them taking off 2 months last year because they cannot act like adults & getting paid for it or pretending to act like adults, still getting nothing done, & STILL get paid for it.

Its a shame because the Governor is the only one TRYING to get something done & is actually in tune w/ the economic reality we're in because the voters don't like him & is on the way out anyway. While the rest are to busy trying to get reelected.

If we the voters are to stupid to keep these guys in office, sometimes I think its the government we deserve.

2. I've kinda gotten into World Cup fever. Its definately not a sport that Americans are accustomed to watching (constant scoring, breaks in the action). Not to mention, most (timed) regulation games revolve around the 60 minute timeframe plus halftime, soccer (at least at that level) revolve around the 90 minute games plus halftime. But once you get passed that, its sorta like hockey in the sense that its the scoring chances & the near misses that make exciting. That & the inevitable controversies but I'm not going to get into that.

3. Its been pretty hot lately. I wish I could be sympathetic but I've lived (& worked) in a tropical juggle for a year & a half. There was literally zero difference between the sun & the shade.

Don't like the heat? Do something about it. No sense whining about it because doing so isn't going to make it any cooler. Or one could think of it this way, would you rather it be blistering hot or blistering cold? Me, I'd rather have it blistering hot because at least I can operate outside my house doing (I dunno) taking a drive w/ the windows rolled down (the original air conditioner), take a swim in any of the natural swimming spots here in the beautiful Adirondacks, hover around the air-conditioner, cool off w/ the hose.

Just have to keep things in perspective.

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This here is Rika participating in my Abandonment project. People sometimes refer to stuff like this as "urbexing" or "urban decay" or "urban exploration".

Anyway, this is her outfits but playing around w/ one of my fabric thingies that I always seem to have. I just kinda ran w/ it at that moment.

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Feel free & comment away if you so choose.