When You Think About It: Where Do We Cut?

A story on the local TV news station saddened me. Again. It seems to be happening an awful lot to me lately. Maybe I'm becoming an old, soft fool (stop snickering!!). But there just seems to be so many bad things to see and read about in the news. I'm sure that I don't have to delineate them for you. From Penn State to Syracuse to the economy, to the Middle East, we've all been barraged with a litany of gloom and doom stories. It's so bad that, for some religious fanatics, this is right in step with their prediction of The End of Days. I don't know about you, but it scares the shit out of me sometimes. But even more than frightened, I'm deeply saddened. Some of the things that I see out there are so wrong, yet so easily fixed.

The story I saw on the news this morning is the latest example. The report was on Rockland County, NY (the county in which I reside) and it's latest struggle with balancing the budget. In order to close its deficit, Rockland, like so many other Counties around the Country, it has been forced to make many difficult decisions regarding where funding must be cut, i.e. which social services, charitable, community, and art organizations will find their operating budgets severely slashed. The report went on to say that County taxes will also be raised in the effort to reduce the deficit. It highlighted one group in particular; the early childhood education program, Head Start. The budget would reduce the County's funding to Head Start significantly. So much so that the quality of care and the level of education provided to the children and families in the program would suffer greatly. In an interview with the Executive Director of Rockland's Head Start program, Ouida Foster Toutebon, Ms. Toutobon pointed out that for every tax dollar spent in an early childhood education program, like Head Start, $7-$9 is saved when that child reaches adulthood. It seems like pretty simple math to me. It reminds of that old transmission commercial: You can pay me know or you can pay me later.

As if this wasn't enough to send me into one of my all-to-frequent depressions, the next story put me over the edge. The newscast transitioned from this story of frugality and sacrifice to one about Cyber Monday! The report went on to say that, by early indicators, Cyber Monday, as well as Black Friday, would set records for the amount of people shopping and the volume of purchases made. The wanton consumerism so wanted and, perhaps, NEEDED by all of us as well as the retailers, was accomplished. People BOUGHT and they bought with wild enthusiasm.

Look, I'm not trying to play Scrooge here, but, when you think about it, don't you find it odd that we can sure find the money to buy TV's with screens so large that people have to watch them from another room, but SCREAM when we might have to pay more (or at all) to keep worthy and SUCCESSFUL organizations like Head Start from being cut out of existence? When you think about it, would you be really disappointed if you bought the 48" super-plasma-3D-mega screen TV instead of the 53" one and, with the money saved, donated it to a worthy organization - like Head Start?

This is one of the things that I've harping on since I started this damned blog! Things NEED to change. The days of excess are over. But they should be over for ALL, not just for some. We need to think about WHAT we need to change and HOW we need to change them. We need to get our PRIORITIES straight. Do we want large screen TV's where we can watch Access Hollywood in spectacular hi-definition until our eyes bleed? Or do we want to educate our children to become productive members of our society? When you think about it, it shouldn't be that difficult a choice.

When you think about it, isn't that what the Holiday Season is really supposed to be all about? I'm just sayin'. . . .

Social Commentary: Fool Me Once

So many topics, so little time. This has been my mantra, particularly as of late. My god, the Republican Presidential Candidates alone can anchor me to the keyboard for hours! It's just so EASY to find fault with them - all of them. It's so easy, in fact, that I've avoided paying them too much attention on the blog. Hell, you don't need me to point that out to you anyway. All one need do is LISTEN to them to realize that we're not talking about a particularly brainy bunch. And the few (one?) who can at least think his way out of a paper bag, like Newt Gingrich, have serious ethical issues. I try to avoid the obvious and make a real effort to prevent the repetition of topics. However, some topics, by their very nature as well as for their continuing relevance, bare revisiting. So it has been with the Occupy Wall St. (OWS) movement. For this blog, this seems to be a topic that, like it's protagonist, just won't seem to go away. As I have previously written, I've had more discussions relative to this topic then for any other. And they have been passionate on both sides.

With this in mind, I once more visit the topic of OWS and its relevance to what is happening today. In today's (Sunday 11/27/11) NY Times, there is a front page feature article written by David Rocieniewski. The title is, A Family's Billions, Artfully Sheltered: Est'ee Lauder Heir's Tax Strategies Typify Advantages for the Wealthy. The title is very descriptive and, as all good headlines should, let's you know what to expect within the body of the article. It is a very detailed account of how the super wealthy, in this case, Ronald S. Lauder, heir to the Est'ee Lauder fortune, use their great wealth to create tax shelters, saving them millions of dollars. The article goes on to explain how, in this case, Lauder uses his great wealth to purchase super expensive works of art. He then creates a "foundation", under his control, for the care and exhibition of the art work and "donates" the work to the foundation he created. By donating the art to his private foundation, he qualifies for tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks from the Federal Government. Under the US Tax Code, it's all legal. It certainly is shrewd. But is it ethical? The article continues in great detail to describe how Mr. Lauder and other super wealthy philanthropists have the means to find ways to "channel" their money into self-serving charities and foundations. Yes, they have donated to charitable causes like hospitals and orphanages. However, it seems that these things are done not as pure altruism but, when maneuvered properly, provide huge tax breaks. In fact, it seems that the tax relief these donations bring to the super wealthy, exceed the benefits received by the charity! Some of these "loop holes" are so complicated that my head began to spin while reading the author's description of them! Only the super wealthy can afford the lawyers, economists, and tax experts to find and exploit the complicated tax laws to their advantage. And they most certainly do. And they do it in a way that although not illegal, can certainly appear unseemly. It is such a questionable practice that even other billionaires like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have joined most Democrats to call on Congress to eliminate these tax breaks.

When you strip away all of the so-called hippie nonsense that is too frequently associated with OWS, THIS is the core message. It's time that ALL people wake up and see what is as obvious as it is nefarious. The super wealthy will do everything in their means to preserve the status quo. Why? Because as things are, they have EVERYTHING and intend to keep it. If some of it trickles down through their charitable giving, then so be it. Just so long as they keep control of exactly what trickles and when! It begs the question: why do we continue to allow that to happen? This is the question that has been raised by OWS and people hate them for it. Why? I can see the Ronald S. Lauders of the world hating them. But you and I? I ask again, why? When shown in the clear light of day, the obscene tax breaks for the wealthy are exposed for the sham that they are. If you choose to ignore this I have another one of my famous, hackneyed phases for you: fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Well, as for me, I'll steal a line from The Who to describe my feelings on the subject: won't get fooled again!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A friend, whom I respect enormously, and I were having a discussion as to the existence of god. Simply put, he is a believer and I am not. He argues for god's presence in our lives. I cannot make that connection. I envy people of genuine faith, like him, but I have found no purchase there. His premise is that, ultimately, we all need to believe in something, some higher power. My response was that I certainly DO believe in something. I believe in honesty, integrity, freedom in all its forms, justice, and, of course, LOVE. And, perhaps, most importantly, I believe in me. I believe in my ability to see the right course and to pursue it - to always do the right thing. And I believe that this ability lies within all of us. We only need to turn our vision inward to see it.

So, HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone. I wish you the peace and happiness that togetherness with family and friends so easily gives. May you all have this and much more to be thankful for.

:)

Social Commentary: On UC Davis

First, I was shocked. Then I was stunned. Then, in turn, I was incredulous, angry, and outraged. Now, I am mostly just terribly sad. Students from the University of California-Davis were participating in an Occupy Wall Street organized protest on their campus, when about a dozen of them sat on a path leading to a nearby encampment associated with OWS that the campus police were ordered to dismantle. The students had locked their arms together and were making an effort to prevent the police from reaching their destination. From the video I saw, the students were making no violent moves or even shouting epithets towards the police. It appeared to me that they were practicing non-violent civil disobedience in their refusal to heed police orders to clear the path. Crowds on the grassy areas on both sides of the path were observing the interaction between the students and police. Police were in full riot gear and were lining the path, keeping these people back. One police officer, also in full riot gear, approached the sitting protesters. At first you don't notice that he has a large can of pepper spray in one of his hands. Then, suddenly, and completely without provocation, he raises his hand from his side and starts using that pepper spray - liberally! Walking slowly back and forth, the officer aims the spray directly into the faces of the students. Back and forth he walks, casually, cavalierly, spraying copious amounts of the orange -tinted liquid all over them. The students huddle more closely together and try their best to protect their eyes, noses, and mouths by ducking their heads into their laps. But it's no use. The officer is way to generous in the use of the pepper spray to escape. Gasps and screams can be heard coming from the crowd. The video ends after the officer makes 3 or 4 back and forth trips using the pepper spray, so we don't see what happens next. Newspaper accounts report that, after the spraying, the rest of the police moved in and using batons, separated the students and arrested them.

Outrage and condemnation was almost immediate. Thousands called for the resignation of the school's chancellor who called for the police action in the first place. In turn, the chancellor, Linda Katehi, expressed "outrage" and called for an immediate investigation. Two of the UC-Davis police officers involved with the incident were put on paid administrative leave.

Here are a few things that, once I got beyond the outrage, saddened me to the point of depression. First, the apparently cavalier attitude of the policeman who sprayed these people was SHOCKING. He can be seen in the video slowly and deliberately pacing back and forth, waving his hand and controlling the spray as if he were painting the door of his car!! I saw no expression of fear or anxiety on his face at all. There was no grimace of clenched teeth. There was more of a calm, certainty of expression. WTF?! They were non-violent and he met them with EXTREME violence. If Gandhi had a grave he would be rolling over in it right now. From my observation (and I acknowledge that it's one thing to observe and another to actually be involved), there was ABSOLUTELY NO RATIONAL REASON for that policeman to act the way he did. NONE. It was excessive force. PERIOD. It leaves one wondering what type of person could be so callous as to show absolutely no emotion while causing such grievous harm.

This leads me to a second reason for my depression; there are those who will defend the policeman's actions - no matter what. They will say that the students were participating in an illegal activity and were warned repeatedly to disperse (they were). They will say if you do the crime then you have to do the time. And I agree with this on some levels. If you break the law you MUST be prepared to suffer the consequences. However, it's the DEGREE of the consequences that I take exception to. There is no way to justify the use of this much force in this situation. These young people (and in reality that's what they were) were brutalized and there is no way to palliate that. Still, there are those will say they got what they deserved. Sad.

This leads me to my last point; it shocks and saddens me to see the degree at which some people fear and loathe the OWS movement and everything and everyone associated with it. It's not just that they disagree with the movement's goals and objectives, they HATE everything about it and are willing to say it loudly and clearly. They use epithets claiming the people associated with it are less then human. And this hate bredes anger, fear, and, inevitably, violence - the type of violence we witnessed at UC-Davis. It's easier to brutalize people when we dehumanize them. We see it more and more everyday. Look, I don't agree with everything that OWS does or stands for. But, overall, I see the message as positive and, more importantly, NECESSARY. Only the so-called 1% fear the change because it would disrupt their nearly perfect worlds. So, I understand their fear and loathing. It's the other part of the 99% that's not hearing the message that I don't understand. These people should be lauded for the making the effort to change the world for OUR benefit. Are they flawed in their methods? Yes. But the bigger question we should ask is this: are they ultimately RIGHT?

You must be the change you want to see in the world . . . Gandhi.

Photo Gallery of the Day: The latest from OWS "Day of Action"

My position for covering A Day of Action for the TV News found me at the corner of Broadway and Wall Streets. Earlier in the day, protesters organized by Occupy Wall Street, tried to "storm" the NYSE and halt trading. The NYPD was not about to allow this to happen and barricaded the entire area. Thousands of police met thousands of protesters and the protesters were turned back. However, over-all, considering the scope and size of the demonstrations throughout the day, both protesters and the NYPD did and excellent job of both, in a sense, doing their jobs.

By the time I arrived at Wall St. most of the protesters had moved on to other areas and we had a rather uneventful night in the shadow of the NYSE building. The photos below are roughly in the order in which they were taken and shows the atmosphere on Wall St.

All photos: F. LoBuono

Photos are below their captions.

This was part of the massive police presence in and around Wall St. (Looking east down Wall)

The NYPD had it pretty easy by this point (approx. 5 pm) because most of the demonstrations had moved to Foley Square by this point.

A small march up Broadway was flanked by the NYPD in riot gear.

Randall Pinkston reports from out "live" position near the NYSE.

This was the Marine Corp veteran who took on the NYPD when he thought they were abusing demonstrators. He has become a cult hero.

These photos show how the crowd grew in Zuccotti Park throughout the evening and night. In the evening, it was virtually empty. By 10 p.m., it was hopping.

Social Commentary: OWS Continues

Few blog entries have elicited more response or created more controversy then the ones I posted concerning the protests under the umbrella of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. Using lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park as its base of operations, OWS grew from a relatively small group protesting corporate greed, particular as it is displayed on Wall St., to an international phenomenon with "franchises" in major cities in this country and around the world. Although mostly non-violent, OWS has met with institutional opposition in virtually every city it has surfaced. Most cities showed limited tolerance and very little patience for the tactics of OWS. Oakland, Ca. was particularly brutal in its crackdown of the OWS protests there. Even New York, which largely supported OWS's First Amendment Rights, lost patience and have recently enforced local ordinances that have made it more difficult for OWS to continue in its present form and location at Zuccotti Park.

However, despite the efforts of all the intuitions in all the cities being challenged by OWS, the movement continues. In fact, even as I write this entry, tens of thousands of people are preparing a National Day of Action to disrupt "business as usual" in cities around the country. At this moment, thousands are gathering near Wall St. in an effort to halt the NYSE and drive their message of ending corporate greed home. Of course, the NYPD is prepared to not allow this to happen. It's bound to be a contentious moment.

This has created even more controversy in what is already a controversial movement. Many (and many of you have posted your thoughts on this on the blog) feel that this is the last straw for OWS and their "ilk" (as one person wrote to me). Some that loosely supported them in the beginning now feel that their message has become disjointed and has lost focus. Since OWS's main objective is to decrease, in not eliminate, the huge income gap that DOES exist in this country, why would they make an effort to stop working people from working? But this misses the point. Unfortunately, IMHO, too many people miss the point Occupy Wall Street truly is trying to make. Some of that lies with how OWS has presented itself and created its message. It is FAR from a perfect organization! However, too much of it lies in the misconception people have created in their minds concerning OWS. To steal from the master of gonzo journalism himself, Hunter S. Thompson, there is entirely too much fear and loathing involved in their thinking. And that frightens me. In fact, it frightens me to the point that I need address some of these "misconceptions" directly.

First, I can't tell you how many entries I received calling the protesters filthy, disgusting, lazy, pigs, and worse than sewer rats. They wrote to me to tell them to stop whining and get a job! Quite frankly, I was shocked to see the level of vehemence many writers levied towards the protesters. It was visceral. It was angry. And it was mostly misguided (yes, Fear and Loathing). One woman wrote calling them disgusting and worse, and actually had the audacity to evoke Gandhi (she misspelled "Ghandi" repeatedly) in the very next sentence! WTF?! Obviously, she never read the GANDHI quote that so aptly sums up these protesters and their movement: You must be the change you want to see in the world.

Because of my position as a TV journalist, I have had the opportunity to not only witness the activities in Zuccotti Park but also inquire more deeply about it on at least a half dozen occasions. I believe it has given me a certain perspective that, if you haven't been there and interacted with the participants, you couldn't have had otherwise. Therefore, I have challenged these people to witness the movement first hand by making a trip to their "home base" of Zuccotti Park. And if you do go, just don't walk around the edge of the park, go in. Meet people. Talk to people. Don't be afraid (there's about a zillion policemen there anyway LOL!)

If you read my posts, you should take notice that I have acknowledged that the movement is certainly "far left of center" and, therefore, has taken on a type of fringe personality. I have also written that ALL movements that are not so-called main stream can attract characters that could not be described as "normal". This is even true of The Tea Party. I've seen their rallies and they have plenty of people who are "not on center" (crazy hats, outfits, slogans, etc.) In a sense, the two parties are the same but different. And I resent people who use epithets to describe the people at OWS. Shame on you for judging your fellow human beings so harshly! Yes, many are down on their luck and look it. Many are disenfranchised and look it. Many are homeless and look it. But I've also seen people of ALL ages, ethnicities, and economic and educational levels participating. Many were downright attractive! And that's why they, and TENS OF THOUSANDS of others who are JUST LIKE YOU AND I, are part of this movement. They are making an effort to raise awareness to the inequities that are tearing this country apart. They are pushing back and the status-quo doesn't like it one bit. And why would they? It can hide under many guises but, ultimately, it's just greed. You want what I have but you can't have it. This must change. The playing field must be leveled. OWS has been the spark.

Like myself, many of you have worked hard to attain what ever status in the world you now occupy. I like to think of myself as a self-made man. I also like to think that no one ever GAVE me ANYTHING. I have never been on public assistance and hope never to have need of it. But at the same time, I have to acknowledge the advantages that our society has offered me: I am a white male. However, I know MANY who have had the need for public assistance - many who just needed a hand up to get on their feet again and back on the path to self sufficiency. THIS is what OWS is all about: close the gap and create a truly Great Society where there is justice and OPPORTUNITY for all. And for this they are called filthy, disgusting, lazy, slovenly, dirty, stupid, and worse? WTF?!

Recently, NYC made a decisive move to clear Zuccotti Park for cleaning. Protesters would be allowed to return but without anything that would allow them to continue sleeping in the park. Sleeping there would no longer be tolerated. The protesters protested but lost their challenge and the ban would stay. This, combined with the onset of colder weather, led many to believe that this would be the ultimate end of Occupy Wall St. From my recent observation at the park, it has certainly thinned the crowds, particular late in the evening. However, as evidenced by today's massive demonstrations, it has far from killed the movement. In fact, I believe that it will be, in the long run, a very positive change. It forced OWS to re-think and re-focus its mission and goals. It had become too sedentary, too "locked in " to the park. It needed to be more "fluid", more proactive. In a sense, it was a wake up call to get off their asses playing drums and smoking pot and get on their feet and start marching again, calling attention to the true cause of ending the very real, and very stark, inequities that are plaguing this country. OWS should be the first to acknowledge that change. REAL change is good, even for them. Based on today's action, I think they're getting it.

In the final analysis, unless you own or run a multi-million dollar corporation, these people are more on your side then you nay sayers will ever know. Now, if I could just get you to come along . . . there really is nothing to FEAR or LOATHE.

Photo Gallery of the Day: The latest from OWS

My assignment last night was to cover Occupy Wall Street's attempt to re-enter Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan after the city temporarily evicted them in an attempt to clean and re-organize the park. It was said that the protesters would eventually be allowed back in the park but without any shelter or sleeping materials of any kind. There would be NO sleeping in the park. Of course, this would have ramifications for the Movement. I was there to document what they might be. I'll have my written account of the night's events in a later posting. For now, I present these photos that I made during my shift there (4pm-3am). They more or less present a time line of events from that night. Descriptions apply to the photo(s) below it.

all photo F. LoBuono

I made this photo of a young women with her dogs trying to stay warm on the steps of building on the outskirts of the park. She is pretty typical of many of the young people involved in OWS and who some seem to be petrified of. She was sweet and polite me.

The next is a series of signs that I made that reflected the mood of the people in and around the park.

The next photos are a series that I made over the course of the 11-12 hours that I was there.

When I first arrived (around 4 pm) NO ONE but police and sanitation workers where actually in the park. The protesters gathered en-mass around the park waiting for a judges decision on entering the park and what they would be allowed to bring with them.

This was made around 5:30pm. The NYPD in riot gear had surrounded the protesters who were surrounding the park. The mood was tense but, overall, orderly.

This is the mass of people waiting to re-enter the park. It was around 6pm.

Word was given that the judge ruled that the people could re-enter the park but could not bring any sleeping or camping materials with them. They would not be allowed to sleep in the park. Here the people are streaming towards the check points where they would be searched for tarps and other shelter materials before they would be allowed in.

The NYPD was ever watchful as the crowd began to swarm back into the park.

This was made a bit later in the evening (around 10 pm) that shows a greatly reduced crowd from the ones I had witnessed at the height of the occupation. It was raining lightly and the "no shelter" rule was having an effect. Some photos later in the series high light this.

However, before the crowd thinned there were thousands rallying in the park with this American flag being the rallying point.

At the height of the occupation, there would have been tents and tarps and virtually no free space in this shot. Early in the evening there was a large throng that was VERY vocal and cohesive. However, as the evening wore on, the crowd definitely thinned.

With no place to really sit and no shelter, the "die hards" hunkered together to stick out the long night. However, they pledged to do so and when I left at 2 a.m. they were still there.

The crowd seemed to thin to the point that there were more police than protesters!

Contribution by Karen Ellis - A True Story

The following true story was submitted by a long-time (50 years!) friend, Karen Ellis. Inspired by the events at Penn State, Karen has boldly written of her encounter with a pedophile over 40 years ago. She has never spoken of it publicly before. She has decided to share her story with us now with the hope of raising awareness to the issue of sexual abuse and harassment. It took GREAT courage to do this and we are VERY grateful for Karen's honesty and commitment. Here is here story.

Photo by Karen Ellis of one of the world's oldest living things. It is a survivor.

The Sandusky/PSU pedophilia scandal has dredged up a lot of unpleasant memories for me.

I thought it might be cathartic to write about it.

My first encounter with a predator was when I was fourteen.

I worked in the bakery department of a local deli every Saturday along with Marvin, age 40. While I was standing at the counter he would stand behind me and would rub up against me. Back then I was naive and didn't realize what he was REALLY doing and that it was VERY inappropriate.

He would block my way so I had to squeeze past him and he would try to touch my breasts. Standing beside me, he would lean over and try to nibble on my ear. This was a common occurrence not only with me but with another young female who worked there weekdays after school. Marvin was a real pervert.

Over the months, his behavior kept escalating. One day he followed me into the walk-in refrigerator. I had the foresight to take a large bread knife with me and when he got close, I turned around and raised the knife, telling him if he ever touched me again, I would "cut it off."

After that incident, I complained to the owner, who raised his voice to me and said, "How dare you accuse Marvin of doing things like that! He is a married man with three daughters."

Yeah, blame the victim. Stick up for the pedophile.

That was my last day working there.

Fast forward 20 years. I was involved in a volunteer organization, my partner was a peewee football coach—even through he didn't have any young children. He seemed like a very nice, caring guy from what I could tell. I was on duty with him every week for three years.

The coach was quite persistent about asking me if my 8-year-old wanted to play football. He kept saying how great it would be for my son since I was a single parent. He would "take my son under his wing." "I'll pick him up at your house, so you didn't have to worry about him getting to and from practice and the games." "He's a big kid for his age and he would be a great player."

I thought it might be a good opportunity and I asked my son if he wanted to join. He told me, "No, I hate football!"

Little did I know the coach was recruiting for MORE than the peewee football team.

A couple of years later, this man was caught abusing a boy my son's age who was on his team. He had given the kid a dirt bike and other expensive gifts. When the boy's mother questioned where the dirt bike came from, the ugly truth finally came out.

After the allegations surfaced, the pedophile disappeared and was never prosecuted.

When I learned about this pervert assaulting that boy, I got really upset, thinking I had come so, so close to having a pedophile ruin my son's life.

I recently checked the national sex offender registry and these two predators are not registered, so they obviously have never been caught. I wonder how many kids' lives they have destroyed. So tragic.

My personal experience taught me very valuable lessons—you are your own best advocate and you don't have to take any shit from anyone.

My son not being put in that situation was just plain luck. We were lucky that he just hated football.

A WTF Moment

Today's (Friday 11/11/11) NY Times sports section features a photo of a tall, blonde, young woman, dressed in a PSU hooded sweatshirt walking away from coach Joe Paterno's front door, apparently after leaving flowers on the door step. Her blonde hair flows behind her as she walks away with a serious and pensive look on her face. She is identified as Gail Wondowski, a PSU senior from Reading, Pa. WTF?! Why is she leaving flowers on HIS door step?! He wasn't brutalized, sodomized, victimized, and raped! SHE SHOULD BE LEAVING THE FREAKIN' FLOWERS ON THE DOORSTEP OF ONE THE VICTIMS OF THIS SORDID AFFAIR.

They all make me sick. I used to root for Penn State. Not any more. I hope they receive the NCAA death penalty. Then let's see 'em weep!!

A Love Letter to the Republican Candydates

Dear Republican Candydates:

I just wanted to take a moment to expres my thanks for your participation in all the debates. I no it ain't easy to study up on all the subjects a person needs to learn if they want to become presadent. Theirs like math, science, geografy, and even speling! Their was somethin else to learn to but I cant remember what it is. I apreciate the stories that Michelle shares with us to learn us that vacinations are bad. Herman is so cool around girls I could learn a lot about how to get a date. Newt could learn me a lot about girls to! Hes been married like 5 times or something. Mitts smile is so brite that it genarates its own electrisity. And Rick is the best of the hole bunch! His grasp of the presing issues is only xeded but his exelent memory. His mind is like a vice grip. He can remember things that normal people dont even know. He single handed saved Texas by exspeling all ilegal imigrants and building a wall 100 feet tall to keep them out. As govenor he did away with funds for usles programs like education and welfair and gave that money to big business. He took power away from environmental agencies so that business could make lots of money in Texas without worrying about silly things like clean water and breathable air. And hes so hansome!

When next November comes around I'll just be sorry that all of them wont be their for me to vote for. With so many really cool candydates its gonna be really hard to choose just one.

Photo of the Day: New Orleans Part 3

New Orleans is a not only a great place for food and music, it's a wonderful place for people watching, too. It's so diverse that it provides an almost endless variety of faces to photograph. Even without a good, long lens, I was able (hopefully!) to capture some of them.

The first series were made during our accidental (and INCREDIBLE) experience of stumbling into a Second Line in the city's Garden District. People were so enthusiastic about the event it was easy to find happy, smiling, interesting faces.

The little girl on the left was just thrilled to have her photo made. Her sister couldn't take her eyes off the parade.

This bike-cart team followed the whole parade selling ice cream and soft drinks. If you bought something, apparently, you got to sign the wagon!

Wearing We Are the #1 Social and Pleasure Club T-shirts that were ubiquitous along the parade route, these girls anxiously waited for the fun to begin.

It ain't a party in NOLA without a cocktail. This entrepreneur sold them out of the back of his pick-up.

Cat gets included here because, NOLA is now her official second home! Here we're just about to visit one of the best home cookin' joints in the city's Treme Section.

Making NOLA's famous Pralines in The French Market District.

Like all cities, New Orleans can be a rough town, too.

One of the best places to people watch is at the famous coffee house, Cafe DuMonde. The cafe is always crowded with both tourists and locals. But I find some of the most interesting people to photograph is the wait staff. They run like crazy until they get a brief break and find some place to get off their feet and, perhaps, share some conversation with a co-worker. If you look for it, you can catch them in some nice, quiet, "real" moments. In recent years, the Cafe has employed many workers who emigrated from Vietnam. Their Asian faces in the traditional Cafe servers outfits makes for an interesting contrast (IMHO!).