 | Rooting for the Cardinals, I was not a popular fan in my home. But what was I to do with an autographed picture of Stan Musial hanging over my desk? My parents are from St. Louis, my grandparents are from St. Louis. The first time I ever went to a ballgame was at the old Busch Stadium in St. Louis, when I was 5 years old. Need I say more? |
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Go Cardinals......!
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
We're back........!
We arrived back in the flatlands of West Texas yesterday evening and have spent the last 24 hours getting resettled in the humdrum of daily life. It's tough doing that when you've been to a place so wonderful as Northern New Mexico. I'd love to write a prosaic essay about the trip but I'm not enough of a master of prose to do that. As they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words" so I'll let some photo images do the talking for me.
New Mexico photos that speak for me
I do have much to say about the trip and will start off by firstly thanking my bride for arranging it for us. We both love New Mexico, but she knows I don't like to go to long without a trip to the Santa Fe area and this time she made that possible. Secondly we met some great folks at all the spots we hit. In Galisteo I got to talk at length with three excellent photographers and have corresponded with two of them since we got back. As suberb as these men are, they were interested in my ability to use the Internet to sell photos online on my We Were Soldiers website. They want to learn how to do it. Besides these artists and by pure serendipity the fellow who sat next to me on the train trip from Chama was a Vietnam combat photographer. The photo of me via the link above was taken by him. Who could have asked for a more interesting person for us to travel along with. He is already helping me with a project I'm working on to display combat photography at our museum.
Thirdly and the theme of my short essay tonight is the politics we encountered. Coming from downtown Bushville, we were in cultural shock being around so many Kerry/Edwards stickers, banners and pins. Now we're not naive, we know that Santa Fe and places like it tend to be more liberal. What got to us was who was sporting these little Kerry mementoes. Well of course it was the middle class. Middle class if you consider people roaming Canyon Road in tweed, turtlenecks and silk sports coats to be middle class. Middle class people who were having a hard time finding parking spaces for their Lexus's, Jaguars and Mercedes. For those not familiar with Canyon Road, it's the trendy art gallery area of Santa Fe. And not art ala velvet Elvis. Were talking five figure art.
These people are middle class to someone like John Kerry I suppose. With a family net worth of $800 million or so, these people who may only have several million, might as well be common laborers. I don't think that the real middle class would identify with these people either. The real middle or lower class can barely afford to eat on Canyon Road, much less buy art there. And that's the secret to why so many silk sports coats wearers driving Mercedess like enclaves such as Santa Fe, Sedona or Boulder. They don't have to deal with the little people of America at these place...except to wait on them in a fashionable gallery or restaurant. That's why there are so many Kerry pins and buttons on Canyon Road.
The other observation I have is the unusually large number of groups of single slightly past middle aged women I see traveling together in Santa Fe. Not the dolled up Texas style "girl weekend" sort that go to Dallas to hit all the stores. These groups in Santa Fe look like they have escaped from a nunnery. [no offense to nuns meant]. They wear no makeup, usually have short hair or their slightly graying hair pulled back and the clothing, though expensive and trendy, is definetly understated. Not lesbians I think. No, from overhearing their conversations from time to time I suspect that these types are PhD's in humanities at eastern universities or work without pay for some UN organization. They were wearing Kerry pins and buttons too.
We arrived back in the flatlands of West Texas yesterday evening and have spent the last 24 hours getting resettled in the humdrum of daily life. It's tough doing that when you've been to a place so wonderful as Northern New Mexico. I'd love to write a prosaic essay about the trip but I'm not enough of a master of prose to do that. As they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words" so I'll let some photo images do the talking for me.
New Mexico photos that speak for me
I do have much to say about the trip and will start off by firstly thanking my bride for arranging it for us. We both love New Mexico, but she knows I don't like to go to long without a trip to the Santa Fe area and this time she made that possible. Secondly we met some great folks at all the spots we hit. In Galisteo I got to talk at length with three excellent photographers and have corresponded with two of them since we got back. As suberb as these men are, they were interested in my ability to use the Internet to sell photos online on my We Were Soldiers website. They want to learn how to do it. Besides these artists and by pure serendipity the fellow who sat next to me on the train trip from Chama was a Vietnam combat photographer. The photo of me via the link above was taken by him. Who could have asked for a more interesting person for us to travel along with. He is already helping me with a project I'm working on to display combat photography at our museum.
Thirdly and the theme of my short essay tonight is the politics we encountered. Coming from downtown Bushville, we were in cultural shock being around so many Kerry/Edwards stickers, banners and pins. Now we're not naive, we know that Santa Fe and places like it tend to be more liberal. What got to us was who was sporting these little Kerry mementoes. Well of course it was the middle class. Middle class if you consider people roaming Canyon Road in tweed, turtlenecks and silk sports coats to be middle class. Middle class people who were having a hard time finding parking spaces for their Lexus's, Jaguars and Mercedes. For those not familiar with Canyon Road, it's the trendy art gallery area of Santa Fe. And not art ala velvet Elvis. Were talking five figure art.
These people are middle class to someone like John Kerry I suppose. With a family net worth of $800 million or so, these people who may only have several million, might as well be common laborers. I don't think that the real middle class would identify with these people either. The real middle or lower class can barely afford to eat on Canyon Road, much less buy art there. And that's the secret to why so many silk sports coats wearers driving Mercedess like enclaves such as Santa Fe, Sedona or Boulder. They don't have to deal with the little people of America at these place...except to wait on them in a fashionable gallery or restaurant. That's why there are so many Kerry pins and buttons on Canyon Road.
The other observation I have is the unusually large number of groups of single slightly past middle aged women I see traveling together in Santa Fe. Not the dolled up Texas style "girl weekend" sort that go to Dallas to hit all the stores. These groups in Santa Fe look like they have escaped from a nunnery. [no offense to nuns meant]. They wear no makeup, usually have short hair or their slightly graying hair pulled back and the clothing, though expensive and trendy, is definetly understated. Not lesbians I think. No, from overhearing their conversations from time to time I suspect that these types are PhD's in humanities at eastern universities or work without pay for some UN organization. They were wearing Kerry pins and buttons too.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Riding the rails...
The day was unbelievable. We arose before dawn to start our 100 mile journey north to Chama and the Cumbres and Toltec Railway. This is a trip that Julie had planned for me some time ago and I was not disappointed. If you've never ridden a steam locomotive high into the Rockies, it's something you need to do during your time here on earth.
The 64 mile trip starts in Chama at an elevation of 7200 ft. and wends and winds it's way through New Mexico and Colorado [crossing the border 15 times!] ending up in Antonito Colorado after passing through mountain passes at over 10,000 ft. Early clouds broke as we started out and the sun was magnificent on the golden shades of the aspens. The blue of the sky at that altitude is stunning and made for great photography. The first half of the trip tranverses canyons so tightly that the faint of heart will swoon. The grades are steep allowing a maximum speed of only 5-6 mph so there is plenty of time to enjoy the sights.
At the half way point of the trip the train stops at a high mountain station for a really great homemade lunch prepared by folks who have to drive 17 miles through dirt roads to get there. All the folks on the train eat together and so we got a chance to get to know some of our fellow travelers including, to my liking, a former Vietnam Army combat photographer. As the train stopped for lunch we noticed low clouds gathering again and at that altitude this meant snow.
And snow it did. The 1920's coaches were a bit cool as we started out again, but my prefered place had been on the open flatcar and so back I went. What an experience photographing the canyons, tunnels, trees and mountain peaks thru a blinding snowstorm! The snow did not stop until we reached the lower areas around Antonito when once again the sun burst through upon a grazing herd of antelope and mountain ranges across the valley of southern Colorado.
In Antonito a plush tourist bus takes the travelers back to their cars in Chama. And there the dramatic part of the tour unfolded as we crossed the pass at 10,200 feet in a blizzard. We all tipped our driver Joe for getting us through safely. Slippery roads with 300 ft drop offs can get even the most stalwart a bit nervous. But arrive back we did and started our trip back in the gorgeous New Mexico twilight.
I can't wait for you to see the pictures! Back home Monday night.
The day was unbelievable. We arose before dawn to start our 100 mile journey north to Chama and the Cumbres and Toltec Railway. This is a trip that Julie had planned for me some time ago and I was not disappointed. If you've never ridden a steam locomotive high into the Rockies, it's something you need to do during your time here on earth.
The 64 mile trip starts in Chama at an elevation of 7200 ft. and wends and winds it's way through New Mexico and Colorado [crossing the border 15 times!] ending up in Antonito Colorado after passing through mountain passes at over 10,000 ft. Early clouds broke as we started out and the sun was magnificent on the golden shades of the aspens. The blue of the sky at that altitude is stunning and made for great photography. The first half of the trip tranverses canyons so tightly that the faint of heart will swoon. The grades are steep allowing a maximum speed of only 5-6 mph so there is plenty of time to enjoy the sights.
At the half way point of the trip the train stops at a high mountain station for a really great homemade lunch prepared by folks who have to drive 17 miles through dirt roads to get there. All the folks on the train eat together and so we got a chance to get to know some of our fellow travelers including, to my liking, a former Vietnam Army combat photographer. As the train stopped for lunch we noticed low clouds gathering again and at that altitude this meant snow.
And snow it did. The 1920's coaches were a bit cool as we started out again, but my prefered place had been on the open flatcar and so back I went. What an experience photographing the canyons, tunnels, trees and mountain peaks thru a blinding snowstorm! The snow did not stop until we reached the lower areas around Antonito when once again the sun burst through upon a grazing herd of antelope and mountain ranges across the valley of southern Colorado.
In Antonito a plush tourist bus takes the travelers back to their cars in Chama. And there the dramatic part of the tour unfolded as we crossed the pass at 10,200 feet in a blizzard. We all tipped our driver Joe for getting us through safely. Slippery roads with 300 ft drop offs can get even the most stalwart a bit nervous. But arrive back we did and started our trip back in the gorgeous New Mexico twilight.
I can't wait for you to see the pictures! Back home Monday night.
Riding the rails...
The day was unbelievable. We arose before dawn to start our 100 mile journey north to Chama and theCumbres and Toltec Railway . This is a trip that Julie had planned for me some time ago and I was not disappointed. If you've never ridden a steam locomotive high into the Rockies, it's something you need to do during your time here on earth.
The 64 mile trip starts in Chama at an elevation of 7200 ft. and wends and winds it's way through New Mexico and Colorado [crossing the border 15 times!] ending up in Antonito Colorado after passing through mountain passes at over 10,000 ft. Early clouds broke as we started out and the sun was magnificent on the golden shades of the aspens. The blue of the sky at that altitude is stunning and made for great photography. The first half of the trip tranverses canyons so tightly that the faint of heart will swoon. The grades are steep allowing a maximum speed of only 5-6 mph so there is plenty of time to enjoy the sights.
At the half way point of the trip the train stops at a high mountain station for a really great homemade lunch prepared by folks who have to drive 17 miles through dirt roads to get there. All the folks on the train eat together and so we got a chance to get to know some of our fellow travelers including, to my liking, a former Vietnam Army combat photographer. As the train stopped for lunch we noticed low clouds gathering again and at that altitude this meant snow.
And snow it did. The 1920's coaches were a bit cool as we started out again, but my prefered place had been on the open flatcar and so back I went. What an experience photographing the canyons, tunnels, trees and mountain peaks thru a blinding snowstorm! The snow did not stop until we reached the lower areas around Antonito when once again the sun burst through upon a grazing herd of antelope and mountain ranges across the valley of southern Colorado.
In Antonito a plush tourist bus takes the travelers back to their cars in Chama. And there the dramatic part of the tour unfolded as we crossed the pass at 10,200 feet in a blizzard. We all tipped our driver Joe for getting us through safely. Slippery roads with 300 ft drop offs can get even the most stalwart a bit nervous. But arrive back we did and started our trip back in the gorgeous New Mexico twilight.
I can't wait for you to see the pictures! Back home Monday night.
The day was unbelievable. We arose before dawn to start our 100 mile journey north to Chama and theCumbres and Toltec Railway . This is a trip that Julie had planned for me some time ago and I was not disappointed. If you've never ridden a steam locomotive high into the Rockies, it's something you need to do during your time here on earth.
The 64 mile trip starts in Chama at an elevation of 7200 ft. and wends and winds it's way through New Mexico and Colorado [crossing the border 15 times!] ending up in Antonito Colorado after passing through mountain passes at over 10,000 ft. Early clouds broke as we started out and the sun was magnificent on the golden shades of the aspens. The blue of the sky at that altitude is stunning and made for great photography. The first half of the trip tranverses canyons so tightly that the faint of heart will swoon. The grades are steep allowing a maximum speed of only 5-6 mph so there is plenty of time to enjoy the sights.
At the half way point of the trip the train stops at a high mountain station for a really great homemade lunch prepared by folks who have to drive 17 miles through dirt roads to get there. All the folks on the train eat together and so we got a chance to get to know some of our fellow travelers including, to my liking, a former Vietnam Army combat photographer. As the train stopped for lunch we noticed low clouds gathering again and at that altitude this meant snow.
And snow it did. The 1920's coaches were a bit cool as we started out again, but my prefered place had been on the open flatcar and so back I went. What an experience photographing the canyons, tunnels, trees and mountain peaks thru a blinding snowstorm! The snow did not stop until we reached the lower areas around Antonito when once again the sun burst through upon a grazing herd of antelope and mountain ranges across the valley of southern Colorado.
In Antonito a plush tourist bus takes the travelers back to their cars in Chama. And there the dramatic part of the tour unfolded as we crossed the pass at 10,200 feet in a blizzard. We all tipped our driver Joe for getting us through safely. Slippery roads with 300 ft drop offs can get even the most stalwart a bit nervous. But arrive back we did and started our trip back in the gorgeous New Mexico twilight.
I can't wait for you to see the pictures! Back home Monday night.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
A great day in Galisteo....
This morning, from Santa Fe, we drove the 25 miles down to the small town of Galisteo an historic town and for decades an artists mecca. Today was the "Studio Tour" where one was invited in to the aritsts studios to few there work. As an added attraction since most arists work at their residences, we had the opportunity to walk through some fabulous homes.
We spent the bulk of our time talking with the photographers on the tour. There are some world class photographers working out of Galisteo and their hospitality was second to none. Several of them had homes with views of the distant Ortiz Mountains that could only be called stunning. I bought one landscape image from Richard Shuff, but could have come home with 20 or 30 more...easily. I'm sure we'll be purchasing more soon and I'll have the web links to their sites when we return home.
We had a great visit with noted Midland artist Woody Gwyn who took time out from preparing for a New York showing of his works to show us his new works and give us a short history of Galisteo and his historic home. The house was built in 1703 and through the years has seen some notable historic visitors including Civil War era generals Sibley and Kearney. Woody also gave up signed limited edition copies of the book concerning his work and a new portfolio just out for a showing he had in Santa Fe recently.
Time now to go rest for a moment before our trip back into Santa Fe and dinner at the ever popular Pink Adobe restaurant. It never disappoints. Before I go, I have to say that if you have never been in Northern New Mexico in October, you have to come soon. The cottonwood trees are the most golden yellow allowed by nature and against the supremely blue sky and distant snow capped peaks it's a sight you just can't believe.
This morning, from Santa Fe, we drove the 25 miles down to the small town of Galisteo an historic town and for decades an artists mecca. Today was the "Studio Tour" where one was invited in to the aritsts studios to few there work. As an added attraction since most arists work at their residences, we had the opportunity to walk through some fabulous homes.
We spent the bulk of our time talking with the photographers on the tour. There are some world class photographers working out of Galisteo and their hospitality was second to none. Several of them had homes with views of the distant Ortiz Mountains that could only be called stunning. I bought one landscape image from Richard Shuff, but could have come home with 20 or 30 more...easily. I'm sure we'll be purchasing more soon and I'll have the web links to their sites when we return home.
We had a great visit with noted Midland artist Woody Gwyn who took time out from preparing for a New York showing of his works to show us his new works and give us a short history of Galisteo and his historic home. The house was built in 1703 and through the years has seen some notable historic visitors including Civil War era generals Sibley and Kearney. Woody also gave up signed limited edition copies of the book concerning his work and a new portfolio just out for a showing he had in Santa Fe recently.
Time now to go rest for a moment before our trip back into Santa Fe and dinner at the ever popular Pink Adobe restaurant. It never disappoints. Before I go, I have to say that if you have never been in Northern New Mexico in October, you have to come soon. The cottonwood trees are the most golden yellow allowed by nature and against the supremely blue sky and distant snow capped peaks it's a sight you just can't believe.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Friday evening in Santa Fe....
A beautiful cool crisp evening in Santa Fe with just a sliver of a moon diving behind the mountains in the western skies as we ventured up Canyon Drive in search of a light meal. And what better spot than the El Farol and it's Spanish chef with his tapas treats.
The El Farol has been a restaurant in Santa Fe since 1835 and in approximately the same location as it is today. The food is excellent though since we didn't have reservations we had to sit on the veranda overlooking the road. A little cool in the mountains once the sun goes down, but well worth the taste treat. I like the tapas concept....a miniature sized portion with extreme flavor. Julie had chared filet on a skewer with small sweet onions and flavored with an herb that was unidentifiable yet pleasantly sweet.I had a small chicken breast with chipolte peppers and the same sweet onions. Due to the chill in the air we both had a delightful strong coffee with raspberry flan for a sweet small dessert.
We are now back to the comfort of the El Rey with a fire going in the kiva fireplace in our room. More tomorrow from Galisteo.
A beautiful cool crisp evening in Santa Fe with just a sliver of a moon diving behind the mountains in the western skies as we ventured up Canyon Drive in search of a light meal. And what better spot than the El Farol and it's Spanish chef with his tapas treats.
The El Farol has been a restaurant in Santa Fe since 1835 and in approximately the same location as it is today. The food is excellent though since we didn't have reservations we had to sit on the veranda overlooking the road. A little cool in the mountains once the sun goes down, but well worth the taste treat. I like the tapas concept....a miniature sized portion with extreme flavor. Julie had chared filet on a skewer with small sweet onions and flavored with an herb that was unidentifiable yet pleasantly sweet.I had a small chicken breast with chipolte peppers and the same sweet onions. Due to the chill in the air we both had a delightful strong coffee with raspberry flan for a sweet small dessert.
We are now back to the comfort of the El Rey with a fire going in the kiva fireplace in our room. More tomorrow from Galisteo.
Howdy from Santa Fe..
Miracle of miracles, nowadays even hotels originally built in the 1930's have high speed internet access. And so I'm sitting in the lobby of the El Rey Hotel, overlooking what was once Route 66, writing to you from the beauty of Santa Fe.
We arrived in Santa Fe about noonish local time after an easy trip from Midland via SouthWest Airlines. The weather is gorgeous, really warmer than we had anticipated. However the mountains behind Santa Fe have a beautiful crown of snow, which when accentuated by the golden glow of the turning leaves on the cottonwood trees makes the scenery all that we hoped for.
Our room wouldn't be ready until 3 p.m. so we drove the short way into the heart of town near the plaza and had a leisurely lunch in one of our favorite eateries, The Plaza Cafe. I had a regular sirloin burger while Julie had some scrumptuous quesidilla's with fresh squash, onions, "pulled" chicken, corn, sauteed mushrooms and a heavy dose of fresh garlic. A treat for which she is paying. She's down the road purchasing some Pepto as I relate these facts to you. We browsed some of the shops and galleries near the plaza and had a nice chat with my friends at Andrew Smith's photography gallery.
Santa Fe seems more crowded than usual so, after the late lunch, we may not "do" any of our regular restaurants tonight, but dine on some lighter fair. We'll be up early tomorrow for our trip down the road to Galisteo. I'm looking forward to some great photo op's!! Hopefully more reporting from the road tomorrow.
Miracle of miracles, nowadays even hotels originally built in the 1930's have high speed internet access. And so I'm sitting in the lobby of the El Rey Hotel, overlooking what was once Route 66, writing to you from the beauty of Santa Fe.
We arrived in Santa Fe about noonish local time after an easy trip from Midland via SouthWest Airlines. The weather is gorgeous, really warmer than we had anticipated. However the mountains behind Santa Fe have a beautiful crown of snow, which when accentuated by the golden glow of the turning leaves on the cottonwood trees makes the scenery all that we hoped for.
Our room wouldn't be ready until 3 p.m. so we drove the short way into the heart of town near the plaza and had a leisurely lunch in one of our favorite eateries, The Plaza Cafe. I had a regular sirloin burger while Julie had some scrumptuous quesidilla's with fresh squash, onions, "pulled" chicken, corn, sauteed mushrooms and a heavy dose of fresh garlic. A treat for which she is paying. She's down the road purchasing some Pepto as I relate these facts to you. We browsed some of the shops and galleries near the plaza and had a nice chat with my friends at Andrew Smith's photography gallery.
Santa Fe seems more crowded than usual so, after the late lunch, we may not "do" any of our regular restaurants tonight, but dine on some lighter fair. We'll be up early tomorrow for our trip down the road to Galisteo. I'm looking forward to some great photo op's!! Hopefully more reporting from the road tomorrow.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Gone away.....
We'll be gone and blogless for several days. We're heading to Santa Fe for our annual fall get away in that region. It's about time.
I imagine we'll hit some of the galleries Friday afternoon including one of my favorites the Andrew Smith Gallery. Andrew has one of the premier photographic galleries in the country, I'm in awe everytime we browse there. And by chance, one of their chief buyers will be at our museum in Midland next week to give a lecture on buying photographic images. I wish I could afford an Ansel Adams.
Saturday we are heading down the road to Galisteo home of 270 friendly souls including our friend, noted artist Woody Gwyn. Woody is an affable artiste and we look forward to touring his historic home and studio, the Ortiz Hacienda, which was built in 1703.
On Sunday Julie has arranged another railroad treat for us...a trip on the scenic Cumbres&Toltec Railroad near Chama N.M. Photo opportunities abound on this trip and the fall foliage, cool crisp atmosphere and mountain scenery should make my life a busy one processing images upon our return. See you on Tuesday, in the meantime talk amongst yourselves.
We'll be gone and blogless for several days. We're heading to Santa Fe for our annual fall get away in that region. It's about time.
I imagine we'll hit some of the galleries Friday afternoon including one of my favorites the Andrew Smith Gallery. Andrew has one of the premier photographic galleries in the country, I'm in awe everytime we browse there. And by chance, one of their chief buyers will be at our museum in Midland next week to give a lecture on buying photographic images. I wish I could afford an Ansel Adams.
Saturday we are heading down the road to Galisteo home of 270 friendly souls including our friend, noted artist Woody Gwyn. Woody is an affable artiste and we look forward to touring his historic home and studio, the Ortiz Hacienda, which was built in 1703.
On Sunday Julie has arranged another railroad treat for us...a trip on the scenic Cumbres&Toltec Railroad near Chama N.M. Photo opportunities abound on this trip and the fall foliage, cool crisp atmosphere and mountain scenery should make my life a busy one processing images upon our return. See you on Tuesday, in the meantime talk amongst yourselves.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
The Third Man......
I don't comment on entertainment or films very often and for good reason. You wouldn't be much interested. I admit to having eclectic tastes in the cinematic arts area and I am not much of a current run movie goer. I like what I like....and there's not much of what I like coming out of Hollywood these days.
I stayed up much to late last night watching a movie I've only seen snippets of over the years. I've never seen the whole movie, but I've always been enthralled by the films background music and have heard it since childhood. It's zither music. Like I said...eclectic.
I had gone to turn the TeeVee off at about 11 p.m. and as the Mrs. and I are wont to do I flipped over to one of our "default" channels, Turner Classic Movies for one last look. [as an aside, TCM is Ted Turner's one saving grace..24 hours of classic flicks with no commercials. It's like he's repenting for CNN!] The host, the congenial Robert Osborne, was just introducing the film, "The Third Man" English version.. as opposed to the American version. I didn't know there were two. IMDB.com, the authoritative online film database lists it as the 40th best film ever as voted by their knowledgable readers and I've read where it was also voted the best British film ever made. I'll wager it's the least famous "famous" film in existance.
Based on a Graham Greene story, "The Third Man" is of the film noire genre, both in philosphy and in fact....much of it is filmed at night or very darkly. The story is a mystery and is good, but what makes the film for me is the photography and in fact the cinematographer won an Oscar for his work. The odd low angles, the sharp oversizesd shadows and contrasts of the shots suit my style as a photographer. Set in post WWII Vienna, the filming in 1949 was done mostly on site in Austria amid the still very much visible rubble remaining after the war and adds to the character of the images.
Only four actors among the myriad in the cast were recognizable to me. Joseph Cotten, a young Trevor Howard, Orson Welles and Bernard Lee, who later played "M" in the James Bond series. The rest of the ensemble are European character actors who make the movie all at once dark, artsy and quirky. I think quirky by design. Any film that features a continual light backdrop of the same theme played by a zither virtuoso has to be termed quirky. Especially the almost comical loud flat notes when anything suspenseful happens.
The closing scene is, in my opinion, one of the best in filmdom, both as a photographic image and as an unclosed romantic mystery. Try "The Third Man", you might like it. I can't wait to see it again to catch more of the nuances.
I don't comment on entertainment or films very often and for good reason. You wouldn't be much interested. I admit to having eclectic tastes in the cinematic arts area and I am not much of a current run movie goer. I like what I like....and there's not much of what I like coming out of Hollywood these days.
I stayed up much to late last night watching a movie I've only seen snippets of over the years. I've never seen the whole movie, but I've always been enthralled by the films background music and have heard it since childhood. It's zither music. Like I said...eclectic.
I had gone to turn the TeeVee off at about 11 p.m. and as the Mrs. and I are wont to do I flipped over to one of our "default" channels, Turner Classic Movies for one last look. [as an aside, TCM is Ted Turner's one saving grace..24 hours of classic flicks with no commercials. It's like he's repenting for CNN!] The host, the congenial Robert Osborne, was just introducing the film, "The Third Man" English version.. as opposed to the American version. I didn't know there were two. IMDB.com, the authoritative online film database lists it as the 40th best film ever as voted by their knowledgable readers and I've read where it was also voted the best British film ever made. I'll wager it's the least famous "famous" film in existance.
Based on a Graham Greene story, "The Third Man" is of the film noire genre, both in philosphy and in fact....much of it is filmed at night or very darkly. The story is a mystery and is good, but what makes the film for me is the photography and in fact the cinematographer won an Oscar for his work. The odd low angles, the sharp oversizesd shadows and contrasts of the shots suit my style as a photographer. Set in post WWII Vienna, the filming in 1949 was done mostly on site in Austria amid the still very much visible rubble remaining after the war and adds to the character of the images.
Only four actors among the myriad in the cast were recognizable to me. Joseph Cotten, a young Trevor Howard, Orson Welles and Bernard Lee, who later played "M" in the James Bond series. The rest of the ensemble are European character actors who make the movie all at once dark, artsy and quirky. I think quirky by design. Any film that features a continual light backdrop of the same theme played by a zither virtuoso has to be termed quirky. Especially the almost comical loud flat notes when anything suspenseful happens.
The closing scene is, in my opinion, one of the best in filmdom, both as a photographic image and as an unclosed romantic mystery. Try "The Third Man", you might like it. I can't wait to see it again to catch more of the nuances.
Monday, October 11, 2004
Now showing on Dutch TeeVee...
The Mrs. has launched her film career in the Netherlands. Dutch news producer Sander sent me a nice note of thanks for his visit here in Midland and directed my attention to this link to his online journal to view a short clip of his Midland interviews. To view the story use the link and then go to the, "Op zoek naar de wortels van president Bush" video link at the right.
I hope you have better luck than I have had viewing this on our two computers. I can hear the audio but haven't been able to pull up the video portion yet. I'll keep trying and we'll be ready to travel to Holland for the Dutch Emmy awards.
The Mrs. has launched her film career in the Netherlands. Dutch news producer Sander sent me a nice note of thanks for his visit here in Midland and directed my attention to this link to his online journal to view a short clip of his Midland interviews. To view the story use the link and then go to the, "Op zoek naar de wortels van president Bush" video link at the right.
I hope you have better luck than I have had viewing this on our two computers. I can hear the audio but haven't been able to pull up the video portion yet. I'll keep trying and we'll be ready to travel to Holland for the Dutch Emmy awards.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Newsworthy.......
Once again Julie is a hot international news commodity. As you may know she was President G.W. Bush's secretary for four years back in the good old days when Dubya was a lowly independent oilman. Over the last year or so we have hosted news and documentary film crews from the BBC in Britain and the Arte Television Channel of France and Germany wanting to learn the inside scoop on George and how Midland has made the man.
Today, through our agent Natalie at Jessica's Well we filmed with a crew from Dutch public television. We met at the site of the President's boyhood home, not far from our estate, which is now being transformed into a tourist destination. I wasn't privy to Julie's interview but knowing her it went well. She looked lovely and I'm sure the audience in Holland will be impressed with her wit and wisdom. Producer Sander Warmerdam is a genial fellow as were his interviewer and cameraman and we enjoyed spending part of an afternoon with them. I think this also tells us something about the state and direction of the US media. Three seperate European news organizations have sent reporters out here to the hinterlands to find out more of what makes President Bush who he is and as far as I know, not one single American reporter has bothered to show up. Go figure.
Sander and crew are in the US to chronicle the last days of the election process by visiting small town America, starting out in Midland and driving cross country to Boston....from Bush to Kerryland as they described it. You can catch his journey at his weblog Amerika Kiest. I suspect we'll be mentioned tomorrow. Hope your Flemish is better than mine.
Once again Julie is a hot international news commodity. As you may know she was President G.W. Bush's secretary for four years back in the good old days when Dubya was a lowly independent oilman. Over the last year or so we have hosted news and documentary film crews from the BBC in Britain and the Arte Television Channel of France and Germany wanting to learn the inside scoop on George and how Midland has made the man.
Today, through our agent Natalie at Jessica's Well we filmed with a crew from Dutch public television. We met at the site of the President's boyhood home, not far from our estate, which is now being transformed into a tourist destination. I wasn't privy to Julie's interview but knowing her it went well. She looked lovely and I'm sure the audience in Holland will be impressed with her wit and wisdom. Producer Sander Warmerdam is a genial fellow as were his interviewer and cameraman and we enjoyed spending part of an afternoon with them. I think this also tells us something about the state and direction of the US media. Three seperate European news organizations have sent reporters out here to the hinterlands to find out more of what makes President Bush who he is and as far as I know, not one single American reporter has bothered to show up. Go figure.
Sander and crew are in the US to chronicle the last days of the election process by visiting small town America, starting out in Midland and driving cross country to Boston....from Bush to Kerryland as they described it. You can catch his journey at his weblog Amerika Kiest. I suspect we'll be mentioned tomorrow. Hope your Flemish is better than mine.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
 |
As the old saying goes, "be careful what you ask for...you just might get it" With a prolonged drought in West Texas what we had been asking for was rain. And this year, this month we have gotten it. If your eyes are on the downhill side, the rain gauge at left reads over 2.5 inches. And that was just in the last two days. More specifically the last two nights. I hesitate to say it, but enough is enough. I'll rue this statement some months from now, because the commonly held community ethos in West Texas says that you can never have enough rain. But for now we've had more than enough to suit me, the |
In spite of my best efforts, or probably because of them, the roof over the den has a leak. Several years ago I noticed the beginnings of the leak around the fireplace and set about fixing it. There was some fairly obvious decay in the flashing where the chimney enters the roofline. Some synthetic tar seemed to do the job during the next year of light rains. But now with gushers arriving every night, the devious water has found another route to drain down through the roof, into the interior canned lighting and thence to the floor. Not a good situation. It has been raining for the last three weeks and the house is beginning to smell moldy like a Louisiana fishing cabin.
The dogs are none to happy either. And thusly the woman of the house is not happy and ergo, I'm not happy. The Big Gold Dog has always been thunderstorm averse, the condition manifesting itself by putting him into a catatonic state...with panting. Lot's of panting. And since he needs comfort during this crisis, he desires to be right next to the nearest human being...while panting. Three weeks of this can get on the nerves of even the best friend of a dog....or his wife. When the storms start Daphne, the outdoor dog, gives up all claims to a life outdoors and tries her best to become an indoor dog. Whining, barking, running crazily, peering in the back door with a frenzied look that says, "I'm dying out here, Pleeease let me in...now"! This approach works on me until I let her in and the frenzied running continues, except now it's frenzied running with muddy paws all over our tasteful pale tan Berber carpet. This makes the wife start her own frenzied running...after me.
With 2 months to go in the year, we are about 3 inches over our yearly average. We have been under flash flood watches and warnings continuously now for 5 days..with a tornado alert thrown in every now and then just to keep us on our toes. Five inches of rain fell in an afternoon in Andrews County to the north of us...causing all work to cease in the oil fields. Our Spanish tile patio has brown algae and scum growing on it. But as I peer out the window at the office this afternoon, the sun is blazing brightly so perhaps we're over the worst. Maybe. This is what I thought the last two afternoons as I peered out the window to see the sun blazing brightly. But it's OK, you know in West Texas you can never get enough rain!
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Air Sho..fog, storms and disappointment
In the decade and some years of the CAF being headquartered in Midland, we've never even come close to a rainout of the Air Sho. But all good things must end and today was the day. Dawn broke with low clouds, fog and drizzle but the forecast called for the weather to change. And it did, with thunderstorms and more low clouds.
At the pilot's briefing the prediction was for all the weather to lift between eleven and one o'clock, so we knew we might have to adjust things in the show to some degree. But the "lifting" never came, only a few breaks that served to falsely raise our hopes. By 1:30 the main event, the Tora Tora Tora reenactment of Pearl Harbor, was scrapped and we never got anything else significant off the ground. Most of our loyal fans stuck with us, however, and we did have all planes do a powered run down the taxiway in front of the crowd.
The crowd did get an extraordinary thrill however from our explosives teams. The charges that make up the explosions for the show are laid early in the morning and so were ready to go for this afternoons show. Not to disappoint, the decision was made to fire off this significant amount of ordnance in rapid fire fashion. To say the least it was impressive.
Later in the afternoon, with a thunderstorm on it's way a few entrepid aviators did take to the skies including the Masters of Disaster Aerobatics team. I would term them "The Three Stooges take to the air". Some exceptional flying and at very low level below the clouds. The Jet Truck is also part of their act...zooming along at 400 mph on the runway while the three biplanes try to run into each other in the air. I have to admit, their aerobatics are the closest I've seen to pilots having a mid-air and getting away with it. We also had a low level demonstration of the F-16. F-16's normally use airspace upwards in altitude of 15,000 feet in their shows. This was all below 4000 feet, mostly high speed passes, which suited the crowd just fine.
I feel a great disappointment about the situation today, mainly for the many 1000's of people who come to the airshow. A great many come every single year..and look forward to it each and every time. Many more are first time visitors who are there to see what I consider to be one of the best entertainment and historical events in the country. Like one couple with two small children. They looked and sounded to be Eastern Europeans. They stopped me and asked in broken English..."will there be flying today"? I had just heard an announcement from the "Show Boss" over my radio that the Tora Pearl Harbor event was scrapped so I had to tell these nice people that "flying didn't look good today". I've never seen four people look so crestfallen. I hope they had a good time anyway and that they'll come back next year.
Today's amazing pictures: Sunday Air Sho Pictures
In the decade and some years of the CAF being headquartered in Midland, we've never even come close to a rainout of the Air Sho. But all good things must end and today was the day. Dawn broke with low clouds, fog and drizzle but the forecast called for the weather to change. And it did, with thunderstorms and more low clouds.
At the pilot's briefing the prediction was for all the weather to lift between eleven and one o'clock, so we knew we might have to adjust things in the show to some degree. But the "lifting" never came, only a few breaks that served to falsely raise our hopes. By 1:30 the main event, the Tora Tora Tora reenactment of Pearl Harbor, was scrapped and we never got anything else significant off the ground. Most of our loyal fans stuck with us, however, and we did have all planes do a powered run down the taxiway in front of the crowd.
The crowd did get an extraordinary thrill however from our explosives teams. The charges that make up the explosions for the show are laid early in the morning and so were ready to go for this afternoons show. Not to disappoint, the decision was made to fire off this significant amount of ordnance in rapid fire fashion. To say the least it was impressive.
Later in the afternoon, with a thunderstorm on it's way a few entrepid aviators did take to the skies including the Masters of Disaster Aerobatics team. I would term them "The Three Stooges take to the air". Some exceptional flying and at very low level below the clouds. The Jet Truck is also part of their act...zooming along at 400 mph on the runway while the three biplanes try to run into each other in the air. I have to admit, their aerobatics are the closest I've seen to pilots having a mid-air and getting away with it. We also had a low level demonstration of the F-16. F-16's normally use airspace upwards in altitude of 15,000 feet in their shows. This was all below 4000 feet, mostly high speed passes, which suited the crowd just fine.
I feel a great disappointment about the situation today, mainly for the many 1000's of people who come to the airshow. A great many come every single year..and look forward to it each and every time. Many more are first time visitors who are there to see what I consider to be one of the best entertainment and historical events in the country. Like one couple with two small children. They looked and sounded to be Eastern Europeans. They stopped me and asked in broken English..."will there be flying today"? I had just heard an announcement from the "Show Boss" over my radio that the Tora Pearl Harbor event was scrapped so I had to tell these nice people that "flying didn't look good today". I've never seen four people look so crestfallen. I hope they had a good time anyway and that they'll come back next year.
Today's amazing pictures: Sunday Air Sho Pictures
Saturday, October 02, 2004
It's Show Time....
The weather was ominus and rather eerie when I arrived for Air Show duty around 8 A.M. today. With the ceiling hovering around 5-7,000 feet and stiff winds flying, both aerobatic and formation, would be difficult....but the show goes on. Shortly before the first flights went up it did rain some big heavy drops, but then stopped. So the aerobatics pilots, professionals that they are, went about their business. And my transportation personnel went about their business of hauling aviation devotees in. 1000's of them. A little "iffy" weather doesn't stop most old airplane fans from showing up.
This is the 13th airshow I have assisted with since the CAF moved to Midland, and though certainly not blase about the flying, I have seen it all, at least once. But we do try and keep our eyes skyward, for these planes are something not to be missed no matter how many times you've seen them. The sound of a multitude of radial engines starting up, taking off and flying over head is something amazing. As my friend Del finally realized today, and said.....there is something gut wrenching and sensual about it. It's something to be missed in the jet age.
A few notes about the amazing performances. The jet assisted propeller driven Bi-Plane is always one of my favorites. It's an enigma. An old prop plane that is doing lazy loops until the pilot hits the "Jets" and streaks straight up almost from a stall. Then there are the Heritage flights. Three WWII vintage Army and Navy prop fighters flying with a fourth modern jet. It shows how far we have come. And then there is Ken Shockley's Jet Powered Semi-Truck. Julie saw it for the first time today and was amazed at it as I always am. Here's a guy who's mounted three military surplus jet powerplants onto a semi-truck cab allowing him to motor along at a top speed approaching 400 m.p.h. He gets there in about 5 seconds. I've met Ken and you can't really tell he's crazy by talking to him
Due to my "position" and stature in the CAF we are able to sit right along the taxi way not far from the runway where most of the planes land..and where Mr. Shockley performs his power run. He has a habit of driving the truck along this taxiway, dumping raw fuel into the jet turbines and lighting it off. The result is somewhat akin to a napalm explosion. Today he did this directly in front of us..surprising the beejeebus out of Julie and nearly singing our hair. It felt kind'a good on a chilly day.
Our private spot viewing spot is between the runway and the ramp where all the bombers are parked. As we sat there watching 15-20 fighters taking off right in front of us..P-51's, P-47's, P-39's, F4U Corsairs....we heard the bombers start to fire up their radial engines behind us. Four B-25's, two B-17's, a B-24, 2 A-26's and the B-29. It didn't take much dreaming to imagine that you were in Britain in 1944 and also to think of the sacrifice that so many pilots and crews made as they too started up there engines, headed for Germany and not the peaceful skies of West Texas. We owe them so much and our gratitude to them is the reason we have this show.
Today's pictures at: Saturdays Air Show
The weather was ominus and rather eerie when I arrived for Air Show duty around 8 A.M. today. With the ceiling hovering around 5-7,000 feet and stiff winds flying, both aerobatic and formation, would be difficult....but the show goes on. Shortly before the first flights went up it did rain some big heavy drops, but then stopped. So the aerobatics pilots, professionals that they are, went about their business. And my transportation personnel went about their business of hauling aviation devotees in. 1000's of them. A little "iffy" weather doesn't stop most old airplane fans from showing up.
This is the 13th airshow I have assisted with since the CAF moved to Midland, and though certainly not blase about the flying, I have seen it all, at least once. But we do try and keep our eyes skyward, for these planes are something not to be missed no matter how many times you've seen them. The sound of a multitude of radial engines starting up, taking off and flying over head is something amazing. As my friend Del finally realized today, and said.....there is something gut wrenching and sensual about it. It's something to be missed in the jet age.
A few notes about the amazing performances. The jet assisted propeller driven Bi-Plane is always one of my favorites. It's an enigma. An old prop plane that is doing lazy loops until the pilot hits the "Jets" and streaks straight up almost from a stall. Then there are the Heritage flights. Three WWII vintage Army and Navy prop fighters flying with a fourth modern jet. It shows how far we have come. And then there is Ken Shockley's Jet Powered Semi-Truck. Julie saw it for the first time today and was amazed at it as I always am. Here's a guy who's mounted three military surplus jet powerplants onto a semi-truck cab allowing him to motor along at a top speed approaching 400 m.p.h. He gets there in about 5 seconds. I've met Ken and you can't really tell he's crazy by talking to him
Due to my "position" and stature in the CAF we are able to sit right along the taxi way not far from the runway where most of the planes land..and where Mr. Shockley performs his power run. He has a habit of driving the truck along this taxiway, dumping raw fuel into the jet turbines and lighting it off. The result is somewhat akin to a napalm explosion. Today he did this directly in front of us..surprising the beejeebus out of Julie and nearly singing our hair. It felt kind'a good on a chilly day.
Our private spot viewing spot is between the runway and the ramp where all the bombers are parked. As we sat there watching 15-20 fighters taking off right in front of us..P-51's, P-47's, P-39's, F4U Corsairs....we heard the bombers start to fire up their radial engines behind us. Four B-25's, two B-17's, a B-24, 2 A-26's and the B-29. It didn't take much dreaming to imagine that you were in Britain in 1944 and also to think of the sacrifice that so many pilots and crews made as they too started up there engines, headed for Germany and not the peaceful skies of West Texas. We owe them so much and our gratitude to them is the reason we have this show.
Today's pictures at: Saturdays Air Show
Friday, October 01, 2004
Air Sho:Day 2.....
Preparations for the Air Sho begin in earnest on Friday. In the morning a special show is held for handicapped persons from all over the region. A big undertaking in itself it takes a dedicated group of over 200 volunteers to run. For the main two day air show we have in excess of 800 volunteers!
My task for the day was to round up several pickup trucks donated by our local Ford dealer and to get these out to the airport and matched with their trailers. Job completed...then my faithful assistant and business partner Del and I got to enjoy lunch in our local chapters hangar and visit with friends I hadn't seen in ages. I also enjoy visiting with the active duty military personnel who have brought their aviation assets to the show...and in particular with the German, British and Australians. While in the museum I got to say a quick hell-o to Gen. Paul Tibbets of Enola Gay fame who was signing his autobiography. Got mine several years ago when he was here. Friday's pictures: Air Sho Images
Preparations for the Air Sho begin in earnest on Friday. In the morning a special show is held for handicapped persons from all over the region. A big undertaking in itself it takes a dedicated group of over 200 volunteers to run. For the main two day air show we have in excess of 800 volunteers!
My task for the day was to round up several pickup trucks donated by our local Ford dealer and to get these out to the airport and matched with their trailers. Job completed...then my faithful assistant and business partner Del and I got to enjoy lunch in our local chapters hangar and visit with friends I hadn't seen in ages. I also enjoy visiting with the active duty military personnel who have brought their aviation assets to the show...and in particular with the German, British and Australians. While in the museum I got to say a quick hell-o to Gen. Paul Tibbets of Enola Gay fame who was signing his autobiography. Got mine several years ago when he was here. Friday's pictures: Air Sho Images
Thursday, September 30, 2004
It's Show Time.....
As I plod along the highway of life, some weeks are berift of activity and some are fraught with all the action I can handle. This week has been one of those. Thus the dearth of posts, disappointing all three regular readers.
I have been absorded at the office, mostly mentally, putting together a rather large PowerPoint© presentation to be presented to board members of a Fortune 500 corporation that will be our partners in an exciting new gas project. It's big time for us poor boys in the oilfield, so we are doing a bang up job, and thusly having to develop a wealth of spreadsheets and data.
The other preoccupation here late in the week is the annual CAF Airsho, a truly large and time consuming event. Being the transportation committee chairperson I have to plan, organize, lead and control a plethora of equipment and personnel. Sounds big time.....but what it really means is that I supervise a bunch of trucks and drivers pulling trailers for people to ride upon. A fifth grader would probably fill the bill, but we can't find any fifth graders willing to do it. And being the third year I've held the job, I have the same people assisting and it's become cookie cutter.
So, we'll be at the Air Sho for 9 hours daily during the next three days. Well maybe 14 hours on Saturday as we'll stay late to see Jerry Jeff Walker. I will provide pictures updated daily for all at: The Air Sho!
As I plod along the highway of life, some weeks are berift of activity and some are fraught with all the action I can handle. This week has been one of those. Thus the dearth of posts, disappointing all three regular readers.
I have been absorded at the office, mostly mentally, putting together a rather large PowerPoint© presentation to be presented to board members of a Fortune 500 corporation that will be our partners in an exciting new gas project. It's big time for us poor boys in the oilfield, so we are doing a bang up job, and thusly having to develop a wealth of spreadsheets and data.
The other preoccupation here late in the week is the annual CAF Airsho, a truly large and time consuming event. Being the transportation committee chairperson I have to plan, organize, lead and control a plethora of equipment and personnel. Sounds big time.....but what it really means is that I supervise a bunch of trucks and drivers pulling trailers for people to ride upon. A fifth grader would probably fill the bill, but we can't find any fifth graders willing to do it. And being the third year I've held the job, I have the same people assisting and it's become cookie cutter.
So, we'll be at the Air Sho for 9 hours daily during the next three days. Well maybe 14 hours on Saturday as we'll stay late to see Jerry Jeff Walker. I will provide pictures updated daily for all at: The Air Sho!
Sunday, September 26, 2004
They say it's your birthday...!
Today is a special day at the Bedford Drive estate...it's someone's birthday. Someone very special that I love very much. Although she's a year older she is still young and precious! Years younger than me and definetly more precious. We love you and Happy Birthday!
And a birthday gift for Julie is the news that Casey, lying wounded in Germany, has made it successfully through his first operations and his condition is notably improved. He should be evacuated back to the U.S. within days. I'd like to give a special thanks to the bloggers who have signed the "get well" card on his family's website. I've noticed you..! Thanks a million.
Today is a special day at the Bedford Drive estate...it's someone's birthday. Someone very special that I love very much. Although she's a year older she is still young and precious! Years younger than me and definetly more precious. We love you and Happy Birthday!
And a birthday gift for Julie is the news that Casey, lying wounded in Germany, has made it successfully through his first operations and his condition is notably improved. He should be evacuated back to the U.S. within days. I'd like to give a special thanks to the bloggers who have signed the "get well" card on his family's website. I've noticed you..! Thanks a million.
Friday, September 24, 2004
The war....closer to home
We have had several soldiers from the Midland area who have fallen in Iraq, which hurts but we have not known any personally. Now the war is coming closer to home. For more than a year we have been kept abreast of Marine LCPL. Casey Owens activities through forwarded emails and converstations with Casey's loving Aunt Mary, a very close friend of Julie's. That's why the news of his wounds hurt us so much.
Casey was seriously wounded when a rocket propelled grenade hit his vehicle on Wednesday, killing one of his crewmates. Casey is now at Ramstein AFB, Germany where he has lost part of one leg and has severe shrapnel wounds to the head which makes his prognosis touch and go. This was Casey's second tour in Iraq.
A heartbreaking addendum to this story is that Mary had just stood in line at Barnes and Nobles last weekend to have Midlander, Gen. Tommy Franks sign his autobiography personally for Casey. And what a good idea came of this at Julie's suggestion. I emailed Gen. Franks today, told him the story and asked if he would send a personal email note of support to Mary for their family. Within 15 minutes I had a reply from Tommy, saying it was done. God bless America and Gen. Franks. And say a prayer for Casey. LCpl Casey Owens Webpage
We have had several soldiers from the Midland area who have fallen in Iraq, which hurts but we have not known any personally. Now the war is coming closer to home. For more than a year we have been kept abreast of Marine LCPL. Casey Owens activities through forwarded emails and converstations with Casey's loving Aunt Mary, a very close friend of Julie's. That's why the news of his wounds hurt us so much.
Casey was seriously wounded when a rocket propelled grenade hit his vehicle on Wednesday, killing one of his crewmates. Casey is now at Ramstein AFB, Germany where he has lost part of one leg and has severe shrapnel wounds to the head which makes his prognosis touch and go. This was Casey's second tour in Iraq.
A heartbreaking addendum to this story is that Mary had just stood in line at Barnes and Nobles last weekend to have Midlander, Gen. Tommy Franks sign his autobiography personally for Casey. And what a good idea came of this at Julie's suggestion. I emailed Gen. Franks today, told him the story and asked if he would send a personal email note of support to Mary for their family. Within 15 minutes I had a reply from Tommy, saying it was done. God bless America and Gen. Franks. And say a prayer for Casey. LCpl Casey Owens Webpage
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Buy a round....
There are many successful charitable operations run by bloggers to support our soldiers welfare and the war effort. Organizations offering everything from letter writing to soldiers, shoes for Afghani children to comfort packages for wounded soldiers in Germay. But I've run across a novel one recently. Beer for Soldiers let's you buy a round for soldiers on leave or returned from a combat zone. Check it out for yourself and decide if it's a worthwhile organization.
Having consumed more than my fair share of cold beverages through the years as a soldier and beyond, I know they'll appreciate the effort. But remember...."moderation in all things"....a lesson I learned a tad to late.
There are many successful charitable operations run by bloggers to support our soldiers welfare and the war effort. Organizations offering everything from letter writing to soldiers, shoes for Afghani children to comfort packages for wounded soldiers in Germay. But I've run across a novel one recently. Beer for Soldiers let's you buy a round for soldiers on leave or returned from a combat zone. Check it out for yourself and decide if it's a worthwhile organization.
Having consumed more than my fair share of cold beverages through the years as a soldier and beyond, I know they'll appreciate the effort. But remember...."moderation in all things"....a lesson I learned a tad to late.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Passing Images....
I note with sadness today the passing of one of the truly great photographers of our era, Eddie Adams. Even the most notable photographers are usually not household names but as it should be Eddie's work speaks for itself.
Eddie started his career as a Marine Corps combat photographer and went on to photograph 13 wars, including Vietnam, where he accompanied troops on 150 operations. He was the recepient of over 500 individual awards for his work. Adams's photographs regularly graced the covers and front pages of magazines and newspapers around the world, including Time, Newsweek, Life, Paris Match, Parade, Penthouse, Vogue, The London Sunday Times Magazine, The New York Times, Stern and Vanity Fair.
Eddie was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for his unforgettable photograph of the street execution of a Viet Cong prisoner shown above. The photo helped change the sentiment about the war on the homefront....a result that Eddie did not intend nor like. Nor did Eddie take much joy from the Pulitzer Prize, for the image that he captured is the ruin of the lives of two people.
Because of my friendship with combat journalist Joe Galloway I have been fortunate to interact with several of the best photojournalists of the Vietnam War and actually work in a limited way with them on a few projects. Over the next weeks I'll direct you to their work.
I note with sadness today the passing of one of the truly great photographers of our era, Eddie Adams. Even the most notable photographers are usually not household names but as it should be Eddie's work speaks for itself.
Eddie started his career as a Marine Corps combat photographer and went on to photograph 13 wars, including Vietnam, where he accompanied troops on 150 operations. He was the recepient of over 500 individual awards for his work. Adams's photographs regularly graced the covers and front pages of magazines and newspapers around the world, including Time, Newsweek, Life, Paris Match, Parade, Penthouse, Vogue, The London Sunday Times Magazine, The New York Times, Stern and Vanity Fair.
Eddie was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for his unforgettable photograph of the street execution of a Viet Cong prisoner shown above. The photo helped change the sentiment about the war on the homefront....a result that Eddie did not intend nor like. Nor did Eddie take much joy from the Pulitzer Prize, for the image that he captured is the ruin of the lives of two people.
Because of my friendship with combat journalist Joe Galloway I have been fortunate to interact with several of the best photojournalists of the Vietnam War and actually work in a limited way with them on a few projects. Over the next weeks I'll direct you to their work.
"I'm not a great believer in the power of the moving image. A still image has greater lasting power. A still photographer has to show the whole freekin' movie in one picture. On the screen, it's over and back in the can in seconds. A still picture is going to be there forever."
Eddie Adams
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)