Photos, Philosophy, Politics & Pool...
Made my way to this spot under less than the best health conditions. It’s the view along the palace moat up at Mandalay Hill. A classic view in my opinion, but as with many of my opinions, one which I seem to hold alone. There are no other photographers or tourists on the scene. Zero. Throughout my visit to Myanmar...
I was warned against traveling to Myanmar because of some sort of “genocide,” or something. Didn’t know much about it, but since I was in the country, I thought I’d find out. The official media story goes like this: the poor innocent Rohingya were just minding their own business when all of a sudden the army started killing, raping, and...
Crystal was angry. In the sixteen years I’d known her, she’d always been angry. But now, she was angry at me. So angry that she un-friended me on Facebook. Why? What had I done that was so terrible? Well, that’s a long story… Crystal was a single black teenage mother. Her child’s father was in jail. She had no prospects...
The website said the “photographer’s tour” of Antelope Canyon was fully booked, but “sightseeing” tours were still available. No way. No way am I going into one of the most photogenic places on earth in a mob of tourists. For their own safety I show up an hour early, and charmed my way into the “photographers tour.” Okay, maybe it...
The ad said “pool players wanted,” so I answered the ad. The guy lived in West Oakland, not exactly the safest place in the world, but pool is pool, so off I went. And so began my friendship with Bihn. Bihn was the son of Vietnamese boat people, about 30 years old, and very outgoing. Though unemployed, he lived in...
“Warning: Death for drug traffickers under Singapore law.” That’s what it says on the immigration form the flight attendants are handing out. Well shit, I’ve got a bottle of Tylenol in my bag, why didn’t someone tell me before I got on the plane? Singapore is of course famous for its strict law enforcement. Remember that American college kid who...
“Do you Renounce All Violence?” That’s what she asked me. Was she serious? Did she really want to know? Or was it simply moral posturing? I don’t know. But its a commonly held view at Burning Man, which after all is a hippie, artsy festival at its core. Such proclamations are to be expected. I replied, “I renounce the initiation...
Rented a motorcycle to get around Danang, with the full understanding that the “normal” rules of driving do not apply in Vietnam. You know, quaint little Western ideas like “right of way, my lane, or one-way street.” Things regarded as “common sense” in the West, are not only absent here, but dangerous. For example, regard for what is behind is...
I’d locked the keys in my car. Well, it wasn’t my car exactly, it was my father’s. A 1974 Plymouth Satellite. I had just started my first “real job” in downtown Edmonton, and was borrowing the car to commute from the family farm into the city. I couldn’t yet afford a car of my own, nor could I afford to...
One of the best written Sci-Fi novels ever. They tried to make it into a movie, but forgot about that. Read the book.
There has to be 50 restaurants to choose from in Boracay. Some are packed, other languish. But why? It can’t be only taste, for tourists must choose without knowing. Location makes a difference, but neighboring establishments frequently have very different results. It’s a design problem. Ask the average person why they chose or passed over any given place and they...
Naturally this means I’ve got to take the train again, and at least this time I’ll have a clue how to do it. But down at the “ticket” machine, there are a couple young Chinese tourists who don’t have clue. They think the “ticket” machine, the one with the big “Ticket Machine” sign above it ought to sell them a...
The sun sets in forty minutes, and with Bangkok rush hour already underway, the places I want to photograph – Wat Arun and Sky Bar – are just not possible. A little internet digging shows that the Sofitel SO Hotel has a rooftop bar overlooking Lumpini Park, and its very near a train station. So Softitel SO it is. Down...
Mr. Prigozhin sold hot dogs. It was the early 90s, the Soviet Union had just collapsed, and Prigozhin needed to make a buck. So he set up a hot dog stand in St. Petersburg. Soon, Prigozhin was able to open a restaurant, where he served cheap food for high prices, and attracted local celebrities and politicians. Prigozhin made good contacts....
Some photos are harder to take than others. And some are damn near impossible. When I first saw the Madonna of Boracay, I knew she would be in the latter category. Though a main attraction of the island, she appears on neither postcards nor brochures. Why not? The non-stop procession of tourists lined up to “take a photo,” are the...
Both the doorman and my taxi driver seem especially concerned to which airport terminal I’m going to. I don’t know. My itinerary doesn’t say. How much can it matter? Taxi pulls up to the airport. Driver asks, “Okay?” The meter says 187, I say “okay,” pay the fare and get out. He drives away. The security guard on the curb...
Who came up with the idea for the Logix robot? Who designed the Logix website? Hi there. Formerly Lockheed Credit Union, the new name was intended to give a more modern feel and boy did it. But early creative directions to make it also more human and approachable were dismal at best. Enter the robot to save the day!
I didn’t plan to get in a fight. I didn’t go looking for trouble either, but somehow trouble seems to find me. Well, that’s not exactly true, maybe I was looking for it just a little bit. Here’s how it happened… The sun was blazing on the third day of my tour of Angkor Wat. Even my driver commented on...
A little while ago, I was invited to participate in a Class Action lawsuit for 13 million dollars. If successful, my share of this loot would only be a small fraction, perhaps a thousand dollars at most. The accused is an internet company I invested in back in the boom days. Like so many of those companies, their expectations fell...
