As readers of this blog can probably attest to, photography has been a love of mine for a long time. I'm pleased to announce the formation of my new photography business, McNamara Images LLC, and many of my blog posts moving forward will pertain to my numerous adventures in photography. Enjoy!
Earlier today I came across this story on abc7. Given that I'm not an artist myself, I'm always amazed at the kind of talent and vision one must have to create something like this, and the fact that it comes so naturally to some people makes it even more impressive. For this man, it is a very lucrative talent:
This is a busy time of year for pumpkin carvers, but one Brooklyn artist is getting attention this week for his non-Halloween characters.
At a demonstration of his carving technique, Hugh McMahon had the presidential candidates on display.
He admits he's an Obama supporter, but says he tried not to let that influence his work.
McMahon says each pumpkin portrait takes two to three hours and can cost up to $1,000.
When most people these days think of Seal (full name: Sealhenry Olusegun Olumide Adelo Samuel), they probably think of him as being the husband of German supermodel Heidi Klum, much to the extreme jealously of men worldwide. Musically, he is perhaps best remembered for his 1995 ballad "Kiss From A Rose" from the Batman Forever soundtrack. I saw (and heard) him for the first time in the video for "Prayer For The Dying" back in the summer of 1994. I remember being impressed with the singer and touched by the song (a requiem for a friend with AIDS). Like fellow Brit Rod Stewart, he has a very distinct voice that is instantly recognizable.
Because "Kiss From A Rose" is Seal's commercial and critical peak by far (the song went on to win 2 Grammys in 1996: Record of the Year and Song of the Year), he is often erroneously considered to be a one-hit wonder. In fact, he has had a string of hits in his nearly two-decade long recording career including "Crazy", "Future Love Paradise", "Newborn Friend", "Don't Cry", "Fly Like An Eagle", and "Amazing". His songs tend to fit into two categories: fast-paced dance tracks or soaring ballads. Because of this tendency, his discography can sometimes feel a bit uneven, as though he is perpetually trying to find his niche as an artist. That may be about to change on November 11 with the release of his new studio album, Soul.
The album, created in partnership with legendary producer David Foster, features 12 covers of soul classics such as Ben E. King's "Stand By Me", Ann Pebbles' "I Can't Stand The Rain", Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long", The Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me By Now", and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" (video below). Seal has not had a big hit in the States for a while, but just as Rod Stewart rejuvenated his own career a few years ago through covers of standards and classic rock, I think there is great potential here for Seal in the soul arena. As the Amazon description states, Soul will surely be "the perfect coming together of man, material and moment."
Perhaps no television personality working today is more controversial or engaging than Bill O'Reilly of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor (weekdays at 8pm EST). The outspoken Fox News analyst routinely challenges opinions on both sides of the aisle and keeps a watchful eye on people in power. He has authored 5 bestselling books (his most recent is a biography: A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity) and won 3 Emmys. For the last eight years, his show has been the top-rated news program on cable television.
I started watching the Factor soon after 9/11 and quickly became a fan. He strictly enforces a "no-spin zone" wherein honest opinions by panelists are encouraged so long as they are not deliberate distortions of fact. O'Reilly labels himself a "traditional independent", and his political loyalties don't run down party lines; he favors whatever he thinks will serve the greater good of America. He is often thought of as being conservative in part because he frequently discredits left-wing websites and agendas, therefore drawing an ongoing swell of liberal ire.
The true legacy of The O'Reilly Factor may very well be its role as a catalyst for change in society. For example, after 9/11, the Red Cross revised its distribution policies after O'Reilly claimed that there was not enough oversight to determine if all donated funds were reaching the victims' families. Also, Pepsi cancelled a planned ad campaign in conjunction with rapper Ludacris after O'Reilly complained that Pepsi had a moral obligation to the country not to work with an artist whose music glorifies drugs and violence.
O'Reilly can be very passionate about many of the issues he analyzes, and that frequently leads to heated discussions with those holding contrary opinions. He is very impatient with interruptions, and will on occasion have a panelist's microphone turned off if he or she persists on speaking after being asked not to. While he is criticized for his brash style, it does make for good television theater, and in the process the viewer is often exposed to new ways of thinking about various issues.
Also, though O'Reilly and I are both of Irish descent, his temper is much more legendary.
My first introduction to Hugh Laurie was when he played the father of Stuart Little in the 2000 film of the same name. Since then, the British actor was in a sequel as well as a series of less-successful films. It wasn't until 2006 that Laurie reappeared on my radar as the star of a show that began in the fall of 2004 and whose titular character is easily one of the most memorable characters ever created for television: House (Fox, Tuesdays at 8pm EST).
Dr. Gregory House (whom Laurie plays to perfection) leads a team of doctors in a New Jersey hospital who collaborate to treat a different patient each episode, often using unorthodox and potentially illegal methods: team members will sometimes visit a patient's home to try to look for contaminants and other sources of obscure illnesses that may have initially harmed the patient in their care. Usually, the solution or cure comes toward the end of the show and leads to a twist ending.
Unlike most medical dramas, what makes this one distinct is its brand of humor. The Vicodin-addicted House (who has partial loss of use in his left leg) is a wonderfully cantankerous character whose disdain for the human race is just as funny as it is sad. He often alienates his patients and co-workers while giving viewers plenty of great quotes to laugh at or think about. His motto: "Everybody lies". It might not come as a surprise to you that he is an atheist.
The show itself, like its dynamic lead character, is more complex than meets the eye. What many people don't realize at first is that it is largely inspired by Sherlock Holmes. For instance, "house" is another name for "home", which sounds like "Holmes". Also, his best friend, Dr. Wilson, can be seen as a parallel to Holmes' sidekick, Dr. Watson. These are just a couple examples of many which show just how detailed and inspired the show truly is.
On Wednesday, September 24, John McCain called David Letterman within hours before he was to appear on his show and told him he would need to fly to Washington to work on the newly-exploding economic crisis. Letterman understood, but it was revealed during the taping of that evening's show that McCain had actually forgone Letterman to appear on CBS News with Katie Couric, just a few blocks away.
Not surprisingly, Letterman did not take the news very well, and he went as far as to call McCain's legitimacy as a candidate into question. Highlights of Letterman's frustration on that night's show (seen in the above clip) became a hit on the Internet, and the so-called McCain/Letterman feud was underway. Finally, three weeks later, he made his highly-anticipated appearance:
One has to give a politician credit for having the guts to say the words "I screwed up", even for an issue as trivial as this!
What you see in this picture is a rendering of the Nakheel Tower which will be located in Dubai, UAE. As proposed, this skyscraper would reach a height of 1,400m (4,593ft) and contain an astounding 228 floors, easily making it the world's tallest building as well as the first to reach a height of over 1km. It is just the latest in a series of mega-projects already underway in that city including the current world's tallest building (which will almost be twice as high as the Empire State Building when completed), massive manmade islands, an indoor ski resort and a theme park twice the size of Disney World.
As an admirer of architecture, high-rise and otherwise, this news is exciting to me. However, it also serves as a reminder that the United States is sorely lacking when it comes to modern innovation. As it is, we are struggling just to maintain our largely unmodernized national infrastructure, let alone set new standards in world-class construction. Interestingly enough, many of these elaborate projects in the Middle East are being carried out by American architects and engineers, and are financed by that region's leaders and investors whose pockets are lined by you and me upon each visit to the pump.
The economies of China, India, Russia, and other countries are challenging America's dominance in the world marketplace of the 21st century. Because skyscrapers are often symbols of economic prominence, we will no doubt see more of these kinds of amazing structures rise around the world, each trying to supercede the one that came before it. The U.S. is just now starting to catch up in this arena, and I remain hopeful that we will continue to rediscover the innovative spirit we displayed throughout the 20th century, when America captured the imagination of the world and not vice versa.
The South Carolina State Fair started on Wednesday and will be in town until Sunday, Oct. 19. As a kid, I used to love going just for the rides. These days, I like to take in the artwork and other exhibits in the various buildings (check out the sand sculpture) and also do some people-watching. However, all of this is secondary to the main reason I go: the food!
Between 12pm and 2pm, there is a $5 refundable entry fee, so I went with some co-workers during lunch yesterday (I skipped breakfast for the occasion) and we ate our way across the fairgrounds. In the event that I wasn't going back this year, I wanted to sample a wide variety of fair cuisine in all it's greasy/sugary glory. Sure enough, I left the fair a very satisfied customer.
If you go, don't miss these five foods:
1) Fiske Fries
Possibly the only French fries out there that surpass the goodness of McDonald's. They're much fresher, too: the potatoes are cut right there at the stand and then fried. Don't forget to add salt and vinegar!
2) Pizza
Sure, you can get pizza anywhere, but it wouldn't be fair pizza! While a slice of pepperoni pizza may cost you $4, it's worth it; it's much bigger than what you might find at Pizza Hut and CiCi's.
3) Turkey Leg
Each individual leg is $8, but it could easily be enough for dinner. Perfect for just when you are about to leave the fair and want a take-home meal, as it comes wrapped in aluminum foil.
4) Donuts
On your way out, after you get the turkey leg, stop by the donut stand and pick up a bag of dozens of small donuts. They make for a great take-home dessert to follow your turkey leg...if you've still got room.
5) Elephant Ear
Forget funnel cakes. The elephant ear is the king of fair food by a mile! The butter is what makes it so good, but you can add all sorts of toppings (cherries, chocolate, etc.) to give it that extra kick.
When you think of the BeeGees (pictured above, from left to right: brothers Robin, Barry and Maurice Gibb), chances are good that the image in your mind is of a younger John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, strutting to the strains of "Stayin' Alive" or ruling the dance floor with "You Should Be Dancing". That movie memorably captured the zeitgeist of the late-70's urban disco scene, and the unprecedented success of its soundtrack (which would be the world's biggest-selling soundtrack until 1992's The Bodyguard) eclipsed everything the BeeGees had done before and since. As a result, many people are not aware that their remarkable career actually spans five decades, 220 million records, 9 Grammys, 5 American Music Awards, a 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction...and then some.
People tend to be familiar with the BeeGees' 70's hits which include "Jive Talkin'", "Stayin' Alive", and "Night Fever", to name a few. However, these songs just scratch the surface of their music. Earlier hits include "New York Mining Disaster 1941", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", and "Words". Unfortunately, when disco died in the early-80's, so did the mainstream popularity of the BeeGees in America. There came to be a stigma attached to disco that carried over to them as well. Ironically, they had never set out to write disco music specifically, but yet they are closely associated with that era. They continued to record new music, and despite lackluster sales in the U.S. during the 80's and 90's, they remained popular throughout much of the world. Their biggest U.S. hit since disco was 1989's "One", which reached Billboard's top ten.
In addition to their own extraordinary recording success, the BeeGees also wrote songs for other artists that became major hits: "Grease" for Frankie Valli, "Islands In The Stream" for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, "Heartbreaker" for Dionne Warwick, "Guilty" for Barbra Streisand, "Chain Reaction" for Diana Ross, "Emotion" for Samantha Sang (later recorded by Destiny's Child), "Immortality" for Celine Dion, and others. Additionally, the BeeGees' music has been covered by a number of artists over the years (Elvis Presley, Al Green, Janis Joplin, Elton John, Eric Clapton, etc.) as well as sampled by many hip-hop artists. They had a younger brother, Andy Gibb, whom they also wrote songs for. He was never in the band but had a string of solo hits (including "Shadow Dancing" and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything") as a teen idol in the 70's. Andy died of an inflamed heart in 1988.
The band released a greatest hits album in November of 2001 which, unbeknownst to them at the time, would be their final release and also a fitting one. In January of 2003, the BeeGees phenomenal career came to a sad and abrupt end when Maurice died of a strangulated intestine. After his death, Barry and Robin decided to retire the band's name in his honor. Since that time, both have worked on solo projects: Robin recorded a live album with the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra, and Barry wrote songs for Barbra Streisand's album Guilty Pleasures. More recently, Barry was a coach on season 6 of American Idol, which reintroduced the timeless music of the BeeGees to a new era.
To this day, the careers of Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb are still assumed by the majority to have been relegated to the disco era. It is this enduring fallacy that continues to cause so many people to miss out on the true scope and quality of their exquisite body of work, a vast treasure trove of timeless music which offers a bounty of rewards for those willing to dig a little deeper. After all, the BeeGees defined much more than a Saturday Night; they defined generations.
On a side note: their name comes from the initials "B.G.", but contrary to popular belief, those letters did not originally stand for "Brothers Gibb". Rather, they stand for the names of two people: Bill Goode, a racetrack promoter, who introduced the band to Bill Gates, a radio DJ. Here is a live performance from 1997 of one of the BeeGees' many cherished love songs, "One". It was recorded at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during one of their most famous concerts, and Olivia Newton-John was in attendance.
In the movie, both of their characters are in the process of moving on from bad marriages while struggling to maintain a good relationship with their children. As fate would have it, they find love in an oceanfront bed and breakfast in North Carolina's Outer Banks as a hurricane looms. After the storm, Gere's doctor proceeds to visit his son and Lane goes back to her life as a single mother. They keep in touch for a time while making plans to spend their lives together.
Gere and Lane have a believable chemistry together and they carry the movie well. However, it's the scenery that one may remember most about the film, from the exquisite Southern interiors of the bed and breakfast to the picturesque beachscapes surrounding it. Indeed, the movie is a visual treat of Carolina charm that, along with the romance aspect, could almost make it pass for a modern-day Gone With The Wind. No doubt the Rodanthe tourism industry has since spiked.
If you're familiar with other works by Nicholas Sparks, then you'll see his general formula repeated here as well, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. His previous movie adaptations (such as Message in a Bottle, A Walk To Remember, and The Notebook), like the books they're based on, have all been memorable. In and of itself, Nights in Rodanthe is a well-told love story that both men and women would enjoy, thus making it an ideal date movie.
Just over a month ago, Sarah Palin became John McCain's vice-presidential running mate. Since then, the American public has seen her in several interviews and a debate. She presents herself as a very capable yet down-to-earth person, and her demeanor has endeared her to many voters. Palin has given the race a unique personality stamp.
When watching McCain speak to an audience, we can count on him addressing them as "my friends" more than once; that phrase is a bona fide McCainism. Now that we're starting to get to know Palin and her policies in this very serious election, here are some lighthearted but interesting examples of her own recurring words and phrases:
- Use of the word "there" at the end of a sentence.
- "Heck of a lotta"
- "You're darn right"
- "Doggone it"
- "God bless him"
- "I betcha"
- "You betcha"
- "Nu-cu-lar"
That's right...just when we thought that last one would leave the White House with our current president and his myriad Bushisms, she proudly continues the tradition, God bless her!
Most of us non-smokers know all too well that smoking is a very invasive habit, and for years we've had to suffer the consequences of the self-destructive actions of smokers. Fortunately, I've never smoked cigarettes or had any desire to, so I'm not in a position where I would be offended by this new law. If I did smoke, I would like to think I would completely understand and would therefore do whatever I could to keep my bad habit from inconveniencing or harming those who don't smoke. Sometimes the no-smoking section just doesn't cut it.
While some argue that the local economy will be further damaged as a result, I don't think that will be the case at all. Because of their nicotine addiction, smokers will continue to pay an arm and a leg for their cigarettes but will just smoke them outdoors or in the privacy of their own home. The city will still draw a healthy revenue from cigarette sales. However, for the benefit of our collective health, I'm hoping that this decision will prompt many current smokers to quit due to the ever-increasing inconvenience of their habit (as if the major health risks weren't enough).
So, to the City of Columbia, I say: thank you from the bottom of my lungs.
"If you love the place you live, love it with the same passion that so many New Yorkers love their city with, then you'll learn to tolerate its imperfections if it hasn't been ingrained in you already. Be to its virtues very kind, but be to its faults a little blind."
