An Untitled Poem
By Steve Taylor
Someone stop these cliches I
Play the first scene in my minds eye
A memory felt by billions before and
After me, recursively, ideas festering
In a pool of unoriginality. Emotions
Shared by all yet described the same
-lock step in rhythm-
A gimmick to structure something so
Fluid.
How does one find creativity against all statistical odds?
© 2009, Steve Taylor
Steve Taylor at The Philadelphia Museum of Art on November 16, 2009.
How rude.
Sometimes one must sacrifice self- pride in order to share something somewhat amusing.
This photo was taken inside the Pleasure Place shop on Connecticut Ave in Washington, DC.
The woman to the left of the blond pornstar cut-out is looking at a wall of objects… and products designed to… entertain consenting adults.
That is a baby on her back.
I know some people would say, “who cares? It’s not like the baby knows what a rubber **** is for”. And, others will be outraged at the abuse this mother is inflicting upon her infant child. My biggest problem is this: nothing kills the ‘mood’ more than looking at, hearing, smelling or thinking about… babies.
I hope she decided on which brand of lube to buy next time she comes… as she got kicked out right after my friend snapped this shot. The store manager apparently does not support early childhood sex education.
The photo was taken from the iPhone of the person I accidentally visited this unfortunate store with. I had thought it was a gourmet-candy-and-specialty-leather shop…
Now, I know.
The City Hall of Philadelphia seen between two modern buildings
On a recent weekend trip to Philadelphia, I noticed the beautiful incongruity of new and old. The museum’s collection of medieval tapestries just feet away from works by Jasper Johns; the cracked Liberty Bell inside a newly constructed exhibit hall; the essence of both business and brotherly love in the air; seeing old friends with new loves. We live in a time of juxtaposition… old and new.
The most dolce CVS entrance I've ever seen
The most dolce parking lot art I've ever seen
photograph by Maria Esquival, © 2009
The Peace of Sin, Part 1
It’s beautiful,
Living in the peace of sin,
Where to go,
Where to begin.
We are who we want,
We play as we please,
Infected and spreading,
Self-righteous disease.
© 2009, Jameson Freeman
“Americans – at least a few (fewer than the Democrats wanted), in selected states and cities – went to the polls yesterday and breathed new life into the Grand Old Party, gave Democrats a key congressional victory, and while not delivering as clear a message as this morning’s pundits will claim, fired what may turn out to be a warning shot across the Democrats’ bow.”
- John Ashford, Chairman and CEO of the Hawthorn Group
Left vs. Right paradigm
While I agree with my friend John on the fact that the recent state and local elections that ousted several Democratic incumbents and turned some political territory from blue to red is indeed a “warning shot across the” respective “bow” of the Democratic Party, I think it also speaks to something else… namely, general discontent. Now, I am in no way disagreeing with Mr. Ashford, who is one the most brilliant and tested political and socialogical minds I have ever met. What I am doing is pointing out something additional that I see as unfolding among, at least, members of my generation; and, that is tremendous impatience for our political system.
It does not suffice to say there is dissatisfaction towards the Obama White House. Personally, I get the sense that people are just… growing weary of it all. After we’ve witnessed so many prior generations work hard and fight for things owed to them, and in response, seen a government that (at best) diverts attention away from its lack of action with insulting, emotionally-charged talking points and soundbites, it’s difficult to believe in government.
When change is not only demanded, but inevitable simply because society itself has developed different needs, we have seen – very reliably – a government that meanders around any meaningful issue, paying lipservice to different subsets of the population in order to pit them against one another (a disagreeing populace is definitely beneficial to an unresponsive political system as it makes it seem less… unresponsive – ‘I mean, if the people can’t even agree on what they want, how can we give it to them?’) and then warps words and facts to make it seem as though something significant was done. Then, afterwards, it is discovered that very little change was actually effected, and what has been done is only what benefits the same interest groups that most government policies benefit.
All this begins to appear as though it does not matter how much political capital Obama has left, or what these recent elections mean for the Democrats, or even which party controls Congress and to what degree… instead, it seems like the system is stagnant, and perhaps we should hold that accountable too.
Will we have universal healthcare? Will it reduce our costs? Will it save us money? Will it be responsibly run? Do we support the types of illegal war efforts and the extreme military-industrial corruption that we witnessed under the Bush administration? Perhaps we should start noticing whether it makes a difference which party wins or loses (beyond social issues and petty politics). Or, maybe we have the government we ask for… and thus, deserve.
Today, I spent the day with my Mom. We talked, and lunched, and walked around the city. Having her see where I lived made me feel happy and grateful for a lot of things. I have a marvelous Mom and a marvelous neighborhood.
A view of the Connecticut Ave (or William Howard Taft) Bridge through the trees in the park behind my apartment building.
One of the lions that greets you as you walk onto the Connecticut Ave. bridge
The little-noticed stream parallel to Rockcreek Parkway
The Connecticut Avenue Bridge as seen from the Duke Ellington Bridge... it's Fall in DC!
The Duke Ellington Bridge
Nighttime view from my apartment window - sometimes Washington reminds me of London Town
Tonight I saw the much-discussed (and much reviled) film Antichrist (starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) by writer and director Lars von Trier at the E-Street theatre in Chinatown. Without trying to give a review of the film, let me do my best to provide an overview of the events that unfolded today between approximately 2:00 and 7:00 PM:
After lunching at Chipotle in Dupont Circle (everyone needs their fix from time to time), touring the National Archives and the National Gallery of Art, my sweetheart and I attended a late-afternoon showing of the movie, which I had heard about both from my film-buff-friends, as well as international media outlets. Apparently, after it was screened at the Cannes film festival, a reporter demanded that von Trier explain himself as to the why a film like Antichrist would even be made. It is offensive to the senses, certainly; and, it is a film that feels as though it is challenging one’s own, personal, internal search for goodness, joy, and virtue.
However, my inherent human tendencies aside, I thought it was an interesting, visceral look into things about the human psyche that are suppressed and ignored… and, yet – obvious.
Towards the end of the film, as my sensibilities were on the verge of being overwhelmed themselves, a girl literally three seats to my left let out what sounded like a ‘pig snort’ – when someone imitates a pig sound – and then proceeded to convulse in her theatre seat. My companion ran to get help immediately, while I was still unsure as to what was actually going on. I moved so that I was kneeling in front of the girl and asked her, “Did you faint? Can you hear me?”. She stopped wretching and I waited until her eyes focused on me, as they were wandering and unseeing when I first came to her. I asked her if she felt ok, and she said yes. I asked if she wanted to go to the hospital, and she said no. We started talking about the still-concluding film that had been 3 minutes from its end… but how she (we discovered later her name was ‘Kristy’(sp?) just couldn’t quite handle the strangling that followed the self-induced mutilation of a woman’s genitalia. Fair enough. Others around us excused the rudeness of talking on account of her having just regained consciousness.
I don’t belittle Kristy(sp?) for not being able to bear the imagery and subject matter of Antichrist as it was all quite weakening in its intensity… at least for those who are not completely desensitized to torturous imagery. I see it as almost a relief that someone in the theatre this afternoon found it too much to bear. It shows that not all members of American society are numb to the idea of evil.
This is all a compliment to Mr. von Trier, who is very clearly affected in an extreme way by his own, extreme emotional conditions. The director himself has said that he made the movie to help him overcome a severe period of depression.
In any event, we walked ‘Kristy’ out of the theatre and to the ladies’ room, where she splashed some cold water on her face.
So, well done Lars – because, if nothing else, that was a memorable cinematic experience for everyone there.
"Antichrist" movie poster image
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