"YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ARE AS DAZZLING AS YOUR SUBJECTS"

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

OUT WITH THE OLD PRESIDENT, IN WITH THE NEW; OUT WITH THE DAUGHTER OF ONE PRESIDENT, IN WITH THE SON OF ANOTHER: PHILIPPINE POLITICS

PHILIPPINE
PRESIDENTIAL
POLITICS


GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

Going out with her head held high
or her chin up

At today's inauguration in Manila, it was out with the daughter of one president, in with the son of another. It was the death of his mother, Corazon Aquino, last year, that was said to have opened the way for Benigno Aquino III ("Noynoy"), to win the election last month; Gloria Macapagal Arroyo followed in the footsteps of her father, Diosdado Macapagal.

Aquino the son begins well, as Macapagal Arroyo the daughter did. But when she stepped down as president today and took up a seat in the Congress, some thought she hoped to use that position as a shield against possible prosecution for corruption. Among those who have charged Arroyo with corruption (and election-rigging) is the new president, whose economics professor she once was. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

WINDOW DRESSING: STOREFRONT MANNEQUIN: China Then & Now


WINDOW DRESSING 
CHINA THEN & NOW 
One of a Series 


STOREFRONT WINDOW MANNEQUIN 
WITH REFLECTION 
CHINA 1981 


Monday, June 28, 2010

GILDA RADNER, b. June 28, 1946

GILDA RADNER
June 28, 1946-May 20, 1989


GILDA RADNER & PAUL SIMON, 1978

The "sweet and flirty" snapshot,

"A snapshot, just a quick grab shot, backstage at a New Jersey campaign rally for Bill Bradley in 1978, in honor of Gilda Radner, born on June 28, 1946, and lost to cancer twenty years ago.

"One of a pair, this one somehow poignant, the other, sweet and flirty, for another time."


Saturday, June 26, 2010

MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY Turns Forty-Seven, "Sitting"


MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY
b. June 26, 1963
SPENDS ANOTHER BIRTHDAY
"SITTING" IN JAIL


KHODORKOVSKY IN HIS HEYDAY

Friday, June 25, 2010

SIXTY YEARS AFTER THE KOREAN WAR BREAKS OUT, June 25, 1950

SIXTY YEARS AFTER
THE KOREAN WAR
BREAKS OUT
June 25, 1950


DUELING TVs #3
October 9, 2006
North Korea Conducts
First Nuclear Test

Thursday, June 24, 2010

RUDD OUT: THE AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER IS OUSTED

RUDD OUT


KEVIN RUDD 

THE 
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER 
IS 

Julia Gillard is the new P.M. 

The Daily Telegraph explains 
"Why a coup was on the menu for Gillard" 

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

PICTURE FOR A SUMMER'S DAY: SAKHALIN SHASHLIK


PICTURE 
FOR A 
SUMMER'S DAY 


SHASHLIK 
ON THE ISLAND OF SAKHALIN 
BACK IN THE USSR, SUMMER, 1990 


Whenever oil and gas are in the news, 
Sakhalin will be too. 


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

MORE UPDIKE: JOHN UPDIKE ARCHIVES, HARVARD, & THE NEW YORK TIMES

UDPIKE ARCHIVES 
TO HARVARD 

"In Archive, Rabbit Revised" 

New York Times, June 21, 2010 



John Updike to Gwendolyn Stewart, May 25, 1972, on the photographs from the January 11, 1972, session: 

"They're all really great, very alive. It's hard to choose. But I took two, one head, the 'straighter' head [above, and on the front page of the June 21, 2010, New York Times], though the other is well-night [sic] irresistible, and the one of Mary and me where there is a glint of hope that we may reconcile our differences." 


Still more UPDIKE here 

Monday, June 21, 2010

UPDIKE IN THE NEWS: A LOOK BACK AT JOHN & MARY

A LOOK BACK 
AT 
MARY & JOHN 
UPDIKE 


THE UPDIKES AT HOME 

AT 50 LABOR-IN-VAIN ROAD 
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS, 1972 

John Updike to Gwendolyn Stewart, May 25, 1972, on the photographs from the January 11, 1972, session: "They're all really great, very alive. It's hard to choose. But I took two, one head, the 'straighter' head, though the other is well-night [sic] irresistible, and the one of Mary and me where there is a glint of hope that we may reconcile our differences. Thanks so much." 

(John Updike and Mary Pennington married in 1953, separated in 1974, and divorced in 1976; they had four children.


JOHN UPDIKE IN THE NEWS 
with a splash 
in the New York Times today 

Saturday, June 19, 2010

THE ROOT OF ALL...: OBAMA & THE REJECTION OF PUBLIC FINANCING, June 19, 2008

THE ROOT OF ALL... 
BARACK OBAMA & 
THE REJECTION OF
PUBLIC FINANCING
June 19, 2008


BARACK OBAMA

Obama's decision two years ago "to break an earlier pledge to take public money will quite likely transform the landscape of presidential campaigns, injecting hundreds of millions of additional dollars into the race and raising doubts about the future of public financing for national races," wrote Michael Luo and Jeff Zeleny in the New York Times already the day after. "Obama’s Decision Threatens Public Financing System" was the headline of another NYT piece of the day. 


Friday, June 18, 2010

RAY MABUS TO CLEAN UP: TIME & A HALF/PART-TIMER

RAY MABUS TO CLEAN UP: 
TIME & A HALF/PART-TIMER

RAY MABUS AS A YOUNG LAWYER

The once-upon-a-time one-term governor of Mississippi (1988-
1992) and ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1994-1996), currently 
serving as Secretary of the Navy, has been chosen by President 
Barack Obama to head the effort to clean up the Gulf as well.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

NEWT GINGRICH TURNS SIXTY-SEVEN


THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE
SHORT-TERM SPEAKER;
LONG-TERM PHENOMENON?


NEWT GINGRICH
b. June 17, 1943
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
January 4, 1995-January 3, 1999


Norman Ornstein's recent reflections on the former Republican Representative from Georgia: "Newt Gingrich's short tenure as speaker managed to redefine the office's modern role, centralizing and enhancing power in a fashion not seen since Joe Cannon early in the 20th century, while also helping to amplify the harsh partisan and ideological conflict that dominates congressional politics."

More NEWT


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

FIRST RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN AN INDEPENDENT RUSSIA, June 16, 1996


FIRST POST-SOVIET 
RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
June 16, 1996 


BORIS YELTSIN COMES TO VOTE 
Moscow, June 16, 1996 

Wins first round, but not by enough to avoid a second round of voting 

Continued here 

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY ESTABLISHED, June 15, 1864



ARLINGTON 
NATIONAL CEMETERY 
ESTABLISHED, June 15, 1864 


HONOR GUARD & BAND 
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY 

A detailed account, here 

Monday, June 14, 2010

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY REVERIE: FOR FLAG DAY


REVERIE 

FOR FLAG DAY 


LOST IN THOUGHT & CONTEMPLATION 
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETER

It is a sad day, a bad day, when the work of good people is besmirched by bad -- thoughtless? careless? -- ones; more on the recent disturbing findings here and here

Sunday, June 13, 2010

TRINITY CATHEDRAL, PSKOV, RUSSIA: FOR SUNDAY

TRINITY CATHEDRAL
PSKOV, RUSSIA


INTERIOR OF THE
"SOARING" TRINITY CATHEDRAL
PSKOV, RUSSIA, 1993

Saturday, June 12, 2010

GEORGE BUSH & BORIS YELTSIN & RUSSIA DAY

GEORGE BUSH &
BORIS YELTSIN &
RUSSIA DAY


GEORGE BUSH & BORIS YELTSIN
outside the newly elected
First President of Russia's
new Kremlin office,
July 30, 1991

GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, formerly known simply as 
GEORGE BUSH, 41st president of the United States, was born on 
June 12, 1924.

"RUSSIA DAY" was proclaimed in honor of the declaration of Russian 
sovereignty, June 12, 1990, while the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist 
Republic was still part of the USSR.

One year later to the day, June 12, 1991, Russia held its first election 
for president, and Boris Yeltsin won. By the end of the year, the Soviet 
Union was no more.

Subjecting himself to a popular election (unlike Mikhail Gorbachev) won 
Yeltsin a meeting with U.S. President George Bush in the U.S. nine days 
later, and then, on July 30, a courtesy call by President on President 
Yeltsin in his new Kremlin office.

The rest of the story is coming in RUSSIA REDUX.

Friday, June 11, 2010

JOHN EDWARDS & DICK CHENEY & PICTURING POLITICS

JOHN EDWARDS 
DICK CHENEY 

THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE 

Televised from Cleveland, Ohio, October 5, 2004 

A fluke in the camera multiplying the images 
of the vice-president and the would-be vice-president, 
plus a bit of stylization 

WHAT AMERICA PRODUCES 

Thursday, June 10, 2010

JOHN EDWARDS, b. June 10, 1953


JOHN EDWARDS 
b. June 10, 195


"ME & MY SHADOW"

JOHN EDWARDS 
Then Senator 
& Vice-Presidential Nominee 
Takes the Stage at 
The Democratic National Convention 
Boston, Massachusetts, 2004 

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

AL GORE: WHAT THE FUSS IS ABOUT


AL GORE 
WHAT THE 
FUSS 
IS ABOUT 



AL GORE IN A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING 
(Member, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 
January 3, 1977-January 3, 1985; 
U.S. SENATE, January 3, 1985-January 2, 1993) 

The second wave of Gore-splitting news today seems to be "Like father, like daughter" (or is it "Like mother, like daughter"?). And shock, shock, he is still wearing his wedding ring (as seen above, in old photo), and to whom (but themselves) does it really matter? 

And leaving aside, for the moment, the Global Gore, and the Oscar Gore, and the Nobel Gore, how about -- 

THE AL GORE WHO SEEMED TO BE HARDER ON BILL BRADLEY IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IN 2000 THAN ON GEORGE W. BUSH IN BUSH v. GORE IN THE SUPREME COURT?