harmonic convergence

Dame Street / Dublin, Ireland
This is the "Crann an Óir", otherwise known as the Tree of Gold, a well known sculpture by Eamonn O'Doherty located on the plaza in front of the Central Bank of Ireland. I was not attracted to it so much for its own appearance (the globe form actually sits of top of a rather narrow greenish pole and looks like an over sized lollipop) but more for how the geometric form, color, and texture of the sculpture converged with the clean angular lines of the Central Bank in the background.

worker bee

Morningside Park / New York, New York
My life of late - the role of a good little worker bee. Going on the 3rd weekend is a row that I've been in the office working away. After spending all day yesterday in Dublin at a public meeting, I arrived back into Birmingham late last night. To bed and up and at 'em early this morning for another day in the office. Fortunately for me it's winter - as the life span of a worker bee in the winter months is 4-6 months as opposed to the warmer months where it is 28-35 days.

hallelujah

St. Stephens Green / Dublin, Ireland
Man's best friend - the dog - serves many purposes. In this case (no pun intended), it is keeping the cash warm, secure and from being blown away by the occasional gust of wind. The (I'm sure intentional) cuteness factor of the entire scene also was helping earnings. It was working - hey, I threw in 2 euros and gave the pup a scratch. The extra euro was because the guy actually had a good voice - and was singing Hallelujah - a song which has special meaning to me and made me miss someone special.

barra an teampaill

Temple Bar / Dublin, Ireland
From a tourist perspective (and I'm sure my Irish friends will cringe), what could possibly be more Irish than The Temple Bar in Temple Bar. Temple Bar is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in Dublin city centre. Unlike many of the areas surrounding it, Temple Bar has preserved its medieval street pattern, with many narrow cobbled streets. It is promoted as "Dublin's cultural quarter" and is filled with boutiques, restaurants and a lively pub nightlife that is particularly popular with tourists. In 2005, visiting American rocker Aimee Mann when visiting Temple Bar described her shock at encountering "overflowing pubs, drunks, urine stains and pools of vomit". Enough said.. cheers!

smooth landing

Sonora Desert / Tucson, Arizona
Heading back to Dublin this afternoon for a couple days of work. Hoping for an equally smooth landing into Dublin City airport.

no cheeseburger in paradise

Outside the New York Bar / Bequia, The Grenadines
Not sure what prompted the altercation but we were sitting on the patio of the New York Bar drinking far too much Sunset VSR when suddenly this woman (who obviously carries the clout - and the shout) took a swing at her man.. in the middle of the road. Traffic came to a halt; both motorized and man-powered, to witness the bout. The VSR won as I don't recall how it ended.

tranquility

Somewhere in the Lesser Antilles / Caribbean Sea
After a very long and at times frantic weekend of work, yesterday I slept til noon, did some shopping and generally just relaxed. It was nice. Today it's back to the grind.

back.. and bigger than ever

Broadway / New York, New York
Pink plastic flamingos, one of the most famous of lawn ornaments, have apparently reached the heights of New York fashion with a prominent position in this Forever 21 window front. Because you want to know - the pink flamingo was designed in 1957 by Don Featherstone while working for Union Products in Leominster, MA and won him the Ig Nobel Prize for Art in 1996. Sadly, Union Products stopped production of pink flamingos in November 2006. However, a company in upstate NY purchased the copyright and plastic molds of Featherstone's original plastic flamingos in 2007, and has begun production of them - apparently larger than life.

sunday finery

Old Town / Bucharest, Romania
Who says Romania is not a happening place? This colorful couple were out early in their Sunday best bringing a unique vibrancy to Old Town Bucharest. Either that or they were walking home after a very late Saturday night spent in the edgy clubs which populate the Old Town area - a more likely scenario. Either way, I like it.

fast forward

Tobago Cays / Southern Grenadines
This is about as far from my reality this weekend as I can get. Working long hours and looking out the windows at a typical grey, rainy and cold English winter day. However.. three weeks from today we will depart for a week in the Netherlands Antilles. Fast forward, please.

perforated sunshine

Wharf Street Docks / Port Douglas (Queensland), Australia
Used to help protect from the intense sun, these perforated metal awning covers were much appreciated as we waited on the docks to depart for a day of diving at the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 1,600 miles over an area of 133,000 square miles and can be seen from outer space. Port Douglas, located on the coast of tropical Queensland, is one of the most popular departure points for exploring the reefs.

fairieland fantasy

Pollywogg Hollër / Belmont, New York
I've posted about Pollywogg Hollër in southwestern New York State several times; a tye-dyed throwback to the 60's with music, art, home-made berry wine and good times scattered through the woods of this privately-owned hang out venue. This fairie, one of many small bisque statuettes that have taken up residence in the surrounding forest, appears to have had a particularly rough night - as if she'd just woken up after one too many drinks and and a good roll in the sack. A good fairie fantasy.

on the move

On The B Line / New York, New York
On the move today. I'm headed to Dublin, Ireland for a meeting this afternoon and then back to Brum later this evening. It's a two minute walk from my apartment to New St Station where I'll jump on the train for a quick 10 minute ride right into Birmingham airport. Like going to JFK only six times faster!

city centroid

Council House on Victoria Square / Birmingham, England

The gilded dome of the Birmingham City Council House sits on Victoria Square and is often referred to as the centroid of Birmingham City Centre. It serves as the point from which local road sign distances are measured. The classical style building was completed in 1879 and has since been expanded several times with the first expansion (1883) designed to include the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery which has the largest collection of works by Edward Jones-Burne in the world. Jones-Burne, a Brum native, was a close associate of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood movement; a group of artists whose intention was to reform art away from the more classical poses and compositions of Raphael and others of his time. And for a bit of personal trivia - according to the small plaque outside my front door, my current apartment here is within the structure designated as the birthplace and childhood home of Edward Jones-Burne.

rainy day blues

British Telecom Tower / Birmingham, England
Just before the holidays, BT announced that it was cutting over 10,000 jobs from its workforce showering rainy day blues onto a number of employees . British telecom is the the privatised UK state telecommunications company and is the dominant provider of landline and broadband services in the UK. BT also operates in over 170 other countries around the globe. The tower was built in 1965 and houses 26 stories of offices and 5 levels of circular galleries at the top. Being among one of the tallest structures in Birmingham, it serves as a local landmark of the skyline.

black hackneys and double deckers

Temple Row / Birmingham, England
I've a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore. I found myself surrounded by black hackney cabs and red double decker buses - both symbolic to London and other large English cities including Birmingham - when I stepped out to take a brief walk to the grocery store. Oh, and it was snowing.. brrr.

double dose of sunshine

Biosphere 2 / Oracle, Arizona
Today's brilliant weather in Manhattan is similar in sunshine quotient to the day when I took this shot while walking around Biosphere 2, a 3 acre structure originally built as the largest artificial closed ecological system and now operated by the University of Arizona. Though the temperature at Biosphere was about 60 degrees warmer - oh well. Off to Birmingham, UK this afternoon for the month - I'd like to bottle up some of this sunshine to take with me.

expanding waistlines

Kenmare Street (Nolita) / New York, New York
New Years resolution #1 - no more eating. With a houseful for the past week-plus, it has been non-stop eating testing out lots of new recipes. Everyone is happier for it - though several pounds heavier. Speaking of which, this photo was shot during a late night run to Little Italy to satisfy one of the kid's cannoli craving. And of course we had to determine which was better - "the best cannoli on planet earth" vs. "#1 cannoli king" - the cannoli king was a clear winner. Whew - it will be awhile before I hit the Corner Deli which I hear has awesome chicken tacos and hibiscus lemonade on the fly. Mmmmmm.

my morning jacket

From the Skybox @ Madison Square Garden / New York, New York
Midnight mayhem at Madison Square Garden where My Morning Jacket put on an amazing 4 hour show - southern rock is alive and well - an excellent evening of music and fun with family and friends. Happy New Year!!

10 .. 9 .. 8 ...

Titan Missile Museum / Sahuarita, Arizona
Titan missile complex 571-1, located approximately 20 miles south of Tucson, remains as the last of its kind. In 1987, all Titan missile complexes in the US were taken off alert and all but 571-1 were destroyed. The complex currently houses an unarmed Titan II missile in its silo. The Titan II was the largest land based nuclear missile ever used by the United States with one W53 warhead and a yield of 9 megatons. The facility's highest state of alert was on November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was shot. When news of the assassination broke, the keys used to launch the missile where ordered to be placed on the table at the launch console to prepare for a possible firing. The Pentagon apparently was pointing its finger (and the Titan missile) at the Soviet Union as it considered whether the assassination was an act of war. However, the keys were never actually placed in the switches. Advancing 25 years as we countdown to 2009 - when the button is pushed in Times Square this evening to drop the Big Apple, wishing a Happy New Year to all.

anybody here?

23rd Street - Broadway Subway Platform / New York, New York
The week between Christmas and New Years is nice in that it's typically a quiet week with the hustle & bustle of the shopping season winding down and most people taking off from work as it is generally less than productive at the office. And that makes it nice for getting a seat on the subway - unless, of course, you are traveling anywhere near Times Square which is in full throttle for tomorrow's New Years Eve.

caliente cab

Seventh Avenue (West Village) / New York, New York
Caliente Cab Co. is a tourist-oriented restaurant serving up franchise quality tex-mex fare in the West Village and has been doing so since the mid-80's. While the 1950 Studebaker is definitely caliente, the food is eh.. stick to the freshly made guacamole, chips and magaritas. And it's a great place for people watching from the outdoor patio in the more temperate months - though yesterday hit 65 degrees. Not a bad way to wind down 2008.

yoga - not for christians!

Watchtower Society / Brooklyn, New York
From lower Manhattan, one can gaze across the the East River to Brooklyn Heights where the Watchtower Society owns significant waterfront property. Well, not unsurprisingly, those friendly Jehovah's Witness folks that you turn off the lights and hide in the bathroom for when you see them walking up your steps are not big fans of yoga. Is yoga suitable for Christians? Well, the Watchtower advises that for those simply exercising for the sake of their health, there are many avenues available that do not involve exposure to the evils of spiritism and occultism. Beware, you mat rats!

winding down

Central Park West / New York, New York
This beautiful example of ornamental iron work found on a residential building facing the west side of Central Park is representative (hopefully) of these final days of the year before I head back to the UK next weekend (though big New Years plans - but more on that later). We just finished celebrating our third Christmas between families with a big dinner last night in Tribeca at Churrascaria Riodizio followed by the opening of presents which went into the wee hours of the morning. Most company has now departed - though a couple of kids are still here with us. Looking forward to a quiet afternoon - and no eating!

box til you drop

Temple Street / Birmingham, England
Boxing Day in England (as well in other member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations - a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states most of which are former British colonies, or dependencies of these colonies) is celebrated today. It is based on the tradition of the wealthy giving gifts to their service staff and other less fortunate members of society. However, no surprise that contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a shoppers holiday filled with the frenzy of after-Christmas sales.

jolly happy souls

Christmas 2008 / New York City
May your holidays be surrounded by jolly happy souls - with warmest of wishes for a sunshine-filled 2009!

in celebration of chimneys

Up on the Rooftop / St. Peter Port, Bailiwick of Guernsey
On this Christmas Eve, I celebrate chimneys everywhere as St Nick prepares to make his mad dash across the globe. Santa history tells me that he first began using the chimney in the Netherlands. According to tradition, Saint Nicholas had a Piet (or helper elf) for every function including acrobatic Pieten for climbing up the roofs to stuff presents through the chimney, or to climb through themselves. Because we all know, Santa could never fit himself!

learn to ollie

Building Stencil Graffiti / Bucharest, Romania
Stencil graffiti, which first began to appear as a graffiti genre in the mid-80's, can be found all over Bucharest these days. And because I know you ladies want to know - some tips on how to become a sk8ter girl:

• Start off with a good skateboard; not one from Wal-Mart.
• Get some skater gear and neat skater shoes.
• Don't focus on your looks or you will be called a poser.
• Talk to the dudes.
  
• Don't hang out with the skaters, wear the clothes and then say you are one - unless you are - because real skater girls can skate.
  
• Get a hair cut.
  
• Wear a street hat.
  
• Don't be full of yourself.
• Learn to Ollie.
  

tears of the cherubs

York Minister Cathedral / York, England
These chubby little fellows (almost always male) are Cherubs - as opposed to their counterparts in love and erotica (think Valentines Day) who are more accurately referred to as Putti. Didn't know there was a difference? Well neither did I. Cherubs are angels, occupying the highest angelic orders in Heaven and are supposedly the closest to God. On the other hand, Putti arise from Greco-Roman classical mythology and are more associated with Eros as well as with the muse, Erato; the muse of lyric and love poetry. So how do you tell the difference? As they are virtually identical in appearance, it's best to rely upon the theme of the painting or sculpture. If religious in nature – they are Cherubs; if mythical – they are Putti. And not Putta .. which has a very different meaning!

turbulent times

Taiaroa Head / Otago Peninsula, New Zealand
Taiaroa Head is a headland at the end of the Otago Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand, overlooking the mouth of the Otago Harbour. Besides its incredible natural beauty, the cape is home to a colony of over 100 Northern Royal Albatrosses - the only such colony in the world on an inhabited mainland. The peninsula is also home to many forms of marine life such as fur seals, sea lions, and the largest colony of little or blue penguins remaining - almost small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. One of the world's rarest penguins and some say the most ancient of all living penguins, the yellow-eyed penguin, also makes its breeding habitat on the peninsula which is the primary reason this area was a "must see" on our itinerary. These 20"-30" tall penguins, some reaching over 20 years in age, did not disappoint us.

mc lovin' it

Old City Wall / Krakow, Poland
Traveling the globe, one constant (for better or worse) is the proverbial "golden arch". McDonaldization is alive and well. While the menu may vary slightly to cater to the local taste, the basics remain intact. It's entertaining to go in and see what is offered and yes, many times after days of traveling in foreign countries nothing tastes like home like a double cheeseburger. I remember in Finland they offered a black bread bun - not so good. And while you may not speak the language, you can always point to a number or picture on the menu board. I'm lovin' it.

pink flamingos are divine

Floreana Island / Galapagos
Unlike Divine, infamous for her/his antics in John Water's cult film "Pink Flamingos", these Galapagos flamingos are graceful, stately, long-legged - and don't weigh 300lbs. They reside in the salt water lagoons of Floreana Island, formed by shallow flooded lava fields. One particular lagoon called Punta Cormorant is particularly good for spotting these lanky birds. They are usually seen perched on a single leg (for reasons unknown) though this one must have been feeling a bit unstable as it has both feet firmly planted in the mud. And flamingos love mud. They're born in mud nests, breed in mud, and feed on mud. Unlike most birds which feed using eyesight, flamingos only use the sense of touch. They feed by stirring the mud around with their feet, then sticking their heads under water, turning their unique beaks upside down and straining out tiny crustaceans, mollusks, and algae. The flamingo's characteristic pink coloring is caused by the beta carotene in their diet. The source of this nutrient varies by geographical location and species diet but shrimp and blue-green algae are the most common sources.

last tango in ..

La Boca / Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tango - probably no more passionate and sensual of a dance exists. And to truly feel its power and beauty, one should experience it impromptu on the streets of Buenos Aires. The tango originated in the lower-class neighborhoods of BA and was derived from the fusion of various forms of dance and music, melding together through the significant European immigration of the late 1800's. It quickly became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it throughout working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of Italians, Spanish and French. And for a modern twist on tango music, I highly recommend listening to GoTan Project, an amazing trio (French/Argentine/Swiss) based in Paris whose music is clearly tango but with electronic elements introduced throughout. The song "Santa Maria (del Buen Ayre)" is captivating - it takes me back to La Boca every time I hear it.

dyed in the wool

Via dei Coronari / Rome, Italy
It was a wonderfully sunny day in Rome and I was wandering the streets just taking in the sights, sounds and smells of this beautiful city. I credit the colors of this recently dyed wool hanging out to dry set against the weathered walls of the street as my inspiration for developing a real passion for photography. Rome is an amazing city to photograph. amoRRoma.

a prehistoric morning

Larnarch Castle / Dunedin, New Zealand
Due to jet lag having just flown from New York City into Dunedin at the southern tip of the South Island, I was wandering the lush grounds of Larnarch Castle where we were staying at 4:30am - just as the sun was beginning to rise. Combined with a soft flash, it cast a beautiful light on these unfamiliar, almost prehistoric looking, flora. The native flora to New Zealand is rich and unique having evolved in isolation for millions of years and because of this, the majority has a very distinctive look about it. Over 80% of New Zealand's native plants and trees are endemic meaning that they grow there and nowhere else in the world. Although few have showy flowers, the variety of foliage color, texture, and shape is unsurpassed.

reflecting on the tate

Bankside / London, England
I love those occasions when you are someplace and something totally unexpected happens that just makes the trip that much better. Something small - something big .. it doesn't really matter; I guess it's the element of surprise. I was wandering around London with the intent of ending up at the Tate Modern, having no idea what was showing. Much to my delight, there was a show of Edward Hopper - one of my favorite American realist painters. Check him out - his works span far deeper than the infamous "Nighthawks".

white shutters

Gun Hill Signal Station / St. George, Barbados
Because we pretty much had the day to kill in Barbados before our flight left in the evening, we hopped on a day tour of the island. This was shot at one of the small out buildings at Gun Hill Signal Station, located in the parish of St. George. It is one of the highest points (and therefore obvious as to why the signal station is located there) and provides a magnificent and captivating view of the entire island. It was recently restored and is now one of the finest of a series of signal stations built in 1818. These stations sighted ships approaching Barbados and signaled to each other in warning of the approaching vessel. Apparently, they were also used to warn of slave rebellions on the island.

I (heart) NY

Pearl Street / New York, New York
Ah, to be back in Manhattan - the city that never sleeps (so ok, I did finally get to bed at 4:30 this morning). After all, who better expressed it than Eva Gabor in the theme song from Green Acres "New York is where I'd rather stay. I get allergic smelling hay. I just adore a penthouse view. Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue."

home for the holidays

New Street / Birmingham, United Kingdom
Leaving Brum in a couple of hours to fly back to Manhattan for the holidays - I can't wait! It will kick-off with a busy weekend of parties with friends and family. Yes .. it will be nice to indeed be home for the holidays.

santa bard

Victoria Square / Birmingham, United Kingdom
The Bard of Avon - preeminent dramatist - as a street performance artist doing Santa. I guess it makes some sense and he did pen at least one Christmas poem that I know of. This type of street art is definitely popular these days - you see it everywhere. A performer dressed as some recognizable character spray painted gray or silver to resemble a statue who stands completely motionless for much longer than I would ever have patience for. And then - once an unsuspecting child gets close enough to satisfy its curiosity, the performer makes a sudden movement - and terrified, the child bursts into tears. Entertaining to the parent I guess, who is standing there hoping to capture it all on film.

architexture

St. George Point / St. Georges, Grenada
While many architects strive to bring a textural experience into architectural design - sometimes it just happens naturally. The passage of time has a beautiful way of slowly peeling off the layers previously applied to expose the rawness of the building's basic elements.

a waxing moon

New Street / Birmingham, United Kingdom
Saturday past was a beautiful crisp winter day and as the sun began to set a near perfect first quarter (or half) moon appeared. In the northern hemisphere, if the left side of the moon is dark then the light part is growing and the moon is referred to as waxing or moving towards a full moon. If the right side of the moon is dark then the light part is shrinking and the moon is referred to as waning or moving towards a new moon. Assuming that one is in the northern hemisphere, the right portion of the moon is the part that is always growing. In the southern hemisphere, it would be the reverse. A bit of moonology for you.

a spectrum of holiday color

German Christmas Market @ Victoria Square / Birmingham, United Kingdom
Many of the open air stalls at the Christmas market this past weekend were selling ornaments in a variety of sizes, shapes and design. Some of the most striking were the cut glass ornaments sparkling from the refraction of surrounding light rays; giving these objects their glimmering effect.

all for fun .. fun for all

German Christmas Market @ Victoria Square / Birmingham, United Kingdom
The history of Christmas markets goes back to the Late Middle Ages in the German speaking part of Europe. In many towns, Advent is ushered in with the opening of the Christmas market or "Weihnachtsmarkt". Generally held on the town square, the market sells food and drink from open-air stalls together with traditional singing and dancing - all for fun. Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market, held in beautiful Victoria Square, is one of the most popular outside of Germany and Austria with over two million visitors during the five week period that it is open. I think 250,000 of those visitors were there yesterday as it was a brilliant, crisp winter day. Popular delights include German mulled wine, grilled sausages and kielbasa, lots of German beer, and for those with a sweet tooth, gingerbread, marzipan sweets and other candies. A range of traditional German breads and pastries are also baked fresh on site each day. Me - I went for the beer and a soft pretzel. With four hours of Christmas shopping I needed fortification!

walking on sunshine

Conservatory Garden @ Central Park / New York, New York
Truly unbelievable - the sun is shining in Brum today!! I mean brilliantly shining. I'm smiling all over. Today will be a day of walking - photo shooting - and Christmas shopping. No rain on my parade.

the working end

Aboard the Royal Clipper / Windward Islands, Caribbean
In sailing, the mechanism used to raise and lower sails is referred to as "block and tackle". The block is one or more mechanical pulleys, usually made of wood or metal, that provides a leveraged advantage to maneuvering the sails; especially helpful on windy days. When rope or line is run through a block or a series of blocks the whole assembly is called a tackle. For those of you who recall high school physics class, it is a compound machine. And - every tackle has a working end which is usually tied off where the final run of rope leaves the last sheave.

fruits of a summer past

Thompson Street / New York, New York
One of the things that defines New York to me are the open-air fruit (and vegetable) stands located along the sidewalks of the city. They can be found in virtually every neighborhood and know no economic boundaries - from corner bodegas to gourmet specialty shops. The produce always seems much more appealing to me when it's offered in natural light, stacked up and ready for picking - conjuring up images of country roadside stands - which I'm sure is the intention.

stare decisis

Corporation Street / Birmingham, United Kingdom
There are a number of architecturally striking structures in the city centre of Birmingham. One of the more interesting is The Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street which is a brick and terracotta building that now houses Birmingham Magistrates' Court. It is faced entirely in deep red brick from the clay of Ruabon in North Wales and covered in intricate terracotta ornamentation. The foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria in March 1887 with the courts' official opening in July 1891. The area around Corporation Street is a major shopping area which includes New Street, High Street and the Bullring. I've been told that there is a great German Christmas Market in Victoria Square at the western terminus of New Street - in fact, it is the largest authentic German Christmas Market outside of Germany and Austria. I know where I'll be doing my last-minute Christmas shopping.

simply the best

Tina Turner Live @ MSG / New York, New York
Last night I was given the opportunity to put a major check on my "bucket list" - Tina Turner live at Madison Square Garden. And yes, she is "simply the best, better than all the rest". At 69 years old, she remains an incredible performer putting on a stellar 3 hour show. The Queen of Rock n' Roll is still kickin' ass.

smokin' gossip

Fire patrol No. 2 @ West 3rd Street / New York, New York
Multi-tasking: the ability of a person to perform more than one task at the same time - we all do it. Smoking a cigarette .. gabbing on the mobile - heck, you know how it goes. But wait, these guys even dress alike.