transfusion
transgression
transmission

Two Visions of America

1. Here's my friend, Dr. Ellen Stroud, standing next to America in the MoMa bookstore.



2. Annnnd here's a random person doing some lines of cocaine on top of America.



This book is getting around.


PS.

At the Strand Bookstore by Albert Yee

The Bullshit Job Title Generator

Sadly, I already have the title of "Executive Director" but I might start using "International Paradigm Supervisor" or "Dynamic Markets Planner."

Dr. George Tiller Murdered

A statement from the Kansas chapter of the National Organization for Women-

"The Kansas National Organization for Women is deeply saddened at the cowardly act of violence committed against Dr. George Tiller, a champion for women's reproductive freedom—an act that ultimately took his life. Dr. Tiller, although previously surviving many acts of terrorism and violence directed at him and his clinic, did not allow it to stop him from standing up for the rights of all women. Kansas NOW grieves not only the loss of Dr. Tiller, but also the loss that all women needing access to safe abortion have suffered due to this act of violence."

Women, seriously, stop shaving all your pubic hair off. It's revolting. Pubic hair indicates that you are an adult. No pubic hair indicates that you are a child. That's all.

I'm working on these, but I don't think I'll be able to make a great one.

George Brett Dumping in his Pants

This is possibly one of the funniest things I've ever seen. It's just a story George Brett tells about crapping in his pants.

Lost email

Hey friends, I lost all of the emails from today so if you sent me one, please resend. Thanks!

Abolish Marriage!

I say civil unions for all, state marriages for none.

I am almost 100% certain that the way I the produce photographs will be totally over at the end of I-95, and all the details of the project will be done too... the way this blog works and the openness of the my editing process, all of it will be either completely done or used as a model for new work.

Congratulations to Kavya Shivashankar, 1st place in the National Spelling Bee

Champions and Their Winning Words

Best Post Office in Philadelphia? 4th and Bainbridge.

The 4th St. post office has at least 2 of Philadelphia's greatest postal workers. One of those great workers is Karen. Karen was blasting War Pigs by Black Sabbath when I stopped in the post office today.

Karen's area is adorned with many enjoyable things, my favorite being the "artist formerly known as Prince" tissue box.





Karen rocks an "artist formerly known as Prince" necklace



And an "artist formerly known as Prince" tattoo and an "artist formerly known as Prince" ring



Karen



4th St post office? Yes.

Amazingly Great South Philly Style

Wanda Sykes

"Dick Cheney. He's a scary man. He scares me to death. I tell my children that if there are two cars driving down our street, one has a stranger in it and one has Dick Cheney... get in the car with the stranger in it!"

Camp Straussundbloom Postcard Project

Dear Friends,

Camp Straussundbloom is gearing up for an amazing summer. Camp Straussundbloom has 3 amazing campers this year: Maggie, Katie and Kellie. I am excited to invite folks to participate in one of Camp Straussundbloom's big summer projects... The Postcard Project. Anyone and everyone can participate.

----


Here's how it works...

1. You send a postcard to-

Maggie, Katie and Kellie
838 Cantrell St.
Philadelphia, PA
19148

Please write something about where you live. Even if you live on the 900 block of Cantrell St.
And include your return address.

2. You will then get 3 homemade postcards back! One each from Maggie, Katie and Kellie. It's a wild card for what you'll get back, but rest assured that it will be something amazing because Maggie, Katie and Kellie are amazing.

3. That is all.

-----

Please be sure to include age appropriate info, Maggie is 12 and Katie and Kellie are 10. Seriously, you will get something incredible back.

William H. Johnson Foundation for the Arts

Applications for the 2009 William H. Johnson Prize are now available online at http://www.whjohnsongrant.org


The William H. Johnson Foundation for the Arts is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that seeks to encourage African American artists early in their careers through its annual award, The William H. Johnson Prize. Early career African American artists who work in painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking, installation and/or new genre are eligible to apply.

Recommended: Skin and Bones at the Independence Seaport Museum

Skin & Bones
Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor
April 24, 2009 – January 3, 2010

Here's To My Grandfather, Joe Baker!

Miss you and love you.

ALEX MECHANICK ONCE AGAIN MAKING A HUGE SUMMERTIME MISTAKE

Alex Mechanick has chosen to not attend Camp Straussundbloom here in South Philadelphia. Instead he's going to The Ivy Scholars program at Yale. What? Who would pick that?


From the Ivy Scholars description...

"The Program is designed for exceptional high school student leaders, regardless of previous training in public speaking or debate, who aim to become senior leaders in their home countries whether they be future presidents, prime ministers, CEOs, corporate directors, public service or civic leaders. The goal of the Program is to study and apply the lessons of the world's greatest strategists and leaders spanning over 2,500 years to contemporary and future issues of the 21st century."

Sponsored by International Security Studies and The Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy Yale University"



From the Camp Straussundbloom description...

"Pizza on Friday after you cut a lot of color copies! That is, if I remember I said I was going to get pizza."


-----


- Yale University: 3 Generations of Bushes and Skull and Bones





- Camp Straussundbloom: Discussion about Lord of the Rings and water ice.



Hello? The choice is obvious.
Alex, I don't know what good is going to come out of this so called "grand strategy" planning!

3 Notable Emails from This Week

Email #1-

"dear Zoe

I am curating a photo festival in Brighton in the UK...

As part of this Festival one of the partners called
Lightouse are going to produce an
exhibition about the gay community in Brighton. This is one of the
most colourful and biggest gay communities
in the UK. We are looking for a photographer who we know can engage
well with people and this is why
I am interested in asking you to contribute to this...


Many thanks,
Martin Parr"


----


Email #2-


"I just looked at your blog and I have to conclude that you are a half breed nigger or nigger loving faggot who knows nothing and likes to flaunt it. You do a lot of complaining about America but won't get off your fat, lazy, half breed nigger faggot ass to do something about it. You know how to complain like your whore Mother and pimp Father taught you to do and you like to assign blame to people you don't like politically because you don't know any better and you don't like Freedom but beat off to the Dictatorship beat.

I know you want to blow Obama and finger fuck his Whore, but there are Patriots, like me, who will fight you and the NIGGER SHIT that you love so well.

Don't bother to respond. I don't want to hear NIGGER SHIT, so you will be blocked.

Fuck You,

A.J.K."


------


Email #3-


"Zoe: Don't know how I got on your e-mail list, but this is the second unwanted message I received about kittens, etc. I do not want to be on any blog or anything else. Take me off! Linda"


-----


Here's assorted text taken from spam I received this week.

Everything's canceled today
We gather votes
Saw that virus news?
Were you late?
Infection attacks! Fight back!
Wish you could be better?
We Are All Witnesses
Want to be #1?
Yo.
Uneven friends.
Got my file?
Have you been hit by the failing economy?
Another giant bankrupted
I got a question
Office is on quarantine
I 'm going to report about it
Give me advice

----

I'm going to quote an excerpt from an often underrated lyrical poem...

"You take the good, you take the bad,
you take them both and there you have
The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life."

Check Out This Article about Shawn McBride

Written by Karen Heller, who I love, about Shawn McBride, who I also love.




Shawn McBride in a pensive moment.
Photo by Laurence Kesterson

The PDN White Album- Reciprocity Failure on Race

In the PDN May 2009 Photo Annual, the 24 jurors were all white. What?

Rae and his mother Alma have made a number of photos where they've discerned divine shapes and figures in the photos.

------














Spiritual Warfare Photos
All photos above by Rae or Alma.

Why is anyone giving a platform to Dick Cheney? Who gives a shit what he has to say?

My lady use to work with someone who referred to her cats as "the boys."

Kitten Mania on Cantrell St.

Today at the studio I was taking out the trash and found 3 kittens in the back yard. 3 ridiculously cute kittens. Insanely adorable kittens.

I am super allergic to cats so I asked one of the guys at the corner to come and help me get the kittens and by the time we got them in Phil's pet carrier there was a guy outside asking for a cat. Here he is, in Eagles green, claiming the first kitten.



I was going to bring them home and keep them outback until I found a good home for them, but their cuteness level didn't even let me make it past the corner, they all stayed on the block.





----


The mother, Scrappy.

That's all.

Above is photography aficionado and neighbor, the great Antoinette Conti. South Philadelphia... proud supporters of the arts!

If This Isn't a Sign I've Made It...

Scroll down to story #2. Many thanks to the friends at the Turkey who wrote this article. 100% awesome. I totally cracked up.

However, in real life, I'd love to look at random person's holiday photos for hours.

Philadelphia accents are spectacular and beautiful. Try saying...

"Hi, I'm the boss's daughter's water faucet"
"coconut doughnut"
"Franklin Institute supporters are constituted of spacesuit wearers"

Lesbian and Gay Health Care Nightmare

Italian Market Festival = Good Times

MARCUS HOOK FIRE... MORE LATER

Sunoco Fined for Air Pollution at Marcus Hook Refinery-May 15, 2009

Sunoco reports gasoline spill near Marcus Hook- May 11, 2009

Marcel Duchamp and George Washington

via Tyler Green

Dear Friends,

If you ordered a I-95.09 Dated Edition Photo, it will be shipped out in this next week.

Thanks!

Here's something I love... abortion! Safe, legal and free abortion on demand!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Derrick Pitts
colbertnation.com

Derrick Pitts on The Colbert Report-
Stephen handles Derrick Pitt's replica of Galileo's telescope with special magic gloves. (06:03)

Thanks to Erin for letting me know about this!

Today: Open Book at the Print Center

Open Book

This event will bring together over two dozen artists presenting new publications. It will be a wonderful opportunity to collect books, meet the artists and have them personally inscribe their books. Participating artists and organizations include:


Andrea Baldeck
Katie Baldwin
Susan Bank
Ditta Baron Hoeber
Paul Cava
Common Press
Crown Point Press
Kip Deeds
Mandy Dunn
Angela Earley
Linn Edwards
Gallery 339
David Graham
Henry Horenstein
Bill McRight
Megawords
Douglas Mellor
Andrea Modica
Nick Paparone
Gregory Pizzoli
Mark Price
Stuart Rome
Laurence Salzmann
Space 1026
Emily Steinberg
Zoe Strauss
Andrew Jeffrey Wright



The Print Center
1614 Latimer Street
2-5:30pm
Free!

Rah-Rah Alaska

Sending out love to the upper 49th.