Night 9,972– February 27, 2010

I smoked a cigar today. I usually don’t smoke but my wife is out of town so I decided to have a smoke and a few drinks at the bar. I like short smokes but as I was looking at the cigar store I noticed a cigar with a green wrapper. My father smoked cigars with green wrappers so I bought it. It was bigger than I usually get but it brought back memories of my dad. I light it up and walk into the bar. After I get a beer the bartender tells me the owner doesn’t want anyone smoking cigars at the bar anymore. There are not many bars that allow smoking in my neighborhood. It‘s some crazy Pennsylvania law, some bars allow smoking but most don’t. Anyway, you can smoke in this bar but apparently you can’t smoke cigars. I finished my beer and smoked the cigar in my car, driving around listening to Jerry Balvat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Blavat Now my car smells like an old cigar.

Today’s photograph was taken in Key West. This guy rolls cigars.

Night 9,973– February 26, 2010

Here is something you don’t see everyday. This tree is/was growing inside the wall of this building. It seams there is a brick wall in front of another brick wall and the tree is/was growing in between the walls. This photograph was taken in North Philly with my holga using Ilford delta 3200 pro film.

Night 9,974– February 25, 2010

I spent part of today looking for a battery for my Canon A1 camera. As it turns out, this was hard to find. I went to the stores where previously I noticed large displays of batteries, Home Depot, CVS, Target and such. It turns out these large displays only have 3 or 4 styles of batteries. Hundreds of batteries, in different brands, packaged in different quantities and they where all the same batteries.

On my fifth store, Radio Shack, I found the battery, a 6V for $4.34. I take it to the register to pay and the clerk asks me for my zip code and address. I give it to him then he asks my last name, then my first name. I’m mindless, so I just give him the information. When he asks for my phone number I question him about all the information he is asking for a $4.00 battery. He says he needs it to validate the receipt. Of course this is bull, but I need this battery. I don’t want to spend any more of my life searching for a battery. I’m not sensitive or secretive about my personal information, I have nothing to hide and I’m not afraid of people knowing what I do, where I go or what I like. Spam and telemarketing don’t really bother me. But the purpose of the accumulation of this information, does this generate money? Why would someone want to track what I do? I would throw off the numbers; I’m not an average consumer. It’s such a waste. It’s as if we do things just for something to do.

Today’s photograph is No Parking. A Diana, toy camera photograph taken in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia

Night 9975 - February 24, 2010

Today’s photograph is Luncheonette. This is Carmine’s Country Kitchen, 1301 S 11th St in Philadelphia, 11th near Wharton. This place is both famous and infamous in Philly. An insider, must go to place in South Philly, but beware, you must have an open mind. The food is mostly good sometimes, but it’s the experience that makes Carmine’s memorable. There’s the dog, there’s the attitude and there’s the obscene and offensive business card. Definitely an acquired Philly attitude place. Check out the 5 star and 1 star reviews at the link below.
http://philadelphia.citysearch.com/review/8990908#profileTab-maps

Night 9976 - February 23, 2010

Today's photograph is Third and South. A diana toy camera photograph on South Street in Philadelphia

Night 9977 - February 22, 2010

todays photograph is 52nd Street Holga 2

Night 9,978– February 21, 2010

Photograph of the day is 52nd Street Holga. Another holga, toy camera photograph taken at 52nd and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia.

Night 9,979– February 20, 2010

Photograph of the day is Lightleak. Another holga, toy camera photograph.

Night 9,980– February 19, 2010

Photograph of the day is Swan. Another holga, toy camera photograph.

Night 9981– February 18, 2010

Photograph of the day is A Different Girl on Steps. Another holga, toy camera photograph.

Night 9982– February 17, 2010

Photograph of the day is Girl on Steps. Another holga, toy camera photograph.

Night 9983– February 16, 2010

Photograph of the day is Philly Yard Sale. This is holga toy camera photograph from World Toy Camera day 2007. I took this on Washington Ave at about 22nd Street in Philadelphia.

Night 9984– February 15, 2010

I have to do something to catch up. Today’s photo is another from the Mummers parade. A Long Walk. This young lady looked as if she wasn’t going to make it. This was taken in 2008.

Night 9985– February 14, 2010

Happy Chinese New Year 2010 - The Year of The Tiger
The first day of the Chinese New year 2010 is Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 - the year of the Tiger, according to the Chinese Zodiac. It is said that the Chinese Zodiac which designates the lunar New Year cycle was introduced by Emperor Huang Ti in 2600 BC. Thus the year 2010 on the western calendar is the Chinese lunar year 4708. By tradition, there is a spring festival that lasts 7 to 15 days to start the New Year. Twelve animal names are used in the Chinese Lunar calendar to represent a 12 year cycle. This year's animal, the Tiger, is the third in the cycle, following the Rat and the Ox.

I think it’s ironic that this year is the year of the Tiger.

Also Happy Valentine’s Day. Today’s photograph is Bouquet.

Night 9986– February 13, 2010

Today’s photograph is Marching Basses. This was taken at the Philadelphia Mummers Parade on New Years Day, 2008. This reminds me of the Woody Allen move Bananas.

http://www.phillymummers.com/

Night 9987– February 12, 2010

Today’s photograph is Mummer and Judge. This was taken at this year’s Philadelphia Mummers Parade on New Years Day.

http://www.phillymummers.com/

Night 9988 – February 11, 2010

Photograph of the day is Scales. This was taken at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia a few winters ago.

http://www.9thstreetitalianmarket.com/

Night 9989 – February 10, 2010

Photograph of the day is Crabs. This was taken at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia a few winters ago.

http://www.9thstreetitalianmarket.com/

Night 9,990 – February 9, 2010

Today is my youngest daughter’s birthday. My wife and I took her to a Spanish tapas restaurant for dinner. It was a nice night.

More snow tonight and tomorrow. I’ll work at home all day tomorrow, I hope I can get something productive done.

Today’s photograph is Cooks. I took this at the Golden Gate Casino’s diner in Las Vegas.

Night 9,991 – February 8, 2010

I’m still a day behind. Yesterday I took public transportation into the city because of the parking situation due to the snow. I really enjoy the trolley and the train. On the train ride home a disheveled man with long white hair and beard sat in the seat adjoined to mine. This was a little unsettling because there were other seats available. The man asked me if the train was going to 69th street. I told him it was and he informed me that he mistakenly boarded the wrong train previously and ended up in North Philly. He seemed a little disoriented and agitated. The man said he lived at a shelter on 69th and Woodland Ave. I asked him how he was going to get there from 69th Street in Upper Darby and he said he would walk. It’s a long walk. He kept on talking while I thought to myself that it was fortunate I didn’t have my car. The man wondered where he could get coffee when we arrived and I told him there were coffee shops in the terminal. He didn’t ask me to buy him a coffee and he never asked for help getting to the shelter. When we got off the train I gave him two dollars and headed toward my trolley. He looked surprised and said thanks.

Today’s photograph is Use Your Soul for Something.

Night 9,992 – February 7, 2010

I’m a day behind again. Boy was I wrong about the Saints in the Super Bowl. I think it was the short passing game and the ball control in the second quarter that made the difference. By keeping the Colts off the field for just about the whole second quarter, the Saint changed the momentum of the game. The onside kick and Manning’s late interception were the “highlight plays”, but it was the ball control after the first quarter that won the game for the Saints. The Colts had no answer for the Saints short passing game.

Today’s photograph is Sproul and Edgmont. This is one of my first Holga photographs and was taken in Chester, Pennsylvania. When I was young, I would take the bus to downtown Chester. A busy shopping district with a real sporting goods store, L and M Sporting Goods. But no more, the city is depressed and in ruin. Another old, small working class city that couldn't adapt with the changing times.

Night 9,993 – February 6, 2010

We got a little snow. The second snowstorm of over twenty inches, unusual for Philadelphia.

As I mentioned before, my photograph, Urban Stillife, was juried into the Tyme Gallery Photography Expo X Exhibition in Havertown, PA. See night 10,000 and night 9,997. The opening reception is Friday February 12 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. If anyone comes to the reception and tells me they read this blog, I’ll give them a free print of their choice. The link to the Tyme Gallery website is below.
http://www.tymegallery.com/index.html

My prediction for tomorrow’s Super Bowl is the Colts. I don’t see the Saint’s defense stopping Payton Manning.

Today’s photograph, Do Not Block Door, was taken at the same location as Urban Stillife.

Night 9,994 – February 5, 2010

The drive home from the city was slow today. Fridays are usually busy buy today was worse. Maybe because of the impending snowstorm or maybe it was the leftover Wing Bowl rabble. I jumped off I95 and took a back route down Chester Pike. While stopped at a traffic light I noticed a man on all fours at a bus stop shelter. A younger guy in his late twenties or early thirties. He was crawling on the ground trying unsuccessfully to stand up. He was spectacularly intoxicated and his face was strained with an expression of oblivious concentration. Mouth open, such a bad look. He made it to the side of the shelter and pulled himself up on his feet. Once he was standing he wobbled and his knees buckled but he seemed satisfied being successfully erect. As the light turned green and I pulled away, I noticed an open case of Bud Light bottles by the opposite side of the bus stop shelter. The man was shuffling toward the beer bent at the waist, reaching.

When I see things like this, I wonder why I still drink.

Today’s photo is one of my first Holga photographs of the Philadelphia Mummers Parade. It was morning, about 9:00AM and very cold, low thirties. This guy was barely dressed, drinking, drunk and dragging his son with him, initiating the young man to the true Mummers experience.

Night 9,995 – February 4, 2010

Today was my father’s birthday. He died in 1984.

Tomorrow is Wing Bowl Day in Philadelphia. An embarrassing display of drunkenness and boorish behavior by middle aged men who should know better. The event glorifies gluttony with a bunch of overweight men eating as many chicken wings as they can in a short amount of time. The Wing Bowl draws about 20,000 spectators, most of who spend their time leering at scantily clad girls young enough to be their daughters. The doors open at 6:00 am and the Wing Bowl is used by most as an excuse for skipping work and early daytime drinking. After the event most spectators continue drinking and go to strip clubs. A final note to illustrate the class of this event, the guest celebrity personality is Snooki form the reality show Jersey Shore. These two links have information on Wing Bowl.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Bowl

http://www.610wip.com/Wingbowl-18-Headquarters/5791083

Today’s photo is Steel Pier, in honor of Snooki.

Night 9,996 – February 3, 2010

I know I’m a day late and more than a dollar short. I’m still obsessing on the new Philadelphia law requiring chain restaurants to list caloric content information on their menus. See: Night 9,998 – February 1, 2010. This could be the end of my sandwich life as I know it. I love good sandwiches. Of course this does not affect my favorite sandwich shops. My current favorite is Paesano's Philly Style. The best pork sandwich in Philly.
http://modomiorestaurant.com/paesanos_philly_style

The link below has nutrition information for some chain restaurants. I’m interested in salt as much as calories. Tomorrow, I will try to check out a Primos Hoagies in the city to see if the menus have calorie information,
http://www.citihealth.com/provider_article.php?hc=0&art=1153&pr=0

Today’s photo is Pats Steaks in South Philly. Pat's King of Steaks was founded by Pat Olivieri in 1930. Pat had a modest hotdog stand at the base of the famous Italian Market in South Philadelphia. One day he decided to have something quite different for lunch, so he sent for some chopped meat from the butcher shop. He cooked the meat on his hot dog grill, placed the meat onto an Italian roll, and dressed it with some onions. Just as he went to take a bite, a cab driver who ate a hot dog everyday asked what he had there. Pat said that it was his lunch. The cabbie insisted that Pat make him one. The cabbie took one bite and said to Pat, "Hey.....forget 'bout those hot dogs, you should sell these." The steak sandwich was born. As the years passed, both employees and customers alike demanded change....cheese was added.
http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/

Night 9,997 – February 2, 2010

Happy Groundhog Day. Urban Stillife was accepted in the Tyme Gallery Photography Expo X Juried Exhibition. It was a full and busy day with work and school. I hope to have something real to write tomorrow. Today’s Photo is Italian Market in Winter.

Night 9,998 – February 1, 2010

Philadelphia now requires chain restaurants to list the calorie content of food items on their menus. Philadelphia's ordinance covers chains with at least 15 other locations nationwide, or about 720 of the city's 5,800 restaurants. This is a good thing and I believe it should be a federal law. See the following link for the news article.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20100131_Phila__s_new_law_is_going_into_effect_.html

This won’t affect most of the sandwich shops I go to, but it will affect Primo Hoagies. I’m going to check out the Italian Diablo and see how many calories I’m putting in my stomach.

Photo of the day is Geno’s. A toy camera photo of the famous South Philly cheesesteak shop. The new law won’t affect this place.