Debbie and Antonio

Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz: "What are you here for?"

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: "I'm getting fitted for a hearing aid"

September 6

Today is my birthday, and as a proud former Naval officer, I am pleased by some key naval historical references to this day in history.

- In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from La Gomera in the Canary Islands (where my maternal grandmother came from), his final port of call in the Old World before crossing the Atlantic for the first time and reaching the New World... of course, now we know that the Vikings and Basque fishermen had made the crossing hundreds of times prior to his voyage, but his is the one that counted!

- In 1522, La Victoria, the only surviving ship of Fernando Magellan's courageous expedition, returns to the sherry-growing town of San Lúcar de Barrameda in Andalucia, Spain, thus becoming the first seagoing vessel to circumnavigate the world.

- In 1620, the Pilgrims sail from Plymouth, England, on the Mayflower to settle in Massachusetts.

Potomackers: Wanna go to an opening tomorrow?

Seen on Univision...

I was commenting to a friend that it is clear to the most casual observer that Spanish language TV stations, and more specifically (here in the US) Univision, have a very clear and machista attitude on how they cast and present their weather forecasters (most of which are young women), such as Univision's muy bonita Jackie Guerrido, as this image search of Univision's famous weather lady yields.

Then out of the blue I received a mass email which was titled "Why God Sends Rain to Latin America and not to the Middle East‏" - The email consists of a collage of images of female weather presenters from various TV stations across Latin America and closes with three images of weather newscasters in Middle Eastern countries.

I'll let you be the judge, but this re-affirms what I have been droning about for quite a while here, and that is how I've noticed how Spanish language media in the US (and I guess Latin America) gets away with stuff like this obvious objectification of female news staff that would get your local TV station picketed left and right.

And, ahem... the mass email ends with "Any Questions?"

Watching Bill on TV

I've noticed that Bill Clinton's right hand is shaking a little... I hope that he's just nervous and not something bad...

RSVP Opens Friday!

Although over the years I’ve had the honor and pleasure of judging, organizing, curating, etc. my fellow artists many, many times (by my last count almost 300 times now!), one fact is always a constant and solid, never-changing, ever-present, add some more of your own metaphors for “you can count on this” fact: It is never easy!

OK, two facts: the second constant is that I am always refreshed and surprised by the spectacular diversity and pluralism of visual ideas that artists can deliver. This is the main reason that I really, really like putting together, organizing and jurying art shows.

And even after all these years and all these shows, I was still astounded by the quality and wide ranging sources used by the artists who gave me the honor to review their work for RSVP, a show that I had the honor to jury for the New Wilmington Art Association in Delaware.

And I can honestly say that this was not only one of the most difficult (and most fun) shows to whittle down to a select few, but also one which truly puts together a remarkable sampling of the revolving capacity of the artistic mind to educate, entertain, baffle, lead, record, interpret, upset, delight and make us proud to be part of the visual arts component of the human race.

RSVP surprised me by how far artists went to explore contemporary issues – in some cases by delighting the viewer with a new take on a 70-year-old British slogan; or by a performance that humanizes one of the simplest and most popular of childhood toys; or a painting that manages to inject us with the same lust that it so adeptly visualizes.

If you can, go and see this show; you will walk away (as with any group show) with a variety of reactions all fighting to control your reaction to it. But you will walk away also with multiple reactions, and you will walk away with the refreshing and never-ending breath of fresh air that good art injects into our daily lives.

Come see this show and join me in applauding the always-evolving skill and intelligence of contemporary artists who wield brushes, pencils, charcoal sticks, palette knives, computers, metal, stone, found objects and their own bodies to punch the solar plexus of our minds with ideas and reactions.

The opening reception is this Friday, and it includes a performance at 7:30pm titled “Dress Me” by Kara Dunne. 
“As a living paper doll, the audience may dress me however they choose with a wide selection of paper garments adjusted to my size.  Included in the wardrobe are vests, skirts, dresses, lederhosen, bellboy jacket, a tuxedo, hot pants and lingerie.”

A second opening (sans performance) will take place October 5th.

Participating Artists
Terry Anderson
Paul Andreas
Leslie Boyd
Nancy Breslin
Breck Omar Brunson
Tibi Chelcea
Hunter Clarke
Suzanne Comer
Kathryn Cook
Christina Day
Elyssa Duckett
Kara Dunne
Alicia Eggert
Francine Fox
Patricia Goslee
Kevin Gross
Atom Gunn
Stacey Gruver
Jeannette Herrera
Daniel Johnson
Kim Knauer
Patrick Koziol
Larry Lairson
April Loveday
Meagan Mika
Bert Pasquale
John Reef
Dan Rios
Chuck Schultz
Alexandra Silverthorne
Fierce Sonia

Page 4 of the Daniel Smith 11th Annual Customer Contest... is it me or is this agreement asking a wee bit too much?

Each entrant irrevocably grants Sponsor and its affiliates, legal representatives, assigns, agents and licensees, the unconditional and perpetual right and permission to reproduce, encode, store, copy, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, display, publicly perform, adapt, exhibit and/or otherwise use or reuse (without limitation as to when or to the number of times used), each element of the entrant's Entry, and to use of the entrant's name, likeness, photograph (collectively, "Likeness"), and/or statements regarding his/her participation in this Contest (with or without using the entrant's name) in any and all media without limitation as to time or territory, and without additional compensation or approval from the entrant/Finalist or any other party. Entrant waives intellectual property rights, privacy/publicity rights or other legal or moral rights that might preclude the Sponsor's use of any element of the Entry, and agrees not to sue or assert any claim against the Sponsor for the use of any element of the Entry or entrant's Likeness or statements. Entrant further grants all end users of Sponsor’s Web Site (a) the ability to rate, vote, review, comment on and tag the Entry; (b) the ability to send and distribute the Entry via e‐mail, instant messenger, and via social media or other electronic means.