Mayor Slay and Chief Isom

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Local dignitaries attended the municipal Christmas tree lighting on Friday night. Above and to the left is Mayor Francis Slay, now finishing his second four-year term. He is a lawyer (isn't everyone in America?) and a graduate of my alma mater, St. Louis University (motto: We're almost as good as Washington U.). Downtown enjoyed a renaissance during his administration (I've been working there for 34 years and, believe me, it needed the defribrilator paddles). Unfortunately, that has stopped dead in the current real estate bust. Some of his policies have been controversial but no polititian escapes that in this town's racially polarized politics.

On the right is newly-appointed Chief of Police Daniel Isom. His predicessor was given the bum's rush when it got around that his daughter was driving hot cars towed and impounded by the cops. We have great hopes for Chief Isom. He is young and full of ideas. He has a Ph. D. in criminology and criminal justice, a masters in public administration and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Can your police chief say that?

I'm happy with the way these portraits turned out, considering that it was night and I was shooting hand-held with flash. Got a bit of a boost, though, from the TV lights.

WHAT'S TONIGHT'S SPECIAL EVENT: the annual big board of directors meeting and dinner of the Eastern Missouri Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. I am a member of the board, which is appropriate for two reasons: I represent people who are disabled with arthritis and I have rheumatoid arthritis myself (well-controlled with these new whiz-bang "biologic" therapies). I get to hang out with rheumatologists and have my funds raised.

TOMORROW: oh, I don't know. How about a cheap but dramatic HDR shot of sunset over railroad tracks?

Lighting The City's Christmas Tree

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Many of my photographs are set in Kiener Plaza downtown. On Friday evening, the city lit the municipal Christmas tree there. It's two blocks from my office so I went over after work. A rather trim Santa listened to the wishes of children who had been through the face painting booth and were apparently exhausted by it. The MC was local radio personality Smash (given name Asher Benrubi, which doesn't sound very smashing), who has appeared on STL DPB before, working his other job. After the lights were switched on there was a good little fireworks show. Then the crowd headed up the street to event sponsor Macy's, where there were hot chocolate and low, low sale prices.

WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: ShadowyOne is coming over to print some pix from a one-year-old's birthday party she was commissioned to shoot. Coochie coo.

TOMORROW: da mayor an da chief.


There is a new Arch photo

today on GATEWAY.

Blinded By The Light

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A downtown office building clad in stainless steel and mirror glass, blasted by the late afternoon sun. It looked to me like the first building on earth to be vaporized by Vogon Constructor Fleet when they needed to get us out of the way for an interstellar bypass. I also like what it does to the color of the grass at the Old Court House.

WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: the Saint Louis Symphony orchestra is performing Gustav Mahler's Ninth Symphony, a big favorite (it's really intense). Listen to the ending, in which the composer contemplates his approaching death, with comments by Leonard Bernstein - click here.

TOMORROW: so soon? Somebody must be trying to sell something.

There is a new Arch photo
today on GATEWAY

It's All About The Light. Well, Maybe The Lens. Could Be The Software.

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Wow, the town is looking good. At this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere we have nearly day-long Golden Hour. This was taken from Kiener Plaza looking southeast about an hour before sunset. The classical-style building on the left is the Old Court House, scene of the gay rights rally featured in Monday and Tuesday's posts. By the way, since the title refers to how the picture was made, here's the setup: f 6.3, 1/200 sec., ISO 400, Canon 5D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens with B+W circular polarizing filter, shot in RAW and buffed up in Photoshop. That's an awful lot of bother to go to. I think it's worth it.

WHAT'S ON TV WHILE I'M WRITING THIS: wow (again), Stephen Colbert is really babbling tonight.

TOMORROW: alien death ray strikes office tower?

Thursday Arch Series

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This picture is about the Arch's relationship to its setting. It was taken facing east on Pine Street between Broadway and Fourth Street. The building at the right is the historic Old Court House, the scene of last weekend's gay rights rally featured in my posts on Monday and Tuesday. The monument dominates our city center.

WHAT UPCOMING PHOTO OP I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO: a week from today, my wife, daughter, son in law and I are heading to Kansas for Thanksgiving with my wife's family and her mother's 90th birthday party. We'll pick up my son in Kansas City who's flying in from Chicago. I'll be out in the fields photographing the nephews' annual holiday quail hunt. Delightful people and beautiful country.

TOMORROW: wow, this picture makes downtown look good. Must be from Photoshop. Or maybe the light. The light was gorgeous.

There is another new Arch photo
today on GATEWAY.

Dragon Eats Toyota!

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Seen along Manchester Avenue in The Grove neighborhood. Those hungry dragons will eat anything. Why, if you left them on this lot it would probably nibble on a couple of Mini Coopers for an appetizer and then snarf down a Hummer for the main course. Be careful where you park.

WHAT I NOTICED ABOUT THE REACTION TO MY POST YESTERDAY: it had the highest number of visits in quite some time (must have been that catchy thumbnail). The subject, as they say, is a hot potato.

TOMORROW: Thursday Arch Series and a new companion post on Gateway.

BY THE WAY, a commenter on yesterday's post asked for an explanation of the "God Hates Shrimp" poster in one of the photos. See the footnote added to the end of Tuesday's text for a gloss on the subject.

The People At The Rally

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Faces in the crowd at the rally in support of gay marriage rights and the things they had to say. I agree with their cause. In those countries and (two) American states where this is recognized, it's just no big deal. This may be a generalization, but those who oppose it seem to think that the institution of marriage has had an immutable sameness throughout the ages that must be preserved. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Consider the sweeping changes in Europe (and later North America) from the French Revolution into the 19th Century, when marriage changed from an institution under the control of the Church to one defined by the State. No one thinks about that any more. Then there is the concept of marriage as being a locked-down lifetime bond, no matter how horrible it may become, to today's freedom to divorce. No one thinks about that any more. Like all human institutions, it changes over time, but many of us are shortsighted and don't understand this.

Having said that, I think the two sides do a certain amount of talking across one another. Of course there are hateful wackos, like the counter-protesters found in Eric's Salt Lake City post on Monday. But some of the people in these pictures feel they are hated by the other side. I don't think that's always true. A lot of opponents are motivated by sincere religious belief. However, some of them do seem to think that gay marriage is shameful and practiced by perverts. Read D. C. Confidential's eloquent comment on my Monday post to see why that's just not so. Sometimes we don't listen to one another very well, do we?

WHAT REALLY STUPID: the marked upswing in gun sales in this country over the last couple of weeks. Some people seem to think Obama is going to take them all away so they better stock up.

TOMORROW: Dragon eats Toyota!

A FOOTNOTE ON WEDNESDAY: NYC's Ming the Merciless asks in a comment what the business with the shrimp is all about (see picture below left). A person I live with who is better acquainted with the Bible than I am provided the answer. It's a bit of a parody, comparing the Old Testament injunction against eating shellfish (like shrimp) with Bible verses condemning homosexuality.

In the King James Version, Jude 1:7 is translated as, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." The same verse in the International Standard Version comes out as, "Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities near them, which like them committed sexual sins and engaged in homosexual activities, serve as an example of the punishment of eternal fire." Similarly, in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 6:9 states that, "You know that wicked people will not inherit the kingdom of God, don't you? Stop deceiving yourselves! Sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals..." (ISV).

Now, as to unclean foods, my correspondent looked up the verses cited on the poster:

Leviticus 11: 9-12 (KJV):

9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

Deuteronomy 14: 9-10 (KJV):

9 Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. 10 But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean.

So, the point of the shrimp poster seems to be nobody worries about eating shrimp any more except the relatively few people who keep kosher. The rest of the world ignores the prohibition. By implication, the protester in the photo is saying that Bible verses condemning homosexuality are also passé. It is a subtle, witty comment.