Street Portraits

Making these is one of my favorite pastimes. Faces in the crowd at the People's Joy Parade.           

As Advertised

The organizers say the event is about joy.  Good enough for me.     

Funny/Scary

Some clowns are funny and innocuous. Think Bozo. Some are tawdry, even sleazy. Think Krusty. And some are just scary, occasionally on purpose.

These are a few from the People's Joy Parade. The last picture gives the context.               

Madeleine Monday

The People's Joy Parade, featured here many times before, takes place literally around the Cinco de Mayo festival. I've never seen anything like it. Just goofy, fun-loving local people marching down the street doing whatever amuses them. There are some regular features, though, like the more than slightly scary clowns, the beat up old Cadillac that's rigged to shoot jets of fire high into the air and face painting for little kids. Madeleine wanted a piece of that action.                

Difference of Opinion

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a relatively minor observance, marking a victory of the local armies over the French, the erstwhile colonial power, in 1852. In the United States it has become a big deal, a celebration of Mexican-American culture and a perfectly good reason to drink tequila in the street on a blazing hot afternoon. In St. Louis the party was held on la Siete de Mayo for commercial reasons. Swilling tequila at work on a Thursday is often frowned upon.  

Daughter Emily, Madeleine and I went down with cameras. Of course everyone is welcome and may express themselves if done in a peaceful manner. In this case, however, thesis and antithesis will not lead to synthesis. Hegel loses out on Cherokee Street.                 

In Your Dreams

I bet you'd prefer that this one left you in peace. It is a Nepalese Hindu demon, a mask that was on sale at a fundraiser for the Mitrata Nepal Foundation last weekend. You have  probably noticed the logo and link at the bottom of the right sidebar. We have supported a young woman in Kathmandu for 8 or 9 years. Now she has finished high school and is about to take the entrance exam for college. She is posing here with Mrs. C.  

The other pictures are of Nepalese batik fabric and rolled Buddhist prayer flags.

One of STL's biggest annual photo ops today. Pix tomorrow.      

Stacks

You could even say it glows. New and old ways to present books. Love the decorated ceiling beams. More of an old European look.

Our Central Library is a lovely building and I am glad for what it does for the community. I must confess, however, that I do almost exclusively Kindle books these days. How else could you carry your own library on, literally, a small tablet that weighs a couple of hundred grams?