Tuesday, September 19, 2006

sunday's nascar race...





i went to my first nascar race on sunday. it was a pretty remarkable event and although i was skeptical going into sunday, all my reservations vanished when i arrived at the new hampshire international speedway. the speedway was packed. easily 150,000 fans sold out the place and lined the stands- a mile of people.

nascar fans from all over the country came in for the race and for many it was a weekend, of camping, bar-be-queing, drinking and enjoying. many families showed up on friday and hung out around the speedway until raceday. on sunday the place was packed, people were everywhere, shopping, drinking, eating, smoking, sleeping, listening to frequencies of different race teams on scanners.

it was americana at its most brilliant. it was an america that people here on the island of manhattan, scoff at when they hear i attended a nascar race. but it's crazy, because, for all the stereotypes that new yorkers throw at nascar fans- tobacco chewing hillbillies, racists, warmongers, fat, ignorant, white... nascar fans would probably throw similar stereotypes right back at new yorkers- wealthy, draft dodgers, desk job pussies, hypocrites...

...and that is where all the problems lie. if some new yorkers went to a nascar race and some nascar fans came to new york city for yankee game, it would be an inmportant eye-opening learning experience for all. and certainly, some of these stereotypes would be turn out to be true, but a lot of them wouldn't. here in america, there is so much misunderstanding between peoples, that cross cultural exchanges like these would be beneficial for everyone.

the race itself was pretty cool too. there were two announcers for the track, a different announcer would excaim,

"and it's Harvick at the lead, Jeff Gordan is pushing up behind, Kasey Kahne and Sterling Martin rearing forward in the third and fourth postion!!!"

and then the cars would come whizzing by, "Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee," and all other sounds would be drowned out until the cars passed and the announcer could be heard again.

my favorite quote at the track, "Sure beats the hell outta hockey, dunnit!"

love and health to all...

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

luv


love

peace

health

for all...

St. Louis, Senegal. Spring 2004.

Friday, September 08, 2006

a golden gate maze



It was a misty, cloudy, grey day in san francisco, two weeks ago. I was walking along some cliffs, miles past the golden gate bridge, hovering over san fran bay. The wide open pacific was a treacherous cliff jump away and a water sprint- butterly, breaststroke, freesty-lee.

Over the lip of a rocky face was a maze, meticulously planned out and composed of small rocks. It lay next to an old contraption, similar to ones i've seen before here in the states and on cliffs over the atlantic, in montauk and in popeugin, senegal- remnants of world war two. The one next to the maze inspired a memory. I had read in the history books that a japanese submarine had actually made it to san fran bay, during the war. The occupants had languished there for a couple weeks and by that time the war had ended. The submariners had no idea, cut off from any news, in the fish tank that is san francisco bay.

we need peace.

love to all...

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

redwoods


last week i spent some time in northern california. i went for a hike in the redwood forests outside of oakland. here is one tree.

Oakland, California. August 2006.

love to all...

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Hudson Sky



I've been digging in the crates again and came across this view of the Hudson River on a cold winter's day.

A couple years ago I was in South Africa during the presidential elections. This is an image of the current president, Thabo Mbeki's teeth, crooked like only a politician's can be. I took this picture in a somewhat sketchy area near the Port of Durban. You might be able to scope out the street walkers next to the daily accomodation digs in the background.

Love to all...