Nothing to report, except I am “making progress” and I have two months left, supposedly. They’re still over-correcting my cant (fixing the tilting top teeth, which are tilting because of the 9 months spent pulling down the impacted canine) and once that’s over-corrected, they’ll put back on some heavy wires and everything will even out — or so they tell me. Christmas, this will be over, I hope.

In Disneyland!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyvt/tntnyvtMHammer

Stole this from GP’s blog, hope he doesn’t mind:

I’m reposting a letter from the U.S. Campaign for Burma about the current horrible situation:

As you may know, the situation in Burma has seriously deteriorated. The past four days have seen street demonstrations in Burma’s urban areas, in which peaceful, nonviolent activists have marched calling for the government to reverse its decision to quintuple the price of many basic fuels in the country. Many are also calling for recognition of basic human rights and democracy. Their courage is reminiscint of the history of the brave people of Argentina, Peru, East Timor, South Africa, India, and elsewhere in which peaceful demonstrators have faced deadly force with nothing more than their belief in telling the truth.

We are humbled in particular by the fortitude and dignity of the 300 women that took to the streets after the initial round of arrests.

The demonstrators have been met with brute force by militias of Than Shwe’s military regime. Dozens have been beaten, arrested, and carted off to Burma’s feared torture centers. We are gravely concerned for their immediate well-being. In particular, we are worried about Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi — the two most important human rights activists inside Burma after Nobel Peace recipient Aung San Suu Kyi. They were arrested when authorities came to their homes at midnight — the feared “midnight knock” inside Burma.

(more…)

the tennis court was perfect tonight, all black and fluorescent.
between the trees the smell of the harbor wafted, that carcass of summer,
a reminder that nothing stays contained.

i won six games.

and in the house next door, a man faced his open window, typing,
but never noticed our grunts on every hit — much like i couldn’t hear the fighting
that would find us later and, like a slick mosquito, suck a little love out.

now it’s silent

and in the silence there’s a memory of stars i saw over southie
glowing like dying embers of an era past, and past again.
things have almost gone back to the way they were
when the days were light and the nights would last –

but not quite

and in the stillness that’s always followed us,
i can stretch a bit while you reflect — or sleep.
for the morning’s sake, and ours, and the stars’,

i hope it’s deep.

You drag up, pants trailing
on the dirt drive like a dead dog or a
punished child, but your smile
still resurrects the roses.

And I try
in my tired way to meet your gaze,
pretend we’re both polished adults.
From the street, we could be parents on a night out
but I’m pretty sure we’re still fourteen.
You’re so cool and I’m too green.

And there’s the same warm wind here
that I felt in your parents’ basement
the night you lifted weights to impress me
and we shared adolescent insecurities
while a raccoon tore through the trash.
Upstairs, your mother prayed.

“I’m sick of being poor,” you say.
“How can we avoid becoming our parents?”
There’s pasta in front of me, beer in front of you.
I have few answers so I just sit still.
Your glass is glowing and your skin is too.
A series of brunettes take note but look away.

Dusk comes quickly as I think about our future.
Your mountains smell the fall before
my city can, and in the parking lot,
I can almost see September looming.
The threat of another year is stifling.

What have we accomplished?

Before I can think, you’re all teeth,
all happy eyes. And the holy sky
turns peach. My mental list
is meaningless in light of this.

JPG magazine publishes photos based on votes for online submissions. The theme right now is “Passport”, for travel photos off the beaten path. Vote for me!

For J.’s 30th birthday. It was an endless trip. On the way, we stopped in Philly to see my ma. These were all taken with my new 2.8/24mm lens.