lights!

the beltline lantern parade was a blast, as usual --- the best parade in atlanta, better than dragon'con, although both provide excellent displays of people's creativity --- there were supposed to be 70k people, but if there were that many, they were strung out for two miles

watch out for the mariachi bands and crazy clowns

it wasn't these guys, but mariachi bands at garibaldi square, mexico city, have apparently been a thing since the 1920s --- saturday night "dozens of mariachi bands were serenading couples and families Friday in the city's iconic Plaza Garibaldi when five men disguised as musicians unleashed a hail of gunfire." --- eek --- killed five people, injured nine --- a drug lord had been arrested, and i think it was retaliation for that --- our trip will have an edge to it, i guess

want some great chairs?

i have thoroughly enjoyed having these chairs --- they were perfect on sinclair ave, and here, too, except i need more bookcases

please buy them --- or if you are somebody i know and love, i might just give them to you

just do it!

 the new nike ad campaign has spawned a lot of memes --- these are my favorite

a tuesday morning like any other . . . .

for me, this is the iconic image from 9/11 --- the photographer who shot it was the same one that got images of ethel and bobby kennedy on the floor of that hotel in 1968 --- a fascinating story as he searched out the identity of this poor guy

there were over 150 others that died that way

the story is a couple of years old, but still . . . .

going, going, . . ..

portsmouth, north carolina, is just across the inlet from ocracoke, accessible only by boat --- founded in 1761, it was the state's main seaport in the 18th and early 19th centuries, but was mostly abandoned by the 1970s --- this is the oldest house, ca. 1850, of the dozen or so left out there --- the hurricane braces around the perimeter are original --- elevation might be 5' above sea level so florence will be a real test --- many of the single-story wood-framed structures will surely fail

"the world's only storm-surge blog" is awesome

the recent past

i've spent the last couple of days looking at a draft history of GTHP, where i worked, lo, these many years ago --- so much is forgotten so quickly if one doesn't write it down --- time marches on --- people die

wodensday

finally finished up a draft of midtown-4 --- and got out to the river with dog for a little bit ----- made reservations for us to go to mexico city for day of the dead --- wheeeee

dragon con: day of the chicken

i am not sure why i thought the threatening chicken with the baseball bat was hilarious but i did ---  but then a whole lot of other stuff was too

eek

the carpet at the marriott was replaced in 2015, but now there is an entire cult of devotees --- the pattern has now been reproduced into t shirts, morning coats, lanyards, and god knows what else

dragon con --- day 2

the 'con --- 2018 edition

what a big ol' mess --- and i'm not even talking about the blister on my foot

 this is morgan, from maryland --- probably can't see the vampire teeth in this imagw