April 30, 2005 by Gail
There are some photos in my Flickr stream that on their own, without context, don’t seem to make sense. They’re usually taken for specific projects in photo groups like “Still Life”.
I’ve taken a set of 7 for Project Love Letters, which will be launched soon.
Posted in Photography | No Comments
April 28, 2005 by Gail
One thing I will always notice living south of the border is the sheer glut of advertising. Take this photo, for instance. It’s blurry because it was taken from a moving vehicle along the freeway near our house, but still readable. It struck me as absurdly ironic that an agency as secretive as the FBI resorts to recruiting via roadside billboard advertising. What’s next, bus shelters? Inside restroom stalls in restaurants and clubs? Cereal boxes?
I’ve been wanting to get a photo of another one spotted earlier this week, but we only ever seem to drive by it at night. It says in big billboard font:
HBO — now at Mercy [Hospital]!
David and I were in *pun alert* stitches over that one.
“The triple bypass surgery was touch-and-go, but at least I’ve got HBO!”
If you’re into billboard advertising, there are pages of it here.
Because Canada has socialised health care, you won’t see advertising for hospitals or really anything medically related except for extended medical insurance. I was surprised to see an ad for nurses near Philadelphia, but I’m sure this isn’t unusual to the average American.
The other major stream of advertising I can’t help but notice is for pharmaceutical products in the U.S. In Canada, it is illegal to market prescription medication directly to the consumer — that information has to be obtained from a doctor. Pharmaceutical companies are subject to strict Health Canada policies. From the Health Canada site:
Health Canada’s Therapeutic Products Directorate is the Canadian federal authority that regulates pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices for human use. Prior to being given market authorization, a manufacturer must present substantive scientific evidence of a product’s safety, efficacy and quality as required by the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations.
A while back, I saw a Canadian TV ad for Viagra, and wondered what loopholes were found to run it. Here’s an explanation, from an article in the Canadian Newspaper Association:
Unlike in the United States, direct to consumer advertising is not legal in Canada. Because of this, Canadian pharmaceutical companies cannot advertise a treatment and a disease together. Canadian ads cannot link a cure to a specific problem. But what they can do is advertise a product without mentioning the medical condition it may treat, or discuss the disease without mentioning the product that can treat it – and then suggest that readers consult their physician for a solution.
Pharmaceutical advertising ban in Canada is an outdated law: CNA
April 2005
By Colleen Underwood
Mount Royal College Journal
According to the article, direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising has been available in the U.S. since 1997. While I advocate full disclosure of product information to consumers, including all side-effects and symptoms, it makes for some absolutely ridiculous advertising. In the average 30-second TV commercial, the first 10 seconds is about the efficacy of this wonderdrug, and the rest is the narrator speed-talking through 20 seconds of afflictions:
… nausea, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, dizziness, fainting, incontinence, burning sensations, erectile dysfunction, seizures, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, skin rash, anxiety…
Anxiety? Of course you’d feel anxiety, after looking at this list. Say for example, your cholesterol is high, you need something to bring it down. You see a bunch of TV advertisements for drugs that lower cholesterol, right after [insert favourite sitcom here]. They run through the list of common side-effects for cholesterol-lowering drugs:
But you have to go to the doctor, anyway, to get the prescription. For the web-savvy, internet research would happen right about now. But in the case of older folks, this isn’t an option. Who do you trust? Pharmaceutical company websites? (ha) Consumer medical websites? What if this drug is too new to have much user information? What if the consumers posting didn’t follow directions? Lots of what ifs.
In my opinion, the consumers have to take responsibility for doing their own research by whatever means — internet, medical journals, library, friends/relatives, medical professionals — because the ultimate decision rests with the consumer. However, the pharmaceutical companies who produce prescription medicine should market to DOCTORS, the only people allowed to dispense medicine and medical advice. Doctors should also provide every patient with a full list of symptoms and discuss them as it pertains to the patient based on their existing conditions. There’s already plenty of advertising for common, nonprescription medicine in all media, but prescription medicine is heavy on the pharmaceutical jargon with more serious side-effects. Like babies up for adoption and hardcore porn, some things should not be marketed to the general public.
Posted in Expat Life, Rants | 2 Comments
April 28, 2005 by Gail
These are the Top 5 contestants remaining on American Idol:
Holy Guacamole, Constantine got eliminated. Granted, he picked the worst song imaginable for his voice: “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback, which was much more suited to Bo’s. But both Anthony and Scott were all over the scale on their songs, and their selections (Celine Dion and Luther Vandross) were too cheesy for words. How in the WORLD did Scott land in the Top 3, and Vonzell end up in the Bottom 3???
After watching the tapes last night, the only explanation I have for the debacle that was the results show is evidently a very real voting strategy I mentioned last week:
http://www.votefortheworst.com
If you think I’m making it up, check this out:
TVSquad.com (Posted Apr 27, 2005, 9:59 PM ET by David Thomas)
Posted in AI - Season 4 | No Comments
April 26, 2005 by Gail
I have a thing for metro photos. New York, Barcelona, Paris, London, Washington, Vancouver, wherever there’s a subway or metro, I want to take photos. This was the first series I shot with a digicam, on the way to Montparnasse station in Paris last year to catch the TGV. I was in a hurry (as usual), but I managed to get three shots.
In New York, the transit authorities have tried to ban photos on the MTA, but have been unsuccessful thus far due to large public outcry:
http://www.nycsubway.org/photoban.html
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2005/03/15/mta_says_no_photo_banfor_now.php
http://www.photo.net/oped/mtaban/
Photo bans are serious business. This woman in Seattle was fired for violating a U.S.-wide photo ban (her husband was also fired):
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001909527_coffin22m.html
If the Seattle Times has archived that news story, I’ve created a PDF of it for download here:
Seattle Times article, PDF (520 kbs)
Posted in Photography | 5 Comments
April 25, 2005 by Gail
Well, it only took over a week, but one of us has finally written about our trip to the capital. Between us, we took enough photos to sink the Titanic, so much of the week was spent just trying to upload them to Flickr and put them in some semblance of order. I’m always going on about David’s skill as a writer, but honestly I’m partial to posting photography and linking to his writing… if he ever gets ’round to writing a book I’d probably nudge him towards a coffee table hardcover in which I could add some illustrative photography. Just a thought.
Anyways, back to Washington, DC.
David’s journal entries in Multiply and photo album on Flickr:
Capitol ideas, day one
Capitol G, day two
Washington, DC – photos
I divided my photos into two albums, one for the Smithsonian Museums and the other for out and about in the city:
The Smithsonian is not one museum but an institution — the world’s largest museum complex, drawing over 20 million visitors each year. The National Zoo also belongs to the Smithsonian. To see them all in one visit would be total information overload, so it’s best to plan which ones you want to see, and plan for a whole day on your feet. I wanted to see the Museum of Arts and Industry, but it was closed for renovations, so I took in the Museum of American History, the Hirshhorn Museum (contemporary art), and the Air and Space Museum.
The weather we had in Washington was quite near to perfect. Sunny, warm, just a touch too breezy sometimes, but overall we had no reason to complain. There is definitely a change in air quality just a few hours south of where we live — a bit more humid. It didn’t take as long to drive down there as we’d originally thought, too — according to MapQuest, it was supposed to take just shy of four hours to reach our hotel, but we made it in 3.25 hours. I slept the whole way, too, it was funny… asleep just out of Scranton and awake just in time to reach the hotel driveway.
Some real pluses for Washington: the metro, the pedestrian orientation of the National Mall, and all the museums are free! I’ve lived in two capital cities before (Edinburgh, Scotland and Canberra, Australia), and became too disenchanted with their transient nature and artifice to want to live in a capital again, but I will always be an avid visitor. It’s the one place in a country where you are guaranteed that money will be invested in culture and the arts. It’s also tourist-friendly, but that’s where capital cities can be a pain for residents — during high season the crush of tourism can make it incredibly inconvenient for people to get to work. That probably also applies to the people of Washington, DC, except for maybe President Bush. He’s got Air Force One and heavies.
Of course, we took Kermit along because he wanted to research his roots, too.
ADDITION: Tuesday, Apr 26
David, ever the history buff, wrote a little blurb on Pierre Charles L’Enfant (L’Enfant Plaza is named after him).
Posted in David's Writing, Travel | No Comments
April 25, 2005 by Gail
Experimenting with PS filters. What a good sport David is… every time he takes a photo of me I tell him not to dare post it.
Posted in David, Photography | No Comments
April 25, 2005 by Gail
We had Passover dinner (called “seder”) at David’s mom’s house earlier this evening. As with all Jewish holidays, there’s a great deal of religious significance represented in the food and prayers. David practiced his Hebrew reading from the “Haggadah”, a booklet of instruction and explanation for all the Passover rituals and traditions.
There are very specific objects for this holiday, including a floral centrepiece and lighted candles. A large platter is placed in front of the one conducting the Seder, with the following:
The following are placed on the table for the participants:
Well, this being 2005, we didn’t follow the instructions of the Haggadah to the letter, but we did indulge in a lot of Kosher DESSERTS!
David’s mom also gave us a Passover card (yes, Hallmark covers Jewish holidays, too), which is that little blue corner of paper sticking out underneath the top layer of matzoh brei in the upper left photo. She mentioned that children are supposed to go look for hidden “gifts”, but that isn’t mentioned in the Haggadah, so it’s probably something someone slipped in to compensate for missing out on chocolate Easter eggs. (Mom edits these traditions as suits her, says David.)
Here’s what’s on the cover of the card:
A Seder Plate for the New Millennium
(clockwise from the top)Egg (Beaters): cholesterol-free alternative
Greens: stir-fried with a little low-sodium soy sauce
(Gourmet Greek) Charoset: apples, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, grape leaves
(Jalapeno) Matzah with sun-dried tomatoes
Bitter Herb: Espresso
(Vegetarian) Shank Bone: tofu-on-a-stick
Posted in Culture + Society, Family, Religion | 1 Comment
April 24, 2005 by Gail
This photo makes Penny the cat look enormous and my mother-in-law tiny, but this is no exaggeration!
Penny only likes one person in this world, and that’s Mona. Everyone else can beat it as far as Penny is concerned, and she makes no bones about it. I’ve been trying for MONTHS to take her photo, but to no avail. As soon as she sees me, she runs for the hills. She’s known David since she was a kitten, about 10-11 years ago, and she still hisses and bites at his hand when he tries to be friendly. So, I don’t take it personally.
Penny’s Story
by David
My mother was visiting our rented house in Scranton, one day in the Spring of 1994, and we had just walked into the backyard where the cars were parked. We saw (and heard) a little orange tabby cat, standing on her hind legs with her paws against a tree; on closer examination, we found that she was covered in what appeared to be white latex housepaint. Not just on the surface, as if she had brushed up against wet paint; but soaked in paint, down to the skin. Paint must have been poured on her, deliberately or by accident. She was in distress, but didn’t run away when I approached her.
We didn’t want to bring her into our house, since she obviously had fleas and we had two housecats inside. So we took her into the basement and washed her off with warm water in the utility sink. The housepaint hadn’t fully cured, and we were able to melt most of it off. Mom couldn’t bear to leave her or put her back on the street, so we gave her one of our old cat-carriers and took the little cat to the vet. Where we found that, aside from the fleas, she was also pregnant, despite her small size; the vet guessed that she might have gotten that way during her first heat. Over the next few weeks the vet aborted the pregnancy, spayed her, and dipped her for fleas. My mother, who had always had dogs for most of her life, now had her first cat. I suggested the name “Penny”, for her copper color and for the lucky circumstances of her discovery.
Since then, she has become a big, noisy and extremely-extremely spoiled housecat. My mom lets her have the run of the house, feeds her wherever and whenever she likes, and has gone so far as to have a bay window installed – as a sunporch, for this fortunate freeloader. Penny, for her part, chatters away – she is quite vocal – and eats copiously, sheds, and glares moodily at anyone else who comes into the house. A cat, in other words.
The photo shoot started off like this, with Penny putting a safe distance between us, with some glass for good measure.
From there, I took to crawling along the carpet with my camera to follow her movements under the furniture, trying to get an angle with some light. When she become tired of avoiding me, which is really just a momentary concession in the game called “(My) Persistence vs. (Her) Intolerance”, I managed to get some handheld shots in the dim light behind the magazines.
Penny is so different from Hugh, who’s a social cat to the point of being a relentless shadow and constantly underfoot. I never have to chase after him with my camera, he likes to stick his nose in the lens and swat at the camera strap.
Penny, on the other hand, glares at you… like you were at the bottom of the food chain and she wouldn’t deign to eat you. But she loves Mona, and the feeling is mutual. They spoil each other, though Mona does most of the spoiling.
Lately, however, Penny has demonstrated her utmost displeasure at Mona’s recent addiction to online Scrabble. I suggested a couple of weeks back that the three of us play at The Pixie Pit, where I’ve been playing with my friend Kim in Oregon, who introduced the site to me. Penny can’t figure out why Mona keeps going downstairs to the TV to focus intently on a screen that doesn’t move. Especially when the screen is usually flashing like a strobe. (Cats probably think humans are the most bizarre species on earth, anyway, so this is yet another example.) Penny doesn’t like having to share Mona’s attention, so if she could bite the TV, she likely would.
Posted in Critters + Creatures, David's Writing, Family | 2 Comments
April 23, 2005 by Gail
This is what I was working on last night when we got home somewhere near midnight from dinner/ballet. As per Gail-usual, it started out as something entirely different. I’d opened the fridge to get milk or something, saw the apple, and thought of this. I would have preferred a red apple or a very colourful fruit/vegetable, but that green apple was the only produce we had in the fridge. This morning, David got inspired and Photoshopped my green apple to a red one.
I also happened to be wearing, for the first time, a silver cross that was a bridesmaid’s gift at my friend’s wedding last year in England. That’s where my symbolism got a little heavy-handed, but there’s something to be learned in every experiment. I’ve got some other photography ideas waiting to be executed, some for various projects, but it’ll have to wait. We’re off to meet David’s mom for dinner again before we see another performance — this time it’s ragtime piano.
Posted in Gail at Large, Photography | 2 Comments
Copyright © 2012 Gail Edwin-Fielding
