Photographing NCAA Swimming and Diving

Recently I was asked by Arizona State University and Indiana University to photograph their swimmers and divers at the 2011 Men's Division 1 Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis.  Below you can see the websites of both Indiana and Arizona State using my photos to show off their athletes.  While I concentrated on the divers, I did get some of my best photos of swimmers.  Among these athletes were some past (Riley McCormick [Canada], Constantin Blaha [Austria] and David Boudia [US]) and future Olympians.  

Riley McCormick (Canadian Olympian - ASU)

Constantin Blaha (Austrian Olympian - ASU)

David Boudia (US Olympian - Purdue)

When it rains, it pours

I have been in the market for a full time job now for two years.  Sent out a seemingly infinite number of applications and generally received minimal or no response to them.  A rather discouraging process, there were many times I would see ads for jobs and think, I can do that with my eyes tied behind my back...but then I thought...why bother, they will be like all the others and not even look at my application.  Having had a lot of ease in finding jobs previously there was a frequent voice in the ear saying...oh, you're too old now...they think you are incapable of using a computer...my school experience isn't transferable to a museum or college...white hair doesn't get jobs.  In a moment of desperation I even applied to be a bus driver...sorry we can't invest training in you, you will leave as soon as you get a better job.  Nothing seemed to be going in my favor.  aargh!


I applied for the position I am taking in London five months ago.  In the mean time I continued to apply for other jobs.  The London job seemed like the process was taking forever.  I was getting no response from any applications.  Then, London job came through...the visa had been approved...when could I get there?  I was excited and daunted about the move...but I am going.  Then the tide changed.  Since I told the English school I was coming, I have had or had offers to have interviews for two other schools, a college and a museum.  Two years of nothing essentially then BAM...a flood.  What gives?  


Trev is philosophical about it..."Dad, it isn't you, it has never been about you."  Of course it's about me...it always is.  Needless to say, I have had some trepidations about the England job when these others began to surface...was it really the right job? should I hold out for something in the US? will I be happy over there? So, in steps my older brother whom I rarely consult on anything.  Will you get a salary? yes...Will you have a place to live? yes...then go.  Ugh...older brothers...no matter their age they manage to make their younger sibling feel really stupid.  Thanks Lad.

Body Scans

I was listening to the NPR All Things Considered news tonight while driving home.  They were discussing the hearings in the House of Representatives about what to do about the Muslim threat.  The Republican chair of the committee, Peter King of NY ranted on for a several minutes about how, because we have stopped all external threats to the nation after 9/11 by the outstanding work of our government, we best look now at the threat that al Qaeda now poses with converting Americans and probably Muslims to do undercover work in the US.  Therefore we need to begin interrogating Muslims living in the US.  Yes Americans are being influenced by radical Muslims in this country...but is going after an entire religion/ethnic group the way to come to grips with the situation?


His insightful comments were followed by a Christian minister who pointed out that it is known that most Muslims distain violence and many Muslims have actually informed the FBI of potential threats against the US.  He criticized the chair of the committee for instigating a witch hunt that would do nothing more than pit one group of citizens against another and probably put the country at greater risk by alienating a segment of the population who is now a part of the best defense we have.


The program then discussed how Muslims are already being targeted by our border patrols.  They played some tape about car full of American Muslims from the Buffalo, NY are that went to Canada one weekend for a conference.  On there return to the US border at Niagara, they were stopped like everyone else, showed there passports and were asked what they had been doing in Canada. They said they went to a Muslim conference.  "please pull over."  The car full of Americans where taken into a room at the border.  As they entered they realized that there were about 140 others...all Middle Eastern looking... also being detained.  They were held for over 6 hours.


It reminded me of my recent experience in Halifax, Nova Scotia coming home from Christmas with my parents.  At the airport US Immigration does all the document checking that is normally done in Boston for overseas flights.  They had the two scanners...the traditional one that you just walk through and the new full-body scanners.  There were only four of us in line to go through the document process.  Three of us were white men, the fourth was a dark skinned, black haired man.  He was wearing a suit, the three of us were in jeans and shirts.  The Asian man was first in line...the went to a customs agent's desk and they were talking...at length.  The rest of us in the same time period all went to another agent and then walked through the traditional scanner.  After the Asian gent finished at the agent's desk the next guard asked him to do the full-body scan.  He complied willingly.  He was pleasant through the whole process.  I wanted to challenge the guards...why wasn't I asked to do the full-body scan?  Why was this man of probably South Asian lineage given a more through review at the document desk and scanner?  They obviously didn't know I was about as crazy as anyone on the plane...but they assumed that this other man was the threat.  Was it coincidence that he happened to look different the other three of us?  Or was it profiling?  I am distressed at myself for not questioning the guards about their actions and making a scene; heck I didn't have anywhere to be.  Hopefully next time I will have the guts to stop what I see as wrong.


Oh yes,  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO STATION....many are having their spring fund raisers now.

My First Cover!!!

I just got back from the New Hampshire Council on the Arts report "Measuring Up: The NH Arts Education Data Project." The report was distributed to legislators and educators from around the state and region.  Well known children's book author/illustrator, Tomie dePaola was the guest speaker.

Well any how...the cover of the report has three NH students on it.  Two of the photos were taken by.....me!  Catherine O'Brian, The Director of NH Arts Education, said she had three of my photos on the cover but someone said that wasn't politically wise, so one was replaced.  The Director did say that the girl twirling will be the the symbol for arts education in NH for the next year...she loved the photo.  My photos are the two bottom corner photos.  It's kinda neat having a cover to my name.  Of course I wouldn't be on the cover if it wasn't for the great kids of Henniker (NH) Community School and their Artist-in-Residence program.  I have taken photos and video of the activities of the program for three years and have had a wonderful time doing it. 


If you look at this link you will see the two photos on the left are mine...one is the boy with the flute...he was the one taken off the cover. http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e3fzpsu0c7e876af&llr=g5vgzlbab

Food Bank Friends

Today I said good bye to a bunch of great friends.  For that last fifteen months I have been volunteering at the New Hampshire Food Bank here in Manchester.  I have been working with some incredible people.  Many of them are retired but some are doing community service for school and some are doing community service for the courts.  However they got there, they are wonderful people and I will miss them.  We have had a lot of laughs while sorting food for food pantries around the state.  The Tuesday crowd which I will say good bye to tomorrow are all in their late 70's and 80's.  Doris and Charlie are from Huntington, NY.  We found out that we have mutual friends from our days on Long Island.  They are both a hoot.  The head guy for the volunteers is John Washburn.  John is a retired accountant.  He runs the volunteer room like his family.  He knows everyone and everyone is welcome.  He has the place running smoothly no matter how many volunteers show on a given day.  He never complains and makes adjustments to the operations to keep the powers in the Food Bank happy.  He is an amazing guy.


John was saying today that in the last year we have sorted over 6,000,000 lbs of food for New Hampshire families.  That makes me feel good.


Bye Stan, Paul, Bob, Gloria, Pat, Preston, Doris, Charlie, John...and all the rest of you.


After tomorrow, I will be focusing on sorting and packing.  aargh.

A New Opportunity

Over that past two years I have been seeking a new opportunity to share my skills and experience with another school or nonprofit.  During this time of searching I have had the support of my family and friends.  My son Trevor has been enormously supportive and sharing.  Peter and Brenda Wright and their daughters Liz and Aly were generous in sharing their home with me for far longer than I had ever planned.  Without the Wright's and Trev, this experience of searching would have been much more exhausting; I am forever grateful for their support.  A former student, Philipp Steinke, endeavored to get me involved in his own exploration of real estate in Boston.  While his company (Boston Assets and Cash Corporation) has been in its infancy, I do appreciate his efforts to keep me occupied over the two years.

Now, I am preparing to take on a new challenge across the ocean in the United Kingdom.  It will be exciting and daunting at the same time.  A new job, a new country...that speaks a very odd dialect, and a new home.  It will be great to have a regular schedule again and get to know and work with lots of new people, young and not so young.

The opportunities beyond this job will be endless.  I will have access to the European continent and time to explore it.  While I have been to the UK many times over the years with my mom to visit grandparents and assorted other relatives, I have only really been to one other country, Italy.  This new location will give me easy access to so many exciting and picturesque places...I cannot wait!  I want to return to Italy, but the Provence region of France, the Swiss Alps, Bavaria, Scandinavia, Prague, Greece, Scotland, Spain and Portugal have all been on my list of places to go...now I can.  While the new location and opportunities are exciting, I can always use companions to explore these various places.  So if you have a few extra days and you want to check out some of Britain or elsewhere...let me know and we can set up an trip.

Below is a brief video of my new home, quite different than anything I have lived in previously.

As I begin this new adventure, I will be posting many photos and comments about my experiences.  Come back from time to time and see what's going on.