Junior

Junior
Originally uploaded by Mr. Oliver.

Went to the Pocono Raceway on Sunday, for the Pennsylvania 500.

A perfect day in the sun. No humidity, bright sunshine. Almost didn't seem like Pocono.

This shot is my absolute favorite from the day, exactly the photo I was hoping to get. Junior's car is sharp, and you can really get a sense of speed.

Jets Practice 2007

Set
Originally uploaded by Mr. Oliver.

I played hooky on Thursday and went out to Long Island to watch the Jets practice. I had never been to one before, and really enjoyed myself.

Thanks to a connection, I was able to be in the VIP/Family area.
It was great to be so close to the action.

The photo above is one of my favorites from the day. I like the depth of field, how the center stands out.

The entire set can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/oliversarmy/sets/72157601182371604/.

Meter is Running

Meter is Running
Originally uploaded by Mr. Oliver.

I’ve played with the idea of getting a blog going for my photography, but wasn’t sure what to do with it. And, as you’ll see below, there are a few scattered posts from the past few years.

I’ve been spending some time, going through my collection over at Flickr. There are some some gems buried in my photostream, what better way to highlight them?

This one is a personal favorite of my friend Alane, so I thought I should start there.

I’ve always been pleased with this photo. A late night taxi ride, shot on the way home from Penn Station after The Hold Steady show at Maxwell’s. The background has just the right amount of blur, adding to the mood.

Check back as I’ll be highlighting a new photo every few days.

Approaching the Flower

Approaching the Flower
Originally uploaded by Mr. Oliver.

Tre and I explored the New York Botanical Gardens on Sunday. I caught this one just at the right time.

Crematorium?

Crematorium?
Originally uploaded by Mr. Oliver.

This building is located hard by the Queensboro Bridge. I think it was a crematorium at one point. If anyone can shed some light on the history of this place, I would be grateful.

Tre and I have hit the road. This post is coming from my parents' lanai (a covered patio, to us NYC'ers).

We left Queens in perfect style, leaving a snow and ice storm in our wake. As you can see by our car at the right, road salt looks a bit out of place in North Carolina!

We just got done with three days' at Langerado, a great music festival in South Florida and are chilling for a few days with my family before beginning our trip back north (via the ATL, Raleigh and DC).

As I sort through the photos, I'll be posting some highlights, and uploading the photos to Flickr.

What $1.2 Trillion Can Buy
By DAVID LEONHARDT
Medical research, tackling the problems of poverty and education, reconstruction of New Orleans all would be one way to spend $1.2 trillion. Here would be another: The war in Iraq.



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/business/17leonhardt.html?ex=157680000&en=f37fad9e7de0c9c8&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

A fantastic article from today's Times, putting the whole Iraq debacle in financial perspective.

Josh Clark - Tea Leaf Green
Originally uploaded by Oliver's Army.

Saw Tea Leaf Green at Mexicali Blues Cafe in Teaneck, NJ on Dec. 28th. A late night for a Thursday, but the show was worth it.

Morning at the Modern Barber Shop.

Barbers
Originally uploaded by Oliver's Army.

On my way to work, just before Christmas, I stopped by to give my barber a couple of photos for his shop. Dominic (that's him on the left), has been cutting hair in Astoria since the late-sixties.

This shot catches him with two young protoges.

CatTongue

CatTongue
Originally uploaded by desanders.

Saw this at Flickr. What a great picture.

A History of Hurricanes in New York

Apparently, we're due.

This website is quickly becoming one of my favorites. They have a constantly updated guide to the best flash-based online cames. Some great stuff here.

Jay is Games - Jay Bibby's flash and casual game reviews

Our local swimming hole was awarded Landmark Status yesterday.

Two Buildings Are Declared Landmarks - New York Times

I love this story. I went through a similar thing when I cancelled AOL years ago. I had to go through a whole negotiation to get them to finally shut me down.


Canceling AOL can be a tough call - On the Money - MSNBC.com

This blog is a wealth of information about the real estate bubble, with a focus on Northern New Jersey. Don't even think of buying a home without looking here.

Northern New Jersey Real Estate Bubble

Things must be bad for the GOP...even the Wall Street Journal is lining up against them.

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

In contrast to the smoke-screen coming from the White House, the State Department has a more dire opinion.

U.S. Study Paints Somber Portrait of Iraqi Discord - New York Times

The Drive-by Truckers have a new album coming out on April 18th. It shall rock, just like all of their previous efforts.

A Blessing and A Curse is the name to mention in your local record store.

Tre and I spent the day walking around the Upper East Side. The Museum of the City of New York is behind me. 

Over and over we hear so much bitching and whining from the right about those evil, nasty, liberal "activist" judges. You know, those renegade judges that show no respect for the legislative process, striking down laws enacted by a legislature elected by the people.

So who are the worst offenders on the United States Supreme Court? Paul Gewirtz and Chad Golder have an insightful piece in the Op-Ed pages of the Times on July 6th bringing these scoundrels to light.

Their analysis found that since 1994, when the Supreme Court formed its current composition, they have voted to overturn 64 congressional enactments. Clarence Thomas and Anthony Kennedy, considered to be part of the court's conservative bloc voted with the court more times than any other justices, over 64% of the time. The only other justice over 50% is Antonin Scalia, whose hard-core conservative values are well documented.

So much for the myth of the liberal activist judge.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/06/opinion/06gewirtz.html

For your reference, a handy list of the 10 countries with the most executions in 2004. Good company, eh? A most exclusive club, we should be proud.

	Country	Executions	Executions per 100 million residents
1	China	3,400+	260
2	Iran	159+	230
3	Vietnam	64+	77
4	USA	59	20
5	Saudi Arabia	33+	130
6	Pakistan	15+	9.4
7	Kuwait	9+	400
8	Bangladesh	7+	5
9	Egypt	6+	7.9
10	Singapore	6+	140

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment

Jets sign new backup to Pennington