Aloha!

Aloha!
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom

Uh, Aloha!

This recent scene on the subway tickled me in a semi-adolescent way, not so much lurid, as much as ironic fashion.

The girl wearing the skirt was seemingly visiting NY with her girlfriend, because they were carrying on a conversation in Italian.

Here in the states these sorts of messages on short-shorts, skirts and sweatpants are usually printed and worn on the back. I've never seen it on the front, and thus my somewhat-shocked, semi-surprised, and wholly amused reaction.

All I could think was "Only a European..." would have the nonchalant gall to say hello in such ribald fashion.

Apart from the standard stereotype that “all Americans dress slovenly when abroad on holiday,” I can only imagine what people overseas think of us...

Please feel free to amuse us with your similar anecdotes, stories and experiences below.

Note: “Aloha” in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion, mercy, goodbye, and hello, among other sentiments of a similar nature. It is used especially in Hawai’i as a greeting meaning hello and goodbye.

It is also the state nickname of Hawai’i, the "Aloha State," the fiftieth state of the United States of America.

Picture New York Without Pictures

Picture New York Without Pictures
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom

Picture New York Without Pictures

I’m joining my fellow artists, photographers and New Yorkers in a protest against prospective new city regulations that significantly hamper your first amendment rights to take pictures in the city.

I've been harassed by law enforcement three times in the past, threatened to be "taken in for a minimum of five hours" and have been forced to delete photos I've taken around the city. I recently heard that the courts affirmed our rights to take photos, yet the Mayor's Office now wants to surreptiously hamper our ability to exercise them.

The issue as summarized by PictureNY.org:
“The Mayor’s Office of Theater, Film, and Broadcasting, which coordinates film and television production and issues permits around the five boroughs, is considering rules that could potentially severely restrict the ability of even amateur photographers and filmmakers to operate in New York City. The NY Times reports that the city’s tentative rules include requiring any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour (including setup and breakdown time) to get a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance. The regulation would also apply to any group of five or more people who would be using a tripod for more than ten minutes, including setup and breakdown time.”

PictureNY has set up an e-petition and needs your signature before the upcoming deadline of August 3, please click here to sign it today.

I’ve signed the petition, and I encourage you to do the same, regardless of where you are from, because if you love New York City like I do, you’ll probably want to preserve your right to take pictures whenever you visit. Moreover, the passage of such municipal regulations only lets other cities follow suit—and so yours could be next!

For a discussion on this matter here on flickr go to: Picture New York

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,
Lorenzo

The most beautiful girl in the world...

Merciless Beauty
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom

The most beautiful girl in the world isn’t Garbo, isn't Dietrich…

No, she’s practically every woman I know.

Inspired by my friend innita’s group ginotropia, I’ve compiled this set in honor of those who make my life complete—as well as fun, exciting, blissful, meaningful and always worth the wile.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

—Maya Angelou, Phenomenal Woman—