Today in Midtown

I was near Times Square this morning for a conference. I took this pic of me with the nearly completed Bank of America tower, which will be taller than the Chrysler Building.

Desirelines

My friend Jesus started a new band called Desireline. They had their first show at Trash Bar on Grand Street in Williamsburg, a short walk from my apartment. Nick and I walked over there tonight with our friend Aaron. The band sounded great. Their album is available on iTunes.

News Flash: The Olympic flame is ridiculous!

It doesn't matter if the Olympic flame is carried to the top of Mount Everest. I never harbored negative feelings about the flame until I saw the throngs of police running alongside the torch-bearers and attacking protesters who got too close in Paris, London and other cities. I remember watching the torch go by in Eugene, Oregon in 1996. I even held the torch after the flame was passed off to another runner, and the previous torch-bearer let me pose for a photo. But with China hosting the Olympics I'm a lot more critical. I know the U.S. has engaged in plenty of human-rights abuses and doesn't always live the democracy it preaches, but China is awful and the Olympic "tradition" shouldn't be used as an excuse to justify their government's behavior. We really have no choice when it comes to supporting China through our purchases of everyday goods. We do have a choice when it comes to the Olympics. Maybe the flame should be left atop Mt. Everest, where the air is so thin people looking at it might think China will be reformed through economic integration and sales of Olympic hats.

Stay Out of the Flowers, Kids!

Cherie took this pic of Noelle and me in Central Park today during our lunch break. Noelle was amused because I yelled at two kids who were in the flower bed trampling the tulips. I tell ya...kids these days...

Striking a Pose on Park

Here's a pic of Jesse and Cherie, half of the lunch-bunch, taken today on Park Avenue and 58th Street. We were on our way to Central Park to enjoy the 78-degree weather.

Ephraim Larson Reunion

This is my dad's side of the family, photographed at my dad's house on Saturday in Queen Creek, Arizona.