Here in Boston some of us call this a bubblah. I personally call it a water fountain, but bubblah works too. I would say it almost looks like a torture device of some sort, but I actually saw some runners drinking from it so I can attest to the fact that it does provide “water”. In fact they sort of looked at me like a fool when they saw me hovering over it with my tripod, but I just smiled and pretended to be fidgeting with my camera. You’d be amazed how many looks I get for setting up my 6 foot tripod in this city, as if its actually a rocket launcher. I think I’ve even seen some people stop, turn around, and run the other direction when they saw me coming with the behemoth swung over my shoulder. But hey, it gets the job done (which is photography, not launching rockets).
Now as for this bubblah… water fountain, I can’t say that I would ever drink from it. The idea of a small pipe running up a moldy concrete block filled with Boston water doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in living after a drink. But it certainly caught my attention so kudos to the engineer who designed it. I think it’s attention grabbing properties are probably a function of the command it seems to hold over the surrounding area. I could envision a battle which ensued between the bubblah and the dead leaves on the ground, the bubblah of course emerging victorious. The benches in the background were likely used by spectators as they cheered for their team of choice. Since concrete usually wins out over leaves I’ll have to say that I’m all for the bubblah. Come to think of it I think this thing would win out over just about anything… be it leaves, runners, a bus, or a rocket launcher. So here’s to you, bubblah! 
Bubblah
Here in Boston some of us call this a bubblah. I personally call it a water fountain, but bubblah works too. I would say it almost looks like a torture device of some sort, but I actually saw some runners drinking from it so I can attest to the fact that it does provide “water”. In fact they sort of looked at me like a fool when they saw me hovering over it with my tripod, but I just smiled and pretended to be fidgeting with my camera. You’d be amazed how many looks I get for setting up my 6 foot tripod in this city, as if its actually a rocket launcher. I think I’ve even seen some people stop, turn around, and run the other direction when they saw me coming with the behemoth swung over my shoulder. But hey, it gets the job done (which is photography, not launching rockets).
Now as for this bubblah… water fountain, I can’t say that I would ever drink from it. The idea of a small pipe running up a moldy concrete block filled with Boston water doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in living after a drink. But it certainly caught my attention so kudos to the engineer who designed it. I think it’s attention grabbing properties are probably a function of the command it seems to hold over the surrounding area. I could envision a battle which ensued between the bubblah and the dead leaves on the ground, the bubblah of course emerging victorious. The benches in the background were likely used by spectators as they cheered for their team of choice. Since concrete usually wins out over leaves I’ll have to say that I’m all for the bubblah. Come to think of it I think this thing would win out over just about anything… be it leaves, runners, a bus, or a rocket launcher. So here’s to you, bubblah! Rights of Passage
I can’t make it to the sunset after work anymore due to daylight savings time and the approaching winter. Even though I leave work at 4 PM, by the time I get home at 4:30, the sun is well on its way to setting. But that’s ok because it means more night shots like this one which I love anyway 🙂
You may have noticed that I haven’t taken too many photos of foliage over the past month. This is mainly because I have been sick and secondly because I spent a good deal of time building a new computer so I can process pictures faster and maybe even play a *few* games. Now that I am all better and my computer is all built, most of the leaves are on the ground (dramatic irony). Regardless, there’s still some color left in this city be it on the ground or otherwise and I fully intend to capture some of it before winter takes hold.
This photo was taken on the Esplanade in Boston (where else) and as you can see there is plenty of color. My last post was about having the courage to take the path less traveled… the divergent path, if you will. For this post I am going to switch gears a bit and discuss our rights of passage across whatever path we choose.
Rights of passage are defined by more than the desire to pass. For everyone has desires, but to have a right one must have nobler intentions. It is a common misconception that rights come with birth, that we are somehow entitled to a life of moral righteousness on our own terms – this is not true. Without the moral constructs of society rights fade away to nothing more than desires. Only when desire transcends selfish intent does it become a right. Only when it upholds tenets that are deemed noble, true, and just by the common populace does it become necessary. But history has shown us that the common populace is far more uncommon and divided than one would hope. Who then has the right? The dominant power, those suffering, or neither? There is no answer to that question because it is false… we are all suffering. So long as there is a winning and losing side we as a race will suffer. So long as right and wrong are dictated by the whims of the powerful and neglected by the efforts of the merciful, we will falter. Until right and wrong are forged by the human race as a whole, our rights of passage will remain as elusive and ever changing as the wind. Perhaps such thoughts are too idealistic. Perhaps we are doomed to an eternity of fallen empires and rising rebellions. If that is the case I can only hope that more bridges are built than burnt in my lifetime and that my desires remain congruent with my rights.
Rights of passage are defined by more than the desire to pass. For everyone has desires, but to have a right one must have nobler intentions. It is a common misconception that rights come with birth, that we are somehow entitled to a life of moral righteousness on our own terms – this is not true. Without the moral constructs of society rights fade away to nothing more than desires. Only when desire transcends selfish intent does it become a right. Only when it upholds tenets that are deemed noble, true, and just by the common populace does it become necessary. But history has shown us that the common populace is far more uncommon and divided than one would hope. Who then has the right? The dominant power, those suffering, or neither? There is no answer to that question because it is false… we are all suffering. So long as there is a winning and losing side we as a race will suffer. So long as right and wrong are dictated by the whims of the powerful and neglected by the efforts of the merciful, we will falter. Until right and wrong are forged by the human race as a whole, our rights of passage will remain as elusive and ever changing as the wind. Perhaps such thoughts are too idealistic. Perhaps we are doomed to an eternity of fallen empires and rising rebellions. If that is the case I can only hope that more bridges are built than burnt in my lifetime and that my desires remain congruent with my rights.
Divergent Path
We need each other to survive, that is a fact of life, but what of the paths we choose along the way? So many of us choose a life that is not our own. In droves we flock down the same paths towards the same ends all the while seeking fulfillment. When we don’t find it we look around in search of who or what is to blame. “Is it my overpriced college education? Is it the degree that landed me no job? Is it the job? Is it the boss? Is it my spouse? Is it my neighbor’s $75K car? Is it the money?” No on all counts. If you’re wondering who is to blame you need only look into a mirror. No one said conformity would fulfill you. Your college professor didn’t teach you how to extract meaning out of life – he taught you exactly what you signed up for. Your boss didn’t tell you that you must stay in your cube from 9 to 5 or die – you could leave any time you want. Your wife, you chose her! You chose all of these things and to make matters worse you even paid a considerable amount of money for some of them (I’m referring to the degree here guys, not the wife). For what? A degree? So what? Now you can get the job that pays you the money to buy the things that you like but don’t really need.
“But damn, that BMW would really be nice wouldn’t it? What about that apartment in the city, the one with the marble entrance and a view of the park… sure would be nice.”
It would be nice, you’re right. I would be lying if I said I didn’t desire a lifestyle of grandeur and excess – I do. But what I don’t desire, what I will not accept for myself no matter what the cost, is a life of passionless conformity and status-quo thinking. If I have to surrender all the physical possessions I have in order to do what I love, I will. But that’s the problem isn’t it… what the hell do I love? That’s not something you’re taught at any point in your life. Sure people always say it, “Do what you love, Johnny! Follow your heart!” But if you ask them how to do it, all they say is “look” (usually with squinty eyes and a hushed voice, as if it’s ground breaking advice). And when you look in your own heart to figure it out the answer is usually, “Eat Cheetos,” or “Watch TV.” And while Cheetos and TV are both pretty decent, they’re not really the answer you’re looking for. They are the easy way out. A way to avoid your fear of actually being someone and standing out above the masses.
Too many of us have potential that is stifled by fear of failure, myself included. But the important thing is to recognize your own potential and to slowly overcome your fears. Some people out there propose a revolution: “Quit your job! Sell your car! Travel the world! Do what drives you!” Inspiring… maybe, but hardly a plan for success. And success is what puts food on the table and clothes on your skin. Success is one thing you must remain mindful of regardless of what you pursue in life, because in the end, you need to eat. But the choice of how you eat, is completely up to you. Whether it’s through money earned sitting in your cube from 9 to 5 or through money earned on an airplane to Tokyo… that’s in your hands. Just make sure that you’re passionate about whatever you end up doing, because success comes infinitely easier if you do what you love. Resist the urge to be lazy and take the time to figure yourself out at your own pace. Go back to your childhood, what did you love to do? What are your hobbies now? Who are you when you’re by yourself? There are entire books written about how to find yourself so I won’t go into them here. Just know that you have every right to live the life of your dreams, believe it. And if you can find in yourself the courage to believe such a crazy thing, the perseverance to follow it through, and the passion to make it bloom, the path you carve will be trailed by memories of success and fulfillment… and at the end, well, you will have found yourself.
The Necessity of Life
The photo I am using for this post is one I took several months ago. I could never think of a good purpose for it until now, but I think it does a fair job conveying the meaning in what I’ve written. The focus of this post is the writing which was inspired by Matt and Roni whose comments to a post I made earlier got me thinking. This is the result of that thought.
The Necessity of Life
The path is not always clear, and the destination rarely known.
And while purpose evades us, evasion concerns us yet all the while we seek but hope.
But what reason have we to find our place or fall with grace if death is what awaits?
And what purpose will our achievements serve when we are gone if their sole end was to lead us to ours?
Do not think that existence of self is defined upon the precondition of necessity, for we are all singularly unnecessary.
We will die and fade as our self-serving accomplishments and possessions outlast us far beyond the care of those who succeed us.
And while the pleasures of living are certainly grand, the inevitability of dying will never be escaped… despite our greatest efforts.
Why then search for purpose, what can be found that has even a semblance of permanence?
A great man once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Perhaps this is true, but either way,
The examined and unexamined life both end with death – that is the single greatest truth of life.
The source of life’s significance lies in its end. For if we all lived forever, nothing would truly matter anymore.
Gone would be the need for hope, love, generosity, compassion, mercy…
Immortality would destroy the very things that make us live, the very things that make us human.
And in being human we must accept the conditions of our life and death or suffer the consequences.
We were not born to live a life of isolation or self-importance. We were not born to find immortality.
And though we are all singularly unnecessary, together we form the fabric that transcends all meaning and purpose.
Together we experience hope, love, generosity, compassion, mercy…
Together we experience the necessity of being alive.
The path is not always clear, and the destination rarely known.
And while purpose evades us, evasion concerns us yet all the while we seek but hope.
But what reason have we to find our place or fall with grace if death is what awaits?
And what purpose will our achievements serve when we are gone if their sole end was to lead us to ours?
Do not think that existence of self is defined upon the precondition of necessity, for we are all singularly unnecessary.
We will die and fade as our self-serving accomplishments and possessions outlast us far beyond the care of those who succeed us.
And while the pleasures of living are certainly grand, the inevitability of dying will never be escaped… despite our greatest efforts.
Why then search for purpose, what can be found that has even a semblance of permanence?
A great man once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Perhaps this is true, but either way,
The examined and unexamined life both end with death – that is the single greatest truth of life.
The source of life’s significance lies in its end. For if we all lived forever, nothing would truly matter anymore.
Gone would be the need for hope, love, generosity, compassion, mercy…
Immortality would destroy the very things that make us live, the very things that make us human.
And in being human we must accept the conditions of our life and death or suffer the consequences.
We were not born to live a life of isolation or self-importance. We were not born to find immortality.
And though we are all singularly unnecessary, together we form the fabric that transcends all meaning and purpose.
Together we experience hope, love, generosity, compassion, mercy…
Together we experience the necessity of being alive. Fall Curves
Here are a few shots I took this weekend from South Boston’s Harbor walk… nothing too spectacular, just some curvaceous perspectives that caught my eye.
Bare Leaves
I originally took this shot for the tree lined path and the bench in the foreground, but in post-processing I noticed that the trees on the right side of the path are bare, while the ones on the left still have leaves on them. It is kind of a strange configuration, but it adds some unintended character to the photo.
Just Around the Corner
I really like this one for some reason. It’s simple without an immediately visible point, but the puddle of leaves on the ground positioned right at the corner of the railing seemed an interesting focal point for the photo, perhaps symbolizing the shifting seasons.
I originally took this shot for the tree lined path and the bench in the foreground, but in post-processing I noticed that the trees on the right side of the path are bare, while the ones on the left still have leaves on them. It is kind of a strange configuration, but it adds some unintended character to the photo.
Just Around the Corner
I really like this one for some reason. It’s simple without an immediately visible point, but the puddle of leaves on the ground positioned right at the corner of the railing seemed an interesting focal point for the photo, perhaps symbolizing the shifting seasons. Streaming Customs
Here are two shots I took of a new fountain in Boston that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. I stumbled upon it the other day while walking to the Boston Harbor Hotel. I don’t know the name of it, but it has a great view of the city. The clock tower in the background is the customs house clock tower which stands out nicely compared to the other buildings. Since the fountain streams seem to be competing with said tower it shall so be named.
Streaming Customs 1
Streaming Customs 2
Streaming Customs 2
Holding On… Letting Go
Fall betrayed me this past weekend by raising temperatures into the 80s with around 100% humidity. My friends called me crazy for wishing for cooler weather, but I’m a firm believer that fall should be fall. Interestingly enough, they’re not the only ones still wishing for warmer weather. Some of the flower patches around Boston, once white, pink and red, have been replaced with new flowers of the fall variety. I have nothing against flowers and I definitely think they look nice, but flowers should not look this spectacular this time of year. So for today’s post I’ve written a little something about letting go… I extrapolated the subject matter quite a bit, so don’t think that it’s all about flowers 😉
Patchwork
Why do people hold on so dearly to things meant to pass? Is it fear? Is it love? Or is it some jigsaw puzzle of both that we arrange piece by piece so that we may bring order into our lives? Does this order even buy us happiness, or does it preoccupy us with its quest as we incessantly mash our puzzle pieces together until they are dull and frayed? We hold on to so many things in life – habits, people, objects, seasons, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, pleasures, desires… and the list goes on. Some of these things are indeed conducive to happiness, but holding on to any one of them leads to pain and suffering. Is it any surprise, then, that when we try to put them all together the resultant product is a hodgepodge of ill-formed logic and emotional distress? Most of us today would agree that knowledge is power, yet with the advent of knowledge and technology, depression and unhappiness have run rife.
Where, then, should we look for the answers? Should we turn to God? No, for by now we are all well aware of the dangers of preaching the validity of one man’s God over another. Should we abandon knowledge and technology altogether in a grand revival of the dark ages? Should we let go of everything to the detriment of ourselves and our neighbors? Surely we have evolved out of such practices for a reason, but we have also evolved into other practices which were never meant to be. When we are not holding on, trying desperately to construct our life, we worry that we may lose it completely. We compare and cross-reference everything to ensure we have the best car, house, spouse, etc. But in doing so many of us have lost track of who we are.
I propose a different solution. Letting go – not of responsibility and accountability, but of self. Our egos have grown with our knowledge and pushed us further away from each other. While we were once dependent on our neighbors for survival, today we put up fences to keep them out. Why? Do we love our privacy, or fear our neighbors? Too much energy is focused on the “right” thing to do and the attainment of the “perfect” life. But perfection is an illusion that has grown with the ego of man. Let it go, let it all go. Be spontaneous, be unpredictable, be the moment, and for God’s sake, throw your puzzle pieces on the floor so you can play twister… it’s way more fun.
Fall Roots
Why do people hold on so dearly to things meant to pass? Is it fear? Is it love? Or is it some jigsaw puzzle of both that we arrange piece by piece so that we may bring order into our lives? Does this order even buy us happiness, or does it preoccupy us with its quest as we incessantly mash our puzzle pieces together until they are dull and frayed? We hold on to so many things in life – habits, people, objects, seasons, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, pleasures, desires… and the list goes on. Some of these things are indeed conducive to happiness, but holding on to any one of them leads to pain and suffering. Is it any surprise, then, that when we try to put them all together the resultant product is a hodgepodge of ill-formed logic and emotional distress? Most of us today would agree that knowledge is power, yet with the advent of knowledge and technology, depression and unhappiness have run rife.
Where, then, should we look for the answers? Should we turn to God? No, for by now we are all well aware of the dangers of preaching the validity of one man’s God over another. Should we abandon knowledge and technology altogether in a grand revival of the dark ages? Should we let go of everything to the detriment of ourselves and our neighbors? Surely we have evolved out of such practices for a reason, but we have also evolved into other practices which were never meant to be. When we are not holding on, trying desperately to construct our life, we worry that we may lose it completely. We compare and cross-reference everything to ensure we have the best car, house, spouse, etc. But in doing so many of us have lost track of who we are.
I propose a different solution. Letting go – not of responsibility and accountability, but of self. Our egos have grown with our knowledge and pushed us further away from each other. While we were once dependent on our neighbors for survival, today we put up fences to keep them out. Why? Do we love our privacy, or fear our neighbors? Too much energy is focused on the “right” thing to do and the attainment of the “perfect” life. But perfection is an illusion that has grown with the ego of man. Let it go, let it all go. Be spontaneous, be unpredictable, be the moment, and for God’s sake, throw your puzzle pieces on the floor so you can play twister… it’s way more fun.
Fall Roots
Sheraton vs. Prudential
Sheraton vs. Prudential
In the left corner we have the Sheraton hotel, in the right, the Prudential Center. If ever there was a more uncommon match up I have certainly never seen it. Though the battle raged for hours in the end there was only one victor…. not exactly, they were both still standing, but the Prudential Center is way cooler so I declare it the winner. Yeah I know, cop out story but it’s my off Friday and I have laundry to do so that’s all you get : P
Uplifted
In the left corner we have the Sheraton hotel, in the right, the Prudential Center. If ever there was a more uncommon match up I have certainly never seen it. Though the battle raged for hours in the end there was only one victor…. not exactly, they were both still standing, but the Prudential Center is way cooler so I declare it the winner. Yeah I know, cop out story but it’s my off Friday and I have laundry to do so that’s all you get : P
Uplifted
Urban Foliage
City dwellers meander through the streets smelling the cold air as their chaffed hands dig into their pockets for warmth. Finding some comfort there they stop for a moment to absorb the changing weather, speculating that fall may have arrived. The clouds overhead clear to reveal dark blue skies scattered with dim stars and bright city lights that have have begun to take on a harsh and brittle appearance. By this time the cold air has seeped into their pockets causing shivers to run through their entire bodies. They march on, left with their speculations and chaffed hands hoping that there is at least a slight possibility that they are wrong. But nature knows far better than to leave its power in the hands of man. And though she is somewhat hidden in this urban landscape, she calls out to those most discerning, confirming their speculations with gifts of color. Pockets are no warmer for receiving these gifts, but hearts light up as the city’s cold harshness is transformed into a more subtle expression of nature’s call.
Intercontinental
Welcome to the Intercontinental Boston – Hotel and Luxury Residences. This is one of the newest and most beautiful buildings in the city as well as the most reflective building I have ever seen. It provides blinding reflections of the surrounding buildings during the day, and fills the sky with it’s blue lighting at night. I’m not sure what those blue pillars are, but they look damn cool. 
