Street Art: A Portrait of Main South

This Friday, Main South Speaks is presenting an art exhibit featuring the street photography and graffiti of local youth we've been working with for the past few months.



Food from one of my favorite restaurants, One Love Cafe, music from a handful of local bands, and the chance to talk with the artists themselves!



What:Gallery of Main South Speaks graffiti and street photography. Catered by One Love Cafe.
When:December 14th 6-9 PM
Where:Dana Commons, Clark University
Cost: Absolutely nothing

I Am Wendy

"Do you want to do a Wendy's commercial?" my buddy Dennis asked me not so long ago.

He's the guy who directed that genius set of Buckley's ads where people are taste testing Buckley's and foul tasting substances like "Public Bathroom Puddles" and they are unable to tell the difference. (There's a set just online if you can't get enough of them).

I figured it would be a good time. Sleep in a hotel, hang out with an old friend, not compromise my integrity. Really, how bad could it be?

This idea is that I run around like a crazy person at the Michigan v. Ohio State game at The Big House to get people to cheer "Hot, juicy burgers" with me while Dennis hides in the bushes watching it all unfold.

It wasn't too bad, except that there were a hundred thousand drunk Michigan students just looking for a reason to tear apart anyone wearing red or had anything to do with Ohio (the late, great Dave Thomas' home state).




Even with the odds stacked against us, we had fun and had some amazing seats in the front row behind the goal post. Too bad we don't really like football and left around halftime.

One big perk is that we get our meals comped. Detroit is home of American Coney Island, where Dan Dan the Hot Dog Man proudly displays an award for the nation's best chili dogs.


After a quick break at home for Thanksgiving we were off to Cleveland for a Celtics v. Cavaliers game.



Another great time, plus I got to meet the Cavalier girls!

Mountain Clowns Part 2

Here's a photo gallery of our underground adventures in flash or html for more photos.

Mountain Clowns: Part 1

We sit crammed into the BMW mini cooper practicing Japanese lessons racing past cow-filled fields and rusted out trucks. It's the only two door without a flat bed on the horizon. The close quarters don't bother us; we've spent 14 hours in them to get here. The closeness is almost comforting in the strange countryscape.

The day before we had tried to meet some of the locals and were met with the mixture of terror and skepticism one conjures up when seeing four oddly dressed urbanites step out of a clown car in the mountains.




"Mountain Clowns" Jurek calls us. Not far from the truth.



The clowns pulled up to the entrance to Scott's Hollow Caves looking for an escape from the office, the city, the banality of urbanity. We decided to seek it underground.

We were greeted by Mike and Jan, the husband and wife operators of the Scott's Hollow Caves, along with Mike and Alex, the guides that would be leading us through part of the 28 mile subterranean labyrinth.

"Have you ever lost anyone?" I joke.

"Naw," Mike said. Then after a moment of thought, "Well, there was that one time Mike lost someone and we had someone go back to find them. But that's not really lost."

This clown was not laughing...

We get our gear on and go through the procedure. Nothing out of the ordinary except we sign away any liability suits we may file in case of injury or death. My mind flashes back to the lost caver wondering through the absolute darkness resigned to eat cave newts until death wraps her thin fingers around the already emaciated throat sucking the last whisp of...

"Down ya go!"

I snap back. Down?

Mike lifts a piece of plywood to reveal a rusty tube pointing into the ground.

Our companion Rob bravely struts over to the tube and halts. Looking down the hole his eyes go wide, his face pales. I start to sweat. I'm not crazy about heights and I'm than a little claustrophobic. Nothing like a 50 ft tube point into darkness to stimulate both these fears. I go next.

I race down the ladder as quickly as possible kicking myself for not having written my will yet. I reach the bottom rung and put my foot down onto nothing. I missed the clown car. Was this really what I am here for? To scare the shit out of myself? After I reach bottom and untuck my coveralls from my boots just in case.

Once every makes it to the bottom, all fears disappear. With the six lights combing the walls everything is well lit and the beauty of the place overcomes me. We walk comfortably into the darkness.



I'm in great spirits and ask about everything from the effects of water on limestone vs. shale, how many years of caving experience these guys have, types of animals we may encounter, etc.

We are moving at a pretty fast clip. On our first water break our guide Mike mentions that he is actually breaking a sweat and we might try some of the tougher parts of the cave.

"Apparently he has not made it to the stage of hallucination that comes with over-exertion," I think staring at bright lights down an endless crevasse. The day has only begun.

Back in the US

The readjustment to the US wasn't as difficult as a thought it would. The tough part is office culture. I accidentally prevented my boss from scoring a waitresses number at one of our afternoon outings and have feared for the security of my position ever since.

Here's a fast forward of life back in the US.

Back in the US taking my photo in a huge silver baked bean in Chicago.


The huge silver baked bean in Millennium Park. I must note here that Mayor Daley is one of my favorite mayors in the United States right now... Right after my buddy Bing.


Here's a water feature in Millennium Park: a fantastic example of Chicago's continued dedication to the development of open public space.


After a stroll through Millennium Park, it was off to a local neighborhood festival celebrating local fashion and culture.


While these are photos of Chicago, I am in Worcester, MA. This is a piece of graffiti I photographed for a youth organization I started a couple years back called Main South Speaks. The site was down at the time of this posting, but should be up soon.

During my last couple of weeks in Mexico I traveled with a good friend of mine, Juan Rojas, who I helped create the website The Image Octopus which is an online space dedicated to visual research and anthropology.

My time with Juan certainly made me more aware of the use of public space by governments, communities, and dissenters.

Since I am not longer traveling, this "travelog" will be shifted to a place to play with ideas for research and writings I am doing. Fear not though. Future travels are always right around the corner.

Anthropolgy Museum of Mexico

Mexico City is a massive city. No one is really sure how many people live here, but most estimates are between 25 and 30 million. Anything and everything exists here amongst the colonial Spanish architectural backdrop.

I went to the Anthropology Museum with my friend Juan who is working towards his PhD. in anthropology. Kind of like having my own tour guide to show me around. It was certainly better than the previous evening when the police decided to give me a personal tour of the inside of the station at 3 in the morning, but that's a different story...

Anthropology and cultural heritage is extremely strong here in Mexico. There are constant references to indigenous cultures ranging from the Mexica to the Aztecs to the Maya. It is this combination of new world and old world traditions that makes travel throughout Mexico such an interesting experience.

Mexican Street Food

"If you are what you eat, then I'd be cheap and easy." Anon

As the Latin American food feature writer for Suite101 I think it my duty to try all the different types of food available to me. Which is convenient, because I love street food.

Not only is it slimming, but it is a true taste of what the majority of Mexicans eat. I have had more conversations around the taco stand with locals than anywhere else. A willingness to eat what they eat makes you much more accessible and real in a lot of ways.

Aside from participating in the local culture, there is always the chance you will become violently ill. Not just a little case of indigestion, but a feverish cold sweaty condition that allows you to do little else than lay flat on cold tile so you're never more than three second from the toilet for days. (from experience)

It is this chance of this gut-wrenching-pain-to-the-point-of-contemplating-suicide side effect that makes eating street food a little dangerous, and that much more exciting. Every adventure needs to have a little danger, and culinary adventures are no different.

Click here for a gallery of food images including some not seen here. (You'll be seeing a lot of galleries from now on.)

Or here for more street food thoughts and recipes.

Photos from Mexico

Here's a set of my favorite photographs from my Mexican experiences. I've linked caption to relevant articles or blog entries I've written for those curious.

Also, click here for a sweet photo gallery of these images if you'd like.


A Zapatista woman and her child. The reason I came was to study current conflicts and how local indigenous people participate in reshaping their world.


Some Zapatista women presenting themselves for our research team.


Caving with some Zapatistas after interviews.


Your humble narrator checking out some local crafts near Oaxaca.


One of the last of the Lancandon indians surviving.


Subcomandante Insurgentes Marcos


Comandante David speaking at Tierradentro.
Suite101 article
Blog entry


Preparing for ceremonies in Santiago Atitlan.


Psychedelic Jesus on the cross on Easter in Santiago Atitlan.
Blog entry
Suite101 article


In the markets of San Cristobal.





Traditional back strap weaving. The folks in the background are the group I came with last year and were never forgotten this year.


Rice and beans on the boil. One of my favorite meals.


Typical landscape in the Maya communities of Chiapas.


Between serving beers, this guy was lighting fireworks off from his hand.


Mi peligrosita serving me my first cow brain.


Visiting a women's weaving co-op to teach a little English.


A Mac attack in a the community of Zinacantan .


Getting into the ring at a lucha libre match! Come get some!




Flame river snails in pox! A truly inspired recipe if ever there was one... Not all of my recipes have been quite so out there though.





Lago Tziscao is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been!

A young Chol fella cooling off in the Lagos de Montebello.
Suite101 article
Blog entry

Local indigenous gal from San Juan Chamula.

In a Zapatista community researching paramilitary activity.

Here's to the end. As with a bottle of mezcal, this trip too ended with a bit of a nasty surprise, but also a warm tingly feeling.