Checking out Barack Obama's official presidential portrait released earlier today, made me feel thankful that I don't work in a federal office building. After 8 years of seeing the smirking chimp whenever I came through customs at JFK, could you imagine trying to get work done with his successor's handsome mug? There's something about that slight, knowing smile barely forming on his face. Calm and confident, warm and reassuring. Continuing to pay it forward via the internet, it's the first of its kind to be taken by digital camera. Smile and the world smiles with you. Of course that's a piece of cake when you've got a megawatt grin. But smiling with your eyes is a skill that only the likes of Top Model have been able to master. Here's looking at you, Mr. President-elect. You've made Tyra proud.

Labels: Barack Obama, photos

Breaking news from the department of obvious comes the widely expected announcement that Washington's new golden boy has been named Time's Person of the Year. And while this clearly gets filed under "no shit, Sherlock," the accolade is richly deserved. The most improbable of longshots overcame back alley knife fights with both the Democratic establishment and a make believe maverick while simultaneously rejuvenating America's image, forever changing the campaign template for future politicos. Reporter David Von Drehle echoes the inevitability as such:

"He hit the American scene like a thunderclap, upended our politics, shattered decades of conventional wisdom and overcame centuries of the social pecking order."

After parlaying the "You" acknowledgement in '07 as a resume reference, this reasoning sounds about right.



While the final choice was a no brainer, brainstorming went underway for the JV squad. The also rans with lovely parting gifts were Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and film director Zhang Yimou, who designed the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.

But all of that is besides the point since the good folks at Time buried the lede. The real gem of the story is the online feature reveals #44 at his adorkable best. Previously unseen photos of the president-elect striking poses as a freshman at Occidental College taken by amateur lenser Lisa Jack back when I was still gurgling Gerber in 1980.

She doesn't remember much about first encountering him at the Cooler, a campus snack shop. "He was really cute," she says. "What else does a 20-year-old girl remember?"

Does it matter that I'm mentally reliving Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5" because of the Panama hat?

No question O-man could've gotten the business, magnetic bracelet be damned.

From Barbizon rising star to Time cover magnet almost 3 decades later. What a strange and remarkable trip it's been.

Labels: Barack Obama, photos, politics, Time magazine

I hardly ever do random picture posts, but I can't help but be suckered into taking the trusty Sony Cybershot out of storage to get click happy around this time of year. Take for example these gorgeous poinsettias from my office lobby. Hell, half the time I don't even stop to notice whether the poor squeegie cleaners are in my way as I barrel through Starbucks in one hand, handbag & two newspapers in the other. But sometimes it pays to stop and smell the holly & ivy.

Of course the Christmas tree in the middle of South Street Seaport is no Rockefeller Center, but considering the utter death wish Midtown is looking like, I'll take downtown Manhattan for $200, Alex. The roving photog will be adding more editions to this as the 12 days of Xmas tick down to the final days. Stay tuned...

Labels: Christmas, holiday, Lower Manhattan, New York City, photos

These are a couple of digital clicks I took of Leela James at Tower Records' Greenwich Village branch locale on June 27th during an album signing/in-store performance on which I previously wrote a review about here. But aside from soaking up the soulful sounds, showing up early for an eagle eyed view does have its privileges, so why not share the fruits of my two-hour-stand-in-high-heeled-boots labor?

I finally got around to finishing off my camera's memory stick and actually reading the damn manual, so I'm snap happy like hell. Think I just found my new obsession to keep me busy... Enjoy!

Labels: Leela James, music, photos