Covering the Austrian Panopticonic Eye
In London, two Austrians were detained because they were taking digital images of buses. The police invoked “fighting terrorism” as the reason they required the deletion of the images from the tourists’ camera.
Incarcerating the Amateur Photographer
It was once a hobby of many – taking photographs of the beautiful trains that crisscross the countryside. There are so many different trains and, judging by the number of model train enthusiasts, a considerable number of people interested in looking at them. Amtrak recently sponsored a contest to take photographs of its own trains. The winner would get a thousand dollars in travel vouchers and get their photo published in Amtrak’s annual calendar.
The Obama Bible and the Danger of Close Associations
Are we getting a little creeped out with Barack Obama’s obsession with linking his presidency to Abraham Lincoln’s? I get the cultural and racial connection that binds them together in history, but imitating Lincoln’s train ride from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. for Obama’s inauguration seemed a bit much — until it was announced yesterday that Obama would be sworn in with his hand on the Lincoln Bible — and the whole shebang went over the top into silliness. Here are some images of that Bible with some color correction to compensate for the overly golden tone of the official versions.
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In Celebration of Amtrak
by Evan Stair
Amtrak is at a critical point in its history. Never before have the threats been so real to the sheer existence of this passenger carrier. Within the next four years Amtrak will be required to live up to the provision of its original charter. It will be required as any business to become self- sufficient or throw in the towel. Many believe that this true privatization will be a welcome relief to United States taxpayers. There is little doubt that Amtrak will change and more than likely shrink or completely pass the way of the steam engine outside of the Eastern seaboard commuter corridor. Many will lament the end of a colorful alternative to the highway or the air.
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