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I took this in Nieuwmarkt square in Amsterdam.  This was a much more low-key, out of the way spot with far less tourists than the rest of the city.  They had a small open air market where I bought a sweet Cornelian ring.  This hippy chick was selling some pretty cool jewelry, as well, but I found her badass bike decked out in flowers much more interesting.  As well as her dreadlocks.  If I ever move over there, I will turn into one dirty, dreadlocked girl.

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Yesterday I was doing some photo research under the keyword ‘heart.’  After digging through several pages of pink, kitschy, Valentine’s Day themed photos, I came across one that abruptly stopped me in my tracks.  It was a photo of the neon Erotic Museum sign in Amsterdam.  I clicked on the thumbnail to get a better look, and upon further inspection, realized I had taken a better photo than some professional photographer out there was paid to do.

I dug up the one pictured above, scaled it to be the same size as the online version, sent it to a colleague and asked for a comparison without telling which was mine.  The response I received was as follows, “I would like to believe that yours is the one that is shot at an angle, has good lighting and an actual composition.”

You are correct.  So here is the other photograph (ID# 71497144 by Richard Nowitz on Getty - I assume I must give credit or else run the risk of being sued, but I’m really just trying to prove a point.):

The point I want to make here is either 1. Getty is accepting sub-par images and they need to up their game and be more selective or 2. that I take as good or better photos than some professional photographers (not to toot my own horn here, but I don’t think you need to be a photo critic to see the difference).  I don’t actually know what the selection criteria is for choosing photos to add to their stock library, but I really can’t see why this particular image got into the collection.

As for Mr. Nowitz, I did check out more of his stuff on Getty and his personal website (linked above) and it’s safe to say that his collection is quite good.  I’m going to assume this was a fluke.

Last night I saw Nikka Costa at the Bowery Ballroom.  All I had was my phone to take pictures with, but as you can see, you don’t need a professional camera to capture this chick in action.

She’s like a modern day Janis Joplin, but with a little bit more definition to the frizzy hair and a less raspy voice.  But I’d say her style is most definitely retro with the big hoops, super wide pants, and huge gold belt.

It seems we have something in common as well: we both think that nipples are sexier than cleavage.  (No bra, white shirt.  You put the two together.  Nips everywhere.)

Her band was super tight and she had lots of horn instruments which usually make for a great show.  And a great show it most certainly was.

If she ever gets big, like Madison Square Garden big, I’ll be glad that I at least got to see her on a small stage.  It’s just not the same seeing a live performance in a room with a thousand people who all think they are the Most Hardcore Fan in the room.  Intimacy evaporates.

But I do hope she makes it off these small stages.  The girl’s got some crazy talent.

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The other day I was out to dinner with some very smart friends. While two were engaged in their own conversation, the third turned to me and asked, “How do you think quantum physics shapes human morality?” Whoa. What? My face went blank and I didn’t speak for a few moments until I laughed and told my friend that I was sorry, I didn’t mean to space out on him, but my mind started going about 100 miles an hour to come up with some kind of appropriate response. Surprisingly enough, I actually had one because of the fact that I had just read an amazing book that had a huge impact on how I look at the world: Ishmael.  And I’m glad I read it because it made me feel smart for a hot second.

I don’t really associate morality with quantum physics (think What the Bleep Do We Know? and The Secret). I think the easiest way to figure out morality is to look at immorality. What makes people immoral is our government and our society. By standardizing a code of law and saying that This Is Right and This Is Wrong, life becomes far too black and white. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that people are basically moral in nature and don’t mean to do harm. However, it becomes confusing when someone says “lying is wrong,” though, in truth, lying isn’t necessarily wrong in itself. It’s how it is used. For example (and I’m totally stealing this from the book, but it’s a great example), go back to Nazi Germany. You are hiding a Jewish family in your attic. Nazis show up at your door and ask if you know the whereabouts of said family. If your answer is yes, you have just sentenced an innocent family to death.

Each situation that a person is faced with is different in context and character, and there is no single response that can be used every time. A person should be able to call upon their own knowledge and understanding of the world in order to make the right call. Laws and commandments and regulations and rules create confusion and undermine our innate ability to think for ourselves. They also, as far as I’m concerned, are what create greed (”I want the rules to work for me.”) which, in turn, creates resentment, anger, and hate, and these eventually turn into violence.  And when are violence and cruelty ever moral?  The system works against itself.  By trying to keep people in line, the opposite has been achieved.

There’s a lot more to be said about this, but I’m pretty sure I just took a superbly radical stance on something that no one ever agrees on anyway: the government.  If you disagree with me, and I’m sure the majority of you do, then do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy of that book by Daniel Quinn.  After you read that, then we’ll talk.

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I think my favorite part of Amsterdam was the fact that I was on vacation, had nowhere to be, and no one to answer to.  Which is probably why I was sitting at the bar so early in the day.  In life’s all too stressful race against time, it’s nice to be able to relax once in awhile and let the world slow down around you.

I know they’re not roses, but these tulips look like they would sit nicely in the garden of the Queen of Hearts.  I’m thinking an Alice in Wonderland high fashion photoshoot is in order.  Going to need some models…

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When the rain clears and the sun comes out, it’s a beautiful, lively city.  It’s beckoning me to return.

I took this at the bar of the Winston in the Red Light District in Amsterdam.  The Winston is also a hostel and hotel where I stayed for the second half of my journey.  When I showed up, it was happy hour — 2 for 1 Stellas.  Immediately I knew I would get attached and share a special bond with this place, which is exactly what happened.  That is, until I woke up one morning, stepped out of my room, and saw a puke smeared, putrid smelling hallway that wasn’t cleaned up for hours.  At that point I knew I was ready to come home.

At least that isn’t what I use it for.  And if you think it is and send me messages like these, be prepared for mockery.

Here’s a tip just for you, Paul: go to a yoga class.  Chicks love them.  And it seems like the kind of ladies you are looking for probably don’t love messages on MySpace that sound like personal ads.

And I know you’re not creepy how?  You’re hitting on me over the internet.  For you I suggest lots of porn until you can get up the nerve to head to the bar and hit on some drunk chick that you might get lucky with if her beer goggles have gotten thick enough.  (Sorry, Cory, if you actually are cute, I wouldn’t know.  I deleted your message and blocked you after I took this screenshot.)

You’re right.  I can’t think of anything worse to do than write you back.  You don’t have a ‘firstname’ and you wished me Merry Christmas in June.

Uhhhhhhhhhhh… really?  Is that really appropriate?

Bet you don’t think I’m so nice anymore, Leo.  That’s because I’m not.  I’m a bitch.  And I eat boys like you for breakfast.  With syrup.

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One of my favorite things to do is to go into Sephora and get all lightheaded picking out a new perfume when I can no longer smell the old on on me anymore.  I recently switched to Pure Poison by Dior that I picked up first because, well, I judge a book by it’s cover.  I liked the packaging.  And it’s got those sexy oriental scents I’m so attracted to.  And come to find out, I don’t think the marketing is all that off.  I have reason to believe it really does have powers of seduction.  But then again, seduction isn’t making someone do what they don’t want to do. Seduction is enticing someone into doing what they secretly want to do already.*

*That quote is totally stolen and I feel it necessary to give due credit.