


Camden Lock, London, England

This is a street market that Kelly, Tom and I went to while in London. It was very lively and had far too many choices for food. So many regions and countries represented at food booths--even Mexico with some slightly suspicious looking fajitas. The mulled wine was fantastic there especially.


If ABC News Covered the First Presidential Debate: LIBERTY HALL, Philadelphia, 1796. Welcome to this ABC News presentation of Vote 96, the first contested presidential election in American history. In 1788 and 1792, the Electoral College unanimously chose George Washington. Now John Adams and Thomas Jefferson are top contenders for the presidency, though, of course, there is a Clinton in the race, New York Governor George Clinton. Adams and Jefferson will be questioned by Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.
JEFFERSON: Though I reject the Tory cause, I would defend to the death a man's right to advocate it. What has your question to do with anything?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Vice President Adams, recently you told a closed-door meeting of fundraisers the Whiskey Rebellion began because backwoods Pennsylvania citizens are "bitter" and "cling to muskets and Methodism." Doesn't this statement prove you are an elitist, a phony, can't win and also are nowhere near as smart as me?
ADAMS: Voters wish to know about the French Revolution, state's rights, relations with Upper Canada, the controversy over the First Bank, the rumors of discovery of a smallpox vaccine. Prithee question me on any such matter of importance, sir.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Mr. Jefferson, you said that during the French and Indian War, you visited the site of the Battle of Ticonderoga, and "there were arrows whizzing all around my head." YouTube videos surfaced showing that on the date in question, you were actually attending class at the College of William and Mary. Though you have already apologized for this mistake 700 times, please apologize again. Be sure to grovel, and please make some tiny slip-up in choice of words so we have fresh material to obsess over.
JEFFERSON: What is YouTube?
GIBSON: Mr. Adams, you said you were in the family pew at your Unitarian church when your pastor advocated abolitionism. Then when pandering to voters in South Carolina, you said you were not in church that day. Isn't this the seeming appearance of the possibility of a pattern of contradictions?
ADAMS: Good sir, I prefer to speak of the issues, such as the John Treaty. Excuse me, I meant the Jay Treaty.
STEPHANOPOULOS & GIBSON TOGETHER: Gaffe! Gaffe! [They high-five each other.]
GIBSON: Mr. Jefferson, previously you opposed the Second Amendment, and you have cut verses out of your personal Bible because you don't believe in miracles. Now your leaflets say you love guns and God so much that you shoot firearms in church. When was the last time you actually fired a gun?
JEFFERSON: I do not see that as relevant.
JEFFERSON: He threatens us with a flintlock -- attack him! [Audience charges the stage.]
GIBSON: Oh -- the crowd is turning on me.
Love it--two of my favorite American historical figures (now that's a top ten list I should compile one day while bored). Not only is it highly amusing and historically nerdy, it also gives me a reason to use a 1776 icon. My only complaints however are the association with Obama as Adams and Clinton with Jefferson. It seems like it should be the other way around. Jefferson is the lofty idealist who could inspire as he did in the Declaration of Independence--this is closer to the 'rock star' image of Obama. Adams on the other hand, while not a personally charming individual, was an incredibly tough and dedicated fighter, much more policy orientated like Clinton. The point however still stands--posterity isn't going to care about some guy Obama chaired a charity organization with--it's going to care what he saw as America's problems and how he attempted to fix them--not whether he was wearing a flag pin on his lapel while he did it.
And with that, I shall leave you with this magnificent quote from 1776 to ponder:
Ben Franklin: Don't worry, John. The history books will clean it up.
John Adams: It doesn't matter. I won't be in the history books anyway, only you. Franklin did this and Franklin did that and Franklin did some other damn thing. Franklin smote the ground and out sprang George Washington, fully grown and on his horse. Franklin then electrified him with his miraculous lightning rod and the three of them- Franklin, Washington, and the horse- conducted the entire revolution by themselves.
[ pause]
Franklin: I like it.
I took this in City Centre in March and just never wanted to work on it due to an issue with the sky. Phil suggested I crop it and I am very glad indeed that I took his advice because I'm rather pleased with the end result. I wish the sky was as beautiful today--unfortunately it's been rather cold, gray and rainy as of late.









