The Rise of The Sartorialist

Forbes.com did an interesting feature on Scott Schuman, GQ Magazine’s The Sartorialist. For those who are not familiar with his work, he has a section in the magazine where he photographs regular people on the street. He uses photography to seek out fashion trends and attitudes; it’s not Gordon Parks-style social commentary.

The Inauguration: Frozen in Time

Go to CNN.com’s “The Moment” site to see the really cool Photosynth, a Microsoft technology. It creates 3D spaces from everyone’s 2D photos of the Presidential Inauguration.

Contribute by sending in your photos, or watch as a piece of history is frozen in time!

The Washington Post’s Ann Telnaes’ Cartoon

The Washington Post recently published one of Ann Telnaes’ cartoons. In it, George H.W. Bush, with George W. sitting on his lap, tells the world how he would love for Jeb Bush to run for the US Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez, and to later run for president. At the news of this, George W. lets out a shriek, ultimately shattering the picture frame of Jeb in the background.

This cartoon, while simple, reveals quite a lot. George H.W. Bush plotting to have three generations of Bushes in the White House reminds me of “Manifest Destiny.”

Manifest Destiny was the historical belief that the United States was divinely ordained and destined to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Under this belief, not only was it good to expand, but it was both obvious (“manifest”) and certain (“destiny”).

I found this painting on Wikipedia. Painted by John Gast circa 1872, and titled “American Progress,” it’s an allegorical representation of Manifest Destiny. Columbia, a personification of the United States, leads the American settlers westward, stringing telegraph wire as she travels. She’s also holding a school book. The painting, then, highlights the various economic activities of the pioneers, as well as the changing forms of transportation. As you’ll notice to the left, the Native Americans and wild animals flee.

George H.W. Bush saying “I’d like to see [Jeb Bush] be president some day” suggests that he thinks that it’s his family’s destiny to control the most powerful office in the world.

Well, Papa Bush, thankfully we live in a society with elections. I certainly would hate having to flee as our native brethren did in centuries past. Granted, we’re not above making a mockery of elections (Bush v. Gore), now are we? With that said, though, I truly hope America has had enough of this family.