The younger boy, as he’s known, came down to the bunker an hour or so ago and showed me the photo above on his phone. He asked if I’d ever heard of Mark Cohen, and I said, “Of the Nashville Cohens?!” Which is both confusing and not nearly as funny as I’d hoped.
Turns out, Cohen is a photographer who did most of his work around here — in the Upper Pierogi Belt. The picture he showed me was taken in 1976 and is titled Boy In Yellow Shirt Smoking. It’s reportedly Cohen’s most famous shot, and it was snapped in Scranton. I was not familiar, but instantly intrigued. I started doing some Googlin’ and that dude is pretty damn amazing. Here’s a good overview, and this is another. And here’s an odd bit of footage of him walking around Wilkes-Barre just walking up to people on the street taking their pictures — complete with obnoxious flash. I don’t really understand how somebody hasn’t kicked his ass yet, especially when he starts photographing peoples’ legs, and shit like that.
In any case, his photos are fantastic and right up my alley. I love stuff like this. He calls it “intrusive street photography,” which seems like a good descriptor. I feel like I might become a bit obsessed with this guy and his work now. And I didn’t know anything about him 90 minutes ago. A fresh obsession!
— And since we’re on the subject, here’s perhaps my most famous shot. It’s entitled Mr. Funnelpants Checks His Balance. I’m selling prints for $10,000 each. Serious inquiries only.
— I had a small but significant victory this morning, my friends. It was a long time coming too. For the past decade, maybe more, I’ve been attempting to secure the URL adsvsreality dotcom. Some sleazy company owned it for years, and was attempting to sell it for thousands of dollars. But I kept an eye on it, and noticed the asking price recently started dropping. It was still too much for me, but it got all the way down to $599 at one point. Still deep in “funk dat” territory, but it got my hopes up. Maybe those pirates were souring on it, and might eventually let it go? Then there was a mysterious auction that took place… I wanted to bid on it, but got spooked when the auction site asked me to send a photograph of my driver license, and a selfie of me holding the license. I mean, what the hell, man? It bugged me that I had to pass on the opportunity, but something felt off about the whole deal.
And today I just randomly checked it at GoDaddy, like I do a couple of times per month, and it was available! Not at a premium price, but just a regular everyday URL. I think I actually pumped my fist in the air and quickly purchased it — for $12.99. I should’ve bought it many years ago, when Ads vs Reality was popular and kicking. But it never occurred to me, ’cause I’m dumm. Oh, I probably won’t do anything with it (or maybe I will?), I just didn’t like the idea of someone else owning it. Is that weird? I didn’t think so.
— I’ve never dabbled with facial hair, except for one brief and mortifying era in California, but have about six days worth of growth going as I type this. It started over the weekend, rooted in nothing but laziness. Then the snow came, and I took Monday off from work, which super-sized the half-assery. By Tuesday I had something going, something I’d never seen before. And I’m letting it ride, baby! At least for the time being. Toney says it looks “terrible.” But it’s new to me and I find it mildly fascinating. It’ll be gone by Monday, for certain. But for now I’m just seeing what happens.
— I believe I mentioned this already, but I’m not sure about it. A few weeks ago I re-launched the weekly email. It comes out every Friday, and is a summary of all the Surf Reporty stuff that took place during the previous week. I think it’s pretty good. If you’re not signed up, you can rectify that here. And if you are signed up, and don’t want the emails, that’s cool. Just unsubscribe. It won’t hurt my feelings. Well, maybe a little. But I’ll survive.
— Earlier today I was listening to this Tom Petty album via Spotify. And mister, that thing is one of the most transporting albums of them all. For me, anyway. Several years ago there was a higher level of chaos than normal at the House of Kay and Toney and I were unable to take vacation together. Something to do with the hooligans. So, we decided we’d each take a trip alone. Toney met her sister in Myrtle Beach, which was kind of a cheat in my book. But I literally went on vacation by myself. I spent several days at Long Beach Island, NJ… all by myself. And during that trip I listened to that TP album nonstop, for reasons unknown. Now, when I play it or even hear a song from it, I’m transported back to that weird, disconcerting week. I wouldn’t do a beach trip alone again, I don’t think. I didn’t much care for it. I do love Tom Petty, though. A little more with each passing year, in fact. And that album has some kind of spooky quality that makes me slightly uneasy, but it’s a good kind of uneasy, if you can dig it.
Do you have anything like that? An album or song or even a smell, that takes you right back to some specific period in your life? At my previous job, which was inside a manufacturing plant, there was an area that I passed through on my way to the cafeteria every day that smelled EXACTLY like the old Dunbar Bowling Alley of my youth. Probably some cancer-causing agent that I was whiffing, but it always triggered a powerful nostalgia inside me. What do you have on this? Anything? Also, what are your thoughts on vacationing alone? It seems like a good idea, in abstract. But when it got down to reality… it wasn’t good for me.
And I need to call it a day, my friends.
I’ll see you guys again soon!
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The smell of fresh asphalt or tar always reminds me of returning to school in the fall. Why? The roof of the school had been freshly treated with roofing tar and for some reason whenever I smell it, I’m suddenly transported again to 3rd grade, standing in line for the slide!
Facial fuzz for me? No thanks. My stubble looks quite gray after one day of not shaving. I once grew a moustache millions of years ago. I wound up looking like Paul Blart: Mall Cop!
The smell of diesel fuel always transports me right back to Iraq 03-04…
Most old men from WV have goatees. . .
The smell of creosote takes me back to hot summer days at Jones Beach – the boardwalk pilings were waterproofed with it. Rollerskating at the brick rink, eating liverwurst sandwiches my mom and aunt would pack, and getting sand in my teeth. 10/10 would go back and do that again.
And anytime I hear Ravel’s ‘Bolero’ I an instantly transported back to one of the Smithsonians in DC, on a top floor back by the bathrooms (I think), where a loop of some orchestra was showing and was fascinating beyond understanding. I couldn’t have been more than 10 or 11, I don’t think, and so that thought of orchestras hadn’t yet entered my brain. Completely mesmerizing.
Not sure I’d mind a solo vacation. Can’t recall as I’ve ever had one, but that’s probably because I was boring and didn’t do much of anything during it.
Jones Beach, Long Island, NY??? Cool! My father loved that beach. We usually go to Robert Moses, but I still love Jones.
Speaking of Roller Skating and photos – check out Bill Yates: Sweetheart Roller Skating Rink (Tampa, Florida).
THAT was a great album! Have had a beard and stache for thirty years now. And recently got an eyepatch, to correct a weak eye. Arrrrrrr! I am sexy as hell now!
I grew a full beard in 1971, shortly after leaving a part-time college gig washing dishes that didn’t allow “facial hair” (wtf?). I subsequently never got around to shaving, so I’ve had a beard for 50 years (I do get around to trimming it). I’ve lost track of the number of cycles in which beards have been cool and very uncool. I abide.
My eyes are failing equally, but they still work for distance (I see like an eagle at a mile or more). So I wear reading glasses when I’m inside half a mile. I do wear an eyepatch occasionally, but since I need both my eyes to navigate, I wear it elsewhere. Once again, I abide.
John
I am wearing it at work. I see 2 of everything without it. I even wore my glasses over it instead of contacts to see if it improes. You see, I got whavked in the back of my head a month ago. After paramedics took me to the hospital, 7 staples and 6 stitches were required. After the staples were removed and the stitches fell out on their own.. ok everything was good, except for the 680 dollar ambulance ride. The I was sick at work and they forced me to get a covid test.said can’t come back until I get the results. When I got off the bus after the test, it was a 2 foot step.I fell again and busted my head back open in the back. I fear it is a concussion now.
My brother, we’re both too old to be getting whacked in the back of the head. Maybe you need to walk away from trouble before it erupts. Sometime after they installed my new cardio plumbing I learned that I didn’t need to win every argument. Now I just say to myself, “Always let the asshole get the last word.” Now I just need to remember not be the asshole and I got it made. Take care of yourself.
jtb
No confrontation. I was walking to work in the dark at 530. Someone just snuck up behind be and did the deed. Disoriented , I tried walking back home and got lost. Daylight ensued, and a couple saw me sitting on a curb, my Army sweatshirt drenched in blood. They called the ambulance. Now you know…the rest of the story. See how I slipped Paul Harvey in there?
Jeeze, AWG, I hope your luck takes a turn for the better.
I had an ambulance ride the other year. When I got home a few weeks later, I was going through the accumulated mail and found something from DC Fire and Rescue. I figured this would be the ambulance bill, but no. It was a customer satisfaction survey. “Did we arrive promptly?” “Were our staff courteous and professional?” “Overall, how satisfied were you with our service?”
I got that survey too. In the same envelope with the 680 bill.
Business trips are basically solo vacations. Not for me, but my friend is the master. Every day it’s shows, stadiums, restaurants, tours, tastings. Not sure how he gets away with it.
I have Mark Cohen’s photo book True Color and cannot recommend it enough. It may be out of print but available used.
That picture of you looks like if a DUI came to life
I read somewhere that long term memory and the brain cells that process smells are located very close to each other, which is why certain smells trigger intense (usually pleasant) memories. For me it is burning leaves. Walking home from elementary school every weekday at 3:15 pm in the late 1960’s, people would burn their Fall leaves at the curbside of their homes. There was no such thing as homework in those days so I was always happy, carefree, with the rest of my afternoon in front of me to ride my bike, watch Dark Shadows, eat a sammich, or whatever…I still get really happy when I smell that particular smell. Brings me right back.
Around 1995 or so I was part of a contest at work to grow a goatee. It made my face look skinnier (so all the ladies told me), so I have kept it for 25 years with no regrets. Of course it is now grey, but “distinguished”…
Malcolm, I think the McLuhanian interpretation of the smell/memory connection is that it dates from the time we smelled like dogs, which isn’t as distasteful as it first sounds. Subsequently we invented symbolic written language and traded an ear and a nose for an eye. Lost our sensory balance and our innocence. The McLuhannicks exclude the innocence part, but it scans.
John
When I was married (-adjacent), we never did separate vacations. I feel like travel is no fun, or a lot less fun anyway, if you don’t have someone to share the experience with.
I had a goatee for a year or so, but there was no upside. I shaved it.
The smell of creosote reminds me of our tiny back “deck” at the house in Brooklyn. The word creosote makes me suspect that I have perhaps stepped in Monsieur’s bucket.
Would monsieur care for a meent? It’s waaaaahfer theen.
I’ve traveled and vacationed by myself several times.
I spent a week in Kauai solo. It was ok but I would have preferred some company. I loved the island though. I went back with my wife about 14 years ago and really enjoyed it.
I also went on a live aboard scuba trip. I was on a 65’ sailboat with 21 other passengers and 5 crew members. Very no frills, it was all about scuba. We were diving 4-5 times a day. I had a great time hanging out with a bunch of strangers.
So in conclusion I guess results vary.
The smell of tomato plants takes me instantly back to my grandparents greenhouse full of tomato plants when I was about 5 years old. Love the smell of the plants, hate the fruit though.
I took a lengthy solo vacation driving from San Francisco to Juarez to Toronto, then back to San Francisco. A nice convertible car and a big stack of CDs – it was great. I won’t have time to do that again until I’m dead.
Never did a solo vacation but spent a lot of time alone at our place in Rhode Island.
The smell of crayons reminds me of kindergarten and first grade.
Thanks for posting about Mark Cohen. I find his photos fascinating and never heard of him until yesterday. Very cool!
Why the hell would I take a solo vacation when I can go with someone who critiques my driving?
jtb
The smell of mimeograph reminds me of elementary school. The smell of ferric chloride etchant reminds me of my college radio station.
Where in heaven’s name do you smell mimeograph? Even the third world has moved on to xerography. Have you been hanging out in the fourth world again?
John
My buddy Jon Hassel still has a stash.
When your buddy plays with my buddy Ry Cooder, which he has a dozen times or more since 1968, they install a mimeograph machine in the rhythm section and make imperfect modal copies all night. The audience gets as nostalgically high as the players. I’m not allowed to link to “One Cat, One Vote, One Beer” for obvious reasons, but check it out.
John
Hi guys! It’s been a while! How the hell is everyone?
I have SiriusXM in my truck. Usually it’s always back and forth between 60s, 70s and 80s station. But when I hear songs from the 80s, specifically 1984 & 85, I’m right back in the 80s to some of the best times I ever had.
The smell of musk perfume makes me think of my mom and I shopping at Hills Dept Store. It was the first perfume I was really into and that’s where I used to get it….along with a cherry slushy and a pretzel!
Hi Chick. The old gang, now mostly dead (or feeling that way), misses you. You sound good. Been working out on the Harley?
John
Hey JTB,
Doing well. Quit the medical shit and opened my antique shop. Been almost four years now! Lots health issues, auto immune crap, but still moving along.
Hope all is well!