This is Sen. Ben Nelson, a congenial old Democrat from Nebraska. Many of us got to know him over the summer and into the fall when he refused to support health care reform.

This is Nelson explaining to a reporter why he isn’t going to vote on a proposal to cap ATM fees:

“I’ve never used an ATM, so I don’t know what the fees are,” Nelson said, adding that he gets his cash from bank tellers, just not automatic ones. “It’s true, I don’t know how to use one.

“But I could learn how to do it just like I’ve … I swipe to get my own gas, buy groceries. I know about the holograms.”

By “holograms,” Nelson clarified that he meant the bar codes on products read by automatic scanners in the checkout lanes at stores such as Lowe’s and Menard’s.

“I go and get my own seating assignment on an airplane,” Nelson said. “I mean, I’m not without some skills. I just haven’t had the need to use an ATM.”

Thank you, Senator. And thank you Alex Balk, as usual.

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Ben Nelson Knows About the Holograms

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Today in Inflated Numbers

On my recent trip to Washington, I paid homage to our distinguished former president at his new memorial on the National Mall.

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

The George W. Bush National Memorial

Jon Stewart on the “The Factor,” which is truly remarkable television.

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Gulliver in Lilliput, Part II

I’m sure by now you’ve all seen at least part of this but it’s worth watching the whole thing. Every minute is pure joy.

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Gulliver in Lilliput

So this has been my new ritual since Barack got sworn in as president: When I sit down at the computer to check my nightly vitals, I spend at least five or six minutes scouring the internet of new pictures of the commander-in-chief of my heart sitting in the Oval Office. I have an Oval Office fetish, actually. I know all kinds of trivia about it, the traditions that surround it’s re-decoration, who had what color carpet (Clinton: blue, Bush: yellow) and so on. My fascination with the most exclusive room in the world though is very separate from my feelings for whatever shit sack occupies it – until now.

President Obama has had a pretty busy first week and he hasn’t gotten around to redecorating yet. He’s taken down most of Bush’s art, most replacing, if I’m not mistaken, a portrait of Teddy Roosevelt with one of Abraham Lincoln. (Washington still graces the mantle.) Bush’s yellow rug, couches and drapes are all still present. And the laptop Obama promised to place on the FDR desk still has yet to materialize.

This is all based on the couple of pictures that exist of Obama’s oval office. There are, in fact, only a handful of them. By the end of an administration, official White House photos of the president and his guests in the Office abound. But a week in, there are three official ones including the one up top and a handful of wire images from when Obama signed the order to close Guantanamo Bay.

One thing that I just started thinking about while writing this is why all the art in the Oval Office has to be America-themed. Like, if they filled the walls with Pollocks and Van Goghs and Kneels, would anyone meeting with the president forget that they were in the office of a head of state? I don’t think so. Why limit yourself to the same handful 19th century oils? 

Anyway, the thing I’m really trying to share with you is that it’s amazing to see this guy sitting at the desk in there. That’s really my point. 
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This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Pictures of Obama’s Oval Office

This is a story from the New York Times today that’s worth taking a look at. It’s written by an Iraqi sculptor and, not surprisingly, provides a new view of how terrifyingly dark and impossibly fucked up it is there.

So every time I pick up my pen and try to sketch, I find myself drawing scenes of death, and when I try to think of it as a way to let off steam a little, I start to feel pity for the person who is going to see it.

See?

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Art in Iraq (Updated)

Park Slope as metaphor for America: a bank on every corner and nowhere to buy bread
1 minute ago from txt

I think that’s pretty much sums it up.

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Twittering the Truth

Eliot Spitzer is no longer New York’s governor come next working week. Takers?

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

Fifty Bucks Says…

Merry Christmas, everybody. I hope you’re enjoying quality time with your family, thinking about the birth of Christ, etc. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you know, like me, then I hope you enjoy the day, few days, off from work or school or whatever it is that occupies your time. Here’s what’s been occupying mine:

• Last week, after about 9 months of “interning,” I began work as a contributing editor over at Wonkette, Gawker’s political site. I finally have a regular gig that also happens to be sort of a dream job! So, you know, go and check out my handiwork and stuff, even if you hate politics! So we do! Mine are the posts that say “Greg Wasserstrom” next to them and for the moment, I write 5 per day. To celebrate, I’m writing this entry in the style of one of my ubiquitous headline roundups. [Wonkette]
• Tiny Vices included me in a recent update, took me like more than a month to find out about it. Also, I friended Tim Barber on Facebook and OMG we’re totes friends now. [Tiny Vices]
• Finally stopped holding up the entire Fjord project. Opps! Sorry guys! [Fjord]
• Website tweak and a couple of new photographs. [Home]

I think that’s everything. So, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year,

This is a post from Greg Wasserstrom’s Blog About Photography.

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