Texarkana Dispatch

Texarkana: Twice as Nice! (This blog started as an email list back in 2006 as a way to post odd pics seen around Texarkana, TX and AR. Lots of religious references and dumb signs. But now it's on Tumblr and I'm in DC and it's mostly pics of stuff seen around DC. Lots of tourists and dumb signs.) See older stuff at http://texarkanadispatch.blogspot.com

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Abandoned aqua shoe at the black sand beach at Waianapapa, Hana, Maui

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Abandoned flip flop, Hana bay, Hana, Maui.

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Abandoned baby sneaker. 12th and E, NW, Washington, DC

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America, DC, Washington, 6th st NW

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Abandoned stiletto, E and 10th NW. Was wearer at Hard Rock Cafe, Ford's Theater, or FBI headquarters?

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Hair extensions in a planter, 6th st NW

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Hubcap Christmas tree, college park, MD

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Today at Lincoln Center: Bad dancer.

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Squirrel picking up dog poop.

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Bloody bandage in sidewalk. E st NW.

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Abandoned stroller, 11th street.

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Anti-gay "preachers" at entrance of nationals park.

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Bold sticker against the Washington football team's name. On a parking meter, 9th street NW

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Excellent depiction of just a hint of chest hair.

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Gettin their Van Halen on at Lichtenstein's big blue head

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Cap Fringe Review: Giant Box of Porn

It's Capital Fringe Festival time in DC and I saw my first show tonight: Giant Box of Porn.  The premise: a young married couple comes home to find that a giant box of porn (on VHS) has mysteriously appeared in their living room. 

In 5 years of going to CapFringe shows, I religiously choose at least a few "shock" shows (PORN! FUCK! SERIAL KILLERS! CANNIBALISM!) a year, to mixed results.  When they work, as did 2010's Horrors of Online Dating and 2009's Titus X, I'm shocked, but I also find that I'm challenging my assumptions while I enjoy some bawdy fun.  But when they don't work, like 2011's Hotel Fuck (which I still think was the worst show ever at CapFringe) or 2012's David Koresh musical, I find that there is little under the surface of the initial shocking idea.  I usually chalk this superficiality up to young artists; it's Fringe so I presume the playwright is some 20- or 30-something who doesn't have the depth of experience or hasn't developed the writing skills to really explore what's interesting under the idea.  

Giant Box of Porn, on the other hand, was written by a man who CAN write.  In one bright spot of the show, the author showed wit and playfulness as the wife tried to Google other instances of "giant box" or "large package" of porn before concluding, SHOCKED from the apparent result, that "it's ungoogleable."  Giant Box of Porn failed, though, because It felt like it was written by a 50-something man who thought he was being shocking but didn't even know how deeply he was anchored in his sad, dated concept of sexuality and relationships. It was, bright spots aside, 90 minutes of stereotypes.  

In the world of Giant Box of Porn, all women hate porn or, if they don't hate it, they have no idea why a woman would watch it.  And a woman can't ask for sex (even from her husband who she has fucked, presumably passively(?), for 6 years).  And men can't talk about sex in front of or with women who are mothers.  And women who are mothers can't like sex or porn. Oh, and women's shits are laughable.  And men who will be fathers must get rid of their porn on Craigslist. And all of this goes unchallenged. (The one "challenge" is relayed by the neighbor, Sherlock, about his girlfriend's embrace of kinky sexuality. It is presented as scary and laughable.)

Dammit.  This was just so offensive in so many ways, none of them the good ones.

(porn abstinence tableau at top, 2009)

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Government handouts for ducks?!?! Duck ramp at the national gallery sculpture garden fountain.