Bertel under "DeVine," a human-grapevine hybrid gyrating around Town Point Park!
Ok, watch this to the end: here's a NY student at ODU who knows the proper pronunciation!
She looks a little different nearly 25 years later...
Norfolk 2008
Norfolk 2008
Norfolk 1984You may remember my ire-filled rant at the FCC's rules bringing America to it's proverbial knees in fear, i.e. an anatomically-correct sock puppet was "blurred" on TV. I still scratch my head over how the FCC allows the TV show ER to show a breast that has been blown off by gunfire, i.e. no nipple, yet obligates a production studio to blur a sock puppet breast.
Well, imagine my abject horror to read this article in the Virginian-Pilot about offensive artwork being covered by styrofoam plates at Waterside's Mayer Fine Art. The photo shared by the V-P was sans decoration, so I had to see personally how the art-loving public would decorate the plate pasties. The gallery was closed so pardon the glare from the plate glass. The tasteful tassles are clearly visible as was the table of art supplies (to the left) provided by the gallery.
Thanks to gallery owner, Sheila Giolitti, for sharing the drawing by Erika Risko, Moore College of Art & Design in Philly. Both received bad press coverage over this incident which, ironically in America today, means GOOD press (ANY press is GOOD press).
While on one hand I think I can understand the reason for the covering (the gallery is next to the 2nd floor entrance of Jillian's), but I agree with one recent poster on the Urban Planet forum in a thread about the Virginia Arts Festival:
"We need more edge, more variety and a greater appreciation for what is going on in the rest of the world. Real art confronts--isn't always nice."
Read the comments after the V-P article. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority thinks this reaction was overkill and a bit ridiculous.
It's art. Maybe not your taste, but it's art.
Gotta love it! Thanks, Mark (Bert's brother), for sending this our way. Here is the article in its entirety; maybe our other family and friends will find it useful, too:
MY HOMETOWN
Of Time and Tides
There's more to Norfolk, Va., than the country's biggest naval base. Thomas Berger just needed a few years to realize it.
by Thomas Berger July/August 2008 issue
When I was growing up, Norfolk was not a popular place for tourists—it was a place where people just lived. And it was a kind of rough-around-the-edges seaport city. My friends Mike and Ilona, who still live in town, like to remind me that there was a monkey at the zoo who'd smoke cigarettes and flip kids the bird. That monkey was the real Norfolk.
Before a recent trip back to Norfolk (the stress is on the first syllable, pronounced nah; the pronunciation of the second syllable is unprintable in a magazine—well, most of them anyway), I hadn't been to my hometown in almost 15 years. After my parents moved away, there was little reason to return. But, in the past few years, I've noticed that scrappy Norfolk has turned into quite the destination.
Downtown Granby Street, which once wasn't very safe even during the day, is now lined with restaurants and trendy bars like Bodega, which has a tapas menu and "the best bartender on Granby," according to my friend Kevin. There's also a fancy new cruise port next to Nauticus, a combination ocean-science and naval-history museum. The kid in me liked strolling around the deck of the USS Wisconsin, a decommissioned World War II battleship staffed by retired Navy personnel.
But what made my recent visit most enjoyable was rediscovering the spots that have been around for years, such as the Donut Dinette. I went there the morning I arrived for a hearty breakfast of eggs, corned beef, and hash browns. (I had to stop back a couple of days later just for the doughnuts, which are not made on Mondays in the summer.)
The diner is down the street from an art-house theater, Naro Expanded Cinema, that used to be the place to go for $3 double features and midnight showings of Stop Making Sense. The theater still screens cult flicks, but it's now one movie for $8. After a matinee, you can get a cheeseburger at Dog-n-Burger Grille and sit outside in the picnic area.
For a caffeine fix, there's a cozy coffeehouse nearby that's run by Elliot Juren. A few years ago, he closed his popular restaurant, Elliot's, to take some time off. It wasn't long before he was looking for something else to do and noticed the stream of people heading for a certain national coffee chain across the street from his wife Gail's collectibles shop, Texture. So he opened Elliot's Fair Grounds, a café that has board games and free books. Downstairs at Texture, I was tempted to buy a clock made from a folding camera.
A couple of my favorite Norfolk sights are the Hermitage Museum and the Chrysler Museum of Art. On the banks of the Lafayette River, the Hermitage was once a private home built by William and Florence Sloane, who made their fortune in textile mills. There's a beautiful collection of Japanese snuff bottles, and kids will love checking out the hidden door and passageway. The Chrysler is another spot I know well because my mom was a docent there. The museum is in a sprawling Italianate mansion and known for its collection of glass, including works by René Lalique and a gorgeous group of Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps.
Norfolk has several historic homes downtown—many of which date from the late 1700s and early 1800s—that visitors can explore during the Historic Garden Week in the spring. If you want to spend the night in the area, I found a good B&B called the Freemason Inn. The breakfast was a three-course feast: fruit and yogurt, followed by poached eggs with salmon, and, to finish things off, a waffle topped with fruit and whipped cream.
That night, I joined Mike, Ilona, and another friend, Christine, for a Norfolk Tides game at Harbor Park. When I followed the Tidewater Tides, a farm team of the New York Mets, they played on a field by the airport. Now they have a new name, a nicer park, and they're affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles. The Tides won, but I didn't catch much of the game—that's the downside of going to the ballpark with people you haven't seen in decades.
I also met up with my friend Larry and his son Derek at Cogan's Pizza. When I first heard the name of the place, it didn't register, but then I realized that I'd been there when it was called Cogan's Instant Art Bar. A group of noted local beer experts (i.e., friends of Derek) claim that Cogan's has the best beer selection in town. There's also some interesting art on the walls, including a painting of a gorilla being attacked by aliens; the caption reads: FOR SPACEMAN STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, EAT AT COGAN'S.
On my last day, I had lunch at Doumar's Cones and Barbecue, a diner with curbside service. (To signal to a waitress, pull up under the awning and turn on your lights.) The $2 sandwiches are excellent, but the main draw is the ice cream, served in waffle cones hand-rolled on the premises.
On a sugar high, I then did something touristy: I went on a narrated cruise past the naval base aboard the Victory Rover. I'd taken a regular bus tour of the base, but the cruise let me see a bit of the city, as well as Portsmouth just across the river.
My final stop had to be the Virginia Zoo, which has been spruced up since I was a kid. The African exhibits have raised walkways, so you're now at eye level with the giraffes. And the monkeys are behind glass, so they won't be getting any cigarettes. I didn't try to find out if they know any obscene gestures.
LODGING
Freemason Inn, 411 W. York St., 866/388-1897, freemasoninn.com, from $145
FOOD
Donut Dinette, 1917 Colley Ave., 757/625-0061, from $5
Dog-n-Burger Grille, 2001 Manteo St., 757/623-1667, cheeseburger $4
Elliot's Fair Grounds, 806 Baldwin Ave. #2, 757/640-2899, fairgroundscoffee.com
Doumar's Cones and Barbecue, 1919 Monticello Ave., 757/627-4163, doumars.com, from $2
ACTIVITIES
Nauticus, 1 Waterside Dr., 800/664-1080, nauticus.org, $11
Naro Expanded Cinema, 1507 Colley Ave., 757/625-6276, narocinema.com
Hermitage Museum, 7637 North Shore Rd., 757/423-2052, thfm.org, $5
Chrysler Museum of Art, 245 W. Olney Rd., 757/664-6200 , chrysler.org, $7
Historic Garden Week, 757/451-1512, vagardenweek.org, from $25
Norfolk Tides, 150 Park Ave., 757/622-2222, norfolktides.com, from $9.50
Victory Rover, 1 Waterside Dr., 757/627-7406, navalbasecruises.com, $16.50
Virginia Zoo, 3500 Granby St., 757/441-2374, virginiazoo.org, $7
SHOPPING
Texture, 806 Baldwin Ave., 757/626-0991
NIGHTLIFE
Bodega, 442 Granby St., 757/622-8527, bodegaongranby.com, tapas from $5
Cogan's Pizza, 1901 Colonial Ave., 757/627-6428, pints from $2.50
My neighbor, the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk VA, located at One Waterside Drive on the Elizabeth River was recognized as 2008 Public Works Project of the Year ($10M-$100M category) by the American Public Works Association.
Half Moone is the first U.S. cruise terminal built since 9/11 and was designated as a prototype for future terminals by the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS).
I took my first cruise from Half Moone and have enjoyed spectacular meetings and dinners in their spectacular glass atrium as well.
Just saw the new movie/documentary by Morgan Spurlock of TV's 30 Days fame (on FX, available via iTunes, too) at one of my favorite theaters, Norfolk's NARO.
You can view photos and trailers at IMDB. It's definitely worth a trip to the theater! I was touched at Spurlock's thoughtfulness and tenderness. He shows the Muslim and Jewish worlds in such a new light, one that the mainstream media doesn't allow you and me to see. And, they're just like you and me. The Global War on Terror (GWOT) seems so ridiculous after seeing this work.
If only the $500 Billion plus (yes, with a B) that's been spent on GWOT could have spent on EDUCATION and ECONOMIC opportunity for countries like Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan... how different ~ and better ~ would the world's view of America, and you and me, be?
And, as for the question "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?" I don't really care anymore.
Congratulations to the WHROlympians!!!
In spite of public broadcasting's reputation as being smart, but not athletic, the WHROlympians dominated at the inaugural Downtown Norfolk Corporate Olympics, a kickoff of Norfolk Festevents' HarborFest 2008.
There were seven events and eleven teams, including Nauticus, Goodman & Company (accounting firm), Bank of America, Virginian-Pilot.
First, Annie powered her way through a tricycle riding time trial.
Second, Chuck was blind folded and was instructed by Kim through a maze while sitting in an office chair. They blew the field away and came in first by a long shot.
Third, Homer and Michelle tossed a egg back in forth until it cracked in Michelle's hand on the fifth toss. (We still maintain the egg was defective.)
Fourth, Robin and her strapping husband Mark, performed a great synchronized chair routine to the music of Thriller. They were one of the top three teams that were allowed an encore performance for the entire crowd at the end of the Games. The kiss was a great addition!
Fifth, the five person team of Robin, Kim, Michelle, Joe and Annie took turns dressing and undressing in a timed race (you can ask them about the details). I think they came in second overall.
Sixth, the girls came through again when I joined Debbie, Kim and Robin to give Bobbie great moral support as she single-handedly dominated the competition with a perfect 10 score in the "pass the message" game. What a memory!
And finally, the whole team came together for the big event of the day, the Tug of War. In a bracket format competition, the WHROlympians ran through the brackets winning four straight matches (in probably less than 15 seconds cumulatively) to win the Tug of War. Bert was interviewed by one of the local TV news stations with the team in the background shouting and cheering (and he even got a pitch in for membership).
At the awards ceremony, the special awards were:
Best Costumes - Scallywags (Targeted Publications)
Best Spirit - (hmmm, don't remember, must have been the heat getting to us)
Best Cheering - WHROLYMPIANS
And then, based on the 7 events, the overall winners were:
3rd - Nauticus
2nd - Bank of America
1st Overall - WHROLYMPIANS
The plaques and the traveling trophy will be sitting within WHRO's awards hallway.
Thanks to Ginny for being team captain and coordinator, Megan for the designer shirts, Bobbie for the team moniker and the entire team for doing so well.
For more photos from the Olympics and HarborFest, courtesy of the Virginian-Pilot, click HERE.
And, of course, it was really, really fun. I was glad to be a part of such a wonderfully cohesive group. Every workplace should be this lucky to have such heartfelt camaraderie. Hmmm, do I hear another award-in-the-making ? ? ? ?
It was our infinite pleasure to meet David Sedaris on Sunday, October 7th and hear some of his stories read by the man himself at Chrysler Hall in downtown Norfolk,
that's pronounced...
Nor·folk [nawr-fuhk; also nawr-fawk; or more commonly by locals as naH-fuhk] -noun 1. An independent city of southeast Virginia on Hampton Roads southeast of Richmond. Founded in 1682 and today the largest city of Virginia, it has been a major naval base since the American Revolution. Population: 232,000.
If you don't know who David is, then shame on you...get to it! His wit is truly sardonic,
that's pronounced...
sar·don·ic [sahr-don-ik] –adjective characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering: a sardonic grin.
Hearing him tell his own stories, in his own voice and pronunciations, was absolutely side-splitting, such as
that's pronounced...
Nic·a·ra·gua [nik-uh-rah-gwuh] –noun 1. a republic in Central America. 4,386,399; 57,143 sq. mi. (148,000 sq. km). Capital: Managua.
And, the antics when he visited a nudist trailer park....well, you'll just have to read it for yourself. (see the Amazon link on the RH sidebar or click HERE)
David can be regularly heard on:
and on:
And, check out his audio books, etc. available on iTunes. David was gracious enough to stay VERY late to sign EVERY one of his books brought to or bought at the Chrysler after completing his readings. And, I found nothing sar·don·ic [sahr-don-ik] whatsoever about that! He's a gem, even if he wouldn't like me to say/write that.
But that's ok, and, by the way, AVOID fudge-colored towels at all costs! ;-)
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