The Jeff Parsons Project

Tuesday

Apr202010

How Not To Be A Father

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 7:54PM

I was out in Monument Square yesterday just playing around with my camera as I try to learn how to take some decent photos, when a couple with a small child not more than four years old came toward me as I stood next to the monument. The man was walking away from the woman and her child spewing four letter words like a drunken sailor. (Yes I just used the classic drunken sailor simile)

I didn't think much of it at first until this man, who from now on I'll call DB, sat down at the foot of the monument. I was just minding my own business taking photos of the monument as he sits a mere 10 feet away from me. The child starts to run to DB shouting "Daddy, daddy, what's wrong?" DB clearly in a tizzy over something with the young woman he was with, replied to the boy "Leave me the f@ck alone! Go play!"

That got my attention. Here you are DB, upset at the mother of your child and you're taking it out on your innocent kid who wanted nothing more than to make sure his daddy was okay. Now you see why I'm calling him DB.

I wanted so badly to say something to this guy like, "Hey! That's no way to be talking to your son. What could a child of that age possibly ever have done to you to deserve that?" I held my tongue but did throw a harsh glare his way as I lowered the camera from my eye. This guy was in enough of a rage to have easily pummeled me to a thin paste, and that's something I didn't need nor did his son need to see. He'd been through enough already which made me wonder how much he'd already been though before DB decided to yell an f-bomb in his direction.

This young boy seemed to let DB's reaction to his question roll off his back like it was an every day occurance. I have no doubt it was.

I'm certainly not the best father in the world, but compared to DB I am Mike Brady, Cliff Huxtable and Charles Ingalls all wraped into one.

I had to walk away from this disturbing situation and hope for the little boy's sake that DB changes his ways quickly or his mom leaves him to find someone who can fill the role of a father properly before too much damage is done.

Jeff |

2 Comments |

tagged

Parenting,

douchebags,

fatherhood in

Personal

Monday

Apr192010

Monument Square 97 Years Ago

Monday, April 19, 2010 at 8:49PM

Here's another entry in my continuing series comparing old photographs of locations around Portland with the way they look today by trying to match the shot. This time let's take a look at some buildings in Monument Square in 1913.

Image: Maine Memory Network

And here's as close to the same shot as I could get in 2010

This was a close as I could get to the original shot without standing on the Monument. It's hard to tell exactly where the original was taken from, but the square has been reconfigured so many times in the almost 100 years that have passed it may not be possible to get that exact shot anymore.

How cool is it that almost 100 years later there are still restaurants and eateries in these same locations?

I've got more of these to come so keep watching.

Jeff |

1 Comment |

tagged

Monument Square,

Portland in

Photos

Saturday

Apr172010

I Can't Watch TV Like Normal People

Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 9:30PM

I don't know why I notice this stuff. I don't know if it's some sort of super power or curse. If you are ever watching a movie or television show with me I will drive you nuts pointing out this sort of thing. Submitted for your approval is this example from a scene from a recent episode of Flash Forward I was watching.

First we see a woman talking on the phone:

Now we cut away to the man she is talking to on the phone:

Now back to the woman:

Notice something different? If you said the wheel pointer has moved from the dice showing three fives to the ones showing a three, four and five, then you have the same gift/curse that I do. I'm glad I'm not alone.

That's pretty sad isn't it?

Jeff |

3 Comments |

tagged

Television in

Tuesday

Apr132010

Time Keeps On Ticking, ticking, ticking...

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 9:08PM

I've been looking at a lot of old photos of places in the Portland area, mostly where there are now old abandonded rail lines. I thought it would be fun to try to take a modern day shot from the same location to show how much the area has changed over time.

Here's a picture of the old Grand Trunk freight office in Portland at the corner of India and Commerical Streets as it looked in about 1980.

And here's close to the same shot today...

Amazing isn't it?

The Grand Trunk stopped service to the Portland Yard that was on this site shortly after the Back Bay rail bridge burned in 1982. When you drive up 295 across Tukey's bridge you can see the bridge out over the water crossing from the Eastern Prom to the B&M plant. It remains in the open position and has not been used since.

The freight office appears to be empty today and in disrepair. The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad now has the right of way originally used by the Grand Trunk up to the burned bridge.

Jeff |