scenes from about 2

Soliciting temp office help from the LA has been great. My new secretary, Biggie Tim, was recently assigned to venture out on a mission in Miami; to photograph whatever was of interest. He has since been promoted to entry level location scout. Can you ID these swampy landmarks and curios?


When it went south, it went really sour.


Sorry, no gas here, just lube-jobs....


Ha ha, where do yucas exit....


Not big or loud enough, try again...


huh-chitecture....


Jebsuz Rasputin, mother of all lawn ornaments...


Who you calling Wang Fo....


Lost in space n time...


aka techno-lust emporium...


the beige music place...


Thanks Tim, together we can-can.

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Scenes from About

From business bee to Business Boss.

Swampstyle might open an office in North Miami, bricks and mortar not needed, the front lawn will do just fine. We locals are convinced that South Florida is practically an oasis in a world gone flat. Invariably there are some rude awakening rains.



You thought you could just ride off into the sunset?

Sure we gotta put up with the lunatic behemoth automobile culture in a city built on a muck baked swelter. We contend with a myriad of pesky mickey mouse rules and day to day pseudo-urban drudgery that is downright stifling. But the weather is lovely.

We put up with allot to live like this....



Proto-McMansion Another Hallmark Lifestyle.

... or like this, a cubist-condo in the shadow of FPL modern HQ...



Voluntary Detention Complex.

... or we reside in the many pockets of humble neighborhood where folks tend to stay behind closed doors in the AC watching TV laboring and slacking in whatever other private routines people do.



Here and There and Nowhere.

Images of Number 44 pepper the Little Haiti. Some neighborhoods appear to be more immune than others to the Dade County Sign Ordinance.



The Intersection of Sprawl and Isolation.

The building boom may have busted but it continues cobbling along and there is always some fine structures going up somewhere for architecture freaks to obsess.



Neo-Caribbean Art Depot Opening Soon.

Can't say anything bad about the Rosa de la Cruz Collection Facility in Design District.

Judging the social grapevine and the lucrative party catering cottage industry, one would conclude that Miami life is a spinning cavalcade of parties, fund raisers, openings/closings, benefits and all round matinee 12 step baccanal, but it isn't. For many the business of celebration and revelry is simply hard work. It is good that we are mostly a service economy, less manufacturing equals less pollution. But what do we do when the music ends?

Pop-Rock Star Props To Go




Ladies from the Deep Lagoon.

Stephanie Miller and Randy Rhodes might as well be from here because thought they may not sound like local ladies, they look so right for the quintessential SoFla queens, it itches. Hey Steph, what's up with local talk 940 am, they need a can of whupas.




A Picture of a Floor is Not a Floor, but it's good enough.

305 is a strange normal place made ever flatter with images such as this vinyl ad on the side of a van showing an uber-yuppy couple waltzing on imitation wood flooring.



The Golden Shovels.

Top-Dog and Under-Dawg Dig In to Save a swamp. In the words of Shirley Q. Liquor, " Awww Lawwd, Can't We Git Some Helllllllp Up In Here!"



Big Tims Little Secret.

My secretary, a telephony virtuoso, is standing by to take you comments...

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Flash of the Spirit

ICU- James Minime gazes upon the cinders and ash of his charred studio.

The allure of the swamp on blue-chip artist such as Roy Litchentein and James Rosenquist is a testament to the splendor of the tropics, the inspirational light that illuminates with perfection. This is a place where great talent have realized works of art, but they have had to put up with some backwardness when setting up shop in Bumflub, FL.

Last week the St. Petersburg Times reported:

ARIPEKA — The weekend fire that claimed the house and studios of internationally famous artist James Rosenquist left nothing inside to be salvaged...
Of the scorched site, part of a 100-acre tract he owns that includes forest and marshland, Rosenquist said: "I won't rebuild right away. I'll see what Mother Nature does first."

From Chaos comes Order, and back again.

With a casual look at these two photos it is hard to tell what is BEFORE and AFTER the fire, but in all seriousness this accident/arson is a huge hit for everyone who loves art.




At 75 Rosenquist is a living legend, a master painter with lifetime achievements that will assure his legacy. He is here to witness history and document it in his own unique signature style.



Progress and Productivity, one decade at a time.

Straight up and to the point. Rosenquist paints Obama. If you have ever stood in front of a Rosenquist then you know the power of art, it is a first-hand experience. A picture of a pipe is not a pipe you can light. To read about an artist life is nice, but to share that life with them, for better or worse, that is special.


swampthing sporting a classic.

Paradise Lost... that Sinking Feeling

Loss is a most unwelcome but familiar theme in life. It is one thing when great irreplaceable artworks and archives are destroyed but it is quite something else when the source is gone. The death of my pal Keith Haring at the age of 30 was overwhelming 20 years ago and today.
The only consolation is that which remains behind to remind us of his life, the contribution to our experience here on earth.


All-American Graffiti - 1984 Haring chalking up another masterpiece for the masses.

"The Universe of Keith Haring" is a wonderful film about the life and times of a unique artist who turned the world on it's break-dancing head. Keith's art is alive and well, his message is heard loud and clear from Kansas to Katmandu. It is the flash of the spirit that is inextinguishable. A special thanks to Christina Clausen for this very accurate and sentimental documentary film. It really touched my crusty/mushy heart.



Not so New Media circa 1984

Keith's work may seem very 80's but his spirit is forever young. There is no point in lamenting contributions to art that will never be realized by a life cut short. What matters is the awesome super-human level of productivity keith was able to sustain with ease till his demise from Aids. There were may lives lost to this monster. At a time when we all felt immortal, the ravages of that sinister agent actually fueled the flames of a passion for the artist's central purpose... To Live the Example.



Originators Freaky Mickey and King Haring the First.


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Florida, the elder state

Hippocrates Lament

Rub-a-dub-Scrubs,
Paramedics in Gloves,
Our Health Care Systems in Taters,
Lawmakers forgetting what Matters,
With the grip of Big Pharma,
HMOs with Bad Karma,
Plain as the nose on my face, the Olfactors,
Our most pressing need is More Doctors.

Meeno Shel Silverstein



The movie that is moving us closer to a truth about Americas shortcoming.

from todays NY Times:

WASHINGTON — Obama administration officials, alarmed at doctor shortages, are looking for ways to increase the supply of physicians to meet the needs of an aging population and millions of uninsured people who would gain coverage under legislation championed by the president.

“We’re not producing enough primary care physicians,” Mr. Obama said at one forum. “The costs of medical education are so high that people feel that they’ve got to specialize.” New doctors typically owe more than $140,000 in loans when they graduate.



Old and Young Alike... they have special needs from us in betweens.

I have been taking care of my dear aging mummy who called me last week at 2 a.m. to say "I've fallen and I can't get up". By the time I got to her place, the Rescue guys had busted through her front door like tazmanian devils with the swift prerogative of those who save lives. They are angels with dirty faces. Dear mamasita is in a pickle with multiple fractures and now with 24 hour care... and hopped up on pain-killers. She will recover, but dear old-bones will never be the same. Thanks be to mary mother of god, that her mind is still ok and that her mouth works just fine... to the detriment of my auditory nerve.



Everyone knows the swamp, aka Florida, is a favored resting ground for the silver-years crowd. It is a nice place to ride off into the sunset. It may also be the epicenter (as with the housing market bubble crash) of the health care system collapse. If we don't find the medicine to fix it, to socialize the health care system, our very selves are in peril. Not surprising with the condition South FL is in today, a costly urban nesting ground, fewer people are retiring here.



When it comes to elder care, there is no shortage of loving hearts and able-bodies in need of jobs, work that is not only socially redeeming but would also heal our notions of humanity. Our collective bags of bones are at the mercy of the winds of change.

Meanwhile we shall laugh to keep from crying.



Lick in a Good Way.

Making light of a bad situation. Who doesn't love a sit-com. One of my stock questions for people in the very real world of health care providers is: Do you watch/like the TV show SCRUBS? Answer is an overwhelming, Yeah!

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the elephant in the swamp

We report, you decide. Op-ed from our favorite deflated munchkin.


Empower democracy, rein in tyrants

April 21, 2009

Herald OpEd
BY ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
www.ros-lehtinen.house.gov

Sunday marked the conclusion of the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. This meeting could have offered a valuable opportunity to stand up to the region's despotic leaders who claim that their radical visions -- rather than the voice of the people -- should usher in a new age in our hemisphere. It could have offered an opportunity to move forward on further agreements toward the realization of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. But that was not to be.

With U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set to appear before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, it is critical that we press for the United States to advance a vigorous agenda that reflects America's long standing commitment to freedom and democracy as the bedrock of our policy in Latin America.

Democratic institutions in the hemisphere are under increasing assault from internal and external actors. Nicaragua's November municipal elections were widely recognized as illegitimate. In Venezuela, President Hugo Chávez has moved beyond attacks on property rights and freedom of press to an explicit and concerted campaign against his opposition. Bolivia and Ecuador have resumed their baseless accusations against the United States and continue to advance their authoritarian agendas.



Preying on the anti-American and anti-democratic sentiment promoted by the regimes of these countries, a realignment is taking place with rogue regimes such as Iran and Cuba. Using Chávez as his personal broker, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has joined forces with several of the above-mentioned countries to denounce U.S. democratic standards and threaten regional security objectives.

This planned assault on core democratic values and free market principles continued at the summit. Even responsible nations failed to counter the paltry moral equivalency arguments raised by repressive leaders and their enablers.

In fact, the summit discussions remind me of the farcical Durban 2 Conference taking place this week in Geneva. These forums have been hijacked by repressors, tyrants and regime leaders who deprecate democratic principles and ideals.

Several countries in the region used the summit to advocate, not for the rights of the Cuban people, but for the Cuban regime's undeserved return to the inter-American system. But the United States must not allow the picture of this hemisphere to be painted by those who despise liberty, nor by those who wish and work to do us harm. Rather, we must stand up for freedom and make support for our democratic allies the central tenet of our policy in the Western Hemisphere.

Security issues throughout the region are having a direct impact on the ability of responsible nations to advance democratic principles. From narcotrafficking to organized crime, Islamic radicals to the FARC in Colombia, and the influence of tyrannical regimes from Iran to Syria, the hemisphere is in critical need of a comprehensive model of partnership and responsibility that binds leaders to the obligations outlined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter and other such accords.

The United States must not falter in our expectation that countries we work with adhere to these values. Programs like the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compacts should be leveraged to ensure Americans are getting a return on our investments in the hemisphere.

In the aftermath of the summit, it will be up to Secretary Clinton to implement the U.S. agenda and up to the Congress to decide where taxpayer funds are most needed. With great economic challenges at home, we must ensure that our resources are focused on strengthening, supporting and empowering our democratic allies, rather than wasted on efforts that only benefit tyrants and oppressors.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, is the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee


never forget... under whose watch.


Not quite free at last... from the tyranny of the tea-party bags.


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Fines Doubled

Perpetual Progress Principal: the end is near, but never here.

If you like the way our highways are in a constant state of construction, making the motoring public today pay today for a future dream auto-utopia that will never come, then congrats, the Port "Trucks Only" Tunnel Project Dwntwn appears to be moving forward and downward. But if FDOT takes forever to finish what they seem to want to do, how long will it take them to do a project that they don't want to do?

in the Harold today, my emphasis is boldface:

Miami's port tunnel project back on track The Associated Press MIAMI, Fla. -- Plans for a tunnel that will provide cargo trucks easier access from the Port of Miami to Interstate 95 and other highways have been revived. On Thursday the Florida Department of Transportation agreed with demands made by Miami-Dade County officials and vowed to move ahead with the original construction deal. The decision is a reversal from earlier this month, when top DOT officials told county leaders that the best way to handle the deal would be to reopen the project to construction companies worldwide - which supporters said would delay completion.

That's code for "we don't want to build your tunnel.



We need a tunnel like we need a hole in the sand... for our heads.

Unrelated, but in the same google news today:

Blue Gold in the Wetlands: How the county treats banks that treat their neighbors like dirt.



Water is back on for Miami condo The Associated Press

MIAMI, Fla. -- Water is flowing again at the 310-unit Miarassou Condos in Miami-Dade County.

County officials shut off water to the residents earlier in the week because the condo's association bounced a check and failed to pay a $109,000 past due bill.

Condo residents say the problem stems from a large number of foreclosures - roughly a third of the units are bank-owned or in foreclosure.

After the county turned off the water, residents allegedly tampered with the meter to keep it running illegally. On Thursday evening, the county and the association agreed on a payment plan, and the water was turned on again.



Who is driving this county that is ignant?

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The Cuban Duchamp ?

"Isn't it fascinating to realize that no image, no form, not even a shade or color, 'exists' on its own; that among everything that's visually observable we can refer only to relationships and to contrasts?"
Maurits Cornelius Escher (1898-1972), Dutch graphic artist.

2001 a Space Odyssey - the monolith

In 1968 Arthur C. Clark Sci-Fi writer inspired film-maker Stanley Kubrick.
As with the film, no words are necessary.

2009 a Miami Oddity - the weeping monolith
Bert Rodriguez asks the question, for whom does the monolith cry?

It cries for we the people.

1917 R. Mutt by Marcel Duchamp turned the art-world on it's DADA.

"In my day artists wanted to be outcasts, pariahs. Now they are all integrated into society."
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), French-born American.

Ebony And Ivory 2009
rice pudding, chocolate fudge in toilets by Bert and Leyden Rodriguez.
Confections Charity Exhibition at O.H.W.O.W. Gallery. benefit the Daily Bread Food Bank.

1913 the ready-made is born.
Duchamp is fixated on the spinning wheel.



Live to Ride Another Day.
2008 Bert is fixated on cycling... then some dumb-ass Florida driver does a hit-n-run.


1950 The Female Fig Leaf. Duchamp cast a butt in bronze.

2008 My Most Memorable Feature.
I cast Bert's nose to be used in vintage wax casting souvenir machine.
Currently plugged in and ready at the Bass Museum.

Go to Wet Heat Project to view their video on Bert and other local luminaries.

2007 Advertising Works. and how!
Bert created an exhibition by renting all of the existing wall space at the Snitzer Gallery to any corporation that chose to advertise.

"Why do people think artists are special? It's just another job."
Andy Warhol.

2008 In Your own Image.
Bert asked 138 people to add hilarity to his flattering mug-shot.
The entire set is on view at the Bass Museum on Miami Beach.

2009 What a Tree Feels Like.
Bert at his best, buried naked from the neck down ( in sterilized soil).
Bert Rodriguez, Pop Dada Cubanstyle.

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