jkirlin of The Thing of the Moment

jkirlin was initially a mystery to us. We couldn't decide if he took photos to collect nice images or to set up punchlines. The world doesn't have many funny great photographers, and perhaps still doesn't but he is, as self described, prolific AND we have found, relatively nice (unless you make the mistake of being rude to him and hurting his feeling at the local photo shop, apparently) and harmless which we treasure here at the Photo Meme Hall of Shame. We were also unsure for a long time as to what the 'j' was for, we later learned it's 'Jeff', we are still uncertain as to what the 'kirlin' is for.

1. Who are you and why are you doing this to us?

I'm a rapidly approaching middle age, doughy, myopic, speech pathologist in Maine who has a camera. And that is why I do it to you.

2. What did you have for breakfast?

2 Bacon egg and cheese biscuits and a small diet coke, no ice. Never ice and always consumed in the car.

3. Do you know Kerrin?

Why? What has she told you? Do I get to tell my side of the story?

4. What equipment do or have you used? Are there any manufacturers you'd like to praise or bad mouth here?

I have a Canon Rebel XTi and a few different low end lenses that I like to lug around in this big bag because I think it looks cool but I still love point and shoots. I've a Canon Powershot S2 and a Panasonic FX01. I've also got a Holga which I'm still not using properly and a vintage Kodak Brownie 2 that I put some film though. I started taking photos with digitals but now find myself interested in film as in 'THAT" is how they used to do it??

5. What other hobbies do you enjoy or enjoy inflicting upon others?

I have a friend who forces me to do outside/active type things and I fight her every step of the way. I kayak, ski, and other things here and there. But now when I do them, they are just for the photo op.

6. Where else can we see your photos? Do you have any side projects?

I have some on permanent display at Mount Desert Island Hospital behind the registration desk only because I was carrying them out after a temporary display and I saw they were repainting the wall so I asked Joe, the office manager if he wanted them and to spare me any embarrassment just took them and hung them up. So if one were to fall and twist an ankle while vacationing at Acadia National Park, you can see them as you register.

Or here...

http://jkirlin.blogspot.com/2004/12/new-icon.html
http://jkirlin.blogspot.com/2006/08/coming-rain.html
http://jkirlin.blogspot.com/2006/05/no-parking-in-alley.html
http://jkirlin.blogspot.com/2005/06/wasp-on-windowsill.html
http://jkirlin.blogspot.com/2005/01/kayaks.html

7. What is the best photo that you missed?

I once saw 15 or 20 of clowns on break either before or after their act and they were standing outside the auditorium in a big group just milling around, smoking, and checking their watches and things. By the time I got over the shock and turned around there were gone. So you just have to imagine it. Now imagine a really great photo of it. That's it.

8. Tell us your worst habit.

I'm a nail biter. All of my other habits are virtuous and wholesome.

9. Why do you call it that?

The Thing of the Moment refers to the act of picking up a camera, taking a photo, sticking it on the Internet and bugging people to look at it. The Thing of the Moment NEVER EVER refers to the subject EVER. It's why you never see a post called The Blue Thing of the Moment, The Person of the Moment, etc...Other Things of the Moment have been sailing, collecting EB White 1st editions, learning magic tricks, playing the harmonica, etc....When a friend of mine saw an increasing interest in taking photos she said 'Oh, this the thing of the moment now?' And it was.

10. If you weren't doing what you do now, what else WOULD you be doing? Photographer doesn't count.

I certainly wouldn't be a photographer anyway. Ummm..I think a toll taker would be a cool job. It's a state gig. You are inside, yet still outdoors or vice versa. I would take great pride in my job. I would love it so much I'd weep every day.

11. What are you wearing.

My usual smoking jacket, pipe, slippers, ascot and lapdog.

12. Anything else you'd like to add?

The Sincerest Form of Flattery...

...it may be but we felt we just had to do something about those rip-off Hall of Shame goods you've all been buying in Chinatown. Not that we were against someone making a buck or two- we got a thrill out of seeing the Hall of Shame name on some of those more enterprising products- but we're tired fielding the letters of complaint when someone's t-shirt shrinks in the wash, when the handle falls off somebody's mug, when somebody sees the line where they joined Memeshame's head onto Angelina Jolie's body for the swimsuit calender. Therefore, and without further ado, we decided to open the official Hall of Shame Merchandise Store- your one-stop shame-shop, if you will. Check it out. If there's something you're after that you can't find among our extensive array of fine goods, do let us know and we'll see if we can arrange it.
Shameshop

Back in the Shamer Again

There was a buzz of excitement chez Meme on Friday this week when, at long last, one of the weekly photomemes pulled their thumbs out of their asses and choose a theme that was worthy of being called a challenge. Photo Friday gave us 'addiction' and immediately we dug our old shaming hats out of the cupboard ('MM' on mine, 'D' on Memeshame's). We don them now as, with pleasure, we bring you the first good, get-yer-teeth-into shaming we've had in yonks! Go put the kettle on, make yourself a nice cup of cocoa (slip a shot of something naughty into it while nobody's looking), sit back and enjoy the feeling that comes with knowing you haven't been shamed…this time.

Photo Friday －addiction

So, you understand that these aren't the only questionable posts to Photo Friday but the task of monitoring all 2403 entries is one that would eat into the time we schedule every week for our own addictions. If you strongly feel that we have neglected to bring before you a submission that deserves to be on its knees begging for mercy, then do feel free to contact us (Monday to Friday, 9am-2pm, 4pm-7:30 or until 'Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator' comes on).

We've divided the shames into three sections:

Section 1- Wha'?

A) We cheerfully draw Ms Mandy Hall's attention to Xerraire's entry for 'Addiction'… a bird. See, Mandy? You could have been in there. You snooze, you lose, honeybun.

B) In an obviously feverish bid to secure pole-position, The One-eyed Man submitted a wall full of tatty posters. Let's hope the other eye is addicted to something more normal…porn or contact lenses, for example.

C) Check out Suto Zsolt's submission. This guy (or girl) has guts (or something).

D) Unhinging your lower jaw is one of our favourite tricks but there are easier ways of satiating your addiction to fruit, which is what we assume to be 3amFromKyoto's point.

E) In his frantic efforts to post early, jkirlin's sneaker Christmas wreath leaves us wondering: Is he addicted to shoes, Christmas, organizing objects into geometric patterns or the traffic one gets when posting early? We hope this brings him more traffic if that's the case. He clearly must need it.

Section2- If this is the alternative, I will never nag Memeshame about his butter-and-Absinthe addiction again

a) Friend of Hall of Shame, Dream Awakener seems to be addicted to blurry men on bikes. Or maybe the blurry man is addicted to cycling past shops. In either case, I don't think I have to worry about Memeshame taking up this habit.

b) Fnk Photoblog confesses an addiction for a smiling sphere of red rubber. Unusual, but to each their own.

c) Is Atomische suggesting that there are people out there addicted to vasectomy reversal? Is it just reversal?

d) First we had GDimension's (decidedly non-festive) fighting ponies and now we have Taro's boxing kangaroos. I can understand how the sight might stir your loins for the time it takes to press the shutter-button but there are really people who can't get enough?

e) Unfortunately, Memeshame probably WILL end up sitting beside SmilingSunflower in the Healthy Butts Anonymous meetings.

Section C- You clever little devils

This section is for submissions for which we have a sneaking admiration. That's all down to the submitter's sheer cheek at entering something they knew was shame-worthy but decided to go ahead anyway, attempting half-heartedly to justify it with a title that includes the word 'addict'. Ahhh, we do love you.

a) Witness the genius of Life's Too Short as he posts a picture of autumn foliage to 'addiction' and calls himself a 'colour addict'. *sigh*

b) Behold Andrask's master-mindedness of titling a crown of thorns 'pain- the ultimate addiction' *melt*

c) Gasp at the utter inspiration behind Ricoh GR Digital's posting of a hand on a glass door and dubbing it 'sex addiction'. Double points for actually posting to Photo Friday under that title and thus guaranteeing yourself double the traffic, Master Ricoh *fainting clean away*

So there we have it. We look forward to next week's Photo Friday theme, 'confessional'. It can only get juicier.