Tax Day 2010

April 15th, the due date for taxes, brought two statues of liberty onto the streets of Westfield to the rescue of late filers.

The real action however was in Boston, where the former Governor of Alaska was speaking.

You would think that Ms. Palin would have worn a different color outfit. Didn't the original tea party have something to do with being against the redcoats? Here a sign holder makes an election prediction.

This is Joe Ligotti, the fastest rising star of Boston media.

Another Tea Party protest was held in Worcester. Here Pat Gouin captures former Valley newsman Jim Polito being interviewed.

 



Dr. Jay Fleitman, who is running against Rep. Richard Neal, was also in Worcester, shown here posing with a sign waver.

There was also a Tea Party rally in Springfield, as seen in this photo by Sheila Pecor. That's Tom Wesley kneeling, who is also running for congress against Richie Neal.

 



Yesterday I went to Raos Coffee Shop in downtown Amherst. School had just gotten out, and kids were playing hacky-sack outside.

There are paintings on the outside wall of Raos, such as this portrait of the heroic Paul Revere.

 



There is also a coffee drinking Miss Emily.

Now they have added a new portrait, this one is of Amherst's other poetic superstar, Professor Robert Frost of Amherst College.

 



Cool bumper stickers on a car outside the Amherst Survival Center.

 



The Donut Kings in downtown Northampton.

 

Storm Over

Hamp Scenes

A terrible thunder storm late yesterday afternoon brought down this branch in Coolidge Park in downtown Northampton.

It also brought out this transcendent rainbow.

A t-shirt in the window of Dynamite Records has lyrics by Rob Lind of the popular Boston band Sinners & Saints. 

"I always listened to music for two reasons," says Rob Lind, pulling on a Budweiser at the Thirsty Scholar Pub, in Somerville. "I listened to music that made me want to smash bottles and break things, and I listened to music that made me want to cry." - Rob Lind in The Boston Phoenix


Also in the window was this poster for the new Rancid album. I like the title, "Let the Dominoes Fall."

I don't know much about the band Rancid, but from their name and poster I suspect that it's not the sort of record you would put on to create a mellow mood. According to the Wikipedia:

Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in 1991 in Albany, California, by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong, both of whom previously played in ska punk group Operation Ivy. The band is credited with helping to revive mainstream popular interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s.

On Bridge Street they salute the Jolly Roger.

At La VeraCruza they like the new Supreme Court nominee.

I don't support Ms. Sotomayor, and the more I learn about her the less I like her.

 

Don Matera is working on a painting of Bela's Vegetarian Restaurant.