As it was Fleet Week these past few days in my beloved NYC and as it is Memorial Day, I felt that this was a fairly appropriate image to post. Modeled after the famous image above, "V-J Day in Times Square", "The Kiss" statue stands next to the USS Midway in San Diego as an icon of the end of World War II as well as a testament to classic romanticism.

There is much discrepancy as to the legitimacy of the photograph, but to those skeptics, I say "A pish posh to you, Good Sir!"

Who cares if it was posed? Who cares if it was manipulated? Who cares if this unsuspecting nurse did or did not slap the young sailor post-shutter? Sure, I'm as big an advocate of a photo with a story as probably anyone, but it's what this image symbolizes that's the important part - which has, in turn, because the root of it's popularity. I'll be damned if something like this moment can't exist.

More to come soon. I'm on a train heading to Boston and I need to put the headphones on and look out the window for a while...**

** (5.27.09) On second and third thought... I'm just going to leave it this way. I will, however, link you to the wiki article on this photograph. Not that wikipedia is credible on most occasions, but this is an interesting read. Good history, folks, good history.

PHOTO: "The Kiss" Statue in the lovely San Diego. Despite the May Gray in the background, I was lucky enough to have the sun graze the faces for a few minutes while I found my angle. I love it.