Thursday, May 07, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Bike Art Show in San Luis Obispo: May 1 - May 31
What: The Tall Bike Posse presents the bike art show Bike Momentum - A Chain Reaction of Art and Advocacy, a great collection of cool bike art that benefits the both the artists and the San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition.
When: The Gallery Reception on Friday, May 1st runs from 6-9pm. Come and meet the artists, graze on appetizers, have a beer and buy some bike art. The show runs through May 31st in celebration of Bike Month.
Where: 1060 Osos St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. San Luis Obispo is located around the midpoint between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the 101 Freeway, so it makes a great day-trip or weekend destination.
This video is from the 2007 show:
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Mark Beck: Contemporary American Realist Painter
I just uploaded a shot of this Mark Beck painting, as well as some background info on the artist over at http://beckpainting.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Deadwood Head Shots on Flickr
This just in - I just started the Deadwood Head Shots group on Flickr:
Deadwood - the HBO show that ran for three seasons and wasn't renewed for a fourth - and so now of course it can never end.
This group is a hypothetical casting couch - a place for head shots of the fourth season characters that might have been.
Requirements: Submit a Deadwoodian head shot, and come up with a name for your character.
If you want to supply additional info about your character, such as age, origins, bathing habits, criminal record, dietary concerns, etc., feel free.
Ideally photos will be submitted as Polaroids, or using Poladroid software, but all shots are welcome regardless of format.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/deadwoodheadshot/
Deadwood - the HBO show that ran for three seasons and wasn't renewed for a fourth - and so now of course it can never end.
This group is a hypothetical casting couch - a place for head shots of the fourth season characters that might have been.
Requirements: Submit a Deadwoodian head shot, and come up with a name for your character.
If you want to supply additional info about your character, such as age, origins, bathing habits, criminal record, dietary concerns, etc., feel free.
Ideally photos will be submitted as Polaroids, or using Poladroid software, but all shots are welcome regardless of format.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/deadwoodheadshot/
Monday, January 05, 2009
Friday, December 05, 2008
Free Obama Hope Santa Stickers Template
Earlier this week someone sent out an e-mail to Obama volunteers regarding our local Christmas Parade, and in that e-mail was a little jpeg image of Santa Claus, but Santa appearing in the context of the blue and red color scheme used for the "Hope" and "Progress" posters of the Obama campaign. I searched the web for this image and was unable to a copy anywhere, so I don't know who the name of the artist responsible. But I liked it so much I made a Photoshop pdf template for printing it out in sticker form.
You can download the template here:
Santa Claus Hope Stickers
To make sure that the stickers print correctly, open the file with Photoshop, hit "Print with Preview" (in the "file" dropdown menu) and then make sure to check the "Scale To Fit Media" box.
Now put some sticker paper (available from most office supply stores) in your printer and there you are, free stickers to spread a holiday message of Hope. The template prints out 10 large stickers and 4 small stickers per page. The bigger ones stick great just about anywhere (store windows, newspaper boxes, fire hydrants, public transportation) and the small ones are great for letters or to stick on presents. Either size is also great for just giving away to family and friends.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Hail, Hail, Freedonia
Okay - paradox time. Rep Dennis Kucinich of Ohio this week introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President George Bush. Bush's approval rating is at an all time low and many people are tired of the costly, unjustified war against Iraq - but somehow this doesn't translate into people wanting the President and his cronies to be held accountable for their actions.
Another paradox - there has been little to no coverage in the mainstream media of Kucinich's efforts. Most of the coverage that I have read is coverage about how little coverage there has been.
I don't believe that it is fair to simply let President Bush and his crew walk away unpunished for the grave economic, political and social damage that they have caused this country (and others) to suffer as a result of their unjustified war against Iraq. We can stand with Representative Kucinich to see that President Bush at very least is made to answer the charges presented against him.
You can call Rep John Conyers (D - MI), head of the House Judiciary Committee, to urge that the committee begin a review of the 35 Articles. Rep Conyers' office can be reached at (202) 225-5126.
You can also contact your own state Rep to urge that they support Representative Kucinich in his effort. Contact info for your House Rep can be found on this map and list.
Another paradox - there has been little to no coverage in the mainstream media of Kucinich's efforts. Most of the coverage that I have read is coverage about how little coverage there has been.
I don't believe that it is fair to simply let President Bush and his crew walk away unpunished for the grave economic, political and social damage that they have caused this country (and others) to suffer as a result of their unjustified war against Iraq. We can stand with Representative Kucinich to see that President Bush at very least is made to answer the charges presented against him.
You can call Rep John Conyers (D - MI), head of the House Judiciary Committee, to urge that the committee begin a review of the 35 Articles. Rep Conyers' office can be reached at (202) 225-5126.
You can also contact your own state Rep to urge that they support Representative Kucinich in his effort. Contact info for your House Rep can be found on this map and list.
Friday, May 23, 2008
New Giclee Bike Print
Cool new bike print now available over on Etsy.
May is Bike Month here in San Luis Obispo, and for the Tall Bike Posse's month long Bike Art show I contributed this reworking of a great old Weimer Pursell WWII poster that originally promoted car-pooling.
As soon as I saw the original I knew I had to use it - first, because back then it was a huge deal to compare someone to Hitler. It still is a big deal to compare someone to Hitler, but every politician who wants to invade another country (see Panama, Iraq, etc) pulls out the Hitler tag and everyone rolls over and in we go.
I'm also interested in the contrast between WWII and the current Iraq War II, in that previously people were asked to make sacrifices for the war effort, to grow their own food, recycle, save gas, etc - and nowadays we are urged to go out and shop, spend more money, buy as much $4.00 a gallon gas as we can afford.
The print is a 10.6" x 13.6" unframed museum quality Giclee print, on a sheet of 13"x20" 100% cotton, acid free watercolor paper, perfect for display in a 16"x20" frame.
Happy Bike Month !
May is Bike Month here in San Luis Obispo, and for the Tall Bike Posse's month long Bike Art show I contributed this reworking of a great old Weimer Pursell WWII poster that originally promoted car-pooling.
As soon as I saw the original I knew I had to use it - first, because back then it was a huge deal to compare someone to Hitler. It still is a big deal to compare someone to Hitler, but every politician who wants to invade another country (see Panama, Iraq, etc) pulls out the Hitler tag and everyone rolls over and in we go.
I'm also interested in the contrast between WWII and the current Iraq War II, in that previously people were asked to make sacrifices for the war effort, to grow their own food, recycle, save gas, etc - and nowadays we are urged to go out and shop, spend more money, buy as much $4.00 a gallon gas as we can afford.
The print is a 10.6" x 13.6" unframed museum quality Giclee print, on a sheet of 13"x20" 100% cotton, acid free watercolor paper, perfect for display in a 16"x20" frame.
Happy Bike Month !
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Hmmm,These Magnets are Strangely Attractive
A quick announcement !
I've opened a little shop, The House of Sevens, on Etsy, that online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade.
Most of what I'm making and selling are cool, unique magnets that you won't find anywhere else: magnets like the bottlecap magnet in the photo, a sort of Day of the Dead / Christmas mash-up magnet: magnets made from old wooden Scrabble pieces: magnets made from old Japanese kanji game pieces: magnets made from vintage Shiner Bock beer bottlecaps: An Asian Map magnet set: Magnets made from old money, like the Greek Drachma magnet: Mexican comics magnets, Chinese Joss Paper magnets, Christmas magnets, and more. I add something new every few days.
I sell some individual magnets, but most of what I sell are magnet sets. My magnets sets make great gifts and stocking stuffers. I also do custom orders, so if you look at my stuff and see something you want, but maybe a little different, let me know and I see what I can do.
So when you're looking for the perfect, unique gift for the person who has it all, or for you, come check out my magnets in The House of Sevens.
I've opened a little shop, The House of Sevens, on Etsy, that online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade.
Most of what I'm making and selling are cool, unique magnets that you won't find anywhere else: magnets like the bottlecap magnet in the photo, a sort of Day of the Dead / Christmas mash-up magnet: magnets made from old wooden Scrabble pieces: magnets made from old Japanese kanji game pieces: magnets made from vintage Shiner Bock beer bottlecaps: An Asian Map magnet set: Magnets made from old money, like the Greek Drachma magnet: Mexican comics magnets, Chinese Joss Paper magnets, Christmas magnets, and more. I add something new every few days.
I sell some individual magnets, but most of what I sell are magnet sets. My magnets sets make great gifts and stocking stuffers. I also do custom orders, so if you look at my stuff and see something you want, but maybe a little different, let me know and I see what I can do.
So when you're looking for the perfect, unique gift for the person who has it all, or for you, come check out my magnets in The House of Sevens.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Best. Movie. Advisory. Ever.
Some years ago I worked on a film called "Mr. Woodcock" starring Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon. It never saw the light of day. I had heard that they had to re-shoot lots of the film (like the parts that were supposed to be funny) but it was finally released this week to mediocre reviews.
I laughed pretty hard after seeing in the September 14th, 2007 online edition of the San Francisco Chronicle that Chronicle Arts and Culture Critic Steven Winn had concluded his review of the film "Mr. Woodcock" with the following:
I laughed pretty hard after seeing in the September 14th, 2007 online edition of the San Francisco Chronicle that Chronicle Arts and Culture Critic Steven Winn had concluded his review of the film "Mr. Woodcock" with the following:
Advisory: This film contains coarse language, a corn-eating contest and footage of Susan Sarandon as a small-town Nebraska beauty queen.
Monday, August 06, 2007
I wish Dennis Kucinich was a cartoon
I was over on Boing Boing this afternoon and followed this link to a page called "Pick Your Candidate".
They have a list of issues (Iraq War, Stem-Cell Research, Guantanamo, Torture, Immigration, Education etc...) you fill in the questions with your opinion - the page does the math and figures out which candidates take positions most similar to yours, as well as most opposite to yours. It's a great way to find out about candidates who may or may not deserve your vote in the upcoming presidential election.
In my case, Dennis "Long Shot" Kucinich was my best match. My second best was Mike "who?" Gravel, followed not-too-closely in third place by Barack Obama.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the candidate with positions the furthest away from mine was Duncan Hunter (He's anti-abortion / pro-death penalty / anti-stem cell research / pro-torture / pro-bomb Iran / anti-Universal Health Care / anti-minimum wage increase etc etc etc...) He scares me, but I'm not too worried about him actually getting anywhere near the nomination, much less the election.
On the other hand, Kucinich thrills me and I'm worried that he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. In what's the Kucinich campaign is calling a "blind taste test" of the American public - Kucinich is the first choice of 53% of the people who fill out the questionnaire at "Pick your Candidate". But according to a recent Newseek poll, Kucinich has the support of about 2% of the electorate.
Given the difference between these two sets of numbers, I can't help but feel that if Kucinich was an actor - or a cartoon character - more people would feel comfortable voting for him.
They have a list of issues (Iraq War, Stem-Cell Research, Guantanamo, Torture, Immigration, Education etc...) you fill in the questions with your opinion - the page does the math and figures out which candidates take positions most similar to yours, as well as most opposite to yours. It's a great way to find out about candidates who may or may not deserve your vote in the upcoming presidential election.
In my case, Dennis "Long Shot" Kucinich was my best match. My second best was Mike "who?" Gravel, followed not-too-closely in third place by Barack Obama.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the candidate with positions the furthest away from mine was Duncan Hunter (He's anti-abortion / pro-death penalty / anti-stem cell research / pro-torture / pro-bomb Iran / anti-Universal Health Care / anti-minimum wage increase etc etc etc...) He scares me, but I'm not too worried about him actually getting anywhere near the nomination, much less the election.
On the other hand, Kucinich thrills me and I'm worried that he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. In what's the Kucinich campaign is calling a "blind taste test" of the American public - Kucinich is the first choice of 53% of the people who fill out the questionnaire at "Pick your Candidate". But according to a recent Newseek poll, Kucinich has the support of about 2% of the electorate.
Given the difference between these two sets of numbers, I can't help but feel that if Kucinich was an actor - or a cartoon character - more people would feel comfortable voting for him.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Pardon me...or, The Case of The Texas Weiners
Okay - it's late - and I don't know the full story.
But I do know that Bush pardoned Scooter Libby tonight.
Yeah - i know - Bush said that it wasn't actually a full fledged pardon - just that Libby gets to skip the jail time that a jury of United States citizens and a judge had sentenced him to.
Is it genetic?
George Senior, George H.W. Bush, pardoned many of the Iran Contra crooks previously in his employ, including Caspar Weinberger for perjury, and Robert McFarlane for unlawfully withholding information.
I guess that's what we should expect when we continue to elect a bunch of Texas Weiners...
But I do know that Bush pardoned Scooter Libby tonight.
Yeah - i know - Bush said that it wasn't actually a full fledged pardon - just that Libby gets to skip the jail time that a jury of United States citizens and a judge had sentenced him to.
Is it genetic?
George Senior, George H.W. Bush, pardoned many of the Iran Contra crooks previously in his employ, including Caspar Weinberger for perjury, and Robert McFarlane for unlawfully withholding information.
I guess that's what we should expect when we continue to elect a bunch of Texas Weiners...
Friday, May 04, 2007
May Is Bike Month
San Luis Obispo's Tall Bike Posse is having BikeSHIFT - a bike-themed art show. Went down and saw some of the work that is already there tonight and there is some really great stuff.
The opening is Friday May 4th - 6-9 p.m.
848 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
More info at: www.tallbikeposse.com
Here is a little video of the exhibit being installed:
The opening is Friday May 4th - 6-9 p.m.
848 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
More info at: www.tallbikeposse.com
Here is a little video of the exhibit being installed:
Sunday, January 28, 2007
I am Stanislav Lem
 | I am:Stanislav LemThis pessimistic Pole has spent a whole career telling ironic stories of futility and frustration. Yet he is also a master of wordplay so witty that it sparkles even when translated into English. |
Or at least today...
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Who's got time for popcorn and ukeleles?
Not a question that comes up too often, but lately I've found time for popcorn and ukeleles.
I was at emdot's last weekend during an electrical blackout and i was wondering what time it was. I would have just looked at my cell phone but couldn't find it just then.
-emdot said "Why don't you just call popcorn from the land line?"
-i said "ha. popcorn - what the hell are you talking about?"
That's when i first learned about "popcorn" time. emdot explained it to me, about how from anywhere in California one can pick up the phone and call 767-2676 (POP-CORN) and get a recording telling you "At the tone, the time will be ________ and _______ seconds........beep." For some reason I thought she was pulling my leg. But sure enough, I called and was soon listening to the robo-voice updating the time in ten second increments. Once convinced, em further revealed that one could call POP (767) followed by any four digits (POP-TART, POP-FART, POP-ARTT etc.) to reach this time service.
So, thus enthused, on my return from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles, I tried it out this a.m. But instead of the time I heard a different recording, something to the tune of "The number you have reached is not in service, please check..." I tried again to make sure and still no luck. hmmm.
Emdot had been pretty sure that "popcorn" worked for all of California. A quick google brought me over to a nice little history of the "speaking clock" over on wikipedia (link), that let me know, among other things, that while the 767 prefix works just fine for Northern California, Southern California has its own prefix, 853. I immediately looked to see what these numbers spelled out on my phone's keypad. ULFCORN didn't do much for me, nor did VJDCORN. I finally settled on UKELELE (853-5353). I know, the more popular spelling is ukUlele, but calling UKULELE will probably get unfortunate soul out of bed depending on when the call is made.
There is more info over on wikipedia about the "speaking clock" in general, such as how it has been operating in Sweden since October of 1936 (HEJ-SVEN?) and that in England comedian Lenny Henry's was the speaking clock's voice as part of a fundraising effort in 2003.
I'm trying to thing about whos voice i'd like to hear next time I call. Right now Danny Devito, Truman Capote, Darth Vadar and Charro all come to mind.
I was at emdot's last weekend during an electrical blackout and i was wondering what time it was. I would have just looked at my cell phone but couldn't find it just then.
-emdot said "Why don't you just call popcorn from the land line?"
-i said "ha. popcorn - what the hell are you talking about?"
That's when i first learned about "popcorn" time. emdot explained it to me, about how from anywhere in California one can pick up the phone and call 767-2676 (POP-CORN) and get a recording telling you "At the tone, the time will be ________ and _______ seconds........beep." For some reason I thought she was pulling my leg. But sure enough, I called and was soon listening to the robo-voice updating the time in ten second increments. Once convinced, em further revealed that one could call POP (767) followed by any four digits (POP-TART, POP-FART, POP-ARTT etc.) to reach this time service.
So, thus enthused, on my return from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles, I tried it out this a.m. But instead of the time I heard a different recording, something to the tune of "The number you have reached is not in service, please check..." I tried again to make sure and still no luck. hmmm.
Emdot had been pretty sure that "popcorn" worked for all of California. A quick google brought me over to a nice little history of the "speaking clock" over on wikipedia (link), that let me know, among other things, that while the 767 prefix works just fine for Northern California, Southern California has its own prefix, 853. I immediately looked to see what these numbers spelled out on my phone's keypad. ULFCORN didn't do much for me, nor did VJDCORN. I finally settled on UKELELE (853-5353). I know, the more popular spelling is ukUlele, but calling UKULELE will probably get unfortunate soul out of bed depending on when the call is made.
There is more info over on wikipedia about the "speaking clock" in general, such as how it has been operating in Sweden since October of 1936 (HEJ-SVEN?) and that in England comedian Lenny Henry's was the speaking clock's voice as part of a fundraising effort in 2003.
I'm trying to thing about whos voice i'd like to hear next time I call. Right now Danny Devito, Truman Capote, Darth Vadar and Charro all come to mind.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Syd Barrett - R.I.P.
Was sad to read the news today that Syd Barrett had passed away a few days ago. If you don't know who he was, maybe you've heard of Pink Floyd, the band he co-founded in 1965. Most people know who Pink Floyd are, but not so many have ever listened to their debut album, that fantastic masterpiece of psychedelia, The Piper at The Gates of Dawn.
My friend John Dragonetti first turned me on to this record sometime back in the early 1980s, and it was amazingly fun to listen to back then. And it still is, even though I don't tend to partake of the psychedelic substances so much these days. There is an enduring sense of joyful anarchy in Barrett's lyrics and songs that has stood the test of time. Songs like "Apples and Oranges" and "Bike" will always be up there near the top of my list.
There are obits all over the web right now, but there is a lot of good info on Syd over here at Wikipedia.
Syd eventually withdrew from the band due to mental problems, most likely brought about from his use of psychedelic drugs. I found it ironic that on the same day his death was announced, the Los Angeles Times is running this story on the potential for psilocybin (from hallucinogenic mushrooms) to be used to help addicts and people with terminal cancer attain feelings of spiritual transcendence. I have no doubts that this is possible, but as demonstrated by Syd, too much of a good thing might not be so good. The story mentions that subjects in the trial who took psilocybin were only given a one time dose, and many reported that the experience was "among the five most profound events in their lives, rivaling the birth of a child." I'd be interested to see studies on the different experiences of medicinal psilocybin users vs recreational psilocybin users.
The Times article concludes on a funny/scary note:
"David E. Nichols, a Purdue University chemist who synthesized psilocybin for use in the study, said the effects of psilocybin could vary greatly, depending on the mood of the user, and could be dangerous.
"If you take psilocybin and go watch 'Friday the 13th,' I can guarantee you won't have a mystical experience," he said."
My friend John Dragonetti first turned me on to this record sometime back in the early 1980s, and it was amazingly fun to listen to back then. And it still is, even though I don't tend to partake of the psychedelic substances so much these days. There is an enduring sense of joyful anarchy in Barrett's lyrics and songs that has stood the test of time. Songs like "Apples and Oranges" and "Bike" will always be up there near the top of my list.
There are obits all over the web right now, but there is a lot of good info on Syd over here at Wikipedia.
Syd eventually withdrew from the band due to mental problems, most likely brought about from his use of psychedelic drugs. I found it ironic that on the same day his death was announced, the Los Angeles Times is running this story on the potential for psilocybin (from hallucinogenic mushrooms) to be used to help addicts and people with terminal cancer attain feelings of spiritual transcendence. I have no doubts that this is possible, but as demonstrated by Syd, too much of a good thing might not be so good. The story mentions that subjects in the trial who took psilocybin were only given a one time dose, and many reported that the experience was "among the five most profound events in their lives, rivaling the birth of a child." I'd be interested to see studies on the different experiences of medicinal psilocybin users vs recreational psilocybin users.
The Times article concludes on a funny/scary note:
"David E. Nichols, a Purdue University chemist who synthesized psilocybin for use in the study, said the effects of psilocybin could vary greatly, depending on the mood of the user, and could be dangerous.
"If you take psilocybin and go watch 'Friday the 13th,' I can guarantee you won't have a mystical experience," he said."
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Alhambra Drive-by Memories
A while back i made this shot for Ko Matsuo (zeebouz on flickr), a friend of mine who lives in Tokyo who I knew in high school when i lived in Athens, Greece. At some point I thought that he had mentioned that he had lived in Alhambra, CA as a kid. So I shot the shot when i went out to Alhambra to eat with John and sent Ko a link, and then I got this response:
"hey , Steve !!
Yah , I remember the name Alhambera !
Rings a huge Bell !!! I must have past by or hung out there
many , many times in the ancient past .......
I lived in San Gabriel , I guess it 's really near by (?)"
So then I wondered why I had thought Ko had lived in Alhambra. But I figured I was just confused/confusing.
Then, later the same day, I got another e-mail from Ko:
"hey , again !
I just had a really cool experience !
Every Sunday morning at 5:30 AM I go out
to a coffee shop near by and
get me a small pizza and a few cups of coffee .
Same thing every Sunday morning ....
Well this morning after I emailed you
I went to the coffee shop but
for some reason I ordered
a toasted english muffin for breakfast ..
and I took One bite of the muffin and all of a sudden
all these memories came flooding inside my tiny brain !!!!
Major Flash Back !!
Yes , Steve ! you were RIGHT !
I used to live in Alhambra from
kindergarten to 2nd grade ... back in the 1970 's ..
the cool thing is that I now clearly remember that
the First breakfast I ever had
arriving at the house in Alhambra was
a toasted english muffin !!
Really cool how the Subconscious works !
I guess I sent you an email some moons ago
that I lived there or something .... I haven't thought of the place since ..
Know wonder huge bells were ringing !!
I guess I am going senile or something !
getting OLD man !!
anyways , if you hadn't mentioned Alhambra
this experience wouldn't have been so intense"
I love the way this memory emerged from a bite of english muffin. makes me want one for breakfast tomorrow...
"hey , Steve !!
Yah , I remember the name Alhambera !
Rings a huge Bell !!! I must have past by or hung out there
many , many times in the ancient past .......
I lived in San Gabriel , I guess it 's really near by (?)"
So then I wondered why I had thought Ko had lived in Alhambra. But I figured I was just confused/confusing.
Then, later the same day, I got another e-mail from Ko:
"hey , again !
I just had a really cool experience !
Every Sunday morning at 5:30 AM I go out
to a coffee shop near by and
get me a small pizza and a few cups of coffee .
Same thing every Sunday morning ....
Well this morning after I emailed you
I went to the coffee shop but
for some reason I ordered
a toasted english muffin for breakfast ..
and I took One bite of the muffin and all of a sudden
all these memories came flooding inside my tiny brain !!!!
Major Flash Back !!
Yes , Steve ! you were RIGHT !
I used to live in Alhambra from
kindergarten to 2nd grade ... back in the 1970 's ..
the cool thing is that I now clearly remember that
the First breakfast I ever had
arriving at the house in Alhambra was
a toasted english muffin !!
Really cool how the Subconscious works !
I guess I sent you an email some moons ago
that I lived there or something .... I haven't thought of the place since ..
Know wonder huge bells were ringing !!
I guess I am going senile or something !
getting OLD man !!
anyways , if you hadn't mentioned Alhambra
this experience wouldn't have been so intense"
I love the way this memory emerged from a bite of english muffin. makes me want one for breakfast tomorrow...
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
A Day Without Juice (and bread and produce and...)
On tuesday, on a trip to the Trader Joe's near my house, I kept seeing signs like this. This one was the first i noticed, because i was heading for the tangerine juice and found this instead.
Next stop - frozen aisle. Same story - most of the trader joe's frozen pizzas were out of stock - due to no deliveries making it through. probably a good thing, i get plenty of lipids as it is.
For me, seeing these signs in my local grocery really made the memory of monday's Day Without An Immigrant march that much better - because here it was, bits of lingering evidence that many of those people who were out there marching for change were also some of the people we all depend on, people who drive trucks full of our food to grocery stores every day, people who make our juice or package our bags of greens. It was the symbolism of the march made real - and transported across town from McArthur Park to my neighborhood store.
so - sign of the times, or no? i'm guessing that signs like this will probably become much more common in the next couple of years.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
National Poetry Month: Final Installment...Rashomon Style...
Wow - the month flew by - as months do - and as i write this there are maybe one hundred and ten (or less) minutes remaining in the month of April. So not a lot of time remains to get people pumped up for National Poetry Month.
and besides, May, which is just around the corner, is Date Your Mate Month, National Hamburger Month, and Fungal Infection Awareness Month. (really. try google and see.)
But despite the plethora of upcoming reasons to celebrate, we should probably just concentrate on the here and now, and appreciate the few fleeting moments that remain with us as part of National Poetry Month 2006.
and so rather than rounding out the month with just one poem, i thought it would make more sense if we rounded out the month with just one poem.
Meng Hao-jan was something of an old-school (689-740 C.E.) chinese poet.
here is a William Carlos Williams translation of his poem Night on the Great River:
Steering my little boat towards a misty islet,
I watch the sun descend while my sorrows grow:
In the vast night the sky hangs lower than the treetops,
But in the blue lake the moon is coming close.
and here is the very same poem, in another translation by Kenneth Rexroth:
We anchor the boat alongside a hazy island.
As the sun sets I am overwhelmed with nostalgia.
The plain stretches away without limit.
The sky is just above the tree tops.
The river flows quietly by.
The moon comes down amongst men.
and finally here is a third translation by Gary Snyder:
The boat rocks at anchor by the misty island
Sunset, my loneliness comes again.
In these vast wilds the sky arches down to the trees.
In the clear river water, the moon draws near.
I love how each interpretation of the original poem is so wildly different (and similar), in the same way that the four versions of the same story in Rashomon reflect, well - who can say exactly what they reflect - other than our own way of seeing/saying what we perceive or need to preceive as "the truth".
And i love that we can all examine the same exact poem/incident/newspaper story, and the variety and randomness of our individual lives insures that as much as we are all, in some way, looking at the same page, we are simultaneously looking through a set of eyes that is never quite in focus for anyone but ourself.
Happy National Poetry Month !
and besides, May, which is just around the corner, is Date Your Mate Month, National Hamburger Month, and Fungal Infection Awareness Month. (really. try google and see.)
But despite the plethora of upcoming reasons to celebrate, we should probably just concentrate on the here and now, and appreciate the few fleeting moments that remain with us as part of National Poetry Month 2006.
and so rather than rounding out the month with just one poem, i thought it would make more sense if we rounded out the month with just one poem.
Meng Hao-jan was something of an old-school (689-740 C.E.) chinese poet.
here is a William Carlos Williams translation of his poem Night on the Great River:
Steering my little boat towards a misty islet,
I watch the sun descend while my sorrows grow:
In the vast night the sky hangs lower than the treetops,
But in the blue lake the moon is coming close.
and here is the very same poem, in another translation by Kenneth Rexroth:
We anchor the boat alongside a hazy island.
As the sun sets I am overwhelmed with nostalgia.
The plain stretches away without limit.
The sky is just above the tree tops.
The river flows quietly by.
The moon comes down amongst men.
and finally here is a third translation by Gary Snyder:
The boat rocks at anchor by the misty island
Sunset, my loneliness comes again.
In these vast wilds the sky arches down to the trees.
In the clear river water, the moon draws near.
I love how each interpretation of the original poem is so wildly different (and similar), in the same way that the four versions of the same story in Rashomon reflect, well - who can say exactly what they reflect - other than our own way of seeing/saying what we perceive or need to preceive as "the truth".
And i love that we can all examine the same exact poem/incident/newspaper story, and the variety and randomness of our individual lives insures that as much as we are all, in some way, looking at the same page, we are simultaneously looking through a set of eyes that is never quite in focus for anyone but ourself.
Happy National Poetry Month !
(poems from The New Directions Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry)
Monday, April 24, 2006
Is that "You Tube" in your pocket or...
Went to a cook-out yesterday and at some point a few of us started taliking about all the cool/funny/strange stuff we'd been seeing over on You Tube lately. So today i poked around some more and was thrilled to find this clip of the band 999 singing "obsessed". I think i had seen this video all of twice after it came out in the early 1980s and some corner of my brain always wanted to see it again. So when I found it today i was really excited.
Then I watched it.
the song sounds Ennio Morricone-ish, and they were kind of going for a "spaghetti western" look. kind of. ( western looking clothes do not a sphaghetti western make. would british video makers make "fish and chips westerns"?)
Anyway - the "cinematography" was atrocious - though no worse than most of the other music videos shot in that really horrible early 1980s style. in fact the whole thing is just rediculous.
I love it.
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