Date: 2009-11-21 23:43 Subject: Get on the phone! Security: Public

Call the Nestle Crunch Hotline at 1-800-295-0051

Date: 2009-07-15 15:10 Subject: My New Call Center Security: Public Location: Western Hemisphere Mood: Pacific and content Music: Lata Mangeshkar: Wada Na Tod Tags: call centre, customer service, technical support

I know I have not had the virtual presence I once had so I am now having my call center handle some aspects of my social life.

Date: 2009-07-15 14:39 Subject: Anmorphosis Security: Public Tags: poetry

Anamorphosis
Poetry can compress and distort
Words and images fold into one another
And shift our understanding
To see truth emerge
From the underlying appearance.

Date: 2009-03-05 12:52 Subject: Ferlinghetti will be turning 90! Security: Public

It is hard to believe that Ferlinghetti is about to turn 90. I first saw him in the mid-80s with Jacqui at a poetry reading to benefit the United Farm Workers at the Museum of Natural History in Santa Barbara. When spent some time running around the streets of Santa Barbara, got two "bullfighter" sandwiches to go and hung out in the park across from the museum till the poetry reading began - he read with an ancient sax player from Monterey - seminal musician in bop and the beat generation but his name escapes me. The reading was incredible. There were folk harpists from Mexico there too and members of Teatro Campesino. This night lead to a long love affair with J and Ferlinghetti's poetry. I read him before and loved his poetry, but seeing him perform his poetry (that is what he really does) is a whole other thing.

Years later I went to the American Library Association Convention to hear him read. There was not a lot of room in the audience so a handful of us were asked to come up and sit with him on stage. That was hella funny.

From City Lights:

HELP US WISH LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI
A HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY

Date: 2009-02-21 11:31 Subject: New Job? Security: Public

I was watching the news and there was some cascade of movie/sports/"music" star news and there was some hot breaking story and this tool in a little box on the screen starts yappin and his title was "CELEBRITY CRISIS EXPERT." Just like freakin FEMA! Around 2001, I began to see "Internet Expert" as a title of whatever talking tiny head they could get to comment on any topic: savings and loan failures, middle east, or shakespeare. I would like to record generic commentary that could be used for any crisis - financial, weather, or celebrity. Something like "What is there to be said? Many pundits claimed they saw this coming but I don't think anyone really predicted events to unfold exactly in this way. Hindsight is always 20/20. We have to resist the urge to over-simplify the issues. If we have learned anything from history is its that it is too easy to make generalizations based on the past. All parties effected by this are going to have to really step back and reflect. We can only be grateful it isn't worse."

Date: 2009-02-09 15:23 Subject: Great Weekend! Security: Public

I linked to the special edition of Vogue here:


I went with my cover girl to Seattle on Sunday. We had a great time. We went to see Monteverdi's Orpheus. This was the first opera I had seen from start to finish (I saw it on TV). The first opera I went to in a theatre was "La Boheme" at the Dorothy Chandler in LA in 1977 (or '78). But the production of Orpheus I saw on PBS as a young teenager was pretty incredible and it really sold me on the idea of opera. I have been a big fan ever since. We hung out at the Brooklyn afterwards. This is a great bar across from the symphony hall and the art museum on 2nd. Amazing happy hour.

The day before all the fun, I presented online for an online conference. It went really well. It was called "Concept Maps: from pencil to virtual worlds." There were people "there" from all over the world - I learned a lot from them too!

Date: 2009-02-03 18:43 Subject: Tweeting with Jeeves Security: Public

Stephen Fry is one of my favorite people on this planet (Wooster and Jeeves). He is a Mac head and uses Twitter. Today he was leaving a talk he was giving at the Mac Store in London and got stuck in a fifth floor elevator. He posted this pic to twitter. John Cleese also posts to Twitter. It can make for some really interesting moments when the two of them tweet near one another. I use Twitter mostly for professional purposes. Most of my tweets consist of "Anyone have fav training materials for Angel Learning?" and things like that. But occasionally some fun things happen there too.

Date: 2009-01-24 11:38 Subject: Congratulations Everyone! Security: Public

According to some research, this is statistically the day that it is hardest to keep your New Year's Resolution. Buck the trend! Hang in there! Rah! Rah! Rah! So put the cork in that bottle of Tullamore Dew and get some fresh air. Or go to the gym. Or be kind to granny. Whatever it was, I am sending out vibrations of love and victory into the astral plane for the benefit of all sentient beings. This might even include you!

Date: 2009-01-12 08:34 Subject: Greg Pattillio Security: Public Location: Tacoma, WA Music: ??? Tags: beatbox, classical, flute, jazz, music

I have been listening to some strange and wonderful music. I have not made up my mind whether I like it or not or even if that is the question I am really asking. Maybe that is what art should do - not only make us ask questions but to question our questionings. Anyway, Greg Pattillo's flute music is all over YouTube and here is some of it:

Date: 2008-12-21 22:12 Subject: Candy Cane Lane Security: Public Location: Pacific Grove, CA Music: Dance of the Sugar Plum Faries Tags: christmas, lights, solstice, video

 We went to Candy Cane Lane tonight in Pacific Grove. It was raining off and on but we had a blast anyway. We made a short video of our adventures and some safety tips for viewing Christmas lights in the rain.



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Date: 2008-12-21 16:20 Subject: Back in Monterey Security: Public Location: Asilomar, CA Tags: asilomar, frenchpornography, monterey, rain

Being in Monterey is good. We are actually in Asilomar near Pacific Grove just north of Carmel on the coast. We can walk down to the beach. When we lived here, people used to complain about the low occupancy rate in Pacific Grove - that is how many homes are actually owned by people who live there and contribute to the community vs. just vacation homes for the parasitical rich. Our nieghborhood has the highest permanent occupancy rate in the area - our room overlooks the cemetary! Gotta love the internet deals. J is off exploring the cemetary now. There will be a full report later. This is a family oriented hotel - it comes with free full breakfast, swimming pool, and free barbeque. We put Margrette and J's nieces up here one summer. I have a feeling the kids would not be fond of this room. I find it peaceful and strange. I would definitely come back here. With the economy the way that it is, there are not a lot of people here and rooms are going for about 15% cheaper than the usual winter rates. You will see from the pictures that we had a day and a half of sun before the rain caught up with us but this is nothing compared to what we have been getting in the NW -- it is a nice break. I know the gaelic term "smirr" for "light rain" and J gave me the scots gaelic word "soofta" for those light clouds of rain that tumble down into a light drizzle. God knows how it is spelled said J. Puzzling photographic evidence to follow.

Date: 2008-12-16 16:18 Subject: Sunday Morning After the Snow Security: Public Tags: poetry

Winter settles in slowly. A large bank of clouds and fog covers over Puget Sound. The days are shorter. I become introspective. I stop thinking about the things I want to do and start thinking about the things I wanted to do, didn't do, can't do, or can no longer do. What did those desires say about myself? Why would I hang onto those dreams in particular? Why do we hang on to them at all? By one measure, I have accomplished a lot, but the greater accomplishment will be letting go, opening the hand, to release myself from the fruits of action. Winter reminds me that being and doing are enough. The final leaves fall in the first real frost of the year. Some are stuck in the branches. The mornings begin like the evenings end in a faint, light fluid band of sulphur on the horizon beneath the dark grey sky. Sometimes it blazes briefly like a fire opal; sometimes it smolders like wet coals in the cold rain. Sunday mornings after the snow are the best.

Against the grey clouds
Pine branches tufted with snow
White winter flowers.

Date: 2008-12-13 20:14 Subject: Here we go a-caroling... Security: Public Mood: jubilant Music: Coventry Carol Tags: caroling, christmas, unitarian, video

 We went caroling today at an outdoor mall in Kent, WA with our church, Saltwater Unitarian. We had a blast. We were all expecting that since we were caroling with Unitarians that we would sing about Rudolph and Frosty. While they both still participate in the hero's journey ala Joseph Cambell, they do not have the same archetypal resonance as the Birth of the Sun King. Our music minister loves tradition and good music more than dogmatic hair-splitting so we got to sing the cool stuff about "Satan's power" and the like. My real favorites are the old wassailing songs about foxes, holly and ivy. People stopped and joined us and the kids visiting the mall were completely into it. Anyway, 
( roll the film... )

Date: 2008-12-06 16:40 Subject: A Favorite Picture of Eric... Security: Public

Here is a favorite picture of our dear Eric:

Date: 2008-12-05 22:12 Subject: My writing tips Security: Public

Here is a pamphlet I wrote for an online creative writing class way back when. I revised it and put it up on Scribd.

Date: 2008-12-05 09:43 Subject: The Nietzsche Family Circus Security: Public

Randomly generated here.

Date: 2008-11-27 14:26 Subject: Happy Thanksgiving! Security: Public Location: University Place, WA Music: Inta Omry - Umm Kalsoum Tags: thanksgiving

We are back from the Emergency Food Network Thanksgiving Day dinner for the homeless. It was held in the grand ballroom of the Temple Theatre (1926) - completely restored place with cool art deco Egyptian interior. Amazing place - a former Masonic temple. The Tacoma Jazz Ensemble was on the stage playing jazz and holiday classics. There were LOTS of volunteers! That was really good to see. Rita and I were there only because Jaxi thought enough to sign us all up as volunteers on Nov. 1st. You have to sign up early because they can only take so many volunteers - isn't that freaking great?? I really like knowing that I live in a world where someone has to work hard to coordinate all of the volunteers. We were on drinks duty. The director said that no one leaves a pitcher of water at the table - everyone is personally served and special. There were a lot of families there. There were a lot of retired people who live in the hotels in the area too. People raved about the food. The turkeys were actually smoked and cooked by volunteers. You really got the sense that people cared about what they were doing. And we were out in a couple of hours. We could have been home by 2:00 but we ran a few errands. Rita was pretty amazed by the whole thing and is napping now. J is really good at finding opportunities like this, so that is another thing on my list that I am greatful for: she walks like she talks and keeps it fun.

Date: 2008-11-26 20:35 Subject: Mad about the girl... Security: Public Location: Big Sur, CA Music: Piano Trio in E Flat - Hummel Tags: bigsur jaxi molera

Here is an animated gif I made of three of my favorite pictures of Jaxi...