Right Brain/Left Brain

Ghost House LSI Hand-held game

2010-07-28T19:37:00.003-05:00

Just pulled out my Ghost House, an "LSI" game from 1985, which I bought in Tokyo at the time. This was pre-Nintendo, Sega, etc. It was very exciting to play at the time, but of course, it was completely novel. And the game itself designed so nicely with the relief goblins on each side of the screen whose eyes glow red while playing.

Ran on 2 AA batteries. A little boy goes around zapping ghosts and goblins who try to get him! Woo-hoo!

Pulling out the Japanese toys....

2010-07-05T06:31:00.007-05:00

I've started going through my immense Japanese toy collection and pulling a few items to sell. It's like archaeology. I start at the surface---the toys that I have lesser a connection to now, 27 years since I began collecting. Thanks to the internet, I've been able to see others' collections and the accolades they have gotten for their collections. Many were my customers back in the 1980s.

There is a certain flood of sensory memories, revisiting the boxes, the smells, the colors, and the names. Names of robots like Mackerel, Cabarov, Soltic, Ironfoot...all evocative of a chapter in my life when I was going to Japan to find toys like there was no tomorrow.

More to come, as I learn more about the current state of Japanese toy collecting.

I'm starting with my Dougram 1/144 scale collection (above).

Never Make Left Turns

2009-11-17T23:17:00.004-06:00

I love this story from Michael Gartner, president of NBC News and a Pulitzer winner for
editorial writing. About his father and mother:

My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I
never saw him drive a car. He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old,
and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet. "In those days," he told me when
he was in his 90s, "to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and
do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could
walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it."

At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in:

"Oh, bull----!" she said. "He hit a horse.""Well," my father said, "there was
that, too."

So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all
had cars -- the Kollingses next door had a green 1941 Dodge, the VanLaninghams
across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth, the Hopsons two doors down a black
1941 Ford -- but we had none.

My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines, would take the streetcar to work and,
often as not, walk the 3 miles home. If he took the streetcar home, my mother
and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him
and walk home together.

My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at
dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. "No one
in the family drives," my mother would explain, and that was that.

But, sometimes, my father would say, "But as soon as one of you boys turns 16,
we'll get one." It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16
first. But, sure enough, my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my
parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts
department at a Chevy dealership downtown.

It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts, loaded with
everything, and, since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my
brother's car. Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my
father, but it didn't make sense to my mother.

So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to
drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive
the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to
practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. "Who can your
mother hurt in the cemetery?" I remember him saying more than once.

For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the
family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up
on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself
navigator. It seemed to work. Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My
mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an
arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years
of marriage. (Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)

He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or
so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustin's Church. She would walk
down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw
which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the
pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother
at the end of the service and walking her home. If it was the assistant
pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He
called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."

After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she
drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the
beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was
summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game
on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: "The Cubs
lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire
on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored."

If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags
out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always
the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he
said to me, "Do you want to know the secret of a long life?" "I guess so," I
said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre.

"No left turns," he said."What?" I asked."No left turns," he repeated.
"Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents
that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming
traffic. As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth
perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left
turn." "What?" I said again. "No left turns," he said. "Think about it. Three
rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three
rights." "You're kidding!" I said, and I turned to my mother for support "No,"
she said, "your father is right. We make three rights. It works." But then she
added: "Except when your father loses count." I was driving at the time, and I
almost drove off the road as I started laughing.

"Loses count?" I asked."Yes," my father admitted, "that sometimes happens. But
it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again." I
couldn't resist. "Do you ever go for 11?" I asked.

"No," he said." If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad
day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day
or another week."

My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys
and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90.

She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102.
They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few
years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to
have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one. My
father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three
times what he paid for the house.)

He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101
because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep
exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he
died.

One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give
a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was
wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics
and newspapers and things in the news.

A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, "You know, Mike, the first hundred
years are a lot easier than the second hundred." At one point in our drive
that Saturday, he said, "You know, I'm probably not going to live much
longer."

"You're probably right," I said."Why would you say that?" He countered,
somewhat irritated."Because you're 102 years old," I said.

"Yes," he said, "you're right." He stayed in bed all the next day. That night,
I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night.

He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look
gloomy, he said:"I would like to make an announcement. No one in this room is
dead yet."

An hour or so later, he spoke his last words:"I want you to know," he said,
clearly and lucidly, "that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have
had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have."

A short time later, he died.

I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot. I've wondered now and then how
it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long.

I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he
quit taking left turns.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you
right. Forget about those who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said
life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.

ANDY HANSON: 1932-2008

2008-10-23T16:37:00.013-05:00

A really good friend has passed away. A friend of hundreds here in Dallas, but I always had the feeling we shared some private joke together. I'm sure he gave others that impression, too. Andy was a regular in my toy store Right Brain/Left Brain from the 1980s to 1990s, and we always had a shared humor about odd Japanese toys I'd bring in. He was an inveterate and eccentric collector--just my type--and we shared a same kind of outsider view of living in Dallas. I've read other blogs about Andy that said he never spoke unkindly of the thousands of people he covered in his years as a photographer at the Dallas Times Herald forward. Maybe not "unkindly", but not uncritically. He had a sharp sense of himself and the often unreal social situations he found himself in. But, there was not a kinder, sharper more beautifully eccentric man in Dallas, and seeing Andy always gave me some hope that Dallas wasn't beyond salvation from superficiality.

The most prolific photographer I've ever met, Andy took photos of the Beatles 1964 visit to Dallas, Walt Disney and Ray Nasher looking over plans to build NorthPark and too many more to enumerate. I'm including a photo he took of Mance Lipscomb that I bought from him in the 1980s, along with some other photos including one of Lightnin Hopkins. I remember being impressed that he even knew who Mance Lipscomb was.

A friend of mine called the police when Andy didn't show up at the State Fair on the last day. Ironically, I had decided to go by myself and make one last trip to the Fair on that last day, to have that one last corny dog and root beer. It was a lovely day, Big Tex standing against the big blue field of sky. Wish I could have toasted Andy that day.

Andy, I enjoyed every conversation we had--from toys to rubber stamps, odd facts and stories that always seemed to come up. I'll miss your face out and about, reminding me that every Dallas social gathering had some salt of the earth with your presence.

IN HIS DREAMS....

2008-10-08T18:38:00.003-05:00

Haven't blogged in a while. Too busy keeping up with all the great political commentary. Here's my two cents (sorry for the poor photoshop skills).

SPAM POEM

2008-07-18T10:52:00.003-05:00

I took the subject headers from some of the spam I've received recently and made a poem.

FROM MR BANGALI, URGENT,TOP SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL

Your girlfriend is pleased
You will make her 5 times a night
A small thing that makes your lady happy.
Vgaira for you!
Sensation news for you. fowls china.

Private message for you. cooped pion.
Do you mind? :)))

DNC Rules Committee Compromises on Florida & Michigan: Clinton People Go Delusional

2008-06-01T22:28:00.005-05:00

Like a political geek, I watched most of the 6 hours of the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee on Saturday. Tell me to get a life, okay? But, really, I found the inner workings of the Party fascinating, and I think they did a great job with a messy situation.

Afterwards, I received an email from the Hillary Clinton campaign and went to their site to read their statement. I encountered one of the most shocking and despicable stream of invectives, as I read the blog comments on Senator Clinton's website. Never have I seen so many venomous, hateful, destructive angry emails. These Clinton supporters were practically spitting their words out. What was sad was that the majority are claiming they will vote Republican this year if Hillary is not the nominee. Or they say they will write her name in. Sad. I tried posting a comment to ask for people to calm down and to think reasonably. Of course, the Clinton webmaster would not post my comments, only the rabid ones denouncing the Democratic Party, the DNC and everyone else BUT Senator Clinton.

I find it hard to believe that anyone who would vote for Hillary in the first place would travel ideologically to an anti-choice, war-prone Republican who would seat 9 Scalia's on the Supreme Court if it were his choice. They would vote for a candidate who has NO national Health Care plan. Really. Does this make sense to anyone? I try very hard to see the logic. I'm hoping it's just that they're so disappointed their candidate won't have enough delegates, that they have to turn their anger on Obama.

But why not channel that anger at the Michigan and Florida legislatures? They're the ones who broke the rules and subjected their voters to the DNC punishment. I guess it's true that Democrats are just as susceptible to passing the blame as Republicans.

And furthermore, where is Senator Clinton in all this? Doesn't she have some calming and reasoning words to communicate to her constituents? You have to come to the conclusion that she wants the anger and vitriol.

I had to email one of my favorite people, Donna Brazile, an undeclared Superdelegate on the Rules & Bylaws Committee, who ran Al Gore's 2000 campaign and who is a major Democratic Party adviser. You see her often on CNN, and she is always right on with her comments and political observations. I emailed to congratulate her on a job well done, because I noticed that someone on the Hillary blog had posted the email addresses of all the Rules & Bylaw committee members and I was sure they got so much hate mail, it would sicken you. I congratulated her and the rest of the committee on a job well done under really impossible circumstances. I told her that I knew she was going to be getting a lot of venomous emails. She replied, "If only you knew the hateful, scornful and vile emails. It's sad."

Sad. Yes, it is. Once more the Democratic Party insists on shooting itself in the foot. If I had had any inkling of support or sympathy left for Senator Clinton, including acknowledging the possibility that she's been treated in a sexist way, well, it's gone now. Her judgment is showing.

SIMON'S CAT

2008-04-01T22:01:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all my friends who sent condolences for Edie's passing. My sister sent me a YouTube of "Simon's cat", which made me want more of his cartoons, and I found this one! This guy has got a really fabulous feel for cats.

My Cat Edie, 1993-2008

2008-03-28T17:33:00.003-05:00

Little Edie is gone. Born on Easter 1993, and passed away the day after Easter 2008. She was a sweet little cat who kept the house lively, and was a nice companion, even if it meant what could I do for her. Her brother Eddie passed away 2 years ago. They were chosen as kittens by my son and daughter as children, who are both now in their 20s, and have lives of their own. So, Edie was the last connection with their childhoods, in effect.

I still come home with the reflex that I will see her or hear her come to greet me. She is really missed.

Maybe An Adult President Finally?

2008-03-20T17:02:00.005-05:00

Obama's brilliant speech in Philadelphia the other day was such a breath of fresh air, and will be regarded years from now as one of the great political speeches in American history! After 7 years of listening to a President who has great difficulty speaking in consecutive complete sentences, and saying nothing intelligent in the process, we just got to hear a politician speaking to racism in this country, as if he were talking to adults. You must listen to the whole speech, as he thoughtfully lays out an historical and complex issue that has mostly been swept under the rug by politicians and white Americans.

Vote for Obama. Let's put a complex, circumspect intelligent adult in the White House!

The Forgotten War in Iraq

2008-03-14T23:20:00.002-05:00

While Obama and Hillary waste their time firing barrages at each other, McCain is going around the country touting the success of the "surge". The press has practically stopped covering the war, so there is no opposition to his misinforming the American people. The surge is not working. Read this article from by Adriana Huffington for more sad details.

What brought me over to the Obama side, when it came down to it, was Hillary's vote to go to war. In my view, she used bad judgment, and although she tried to back pedal once she was a Presidential nominee, her explanations have never held water. What is not so well known is that, in the days leading up to the vote to go to war, Senator Levin proposed an amendment that would have put up two further safeguards to check Bush's executive power to declare war on Iraq. It would have required the UN to declare war, and it would have required Bush to go to Congress and explain why diplomacy would no longer work, before declaring war. But Hillary voted AGAINST it. This is damning, in my book.

But now, with our soldiers over-taxed, billions of dollars wasted, the Iraqi government failing to live up to the benchmarks, and McCain talking about being there 100 years, it just can't get more dismal, can it?

Come on, Obama! Wake up and smell the IED fumes !

Post Texas Primary Thoughts

2008-03-05T13:28:00.003-06:00

I worked at my election poll yesterday from 6AM to around 11PM (I caucused afterwards). They combined 2 precincts into our election poll. I closed our vote counting machine. We had 1124 voters that day (10 times the 2006 Primary). Obama won exactly 40 more votes than Clinton, so it was close. In the caucuses afterwards, Obama was apportioned 36 more delegates to Hillary's 24. It was a lot of fun to work, because everyone was so energized. I recommend it sometime. It's a really fun way to get involved in the political process, to see the diversity of people who live here, and get a greater insight on how the country functions (or doesn't).

I'm beginning to get nervous about the election, though. I see that there is a chance that, if Obama wins the nomination, it could end up like McGovern in '72 (my first Presidential election to vote in). We trounced the establishment in the Texas Caucuses, treated the older politicians as if they were worthless, went for the "candidate of change" and the nation ended up electing Richard Nixon. Obama has little real experience, and in the instances where both parties made compromises and passed legislation, it was McCain who was at the center, and Obama was often apart by himself opposing "the center". This is powerful ammunition for the Replicants (my new name for the party).

The one substantive reason for supporting Obama, to me, is the war issue---I think Hillary's vote was political at the time, and not made out of any conscience. This gives the edge to Obama for me. But, we are idealists, and we know the Replicants are social Darwinists. They will use every dirty trick. I heard recently that McCain has gotten support from the "Swift Boat Veterans" group.

I'm also concerned that if Hillary gets the nomination, the Replicants will make a play on "Clinton fatigue". Personally, I myself want someone new in the White House. Hillary is not new, and neither is McCain. Both are old school; both play games; both take money from lobbyists, who already have too much influence in Washington.

For those of you who support Obama, you're going to have to support him all the way to November, if he wins the nomination. He won't be able to coast on the back of the "movement" we now see. So, get ready!

Obama: This is Our Country

2008-02-10T20:48:00.002-06:00

News today that Hillary's campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle has "stepped down", on the heels of losing in all 4 weekend primaries. Peggy Noonan asks the question whether Hillary knows how to lose graciously, and is the first person I've heard declare Obama the Democratic nominee.

Clearly, Obama is a movement and practically impossible to stop or derail. What I love about his candidacy is how he really dispels the notion that "experience" is what matters most. Experience is what McCain and Hillary are about, and both just come across as people who look backward. We learned a devastating lesson about this with George W. Bush, who appointed a whole slew of "experienced" people--the evil Dick Cheney, the maladroit Donald Rumsfeld, to name a few. And when he had an experienced person who actually knew what was going on--I think of Richard Clarke, then ex-White House counter-terrorism adviser--he ignored him. Who knows if the next President can even undo this in two terms?

The first Presidential election in which I could vote was McGovern and Nixon in 1972. McGovern was an "outsider" and anti-war at the time we were mired in Vietnam. It was the first time I realized that war wasn't always a necessary evil. Obama is the first candidate I've seen since that time who doesn't exude politics as usual, whose very thought and speech patterns flow in another direction from the brand of thinking we get from the others. Hillary's constant macho talk about fighting, most often, the "Republican attack machine"; McCain's droning accusations that the Democrats will "surrender to terrorists". (Nixon characterized McGovern as the "acid, amnesty, and abortion" candidate.) Obama has broken that pattern and given us the opportunity and hope of re-shaping the paradigm of our country. Our country. It's really nice that those words have started to have meaning again. I feel like we're going to get it back!

Bush has robbed us of the sense that this is our country. Good riddance to Bush--the fear mongering; the anti-intellectual, "God-guided" decision-making; the ignorant, U.S.-centric, ideological weltanschauung. As far as I'm concerned, Bush just traded substance abuse for God abuse.

With Obama, the hope is that sanity will once more come back to this country. Our country.

(Photo used with kind permission of Philip Cloutier.)

OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT

2008-01-30T14:00:00.000-06:00

I've been following the Presidential race, without feeling particularly inspired by any candidate. If I leaned any particular way, it was toward Hillary Clinton, because I wanted Bill back in the White House, and the Clinton's are politically savvy. And I believed they were in touch with the people at the same time. Whatever the criticisms of them may be, they're NOT George Bush, nor are they like McCain or Romney. That alone is worth the vote. However, as I listened more and more to Obama, in speeches, in the debates, I started getting this real sense of the possibility of a President who thought outside the box. I remember the same sentiment with John F. Kennedy, even as young as I was in 1963. Obama has brought extraordinary number of the young vote and the independent into his campaign, people whom I feel are the most disenchanted with the political process. The more I listened to him speak, the less enchanted I became with Hillary. And then when Bill started injecting "race" into the discussion by comparing Obama's win in South Carolina to Jesse Jackson's win in 1984, that pushed me over the edge. Obama has nothing to do in belief nor political thought to Jackson. The comment was out of line.

Please take a look at Obama's website. Donate $25 or $50. The Clinton's are a well-oiled, well-financed political machine. The Republicans WANT Hillary to run, because she's the most "beatable" candidate. They're going to raise the specter of Bill's administration to scare conservatives into voting Republican.

Think outside the box. Support Obama.

Old Friend Resurfaces

2008-01-24T21:41:00.001-06:00

A few weekends ago, my longtime friend Hills came up from San Antonio with Caralyn, whom we've both known since high school. My family moved in next door to Hills when I was 5 and we've been friends ever since. Caralyn I met in 1968, and she introduced me to Donovan's music. Really, she was the first hippie I'd met. Anyway, Hills and I have always kept up over the years, but one of our very best friends in those formative years, Rob, we hadn't seen since then. Rob is the one who turned me on to Dylan. I was over at his house, and he had just bought "Another Side of Bob Dylan" and told me I had to listen to it. I remember when "Blonde On Blonde" came out, Rob and I went to U.V. Blake Records, and sat in one of those listening booths where they pipe in the LP of your choice. We were particularly awed by "Stuck Inside of Mobile (With the Memphis Blues Again)" and laughed at all the cymbal crashes at the end of the song, that wouldn't seem to end.

He's been living in Ft. Worth for the last 25 years, and is somewhat reclusive. But he came to see us that weekend, and it was almost like we hadn't skipped a beat in the last 35 years. He's had an interesting life. A few years ago, Rob quit his engineering job after an epiphany that he wasn't really enjoying his life. He is now making the most incredible clocks, which you can see at this website.

When Rob was an engineer, he had to get top security clearance from the Dept. of Energy to do some work for the government. He was told it took about 2 years to get clearance, but he got a call to come to Washington 2 weeks later! When he walked into the office, they handed him his clearance. Turns out, he was involved in a Viet Nam war protest at Texas Tech University in 1970, and the FBI had had a file on him ever since! Man, my own friend on Nixon's enemy list!

Trinity River Toll Road Post-Election Thoughts

2007-12-06T17:23:00.001-06:00

A few words on the vote last Nov. 6th, when Dallas voters narrowly okayed the toll road in the park. A lot of my friends have called or emailed to say how sorry they were that the anti-toll road side lost, but I'm not worried, nor was I really that upset (I'm used to voters lacking the intelligence to look at an issue beyond what their politicians tell them). Just because the vote turned out that way, doesn't mean the toll road will be built. In fact, I don't think it will ever be built. The Army Corps of Engineers is not going to approve a highway in a flood plain just because voters okayed it. Nor will the NTTA (North Texas Tollway Authority) suddenly be able to come up with the engineering and environmental requirements necessary for approval What voters okayed, was that the city could proceed to try and build it. The vote didn't eliminate all the hurdles that have to be jumped to get the first highway ever to be built in a floodway in this country approved.

In any case, TrinityVote hasn't just thrown up their hands and walked away. About 30 of us showed up at the first City Council meeting after the vote--in your Yes! t-shirt--to make sure the rest of the council didn't try to beat up on Angela. And we'll continue to monitor the progress of the toll road. Check out the Trinity Vote blog to see how the false promises, deceipt and lies the Mayor, the Dallas Morning News, the NTTA and other city officials made during the campaign have slowly started to unravel. For one, the Morning News sat on information damaging to the Vote No side for a month prior to the election and only printed it after the election was over. James Ragland just wrote about a "private party" Leppert held for the all the councilmembers (except Angela Hunt!) as a thank you, and held at Ross Perot, Jr.'s condo at the W. Journalists were not allowed.

Once again, we have a greedy, self-interested Mayor and City Council, with the sole exception of Angela Hunt, of course. But our grassroots movement came close to defeating them. It was an historic vote. Despite the fact that the Vote No outspent us 20 to 1, and had on their side both U.S. Senators, a U.S. Congressman, State Representatives, 13 of 14 City Council members, the Mayor, two Dallas ex-mayors, every Chamber of Commerce and business organization in the city--they could only win by 6%. It was an extraordinary experience working on this issue, and, as I said, it ain't over yet.

Photo Shoot

2007-12-06T16:25:00.001-06:00

I've been shooting music posters for 2 days. Some are so large, you can't show the scale with a digital image. I was trying to shoot a delayed image and stand by this one, so you could see how large it is. But, the delay was set for 2 seconds, and I couldn't get into position in time. So, why am I posting this? I haven't had time to blog lately, and I just kind of liked it.

A Message from Bob Dylan about The Trinity River Park: VOTE YES! on Nov. 6th

2007-10-22T14:39:00.001-05:00

Mayor Leppert Would Force Feed Dallas Voters If He Could

2007-10-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

Has anyone noticed how many visuals the toll road proponents keep rolling out? First, the one back in 1998 depicting a tranquil park scene with sailboats on a lake. Then recently the animated version which Brad Watson on Channel 8 showed was a fantasy by interviewing the Army Corps of Engineers, who in turn stated that nothing has been fixed. In other words, any pictures are pure imagination.

Now the latest version. Anyone attending the debate between Angela Hunt and Tom Leppert at Rosemont Primary was treated to a large rendering of the toll road and park sponsored by the North Texas Tollway Authority, the company that will build and own this toll road. It shows a section of road next to an expansive park with dozens of strollers and cyclists along park paths. On the toll road itself, I counted SIX CARS on their rendering! SIX CARS, folks, and these cars were probably just trying to find the exit into the park so they could enjoy the tranquil watercolor trees and pathways.

Furthermore, Mayor Leppert keeps touting that former Dallas mayors Ron Kirk and Laura Miller, Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, former council member John Wiley Price and all the current council members, save the lone intelligent one (Angela Hunt), have joined together to support the toll road in the Trinity Park. Someone told me that when a bunch of politicians get together and tell you how to vote, hold on to your pocketbook.

Summer's Gone???

2007-09-18T14:52:00.001-05:00

Wow. The summer's over and not one blog entry since June. Just way too busy.
Saw Wilco Friday night at the Palladium in Dallas. Better than ever. I think Sky Blue Sky is the best album yet. The sound was great, the band in top form. And great songwriting aside, their musicianship is awesome to hear. These guys are some extraordinary musicians.
The set list was almost like a Wilco's greatest hits:
Wilco
9/14/07
The Palladium Ballroom
Dallas, TX

Set 1:
Shake It Off
A Shot In The Arm
Side With The Seeds
You Are My Face
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Pot Kettle Black
Handshake Drugs
Impossible Germany
Its Just that Simple
Misunderstood
Jesus, Etc.
Too Far Apart
Walken
Im The Man Who Loves You
Poor Places
Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Set 2:
Red-Eyed And Blue
I Got You (At the End of the Century)
Hesitating Beauty
Hate It Here
Im Always In Love
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

encore:
Heavy Metal Drummer
Hummingbird
On And On And On

Was able to get a recording of this, too. Impossible Germany is my new fave.

How about a toll road here?

2007-06-29T11:33:00.001-05:00

Coincidentally, today is the deadline to turn in the signed petitions ordering a referendum on the Trinity toll road. I got almost 1100 signatures myself, and kept a tally of those who knew about the issue and specifically did not want to sign. The tally ended up being 10% of the Dallas voters who were told about the issue said they would not sign. When we turn in the 50,000+ signatures, it will represent more people than voted for our current mayor Tom Leppert. How about them apples?

Check out the Trinity River today!

SiCKO

2007-06-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

Everyone needs to see Michael Moore's new documentary on the health care industry (do those words even go together?), especially this opening weekend, if possible, when the movie industry values the statistics. It's going to be another painful exposition of how little this country cares for people, and how much it cares for profit. Check out the preview:

Richie Havens "License to Kill"

2007-06-21T16:58:00.000-05:00

Just discovered this really beautiful version of Bob Dylan's LICENSE TO KILL by Richie Havens.

Precious Moments

2007-06-20T09:24:00.001-05:00

My friend Kathryn and her daughter Erin (above) went to Kansas City recently. Erin's been accepted--with scholarship--to the Kansas City Art Institute! She totally deserves this because she's worked very hard for it, and is a very talented artist. On the way, they stopped at the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, MO. Awesome photos! Click on them to see a larger version with better detail.

Britt opens for Sonic Youth!

2007-05-31T14:42:00.001-05:00

Between gathering petition signatures for Trinity Vote, and Anna being back from college--not to mention trying to make a living--there's been no time for blogging.
HOWEVER....just got off the phone with Britt (right, in the photo above), and it turns out that Thurston Moore has asked him to open for Sonic Youth on July 19th at the historic Berkeley Community Theatre, where the likes of Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, The Clash and Led Zeppelin have played. Now is that cool or what?
Thurston is a customer of Britt's label notnotfun records. He's apparently very much into experimental music, and when he has the opportunity to ask someone to open, he likes unknown highly experimental bands like Britt's ROBEDOOR. Britt will be doing a collaborative set with his wife Amanda's band POCAHAUNTED.

Dallas Trinity Parkway: Once More, It's All Business

2007-05-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

In 1998, the citizens of Dallas voted for Propostion 11, which was to set aside $246 million to turn the Trinity River into a recreational area. Above is the illustration used in the official city brochure. Keep that image firmly in mind. There was no mention in the wording on the ballot of "toll" or "road", nothing about high-speed roadways with no exits into the park, and taking up 1/3 of the park space. But, typical, to Dallas and its usual suspect business interests, the park project got hijacked along the way, unbeknown to the voters, and now includes such a toll road, which has been engineered and re-engineered for the last 8 years, the cost estimate having risen to more than $1 billion. Add to that the the North Texas Tollway Authority, who will own the road (AND will be gifted the land by the City of Dallas), has asked to be exempted from the post-Katrina flood plain engineering requirements. Let me also mention, that Dallas would be the ONLY city in the United States with a highway in a levee.

In response to this, City Councilperson Angela Hunt started the Trinity Vote, a group of volunteers I am working with who are gathering the 50,000 petition signatures necessary to bring the referendum back to the voters, to let THEM decide whether they want a toll road or not. It's the only way that all the truth can come to light. With these signatures, neither the Mayor nor the City Council will have any authority to stop the referendum going back to the voters.

I gathered signatures yesterday at one of the early voting poll locations. You should know that the opposition has hired "blockers"--many of whom were brought in from outside the Dallas area and/or state--to dissuade people from signing our petitions. These are professionals who have been stationed at every polling location. They are getting paid $200/day (I found this out from "my" blocker). Doesn't that tell you something right there? On the one hand, you have volunteer Dallas citizens who are concerned about having their promised green space; on the other hand, you have "hired guns", because the fat cats are too busy making money and doing more deals to care about fair and open discussion.

On top of that, a second rate journalist for the Dallas Morning News, aptly named Steve Blow, wrote a lame "editorial" for the opposition in yesterday's paper. It did influence some people, who believe what they read in the Dallas Morning News (aka BELO Corporation which not only owns the city's only mainstream newspaper, but the ABC-TV affiliate station as well). Cozy, huh?

So, yesterday afternoon, when things slowed down, I suggested to "my" blocker that we call Steve. I was transferred to him right away. I identified myself, and that a representative from the opposition was also there with me, and we both wanted to ask some questions. After he got past the first five minutes of stammering, I questioned his statement that everyone knew the toll road was in the mix from day one. He responded that the issue was in the newspaper. I asked if he had read the actual wording of the Proposition. "No," was his reply. Can you believe it? He finally agreed that if you didn't read the Morning News, and had just gone to the polling place that day, you WOULD NOT have known a toll road was in the mix. How's that for an informed journalist?

In any case, I wrote a letter to the Editors of the News this morning, and was just informed that it will be printed in tomorrow's paper (Saturday, May 5th). It had to be brief to be published, so it's better than nothing, but check it out.

And, those of you who are registered Dallas voters, please email me and let's arrange to sign my petition!! We have 60 days from last Monday.

Maria's Parents

2007-04-27T13:45:00.000-05:00

Maria has been a dear friend for more than 12 years, and has helped me keep my home clean all these years. She is originally from El Salvador, and is now working on her U.S. citizenship. Her parents, who live in El Salvador, are here currently visiting her. She brought them along for me to meet. It was so nice to meet them. Her father is a very sweet man, and helped her out while she worked.

Maria's parents live in a very small rural village in El Salvador. They have cows, chickens and a garden. This is how they live, with no jobs. Cold water, no air conditioning. I told Maria it actually sounds refreshing. They were fascinated by the eclectic things in my house. They told Maria they were seeing things they'd never seen before, and were amazed to see so many things from so many other countries.

I wanted to take their photo. Maria's father especially loved the handmade shrine (from India) underneath the Chinese checkerboards. That's where he wanted the photo taken. And this is the pose he chose as well. Awesome, no?

Japanese Character Mask Collection

2007-04-25T20:58:00.000-05:00

Now that my photography skills have improved somewhat over the last few years, I decided it was time to re-vamp my ModernToys™ Museum collection. I re-shot all the toys, and added three more pages. The 4th and 5th pages are devoted to Japanese children's masks. Check them out if you feel like it HERE. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full toy or mask. The link at the top is to the mask page.

I'll be adding another page of masks tomorrow!

Kurt Vonnegut: So It Goes*

2007-04-14T12:29:00.000-05:00

There were a few books that I encountered in my late teens and early 20s that fleshed out my world by an exponential number. The most memorable of those books were J.D. Salinger's 9 Stories and Franny and Zooey, Ram Dass's Be Here Now, Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Well, all of Vonnegut's books, really. Once I read Slaughterhouse Five, there was no stopping at that point. I then read Cat's Cradle, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, and you know the rest of the stories.

There are always people from your own generation, and from previous ones, that light the way, for those of us who want to believe that there is more to the universe and to existence than our mainstream culture revealed to some of us during our childhood. My father owns a clothing store, and my memories of him going to work everyday, coming home in the evening still absorbed in this quotidian world, instilled in me the distinct impression that life as an adult was intrinsically uninteresting. Although very young, I just assumed that being an adult was boring, and that was reality.

Fortunately, when I was 12, The Beatles invaded, and I do mean, invaded. And that started the spark for me. It implanted, without me even knowing, the first seed that the universe was immense, and so were the possibilities. The next epiphany came when I was around 22. I was reading a Rolling Stone article about Paul McCartney. This was post-Beatles. The article was about Paul's new solo album. I know this will sound incredibly trite to you, but it was a huge epiphany for me suddenly--Paul didn't just slip into the business world after the Beatles. He continued creating music and carried this passion into the--and now for that phrase--"adult world". I was already primed to be a hippie at that point, but this gave me the necessary nudge. The direction of my life was for me to create. And it's been an adventure ever since.

So, it is with a really deep sense of sadness to learn of Kurt Vonnegut's passing. He was one of the people in my life, whom I had never met, but somehow known intimately. The normal metaphor would be to say that Vonnegut was a light of the world. And he was. But I like to think of him more as a medium of the universe. Like Lennon, like Dylan, like LSD, like Ram Dass, like Rimbaud. Some people seem to be more attuned to the universe. Vonnegut was one. He was brilliant and funny, and knew how to describe the human condition in a way that resonated with my sense of who I was. He taught me more about me.

He will be missed, but he won't be the last. So it goes.

*The title of this blog entry refers to the phrase Vonnegut uses in Slaughterhouse Five whenever a death occurs.

President & CEO George W. Bush: Nixon Nostalgia

2007-04-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

I just watched the documentary The U.S. vs. John Lennon, which was moving, to say the least. Throughout my 37 years or so of political awareness, I NEVER thought I would be nostalgic for Richard Nixon. Nixon may have had his criminal side, but nothing as insidious and manipulative as CEO Bush. The Nixon White House perceived a real threat in John Lennon. In Lennon's FBI files is a letter from then Senator Strom Thurmond to the White House recommending deportation as a "strategic measure", and you know the rest of the story. (If not, you can read the actual FBI files here.)

What the Bush White House has done is far more insidious. They have established the Executive Office as sacrosanct, immune from the fundamental principles of Checks and Balances. Because of the privilege of having a Republican rubber-stamp Congress, they have been able to sustain the illusion. Bush and his co-CEO Cheney have run the office like a corporation--expecting the nation to run on their directives, unquestioned and unchallenged. They have curbed our Bill of Rights, and called it the "Patriot" Act. Wherever Bush appears, protesters are cordoned off a safe distance from his (and the news cameras') presence. In the wake of the current U.S. Attorney scandal, they have agreed to unrecorded questioning of certain White House officials, and they not be under oath. Dissent, one of our fundamental rights--and the reason, I might add, that we are no longer English--is repressed, discouraged and equated with disloyalty and lack of patriotism.

In short, CEO Bush has hijacked the office of President. He promised when he first became President that he would restore dignity to the office (an obvious dig at President Clinton). He has, in fact, degraded it. His anti-intellectual, Crusade-centric, shoot-from-the-hip attitude has hurt our image around the world in such a way that it may take 50 years to restore it. One wishes now that his transgressions could have been as simple as getting a blow job from an intern!

Yes, I would prefer Nixon. Next to Bush, he was a lightweight. And this brings one bit of sadness to the fore---I miss John Lennon. What has allowed the current state of affairs is indifference. I would go so far as to say that the Holocaust did not happen primarily because of Jew-hating Nazis; it happened because of the indifference of the German people, the American people as well as the rest of the world. Indifference is more powerful than hatred. Lennon cared deeply about war, and put himself on the line to help end it. You may not know that he did not perform for money one time after the Beatles broke up. He only performed for political causes, and for free.

Imagine.

Steven Guarnaccia

2007-04-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

By the way, the friend I referred to in the last entry is a New York-based illustrator, whose work is quite extraordinary. He's been extensively published everywhere from the New York Times to the Italian design magazine Abitare. He's published a number of books, including an updated version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears (see it on Amazon); a skeleton pop-up book (also on Amazon); a beautiful book on the theme of "Black + White"; and projects too numerous to mention here. Steven currently teaches Illustration at Parsons.

Check out some samples of his work here.

Cool Rock Poster Art

2007-04-02T11:28:00.000-05:00

I sell music memorabilia, mostly from the 60's through the 80's, but recently my good friend Steven turned me on to a contemporary artist who has broken the mold of the Kozik-influenced poster style. Her name is Tara McPherson. She's not an unknown artist, by any means, but I haven't seen her music poster work until now. She has reconnected 60's psychedelic artwork with the 21st Century. Her posters are primarily about the graphics, and she diminishes the venue information. The venue is almost secondary. Stanley Mouse, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin and other iconic 60's artists did the same thing, only by incorporating the text into almost unreadable visuals (you almost had to be stoned to read them). Even though the poster was meant to advertise a concert, it became about the artwork itself. I think Tara has done the same thing updated. The venue information is secondary to the piece, which gives the poster as a whole more visual strength.

I've included a couple of samples of her artwork here. Go to her site for more HERE!

Movie Review of the Month: Fists in the Pocket (Italy, 1965)

2007-03-29T21:50:00.000-05:00

I started watching this film twice and gave up 10 minutes into it. For some reason, the beginning is a bit confusing, and the initial scene with the family is bizarre. Then I tried watching it again the other night, and was totally taken in by it. In fact, I watched it a second time this evening. Fists in the Pocket (I pugni in tasca) was the debut film for Marco Bellocchio in 1965 with an incredibly penetrating and complex performance by first timer Lou Castel. The story centers on Alessandro (Lou Castel) and his attempt to do away with his dysfunctional family, in order for his older, and normal (read, bourgeois) brother to be able to marry. When Bellocchio took a copy of the film without sound to the Venice Film Festival for consideration, he was told to abandon it altogether, to not finish it.

I think you have to understand the context of the film to understand how revolutionary and shocking it was at the time. Italian society was stiflingly bourgeois and Catholic in the early 60's. Cinema was still identified with the past masters, such as Antonioni and De Sica. Bellocchio turned these values on their head with his outrageous plot full of black humor, and presaged (along with fellow film student Bertolucci) the student riots in Europe in 1968. I believe it was Lou Castel, years later, who characterized the film as the "rumble before the earthquake".

If you're a serious film person, and haven't seen it, you must.

Tony Snow Job

2007-03-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

I consider myself a little left of moderate, and Tony Snow, obviously, much further on the conservative side. However, I never minded watching him when he moderated the Fox Sunday News show. Yes, he was narrow minded, but there as a semblance of intelligence. But now that he's become the White House spokesperson, well, he's followed the first requirement for the job: check your intellect in at the door. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has lost mounds of respect for this guy. Why anyone would think it was a step UP to go from Fox News to the White House ventriloquist dummy, is perplexing. But, then, to hear him spout the lamest excuses for the administration's arrogance and bullying of Congress, the courts and, lately, U.S. Attorneys.

His latest retort to the Democrats issuing subpoenas for top White House advisers is to accuse them of playing "politics", something we all know the Republicans consider anathema. The Bush administration has typically acted with sheer arrogance and from the viewpoint that the Executive Branch is sacrosanct. It feels no need to consult Congress, by casting their decisions as in the interests of American safety. Bush has gotten away with this attitude of moral superiority, largely because of a Republican-dominated Congress, and some clueless Democrats who were just as asleep at the wheel.

Anna Turns 21!

2007-03-13T18:06:00.000-05:00

My darling Pisces daughter turned 21 on March 12th. Her mom and I took her to Craft, the restaurant at the W, for a superlative meal, and then to the Ghost Bar afterwards for drinks. She had the time of her life, needless to say. The staff at Craft treated her very well, wishing her happy birthday as we entered the restaurant, and at the end bringing out a special box of chocolate truffles made just for her. The food is really as good as I've tasted in Dallas, and that's saying a lot. It was a nice place to celebrate the occasion of a 21st birthday. hip, sophisiticated design, modern and urbane. She felt really special. Afterwards, we took the elevator to the Ghost Bar, for ungodly expensive drinks, but, hey, it'll be her only 21st Birthday, ever. Great view of downtown Dallas (but not so great view of half a dozen parking lots below). You can check out a few photos on my flickr.com site HERE.

She left for NYC for 4 days today, her first trip like this on her own. She was so excited this morning, as I took her to the airport. I asked if she wanted me to come in while she checked in. She said no, matter of factly. This was a first. I know most 20-year-old women long since don't want their father to accompany them to do something like that, but our relationship has been different. She's always wanted me to do those kinds of things. I knew the time would come, however, and it has, and though it's bittersweet in one way, it's really wonderful to see her grow into her own person She's really a beautiful person through and through. I've always tried to stay conscious that our father-daughter relationship was not about me, but about her. I'm ready for her to be her own person because she's ready.

I had the feeling that the next phase of our lives together had begun. Last night was a celebration of milestones, and human passages. I recently watched a documentary about the great songwriter, ex-Small Faces founder Ronnie Lane, who died of complications from MS at 51. Several times through the documentary he says, "Life is a short movie."

I'll leave it at that.

Al Gore for President

2007-03-11T03:14:00.000-05:00

I want to go on record with this prediction before it becomes really obvious: Al Gore is going to announce his candidacy in about a year, after Hillary and Obama have self-destructed. He is a prime candidate for the Democratic Party:
1) He has lots of Senatorial experience.
2) He has no embarrassing vote for the war in Iraq
to explain away.
3) He can raise the money easily, just on the internet.
4) He can capitalize on his longstanding warning about
global warming, now that the Republicans have quit denying
its legitimacy.
5) He won a freakin' Oscar!
6) We'll finally have a President with an intellect again, and one who can
articulate complex thoughts. Not a President who says, for example, that he tried diplomacy in Iraq "to the max."

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

2007-03-08T21:32:00.000-06:00

If you don't listen to the weekly Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio, you're missing out on one of life's great musical pleasures. Okay, so I don't subscribe to XM Radio, but was fortunate to find the shows online. Listening to a show today, Dylan played a number from Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and he strongly suggested that the listener go to YouTube and see her in action. I did, and here it is for you, too!

We ain't gonna study war no more.

Is PBS Getting Weirder?

2007-03-07T14:17:00.000-06:00

Has anyone noticed that PBS seems to be searching for the 21st century version of The Lawrence Welk Show? They seem to be debuting a whole host of insipid musical shows lately. I just caught a glimpse of a show called "Heavenly Voices". The point seems to be to sing in a voice not too dissimilar from the theme song to "Black Adder" (but, seriously), or to try to sound like the Vienna Boys Choir using one pair of vocal chords. The singers seem to favor this intense and hushed, breathy voice. The female singers wear dresses that take their cue from the stage curtains, singing "Dust in the Wind" with slow motion shots of Colorado aspens in fall foliage fading in and out (must be the "breathtaking visual effects" described in the promotional literature).

Then there's the VERY bizarre show "Celtic Woman", comprised of several ethereal-looking "Celtic" women (I'm assuming here), and a violinist named Máiréad, who sways around the stage playing the instrument like Nancy Wilson on guitar.

I won't even go into all the musical nostalgia shows reuniting old 1950's and 1960's groups (or what's left of them). We have Petula Clark, for example, and Peter and Gordon, all straining their voice to sound like they were teenagers again. And seeing all the old, overweight people in the audience, hands in the air, swaying back and forth, singing along, is enough to make one want to outlaw nostalgia. It gives Gerry & the Pacemakers a whole new meaning.

So, all this to say, please donate to PBS so they won't be so desperate!

Richard Thompson at the Lakewood Theater

2007-03-05T18:24:00.000-06:00

Just saw Richard Thompson for the second time in the last 2 years. If Clapton is God, then there must be a "Supremer Being" who created God, and that would be Richard Thompson. One of the original founders of Fairport Convention, Thompson has for the past 40 years made his own way ("still paying the mortgage", as he put it last night) in a world where most songs long for the "Top 100" to validate their existence. Thompson's genius is that he has merged the medieval English/Scottish troubadour with the English Music Hall entertainer. Ray Davies and Paul McCartney also come out of that English Music Hall tradition. And it's precisely that Thompson IS so English that he has stayed so fresh.

But, in Thompson's case, add to that, the most accomplished guitar player playing today, and you see where he enters the pantheon of modern music. When he plays, he is usually keeping a bass line running, simultaneously playing lead with three of his fingers, and interspersing chords among that symphony of sounds: in effect, he makes one guitar sound like three guitars. And, might I add, flawlessly. Eliza Gilkyson, who has been opening for him on this tour, said it best: "He doesn't wank". Anyone who plays acoustic guitar knows how difficult it is to avoid hitting an occasional wrong string, or muting a string accidentally. Thompson is playing at lightning speed, with almost all 10 fingers moving this way and that, and doesn't make a single error.

Add to that, he is one of the best living songwriting talents, with moods ranging from dark ("From Galway to Graceland") to satirical ("Dear Janet Jackson": suggesting she use her breasts for their original purpose).

If you have more than tin for a musical ear, you have to put Richard Thompson among the artists you want to hear before you die.

P.S. Thanks to the Richard Thompson website for including this tribute on their website, which you must check out here.

Favorite Photos from Other Blogs #1

2007-03-03T22:54:00.000-06:00

Was checking some other blogs today and found this great photo of a men's bathroom in New Zealand.

Poor Decisions...Life is Precious and Cheap

2007-03-02T09:29:00.000-06:00

The criminal trial process (see previous blog entry) wore me out, emotionally and psychically, and I decided on an early bedtime last night. I went to bed thinking about how comfortable my home is and how much I love it. I had my cat sleeping on the bed, a good book, these creature comforts that you normally take for granted. I then called my daughter at Texas Tech, and she told me she had made an 81 on a tough Geology test. I told her about how the trial had involved a group of 18-20 year old guys making very poor decisions, and how much I appreciated the fact that she has always used good judgment with regards to the people she had hung around during her teenage years and presently. I think I appreciated everything in a new way. And then this made me think of Kris McLarty, the defendant, now 21 years old, going to bed last night in a jail cell, realizing he was going to be in prison for the rest of his life. I couldn't stop thinking about him, and trying to imagine how he grew up. What decisions did he make that led him down this path? Who was there for him, to teach him about the value of life? He obviously didn't have a father, and his mother barely cared for him. It came out in testimony that when he was 16, living in Dallas with his mother, that he moved to New Orleans to finish his high school education, which he did. Was there some desire to get on the straight path? I wish prison was more rehabilitating, because I know it's not. Is anyone there going to care about him? Kris had apparently made a lot of poor decisions in his life, and this murder was the one that he didn't get away with. And neither did Juan Castillo, who lost his life.

Juan's young widow came up to the witness stand after the Guilty verdict had been delivered, for what is called the "impact statement". This was her chance to speak directly to the defendant, and let him know how the murder had affected the victim's family. She spoke very eloquently. Several of the jurors started to cry, and I had to fight back the tears myself, because it pushed all the buttons about parenting and children at all levels and about how simultaneously cheap and precious life can be. I was so grateful my two children, both in their 20's, had made the right choices about friends. Juan's widow mentioned that their daughter would grow up with a big void in her life because her father would not be there. This thought struck me two ways: sad that this girl wouldn't know her father, and sad that this daughter would one day learn that her father was killed in a drug deal, that amounted to $400. I feel sure it will be explained to her that is was all out of her father's love for her and wanting to support her and her mother. But would she see that it was poor judgment on her father's part? That he foolishly risked his family's welfare in this way? That pain will resonate for her in more than one way.

Yin and Yang at Criminal Court.

2007-03-01T17:55:00.000-06:00

I just spent the week on a jury listening to a capital murder case. It's a life-changing event, and very sad. This case involved a drug deal which resulted in the death of a 20-year old Juan Castillo, whose wife was 2 months pregnant at the time. He was working full time at a tire center, to support his family, but he was also selling marijuana on the side to earn extra cash. He was shot trying to sell a pound to a 18-year old black guy named Kris McLarty who had decided he wasn't going to pay for it--and he had a gun. This all happened the day before Katrina hit, and one of the guys involved had just fled New Orleans to Dallas. Kris, the defendant, had no family show up in court, except for his mother on one day, who only showed up under intense coercion on the defense attorney's part. She seemed like she was done with her son, and didn't care about him. She wasn't there today when we delivered the sentence of guilty, which carried an automatic life sentence. The deceased's family, about 10 or 12 family members, were there during the entire trial. This affair was a sad tale of a bunch of 18-20 year olds all using bad judgment. Really, really sad.

The other side of this experience was meeting the other 11 people on my jury, whom I wouldn't have met under other circumstances, like Edna, a sweet diminutive black woman in her late 60's, not many teeth, but with a really infectious spirit. She also wore a very cute, turban-like cap. One day red, the next day the same cap in cream color. Edna had been a cook all her life (as was her mother), is now retired, but still loves to cook at home for her son and her father. She is a single parent with a now 36-year old musician son living at home with her. She also loves to look at beautiful paintings, and she writes poetry. When I asked her what kinds of food she cooked, she opened her purse and pulled out a Polaroid snapshot of several plates of food on her dinner table, including a plate of homemade biscuits. I thought it was so sweet that she carried around a photo of food she had cooked at home.

Japanese English 1

2007-02-22T15:26:00.000-06:00

I've collected Japanese-versions of English since I started going to Tokyo in the early 1980's. I found this today on ebay for a "HeartWarm" toy chick and egg. The description reads:

Thank you for bidding a Chibun-no-ichi hiyoko chicken and egg. If you touch its head, it will talk to you. If you leave it along, it will sad.

Friends

2007-02-17T11:14:00.000-06:00

Two of my longtime, dearest friends, Bailey and Laurie, came for a brief visit on their way back to NYC from a vacation in Merida, Mexico. We had less than 24 hours together, and yet it felt like we had all the time in the world. We went straight from DFW airport to the Nasher Sculpture Center. Laurie is an urban landscape designer in NY, and she was most interested in seeing Peter Walker's landscaping of the Nasher. She had just heard a talk of Peter's and he seems almost transcendent in that field. Very highly regarded. Laurie has done a lot of major gardens in and around the NYC area.
Bailey had a hankering for ribs and beer, so that was our next stop. Lots of great conversation, hearing about their trip and what has been going on in our lives. I used to go to New York several times a year for 15 or more years, so we used to see a lot of each other, but I have no reason to go as much these days, so we keep up mostly by phone and email.
I got to know B & L back in the early 80's when I started collecting Japanese toys. They ran what I regard as the premiere store in the world of new and vintage artifacts chronicling our cultural mythology, and was called, naturally, MYTHOLOGY. The store was a work of art in itself, with the most fabulous window displays you could imagine (some with performing artists in them!). The store was frequented by everyone from Andy Warhol to Waylon Jennings. It inspired and, as they say, informed, my store Right Brain/Left Brain. Bailey went on to "frame fame" when Kirk Varnedoe hired him at the Museum of Modern Art to come up with a frame vocabulary for the Post Impressionist works. Bailey designed and had frames built for a dozen or more works, which included Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and Cezanne's "Bather". He also put together a wonderful book, published by Abrams, about the vital relationship a frame has to the artwork it surrounds. Check out Defining Edges.
I seem to be in a phase of my life currently when friendships, new and old, are being re-evaluated. And I realize how intensely I value the ones that have proven to weather time and distance.

Children

2007-02-15T14:40:00.000-06:00

Several friends of mine are going through the painful part of relationships right now--poor communication, bad break-ups, sad endings. The kinds of things that make us not want a relationship. I've been there, too, of course. I found this photo today that I took of my children, Britt and Anna, several years ago. Sometimes when I've just talked with one of them, or am just thinking about some memory of them as children, I can hardly contain the emotions.

You Say It's Your Birthday....

2007-02-05T00:53:00.000-06:00

...Happy Birthday to you. We celebrated Dad's 80th this weekend. My cousin Amal made all the Lebanese food, and it was a feast. I had to photograph the baba ghanoush, with the "80" in pomegranate seeds.

Roswell Incident 1947

2007-01-25T20:39:00.000-06:00

Some friends and I went to Roswell, New Mexico, in 1997 for the 50th Anniversary of the "Roswell Incident". The whole town got on the bandwagon. The local hair salon covered its walls in aluminum foil and featured alien hair-do's, the bridal shop had an alien mannequin in the window with a bridal gown, and so on. People dressed up like aliens and paraded around. At night, a band played out on the former site where the UFO was purportedly discovered. It was a great event.
To see a few more photos, check out my flickr site.

B

2007-01-17T17:20:00.000-06:00

This is my stepson Britt at Prince Hamburger's in Dallas (above left). I've been involved in his life since he was 3, and it's been one of life's great experiences. He must have been around 6 or 7 at the time of this photo. He's now 27 (above right), living in L.A., writing freelance, and running his own record label with his wife Amanda. You can check it out at notnotfun.com.

Fito y Fitipaldis

2007-01-15T22:55:00.000-06:00

Despite the internet and digital downloads, we're sometimes so insulated musically here in this country, it seems, or at least, limited to music in English. When I lived in Berlin in the late 70's, it was an eye opener to hear great German bands and singers that I never would have heard back in the U.S.
Last year, a roadie in Spain sent me a bunch of unused tickets he picked up working shows in Spain, in trade for some other memorabilia. Most of the bands I hadn't heard of, but it's been an adventure checking them out. One, in particular, really rocks. It's a Spanish band called Fito & Fitipaldis. Check out one of their new songs Por la boca vive el pez. I think you'll like it.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. DAY

2007-01-15T12:08:00.000-06:00

As I listen to old speeches and film footage from Martin Luther King's life, how can one help from comparing it to modern day America? The so-called conservatives and so-called "born again" Christians (I love the bumpersticker that says "Born O.K. the first time") tout this country as a fundamentally Christian country. And there's an element of superiority when comparing us to other nations around the world. And, yet, as King reminds us, this country was built on the backs of enslaving other races---Native American, African American, and Chinese American, to name the primary ones. Remember that, in the 1950's, mixed marriages were seen primarily as immoral. This country, officially founded in 1776, is, to this day, antithetical to its founding principles 231 years down the road.
And now, that Americans have somewhat agreed that African Americans should be more or less equal, we've found a new group to discriminate against--gays. Okay, so it's now no longer seen as immoral for blacks to marry whites, but it IS immoral for gays to marry. To quote Susan B. Anthony:

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."

It's astounding what humans will do to each other, especially in, but not limited to, the name of some god. We're on this planet together, and you'd think we'd figure a way to co-exist, but bloodshed and religious superiority seem to be the order of the day.

This idea of this day needs to be seen in a larger context of just blacks and whites; it needs to be a platform for us to be introspective about the way humans treat other humans.

I know these thoughts all sound like platitudes. But large truths tend to get buried that way.

Bridge School Benefit 1999

2007-01-14T13:19:00.000-06:00

I went to Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit on Halloween night 1999 at the Shoreline Auditorium outside San Francisco. I met my friend photographer David Warrington there. He knew Neil's manager and was able to get a photo pass. He that night, which I particularly liked. On Neil's left are his wife Pegi and Eddie Vedder. On his far right is Emmylou Harris in a shocking pink wig (remember, it was Halloween!).
Neil and Pegi started the school many years ago to help their son and other kids who were born with severe speech and physical impairments. Starting in 1986, Neil started annual benefit concerts to raise money for the project. He has had the most stellar of guests, all of whom perform for free. Some include The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Green Day, Emmylou Harris, The Who, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews and many more. And let me tell you, there was so much smoke in the audience, there was no need to bring your own stash.
You can read more about the Bridge School here.

Sam Emmett

2007-01-14T13:06:00.000-06:00

I came across this portrait I shot of my grandfather Sam during in the 1970's. Sam was a great storyteller, and a teller of tall tales. His stories fascinated us as kids, and we still refer to imaginary characters he created, like Mr. Perkins and Mr. Abernathy. The fact that both sets of grandparents were Lebanese made we children's life very rich, because it was steeped in a culture separate from the West Texas culture all around us. I think it must have given me a sense that there was a greater world outside my hometown of Lubbock.

New Year's 1955

2007-01-13T22:21:00.000-06:00

Found this photo tonight, and there's a funny story behind it. One day in December 1954 I went over to my friend Greg's house to play. There was a photographer from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal taking Greg's photo with the same hat (and cane, which is lying unceremoniously on the chair behind me) for the New Year's Day 1955 front page. Then the photographer shot me as a possibility.
My brother Matt was there, and HE happened to have a black eye at the time. The photographer set him up for a photo as well....and, of course, MATT ended up on the front page of the paper on January 1, 1955! I always wondered if it didn't annoy Greg's mom that her son got cheated out of his 15 minutes. I'll have to dig up the photo of Matt with his black eye and post it here later.

Happy 80th, Dad!

2007-01-11T12:41:00.000-06:00

My Dad turns 80 today, and is still going strong, healthy and working 7 days a week at his specialty store, Malouf's, in Lubbock, one of the premiere individually owned clothing stores in the country. A few years ago, the Daily News Record rated Malouf's in the top 10 in the country.
I've always loved this photo of Dad, because I've always known him as a parent and this reminds me that he was once a little kid.
Like Hugh Hefner says, "80 is the new 40". I sure hope I got Pop's longevity genes!

HAPPIER 2007!

2006-12-30T19:20:00.000-06:00

It's a sad commentary when the execution of Saddam Hussein pales against a background of worsening violence in Iraq. I'm not sure "happy" new year is appropriate. How about "happier new year"?

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-24T22:58:00.000-06:00

The best Christmas Eve ever! My sister Beverly (second from left) came from San Francisco, with her husband Tom (far right). I haven't seen them in years, but we email and phone all the time. Tom has a great series of podcasts featuring 60's music, called Sonic Daydream . Check it out! You'd think Tom had spent his former reincarnation hanging out in Haight/Ashbury.
We all had dinner, then sat around the Christmas tree and had such great energy together, telling stories, laughing until out sides split. It made the season. Beverly and Tom are an extraordinary couple. They complement each other perfectly--Beverly is gregarious, extroverted, witty, funny and smart. Tom is laid back, measured and equally smart. They're so much fun together.
That's my brother Matt on the far left, then Beverly, my daughter Anna, my sister Leslie (who has the most infectious laugh EVER) and Tom.

Morning in Park City

2006-12-19T22:07:00.000-06:00

This morning, early, I got up and looked out my window, and saw this.

Eddie R.I.P.

2006-12-18T22:44:00.000-06:00

Our cat Eddie left 2 weeks before last Christmas, after a long undiagnosed illness. This is Anna with Eddie in 2004. We think of him every time we get the house ready for Christmas. There's really a void there. He was a great personality.

United Mining Co.

2006-12-18T22:34:00.000-06:00

All the stuff we ordered for this project is stored in an old mining company building with shafts inside. When the United Mining Co. was in business, they built a little mock mining village to show what the city looked like in the 19th century. Here's my friend Leon in front of a mural made from an old photo of miners in the region.

Speaking of Christmas...

2006-12-18T17:42:00.000-06:00

I'm in Park City, Utah, this week on a project. It just snowed for the first time this past weekend, and look at the snow. Amazing, and there must be big ice crystals in the snow, because it glitters like diamonds.

Aaaahhhh.......Christmas!

2006-12-16T16:52:00.000-06:00

Well, it was tons of work getting everything ready. The lighted Peace symbol/wreath has been hung on the eaves (13th or 14th year); the Nativity en masse is set up (attending: the usual suspects, as well as robots, travelling salesmen, Homer Simpson and more) and the 9' Blue Spruce with our Xmas ornament collection and lots of lights. Obviously, Christmas here is a big production. But it's all worth it. Just to sit and look at the tree is one of the most visually pleasing and peaceful things to do. It does for my eyes and brain what a massage does. Total relaxation, and all is right with the world.

More Tokyo Photos

2006-12-09T18:53:00.000-06:00

A children's mask vendor in Asakusa, an older part of Tokyo.

Display in a Tokyo building. No idea what it represents (below).

Tokyo

2006-12-09T17:44:00.000-06:00

I had to go dig out some old photos from one of my trips to Tokyo, because my sister Beverly got to travel there for her job, and I just got an email from her this morning. It is her first time. She could hardly contain herself, my exact first impression (and second, third, fourth). Tokyo is one the great world cities culturally, if not the greatest. Bev lived in Italy for a while, and says in her email that Tokyo makes Paris, London and the other major European cities seem quaint. Tokyo is überhip, space age, other worldly, and a total sensory overload.

Japanese Toys

2006-12-05T09:13:00.000-06:00

I started collecting Japanese toys in the very early 1980's. The collecting eventually led to going to Tokyo to find these cool toys, and opening a Japanese toy store in 1985, originally called ModernToys (sm), and later RightBrain/LeftBrain (sm). Japan has been making THE coolest toys for a very long time, and most of them are not made for export, so they stay in the country. Except for a few Japanese-owned toy stores on the West Coast, and in New York, you couldn't find these toys in the States. So, I opened a store in Dallas, Texas, and ran that until the late 90's when the dollar became too weak AND there was a sudden growth in Japanese collectors. In the 80's, the Japanese didn't care that much for their own toys. Funny, huh?

What attracted me to the toys was the breadth of imagination. Japanese toy designers applied everything from Native American iconography, Kabuki imagery and insects to streamlined, futuristic Space Age forms. They also have the greatest sense of humor (see above).

I've put a few of my toys on my website for anyone interested. Check out my ModernToys (sm) Museum. You can click on each thumbnail to see the whole toy.

Enjoy!

Sonny & Cher 1972

2006-12-04T10:17:00.000-06:00

One of the reasons, by the way, that I went to Mississippi, was to score some concert programs, one of which was this awesome Sonny & Cher from 1972.

The Mighty Mississipp'

2006-12-03T19:58:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while, I have to drive through the South to meet up with my rock n' roll partner and friend Roger, and I just made the drive again this weekend. I drive from Dallas to Meridian, Mississippi. The most thrilling part of the trip is coming in from Louisiana on I20 and crossing the Mississippi River into Mississippi. It's a grand entrance, as you cross a majestic steel bridge over the mother of all rivers. I have the distinct feeling I'm suddenly in the South, the real South. Hard to describe the feeling exactly, but it's a thrilling experience. Unless you live near the Mississippi River, there's hardly an American living anywhere else who knows what a river can be. THIS is a river, a force of nature with all this power and history, just in its presence.

Astro Boy & Osamu Tezuka

2006-12-01T19:17:00.000-06:00

One of my customers from Boston called today, to order some KIMBA THE WHILE LION tote bags for her 15-year-old daughter, who wants to be an animé illustrator. We had a long conversation about Osamu Tezuka, the creator of KIMBA and ASTRO BOY. Visit the Tezuka World website, where you can play a game making ASTRO BOY dance here!

TEZUKA was the Walt Disney counterpart in Japan, but created with more intelligence and consciousness toward world peace than the more corporate Disney. Tezuka's themes dealt with friendship, nature, war, animals, dreams and other themes that dealt with humanity. It's sad that he never caught on here in the U.S. in a big way. And it added insult to injury when Disney ripped off Tezuka's KIMBA big time, to "create" THE LION KING. If you're interested in more detail about that rip-off, read Remake of Tezuka's Popular Story Turns Into Denial?

Just Like Starting Over...

2006-11-30T15:17:00.000-06:00

This is my first blog entry, although I set this all up back in March. I enjoy reading other friends' blogs, like my friend's (VERY best friend, Allison V. Smith) SUPERFICIALsnapshots. I never seem to have anything to say, really, once I sit down to write, but since blogs are supposed to be "in the moment", well.....so, I'm starting.

Today it's snowing in Dallas, weather usually reserved for February. But it brings thoughts of Xmas, and that's exciting. Above's a photo of my tree in 2004. Trees and nativities are the funnest part of Xmas. Oh, yeah, and the friends and parties, too. ha ha.

So, I stayed home today and worked, and found this great music blog, The Hype Machine. You can search for mp3's across the internet. It's like a Google for songs. Check it out at The Hype Machine. In particular, I found this mp3 of John Lennon jamming to a tape recorder, playing the seeds of "She Said She Said". The song isn't anywhere near its final form, so it's really an interesting insight into his songwriting. THEN, on the same site, I read this piece about how Peter Fonda influenced the song in the first place. If you're interested you can read it at 100 Years in Ten Jumps. For Beatles geeks only.