first lady material?

So this is Newt Gingrich's third wife, Callista. No, I mean Cindy. No, wait, that's Cindy McCain, John's second wife. That was last election. Cut from the same cloth. Is there something about tight-looking bottle blondes that is the ultimate accessory for much married Republican presidential candidates?

now booked

. . .for all of June, including Race Week, and most of September. Still some availability at Hannah's in the fall. But, my, that VRBO ad kicked some—ahem!

the religious—right

Our Founding Fathers on religion:

"Lighthouses are more helpful than churches." — Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1758

"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect." —James Madison, letter to William Bradford, April 1, 1774

"All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit."—Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason, 1794

 "History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose." —Thomas Jefferson, letter to Alexander von Humboldt, 1813

cabin fever

When some people get cabin fever, they come to New York and do the sights—Times Square, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum, the Staten Island ferry and, of course, the nail salon. Then they get so tired that they have to go back to their cabins for some rest.

thaw?

Came right back atcha with more winter, but there are tulips, and I made shad roe and asparagus the other night, and the shad run when the shad blooms so spring must be on its way up this way maybe some day.

nice try

Remember the one about the 2,000-pound gorilla? Consider that the crow is a very large bird.
        Frank, a newspaper editor/publisher from the Ozarks, looked out his window and caught this scene. Since his farm is named Crow's Nest and his newspaper cartoon is called Crowque, I have no doubt that he felt the crows were on home territory here.
        But if a bald eagle wanted to have a go at his fish-stocked pond, I doubt that even a murder of crows could stop it.

find the crow

This picture was taken on Oscar's walk in Sausalito. Oscar is now in France checking to see how the rewiring of his house went and getting ready for his rental season. Oscar and I were interested in crows on account of reading this amazing story in the New York Times.

view from hannah's hideaway

Ok, the last one was from the master bedroom at Claudia's Block Island beach house; this one is from the master bedroom's balcony at Hannah's beach house.

block island season

 

When sunk deep in winter it's hard to believe in summer. And vice versa.  But people are dreaming of summer vacations in the heart of February even if they can't quite remember what it's like. Let me help:  Balmy sunrises with the smell of honeysuckle. Something cooking on the grill. Towels on the line. The susurration of the waves. The feeling of sand in your scalp and the sting of saltwater on your sunburn. Ice cream cones. Moths against the screen. Birdsong. Are we there yet?

big kids on campus

What do you do after you've worked at Time and Life and Fox News and People and WNYC? Well, if you're the Queen of Reinvention, you become a la profesora in the Bronx. And then you invite your friends from former workplaces to come up for a day and carry a class or two. And then the students ask where the jobs in journalism are these days, and you say damned if I know you tell me—you're the future.

baby talk

It's been too long since the last Grandma update, so here is Little C practicing her vocals.

rockin' the mezzanine

Smokey Robinson looks mighty fine for 70. And he sounds about the same as he did in 1966 or so when I first heard him perform at Briarcliff College, from behind the cafeteria line where I was working. What he may lack in energy, he makes up in style and Barry Whitelike seduction, albeit in a near falsetto. You can totally see where Michael Jackson got his shit. And the hits—never mind "Tracks of my Tears" and "Tears of a Clown"  and "Shop Around"—he has written some 4,000 songs, many performed by top Motown acts. He founded the outfit with Berry Gordy, after all, and was a VP for decades. "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Get Ready," "Don't Mess With Bill," "Ain't That Peculiar," "Really Got a Hold on Me," "My Baby Must Be a Musician," "My Guy." He wrote 'em, and boy, he can still sing 'em, accompanied by what he joked was "the Apollo choir," i.e. the audience, who sang their asses off. Even the white people. Well, they didn't have much in the way of asses.

color me kate knapp

This is Kate Knapp Day, the birthday of a woman who is as obsessed with color as any person I have ever known. She can find color in a gray day, the dark of night or the driven snow (see her paintings on her blog). And she wears them, too, as these self portraits express. Her idea of a good time is to get up, put something orange and purple and green on, talk on the phone to her flotilla of friends while eyeing a vivid bouquet and then paint all day long every day with occasional breaks for meals. Colorful ones. She has done this as long as I've known her which is going on for, ahem, about three decades now. She paints landscapes outdoors, she paints flowers indoors, she paints portraits of people and pets, in watercolor and oils, from photographs and from life—all explorations of the wonderful world of color. She is brilliant.

happy valentines

We dined with a lovely young expectant couple last night at 98. One of them, Matthew Humphreys, happens to have premiered in a new interactive TV series on Al Gore's Current TV on Friday. You can read all about Bar Karma in this New York Times article. The other one, Alexis Chiu,  happens to have a big story with Liam Neeson in People magazine. Now placing bets on whether the shower or the birth happens first.

google me claudia's

View Claudia's Beach House in a larger map
Finally got it together to make a map of where my places are. Did Claudia's and Hannah's beach house, thanks to Kathleen's help and a major tussle with the maps program. Next: Directions from the boat.
   The reason I need all these maps and directions is because the VRBO listing is selling out Claudia's on all available days spring and fall. Dealing with two people at once for some slots. Advertising. Amazing.

where is mt. tam?

This is where Oscar likes to to take his walk in the mornings. Can you identify this location?

the talented miss p

Usually when the principal of the school calls your parents, the news is not good. This traditional wisdom was recently stood on its head, however, when my sister received a call to say that Eva, 9, had won first place in the Massachusetts Department of Conservation's Forest Fire Control Centennial Poster Contest! The DCR rep is coming to the school to give her an award and a T-shirt with her prize-winning poster printed on it. The principal is thrilled, and so is everyone else including her older sister who gets to miss more school (it's been a very snowy winter) to attend the assembly.

sail away on the block island ferry

"The boat is going to leave when it is going to leave, and when it does, the boat will get smaller and smaller; and one day it will be your turn, and then it shall be the island that gets smaller and that will be the summer you just had, getting smaller and smaller until one raw, overcast day someone says, “Block Island,” and there is the floppy drunk blowing his chance on the pier, or the gull wing-deep in styrofoam whacking the gut of the fly-blown skate, or even the beautiful girl under the awning, and the fat man in the Panama, the wide verandas, the mansard roofs and the moors above.”
—from “Short Voyages” by Stephen Jones. The Yard Manager of West Mystic Wooden Boat Company of Mystic, Connecticut, he’s also a three-decade member of the University of Connecticut’s English and Maritime Studies faculty at Avery Point in Groton.

I like this quote, and it goes awfully well with the picture, which I also like.
Note: my houses are just out of frame on the left.

postcards

There are a lot of pix from California that I was unable to upload at the time. Here are some trees on Point Tomales near the Pierce Ranch that I couldn't get enough of.
And speaking of photography, Chien Chi got a multimedia award for his Escape from North Korea. Check it out here and scroll down until you see the video starting in the train station.
And speaking of art, have you seen this new Google site that has famous museums and paintings? The opener has an amazing closeup of a Van Gogh.

another best shower in the world

 The new shower at Hannah's is almost done. Still needs trim and a pane of glass and one last pass plumbing- wise, but looks swell, no? Kudos to Sam's design and Tom's tiling. We are pretty much decided to leave the wood natural rather than paint it white. Agreed?

the extra day

Due to weather conditions in New York, I didn't get back from California until last night. But I got a whole extra day with J, which we spent exploring Point Reyes, ground zero of the locavore movement, and hiking to see elk. The oysters were delicious. The wildflowers went unidentified due to no internet reception, try as she might.

Rabbit's run

Happy new year!

weather permitted

Weather permitting, you can grow a heckuva tree. And here in Marin County, weather does permit. We made a brief foray into Muir Woods yesterday evening to remind us of our relative unimportance in the great scheme of things, timewise and sizewise. We did not worship in the Cathedral of the Redwoods, however; we chattered on our cellphones and snapped pix like any other tourists.
    This excursion was followed by dinner at the house of some of my oldest friends, from Illinois Times days. In redwood years it may be just a flash in the pan,  but in friendship years 35 is nothing to sneeze at.
    Oh and PS, I decided that weather did not permit of my return trip today and thus am staying until Thursday and clear skies in New York.

I have been across the Golden Gate bridge a bunch of times but have not once been tempted to jump. The past two days have been spentamidst a large Chinese-American/Mississippi-American family, and although the occasion was beyond sad, the food was phenomenal. Think collard greens and dim sum. Meant to be winging my way back to NYC tomorrow, weather permitting.

Wheels down

Yes, I have made it to California. I have pictures of the golden gate bridge and the grandiose and everything but don't seem to be able to upload them on my iItem. So I guess it will be radio silence here for a bit.

the new look

What do you think? Off to San Francisco this morning; back Tuesday, weather permitting.

the childhood hill

snow report

My niece sends in this pic of my truck "hibernating" in Holliston, Mass. for the winter.
 My sister sends in this pic of her yard, "Thought you might like to see how deep the snow is. This is a tree. You know, with a trunk. Like that."
 Somebody sent in this picture of my daughter's back steps. It looks like somebody shoveled them, too, because I received this picture at 7:58 am and I know for a fact that my daughter doesn't get up until 11:00.

Kathleen sends in this picture taken out our window. Yes, we got snow in New York, too. Nineteen inches. I have to get dressed and get out there to look at it. No pressure on me to shovel.

ferrato framed

Photographer Donna Ferrato readies her "20th Century Icons" show, including frames of Andy Warhol, Mohammed Ali, Kurt Cobain and this nameless beauty. If you have a lot of money and are in a buying mood, let me know and I will snooker you an invite.

ocean views, not

 All right, with much disagreement about what pix to post—everyone wants to see the view of the ocean, which I don't seem to be able to photograph the way it really looks—I have posted this ad on VRBO. Please do a review if you have stayed there and can spare the time. And by the way, the ocean is visible out the above windows. In reality.

book block island

It may seem odd on the coldest day of the year, but summer is already in the air. I got my first rent check last week, and the houses are booked for the season. We still have before July 1 and after August 26 at Claudia's, so I'm thinking of advertising on Vacation Rentals By Owner like my bro-in-law for the off season. I see that since I looked into that—yesterday— the number of Block Island rentals have doubled on the site. But very few are on the beach!

plug

I don't ordinarily post on Sundays (or sometimes Saturdays), but a link from a fan of Miss Mock in Spain popped up, and here it is.

give us

 Jake Shimabukuro, of Honolulu, played the Brooklyn Bowl last night to a crowd of adoring hipsters. There was also bowling and rippin' chicken. Jake is notable for not playing Tiny Bubbles or the Hawaiian Wedding Song. You can hear the kind of thing he does play on his website and on his new album "Peace Love Ukulele." Can you name that tune below?
 

wearer of plaid

If the latest astrological revisionism were correct (and indeed if astrology itself were correct) I would not be a Sagittarius but in phact an Ophiuchus. Yes, Ophiuchus. Do you want to know how to pronounce it? Here is a link.
   Among other characteristics ( interpreter of dreams, attracts good luck, serpent holder, a seeker of peace), Ophiuchus is said to like to wear plaids! 

I am typing in my plaid bathrobe. 

However, I still believe I am a Sagittarius, Hannah is a Capricorn, etc. Here are the new zodiac dates:

Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11
Pisces: March 11-April 18
Aries: April 18-May 13
Taurus: May 13-June 21
Gemini: June 21-July 20
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17 
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20

Do you like your alternative better?

words of wisdom

There has been rather a lot about the Duchess of Devonshire in the paper lately due to her autobiography about growing up as one of the Mitford sisters, Wait For Me. That's Deborah, the current Dowager Duchess of 90, not Georgiana, the one who died in the early 1800s.
   "Debo" stayed married for 62 years, despite the Duke's infidelities and alcoholism. “It was absolutely fixed that we shouldn’t divorce or get rid of each other in any way,” she says. “It’s completely different to Americans, who all divorce each other the whole time. Such a bore for everyone, having to say who’s going to have the dogs, who’s going to have the photograph books.”     

felix navidad

On 47th Street, Felix (above) toils to finish the finishing of the last of Wear Your Music's Christmas rush bracelets.  Now he's cranking on the Valentine's Day beat. There's still time to get customized Widespread Panic,  Dolly Parton, Dweezil Zappa, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton or hundreds of other artists' guitar string bracelets for your beloved. I think they're sold out of Keith Richards, though.
   In other family news, Pam Littlefield Gasner has won Block Island's Bayberry Wreath award for her service to the Historical Society. Yay Pam! Richly deserved! Check out the article and post your congrats.
   And buy those bracelets. Thus ends the PR reading for today.

he had a dream

I have lots of dreams, many of them right now involving taking off for the Caribbean rather than the dentist. Everything I can think of to talk about seems really trivial today.
Do you have a dream?

shoutout to MIT

To the Mystery Hunters at MIT: Here's to you! Wish I was there!
Here's a fun story I wrote about it many moons ago.

caption this picture

If I don't get some Internet interactivity soon, I'm going to have a hissy fit.

alternate side parking suspended

Yes, it's a little nippy for y'all up here. The Alabaman just headed off to play rush hour at the warmest nearby subway stop—96th—wearing thermal underwear and snow boots in "feels like" 11 degrees. Expecting other Southern folk this evening: CBA and cub from Madison, Ga. Better turn on the radiators, cause baby it's cold outside.
   Yes, I know. But wouldn't you rather hear about the weather than the State of Journalism Today?

the matter of facts

This is not the kind of note you like to have slipped under your door when you are at the gym. But it is the kind of note one grows to expect when one is aging out of a dying field, in this case journalism.
   It was apparent during the early "coverage" of the Tucson shootings that there were no local people with the faintest clue about how to report out basic information. Nor did they appear to have any contacts with education or law enforcement. Nor did they appear to realize that they had a story of national interest in their bailiwick. It took 24 hours—and the arrival, presumably, of some pros—before we got details like a yearbook picture of the suspect or interviews with neighbors and witnesses.
   There are people who know how to do this kind of on-the-ground reporting, but they are being replaced by pundits and bimbos. No one is teaching the skill, says one friend who has become a journalism professor, because there is no market for it any more. The friend who left me the note was told that he was "outstanding" and "the best" at his job but that his position was being eliminated. Another friend, also now teaching, and bitter, says that he believes being good at your job in journalism is reason enough for being fired.
  The same economics drive job elimination in journalism as in the rest of corporate America: you get older and are paid enough that a company can hire several newbies for your salary—so what if they don't have the chops. It may take a while, but I suspect that one day people will realize that even tweets require facts. Let's hope some of the fogies are still around to teach them how to gather them.

drifting

The snow blew in last night and so did the Artist, en route to Washington DC and a meeting of National Geographic photographers. This morning, it was as if both were never here but for the nine inches on the ground. According to the National Weather Service, there is now snow on the ground in all 50 states — including Hawaii— except Florida.

holiday on ice

My sister narrates as daughter takes granddaughter for a spin.

for familiars only

 These pictures will mean nothing to those who have never stayed at the Dowling Intercontinental. For those who have, however, please note these pictures of the new bathroom directly above my kitchen, two stories up on the seventeenth floor,  where the D apartment is being thrown together with a contiguous one for a three bedroom, three-and-a-half bath spread:
The corner with tub (top) is where  my kitchen table is located. The shower is above my refrigerator, and alas, the toilet (see pipe below) is directly above my stove. Well, Toby's stove. Talk about lousy feng shui!

more snow!

lootery

Certain family members made me buy qwikpix in the lootery the other night at zero hour. It goes without saying that the plans I had to share the largess with the aforementioned family members and various penurious friends (yes, I mean you!) did not come to fruition.
What single indulgence would you grant yourself had you just won the megamillionz?

abidin' of the fields

It's a new moon now, the holidays are over, and, chillin' on the fruitcake and beer, I've half-lost the weight I gained on New Year's Eve with the gang. It's another year of reality at the gym, the doctor, dentist and optometrist. And, of course, taxes and snow. Nothing like January and February, armpit of the year. Let's all go to New Zealand.
What is your favorite month?

blackbirds dead in the dead of night

 Just pointing out, perhaps unwisely, that the following events reported by the New York Times occurred less than 100 miles (slightly north of the beetle), as the crow, er, used to fly, from a certain demesne in Missouri:
 Times Square had the ball drop, but no place had a New Year’s Eve as freakishly disturbing as Beebe, Ark. Around 11 that night, thousands of red-winged blackbirds began falling out of the sky. They landed on roofs, roads, front lawns and backyards, turning the ground nearly black. “One of them almost hit my best friend in the head,” said Christy Stephens, who was standing outside among the smoking crowd at a party. “We went inside after that.”. . . State scientists believe one thing to be almost certain: that the bird deaths were not related to the roughly 85,000 fish that died a few days before near Ozark, in the western part of the state, the biggest fish kill in Arkansas that anyone can remember. They were spotted by anglers along the Arkansas River last week and reported to the Game and Fish Commission, which spent New Year’s Eve measuring and counting dead fish that had spread out for nearly 20 miles.
Meanwhile roughly 500 dead birds were found on Monday outside New Roads, La. Those birds were much more varied, with starlings and grackle in addition to blackbirds.
Hmm. "Experts say" that such things do occasionally happen, but one can't but feel that those who talk about malevolent government forces and the end times have, if not reason, at least not total nutcaseness on their side.
   The latest here in Baton Rouge  and the Times. And a new link from Google Maps.

keep on rockin'

photo and stratocaster by Kathleen Mock

happy new baby year

Today is 1/1/11, Hannah's birthday, one of the few I have not spent with her (please do not show up at my house today—we will be open for business again next year).
    On this day last year we had no idea that this year she would really know what birth day means.