Slim's Desert Blues Blog - Random Thoughts and Photos

Los Pescadores - The New Album from Rochester Slim

2011-11-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Slims many fans are abuzz with he news that Slim has released his first new album in more than two years - Los Pescadores. Now available on Itunes for a mere $9.99.

Visit Rochester Slims website to find out more.

The Miami Herald Song 2011

2011-10-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

A new Youtube video based on an old song, updated and revised - watch the video of The Miami Herald Song 2011 by Rochester Slim.

Along the Coast - Southern OC

2011-08-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

The southern coastal part of Orange County is always beautiful in Summer. The days are moderately warm and the nights are cool. The beaches are usually crowded, but not terribly.

San Clemente is the southernmost town.

I am always associating Richard Nixon with the town - San Clemente and the Winter Whitehouse. Or was that Key Biscayne?

Beautiful beaches and a pier that juts out quite a good ways into the Pacific Ocean.

I like any town that has trains.

Sunset.

Along the California Coast

2011-07-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Another hot day in the desert, so another cooling trip to the coast was in order. Our destination was a spot along the coast between Laguna Beach and Newport and the Crystal Cove State Park. Might as well enjoy the park while we can before our country, in its boundless wisdom, ends all public spending and we are all left to fend for ourselves.

From the cliffs looking south.

In the historic district.

Part of the old road down to the beach.

Debris from years gone by. One gets a odd reminder of old California. Many of the old cottages are being renovated and are available for vacation rentals. There are some great old photographs at the Cove Alliance website.

Playing on the beach. The incoming wave took us by surprise.

A few of the old beach cottages. Quite a remarkable sight.

More Summer Travels

2011-07-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Sunset in North Park, San Diego

Sunset cliffs, the edge of the known world - Point Loma.

The back of the restored North park theater.

In training. Or running to Mexico, I'm not sure which.

Summer Travels

2011-07-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

The extremely hot summer weather has settled upon the desert, so we try and head for the coast as much as possible at this time of year. The temperature difference can be 20 or more degrees. I never tire of the beauty of the California coast. And, our dog likes it, too.

Trains still run right along the coast in places.

The beach at Del Mar can get quite crowded.

The fabled Pacific Coast Highway - or the PCH.

There are lovely places to watch the sea.

Looking north from Del Mar.

Both Amtrak and Coaster trains run along here.

Well, We Are Out Here having Fun

2011-06-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

....beneath the warm California sun.

A great 1960s pop song by the Rivieras, for those of you too young to remember.

Dana Point. Part of the harbor area.

Beautiful morning glories in San Juan Capistrano.

A little bit of heaven.

Too nice a day to go to a movie.

Boats in the harbor.

San Juan Capistrano

2011-06-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful early Summer's day, late June. Quite hot in the desert, so we drove down to the Coast, stopping first in Dana Point, then San Juan Capistrano. No sign of swallows. I'm swallowing much better, though - I've been having some problems with my throat of late and was worried that it was something serious. Turned out to be fairly innocuous, for which I'm grateful. So it was nice to enjoy the beautiful weather.

It just so happened I was wearing my old Tootsie Roll shirt. What were the chances of coming upon this? Slim to none would be the correct answer I believe.

Cactus in bloom.

More beautiful cactus.

The wall outside the Mission.

The historic Sante Fe Railroad train depot.

After a Break

2011-06-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

Been busy with the cooking and cleaning, minding the debris of life, as it were. I can hopefully state that Slim has recorded some pretty good songs that you can hear on his Reverbnation page.

A few pictures from this year that I like:

Laguna Beach, below Bette Davis' house.

Laguna Beach

Another from Laguna near the Davis house.

What we saw eating lunch, Laguna Beach.

Things sitting around our back patio in Palm Springs.

Our new cool shark thermometer is on guard in the pool.

Rep. Giffords 2010 Opponent held June Event to “Shoot an M16" to Remove Her from Office

2011-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

Giffords Opponent, Jesse Kelly, Held June Event to “Shoot

Today is a very sad day for America. Target lists with crosshairs. 2nd Amendment remedies. Shooting M16 with candidates

The only bright spot I can find is that Sheriff Dupnik of Tuscon is now one of my heroes. At a news conference in the wake of Rep. Gifford's shooting, he said, among other things:

"All I can tell you is that this individual may have a mental issue, and that people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol."

“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And, unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

“It’s not unusual for all public officials to get threats constantly, myself included. And that’s the sad thing of what’s going on in America. Pretty soon, we’re not going to be able to find reasonable, decent people who are willing to subject themselves to serve in public office.”

"Let me just say one thing, because people tend to poo-poo this business about all the vitriol that we hear inflaming the American public by people who make a living off of doing that. That may be free speech. But it’s not without consequences."

Amen.

Before the Deluge

2010-12-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

Waiting for an inspiration on the wind.

Something's in the air. You can smell the rain coming.

The leading edge of a big Pacific storm heading our way.

You've reached the end of the line if you end up here. This is North Palm Springs - not exactly living up to the legend of its historic neighbor - but one can get a date shake there.

Gas for less.

Looking towards Mt. San Jacinto.

December Day on Balboa

2010-12-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

It was a bit chilly, so no one was on the Ferris Wheel today.

The ferry landing

The summer crowds are gone.

Very few at the beach, though it was a beautiful day.

The light is perhaps the only good thing about this time of year.

All of the above pictures were taken on my wife's IPhone using the Hipstamatic app. It can take some strangely beautiful pictures.

Autumn Pictures

2010-11-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

Water dripping towards the Pacific.

A cloudy day on Coronado.

Pause for inspiration.

Sunset on Coronado Beach.

Tales of Republican Hypocrisy - Today's Edition

2010-11-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

Folks, you can't make this stuff up. Newly-elected GOP House member Andy Harris (R-MD), who campaigned vigorously against the health care program and defeated the incumbent Democrat, is upset because his government health care won't take effect until a month after he takes office.

“This is the only employer I’ve ever worked for where you don’t get coverage the first day you are employed,” his spokeswoman Anna Nix told POLITICO.

One can only assume that these people think we are all idiots and rubes. Perhaps we are.

Read the story at Politico - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Visit the Rochester Slim Store

2010-11-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

On and Around San Diego Bay

2010-09-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our Navy is always on the job.

The kiss at the end of WWII.

Three shots from downtown San Diego.

Down along the waterfront.

This day, three carriers were in port.

Boatloads of tourists.

Our apartment complex.

We are complex as well.

Summertime

2010-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

We are spending more and more time in San Diego. I guess that I finally realize that although I think I have a rural soul, I more or less have an urban mind. It's the same old story told for thousands of years.....

This was very impressive.

As was this one. Lots of work.

One of our Carriers in the center.

This is exactly how I ride the wind.

Part of our daily walk.

Ferry to Coronado Island

2010-08-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

A video I shot going across San Diego Bay to Coronado Island in June after a baseball game at Petco Park (my Orioles beat my Padres, BTW).

Slims New Music Video - Alternative Version

2010-06-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Another version of my video, reworked with more video footage. Exhausting.

Slims First Music Video

2010-06-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

Around Coronado

2010-05-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just a few random photos we've taken recently on Avie's IPhone. Such an amazing gadget.

I seem to never tire of walking around Coronado. Quite a place.

Scenes from the Adams Street Roots Festival

2010-05-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

On a simply beautiful Saturday, Avie and I paid a visit to Adams Street in San Diego for the annual Roots Festival. We saw a number of very fine bands and performers.

One of our favorites was San Diego's Mr. Gregory Page. When we first walked up to the bandstand, he was singing along to an old jazz-age recording, which immediately drew our attention. Mr. Page is eclectic, eccentric, stylish, and very witty, as well as being a terrific songwriter. I shot a brief video of Mr. Page, which can be viewed at the end of this post.

Another very good band was Folding Mr. Lincoln - another San Diego based band. Pure American rocking country.

I wasn't able to catch this three-piece blues band's name, but they made some beautiful blues. They are also featured in the video at the end of this post.

Other things in the neighborhood caught my eye, as is often the case...

On a lovely weekend in southern California, and dancing to the soulful music of Solid Ray Brown, good times are to be had by all.

Notice How The Doors Close When The Chimes of Freedom Ring

2010-04-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Just to share this video of the late Joe Strummer performing on David Letterman shortly before his death. This is a great song - it was used a few years ago as the theme for the HBO series "John from Cincinnati."

The Little Italy Farmers Market

2010-03-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in San Diego, and a perfect day to visit the Farmers Market in Little Italy. So that's what we did. This particular market in always lively and interesting, with lots of great food. One wonderful thing about San Diego is the Farmers Market scene - one can find at least one every day of the week.

Great pizza can be found here.

Big vegetables indeed.

Folks get there any way they can.

It's tiring and time for a rest.

Tales of Republican Hypocrisy - Today's Edition

2010-02-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

Really, I could do this every day, but it simply gets too tiresome. Fortunately, Rachel Maddow had lately been on the hypocrisy bandwagon and is doing a great job at pointing it out.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

They Need Doctors and Medicine Urgently in Haiti

2010-01-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

I understand that both American Express and VISA are waving their normal percentage gouge on donations for earthquake relief in Haiti to approved charitable groups like this great organization.

Coronado Beach Sunset Video

2010-01-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Back in the desert after a brief mini-vacation in San Diego for the New Year. The weather was quite lovely, especially with the news of the terrible weather back East. On Monday, Avie and I shot this video at sunset on the beach at Coronado.

It was one of those memorable evenings when life is wonderfully good.

Tales of Republican Hypocrisy - Today's Edition

2009-12-24T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is quite a Christmas treat for me, because I believe that Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) is probably the craziest person currently serving in Congress. Who can forget her memorable interview in 2008 with MSNBC when she said -

“What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think the American people would love to see an expose like that.”

Indeed. Now, Ms. Bachmann has made a name of herself in a large way by railing against the dangers of socialism. There are numerous quotes from her available to anyone with the desire to read them. Perhaps my favorite is -

"We've had our own modern day fling with great society welfare state policies. And after trillions and trillions spent we've purchased neither more personal industry or frugality."

Yes, socialism is truly evil Ms. Bachmann. So it is quite astonishing to find that Ms. Bachmann and her family back in Minnesota are welfare queens, feeding at the trough at taxpayer's expense. Farm subsides, to the tune of a quarter of a million dollars over the last 10 years.

Even more hypocritical, defenders attempy to justify her actions by pointing out votes against previous farm bills. So - Ms. Bachmann - you were against farm subsidies before you were for them?

While we are at it, let us pray for defeat of the health care bill and other "socialist" initiatives.....

The San Diego Parade of Lights - Christmas 2009

2009-12-20T08:38:00.001-08:00

December 13 was the running of San Diego's 38th Annual Parade of Lights, featuring a wide variety of boats splendidly decorated for the holiday season. The parade also will run again this evening, December 20.

The route winds its way around San Diego Bay, beginning at Shelter Island and ending at the old Ferry dock at Coronado.

There is little else for me to comment on here, so enjoy this distinctly California tradition.

Always good to see a dedicated Chargers fan. I like to root for the Buffalo Bills, but the Chargers are much better and are, I think, a team to be feared this year.

Some of these pictures may be a bit fuzzy, but night photography is not my forte.

Rockin' around the Christmas tree.

The Dole Pineapple ship loading in port in the background.

Have a holly jolly Christmas.

Making the turn at the Coronado bridge and heading for the finish.

68 Years Ago - Sunday, December 7

2009-12-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

Although I was some 10 years from the beginning of my long walk upon this earth, the date of December 7 is seared into my brain as the date of the Japanese attack upon the U.S. at Pearl Harbor. How things have changed in the years since that tragic day in 1941. For my parents generation, things completely changed. That event perhaps did more to change the world than anyone could ever comprehend completely. Profound changes, indeed.

This days cannot help but make me think of the brave men and women who lost their lives that day, and the millions who lost their lives in the terrible war that followed.

As Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt says in "From Here to Eternity" -"A man don't go his own way, he's nothing. "

San Diego at Night and at Dawn

2009-12-07T11:41:00.001-08:00

Avie and I have been spending more and more time in San Diego, well - because we like it. A lot. This blog might have to be renamed to Slims Bay Blues Blog or something like that.

Here I am playing with some night time exposures, with some success. There is a Christmas tree in here somewhere if you look carefully.

Nearly a full moon.

Looking east at sunrise over the bridge.

Encore.

My kinda town. And the Chargers are doing well, too. Life is great.

Christmas in the 1950s

2009-12-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

In some ways, but certainly not all, my family bore some resemblance to the Parker family of Jean Shepard's classic A Christmas Story. One needs only to view the above picture of me, circa 1957, to see shades of Ralphie. Our family did not have a leg lamp, however. To my mother and father's eternal credit. But we were weird in our own way, as are all families.

Christmas 1957. I had it in my head that I wanted a policeman's uniform. I have no idea why, but that's what I wanted. Somehow, my mother found one for me, and I was so excited. When school reopened, I wore it to school. During recess, some kid hurled a snowball at me and knocked my hat off. It was a message, and I never wore it again, at least in public.

Christmas morning was very much the same for many years. Waking our parents up very early, waiting for my father to get his camera ready. We had to wait for the formal pictures of the tree and then the family before we could tear into the presents. Once we did, we would make short order of the pile below the tree.

I'm in the red pajamas - this picture if probably from 1959 or so. My little brother Brian holds the gun - he's a killer until this day and I'm still wary of him when he has a weapon.

I remember lots of train sets - the video games of their time.

Yes, this looks like my family. Once we were six, now we are four.

Thanks to my brother Brian for patiently scanning these old 35mm slides.

Flotsam and Jetsam

2009-11-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Coronado Bridge meets Coronado...

...right after it takes a hard right turn.

Navy Seals on a morning training exercise. Their base is nearby. One day I saw a boat pull over to shore to pick up a pizza delivery.

On the beach. Mexico is due south and not very far.

Nature's creations.

Coronado dunes.

On and Off the Water

2009-10-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

One of the Dole Banana ships in port. Each year, half a million tons of fruit enter the Port of San Diego. My observation is that one ship a week leaves for the trip back to Central America - each Tuesday evening.

Heading back into the Naval Base.

On the Cabrillo, the ferry between Coronado and San Diego.

The U.S.S. Midway - now a museum.

The Santa Fe passenger depot downtown.

Looking up.

The U.S.S. Makin Island coming into port.

A Foggy Day by the Bay

2009-10-23T08:38:00.001-07:00

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Carl Sandburg

A recent foggy morning settled thickly on San Diego Bay.

Though a few hardy souls didn't seem to mind.

"Any fish bite you got good bait"

Waiting on a sunny day.

The Coronado Bridge is there somewhere.

San Diego Bay From Coronado Island

2009-10-11T14:21:00.001-07:00

The Coronado Bridge, looking South.

They call San Diego America's Best City. Hard to disagree with that assessment from my perspective. Beautiful weather, the Bay, the Ocean, the food. If the Chargers and the Padres got better, who knows - it just might be heaven. I first came to Coronado many years ago and have loved it ever since. I never tire of the view of downtown across the bay.

Lots of sailboats were out on Saturday afternoon.

Making the turn around a buoy.

Not true blue here, but I like the effect.

Sailing away.

The ferry from Coronado to downtown.

Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo

2009-10-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of strange and bizarre things in the California desert. I've lived here for nearly six years and have only scratched its surface.

Cabot's Pueblo Museum is certainly one of them.

It is the work of one rugged and undoubtedly eccentric individual - Cabot Yerxa, who built it, piece by piece, over a period of years in the town of Desert Hot Springs.

Today the property is a museum.

It is protected by great spirits.

The museum's website states: "In 1939 Cabot began the construction of a dream. It was his intention to build a monument to the Indian people he so admired. Without modern equipment he began the construction of what he came to call Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo. With only a pick and a shovel he carved the first room out of the hillside. It was little more than a cave to protect him as he continued with the rambling structure, sans blueprints.

Every portion of the overwhelming building incorporated the Indian's philosophy of life. Since the Indians believe that symmetry retains evil spirits, nothing is symmetrical in the Pueblo. Doorways and floors slant, walls are slightly uneven, and the window form a puzzle of multi-shaped glass. The walls, measuring nine to ten feet in some places were designed to ensure warmth in winter and maintain cool temperatures during the summer months."

It is certainly well worth a visit.

Walking the grounds, one must suspend belief at times.

Looking back at Mr. Yerxa's view of Mt. San Jacinto.

Tales of Republican Hypocrisy - Today's Edition

2009-09-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Really, I could do this everyday - this one simply speaks for itself.

30 Sep 2009 - NEW ORLEANS — A Washington-based public watchdog group said Tuesday it has asked a Louisiana state agency that reviews lawyer conduct to investigate allegations that U.S. Sen. David Vitter solicited prostitutes.

The bar complaint by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) arises from the Republican's admission of a "serious sin" in 2007 after his phone number appeared in records of a Washington prostitution ring. At the time Vitter stated “This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible.”

Vitter, an attorney, has refused to discuss details or answer questions about the matter. He has denied subsequent allegations of involvement with prostitutes in New Orleans.

A Vitter spokesman accused CREW of trying to shift attention away from Democratic ties to the community organizing group ACORN, and did not address the group's allegations of misconduct by Vitter.

CREW, a nonprofit group with a history of complaints against both parties, notes in its news release that Vitter is among a host of Republicans calling for criminal investigations of ACORN and an end to government funding for its programs. Republican criticisms of the group were energized after employees at some ACORN offices were recorded recently apparently giving advice to a woman posing as a prostitute and to a man posing as her pimp about cheating on taxes and operating a brothel.

"Vitter Seeks Investigation of ACORN for Assisting Fake Prostitution Ring; CREW Seeks Investigation of Vitter for Role in Real Prostitution Ring," reads the headline on the CREW news release.

If I were Vitter, I would be afraid, very afraid. When asked in 2000 about the strains a political career can have on a marriage, his wife said “I’m a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary...If he does something like that, I’m walking away with one thing, and it’s not alimony, trust me.”

Perhaps such an unforeseen occurrence has already happened to the Senator? His attacks on Acorn might be overcompensation?

Tales of Republican Hypocrisy - Today's Edition

2009-09-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

This is a new periodic feature I'm adding to my blog to highlight the bald hypocrisy that has become a mainstay of the modern Republican Party and soured our national debate. I could probably add a new one every day, but that would probably bore me to death. Personally, I would be quite content to round of the whole bunch of liars, thieves, hypocrites, birthers, racists, and other right-wing scoundrels and send them all to Texas. Then build a very big wall around the place and let them do whatever they want in the name of freedom on their side of the wall.

Today's right-wing nutcase - Rep. Kevin Brady, T-Texas. See my point?

Protesters who attended Saturday’s Tea Party rally in Washington to protest big government are unhappy with the level of service provided by DC's government subsidized subway system (already the irony becomes so appealing).

Rep. Kevin Brady asked for an explanation of why the government-run subway system didn’t adequately prepare for this past weekend’s rally - which took place to protest government spending and expanded government services! So, they were unhappy that they didn't get what they don't want. Seems simple to me.

“These individuals came all the way from Southeast Texas to protest the excessive spending and growing government intrusion by the 111th Congress and the new Obama administration,” Brady wrote (Congressman, do you know what you are saying here? Do you at least see the - well, irony?) Guess not. He went on “these participants, whose tax dollars were used to create and maintain this public transit system, were frustrated and disappointed that our nation’s capital did not make a great effort to simply provide a basic level of transit for them.”

Brady wrote on Twitter “METRO did not prepare for Tea Party March! More stories. People couldn’t get on, missed start of march. I will demand answers from Metro.”

Brady said in his letter to Metro that overcrowding forced an 80-year-old woman and elderly veterans in wheelchairs to pay for cabs (not run by the government, Congressman).

How has this champion of public transportation services voted in the past, you might ask? Surely he voted "yes" on the 2009 stimulus bill, which provided some millions for the DC Metro?

He voted "no."

In July, a Transportation and HUD appropriations bill, came up for a vote. It included $150 million for emergency maintenance funding for the DC Metro. Can you possibly guess how Rep. Brady voted? Need we look at his past votes on such matters?

Congressman, I'd give you the Worst person in the World award, but Keith Olbermann already has that honor. But by any measure of sanity and reason, you are a stupid, wretched hypocrite!

The LA County Fair Vs. Fellini's Satyricon; If Loving Al Green is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

2009-09-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday was opening day of the 2009 LA County Fair in Pomoma, about an hour's drive from us. We had no great interest in attending, but The Rev. Al Green was doing a show that night. I've been an Al Green fan since the height of his pop career in the 70s, so it seemed like a good idea to go see him. More on The Good Reverend a bit later.

Avie had the general atmosphere of the Fair right - it was an American version of Fellini's Satyricon. Hunter S. Thompson would have described the scene as one of fear and loathing.

Of course, there were copious amounts of bad food. Lots of barbecue. Lots of sugar. Lots of fat. Lots of alcohol. And a majority of the people wandering around the grounds looked like they'd indulged for quite some time. OK, I admit that some of the barbecue smelled good.

But for me, the whole thing had a bad taste.

Perhaps it was a poor attempt to recreate a part of America that no longer exists.

There was something foul and ugly beneath the surface.

No, this wasn't the town carnival I remember from my youth.

In some of these photos, smoke from the current wildfire on the LA foothills is visible.

Fortunately, we had Al Green to see. First, we were treated to a much-to-long set by The Spinners, who did a good job at recreating their 70s hits, but played way too long. There followed a pretty long set-up period as well.

But then Al Green took the stage and all was forgiven. He smiled, he laughed, he rolled on the floor til his suit was dusty. He passed out roses to the ladies in front of the stage. He loved us, and we loved him. He passed out more roses. He gave one woman his "100 dollar silk handkerchief." His band was tight, and his voice was in as good a form as ever. He soared for the high notes and hit them. He did his hits, and did bits from classic R&B songs. He sang like an angel - he is, after all, a messenger from god. Al Green's god is OK with me. Let's stay together.

Chilly Scenes of Winter

2009-09-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Growing up in upstate New York in the 50s and 60s, I have very clear memories of snow. Lots of snow. Most winters, we would get at least one big blizzard which would dump several feel of snow on us in a very short time. We would have to dig our way out.

These pictures were taken by my father. According to my brother Brian, who scanned these shots from slides, they are of the Blizzard of 1966, which shut down most activities in Rochester for nearly a week - one report I saw online stated that around 100" of snow fell on the Oswego area, east of us.

The big red house is the house I grew up in. At the time it was 100 or so years old, though my parents made a number of improvements and built a large addition in the back. When my parents bought it in 1945, it was a working farm with some 72 acres. They sold it in the early 80s. The one remaining visible vestige of the farm is the old chicken coop, the small building in the left center. We used to climb on up to its roof and jump down into the snowdrifts.

Looking down Slocum Road - Ontario, NY.

Mush of this snow we had to dig by hand, though my father had a small Farmall Cub tractor to plow the driveway. If you like snow, this is a great place for you.

This last photo is much earlier - probably around 1954-55. My sister Liz, brother Tom, Dots the Wonder Dalmatian, and me.

Sunset Scenes - Early August 2009

2009-08-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

Walking along the beach below Del Mar - just before sunset.

Getting ready for the sunset.

We appear briefly from the shadows.

Dudes discussing the events of the day.

Wedding photos. Pre or post? Hope the ceremony is here rather than a church.

...while the sun slowly sinks into the sea.

If the world would have ended that night, it would have been fine.

At The Del Mar Race Track

2009-08-18T08:06:00.001-07:00

Where the turf meets the surf, as Bing Crosby once crooned. After all, he had a financial stake in the Del Mar Turf Club, along with his partner Pat O'Brien - two of my least favorite Hollywood stars of that era. But today, it's one of my favorite getaways.

The track is literally a few hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean, across Highway 101 from the Del Mar dog beach.

From the grandstand, you can watch the blue Pacific as well as the trains.

"And away they go." On this day, lady luck was shining upon us. We hit an exacta and left with a nice profit from the day's endeavors.

The paddock area. We have to watch the horses prior to making our bet. If a horse winks at us, we know he's going to be in the money....

Whatever system works. Ours worked today.

One can even get churros.

Summer Evening - La Jolla

2009-08-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Evening in La Jolla, California.

As much as we wanted to attend a health care town hall meeting this month and scream as loudly as we could that we want our country back, Avie and I instead went to San Diego for a few days.

We are, after all, under 60, so we have a good many years before President Obama's death panels have us euthanized. We figured, though, that it was time to enjoy our sad lives somewhat before than day arrives. Gosh, if we had known we wouldn't have been such liberal dupes and we certainly would have voted for McCain. Guess we deserve to be put to death.

After dinner, we took a short stroll around downtown La Jolla. It was jumping, as it always does on a beautiful Summer evening.

I have always thought that La Jolla as the most European town I've seen in the U.S.

Last rays of sun over the Pacific.

I want this truck.

The Miami Herald Song Part II

2009-08-11T07:59:00.001-07:00

Rochester Slims website has been inundated in recent weeks in the wake of the recent blog post by Dave Barry about The Miami Herald Song , which turned up on an old cassette in the Herald newsroom after languishing for more than 10 years there. More than 4000 requests for the song, in fact. So, Slim now has the song available on Amazon.com for the bargain price of .99.

Add it to your collection today! And buy a newspaper as well - they are even cheaper!

Alaskan Poetry Sets New High Bar

2009-07-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

As a rule, I have found the best course in dealing with the former Governor of Alaska is to say nothing, but this video opened my eyes to perhaps a larger and more artistic purpose - Jack Kerouac would be proud.....

Let us also not fail to note the philosophic nature of this remarkable woman:

Cogito, ergo sum (I think, therefore I am) Descartes

Huntum Palinus (We eat, therefore we hunt) Palin

I've followed politics for a very long time, but I don't think I've seen anything as remarkable as the two speeches Ms. Palin made this month regarding her resignation as Alaskan Governor. The woman is clearly on drugs.....very powerful ones at that.

Last Putt for History; End of an Era for Television News

2009-07-19T17:23:00.001-07:00

Oh so close....I rooted for Tom Watson today to win the British Open more than I think I have ever rooted for anyone. As his last put in regulation on the 18th hole left his putter I knew that it simply could not go in. No matter how much everyone wanted it to. A man of 59 simply does not win such championships, and it was clear in the epilogue of the playoff that his tank was empty.

But I think that he made it cool to me old again. It gives me great hope since he is a year older than me. Perhaps next year I will win the British Open. Or maybe Tom and I will party at Woodstock.

Meanwhile, Michael Jackson is still dead.....

With the passing of Walter Cronkite, I truly feel the end of an era. he was called "the most trusted man in America" but I always was comforted by watching Walter. I always felt that it was going to be alright, no matter what kind of insanity was going down. Surely nothing truly hideous could happen to our nation while men such as Cronkite were watching over us. Now we are left with Rupert Murdoch, Clear Channel, and Larry King. So long boys, it's been good to know you.

A SoCal Forth of July

2009-07-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've lived in California long enough to know that heading for the beach on the July 4th weekend can be a recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, to the beach we did go. Parking was hard to find, traffic was at times horrific, and throngs of people milled about Huntington Beach, aka "Surf City USA."

But luckily, kettle corn was in good supply.

Beach volleyball near the pier at Surf City USA.

One could get away from the masses and have a pleasant walk along the back streets. The day and the air were fine.

The Balboa Island grand old flag waved proudly.

Contrary to what many Easterners might think, Californians are quite patriotic. Even those "San Francisco liberals."

And so our day draws to a close...

The Miami Herald Song

2009-07-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Rochester Slim has, in the past few days, received quite a bit of attention from an old song he did in the mid 90s titled The Miami Herald Song . Apparently a cassette tape that sent to my sister, who worked at The Herald at the time, turned up during a recent office move. Then it started spreading via email and blogs. I'm kind of amazed, amused, and pleased at the same time.

Dave Barry blogged about it and received a number of comments - a mixture of admiration, perplexion, derision - just what any hard-working artist would love to get.

"ow"

"Oh. My. God. The Rock Bottom Remainders have got to cover this (Dave Barry's band)."

"Oh dear Lord. Who is this???... punctures eardrums with sharpened pencils"

"Does Gerald deliver the Herald to NC? I thought it was kind of catchy but when I started playing it my lab got up and left the room. Everybody's a critic." (ain't it the truth!)

"From the inaugural and (as it happened) last episode of "Everglades Home Companion."

"Who pronounces Herald as "Hear-ald?"

"Someone should force Barry Manilow to listen to that over and over, so he'd know how it feels to suffer like that."

"I knew they were getting desperate for sales in the newspaper industry, but I never knew it was THIS bad."

"It would have been a darned shame to have inadvertantly thrown that one out, huh? What was that originally produced for? It actually is pretty good, except for the fact that newspapers aren't usually big on jingle-type audio promotions."

Greg Cote did another blog about it today. He said: ".... the oddest song you have ever heard or ever will ... I believe it actually is an unearthed demo from a 1970s promotional campaign that never aired. And with good reason...The song probably is not Top 40 or dance-floor material. If only we could have found this in time to have Michael Jackson overdub a hiccup or a hee-hee. Nevertheless, remember that, although times may be dark for our industry and this song sounds oddly and perhaps presciently funereal, always, for God's sake always remember, no matter what: The Herald is your friend!"

Well. My late sister Liz Donovan who worked at The Herald for many years. I wrote and recorded the song for her amusement I think around 1996. Liz was my favorite person in the world. It was meant to be funny, but I guess it had a point about newspapers that now in 2009 is all too evident.

I was in the early stages of figuring our recording technology and used a small, cheap 4 Track cassette recorder. I did it quickly, warts and all, and sent her the crude copy of the cassette. I know she found it funny enough to play it for then-publisher Dave Lawrence, who actually wrote me a letter telling me that "it made my day."

I always though that The Herald should use the song for a TV spot - a gospel choir in the Orange Bowl singing the chorus to a packed crowd at a Dolphins game. People would have thought that The Herald was hip and circulation would have grown accordingly.

One Last Day on the Road; One Last Photo

2009-06-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

West of Flagstaff I got off of the interstate and took old 66 for 100 miles or so to Kingman, Arizona. A storm passed over and for awhile it was quite dark and threatening. But I got this last picture looking West on Route 66. Times have passed it by, but it's still a marvelous road.

From Kingman, I headed down to Lake Havasu, then across the nearly completely empty desert highway 62 to 29 Palms, Joshua Tree, and home. I could have taken scores of pictures there, but I was near the end of a 13 hour drive that day and enough was enough.

Out With the Truckers and the Kickers and The Cowboy Angels

2009-06-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

After a night in Amarillo, I hit the road early and passed into New Mexico - my first blue state since Virginia. I was getting off I-40 for the first time and headed for Chimayo to visit my favorite cousin and artist extraordinaire George Zarolinski.

South of Santa Fe, looking northeast.

I would have liked spending some time in Santa Fe, but I had one more long day on the road and home was calling loudly to me.

Chimayo is a quiet place, except for the nearly constant barking of dogs in the distance.

And while I was there, another dog was added to its population. George rescued the dog on the right (Shorty) from the local shelter and he came home with her that day, joining Buster (on the left) who was clearly very excited about the new addition to his pack.

Buster and Shorty - kinda sound like a couple of tw0-bit gangsters from Prohibition days....

Following the Ghost of Tom Joad

2009-06-22T19:47:00.001-07:00

"The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it." - John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

"Yes as through this life I've wandered I've seen lots of funny men
some will rob you with a six-gun and some with a fountain pen"
- Woody Guthrie, Pretty Boy Floyd

Leaving Little Rock early in the morning, I rambled West through the Ozarks and then into Oklahoma. I passed through Woody Guthrie country and then Oklahoma City, where I caught up to the old Route 66. From there, I followed the route taken by many before me - in the Dust Bowl times particularly - on the way to the Garden of Eden called California. I simply had to get off the interstate several times to check out some of the few still existing sections.

Although the historic highway more or less remains only in memory, there remain sections of the old road here and there all the way to California, with one particularly long section in western Arizona. In other places, one can see glimpses of the old road bed in the median strip of I-40.

Pushing ever West.

It was very quiet.

They called it "The Mother Road."

The West Texas Panhandle.

Along part of old 66 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Happy Motoring!

One can see a long way off.

The La Mesa Motel in Santa Rosa.

The precursor of the Visa card.

Little Rock

2009-06-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

After leaving Memphis, I crossed the Mississippi heading for Little Rock, where I planned to check in early and take a nap. After that, I had some time in the afternoon to wander around downtown. Little Rock seemed southern, friendly, and (for me) surprisingly hip. I kinda wished I had some more time to spend there.

I had an excellent fish dinner at Flying Fish. I felt the spirit of Bill Clinton. I watched the Arkansas River flow. I slept well, and dreamed of the 90s.

The market area along the river.

The ghosts of old Little Rock.

Down by the river.

The Clinton Library.

"Just a Half a Mile from the Mississippi Bridge"

2009-06-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hitting the road around 3am, I left Knoxville and headed West on I40 determined to get at least as far as Little Rock. It had rained most of the night, the cable was out on my hotel, dinner options had been few, so I wanted to get some miles behind me. I blew through Nashville at predawn and missed the traffic. Memphis was a few hours away.

My IPod shuffle mode was remarkably in sync with my travels as if some hidden microchip was in touch with higher beings. As I drove past the Manassas battlefield in Virginia it chose Wilco's version of When the Roses Bloom Again with its Civil War theme. In the Shenandoah, it played Bill Frisell's instrumental of - Shenandoah. Just outside of Memphis, home to Al Green, it played - Al Green. As I drove past Woody Guthrie's hometown on Oklahoma, it spit out - you guessed it. Entering California, it remarkably chose Wilco again, bookmarking the trip with their version of California Stars.

Having never been to Memphis before, I had to pull off just short of the Mississippi Bridge to explore, albeit briefly. I wandered around downtown for awhile. The general mood of the day was sleepy. So was I, but I was wired after six hours of driving.

Beale Street was nearby - an easy stroll. Few folks were on the streets.

Clean up from the revels of the previous evening were proceeding.

Elvis had left the room.

Most places were still closed at mid-morning.

Drink enuf of dis stuff and yo' ass will be big!

Sun Records - where Sam Philips first recorded Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and others. A place of worship to those of us who worship at the alter of rock 'n roll. I should go and record there one day.

Down Through The Shenandoah

2009-06-12T10:07:00.001-07:00

The day after Memorial Day I seriously hit the road for the drive back to California. The day was dark and rainy as I headed south down I-81 through the Shenandoah Valley. When I lived in DC, I used to drive out to the Valley and imagine myself living there as a post-hippy farmer of some sort, happily living on a farm. It probably never would have worked.

My mood mirrored the weather. I was anxious to get home, but I longed to get off the Interstate and to have the luxury of taking the back roads and spending some weeks getting to California. So many things to see and people to meet if you have the time.

The Shenandoah still has faint traces of its sad past. It was in the center of the Civil War and suffered mightily.

The three crosses. When I lived in DC I used to see them everywhere when driving around the mid-Atlantic region. They are the work of one man, who erected some 1,800 of them in the 1980s and early 90s.

Wonder why they call it The Blue Ridge....

By the time I got to Abington in southwestern Virginia, the sky brightened somewhat.

The Barter Theater. I took some of my Upward Bound students in eastern Kentucky here in the mid 70s - we saw The Matchmaker.

Washington, DC, Memorial Day - Slim Meets Obama and Roots Round His Past

2009-06-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

As I awoke on Memorial Day in my hotel room outside of Washington - where I lived for nearly 1/2 of my life - Arlington Cemetery seemed the most appropriate place to spend some reflective time to honor those who made the great sacrifice in service to our country. I don't wear my patriotism on my sleeve, but I am a patriot nonetheless. No other comments here are needed.

Before leaving, I ran right into President Obama's motorcade leaving the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

He of course immediately recognized me in the crowd, got out and shook my hand, told me how much he dug my music, and invited me over the the White House to shoot some hoops. I in turn invited him out to Palm Springs and told him I could get him some free golf. He was immensely pleased....

Eastern Market - still undergoing restoration after the fire.

Tunnicliffs Tavern (center)- where I met my wife Avie.

639 E Street, SE - where Rochester Slim began recording. This building will in time no doubt be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Tune Inn - where The David Theis Band - of which I was a member - met for around four years planning our one gig. It was time well spent.

Inside The Hawk and Dove - I first sat at this bar in 1977. My waitress this day funnily enough started working there in 1977 - I likely tried to hit on her at least once.

On The Road

2009-06-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

"They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn..."
- Jack Kerouac, On the Road

The day before Memorial Day I hit the road with a mixture of curiousity and dread as I began the 3,200 mile drive back to my home in California. It's a long trip and I sadly did not have time to travel the back roads at a leisurely pace. I headed south from Ontario, NY towards Washington, DC on that first day, crossing Highway 104 - the highway of my youth and the first road that ever called out to me - and down Route 14 through the Finger Lakes.

I was not dancing like a dingledodie, but had some hopes of finding the occasional Starbucks for strength and speed. Would Kerouac have found some guilty pleasure in using a GPS device, at least for seeking the nearest trendy coffee shop? Perhaps, though I didn't grasp that concept until I was well along on the journey. Nearest Starbucks 50 miles? Keep driving, brother and salvation will be at hand. Indeed.

For there was something grand and wondrous about this trip, full of the mysteries of the journey ahead and true respect for the glorious and tragic history of our country each step of the way. My past was pressing hard on me, coping with the recent death of my beloved sister, seeing family members and some friends I hadn't seen in many years, being alone on the road. I was starting out in the very heart of the Iroquois Nation in New York, then south along the mighty Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to our nation's capitol, then West past Manassas and Bull Run and South through the Shenandoah Valley and cradle of the Civil War. As I drove West, names and places that literally sing to our collective consciousness came and went - The Blue Ridge, The Cumberland Gap, The Natchez Trace, Davey Crockett, The Trail of Tears, Memphis, The Mississippi, The Ozarks, Oklahoma, The Chisholm Trail, Route 66, California. I tried, in at least some measure, to pay small internal tribute as I drove on with cruise control, coke, coffee, and an IPod. I even stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona waiting for a fine sight to see.

Seneca Lake, south of Geneva, NY

In the Finger Lakes wine country - southern Seneca Lake near Watkins Glenn

Gathering to Remember Liz Donovan

2009-06-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

May 23 would have been my sister Liz' 64th birthday. My plan was, of course, to in someway use the classic Beatles song from Sgt. Pepper to tease her without mercy - she was, after all, my older sister. Well, who knows - if heaven is by some remote possibility a lot of Beatles music then I am OK with the afterlife....

Liz' husband Joe brought some of her ashes to Ontario to mark the occasion nearly six months after she sadly passed away. Earlier in the day he went alone to my father's grave at the church cemetery to fulfill one of her last wishes and bury them at the site.

A lot of my favorite family members made the trip to Ontario to say goodbye to Liz, which would have pleased her immensely. I know she would have enjoyed being there, but I guess in many ways she was.

Liz' husband Joe Masellis, brothers Tom and Brian, nephew Harrison

My Mom's friend Ida, Mom, Aunt Charlotte, Liz' friend Mary Gwen

Our Mom - turns 93 this year

Cousin George Zarolinski and Joe

Cousins Mike Donovan, Bill and George Zarolinski

Joe, Tom, Harrison, and Kim & Brian

Our old family clock. For countless years it was on a shelf above my father's chair. It still has a faint odor of nicotine from the endless cigarettes he smoked.

Time has come today.

Ontario NY - My Back Pages

2009-06-05T18:07:00.001-07:00

Now main streets whitewashed windows and vacant stores

Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more
They're closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys
and they ain't coming back to your hometown
- Bruce Springsteen, My Hometown

Above is a shot looking East on Main Street in Ontario, NY - my home town. Growing up there, in the 1950s and 60s, the town was fairly vibrant, even though the highway had already bypassed Main Street and the flight of local business had slowly begun. When I was young, Main Street Ontario had a bank, a drugstore, a five and dime, a shoe store, an appliance store, a Western Auto store, a magazine and sundry store, post office, soda fountain, a grocery, and more. Now, just the bank and a few other ragged stores remain.

The golf course, just south of Main Street still exists, though it is no longer a private club and appears to be going through more uncertainty. Above is the view from the first tee. Except for a day or two picking cherries at around age 12, this is the first place I ever worked - as a caddy in the early 1960s. Loops were hard to come by, but I was always hopeful.

During the summer of 1967, when I was 16, I had my first real job (which shows up on my annual social security statement) at the former restaurant above, the name of which I've completely forgotten. I was a dishwasher and it was tough work, especially cleaning up the breakfast dishes with remains of hardened eggs. I remember a lot of great songs on the restaurant juke box, and having a crush on the boss' daughter. It was, after all, The Summer of Love.

Later, I worked above at the former Waterman and Sons fruit company. Here sweet cherries were dumped into vats of sulfur dioxide brine to be completely bleached and then turned into maraschino cherries. We ate a lot of cherries to pass the time and to this day, I can't eat cherries.

During the summer of 1968 I worked at the cold storage in Ontario. We packed frozen food and about the only thing I remember is that it was cold in there...

My second summer during college I was a security guard at the Ginna Nuclear plant in Ontario. It was easy work, and though the facility had been open for several years, I was the first guard to ever properly execute an emergency drill - we were poorly trained and paid - but admit that I saw the managers sneaking around in the bushes and thus had some idea that a drill was about to take place. Small wonder that some years later the plant experienced a leak of radioactive steam. I hope security has improved.

Remains of the abandoned "Hojack Line" which ran less than a mile from our house. I used to love hearing the trains at night. The last commercial train ran through Ontario in 1978. There were some attempts to use the tracks for tourist purposes in later years, but I believe that no trains have gone down these tracks in many years. At least they remain and one can hope that a new economy based on efficient energy usage might bring the trains back.

The old paint mill ruins. As a kid I used to come here often. It was used to make paint from the red iron ore that is found in abundance on the area. In the 1800s, ore was mined commercially in Ontario and except for the water-filled beds scattered around the town, this old mill is about the only remaining evidence. Faint traces of the "Class of 63" painted on the tower that year still are visible.

Downtown Rochester - May 2009

2009-06-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

A trip home would not be complete without some travels around the downtown area of Rochester. I do, after all, call myself Rochester Slim and I seem to need to connect with the city from time to time. Much of my past and legend begins and ends there.

The photo above is looking south at the Genesee River. To the left above center is the 1905 Lehigh Valley Railroad station, now the Dinosaur Bar B-Que.

In 1940, Rochester was the 23th largest city in the U.S. and in the late 40s and early 50s even had an NBA team - the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings). By 1990, it had shrunk to 66th. From 1927 until 1956, it even had its own subway system. I had heard about it, but never knew that some ruins of the abandoned system still exist downtown. So it was very cool to be able to sneak down into the old station along Court Street.

The Gannett Building, with the distinctive Times Square Building and its deco-style "wings" behind. When I was young, the city had two newspapers, one evening and one morning. Now, like most cities, they have sort of 1/2 of a newspaper.

The High Falls.

The Genesee Beer brewery. I helped keep them in business through the years.

Sadly, the Rochester Red Wings were on the road while I was in town, so I didn't get to go to a game.

Lilacs in Highland Park, Rochester - May 2009

2009-06-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

My few days in Rochester had to include a visit to Highland Park on the southside. This treasure of a park, designed by renowned park designer Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 1800s hosts the annual Lilac Festival, which had just concluded a few days before my visit.

It was a warm evening just before Memorial Day.

The lilacs were perhaps a few days past their peak.

But were still quite beautiful.

The air was filled with that lovely scent.

A scent which immediately brings back my childhood.

There's something comforting in seeing new
generations introduced to the wonders of lilacs.

Along the Shore of Lake Ontario

2009-06-01T08:20:00.001-07:00

My first stop on this epic journey through the heart of the American continent (sorry - I'm in a prosaic mood this morning) was my old hometown of Ontario, NY. I was there for a family gathering to remember and say goodbye to my sister Elisabeth, who sadly passed away last December. So the visit was most definitely bittersweet at best.

Liz was a child of this lovely region, and would have enjoyed these pictures, all taken along Lake Road in Ontario and the adjacent town of Webster.

From Webster Park, looking northwest towards Rochester and beyond.

A picture here in Winter would be an entirely different story.

There will always be apple trees along the lake.

Red barns are as numerous as the apple trees.

Still It's A Long Road

2009-05-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little quiet here for good reason. On the road.

I just finished a very long solo road trip through the heart of America, from Rochester, NY back home here to Palm Springs - beginning in the Great Lakes region, down south through the Shenandoah Valley, across the mid-South, joining the route of old historic Route 66, and finally through the California desert.

It was fun, boring, and mainly tiring. I've been home for 24 hours and am still shaking. Such road trips are for the younger, I believe.

But I made it in one piece and will have some (I hope) interesting things to say and even more interesting pictures to post here in due time.

My Own Backyard

2009-05-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

Tin Man: What have you learned, Dorothy?

Dorothy: Well, I - I think that it - it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em - and it's that - if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?

So, a few pictures from my own backyard are in order here.

Spring is a great time for things in bloom in the desert.

Sadie the Sometimes Wonder Dog.
She doesn't like to swim, but loves to float.

I don't know the name of this bush,
but it's in spectacular bloom this week.

Talk to Me of Mendocino

2009-04-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

I bid farewell to the state of old New York
My home away from home
In the state of New York I came of age
When first I started roaming
And the trees grow high in New York State
And they shine like gold in autumn
Never had the blues whence I came
But in New York State I caught 'em

- Kate McGarrigle (Talk to Me of Mendocino)

The photo above is of the Kodak Park complex on the north end of Rochester. My father worked here for nearly 40 years until he retired around 1975. Winter can be a cruel time in upstate New York, as I well can attest. It's a good place with fine people for sure - but it takes a certain heartiness to outlast the winters and a lively mind to ward off the depression that months of clouds can bring.

But I love this song; it's another I've listened to for years, and I finally now have it on my IPod. It took me a long time - about 30 years - to make the same journey as in the song, from New York to California. But what an interesting trip is was. I want to say it was a long, strange trip...and parts of it were. I didn't make it to Mendocino, but I'm close enough.

Music for Change and Peace

2009-04-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Linda Pendleton has done me a great favor by posting videos of Bob Marley's One Love - "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music" on her excellent blog. There are two versions - one international, and the other from Los Angeles - both very worth watching.

Check out the Playing for Change website.

Peace and happiness.

Along the same lines, folks interested in helping in a small way to help alleviate world poverty and help change lives for the better, should check out the person to person micro loan program at KIVA. It's a fantastic concept and it works.

I recently heard about KIVA on public radio and thought - what a great concept! We're talking about small amounts - I just made my first loan to Harriet Nkoyoyo's Group in Lugazi, Uganda.

Along Mission Bay; Texas to Secede?

2009-04-16T16:06:00.001-07:00

One can't miss seeing Mission Bay heading into San Diego. The park, which was developed out of a marshy area named "False Bay" by the first Spanish explorers in the 1500s, was developed in the 1940s and 50s as a tourism and recreational area.

I've never given it proper attention, but our last trip to San Diego gave us the chance to explore it a bit. It's quite a jewel.

San Diegans come out in full force to picnic and play in the park.

And of course it is a boater's paradise.

On a lighter note, Texas Governor Rick Perry, who followed George W. Bush into the governor's chair in Texas, raised eyebrows this week when he made remarks regarding the secessionist movement in Texas, much to the delight of the lunatic right-wing fringe.

Might Texas secede from the Union? First I might point out that Texas did so unsuccessfully once before, in 1861, but four years of bloody conflict put an end to that. Maybe the sour taste remains 150 years later. I have no other explanation for Texas. I might have lived in Texas during my life, but I had good luck and sense.

Second, after providing the nation with three of the worst Presidents in history, each one plunging us into unnecessary wars (that would be LBJ, Bush I, and Bush II), I say "PLEASE GO AHEAD."

Walking the La Jolla Tide Pools

2009-04-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy walking along the tide pools in La Jolla. Depending on the time of day and the season, they are ever-changing, yet constant. The character "Doc" from John Steinbeck's Cannery Row haunts the place for me. In the novel, Doc travels to La Jolla to collect baby octopi in the tide pools.

"The creeping murderer, the octopus, steals out, slowly, softly, moving like a gray mist, pretending now to be a bit of weed, now a rock, now a lump of decaying meat while its evil goat eyes watch coldly. ... suddenly it runs lightly on the tips of its arms, as ferociously as a charging cat." - John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

"It always seems strange to me... the things we admire in men - kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling - are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest - sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest - are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second." - John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

"Doc tips his hat to dogs as he drives by and the dogs look up and smile at him." - John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

"Doc would listen to any kind of nonsense and change it for you to a kind of wisdom. His mind had no horizon." - John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

Spring Evening on Point Loma

2009-04-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sunset cliffs, the edge of San Diego, on Point Loma.

Avie quietly walks out towards the ocean, lost in thought.

Water runoff sculpts the cliffs....

....creating other-world designs.

Looking down at the beach.

Clinging to the edge of the world.

Contemplating a somewhat chilly evening.

Togetherness is not being alone.

The Road to Dingle, Ireland - July 1979

2009-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

After spending some time in County Clare, the next place I headed for was Dingle. Folks I'd met in Limerick suggested that it would be a good place to visit. It was. I spent a couple of nights in a small B&B, walked around, and sampled the nightlife. I saw the famous Irish folk group The Wolfe Tones perform one pleasant evening. Up the rebels.

I took this shot and the one below at the train station at (I think) Limerick Junction. The nun seems particularly concerned about the man's somewhat gaudy socks.

I had smuggled some medicinal herb into Ireland. I was worried about getting through customs - this was my first trip abroad - but two sleepy customs officers yawned me through customs and out of the airport. At the time, I was a fairly heavy user, and I remember being quite stoned in Dingle, but enjoying the whole atmosphere tremendously.

I wrote this in my journal, July 8, after sitting out on the quay along Dingle Bay:

"great clouds engulfing, big night uproaring,
Dingle Bay ding a ling, ring ding a ling"

I rented a bike one day and rode out to the end of the peninsula. From there one can see the now abandoned island of Great Blasket. It maintains a forlorn beauty, as does the entire peninsula.

Evening on a Dingle side street.

Walking down the road. My memory of hedge-lined roads like this one is strong. I don't know who the fellow traveler was, but I wish him well.

I had a rail/bus pass which allowed me unlimited travel, but I also hitchhiked when necessary. On July 2, a sports car picked me and I was pleased to be in the company of one Vinnie Reddin, who introduced himself as "the number 2 race car driver in Ireland." He even gave me a picture of himself driving in a race. Good man, Vinnie. Thanks for the lift. Wonder who was number 1?

One night I wrote in my journal:

walking dead drunk down the Irish countryside
walking dead drunk down the Irish countryside
if the people I meet have red hair and blue eyes
I'm too drunk to care
too drunk to try
to see their red hair
and blue eyes

I left Dingle on July 9, heading south for County Cork, O'Donovan country.

Economic Indicators - Palm Springs 2009

2009-03-18T12:28:00.001-07:00

There are wonderful business lease opportunities here for intrepid entrepreneurs. Get out your checkbooks now - these won't last!

An empty real estate office on North Palm Canyon Drive. Imagine the exciting possibilities!

Bank of America is ready to give you all the cash you need!

OK, this business did not do so well, but gays should just go to Bank of America. Or, if you are thinking about going into the mortgage business, why not simply rename it "Happy Home Loans?" (and you'll only have to replace one word of signage - a big savings!)

A gem in downtown! Ready to move right in.

This location has failed as an ultra-cool bar and a female impersonator nightclub, but it's bound to succeed with the right business plan. Maybe - YOURS?

Who could resist this possibilities here?

Or here?

We simply tore down this shopping center! Now it's ready for you to build something big!

Desert Wildflowers; March Full Moon

2009-03-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

The desert had approximately an average amount of rain this winter, so our wildflowers, now blooming, are putting on an average display this year.

They're still lovely to observe, even on our first hot day of the year. Many more and many hotter days are yet to come.

The picture above is taken from the West looking East; our house is just below middle left - somewhere just right of where the desert ends.

The full moon as it rose over the eastern mountains on March 11. The exposure and focus aren't quite perfect, but then - neither am I. Almost....

Rochester - June, 1945

2009-03-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

In June, 1945, the War In Europe had finished a few weeks earlier with the surrender of Germany. In the Pacific, fighting against Japan continued unabated. President Franklin Roosevelt had died two months earlier; the untested Harry S. Truman was President. In two months, Truman would order the use of the newly-developed atomic bomb against Japan.

In late May, my parents celebrated the birth of their first child, Elisabeth. They lived in the city of Rochester, NY at the time but would soon move out to the countryside some 25 east of the city. My father was 33 and worked as a chemist at the Eastman Kodak Company. My mother was 29.

I was some six years away....a vague twinkle in my father's eye, as they say.

These pictures were scanned from two relatively well-preserved 35 mm color slides from my parents collection. God bless Kodachrome!

County Clare, Ireland, July 1979

2009-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

In 1979, I packed my bags and took a four-week journey through Ireland on my own. I traveled throughout the country by rail, bus and foot. It was a marvelous trip - I met many interesting and helpful people and saw magical things.

I shot many rolls of color slides that trip, using an old 1951 Leica camera that I treasured. Sadly, it was stolen the next year during a burglary, or I would still have it.

During the first part of my trip, I happened to spend several days at Spanish Point, just outside the County Clare town of Miltown Malby. As it so happened, the Willie Clancy Summer Festival of traditional Irish music was taking place at the time. So I would walk the rural paths from Spanish Point to Miltown Malby, enjoy the hospitality, liquid refreshment, and music in the pubs, them wander back home happily but a bit unsteadily.

I'm going through old slides and converting some to digital, and will post interesting ones from time to time. This batch was shot in July, 1979 in and around the town of Miltown Malby and Spanish Point, which is right on the western edge of Ireland. Spanish Point is so named because legend has it that survivors of the ill-fated Spanish Armada washed ashore here as the remaining ships plodded their way around the British Isles on their way back to Spain in utter defeat.

In a More Artistic Vein

2009-03-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Quiet days at the end of Winter. Cold morning and warm days. Optimism and pessimism, a strange mix. Trying not to look at the news. Reminds me of the tough times in the mid-70s.

Everybody's desperate trying to make ends meet
Work all day, still can't pay the price of gasoline and meat
Alas, their lives are incomplete

Don't it make you want to rock and roll
All night long Mohammed's Radio
I heard somebody singing sweet and soulful
On the radio, Mohammed's Radio

Warren Zevon, 1976

A few worked over photos, two from Balboa Park in San Diego.

Van The Man

2009-02-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Avie and I had the wonderful experience of seeing Van Morrison perform a concert at The Hollywood Bowl. The 2nd half of the show featured a (literally) once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing Van and his band perform the entire 1968 classic LP Astral Weeks in its entirety. Van has been one of my great heroes for a long, long time.

"The only thing I love is the music. The rest of it is pure shit." - Van Morrison

This photo was taken on our cellphone of Van's image in the jumbotron or whatever it's called....

Saw you early this morning
With your brand new boy and your cadillac
Saw you early this morning
With your brand new boy and your cadillac
You're gone for something
And I know you wont be back
I know youre dying, baby
And I know you know it, too
I know you're dying
And I know you know it, too
Every time I see you
I just don't know what to do
Slim Slow Slider, from Astral Weeks

The concert was simply sublime. I was wonderfully pleased that in the 1st half of the concert he performed "Summertime in England" from his late 1980 LP Common One. I could almost see the "red robe dangling...."

A CD version of the two-night event is available now; a DVD is due out soon. Watch it, then go outside and boogie. It's a marvelous night for a Moondance.

The Edge of the Mountains

2009-02-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

Rising more than 10,000 feet from the valley floor to its summit, Mt. San Jacinto towers over the Coachella Valley. It is one of the most abrupt and steepest valley to peak rise in elevation found anywhere in the world.

These few pictures were taken right at the western edge of Palm Springs, where the mountain begins its steep rise to 10,805 feet. It's impossible to capture on camera this close, of course. One can hike from here to the summit, should one choose. A tram also takes passengers most of the way up year round.

This last picture was taken a few years ago and from about a mile away from the edge (actually, from my backyard). Most of the foreground is the leading edge of the mountain. Only the very top of the actual peak is visible on the far right of the picture.

Last Stop on the Hollywood Express

2009-02-19T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Palm Springs area has been home to a good number of celebrities in its time. Tour operators still run tourists around to see the homes of the rich and fabulous.

A fair number are still with us. Desert Memorial Park is the final resting place of some of Hollywood's brightest stars, and today seemed like a good day to visit a few and pay tribute to them.

Busby Berkeley was a flamboyant and complex film and stage director, choreographer, and master showman, famous for his lavish production numbers. Among his films were 42nd Street, the Gold Diggers series, Babes in Arms, and For Me and My Girl. He had a unquestioned and monumental influence on the development of the movie musical.

Curiously, his gravestone contains no reference to his musical career, only one to his service in World War I. He died on my 25th birthday, in 1976.

William Powell is probably my favorite actor of all time. I love his quick wit, gentle charm, and naughty but charming references to the joys of alcohol consumption. He is, for me, the epitome of 1930s life. Mr. Powell, along with Myrna Loy (and Asta) , is marvelous is The Thin Man series, Mister Roberts (his last film - 1955), and in My Man Godfrey - part of a career that ran from the silent era through the end of the studio system.

After retiring from film, he lived in Palm Springs until his death at age 91 in 1984, just 9 days before my 33rd birthday.

Jimmy Van Heusen was a prolific songwriter who wrote many classic songs from the 1930s through the 70s. Among his songs are Swinging on a Star, High Hopes, Call Me Irresponsible, and Love and Marriage. Mr. Van Heusen received four academy awards for Best Song in a Movie. He died in 1990 at the age of 77.

Van Heusen wrote more than 85 songs that were recorded by his good friend Frank Sinatra, who is coincidently (or not), resting quite nearby.....

Frank Sinatra was many things to many people, though I have always had ambivalent feelings towards him. He did some wonderful songs and films, and some very bad ones - can you say High Society (1956 film, with Bing Crosby) or Something Stupid (1967 song, with daughter Nancy)?. His career was long lasting, from a crooner with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey big bands in the late 1930s and early 40s, through his Duets albums shortly before his death in 1998. The Rat Pack, Ol' Blue Eyes, The Voice - it's difficult to find the real man through all the myths.

My particular favorite is his song It Was a Very Good Year from 1965. I was only 14 but found its bittersweet look back on life very touching.

Afternoon at the Beach

2009-02-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Los Penasquitos marsh meets the ocean under the Pacific Coast Highway

Looking south towards La Jolla - Torrey Pines at the left

Little on the chilly side for surfing, but if your soul is hardy....

Open Letter to Our Congresswoman

2009-02-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

And that would be Mary Bono Mack (R-Ca), who was anointed in 1998 to run in a special election to assume the seat of her late husband (Sonny Bono) and has been re-elected every two years since. Now that the Bush years are thankfully finished, it is clear that Ms. Bono Mack is a fine example of the need to establish term limits on members of Congress.

And a side note: I don't think I would have voted for Sonny for Congress, but he did co-write Needles and Pins and that is one great song and I give him credit for it.

10 years is clearly enough. To be perfectly honest and fair, she has accomplished little in her career in Congress, except to find two husbands, one of which - her current - is also a member of Congress. How's that for keeping it all in the family? But old habits die hard, and throw the bums out usually means someone else's bum. We must stop re-electing people simply because we are familiar with the name.

Do nothing, you say? Now if you visit her website you will be thrilled to learn that in 2007 she did sponsor a House resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. And in 2008, she sponsored a bill to rename a post office in Rancho Mirage as the "Gerald R. Ford Post Office Building" and it became law. Heady stuff for the cynics and naysayers.

But you must search very long and hard on the site to find any significant mention of the economy and nothing about our local economy. But it does contain energy savings tips!

There is a brief and brusque mention of her failure to support President Obama's stimulus bill, twice. While she is known as being basically a moderate, she followed Republican party leaders and turned her back on the President's attempt to reach across the aisle. Her website contains a statement: “We are facing one of the most trying economic times of the century, and the American people know that we need to act decisively and quickly to pull our nation out of this recession,” said Bono Mack. “Unfortunately, this trillion dollar ‘stimulus’ package isn’t the answer."

Not the answer - well then - what's your plan? Do nothing? The economy has fared so well under Republican leadership for the past eight years, so we're all fine? Tax cuts for the wealthy, perhaps? Wait and see? And - the amount was $787 billion, admittedly large but a mere $213 billion less than a trillion.

Well, maybe she's simply a true fiscal conservative. Balance the budget and all that good stuff. A trillion dollars? - too big and no way. Yes, that must be it, but - oops! She did vote "yes" on that little trillion plus Bush tax cut for the rich back in 2001, and all the other Bush tax/wealthy welfare programs that followed. Which, with other factors (can you say "Iraq" - another "yes" vote, Ms. Bono Mack), contributed to a doubling of the national debt in the Bush years, which now totals more than $10 trillion dollars.

So massive tax cuts for the rich are OK, but now that the rich have fed long and deep at the federal troth it's time to become a staunch conservative and just say "no?"

Perhaps Ms. Bono Mack is simply spending too much time in Washington or with the wealthy Mack family in Florida to notice that her district is in financial crisis. Congresswoman - have you heard the word "foreclosure?" Do you know about the thousands of abandoned homes out here? Just a mention - Riverside County had 9,827 default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions recorded in January - an increase of 30% from a year ago. With foreclosure sales dominating the market, the median price of Coachella Valley real estate fell to $194,900 in December, its lowest level since 2001 and a drop of more than 50% from 2006. Desperate folks are resorting to stealing copper wire from vacant home out here and billboards have sprung up to warn would-be thieves of the consequences. Valley cities and schools are making deep cuts in their budgets, and hotel occupancy is down 10.2% over last year. The latest economic forecast suggests that Riverside County may not recover until 2012, after much of the nation does.

But to Ms. Bono Mack, the President's economic stimulus program is not the answer. Happily, California's chunk of stimulus money will be made available without her vote. Perhaps she feels as Sen. Graham (R-SC) when asked on CNN if his state should accept stimulus money. Said Sen. Graham - "I think that, yes, from my point of view, I -- you don't want to be crazy here. "

Now I know from personal experience that she is a very nice person. And she is drop dead gorgeous, even after a round of golf. I cleaned her clubs one day after a charity event and - she tipped me $10.00. I was impressed. Like most of the people in District 45, I like her. But liking someone should not be a reason to send them back to Congress year after year.

Ms. Bono Mack - you've had a good run. You're one of the beautiful and now wealthy to boot. It's time to move on and enjoy yourself at another but equally rewarding pursuit. Being a Republican has served you very well - why not retire and enjoy the fruits of your labor? It's no longer considered cool to be a Republican, let's be frank here.

How about golf? Travel, good money, fame, and you'd get to spend a lot of time in Florida with the Macks. Song writing? - write another Needle and Pins and I promise I'll buy it. Think about it.

Sand Art

2009-02-11T07:18:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite reasons to go to the beach is to observe Avie create sand art. She can create magical things.

She's been doing this as long as I've known her.
Like all art, the form always depends on her mood and inspiration.

Her creations vary greatly - from the simple to the complex.
Small sticks and pebbles and other natural beach debris -
to larger constructions of driftwood. Today they are simple.

I try to capture them - because they are gone with the next tide.

Torrey Pines State Beach

2009-02-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

Though both feeling under the weather, Avie and I managed a day in San Diego on the weekend - we had tickets to the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines we simply had to use. No Tiger Woods, but still fun....Torrey Pines State Beach is our favorite.

The Coaster running through Carmel Valley....

Looking across the lagoon towards Torrey Pines....

On to the beach.

Looking north towards Del Mar and beyond.

Looking south at the cliffs below the golf course.

Slouching towards sunset....

Round of Golf

2009-01-26T09:56:00.001-08:00

Sunday afternoon and time for some golf at my home course of Shadow Ridge. Bogart would have been proud, for I claimed his nickname on nearly every hole.

Hole #8 at Shadow Ridge. Had a bogie, but should have had a par.

A beautiful Sunday afternoon on the links. This putt should have dropped....

#14, Par 5. Another missed put, another bogie.

Things always get strange near sunset on the Back 9.....

Thousand Palms Oasis

2009-01-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

A few pictures taken today in and around the Coachella V alley Preserve near Thousand Palms on the West side of the Valley. The San Andreas Fault runs directly through the Preserve.

Heading toward home, looking West towards the
Banning Pass, with a view of San Gorgonio above

"It's A New Dawn"

2009-01-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

The above words were spoken by the immortal Gracie Slick as the Je fferson Airplane launched into their song Volunteers on the 3rd day of the Woodstock festival in August, 1969. They seem to me as fitting as any I could utter as our nation truly begins a "new dawn."

Today, President Obama issued executive orders to close the Guantanamo detention center, and to stop the use of torture as an interrogation technique - not conveniently and legally spun as in the previous administration (who were those masked men, kemo sabe?).

"The message that we are sending the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly and we are going to do so effectively and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals," the president said.

End the torture now, Mr. President, and investigate those who conducted it during the past 7 years, wherever it may lead.

Avie and I spent the morning snapping pictures off the television and wishing we were in DC for the inauguration, but enjoying it nearly as much. A big plus - it was quite a bit warmer in Palm Springs.

Last Thoughts on George W. Bush

2009-01-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking hard about how to put at least some kind of a personal exclamation point to the end of this awful, calamitous, inept, and disgracing Bush presidency. Keith Olbermann's great piece above sums it up neatly and does most of the work for me. But we must never forget, and never let it happen again. Iraq, Katrina, Torture, Shredding of Civil Liberties, Tax Cuts and No-Bid Contracts for the Rich and Powerful....and let's not forget the shady manor in which the 2000 election was rigged and that Al Gore received half a million more votes.

Ok, less than 24 hours to go and I'm feeling a bit more optimistic.....let's close with a song from yesterday's celebration on the National Mall, a song that Mr. Bush probably has never heard.

Windmills of Your Mind

2009-01-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

One of the most noticeable landmarks one sees when driving into Palm Springs are the windmills. There are more than 3,500 of them, and they generate about 1 1/2% of California's yearly energy supply. While some see them as eyesores, I find them quite interesting.

Those of you familiar with the film Mission Impossible 3 might recall the helicopter chase scene, which was shot here at night - the windmills were all lit up for the filming, and we happened to be driving back to Palm Springs that night and the scene was wonderfully beautiful.