Dirty Laundry

July 4th 2009

2009-07-05T12:10:00.001-07:00

July 4th 2009
Originally uploaded by faria!.

Just as these anti-Israel demonstrators were making their voices heard, this pro-life demonstrator stood silently under a hot sun and let his placard do the talking. Agree or disagree with his view, but this is what the good ole US of A is all about.

What is this talked-of mystery of birth
But being mounted bareback on the earth?

Robert Frost

- Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, July 4th 2009.

Gone too soon

2009-06-25T22:17:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson 29.08.1958 to 25.06.2009
Originally uploaded by sylverdali.

Like a comet blazing across the evening sky,
Gone too soon.

RIP MJ.

Corpse flower voyeurism

2009-06-18T17:19:00.001-07:00

Corpse flower
Originally uploaded by faria!.

I walked down California to Allen to ogle at the Corpse Flower (Titan Arum) at the Huntington Gardens. I was bracing myself for its infamous rotten odor, but sadly did not even get a whiff of it. It has a short bloom that apparently peaked early this morning. I did marvel at its 6ft height and maroon lining.
Then I went to the recently renovated Huntington Gallery and the Library to see a Gutenberg Bible and Ellesmere's Chaucer's Tales on display.

jackfruit surprise

2009-06-14T17:12:00.001-07:00

jackfruit surprise
Originally uploaded by faria!.

I had eaten a dessert once at a Thai restaurant that had slivers of yellow/orange jackfruit, and it was delicious. But I had never seen the actual fruit before, in its entirety. I naively imagined it to be akin to a mango or perhaps a kiwi, in other words, something small and cute.

Behold my shock when Luis returned from the asian market with a jackfruit in tow. It landed with a thud on the counter and I stared at it in disbelief. Then I did some googling and found out it is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world! The actual fruit parts are ensconced between thick layers of a fleshy, starchy substance, and the fruit encloses large seed pods which can be roasted like chestnuts.

~ An unripe jackfruit with half-gallon milk carton for reference

Time takes all but memories

2009-06-13T20:58:00.001-07:00

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
Originally uploaded by faria!.

We intended to watch Up this weekend at the Paseo Colorado theatre, but as we were scurrying down Colorado Blvd, we decided to just stop at Laemmle's and watch another movie we'd been meaning to see, Departures. It's a Japanese language film with subtitles, and won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. I found it both funny and moving. In the end we all die.

Nine lives

2009-06-08T23:40:00.001-07:00

Nine lives
Originally uploaded by faria!.

Cats...

have eyes that yawn,
green
as a halt sign.

In morse-tail
language
they speak your mind,

loving you
to fur-deep
distraction.

~ Jim Howell

George approaches to take a closer look at the camera on the ground. He's wide awake just as I'm about nod off into dreamland.

But if I were a lily

2009-06-06T21:01:00.001-07:00

but if I were a lily
Originally uploaded by faria!.

But if I were a lily
I think I would wait all day
for the green face

of the hummingbird
to touch me.
What I mean is,
could I forget myself...

~ excerpt from Lilies by Mary Oliver

- A jacaranda tree overhead has unloaded its blossoms onto the lily pads at Baxter pond.

Bailey Canyon Trail on SUN-day

2009-04-19T23:19:00.001-07:00

baileycyn20080214023.JPG
Originally uploaded by al.herrmann.

Trip with the Caltech Hiking Club to Bailey Canyon park in nearby Sierra Madre today under a scorching sun. I went as far the Cabin Ruins built in the early 1900s by a couple of Caltech/Throop students. That was 1500 ft elevation gain in a little over 2 miles. A walk in the park for some, bootcamp for me.
From way up there, I could see the monastery of the Mount Oliva Passionist Fathers, the familiar skyline of downtown LA, and even Millikan Library. Bright purple, yellow and blue flowers dotted the hillsides, and every now and then a cool breeze wafted our way. We ended our hike with an ice-cream stop at the Cold Stone Creamery.
Left in a hurry and forgot to take my camera, so flickr pic on the right is by al.hermann.

Foots!

2009-04-12T15:50:00.001-07:00

Ya, I'm cool...
Originally uploaded by SoCalRich.

Is it a mutant?
Can it leap over tall buildings with its funky green feet?
Either way, I think it's cute.

~ found in SoCalRich's photostream.

JFFLA at Laemmle's Monica 4

2009-04-12T00:23:00.001-07:00

JFFLA at Laemmle's Monica 4
Originally uploaded by faria!.

We went to the 2009 Japan Film Festival at Laemmle's Monica 4 movie theater to see the Mushi-Shi movie directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. It was interesting to see how the mushi were rendered in a live action format and I thought they did a pretty good job. The storyline focused on Ginko's past and the influence of the tokoyami on his life. Afterward, Luis stayed to watch the Evangelion movie and I took off for the beach :)

At the pier I bought a little psychedelic mushroom pendant for a fiver. It looks straight out of an Alice in Wonderland scene - all it needs is a hookah-smoking caterpillar. I stopped to watch a street performer miming to some dance music. His face was painted in gold glitter, and when he saw me snap a pic, he mimed a kiss to me. I grinned and gave him a dollar. Then I took off to watch the sunset over the Santa Monica mountains. As dusk fell, I unlaced my shoes and sunk my toes into the sand. Night slunk in, and the ferris wheel on the pier lit up. Its neon lights illuminated the wet sand and surf in a surreal way, and for a moment I felt I was in another dimension. Today was a good day.

jewel head

2009-04-11T00:38:00.001-07:00

jewel head
Originally uploaded by faria!.

I was six years old when my parents told me that there was a small, dark jewel inside my skull, learning to be me...

Why? So that when I could no longer be me, the jewel could do it for me.

I thought: if hearing that makes me feel strange and giddy, how must it make the jewel feel? Exactly the same, I reasoned; it doesn't know it's the jewel, and it too wonders how the jewel must feel, it too reasons: "Exactly the same; it doesn't know it's the jewel, and it too wonders how the jewel must feel..."

And it too wonders —

(I knew, because I wondered)

— it too wonders whether it's the real me, or whether in fact it's only the jewel that's learning to be me.

Sure, the jewel could pass the fatuous Turing test — no outside observer could tell it from a human — but that didn't prove that being a jewel felt the same as being human.

~ excerpts from Learning to Be Me by Greg Egan

The organic brain decays and succumbs to death, as all living things must do, but what if it were possible to transfer its precious contents onto another medium so that we may live forever? Is it really you that continues on, or an ersatz you? Given the chance at immortality, does the question of perfect authenticity even matter?

Maybe I just want to fly
I want to live I don't want to die
Maybe I just want to breath
Maybe I just don't believe
Maybe you're the same as me
We see things they'll never see
You and I are gonna live forever

~ Oasis

Bowie's Interplanetary bridge

2009-03-29T20:33:00.001-07:00

LongBeacBridge2.jpg
Originally uploaded by Kevin Britton.

to cross the void of space
on a track of light
suspended between heaven and earth
If we could be heroes
just for one day

Photographer: Kevin Britton

mushi sighting

2009-03-29T16:53:00.001-07:00

mushi sighting
Originally uploaded by faria!.

I just watched this wonderful anime series called Mushi-shi. Imagine a cross between Miyazaki and the American tv series House M.D., and you get this brilliant, surreal story about a mush-shi/doctor who travels the world diagnosing interesting mushi cases.

Mushi are ghostly lifeforms parallel to the flora and fauna around us. For the most part, they lead a symbiotic existence with us, using us for their own needs. Sometimes they cause problems for humans and that's where the mushi Master comes to save the day. What I liked most about the story was that its deep respect for harmony with the lifeforms around us, even if we don't always understand them.

Mt Lee

2009-03-07T16:12:00.001-08:00

Mt Lee
Originally uploaded by faria!.

Caltech Hiking trip to Griffith Park/Mt Lee. Perfect weather for a hike.

We ascended Canyon Dr to Mulholland Hwy, and then to Mt. Lee Dr where we climbed to the top of Mt Lee to see the Hollywood sign. As we gazed down into the valley below, the placid blue eye of the Hollywood Reservoir gazed back at us.

basking in the limelight

2008-12-26T19:06:00.001-08:00

basking in the limelight
Originally uploaded by faria!.

It was a windy day today and rather nippy (for SoCal that is). I walked along the Arroyo Seco, crossed under the Colorado Street Bridge, and made it to the Rose Bowl. They had large tents set up for the float construction in preparation for the annual parade.
On my way back, I stopped to peek inside The Vagabond House which sits on a promontory overlooking the lower Arroyo Seco trail. An inquisitive black cat peered back at me. Then I left the trail for a bit to walk by the stream which, at this time of the year, is flush with rainwater. I saw a family of ducks placidly paddling in the stream, and the leaves overhead were basking in the limelight.

Peace on Earth, goodwill to all

2008-12-24T23:30:00.001-08:00

Goodwill to all
Originally uploaded by faria!.

We have flown
the air
like birds,

And swum
the sea
like fishes

But have yet
to learn
the simple act

Of walking
the earth
like brothers

~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

it was a Chelsea morning

2008-12-11T21:39:00.001-08:00

it was a Chelsea morning
Originally uploaded by faria!.

sunlit orange poppy on a warm December morning

~ taking up the Thursday Walks photoshoots after a long hiatus, perhaps it was the dancing poppies that lulled me to sleep.

giant herbivore

2008-11-16T13:52:00.001-08:00

giant herbivore
Originally uploaded by faria!.

LA Zoo trip with the Caltech Y. Unseasonably hot for a November day!

Vote-d!

2008-11-04T18:25:00.001-08:00

Vote-d!
Originally uploaded by faria!.

Went to my assigned polling place,
was handed my Ink-A-Vote ballot,
and bubbled in my vote.

Obama/Biden
Yes on Props 1A, 2, 3, 11, 12
Yes on Measure R

2008 Cotsen tournament

2008-09-20T22:07:00.001-07:00

The Art of Go, detail
Originally uploaded by faria!.

Today was Day 1 of the Cotsen Go tournament held at UCLA.
After 1 win, 2 losses, and a yummy lunch, I admired the beautiful Go bowls for sale.
Left: Bowl made with walnuts
Right: Cloisonne bowl

EX-SE-08

2008-07-22T20:15:00.001-07:00

EX-SE-08
Originally uploaded by faria!.

EX-SE-08 was a mind-bending collection of moving "creatures" created from plastic bags and other junk routinely thrown into the sea.

Powered by mini fans, the creatures would extend their tentacles toward you....

IMHO, the best artwork at the Glow festival! It also made me think, one day the sea will take its revenge on us...

- GLOW at the Santa Monica Pier

The Spike: +30cents/gallon in 3 weeks

2008-05-29T18:31:00.001-07:00

haha!
Originally uploaded by faria!.

Left: Gas prices on May 8th 2008
Right: Gas prices on May 28 2008

Both shots are of the Chevron station at California/Arroyo Pkwy. It appears they did some remodeling with their outrageous profits.

I wonder if this will cause people to start hoarding up on gas.

ferris wheel sold on EBay!

2008-04-27T14:54:00.001-07:00

ferris wheel sold on EBay!
Originally uploaded by faria!.

This iconic wheel is to be dismantled and shipped to Oklahoma, after being sold on EBay to Grant Humpreys for $132, 400.
The new wheel is planned to be up and running in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

Pacific Park Ferris Wheel and amusement park, Santa Monica beach.

Yunagi City, Sakura Country

2008-04-15T15:50:00.001-07:00

JFFLA
Originally uploaded by faria!.

We attended the US premiere of Yunagi City, Sakura Country at the 2008 Japan Film festival. The story follows several generations of a family that lived in Hiroshima at the time of the A-bomb. The scene that remains vivid in my memory is when Minami is dying, she thinks to herself about the ones who dropped the bomb, that they must happy and cheering 'Yes! we got another one!'. It was a poignant film, sometimes funny and often sad.

It has taken two generations to get to this point in time where we can see WWII through the eyes of those who lost. Another recent movie that comes to mind is Letters from Iwo Jima whose screenplay was written by Iris Yamashita. Both these movies remind us that winners and losers alike are human beings with families and roots.

~ Imaginasian Center, Los Angeles.

facing each other

2008-03-22T13:13:00.001-07:00

facing each other
Originally uploaded by faria!.

Emerging into the sunlight from the last stop on the Purple Line, I see the past and the future collide at the crossroads of Wilshire and Western.

Left: construction of the new Wilshire-Solaire building directly above the subway station.
Right: The art deco Wiltern theater landmark built in 1931. The tiles of the building are a lovely blue-green terra cotta.

Collisions of past, present, and future bubble up along Wilshire Boulevard all the way down to the ocean. On the one hand, there is old LA with its love of wide open roads and cruising in the warm sunshine in your automobile. On the other hand is the cold hard reality of traffic congestion, pollution and lack of affordable housing. I wonder if the Wilshire-Solaire can preserve the past while brightening the future. Will it encourage people to use public transit? For that matter, will public transit be improved?