Poetry In Plain Sight - Ajarae

It is the last few hours of International Women's Day. I didn't make it to a bridge. It was all I could do not to sneeze. There are some power winds blowing.

These are not my beloved Santa Ana winds. There is no warmth in the wind blowing outside, just forces of nature. Sometimes the forces gang up on you.



You need reinforcements. You might have to reach for a book of poems to brace yourself up. These are two short inspirational poems from Ajarea to help stoke the inner light.

For more information on the doing of the San Gabriel poetry community skedaddle on over to the Saturday Afternoon Poetry blog.

In local poetry news:

Don Kingfisher Campbell has a new poetry mp3 up on Amazon.

Also The Inner Four has a couple of sonnets and whatnots available for purchase.

If you live in Whittier, CA and are a poet you still have time to enter the poetry contest run by The Writers Club of Whittier. They are looking for poems 30 lines or less. For more info check out the Keep A Poem in Your Pocket on Facebook.

Read More

Poetry In Plain Sight - Pete Justus

There is such a richness in Pete Justus poems. He gives you visuals and language. You have to be present and just listen.



This is Pete Justus reading his poem, Section 60.

For more information about Pete check out his Facebook page

This is my Day 5 video for National Videoblogging Posting Month.

Read More

Poetry In Plain Sight - Armando Flores Jr.

Men are human beings. Women are human beings. When you separate the cruff and the extreme forms of base nature people there are some good folks who go through bad things. Some of them involve love.

If you are wise you write a poem about it. It was a hot Saturday afternoon but thank goodness the air conditioner in the library was working. This is Armando Flores, Jr. with his poem about the passing of love, Eulogy.



For more info on Armando or his work visit his blog at http://charactersoftheplay.blogspot.com

Read More

Music That Makes You Dance - Make Music Pasadena 2010

Sometimes you have to sit back and let life happen. There was the Make Music Festival 2010 and the Pasadena Chalk Festival in Pasadena. I had a camcorder and a bit of time.

The sun was warm. The music was hot.



This is a little mash-up of the two events. The musicians are Jose Espinosa and his Umbalaye.

Read More

Ross Anthony - A Video Moment in Time

Good things can happen in Pasadena. Walking into Beany’s for a croissant is one of them. Support your independent vendors I say. Yep. I put it to you this way; across the street at Starbucks people sit at tables and glare into their cell phones; even the couples. Spooky.

At Beany’s real people talk at tables without the aid of electronic devices. I’m not saying don’t walk into a chain store. I’m saying consider places that make you feel comfortable enough that you don’t need the freaking phone to make you feel secure.

I am secure that Beany’s has better pastries than Starbucks. This is relevant because I don’t drink coffee.



Anyway, before I could go get my croissant I saw this guy at the table. The guy said “Hi” and sounded like he meant it. I said “Hi” back as I checked out the table to determine if this was animal, vegetable or psycho-political.

Usually the psycho-political don’t talk to me but mistakes happen.

I am buying my croissant and I hear him outside give his pitch about traveling the world, writing books and raising money for a writing project for his students. Getting students to voluntarily read and write?

What can I do to help?

I got my stuff and had a conversation with Ross. Not only do I support independent vendors I have an obligation to help support independent and self-publishing authors. Someday I could be one of them which is why I’m fixating on the iPad/tablet publishing opportunities but that is another topic.

Where was I?

Oh yeah. Writers and artists who sell at tables fall in one of two camps. Camp No. 1 is “Please buy my book or art but don’t talk to me.”

Or Camp No. 2 “I’m open, I really do like people. Please buy my book or art and come talk to me, for a bit.”

From what I could see Ross was doing ok for a June gloom Saturday morning. Colorado and Los Robles is not an easy corner to pitch literary and artistic woo. I bought the book Circle Earth and the passage I like so far is:

Jan 14

Travel is a high like falling in love, like finding God. It teaches one to smile with the light from one’s eyes. It reminds “Hey, you can do anything.”

Page 98 Circle Earth, A Sketchbook, A Journal
Ross Anthony

Read More

Pasadena Bloggers Meet-Up Video May 2010

This is the next video that I have ready. This one shows some of the folks that showed up for the tour and what we did.



We listened. We looked. We photographed and recorded. If the Doomers are right then what we are doing is even more important. We needed to pay it forward for the future. If they are wrong than we still need to pay it forward.

It is a win-win for everybody.

Ann Edman is the pubic information officer for the city of Pasadena, CA. She has an historical blog about the city and the current doings at http://pasadenapio.blogspot.com.

Read More

Ann and the Hidden Whimsy At Pasadena City Hall

Last week Ann Erdman was gracious enough to host a bunch of Pasadena and area bloggers to a tour of Pasadena City Hall. Being that we were bloggers there were also a lot of photos and videos recorded.

We can't help it and don't want to.



This is a quick video of Ann describing a gentleman who has been keeping silent track of the comings and going of the city of Pasadena. Ann has a blog that has all kind of historical goodies about the City of Pasadena.

Hoping to finish up on the rest of the videos soon.

Read More

Tranquility Alley - Day 2 Videoblogging Week 2010

Videoblogging will lead you to interesting places and concepts. It is very educational. I learned something that I did not know before making this video. Watch the video on my parking garage inspired blues and then we'll talk.



For those that can't see the video I was asked to leave the alley because I was recording the parking structure. The reason given was that the building was copyrighted and the architects didn't want the building recorded for others to copy.

That can't be right. I'd have to check. The whole freaking parking garage that is in public view? I don't think so.

Can you copyright a parking garage structure? A building? I need to know because I don't want to think I know something when I don't.

I found this at Cornell University Law School's U.S. Code Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 17 (8)

Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Works of authorship include the following categories:

(1) literary works;
(2) musical works, including any accompanying words;
(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;
(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;
(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;
(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
(7) sound recordings; and
(8) architectural works.

I'll be danged! Seriously? Hold on Sherman there is more...

(a) Pictorial Representations Permitted.— The copyright in an architectural work that has been constructed does not include the right to prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the work, if the building in which the work is embodied is located in or ordinarily visible from a public place.


Ah Ha! I did have the right to record and take pictures of the building! Sure I can understand the recorded plans and the architectural documents being copyrighted. That would make sense. But the actual constructed building? Seems like an inspiration killer to me.

I can't hate on right livelihood. The folks that made the Pedi-Foot-Scraping thing knows the power of a knockoff. Still, you can't hide a public building. People will see it.

If the guy said that this was private property I could understand. But there was no sign or notice that this was a private area. And what is the sense of building a quiet place if you can't share it with a couple hundred, eh, dozen, a few friends?

Virtually speaking of course.

So there you have it; your educationally inspired vlog post of the day. Who knew?

Read More

Odeum Guitar Duo at Norton Simon - Summer of Staycation 3

What are you doing June 10th? This isn't totally free but not a wallet buster. If you haven't been in the Norton Simon or you only recognize the logo from the Rose Parade you owe yourself and a friend a visit.

Seriously, $8 bucks you get art and music. With the other $11 you can head into old town Pasadena and buy some Gelato, Pinkberry or the refreshment of your choice.

And if you have to bring your car parking is free if you actually go into the museum. It will be towed if you don't. Metro gets a little erratic at night but if you know to work the 180/181 buses you won't have a problem.

For the price of admission to the museum you not only witness fabulous works of art but between 7 and 8 p.m. you get to hear guitar music from the 17th and 18th centuries. Human performed and amplified music and not a computer in sight.

For more information check out the Norton Simon where you can find out about upcoming events, podcasts and videos.

Read More