More Friday Family Blogging

In the interests of equal time, here are some shots of Joseph's siblings, starting with Thomas (you saw him playing the piano in a previous post-- here, playing a different keyboard):

Next up is Sara, who usually ducks when I pull the camera out, but for some reason actually gave me a smile this time:

And here's one more of recent birthday girl Maria, showing that Joseph is not the only Banning wwith gymnastic tendencies:

Friday Family Blogging

Here's a couple of shots of Joseph Abraham showing off his gymnastic moves during my visit last week. I believe he called the above move "the crab."

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Joseph eventually becomes an Olympic grade athlete, as he's been getting loads of practice since he was yea high (imagine me holding my hand flat a couple inches above the ground).

Friday's Quote of the Day

Here's a good example of "what goes around comes around," courtesy of the master styoryteller Edgar Allan Poe. These words were written in the 1840's but echo a sentiment heard quite commonly today in relation to the internet:

"The enormous multiplication of books in every
branch of knowledge is one of the greatest evils
of this age, since it presents one of the most serious
obstacles to the acquisition of correct information
by throwing in the reader's way piles of lumber
in which he must painfully grope for the scraps
of useful matter, peradventure interspersed."

Cool Song

Sally really liked the last video I posted from Norah Jones, so here's another. This time it's a song she composed (and probably my favorite of her work) called "Nightingale." I hope you like it too:

Separated at Birth?

Last night I watched a pretty mediocre movie on DVD, Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona. I felt a little obligated to watch it because I made some disparaging comments about Allen's recent output in a previous post, and remembered that this movie was somewhat well-reviewed when it came out a year or so ago. It did have some good performances in it, and actors I generally like; and it was set in Barcelona, with the location well-used as a backdrop for the story. These elements didn't add up to much, however, and I spent much of the film trying to think of whom Javier Bardem (the male lead) reminded me. Finally, it dawned on me that he was a Spanish dead ringer for Robert Downey Jr. Both are extremely gifted actors, and though Bardem projects a bit more physical presence (that is, he's bigger), they really do resemble each other to an incredible degree. Here are two photos (among the first to pop up for each on a Google image search)-- do you see what I mean?

Javier Bardem

Robert Downey Jr.

On a quick glance, could you definitely say these were two different individuals?

A Favorite Painting 41

John Marin, Lower Manhattan 1922

For two years back in the early eighties, I walked past the Woolworth Building on Broadway in downtown Manhattan every workday, and rarely failed to be impressed. John Marin's painting is composed as a view looking down from the Woolworth Building, and captures the dynamic energy of the neighborhood, which probably changed little in the sixty years between (even if much of the detail of the physical geography evolved). The beauty of modern art is often found in the explicit action of the image, even where the details of realistic representation are cloudy or virtually non-existent. The genius of Marin's work is that it isn't hard, given just the clue of a title, to see exactly what he intended to depict, which is certainly true here (though perhaps subject to the viewer's familiarity with that milieu). The vitality of lower Manhattan (where one would find Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, Park Row and City Hall) is abundantly clear in this painting; and even if you don't know the place, I'd imagine it hard to miss the vibrant character of Marin's subject, as displayed in this painting.

Soup Diary 090820

This is the first time in this series where I will address some soup that I actually made myself. A couple days ago, I cooked up a big pot of chicken noodle. I'm starting easy here, and will eventually work up to something more exotic. It would be immodest for me to praise my own efforts, but I will say that it came out totally edible, and I'm even looking forward to eating the concoction several times over the rest of the week (I made a really big pot). The key to my success, such as it is (and not evident in the photo above, which I found on-line), is that I added red and green sweet peppers to the mix, as well as some crushed garlic (but not too much-- I get tired of overly garlicky food). Since I only had to satisfy myself with this batch, I have to rank it a complete success. We'll see if, once I get a bit more ambitious, I can uphold that standard.

Today's Quotation

Charles A. Beard was possibly the most influential American historian of the first half of the twentieth century. Here, he makes an effort to summarize the essence of what he had learned:

"All the lessons of history in four sentences:
Whom the gods would destroy, they first make
mad with power. The mills of God grind slowly,
but they grind exceedingly small. The bee
fertilizes the flower it robs. When it is
dark enough, you can see the stars."

Classic Comedy

Some years back, cultural critic Greil Marcus wrote a book about what he called the "old, weird America," referring specifically to the period before the rise of mass media and the kind of cultural homogeneity and standardization that it promulgated. Back then, there was a wealth of creativity and regional diversity that seems truly bizarre to modern eyes or ears (Marcus was particularly interested in the effects of folk music from those earlier generations). Well, this clip doesn't go back that far-- maybe fifty years-- and it is a product of the early days of television; but it's definitely weird. Give credit to the genius of Ernie Kovacs for that:

What I Did Last Friday

Another highlight of my trip to Washington was going to my first Pacific Coast League baseball game. Richard, Gerik and I went to see the local Tacoma Rainiers (Triple A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners) play the Iowa Cubs (you can guess who their parent club is) at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.

Cheney Stadium is fifty years old, and though it shows it age somewhat is still a very comfortable place to watch a game. We were sitting up behind the first base, home team dugout, which gave us an excellent view of the proceedings.

It was a lovely night for a game, not too warm and with some neat clouds floating across the sky out beyond the right field wall. The tall pine trees in the distance reminded me of what part of the country we were in, and gave the ballpark a kind of rural atmosphere quite different from teh parks I visited earlier this summer back east in Cleveland, Buffalo and Rochester.

The star of the game, who pretty much took control of the contest early on and never let go, was Rainiers pitcher Brandon Morrow. He hurled a four hit complete game shutout, and did so in incredibly efficient manner. He only threw about 95 pitches and the game was over in just a shade over two hours (which meant, even with the Friday night fireworks show-- which they must do everywhere, as I saw the same in the aforementioned cities as well-- we were on our way home by 10:00)

All-in-all, a great time at the ballpark, with good company and an excellent game. If I had to quibble, I might wish they had a bit more variety at the concession stand, but that didn't detract from my good time, so forget I even mentioned it.

Political Comment

I know there is a common belief that the freedom of speech enjoyed by Americans is an absolute-- that anyone is free to say anything at any time. Of course that isn't true, as established by a long history of court decisions placing certain legitimate limits on expressions that carry some danger to the general well-being (most famously: prohibiting yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater). If you look at the First Amendment, which is where the Constitutional protection resides, and look at it in its totality (also encompassing freedom of religion, freedom to assemble, freedom of the press and right to petition the government), it should be evident that the main purpose of such protection is to allow for open and unfettered expression of one's views, especially in relation to matters of public interest and import. But clearly, this is intended to prompt debate, not shut it off. The ultimate goal of such debate is to arrive at some common ground on what's true or worth trying. It bothers me when I see freedom of speech invoked to shut down debate, whether implicitly or explicitly. In the current health care debate, I've heard defenses of people saying the most outrageous things (that reform equals the Holocaust is the most blatant example) while complaining that when someone counters those bizarre accusations they are somehow depriving the original speaker of their rights. Nonsense. Part of the point of having a debate is so that bad or faulty or misguided ideas can be countered with reasoned, thoughtful counterarguments. That is not to imply that the latter can't be represented on both sides of the discussion-- but in that instance you don't hear one side or the other complaining that in voicing an alternative view their counterpart has somehow violated their rights. That only seems to happen when someone wants to go off the deep end without being called on it. That sort of attitude does nothing to advance the democratic process; quite the opposite, in fact, it is almost the definition of authoritarianism (which, not so surprisingly is also reflected in people brandishing guns at town hall meetings), and a way more frightening tilt towards the likes of Nazism or Soviet communism than anything included in the health care reform package currently under discussion.

A Quote to Share on Wednesday

Here's something from perhaps the most famous astronomer in history, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), one of the giants of the Renaissance. You can tell from this statement, and I mean this affectionately, that Galileo was Italian:

"The sun, with all those planets revolving
around it and dependent upon it, can still
ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing
else in the universe to do."

Klassic Kinks

The Kinks never seemed to get the same attention, at least from mainstream critics, as the Beatles or Rolling Stones or Who, but they were equally great exponents of classic British rock. But this song is as good as anything any of those bands put out in their heydays, and it hardly stands alone in the Kinks catalog of great tunes:

Frisbee Golf

Last Friday Richard and I played 18 holes of frisbee golf (aka disk golf or frolf) at the Game Farm Wilderness Park in Auburn. This was the third or fourth time we've played (about once a year or so), and it is always a great time. The course is heavily wooded, which means that there are a lot of obstacles (trees, mainly) to challenge you in setting up a fling; but also that walking the course is akin to taking a not-too-rigorous hike through the woods. We were out early so that there were not many others playing, which made for a very relaxing game. We didn't keep score-- which is a good thing since I think Richard would've completely trounced me-- and that added to the leisurely pace of the morning. Bonus: although my shoulder was a bit stiff the next morning, it didn't hurt! I can't wait to get out and play some more; maybe if the weather cooperates, at Thanksgiving time.

Soup Diary 090818

I'm not sure if the Baja Fresh chain of restaurants qualify as fast food, but if so, then there is no question but that their Chicken Tortilla Soup is the best thing I've ever had at a fast food restaurant (if it's not fast food, then the competition would be a bit stiffer-- so I guess I'm stacking the deck a bit here). I'm not really sure why this is so much better than the other Tortilla Soups I've tried over the years, but it certainly is. I made a point of having a bowl while I was in the Seattle area last Saturday, and as always, it was excelente! One feature that makes it so good (and you can see this in the image above) is that every bowl comes with at least a couple avacado wedges. I can't quite articulate what this adds to the soup, flavor-wise, but it's definitely something (the closest approximation, which some of you will understand, is that it's like the dill pickle added to the falafels at Natalie's Cafe in Amherst-- I love that!). This soup is so flavorful, rich with onion, tortilla strips, chunks of chicken and a smattering of cheese that it even blows away the burritos served at Baja Fresh, which are pretty darn good in their own right. As far as I know, Baja Fresh is a west-coast-only institution, and part of me hopes they stay that way. I'd be worried that if they went national, everything would be figuratively, if not literally, watered down. So I'll be satisfied with my one or two visits a year, and grateful as long as they keep on making this yummy soup.

Thought for the Day

Today's quotation comes from the renowned Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906). Ibsen was among the fathers of modernism, certainly with respect to theater, though this particular statement reflects a much more ancient reality:

"Money may be the husk of many things, but not
the kernel. It brings you food, but not appetite;
medicine, but not health; acquaintances, but not
friends; servants, but not loyalty; days of joy,
but not peace nor happiness."

Heroes of the Small Screen

In honor of my visit to Roslyn (see previous post), I thought I'd pay tribute to one of my favorite characters from Northern Exposure: Chris Stevens (aka Chris in teh Morning). In many ways, his radio show was a model for what I wanted to do with my own program, at least in the fairly free-form approach to putting together a show. Of course, he was also Cicely's resident artist, producing all manner of events that dazzled the denizens of that small Alaska town. At the start of this clip, you'll hear Chris deliver a voice-over as the polls open on election day, then see him arrive to soak in the atmosphere, even though as a convicted felon he has lost his own right to vote. It makes for a nice summary of his character, and the part he played in the ensemble of the show:

Where I Was Thursday

I spent the past few days in the great Northwest visiting my sisters Liz & Catie and their families, as well as a few cousins. I had a wonderful time and will likely share more details of my trip over the next couple of days. I wanted to mention that on the drive up, I stopped in Roslyn, Washington to take a few pictures of the setting for my second favorite TV show of all-time, Northern Exposure.

The show was set in a mythical place called Cicely, Alaska, but was filmed in Roslyn which sits just east of Snoqulamie Pass in the Wenatchee National Forest. The Brick (seen above) was the local bar in the show, run by Holling Vincouer. The outside is just like it looked on TV; the inside is considerably smaller, as the interiors were clearly shot on a studio set.

There was one whole flashback episode which essentially explained the above mural, which often popped up onscreen, even though, as mentioned, the na,e of the fictional town was Cicely. In that episode, Roslyn was the co-founder of the community back at the time of the Klondike gold rush, and her cafe became a salon attracting all kinds of interesting historical figures (I haven't seen it in awhile, but I'm pretty sure one of them was Sigmund Freud).

The main character in the show was Dr. Joel Fleishman (office seen above-- now converted to a gift shop; previous to his arrival in Cicely a mining company office).

KBHR was the local radio station, owned by Maurice Minniefield (an ex-astronaut) and staffed by Chris in the Morning, who read poetry, played all kinds of interesting music, and generally served as the aural bond for the community. The station seems to be the best preserved of the former sets used by the show-- there are actually piles of records in the window that have warped over the years since the show went off the air (which had to be about fifteen years ago), along with books and papers that may have been tyhe very ones Chris read from on the air.

This mural of Marlon Branso is visible from the main street, and as far as I can recall, has no connection to Northern Exposure. But it looked kind of cool, so here it is. I was in Roslyn once before, maybe twelve or thirteen years ago, much closer to when the show was on the air. Back then there were all kinds of tourists wandering around, checking the place out. This time, I seemed to be the only one. I hope that doesn't mean that people have forgotten the show, which was one of the true classics of teh medium.

Happy Birthday Maria!

I think my niece Maria is still in that age range where it's ok to reveal she turns 11 today-- and here's hoping she has a fantastic day!

Maria has never been afraid to look up at whatever might be coming next...

... well almost never.

She's equally comfortable scoring on the court...

... or relaxing in the sun...

... or even just hanging around at the zoo.

She can go incognito when necessary...

... will hitch a ride whenever she can...

... and generally seems to have a good time...

... even if she doesn't always show it.

Happy Birthday Maria-- you're a special girl and don't let anyone tell you different!

Monday's Point to Ponder

Luckily Maria Mitchell's (1818-1889) parents believed that their daughter should be educated, and as a consequence, she became a prominent astronomer at a time when such fields were largely closed to women. Here's a comment from her journals that I think warrants consideration:

"We cannot take anything for granted,
beyond the first mathematical formulae.
Question everything else."

Sunday Funnies

Hal Foster brought an illustrator's precision to the comics page back in the 1930s. His work, first on Tarzan, but more importantly on Prince Valiant, provided the first obvious evidence that comics could be art (though those who needed to be convinced of that fact sure missed out on a lot of great stuff that preceded him).

He also was in the forefront of the move towards serialized adventure stories in the comics, a trend that would introduce such classics as Flash Gordon, Terry & the Pirates, and so many others.

Foster's genius extended beyond the visual, as he constructed a true epic narrative, one that drew on the traditions of the past (shaped obviously by the story of King Arthur), but expanded on that, especially in tracing the family aspects of the Prince's life and exploits.

The true beauty of Foster's work is best appreciated in teh full page Sunday strips he did for most of his run, where he often took advantage (as above) of the space to create truly stunning detailed work.

Although the strip continued ably under John Cullen Murphy after Foster's death, and continues today under yet another artist, it's never quite lived up to its glory years under its creator. I think it's safe to see we won't see it's like again (certainly not given the current state of newspapers, and comics' place in them). All the more reason to remember just how incredible Foster's work was at its peak.

Sunday Quote of the Day

The English statesman William Pitt the elder (1708-1778), Earl of Chatham was a prominent politician of the mid eighteenth century. Here's something he said in 1770, which is worth keeping in mind today:

"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds
of those who possess it; and this I know, my
lords, that where law ends, tyranny begins."

Saturday Morning Cartoon

I think Foghorn Leghorn was my favorite of all the secondary Warner Brothers cartoon stars (you know, after Bugs and Daffy). He was clearly based on Kenny Delmar's Senator Claghorn from the old Fred Allen radio show, but I didn't know that when I watched these cartoons as a kid. Here's one of his shows (with a guest shot from Daffy Duck himself):

Saturday's Point to Ponder

Pittacus of Mytilene (c650-570 BC) was one of teh Seven Sages of Greece. His wisdom is evident in the following statement, though its practicality can be debated:

"The best state is that in which
bad men are not allowed to hold
office, and good men are not
allowed to refuse office."

Friday Family Blogging Quiz

If you look really closely, you'll see my nephew Thomas' profile almost dead center in this picture. The question is, what are all those other folks (hazy though they may be) doing in the picture?

Last week, I asked where a picture of Emma was taken. Ben got it right when he identified the setting as the bandshell at the river (Niawanda Park). Good call Ben!

Two weeks ago, I wondered if anyone could name the waterway nearest to where a photo of Nik and Helen was taken. After leaving that competition open another week, Sally finally nailed it down: it was taken at the pedestrian bridge that crosses Ellicott Creek. Others were close, mentioneing the nearby Long Homestead, but we were looking for the name of the body of waterway, so congratulations Sally!

Friday Family Blogging

It appears we have another prodigy in the western branches of the family. Nephew Thomas started playing the piano a little over a year ago, and he's already advanced to the point where he can do something like this:



Pretty impressive, huh? I wish I had an iota of this kid's talent.

Classic Python

Having mentioned Eric Idle a couple days ago made me think to post something from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Here's one of my favorite bits, featuring the great John Cleese and Michael Palin:

Another Quote

Here's another take on the theme I was focusing on yesterday. Guy DeBord was a writer and filmmaker, a contemporary of Jean Baudrillard, who saw people drifting away from actual experience and becoming consumed with a manufactured reality. This quote gives you some idea of his position (and remember, I post these ideas not necessarily because I agree with them, but because I think they might prompt some thought; which is a good thing, right?):

"In societies where modern conditions of
production prevail, all of life presents itself
as an immense accumulation of spectacles.
Everything that was directly lived has
moved away into a representation."

On the Subject of Illusions

I'm kind of running out a theme here today, and found this great clip from Yo La Tengo that fits right in with the earlier Magritte and Baudrillard posts. If you are unfamiliar with Yo La Tengo, hasten to your nearest record store and rectify that situation, as they can probably use your support. I saw them life a couple years ago playing soundtrack music for a series of Jean Painlove documentaries on underwater lifeforms, which clearly demonstrated their range (the music was, to me, much more interesting than the films). Anyway, this is pretty funny (like Magritte), but ought to make you think a little too:

A Favorite Painting 40

Rene Magritte, The Treachery of Images 1928-29

You've got to love the surrealists-- they generally had a great sense of humor. But there was a point to be made in paintings like this one. I posted a quote earlier by Jean Baudrillard, who often worked on the same theme as that expressed visually by Magritte decades earlier in work like this. The question, which was new in the age of modern modes of production (or reproduction), revolves around how we perceive things through mediated symbols. The caption translates as "This is not a pipe," and of course it isn't; rather, it is a painting representing a pipe. But just how significant is that distinction? Baudrillard, and I suspect Magritte too, sensed a growing gap between the real and the depictions of the real that dominate our discourse (by which I mean mostly mass media), which has implications for all kinds of human activities, emotions and desires (which is what advertisers, for one, count on). By labeling his picture "not a pipe," Magritte is stating a fact that does not jibe with the trained (or one might say conditioned) perception of the viewer-- how can you say that is not a pipe? But does accepting his contention mean that we have broken through to some kind of superior ultra-reality, or is it just a joke that we can laugh at and then return to the warm comfort of our collective illusions? I'll leave it an open question for you to ponder (which I imagine was Magritte's intent too).

Thursday's Quote

French philosopher Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007) was one of the keenest commentators on contemporary life, with special attention to the illusions shaped by contemporary media and technology. Here's a sample of the kind of things he noticed:

"There is nothing more mysterious than a TV set
left on in an empty room. It is even stranger
than a man talking to himself or a woman
standing dreaming at her stove. It is as if
another planet is communicating with you."

The Best Beatles Parody Ever

Back in the late seventies, Neil Innes and Eric Idle created the Rutles for a TV special called All You Need is Cash. Idle you probably remember was a member of Monty Python and Innes was a previously member of the Bonzo Doodah Dog Band (which was, like the Pythons with television, pretty much devoted to making comic mincemeat of the pop music scene). They put their heads together and came up with some wicked parodies of Beatles songs for the program-- this was always my favorite (be sure to listen to the end):

My Favorite TV Series

I think I have a collector's itch that needs regular scratching. Over the years I've collected baseball cards, comic books, records, movies, and other odder things (there was a stretch where I found it virtually impossible to throw away a pen, and had a couple boxes of spent ballpoints). Usually my collecting impulse is focused on just one thing, though the record collecting overlaps with most everything else. The current object of my stockpiling is Maverick, which I think I've mentioned before is my all-time favorite TV show. Having recently converted to digital cable, the stations I have access to has about quadrupled, and one of the new ones is Encore Westerns, which is airing the series three times a day in order (though the morning shows are on a different track than the afternoon shows). I already had a bunch of episodes (mostly those starring James Garner) from a video series put out years ago by Columbia House. Now, I'm filling in the gaps with the Jack Kelly, Roger Moore and (I hope) the Robert Colbert episodes. This involves tracking the airings very carefully to make sure I only get the ones I need (I'm using a DVD recorder, not Tivo, so anything I record burns a disc), and it seems to be satisfying my need to be accumulating something. Since I'm hitting the road again for a few days, I can't tell you how gratified I was to discover that only one episode I need will be aired during my absence (oh yes, I've researched the schedule so I know exactly what airs when-- that's part of the collector's idiosyncrisy), since my programming system is limited to two hours at a time. I'm not sure why I'm posting all this info, except that it gives me an excuse to talk about a favorite show (and I couldn't think of anything else to comment on-- that's a sign my compulsion also extends to blogging, I suppose).