November 1, 2010

  • Sorry for the Woody in my Pants Officer!

    To explain how the week ended with me in the back of a police car, we have to back up to the beginning.  It was another busy week at The Hotel Careyfornia.  Mike was in town on yet another stop on his trip around the world.  Darlene came home from her summer in Michigan with fresh pasties.  I took Arielle to the pumpkin patch, which has become somewhat of a tradition.  The night before Halloween was spent at Griffith Park Observatory with Sam & Charlotte.  It was an unusually clear day in Los Angeles and as the sun set into the Pacific, Halloween was upon us.  As I wondered  how I could top my outfit 2 years ago, when Sarah Palin was running for vice president and I was a moose in a bulletproof vest; and last year, when I was Balloon Boy's dad, taking pictures with all the cute Balloon Boys; it struck me.  This year I would take the conservative route, and dress as a nice, Midwestern, pedophile priest!  It was a lot of fun.  Surprisingly, no one was offended by my costume.  Even the (real) cops asked to take my picture.  The best costume of the night for me was the BP Oil Spill.  There were lots of Chilean miners and Snookies and of course standard Lady GaGa fare.  Let the fun begin:


    I had never been in the back of a police car before...it was REALLY uncomfortable!


    Bless me father for I have sinned!


    No trick or treating, but there was plenty of eye candy...tricks and treats!


    I got to hang out with a lot of other priests, nuns and popes...even  Jesus and the devil!


    Even the kids graced Santa Monica Blvd with 150,000 other revelers.


    The dogs got in on the act too!


    Jad and I even had a Xanga meetup!


    Best of the rest...


    A cousinly Halloween


    Welcome Home Darlene!  More here...


    Mr. Bone's with Arielle - the Pumpkin Patch to the stars!  More here...


    A gorgeous night at Griffith Park.  More here...


    Mike enjoyed his stay at The H.C.  More here...

October 25, 2010

  • His Name is Rio...


    His name is Rio and he's such a scrappy pup.
    Found wandering the streets and now life's looking up.
    And when he eats, he really gobbles like a hog.
    Best friends with Chazz now; Rio such a lucky dog.

    (Sung to the tune of Rio with apologies to Duran Duran)

    We got Chazz a brother on Saturday!  Mike and I picked him up from the vet’s office after the shelter sent him there to be neutered. (No, we didn't get him neuticals!)  The minute Rio met Chazz, they were fast friends. Sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart, save for the ears!  He was emaciated and filthy, with some hair missing, but he had such amazing energy.  Even after just having the "snip snip" (as required by law with shelter adoptions), he ran around with Chazz like he knew about his new lease on life.  As the dogs exhausted each other, Claudio grilled up a traditional Brazilian barbecue and the sun set into the Pacific.  Welcome to the family Rio!


    Our first photo...love the dog biscuit in his mouth!


    Ryan, Chazz & Rio


    A toast to our new family member!


    Don't they look like brothers?


    Finally getting tired


    Brazilian Barbecue!


    Sunset from the roof


    Best of the rest...click here


    Thursday night at The Irvine Spectrum.  More here...


    I also got my new glasses this week.  But everyone in the family looks better in them than me....even Grandma!


    Thursday Family Dinner

October 19, 2010

  • Naploleon Dynamite or Sarah Palin??

     
    My buddy Levi Johnston was on The View recently talking about his run for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska and surprisingly held his own against the cackling bitch hens.  Meanwhile his baby mama continues to pimp herself a few blocks from here on Dancing With The "Stars"; her outfits getting skimpier each week.  Great job advocating celibacy you dumb hick!  And what of Mama Moose Killer Sarah Palin, the Wicked Witch of Wasilla?  Well, as Vanity Fair recently pointed out, the promo for her new reality show "Sarah Palin's Alaska, has all the linear narratives of another great political scholar, Napoleon Dynamite."  See for yourself:

    Not to be confused with this trailer

    "While its cinematography resembles that of something like Into the Wild, the dialogue seems to take its cues from Napoleon Dynamite, of all things. See if you can tell the difference between Napoleon Dynamite quotes and the Sarah Palin’s Alaska script."

    A. “Oh gosh!”
    B. “We are somewhere that people dream about!”
    C. “I spent [summer] with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines!”
    D. “Family comes first, it’s just gotta be that way.”
    E. “No boys upstairs.”
    F. “Flippin’ sweet!”
    G. “This is flippin’ fun!”
    H. “Are you guys having a killer time?”
    I. “How come we can’t ever just be satisfied with tranquility?”
    J. “[Wolves] kept tryin’ to attack my cousins. What the heck would you do in a situation like that?”
    K. “I’d rather be doing this than in some stuffy old political office. I’d rather be out here, bein’ free”
    L. “Just tell them that their wildest dreams will come true if they vote for you.”
    M. “Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!”

    Answers:
    Sarah Palin’s Alaska: A, B, D, E, G, I, K
    Napoleon Dynamite: C, F, H, J, L, M

    Speaking of the great Northwest, I was in Portland again last week visiting my old stomping grounds and having a great time with friends.  Here are some photos from the trip.  Thanks to Marcelo & Emily and Jay & Darlene for their hospitality. 


    The weather started out typically rainy at the Portland Saturday Market.  Mt. Hood still reigned majestic on the flight in though.


    Hanging out with my old college roommate Perry, as well as GLY'ers Marcelo, Emily, Jay & Darlene, was the highlight of the trip!  I also got to spend time with Doug, Susan, Donna, Kari, Cindy and Todd & Laura!


    The Bridges of Multnomah County...over the calm Willamette River on a beautiful fall evening.


    The weather was amazingly gorgeous for October, as the Farmer's Market in Pioneer Square, (Portland's Living Room") shows.


    The dogs in Portland were especially welcoming to me!


    I got to hang with Todd & Laura's great kids, but missed Taylor!


    Bon voyage Portland, hello L.A.!


    Best of the rest...

    And here's a bit more from the week as told on facebook:













October 5, 2010

September 27, 2010

September 20, 2010

September 11, 2010

  • There's Honestly Not A Single Day I Haven't Thought About It

    I'm reposting this today because it's simply still true.  I'm thinking of you today David, and all of my other friends so profoundly affected by what happened nine years ago today.  And for those of you reading this around the world, who think America can be summed up by one religious nutjob who wants to burn a Quran; please don't:


    The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
    Weekend at Burnies
    www.thedailyshow.com

    I have so many fond memories of New York City. One of my favorites though, was in 1997 when my boss took me sailing on his yacht around the entire island of Manhattan.  It was one of those picture perfect New York days. As we sailed under the Brooklyn Bridge and around the Statue of Liberty, I took these shots with my old Canon SLR.  If the world would have stopped then, it would have been just perfect.

    nyc

    nycbb

    My next most memorable trip to NYC was September 11, 2002.  I went with Cindy, Kimberly and Ken (who's first trip it was to NYC).  I spent the morning alone, in Times Square and in Battery Park taking pictures.  It was a bittersweet anniversary.  On one hand the city was still grieving immensely.  On the other, they had reached the one year mark and survived.  Everyone was on edge though.  Diane, Hugo and I were having lunch at the outdoor cafe at St. Bart's.  It was an extremely windy day.  At one point, the wind picked up a huge pile of pamphlets from an open window of a fairly tall building.  A few people in the crowded cafe started screaming and that's all it took.  People began running and leaping under tables.  It only lasted seconds, but it still gives me goose bumps to think about.  Imagine....paper flying through the air.  Later that afternoon Cindy and I tried to keep it light by attending a matinee of Hairspray.  After the show, Harvey Fierstein and the rest of the cast related their stories about that day.  There were many notables in the audience (Larry King and his wife were directly in front of us), and suddenly this huge Broadway theater filled with strangers, some famous, some not, became an intimate storytelling venue.  It connected us all.  The images from that day were moving.

      125-2561_IMG 126-2604_IMG 126-2636_IMG 126-2650_IMG 126-2697_IMG 127-2708_IMG 127-2726_IMG 127-2729_IMG 127-2736_IMG 848AM91102 banner chrysler empirestate IMG_0897 missing momentofsilencets names gmanames readingnamests remembrance rescue1 rudy stpatricks ts twistedsteel view

September 8, 2010

  • Life on the 45

    Thanks to everyone who made my 45th birthday yesterday, so special.  The festivities actually started Thursday night when I had dinner with my family and then drove up to Oxnard to celebrate Claudio's birthday.  This is our 20th year celebrating our birthdays together.  Last year I made him sit through the Rodger's & Hammerstein retrospective at the Hollywood Bowl on my birthday.  This year, we celebrated in Santa Barbara on Friday and had a big Brazilian barbecue on Saturday.  The parties continued through yesterday, and I must say I am exhausted...and so is Chazz and his friend Blanca:

    Of all the many birthday greetings I received on facebook and on cards and emails, a few really stood out:

    This one referenced, one of my favorite songs, "Brimful of Asha" by Cornershop.

    There's a good breakdown of the lyrics here and a short documentary here; but basically, "on the 45" refers to old fashioned record albums that played records at 45 rpm instead of the standard 33 rpm (rotations per minute).  A life on the 45 may be faster paced and generally more exciting??  That's what I'll go with anyway!  I've always loved the song...and now I'm 45 years old.  So bring it on life!  Here are more photos from the weekend:


    Celebrating with Andy & Tommy!


    Beautiful Santa Barbara, CA


    The Santa Barbara Farmer's Market


    The dogs had a blast!


    Ryan & Eva


    The Gang


    Claudio the grill master


    A Bavarian Bretzel with Nutella!  Nom nom!


    Dinner with Meghan, Roberto, their new baby Daniela, Eva, Bassam, & Ken


    Ryan framed some of my Chazz photos!

    Here are the best of the rest:

August 31, 2010

  • Animals Make Us Human

    It was nice to see the HBO film, "Temple Grandin" starring Claire Danes, take home so many Emmy Awards last night. 

     

    For those of you unfamiliar with Ms. Grandin's work, I highly recommend the movie, which is available on HBO On Demand in the U.S.  There are also several clips on YouTube.  I've been a fan of Temple Grandin for quite some time.  Her insights into autism are truly ground breaking.  I also encourage anyone with an autistic relative to take the time (3 hours) to watch her fascinating C-Span interview: 

    The first book I ever read by Temple Grandin was called "Animals in Translation". 

    I'd love to read it again, but unfortunately when Chazz was six months old, he destroyed it, along with another book entitled "The Moral Animal".  Apparently Chazz does not agree with the Academy when it comes to Temple Grandin!


    The first time I ever left him alone, this is what I came home to.  See how guilty he looks?


    He chose his books very carefully!


    He focused in particular on a chapter entitled "Animal Feelings"


    He knew he was in big trouble...he "felt" it!


    And ripped out the page on "Animal Aggression"  I kid you not!

    Another great book by Temple Grandin is called "Animals Make Us Human".  In it, she:

    ...brings us together with our dogs by making us understand that in essence dogs feel the same things that we as humans do. Grandin is a person with autism and acutely understands how dogs make us human. She tells us that dogs share the same basic emotions that we as humans do. They feel joy, sorrow, fear, happiness and unhappiness. This book teaches dog owners how to best set up their dogs to live a full and happy life.

    In the touching book, the sentimental author shows us how she thinks like an animal in that she pictures words not as letters but in pictures and thus can relate to dogs on their level. It is intriguing and awe inspiring to read how she looks at the world and learns how she believes we should relate to our dogs. It is a fascinating read full of insight and great tips on how to keep your dog a happy one. Anyone who loves dogs will enjoy this book thoroughly. There isn’t a book like it anywhere that’s for sure.  Read more...

    So congratulations to Temple Grandin.  I'm sure this Emmy will will expose her important work to many more people around the world.  See?  Hollywood ain't so bad!  Here are a few more photos from the week:


    Great photobomb Cole!!  And I didn't even have to use this:

August 24, 2010

  • The Naked Ape in a Cesspool

    I was in Orlando last week on business and was reminded again what a cesspool it is.  On the plane ride out I re-read the book, "The Naked Ape", and even though it was first published in 1969, it's amazing how relevant it still is. 

    "A startling view of man, stripped of the facade we try so hard to hide behind."  In view of man's awesome creativity and resourcefulness, we may be inclined to regard him as descended from the angels, yet, in his brilliant study, Desmond Morris reminds us that man is relative to the apes--is in fact, the greatest primate of all.  With knowledge gleaned from primate ethnology, zoologist Morris examines sex, child-rearing, exploratory habits, fighting, feeding, and much more to establish our surprising bonds to the animal kingdom and add substance to the discussion that has provoked controversy and debate the world over. Natural History Magazine praised The Naked Ape as "stimulating . . . thought-provoking . . . [Morris] has introduced some novel and challenging ideas and speculations." "He minces no words," said Harper's.  "He lets off nothing in our basic relation to the animal kingdom to which we belong. . . He is always specific, startling, but logical."  Source: amazon.com

    On the flight home, I read a short little book called "Between Barack and a Hard Place - Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama".  The first half of the book was a little too heavy on statistics, but overall it was a relevant voice of reason, especially in light of all the Muslim nonsense.

    Even though I was only in Florida, the wackiest of purple states, for a few days; the political ads for today's primaries were disgusting.  Luckily I was surrounded by a bunch of good friends from Portland who were mostly of the same political persuasion.  We discussed at length, this research from Social Psychology Quarterly:


    Higher intelligence is associated with liberal political ideology, atheism, and men's (but not women's) preference for sexual exclusivity

    More intelligent people are significantly more likely to exhibit social values and religious and political preferences that are novel to the human species in evolutionary history. Specifically, liberalism and atheism, and for men (but not women), preference for sexual exclusivity correlate with higher intelligence, a new study finds.

    The study, published in the March 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed scientific journal Social Psychology Quarterly, advances a new theory to explain why people form particular preferences and values. The theory suggests that more intelligent people are more likely than less intelligent people to adopt evolutionarily novel preferences and values, but intelligence does not correlate with preferences and values that are old enough to have been shaped by evolution over millions of years."

    "Evolutionarily novel" preferences and values are those that humans are not biologically designed to have and our ancestors probably did not possess. In contrast, those that our ancestors had for millions of years are "evolutionarily familiar."

    "General intelligence, the ability to think and reason, endowed our ancestors with advantages in solving evolutionarily novel problems for which they did not have innate solutions," says Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science. "As a result, more intelligent people are more likely to recognize and understand such novel entities and situations than less intelligent people, and some of these entities and situations are preferences, values, and lifestyles." 

    An earlier study by Kanazawa found that more intelligent individuals were more nocturnal, waking up and staying up later than less intelligent individuals. Because our ancestors lacked artificial light, they tended to wake up shortly before dawn and go to sleep shortly after dusk. Being nocturnal is evolutionarily novel.

    In the current study, Kanazawa argues that humans are evolutionarily designed to be conservative, caring mostly about their family and friends, and being liberal, caring about an indefinite number of genetically unrelated strangers they never meet or interact with, is evolutionarily novel. So more intelligent children may be more likely to grow up to be liberals.  Read More...

    I was pleased how nicely this all tied in with my choice of reading material for the trip.  I came back to the liberal wasteland of Hollywood, content in the fact that I'm smarter and more evolutionarily advanced that the simpletons in Florida who gave us George W. Bush.  The one good thing I can say about Orlando, is that they have pretty clouds!  Too bad there's no heaven!


    I guess Disney World isn't the "Happiest Place on Earth" for dragonflies, as I found this one dead on my bed! 
    I wonder if his dreams came true?? For a few more photos, click here.