Happy birthday, Todd!

What you can do with glass far exceeds whatever I have been able to do with paint. And that is not envy, awe or jealousy. It is pride, pure and simple.

This is my favorite piece that Todd has created and gifted me. I value it so much that as I was taking it and my iPhone in to the living room to get a picture of it, I stumbled and the first thought that went through my mind was “Save the glass, drop the phone.”

Happy birthday, son!

Just a box of rain, wind and water
Believe it if you need it,
If you don’t, just pass it on

My gypsy is in search of real gypsies.

Chip left Saturday for her long dreamed of, much anticipated and meticulously planned behind-the-scenes European experience. From Spain to Romania – and hopefully not across some border that will cause her to end up on CNN.

So, now that she is out of the country and can’t smack me, I can tell this story. Chip approached me last week about designing some business social-cards for her. She had me put “It was a pleasure meeting you” in the languages of the people she will be meeting on one side along with contact info, including her Facebook page and address. The other side would have a world map showing where she lived. A nice leave-behind for those many new friends that I am sure she is going to make. I sent her the art for approval; The files were named front.jpg and back.jpg – she liked them and only had one change … she wanted to flip-flop the sides. “I want the front to be the back and the back to be the front,” she told me.

“Turn the card over.” was all I could say without laughing.

There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the phone as it dawned on her. “Oh … yeah.”

She’s promised to bring me back a vampire. We’ll see.

This year, late March will bring both Spring and Chip home. That will be a great way to end Winter. Safe travels my friend.

[photo by Jonathon Ford, Keeper of Biggie]

In Spain I did love and adore you
The nights filled with joy were our yesterdays
And tomorrow will bring you near me

Walk, ride, run, skip – as long as you’re moving forward:

2010 marks the 25th year of the AIDS Task Force and your help is needed to make this the biggest and best AIDS Walk & Ride ever! Register online and check-in at the event starting at 3pm on May 1st at Headwaters Park. Each registrant raising $50 will receive a free T-Shirt as well.

Walk, ride, run, skip – and bring a friend!

What: Vive le Rouge! – AIDS Walk & Ride
Where: Headwaters Park East
When: Saturday, May 1, 3pm-10pm

Food by Deli 620
Beverages by JK O’Donnell’s
Live music by David Todoran & the Mobile Homewreckers, Mojo Dub, and Unlikely Alibi.

Friends will be friends,
When you’re in need of love they give you care and attention,
Friends will be friend

This week the LAPD presented a display of famous evidence from noteworthy crimes in a “first-ever behind-the-scenes look at some of the most notable homicides that occurred in L.A. in the past century.”

Sounds historic as well as interesting – and, perhaps, a little less sympathetic to victim’s survivors than it should have been.

As much as stuff like this interests me and as much as I would have liked to have wandered through the 8,000 square foot display of LA’s mobsters, monsters and movie-star memorabilia, I can understand why Sharon Tate’s sister found the sight of the rope used to restrain her during the Manson family butchering disturbing. And Kim Goldman no doubt still envisions O.J. Simpson wearing those bloody, black leather gloves while slicing her brother’s life away. When the Kennedy family objected to Robert Kennedy’s assassination clothes being displayed, it was removed; anyone less than a Kennedy had to suffer on their own.

“The last thing we want to do is traumatize a victim’s family and I am very sensitive to that, but at the same time, we want to preserve the history of the city of Los Angeles.” – LAPD Chief, Beck

Interestingly, seeing an official crime scene photo of Marilyn Monroe sprawled across her bed after her 1962 suicide prompted no objections. Neither did material from the Black Dahlia’s 1947 mutilation or evidence pertaining to the 1963 “Onion Field” killings.

The secret seems to be one of timing. The “Onion Field” events have to be Googled by most people to figure out what that reference is in regard to, no one remembers Dahlia’s real name and once Joe DiMaggio died, there was no one left who knew and loved Marilyn enough to weep at the sight of her cold, nude body. Click here to see Marilyn’s big sleep.

I think all of these pieces of evidence are important, and because I am removed from them, personally, they would have little effect on me … but I agree with the victim’s survivors, it could be a little too much, too soon. No one finds the blood stained rocking chair Lincoln was shot in at Ford’s Theatre disturbing and the bullet riddled last ride of Bonnie & Clyde evokes no gasps.

There comes a point when we have to balance history and reality with the one thing that we’ve been told for centuries mends the wounds of all mice and men – time.

Caroline Kennedy acknowledged this when she agreed that the famous blood stained pink suit that her mother wore during the 1963 assassination of JFK was a valid historical item; she just insisted that it not be displayed until 2063, 100 years after her father’s murder. By then, she reasoned, it would take on a more significant historic value and less of a morbid one.

See, it’s that time thing again. it obviously applies to mice .. men .. and murder.

Goodbye Norma Jean
From the young man in the 22nd row

The story of “K.B.” – this is why I think you should read Lisa Burks’ Adventures in Grave Hunting, too! Check out “His K.B.”

Rock of Ages cleft for me
For a slightly higher fee.
Oh, take me when I’m gone to Forest Lawn.