See ya nader, alligator

I find myself getting that familiar feeling again as the Presidential election approaches. My conscience is nudging me away from voting for either candidate, Democrat or Republican, and I may have to go with a third party choice. Why? Because only a third party candidate can put together a list of positions like this.

More than OK Radiohead

Went to the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park on Friday night to see Beck and Radiohead. The festival that night had thirteen bands performing on six different stages. Our group of four got there about a half hour after it had already started, and we went straight to Lindley Meadow to stake out some ground at the "Sutro" stage in advance of Beck's performance. We spread out a blanket and ate sandwiches we had brought with us from The Yellow Submarine on Irving Street. Good steak and cheese sandwich. Long porta-pottie lines were a nuisance, but more troubling was the chain link fence that surrounded Lindley Meadow and provided only a narrow 12 foot (?) gap to allow passage over to the Polo Field where Manu Chao was performing, and where Radiohead would be performing later. We noticed that it had already become congested as people were trying to go through in both directions, reminiscent of the disaster at the Golden Gate Bridge 50th year anniversary party. No one was getting anywhere fast. The inevitable happened as the chain link fences started getting pushed down, and people forged new ways through to the other side. "Don't fence us in!" their actions seemed to say, "especially since we paid nearly $100 apiece!"

Beck's performance didn't have the punch we expected. The sound system wasn't strong enough. Beck himself, dressed in black, and wearing a black hat, against the black background of the stage, was difficult to see, despite his long blond hair. His performance started to pick up as we moved closer. "Lost Cause" and "Where It's At" were memorable performances for me, the latter being his finale. It got us jumping before heading over the hill to the Polo Field to see Radiohead.

Radiohead was amazing. I have never been a big fan, but I became one that night. Their sound was tight and well-rehearsed, and the complex arrangements were well-synchronized with their video and light show. It had the feeling of being almost a new art form. They obviously have some artistic talent in their group. There were a couple times that the sound went out in the middle of songs, and the sight of them on the video continuing to play in total silence (we couldn't even hear the drums from where we were), was surreal. Strangely, this technical glitch added something to the show. The lead singer, Thom Yorke, commented that somebody "stepped on the plug." It was a needed moment of comic relief in an otherwise serious performance.

Not so human

Last Saturday, I was drugged and dragged to a club in San Francisco called the Mezzanine to see The Human League, a band I thought had taken a permanent vacation in The Land of the Happily Forgotten. Evidently, these tired old 80s bands have regrouped, plugging into the power of nostalgia, and have found new life on tour. The opening act for The Human League was another name from the 80s, Naked Eyes. I actually preferred them to the headliners. The lead singer had the look of someone who had lived a hard life, had a good sense of humor, and engaged the audience in a way that said he didn't take things too seriously. The Human League, on the other hand, left me cold with their sterile electronic and robotic performance. Maybe that's the ironic point of the name of the band, reflecting the dehumanizing influence of technology. Midway through their performance I was fantasizing that Neil Young might unexpectedly show up, crash the stage, and take over with an extended version of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.

Slogging through the blogging

After several months of sitting in a chair and staring, I'm back for another blog entry. I went to see the Chihuly exhibition at the De Young Museum a couple of weeks ago, and hooked on to a docent-led tour group making its way through the galleries. One thing the docent said that stuck with me was, "Chihuly had to fight to get his work to be considered as fine art, if you can believe that! Some want to label it as craft!" My thought was, what's wrong with craft? What is 'fine art' anyway? And who says it is superior to craft? It's a misguided snobbish notion. Emerson once said, "I like a man who likes to see a fine barn as well as a good tragedy." So do I. And I have to say, the Chihuly exhibit is one of the most enjoyable I've ever seen in a museum. There is an undeniable beauty in the colorful and sensual glass forms that he has created. Whether this work is exhibited in a fine arts museum or a crafts museum is immaterial to me.

Il Gatto Inesistente

I have long searched for meaning in the comic strip Garfield. Finally it has arrived in the most brilliant and unexpected way at garfield minus garfield. (Thanks to Rick Monaco for turning me on to this.)

Shaking the (family) tree

Ever heard of Wells, Nevada? It's a small town in the northeastern part of the state. I know of it because my mother grew up there. My great-grandfather, Sebastiano Quilici, came to Wells from Lucca, Italy, back in the early 1900s, and he brought with him his two sons, Gino (my grandfather) and Leone. At some point they established a general store on the town's main street, and called it S. Quilici & Sons. Sebastiano went back to Italy, but the two sons ran the store for many years, and kept that name. The store has been vacant for some time, but it still has the name on the storefront, and exists as part of a historic row of facades on what used to be a busy street. I was surprised to see Wells in the news this morning as the victim of an earthquake, and even more surprised to see a photo accompanying the story showing my grandfather's old store. It looks like it fared a little better than its neighbors. I read that the historic 140-year-old brothel across the railroad tracks was especially hit hard. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Elko Daily Free Press, Ross Anderson)

Play ball!

It's one of the first signs of spring. Pitchers and catchers reported today for most teams. Spring training is under way. The Giants will feature a new look this year, the sans-Barry look. The possible opening day lineup:

1-Raja Davis LF
2-Ray Durham 2B
3-Randy Winn RF
4-Dan Ortmeier 1B
5-Aaron Rowand CF
6-Benji Molina C
7-Omar Vizquel SS
8-Kevin Fransden 3B
9-Barry Zito P

Just looking at it makes me want to take a nap. Anything is possible, though. Maybe, with Barry gone, some kind of magical team chemistry will emerge, and along with it a winning spirit. This team could go all the way! Don't put money on it, though.

New Product Review

If you ever walk thru Walgreens, and walk down the junkfood aisle, and spot a new Nabisco product called Oreo Cakesters, just keep walking. In a weak moment, I stopped walking, and picked up said product, then said to myself, "I gotta try these." To make matters worse, I brought them home, turned on the TV, and ate the Oreo Cakesters while watching "Two and a Half Men." It doesn't get lower than that.

The Oreo Cakesters are billed as a "soft snack cake." This is where I should have questioned the basic premise of the product. Oreos have always been about the hard cookie and soft centers. When both the cookie and the center are soft, you really don't have an Oreo at all, but something closer to a Ding Dong. So what we really have here is one company, Nabisco, trying to horn in on the business of another company, Hostess. I would have to rate the Ding Dong superior to the Oreo Cakester. Hostess has been making Ding Dongs for as long as I can remember. It's a product that has stood the test of time. Nice try, Nabisco.

Spell it right

There's someone out there who is even more of a stickler for correct spelling than I am. I got a good laugh out of this website:

www.d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y.com

The Sistine Ceiling is also of interest

I bought a new scanner, and have started scanning old slides from my 1992 stay in Rome. I was an architecture student back then, and went to Rome as part of a quarter abroad program at the University of Washington. I found some slides I took of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, so I thought I would post those here. (Unfortunately, I entirely ignored the floor.) Back then it had just been restored, and no photography was allowed, but what was the harm in taking a couple pictures for my private enjoyment? I stuck my camera bag on the floor with the camera in it concealed from view, and hit the self timer. That's my shot of the creation scene above.

Baby, it's cold outside

At least by San Francisco standards, it's cold outside, hovering around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In my apartment, according to the thermometer on my digital travel clock, it is 62 degrees. That's a little too cold for comfort, so I've gone to Walgreens and purchased a small heater for ten bucks. After about fifteen minutes it has raised the temperature in my room to 65 degrees. Not bad.

This concludes an awesome blog entry.

Why Sistine Floor?

Since I came late to this party, I had to settle for about my twentieth choice for a name for this blog. It recalls one of my favorite Far Side cartoons which shows some blue collar characters laying down a tile floor in the Sistine Chapel. The caption reads, "Although history has long forgotten them, Lambini & Sons are generally credited with the Sistine Chapel floor." So that's it. It's just a title. I suppose I do relate to the idea of Lambini & Sons, but who doesn't? We've all done good things that we felt went unappreciated or unrecognized. I will not be making any special effort to bring attention to overlooked and forgotten good works, whether mine or of others, but if that happens from time to time, that would be o.k.