Inspiration

Nearly forgot about my desire to create a homemade toy company but the fire was rekindled over the Thanksgiving holiday. Dabee built a beautiful and simple mobile for baby Leo (not this one)...I was absolutely impressed! We did some thinking and talking about the next toy idea that should be implemented. We meant to do some research but time got away from us. I'm still thinking though!!

Found this beautiful (and simple) mobile design during a montessori toy search. I love it!!

I've always realized that if I wanted to branch out from my current work I would still want to be working on something relevant. Maybe baby Leo can bring me closer to actualizing this vision. Thanks guys!!!

i got so much thanks i'm not sure where it starts or ends

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Home (JVTP)

You probably already heard this/seen this because you, of course, are much hipper than I. As far as hippness on this spiraling orb...I always seem the last to get it. Besides, I only know of it because of the nfl.com commercial from where it was featured. Yes, that's right I get hip from television commercials.

I hope they get zillions in royalty!

Anyway, the only thing better than the song is the video for it. Something about the Magnetic Zeroes and their psychedelic, kaleidoscopic, free-wheelin' energy sends me home faster than Jetblue. ARE YOU ON THE BUS or AREN'T YOU?!?

i hope i never reach the top!

One stringed goodness!

It was love at first pluck! Teacher V went to India and brought back, for the little spirits and I, an Ecktara...a one-stringed guitar. Someday the little spirits will get to have their turn. In the meantime I will become a virtuoso. Already wicked awesome AND working on my first album entitled, "The Ecktara and I".

Shoot...maybe I should do a X-mas album first. I could even get a vuvuzela horn section together!!

Flag Boy

Does life imitate The Simpsons or do The Simpsons imitate life?

Cody Alicea is now, once again, allowed to fly old glory off the back of his bike at school. The superintendent of his school district had ordered him to remove the flag to mitigate racial tensions and he complied but Fox news got word of it, blew it up viral, and the school district (wanting to put a quick end to the controversy) reversed course. Flag boy's constitutional rights were upheld.

The only reason I mention this story is because of the news report I saw last night that included a brief interview with Cody...I can't find it on the internet yet but it will be here soon I think. In essence, he was gloating that he won the right to fly his, "country swag" bwhahahahaha..."COUNTRY SWAG!" I love it!! so heartwarming.

Searching for an Automobile Manufacturer...

...who encourages you to build your own. Was speaking with a colleague yesterday and we reminisced about fathers cursing under a dimly-lit chassis in the later evening hours...making that shitbox of a car last one more day.

That company which takes the computer out of it, and makes vehicle repair once again accessible to the novice and bold stands to build a quick fortune.

Searching for a new Steinbeck

...to paint a portrait of the Salinas Gang War....to document fragile wealth crumbling apart...to rationalize the quest for the largest wave...to chronicle my 'City of Derelicts'...to make sense of some of it.

A brilliant tale-weaver is desperately needed right here, right now.