Folks have left town for Burning Man, Los Angeles itself is very much on four! I mean, five! I mean, FIRE!, and Labour Day is nigh upon us...all! Clearly now is quite the time to flee this other Eden, demi-paradise, this precious stone set in the silver sea, this earth, this realm, this-- Los Angeles ...for my once-a-year plunge into the (actual) ( Read more... )

A year ago last month saw me move into my new future of living in Downtown Los Angeles. One year ago this evening, the forward momentum into that future became a path shared without the partner I had hoped and assumed would make the journey. It's been an emotionally bumpy process since. My soul has careened in, well, too many directions at once ( Read more... )

Today, I am celebrating one full year of living adjacent to Little Tokyo in my new-construction condo here in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. For starters, a lovely brunch at Cafe Metropol, whose iced green tea provides a pleasant overture to an attempt at self-reflection through LJ posting. Hrm, haven't done this in a while, so let's see ( Read more... )

Idiotic Libertarian Thinking: 2.5 million against
California Budget gap: $23+ billion and growing

Can't WAIT to see how we get ourselves out of this one.

Oh, hey, there's a stupid Short Bus Special Election tomorrow to enact some of the budget sandbags our legislators came up with back in January (or was it February?). Quite frankly, I'm too annoyed and tired to come up with a decent writeup, folks. My overall inclination is to vote yes right down the row-- all the while holding my nose ( Read more... )

“My high-speed rail proposal will lead to innovations that change the way we travel in America. We must start developing clean, energy-efficient transportation that will define our regions for centuries to come ( Read more... )

I escaped work this afternoon (with permission) to attend and speak at the board meeting for LA Metro, on the topic of the Draft Environmental Report for "Phase II" of the Exposition Light Rail Project-- the sequel to the Downtown-to-Culver City project (currently under construction) that would continue the train all the way to Santa Monica ( Read more... )

During the service on Saturday, I found myself moved nearly to tears at the Philadelphia Horn Section's performance. To my ears, this was clearly a musical embodiment of the thoughts and feelings-- the memories of Mason that we share and shared --that most of us are accustomed to using only words to express ( Read more... )

I am flying to D.C. tonight and connecting, via Amtrak, to Malvern, PA tomorrow so that I can attend the memorial service of my great uncle and inspiration-eminus to my musicianship as a brass player.
Mason Jones, Phila. Orchestra hornist, dies


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Just a wee election for us Los Angeles City residents. But, with voters exhausted from a 2+ year-long presidential orgy bid, some races may be decided by thin margins. Don't give the guy in this video a free pass to decide for our city...

Locate your Polling Place ...

2009 City of Los Angeles Municipal Ballot
March 3, 2009-- POLLING PLACES STAY ( Read more... )