A View Trapped on Earth

Halloweens

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:54:44 -0400

Halloween has always been a fun holiday for me. If nothing else, it was a chance to be someone else for a day. For me, that usually meant something out of this world. When I was a toddler, sure it could had meant a clown, vampire, or some other Earthbound entity. Once I was of the age where I could create my own costumes, it meant off-world aliens, Jedi Knights, Starfleet members, and the like.

As much fun as Halloween has always been, I didn’t always dress up for it every year. Though I would like to have, mind you. If there wasn’t enough time to prepare something good, I rather not dress up as anything at all than do something last minute quick and easy. I also tried never to repeat myself either. Even though I did the Jedi thing twice, they were completely different (and spanned a great many years).

It seems in recent years, I haven’t been doing anything for Halloween. That is a shame. Again, it is not that I am not so much into it any more, I just don’t have the time I once had to put into these things. These days, I hardly have enough time to find a few hours to sleep. Not to mention, I don’t know what I would do now... outside of perhaps Jabba the Hutt.

So I thought I would share some Halloweens of yesterday here. It may not be complete, but it will give you some idea of the many faces of me on this holiday through the years.

The Butterfly Incident

Sun, 9 Aug 2009 04:53:13 -0400

One day in July 2008 there was butterfly that I discovered on a wooden railing of a deck at my home. Odd thing is that this butterfly would fly away only to return and land on the same spot of this railing. This is a long hand railing, yet it would return to the same area time and time again. I found it interesting at the time and I did not have my DSLR camera, so I originally photographed using my iPhone. Since the butterfly kept on coming back to the same spot even after flying away, I then went inside to grab my DSLR camera. I took a series a photographs and was done with it. Sure, I had the photographs so I didn’t completely forget about it... but I figured that experience had came and went and I will always have the photos to remember it by but didn’t think anything more of it.

To my surprise, earlier this first week of August, I was photographing around my home and walked by this deck railing again to discover the butterfly has returned. Not only was it the same railing, it was once again, on the same spot from last year.

Could this be the same butterfly? Is that possible? How long do they live? It sure looked exactly the same as the butterfly from the year prior.

Once again, as it did last year, it would fly away and return to the same spot. This time, I already was armed with my DSLR camera and immediately took photos of the butterfly. Like last year, it seemed to be aware of me as well.

I stayed several feet away so that I would not scare it off while taking photos of it. It would occasionally fly away only to return right back on the same spot.

Then it fly away and instead of landing on hand railing, it landed on me. On my left shoulder. There was no way for me to take a photo it on my shoulder with my DSLR, so I tried to get my iPhone out and take photo of it, but as soon as I got the iPhone out of my pocket and out of its case, it flew away to the railing again.

Now there was no question it was quite aware of me. Sure enough, it flew off the railing and then back on my same left shoulder again.

This time I did manage to get some shots of it on my shoulder with my iPhone. Though since I could not see the LCD screen, there was no why I could tell if I was getting it in frame. Thankfully, some of the images did capture it (see right).

I felt like a pirate almost, but instead of a parrot, I had a butterfly on my shoulder.

After it was all over, I went back to the photos I took last year. Sure enough the spots on the wings are the same (see above comparison). Could this be the same butterfly? If it was not, and it was just another butterfly of the same species, why did it choose to land in the same spot over and over again as the butterfly from last year? It is a long hand railing, and there are two of them, it could had landed anywhere on it, but it was the same location on the same railing.

I published an AudioBoo of the incident which you can listen to below. It is only a couple minutes long.

Feel the Force

Mon, 25 May 2009 23:59:15 -0400

What better excuse than Star Wars Day, the real Star Wars Day to get back on this site to add a blog entry.

Forget May 4th, today, May 25th is the real Star Wars day. Any fan that had been around back in 1977 when it opened knows this to be true. For some of us back then, it really changed our lives. Out of those, for some it was simply a great science fiction action adventure movie that excited us, for others, we appreciated it on that level as well as on a far deeper level.

Going beyond the surface of simply good vs. evil concepts to discovering meanings within the cinema magic that taught us that some things are worth fighting for, worth striving for, worth the effort and the journey it takes us to achieve those goals. They are all there in this initial first film of the Star Wars saga. We may not have been able to point to all the concepts at a young age, but we felt them in our inner beings, much like the Force itself.

Among the many representations of man’s relationship with machines both literal and figurative. The Empire being ‘the state,’ the machine and how we can face it and make changes for the better if necessary. We learned that some causes are worth fighting for even after loosing our world - again both literal and figurative (as represented in the case of Leia who literally lost her world and Luke who lost everything he knew to be his world).

Well, there is plenty more in the film, enough in it to write a paper on it, and I believe I did at some point. But back in 1977, thirty-two years ago today, even though I knew it ran deep, I may not had known exactly why when I was a mere 11 years old. Just bring on the lightsabers and Han Solo blasters (supplied by Kenner toys back then). Let’s face it, most of us wanted to be Han Solo at the time, I was no different as seen in these photos of me wielding a toy Han Solo blaster gun. There were no DVDs, no VHS movies, the only way to see the film was going to the theater over and over again to see it again and again. In between those moments of bliss, we relived the film anyway we could, acting out characters and recreating scenes with models, toys, and whatever we can come up with to make our own magic.

Los Angeles 2009

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:25:50 -0400

A slight homage to Blade Runner which opens with “Los Angeles 2019” – It’s hard to believe we are only 10 years away from it now. Though Los Angeles is nothing like or anywhere near how it is depicted in Blade Runner yet and I don’t think a mere decade will make that much of a difference.

I knew this was going to happen, I have been so busy that I haven’t been keeping up with this blog or my other blog as much as I had planned. My last entry on this site was way back in November 2008. I will try to be more regular here, but no promises.

Last month I returned to L.A. for Gallifrey 2009: 20 to Life, the annual convention for all things Doctor Who. Once again, Doctor Who: Podshock recorded a show live on stage there. It went very well, but that deserves its own blog entry onto itself.

Outside of the convention hours, our friend, Joshua Lou Friedman was kind enough to show Ken, James, and myself some of the sights and sounds of Los Angeles including Hermosa Beach.

There is a wide assortment of eateries and bars lined up Pier Ave pointing to the pier (pictured top). No matter what style of food or drink you hungered for, there is something for you here.

Even being a vegetarian, there was something to be had on every menu (hey, we are in LA right?). Josh also took to the establishment where he once bartended, but unfortunately I can’t recall the name of right now. There is a bartender there now with a speciality drink which I want to say are called “Bank Rolls” but I think I am off a bit.. they are “Bank ____” somethings... Powerful, yet tasty shots.

Special thanks to Josh for his incredible hospitality and friendship. He even let me borrow his car so I could take a peek at the Getty Center (which will have to be a blog entry of its own. I really need to catch up with these blogs). Josh first took just Ken and I here to this strip at Hermosa Beach the night before James had arrived. We returned again with James along with Amy, Barbara, Emily, and others. On both occasions we walked the pier which spans over the Pacific ocean. Though always at night, so for this trip, I only saw a darken Pacific ocean of the night. Next time I hope to see it during the day as well. I also hope it will be warm again as this year it was in the 50’s (F) which in contrast to the year before in the 70’s was a bit disappointing, though still welcomed compared to the 30’s back in NY. We came to Los Angeles in February expecting to shed ourselves of our (New York) coats and cold weather gear, instead we were glad we had our coats and jackets with us.

I have some video I shot via the Flip Mino of Josh downing a full tall glass of ale in about 2 or 3 seconds which he did twice the first night on the strip here. I will have to post it here at some point. One would think it was a magic trick if I did not actually see him do it. He wanted to bring us to Club Sushi the first night, but it was late and they were closing. We made it there the next time though. He downed the drink the first night at a seafood restaurant, “Face...” something or another. Jeesh, I can’t remember names of anything any more.

Once again, I have to thank Josh for going well beyond of duty of our LA Correspondent for Doctor Who: Podshock and just being a good friend to us all.

Chudley 1994 - 2008

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:52:46 -0500

The time has come once again to bid farewell to a beloved family member. This time, my sister’s dog, a Yorkshire Terrier who quickly became part of the family back in 1994 as a puppy. Earlier today, we lost Chudley. He was over 14 years old, and over the past week he wasn’t doing too well, but it is still hard to accept when they go.

Even as I write this, it really still has yet to really hit me. It’s still hard to believe he is gone.

It is times like this I am reminded of a friend’s mother back in junior high school (middle school) who would not allow any pets. When we asked her why, she responded, “because they die.” At the time, it seemed strange, but as I have grown older, I have come to understand more what she meant.

Although Chudley lived over 14 years, he never became an old cranky dog. Many of his breed will develop a silver back (graying fur along their backs), but not Chudley, he maintained his dark youthful fur throughout his life. It was a direct reflection of his personality as he may have gotten more mature, he always seemed like a puppy at heart.

He was a friendly quiet playful dog. I still remember when my sister first came home with him. He was shaking like a leaf, the little puppy he was at the time. He was little frightened by everyone, but that quickly faded as he became very friendly to everyone. He quickly became part of the family.

Unfortunately, it is time that I update my Memorial page on this site. It’s been a rough year... well just a little over a year now with a loss of yet another member of the family.

Photos: Right - Myself with Chudley, not a very good picture, but it is the only one I have with us together (December 1999). Left - My sister Martha in her backyard with Chudley (summer 1999).