elkit in wonderland

Ev'rybody's Gone Surfin' ...

Surfer Statue, Santa Cruz
Originally uploaded by elkit.

... surfin' USA ...

Well, except for me. Not into watersports, and I don't have the upper body strength for the paddling. I spent most of the day in Santa Cruz, with a paper cup of coffee, a bottle of water, a book and my digital camera. Took the stairs down to the narrow strip of sand and rocks, left my flip-flops on the steps, rolled up my pants and got my feet wet, and took a bunch of pictures.

And bar none the best moment of the day was when I heard the soft rustling of wings and looked up to twenty pelicans gliding right over my head. I do love those pterodactyls.

Take Your Protein Pills And Put Your Helmet On

My favorite superhero Steve posted this a little while ago:

Media Alert: Spaceships Will Appear Over Las Vegas On My Signal

Turns out that - according to the press release linked above - Prophet Yahweh was blessed to discover the lost, ancient art of summoning UFOs and spaceships on-demand. Since 1979, more than 1,500 UFOs and/or spaceships have appeared on Prophet Yahweh's signal before witnesses or at unawares. During this time, he was performing his summons privately with only those close to him as witnesses. But, starting June 1st until July 15th (45 days) Prophet is going public by opening up to the news media. Also, before the 45 day summoning period has ended, a spaceship will descend and sit in the skies over Las Vegas on Prophet's signal. The spaceship will hover in the sky, not far from Nellis Air Force base, for almost two days. All Las Vegans will be able to see it, day and night, before it goes back up into space.

I'll be in Las Vegas soon. If the spaceship appears during that time, I'll be sure to let you know.

Four Seasons In One Day

The weekly Unconscious Mutterings:

• Crowd :: Crowded House sang some of the best harmonies
• Hamburger :: Helper
• Choker :: black velvet ribbon on a white neck
• Lights :: Out
• Tinsel :: Town
• Testament :: Old
• Best part of the day :: Night
• Election :: that brilliant movie with Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon
• Clarinet :: my high school classmate Burkhard played it
• Dead Sea :: floating

See What You Lost When You Left This World

Saw Tristan Egolf's name in Entertainment Weekly last week. Alright! I think, what is he up to? And then I realize it's the obituaries ...

The Guardian says:

"To have published two novels by the age of 30, and recently finished another, could be the stuff of dreams, but not for Tristan Egolf, who has shot himself, aged 33, in Lancaster, near Philadelphia. Lancaster was the town that provided partial inspiration for his fiction, and to which he had returned after living throughout the United States and Europe."

I forget what year I read his first novel Lord of the Barnyard, but it was easily the best book I read that entire year. Brilliant, I thought, sprung from a brilliant mind. Seems it was also an Unquiet Mind, suffering from manic-depressive illness.

Cuando Todo Santa Clara Se Despierta Para Verte

Hanging out in Santa Clara, and yes, I *am* listening to Hasta Siempre Comandante.

I'm at Courtney and Kevin's place, keeping my feline friend Sparx company. We took a good nap together earlier on the sofa, Sparx parking her warm little body all over mine and purring under her breath. She's such a sociable four-legged person. And she loves to snuggle and head-butt. No wonder we get along so well.

Now she took herself for a walk while I'm geeking out, sorting through blog entries and flickr photos. And Courtney just sent a text message to my cell phone, telling me about the ice cream in the freezer. I open the door cautiously ...

Whoa! Four different flavors of Ben & Jerry's!
Pure evil, I tell you.

Long As I Can See The Light

Like I said, I'm reading slowly these days. Short-attention span reading suits me better, but magazines and weblogs don't always provide enough nourishment. Poetry is good, and I am rediscovering some favorites, like Edna St. Vincent Millay, and I am glad to see that so many schools have information online these days, and provide biographies for poets like her.

If you haven't met, let me introduce you to "First Fig" and "Second Fig".

First Fig

My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light.

Second Fig

Safe upon the solid rock the ugly houses stand:
Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand!

My shining palace built upon the sand ... what an image. And wasn't I just talking about the palace of my heart?

Pouring Water On A Drowning Man

"This test only has one question, but it's a very important one. By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision. Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous. Please scroll down slowly and give due consideration to each line.

You are in Florida, Miami to be specific. There is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding. This is a flood of biblical proportions. You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper, and you're caught in the middle of this epic disaster.

The situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water. Nature is unleashing all of its destructive fury.

Suddenly you see a man floundering in the water. He is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken down with the debris. You move closer ... somehow the man looks familiar. You suddenly realize who it is. It's George W. Bush!

At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him under ... forever. You have two options--you can save the life of G.W. Bush or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world's most powerful men.

So here's the question, and please give an honest answer:"

... you have to go to Ellen's nest for the question. If you only make one more click today, let this be it!

[And how could I not have cited this - the perfect opportunity to quote one of my favorite Elvis songs!]

Hope I Die Before I Get Old

From Yahoo! News:

"The two surviving members of The Who are producing a documentary about the British rock band's turbulent history, an ongoing 40-year saga of death, drugs and timeless music. Guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey have joined forces on the feature-length project with director Murray Lerner, an Oscar-winning documentary director who first filmed the band during the 1970 Isle of Wight festival."

Sounds interesting - they're looking for fans' help and submissions of previously unseen material. And anyway, they've been around long enough to have an incredible history. They've been around longer than I have.

Hell yeah, I'll go see that.

These Blues Are Gonna Rub Me Raw

Just found this in the New Scientist, following a link from kottke.org:

"The palette that colours our perception of the world is universal, according to a survey of 110 different cultures. So when it comes to choosing the reddest red or the bluest blue, everyone tends to go for the same hue."

I wonder about color perception a lot. (Yes, this is what I do in my copious spare time.) For example - and this doesn't really have anything to do with the article quoted - I've known for a long time that my own definition of "blue" is wider than that of most people: I still call blue what others already name gray, green, brown, or purple. Is this because I *see* colors differently, or do I just include more shades in the "blue" spectrum because blue is my favorite color, and I like to accentuate the positive?

There's really no way to find out, and that's alright by me. It's a good mystery to live with.

What Shall We Do, What Shall We Do With All This Useless Beauty?

Eleventh Set of Favorites
Originally uploaded by elkit.

I love how very specialized some of the groups get on Flickr. I picked all these favorites from the Rose Interiors pool.

Thanks everybody for all the beautiful portraits!
It's been a good year for the roses indeeed.