Help a Friend with Technology Issues

Just because something is easy for you please be aware it may be a challenge for someone you care for very much. So Help a friend with their technology issues. (See Below)

Dancing into the past

Two of the best Hollywood had to offer. Younger folks may or may not know their names and even fewer saw them perform. James "Jimmy" Cagney and Robert "Bob" Hope

Bob Hope. Born as Leslie Townes Hope 29 May 1903 in Eltham, England he died 27 July 2003 of pneumonia

Bob Hope was a triple-threat superstar of radio, film and television during the 1940s and 1950s. Primarily a comedian, Hope also acted, sang and danced a little, hosted his own radio and television shows, and carried on a famous comic feud with his friend and fellow star, crooner Bing Crosby. Hope spent much of World War II travelling the world to entertain Allied troops, a service he also performed with gusto during later wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East; his entertain-the-troops tours became one of his enduring signatures. Though his superstar years ended in the 1960s, Hope continued to make appearances well into the 1990s. In May of 2003 he celebrated his 100th birthday with a typical wisecrack: "I'm so old they've cancelled my blood type." He died a few months later, in July 2003.

Hope never won an Oscar for a film performance, but received five honorary Academy Awards for his contributions to the motion picture industry... He was a frequent host of the annual Academy Award ceremonies... Hope's love of golf was famous, and his annual golf tournament, the Bob Hope Desert Classic, became a regular stop on the PGA Tour... Hope was born in England but was raised in Cleveland, Ohio after his family moved there when Hope was four years old... Hope married Dolores Reade in 1934, and they remained married until his death in 2003; the couple adopted four children: Linda, Anthony, Honora (called Nora), and William Kelly... "Thanks For the Memory" was Hope's theme song; the tune came from his first feature film, The Big Broadcast of 1938.

James Francis Cagney. Born July 17, 1899, New York City's Lower East Side, second of five children. Had numerous jobs (and fights) while growing up.memory
Graduated high school, ambition was to become an artist.

Attended Columbia University School of Fine Arts, began appearing in plays put on by Lenox Hill Settlement House.

By 1920 was hired as chorus boy on Broadway. Met Frances "Billie" Vernon, married in 1921, marriage lasted 65 years. Adopted two children in 1940 - a boy named James, Jr., and his sister Cathleen, called Casey.

Toured in vaudeville, had parts in dramas and in musicals, gradually worked his way up to starring roles. One, Penny Arcade, sold to Warner Bros, made as Sinner's Holiday -- Cagney signed to a contract on the strength of that performance.

Fifth film for Warner's was The Public Enemy (1931) -- Cagney became, and stayed, one of studio's top stars for over 20 years. Made films for MGM, Paramount, Universal in the '50s, retired from acting in 1961 -- with one return to the screen in 1981's Ragtime.

Modest, private man off the screen. Lived out his childhood dream of residing on a farm, staying close to the land, from the '30s til the end of his life.

James Cagney died on March 30, 1986.

Idle Hands are the Angles Playground - Sheep Art

I love useless time so when I saw what could be done when you have nothing better to do I just smiled and decided to share this video.

SHEEP ART

Develop a Love of Reading

I got this video the other day and it made me smile. I thought about it the next day and it made me think. Today I am a believer in the power of the written word to educate and even immerse us in life at a level we other wise would never know existed.

Money and power are poor substitutes for the joy of knowing a richer fuller life.

"When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before" ~ Cliff Fadiman

We all know what a magnifying glass is, it helps make little things bigger. We all know what a telescope is, brings things closer. Too bad so many of us don't know what reading a book is, it makes a black and white world a bright colorful place to live.

I Love the Art Walk

I've come to expect First Friday art walks to provide better weather than expected and last night was no exception. Perhaps it's the cavern of Willamette street that moderates the temperature or maybe it's the excitement of getting out to mingle and observe the city at night. Whatever it is I have come to love that night to just walk around and take pictures.

The Karin Clarke Gallery was doing a show on the works of Christopher Perry. His work is most interesting not just for the color, imagery but for the creativity. His oils are clear and ...


...bright a little abstract and full of imagination.


Combined with the oil paintings are kiln-glass images set in a very cool mounting of his own design.




I walked over to the annex to see what was new there and found the really nice water color landscape by Jan Zach. I really like this piece and while I don't know the spot for sure it reminded a lot of the mountains in West Texas.


I then walked over to the Jacobs gallery but first took this second shot looking south on Willamette from the Hult Center.


When I walked into the Jacobs Gallery there was a huge crowd on the formal First Friday Guided Art walk tour.


John Holdway was giving a presentation of his work.


John's work included this series ...


... and this really cool work called "Three Oranges." I do hope I'm not the only person who had to think 3 uh! no wait 4 objects all oranges but two are half oranges. I love that bit of humor.

My favorite image by John was this one titled "Hosoi Vans." For those uneducated in the ways of skateboarding Christian Hosoi is a well known professional skateboarder.

"Christian Rosha Hosoi (born October 5, 1967) is an American professional skateboarder. Hosoi, along with Tony Hawk, was the most popular skateboarder for the better part of the 1980s. Hosoi started skating at five years old with veterans such as Shogo Kubo, Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams as models."

John Holdway has a web site and you can visit there by clicking {HERE}

I then walked over to the OPUS6IX Fine Art Gallery.

Back on June 24, 2007 I did a piece on Anne Teigen on my Art for the Soul blog (Click {HERE}) and it just so happened she was the featured artist at OPUS6IX in the back room of the gallery.


Her work is wonderful and it forces me to think and imagine a world of color and beauty...


... filled with style and flowing grace. Anne has a website like most artists. To go to her personal site click {HERE}


I found the White Lotus a very relaxing space and I love the warmth of the brick walls.


Not on display for sale but in a corner of the gallery was this interesting valve configuration that I'm pretty sure was not art but very utilitarian.




I had parked behind the parking structure and went to the car because I wanted to get some downtown pictures then looking up I got this picture of the stairwell to a parking garage.


I drove over to the city bus hub for Eugene called Eugene Station it was packed with passengers waiting for the bus.


I didn't realize it but I was standing in front of the new Eugene Library. The library had this really interesting glass mosaic art piece I later found out was by John Rose.


I turned back toward the Eugene Station as the passengers were getting ready to load into the several buses ready to depart.


Walking to the station side of the street I got a picture of the new Rosa Parks statue. I'd heard about the statue a week or so ago and it was the reason I drove to this location.

"Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement" in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history."

I looked back toward the station and noticed most of the passengers had departed then got a shot of ...

... the Eugene Public Library back across the street.

"the library design features a 164,000-square foot (15,236-square meter), cast-in-place concrete frame structure clad in brick, with underground parking. The building includes four elevators, a glass atrium, terrazzo entry and a 30-foot (9 meter) diameter circular staircase, and conforms to a number of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) guidelines. The structure also features extensive daylight and natural ventilation systems. Construction has made use of numerous recycled and nontoxic materials. Noteworthy art is incorporated both inside and outside the structure...

... beginning with artist Jim Carpenter’s welcoming bronze statue of city founder, Eugene Skinner, at the front doorway. The Library supports an informed community, lifelong learning and offers more than 1,000 free programs
and events each year."

I took off back to the Karin Clarke gallery to meet up with Vern and Renee for a cup of coffee and a dessert.


I hadn't been by Fenario Gallery. The artist on display was Malia Schultheis. Her work was outstanding and this one caught my eye immediately. It's titled "A Concept of Male."


Malia writes on the right side this image "Perception: The eyes met with light. Bend the unbendable; They fill the glass half empty while the desert quenches it's desire's wanting (Cerebellum). She shows the human brain pointing out the center of sight processing. There is a glass half full of water at the bottom of a hill in the desert. Much to ponder and skillfully presented. Her statement about all of her work is also very thoughtful.

"Making art brings me home. I passionately analyze the state of the world and painstakingly contemplate the invisible each day. Sitting down to do a piece gives me an outlet to communicate the abstract experience constantly inside me. My work gives my struggle to understand, a place to construct itself into the love imprisoned lines you see in my pieces. I enjoy oils on canvas and charcoals on paper. I'm learning to fully utilize my talent as a means ...as Rumi says... "to become consciously one with the Rose Garden."

Back at the Karin Clarke annex I ran into Van art walker with a really great hat. I asked her permission to get a shot of the hat but I had to run out to the car to retrieve the camera. She was kind enough to wait and I got this nice picture of the hat and one beaming young lady.


Since I had gotten her hat I though I'd have to get a shot of Laura's (The designated annex professional docent) shoes I must have thought I was a fashion photographer. Laura's shoes were really cool...


... here is a better view


Since I'm doing a fashion show I had to include this really classy guy and his traditional dress.


Finally Vern Renee and I went to Perugino's Coffeehouse Cafe. I got a bakalawa (Not like moms pecan/sugar receipe) made with pistacios and honey and a nice cup of coffee.


Vern and Renee split a grilled sandwich while we chatted about art and stuff then off we all went into the night. Vern walked Renee to her car and I gave Vern a rid home over some good conversation.


So I've been art walking for several months and have enjoyed every minute I just got out and did something.

I needed Help Desk Support

So I sometimes get calls for help in working with PS's and found this video so fascinating I thought I'd post it for others. It's titled "Medieval Helpdesk"

Much ado about nothing

The problem with political reporting is that there are times when not much worth talking about is happening. Filler is the key word and controversy is the king these days. MSNBC, Fox, CNN are no longer news reporters but as they have over the last eight years become rumor mongers. Reporting corps have given way to conjecture and propaganda corps(e) that flock like vultures to either defend their point of view (POV) or spin the opposition.

I see more of the movie network on TV these days than I'd care to believe possible. I like Keith Olberman and Rachael Maddow who I can agree with much of the time for their great research and belief that there are not always two correct sides of every issue. It's true there are always many differing opinions but facts are facts. I do, however, know they are not infallible.

So we are going through the eye of the storm where all is calm but the pseudo news, spinners, point-counterpoint and slime spewers (Limbaugh & Company) are desperate for news.

Well this week it's time to expose the weakness and indecision of Harry Reed relevant to the Rolan Burris appointment by Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich is pointing out that Harry Reid had called him about the appointment back in December. Duh and why shouldn't Reid have called and with the attack on Palestinians retaliating on the attack by Hamas where:

"More than 600 Palestinians are believed to have been killed since Israel began its offensive on 27 December. Palestinian health ministry officials say at least 195 children were among them.

Since the start of its military operation in Gaza, Israel has lost seven soldiers on the ground.

Militants have also launched hundreds of rockets into Israel, killing four people."

What a joke the news has become and then there Diane Feinstein/Jay Rockefeller questing the Leon Panetta as CIA chief. Sounds more like they are upset about not having been consulted. This is really big news ... NOT

I'm sure Diane and Jay are big enough people to suck it up and realize Barack Obama really does respect their opinion even if he would have nominated Leon Panetta anyway to get a non-echoed handle on the CIA.

I guess the key is to realize not all news is created equal and know what to cry about and what to just laugh about.

Personally I think we will get involved and help set up a food drive locally.