A note on the two Williams I am have linked

Posted on August 15, 2014 by markweiss86

First, I paid a condolence call to Mr. William Davis Parker, my old little league coach and father of my schoolmates Nancy Taylor and Bill Parker; Mrs. Joan Parker, who I recalled as having the world’s finest spinach salad recipe, had past away last fall. During our visit, among the recollections I had was that at the first week or so of school in the fifth grade, when I was new to Fremont Hills Elementary, in Los Altos Hills, Calif., (but of course part of PAUSD), there were some intramural touch football games the first of which ended with me catching a pass from Billy Parker in stride and for a long touchdown. At the start of the second game, the captain of that team, the 6th grader Frank Kull, walked up to me, poked me in the chest, and said “I know you. You are Mr. Bomb. Well, I’m gonna cover you myself.” The name did not last more than that one afternoon, but it was nice to be recognized.(March, 2012 — I found out yesterday, calling on another old friend from that neighborhood, around the corner from the fields, Purissima to La Barranca, that Mr. Parker had joined his wife in heaven. He also said, as a type of encouragement to his son, one of the stars, warming up with me, a year younger, a newby: “come on, you hot dog!” Thanks.

I believe the Parkers actually have four kids, not two, including Suzie — older and a younger daughter. I would guess five to ten grandkids. I think Nancy is Nancy Taylor now. (The first of my peers I had ever seen in a bikini: wow. And we were 10).

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Will Sigua Monument in Los Altos Hills

Posted on August 15, 2014 by markweiss86
Will Sigua Monument in center-right field, at Stan Troedson Field, Los Altos Hills Little League grounds, 235 feet from home plate. I played for the Dodgers there, 1974 and 1975. Ironically, a few minutes after shooting this, I learned of the death of William Parker, my coach.

Will Sigua Monument in center-right field, at Stan Troedson Field, Los Altos Hills Little League grounds, 235 feet from home plate. I played for the Dodgers there, 1974 and 1975. Ironically, a few minutes after shooting this, I learned of the death of William Parker, my coach.

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National cream sickle day and my corn beef hash

Posted on August 15, 2014 by markweiss86

athenenum

1. Yesterday was National Creamsickle day*, although I missed the opportunity to drag my Oldenburg to the Oak Creek clubhouse to contextualize the event — a couple other opportunities popped up and one can only be so many places at a time — real life took on the fast cheap and out of control texture of Plastic Alto.

2. There is a breakfast klatch that is based in Barron Park that I am an adjunct member of — for instance, I sometimes join them at Joanie’s on Cali Ave for corned beef hash and eggs — and one of the members sent me a link, weeks ago, about a podcast he heard, which is about new urbanism.

3. Sussing out the import of that group of memes led me to an article about San Francisco planning in 1904 and the suggestion by Dan Burnham to build a giant Athens (the Goddess, also known as an Athenaum?) on Twin Peaks.

4. I once suggested we build a giant John Arrillaga monument here, as a way to sort out his ego from what is practical regarding 27 University.

5. I did see the Will Sigua monument in Los Altos Hills yesterdaywillSiguaMonument, an event which further catalyzed the enhanced texture of my day.

Proposed white male with leisure trapping monument for Palo Alto, with one leg at Hoover Pavillion and other leg at El Camino Park

Proposed white male with leisure trapping monument for Palo Alto, with one leg at Hoover Pavillion and other leg at El Camino Park

Notes:

1. wiki graph on New Urbanism

New Urbanism has drawn both praise and criticism from all parts of the political spectrum. In an interview in Reason, a right-libertarian magazine, professor Peter Gordon, a professor of Urban Planning from University of Southern California, spoke out in favor of suburbanization and criticized New Urbanism as ignoring consumer preference and the free market claiming that cities have moved towards car-oriented development because that is what people want.[29]

On the other hand, journalist Alex Marshall has decried New Urbanism as essentially a marketing scheme that repackages conventional suburban sprawl behind a façade of nostalgic imagery and empty, aspirational slogans.[30] In a 1996 article in Metropolis Magazine, Marshall denounced New Urbanism as “a grand fraud”.[31] The attack continued in numerous articles, including an opinion column in the Washington Post in September of the same year,[32] and in Marshall’s first book, How Cities Work: Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken[33]

Critics have asserted that the effectiveness claimed for the New Urbanist solution of mixed income developments lacks statistical evidence.[34] Independent studies have supported the idea of addressing poverty through mixed-income developments,[35][36] but the argument that New Urbanism produces such diversity has been challenged from findings from one community in Canada.[37]

2. podcast link about Minneapolis new urbanism klatch

Strong Towns

3. blogger in Sf with short film about Google bus

4. about Claes Oldenburg’s Good Humor Bar

See also: good humor versus cream sickle

See also: good humor versus cream sickle

5. maybe I should see if there is a yelp photo of corned beef hash at Joanies, or A Good Morning or Cibos. (I do have that Greg Brown Cibos, from just yesterday, or Wedneday)

6. bottom line: food for thought but maybe greenwash of growth for growth’s sake

*according to this article, the invention of the cream sickle and Burnham’s plans for a monument on Twin Peaks occurred in that same year, 1905

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Weiss to appear at Elks Club Palo Alto September 22 at 1:11 p.m.

Posted on August 15, 2014 by markweiss86

Palo Alto City Council candidate Mark Weiss, the minimalist who mixes Ralph Nader with Donald Judd*, will appear at the Elks Club on Monday, September 22, 2014 for exactly one minute, at 1:11 p.m.

Twelve candidates will appear at a forum sponsored by Rotary Club, which overall will last 90 ridiculously long and boring minutes, or an hour and a half.

Weiss plans to bike from his North Palo Alto abode — a one-bedroom apartment at Oak Creek — to the south Palo Alto venue, as he did for a “scoping meeting” (?, #@&^) recently. He is considering learning to unicycle in keeping with the digital them of the event, zeroes and one.

Weiss announced today that he is also seeking the endorsement of musician Mac MacCaughan, whose 1995 song “The 1st Part” oddly enough contains, when you play a 180-gram vinyl version backwards on a Crosley turntable bought from Urban Outfitters, the entirety of his 150-word platform, albeit in pig-Latin. (Ok, pig-latin with a southern or north florida drawl, as distinct from a Clyde Jones on the roof of Crooks Corner number).

Did we mention that Superchunk played Weiss’ Earthwise Productions five-year show, in 1999? Weiss said that in payback for Mac rocking the Cubby the Cub Bear t-shirt the next night at GAMH, Weiss will wear the blue shirt and flannel depicted above, although to fit it, Weiss will have to lose 20 pounds, mostly by increasing his lap swim at Oak Creek’s 25-m pool. (Isn’t there a Superchunk song about 25-m lap swim pools? No, that’s driveway-to-driveway-to-driveway-to-driveway-dunk)

superchunkmbw

The precision of Judd’s sculpture has led people to see an idealizing impulse behind it. But Judd saw himself as empiricist and his work as sharpening the perceptions of a public addled by encountering falseness daily on every front, from advertising to architecture. (that’ actually Kenneth Baker, on Judd)

edit to add: at the Rotary Club candidates forum, coming up Sept. 22, they want us to have 40 copies of a 150-word platform. Wonder if I can get Merge to donate in kind lyrics to “The First Part” as a way around spending the $6 or so on xeroxing — in 2009 and 2012 I amassed 7,000 votes combined without spending a dime.

So this is the first part
We’re drunk and the selfless relentless caresses
How long must the first part last
Before we make our respective messes?

Well all the clocks wound down
Well all the clocks wound down
And all the doors thrown open
One good minute could last me a whole year

One good minute will last me a whole year
Well it’s a delicate line
We draw it in pink
We draw it in white

So take your time with it
Yeah take your time
I have remembered these things before
Whispered phrases and emotions

I have remembered these things before
Whispered phrases and emotions
And I know that they will only
I know that they will only haunt me

One good minute could last me a whole year
One good minute will last me a whole year
Well it’s a delicate line
We draw it in pink

We draw it in white
So take your time with it
Yeah take your time

I guess I’m Ralph Nader meets Donald Judd meets Chance the Gardener meets Wesley Willis or something, if I claim this is my platform. Actually, the clock metaphor fits with George Packer “The Unwinding”

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Joe Zirker show at Art Center

Posted on August 15, 2014 by markweiss86

Joe Zirker actually asked me to shoot his show, both the art and the people, and I complied with about 34 shots before it got dark enough that my camera starts to automatically use a flash, and I stopped. That plus I had promised myself I would leave at 7 to catch Charlie Chan at the Olympics.

Joe and Eva’s grand-daughter Carmisa (I hope I am spelling that) started telling me her work and study in social justice. I wanted to counter with a description of the so-called Gunn graffiti hate crime. I’d like her take on what the heck that was all about here — I am resting my case that the First Amendment carries despite efforts by the school, the press and the spokesperson for PAPD to fan the flames of racism and classism here.

Ok, Joe, you deserve better than someone to hijack your event for political agendas, even ones you or your family might agree with. In fact Joe Zirker in honor of his show, and his 90th birthday, deserves 90 actual art critics to see and write on this set. I will try, therefore, to send this post to 90 art writers and bloggers. Maybe Joe Oliveira can forward this to Peter Selz, who we saw (and I shot) recently at Cantor and WCC.

Carmisa wondered if the couple depicted in this Joe Zirker piece were his parents (her great-great-grand-parents)

Carmisa wondered if the couple depicted in this Joe Zirker piece were his parents (her great-great-grand-parents)

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It’s appalling and frankly it weakens our discourse and the diversity of perspectives

Posted on August 14, 2014 by markweiss86

or, Two Sides of Sid

It’s appalling and frankly it weakens our discourse and the diversity of perspectives.

sid espinosa on lack of women and asian and overall candidates or mark weiss on Measure D Amendment backed by Roger Smith, Betsy Bechtel, Liz Kniss, Walter Hays, Peter Drekmeir and Sid Espinosa.

source: Palo Alto Weekly op-ed “If you are not running for Palo Alto City Council, why not?” June 9, 2009 by Sid

Sid, don't turn your back on the inclusive basis of Democracy

Sid, don’t turn your back on the inclusive basis of Democracy

edit to add: somehow forgot Mike Cobb and Judy Kleinberg. Don’t get me wrong, I like Sid, and feel there is some amount of mutual respect. I just don’t get him here. His June, 2009 column is one of the things that drew me into this process, now five years in. (And for the record, I got 800 votes that year, 5,700 in 2012 so that projects geometrically to about 35,000 projected votes by November 4).

Mike Cobb I met initially when, from fall, 1994 to January, 2001 I was producing two concerts a month at Cubberley; he practically was Cubberley in those days; they almost changed the name to Cobberley. (Actually, Del Thorpe was the facility manager, reporting to Barry Weiss, Richard James, Paul Thiltgen). Recently, apropos of the current discussions of The Cub, I said, running into Mr. Cobb at Midtown Coffee shop, that I would be willing to do research for a white paper on arts at Cubberley, if that would help him, but we never followed up or Cobb-sumated the deal. He did give me some advice: go along to get along. I’m trying.

Judy Kleinberg I met around that same time, 1995, 1996 in that she was running Safer Summer which produced teen band concerts at Just Desserts on Bryant and we traded notes on teen talent. When my relationship with Del Thorpe went completely sour, I wrote Judy about intervening on my behalf, but September, 2001 as we recall brought a bigger problems, or so I thought, and I just dropped the notion and became an artist manager (a B2B model, so to speak) before or beyond concerts per se.

Someone advised me recently that Measure D (this is our third Measure D — the first, my mnemonic is “demeaning” was about pensions and the public safety cba, the second about Maybell) because it is so gradual is kind of a red herring and probably trivial, but even so. (I wrote a proposed ballot argument against the amendment but was apparently outflanked by the higher-ranking group, if City Clerk persists in letting them call themselves something other than a campaign committee dressed in drag, talk about clear story).

Sid gave me a pep talk in the aftermath of 2009 fall, when I applied to Library Commission in early 2010; he even through me a softball question at the interview — what did I think of the recent commission white paper? — but I somehow whiffed on that. I’ve written on him at least three times here, and mentioned him 20 times, in first 830 posts. (I tried to get him to co-sponsor a visit by his Wesleyan colleague the basketball trickster Bobbito Garcia). I’d love to have Sid over (to Terry’s actually, I have no tv) and watch either “Sweet Smell of Success” or “All the Kings Men”. Or sit with him at a Stanford Theatre co-bill of such — after I become mayor if not before. This is a funny way to issue the invitation.

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Maverick intentions

Posted on August 14, 2014 by markweiss86
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Art imitating artist

Posted on August 14, 2014 by markweiss86

OR, ALO STATUE?

gregBrown

joeTime

I’m editing about 1,000 photographs and short films on my new Motorola smart-phone droid. I’m posting photo-essays on about a subset of 80 of those. I hope to delete another 500 or so, if I get a minute. (Terry says I can move them en masse to my MacPro – we’ll see; or, I can learn to upload the videos as well as I move the still shots; even that, I can learn a shortcut rather than tapping e a r w o p a @ y a h o o dot c o m each t i m e, aiht?)

I had a power breakfast with Lydia Kuo, a fellow candidate for Palo Alto City Council yesterday morning at Cibo on El Camino. (Which I think of a Lyon’s or a place that had a special World Cup menu in 1994). Lydia was dressed down in t-shirt stretch pants to my black Polo golf shirt and 501s, but rocked it quite well – should have done a selfie.

I quizzed her on Greg Brown minutiae — they are kinda neighbors. And shot the above of the guy checking his watch. (But: he has not time piece???)

Later that night, Terry and I popped in on Joe and Eva Zirker and sang “Happy Birthday” to Joe, who turned 90. I shot a photo of him/them (after so many years, they blend together). But I thought it looked like the Greg Brown work, so I posted them here as a duo.

edit to add: stupid smart-phone! when I searched my photo to find Greg Brown’s number, it tried to connect me via email to Mitch Greenhill, of Folklore Productions in Los Angeles –I hardly know – whose dad Manny was Odetta’s manager and agent, I met at Bethany Yarrow’s concert at the Getty. And he also booked Otis Taylor. Also, I shot this weird paparazzo shot of Lydia. I cannot wait to upgrade to a real portrait of her. She is photogenic.

Lydia Kuo disappearing into the parking lot of Cibo on El Camino, Barron Park, Wednesday morning -- I actually have two shots of this, but didn't sit her proper.

Lydia Kuo disappearing into the parking lot of Cibo on El Camino, Barron Park, Wednesday morning — I actually have two shots of this, but didn’t sit her proper.

EDIT TO ADD, AGAIN: This does not follow, except in Plastic Alto on its worst days, but (speaking of, or to, Greg Brown – and I have Matt Bowling’s book Palo Alto Remembered 2012 on my lap for moral authority:

Hi, Alo.
Nice meeting you.
First, in regards to today’s Mystery Photo, the work is by Greg Brown and it is on the wall of Palo Alto Sport and Toy, and it depicts a canary lighting on the garden hose of June Nystrom, his grandmother. He installed the work years ago such that June would come upon it and be surprised of its existence. It is also a true story, that a canary landed on her garden hose. There was previously a plant growing in proximity of the work such that, consistent with many of his Palo Alto installations, there is a trompe l’oeill effect. (The shrub became overgrown and then was removed or replaced)

By the way, Greg Brown endorses my candidacy for Palo Alto City Council. He joins Chris Gaither, a 2009 candidate, in that designation. More to come (In contrast to 2009 and 2012 when I had supporters among the smartest, savviest and most-respected Palo Altans, but did not publicize it as such).

Meanwhile is attached a recent photo of Joey Piziali’s 2009 work “Don’t Bullshit A Bullshitter”, a work on paper, yet also a type of sculpture and social sculpture (after Beuys). As I said to you previously today in my visit to your office-condominium (!), a version of this was once rejected by another Palo Alto-based newspaper. I’d be curious and interested to work out the terms under which this could be an advertorial or ad feature or sponsored content in Daily Post, sometime between now and November 5, 2014. What if, for instance, we photographed Mark Weiss (me, I don’t always talk of self in third person but felt oddly compelled in this instance) posing next to said work somewhere in Palo Alto, for instance, either by Piziali’s public art collection mural (on Cali Ave, near Starbucks, part of the triptych also featuring Chris Johanson and David Huffman) or across from Whole Foods, near the crosswalk. A second photo shows a lesser version of this, with scale (it’s actually shot on my balcony, at Oak Creek Apartments). References: “Sullivan’s Travels”, “O Brother Where ART Thou”, some guy running now for Republican candidate for Governor posing as homeless guy, Howard Gossage “Any hope for advertising?”, a film by Goodby Berlin and Silverstein circa 1988 featuring a homeless guy who was also an art director at a different firm. Also: I have a tribute to Ginsburg “Howl”, similarly a statement about “obscenity” and dissent.

I think the phrase itself was popularized in “Ghost Dog” the Jim Jarmusch movie. Not that I can explain it, but the piece was a response to a call for entries in 2009 of an event at Smith-Andersen Gallery, a group show of about 10 people referencing Democracy, hypocrisy and the Palo Alto City Council elections of that year. I curated the event and co-hosted with Gail Price (also running for Council, and seated).

I am critical of leadership, and certain members of the press yet have my own peccadilloes, or there are “errata” as Ben Franklin, of himself, said. (If there were a passage from his “Autobiography” that could be spray-painted then put into the Post, that would probably be an upgrade).

Let me know what you think.

As I said, if I spend more than $1,000 I would have to re-file certain forms with Election Officials. (In theory, we could pretend or execute the piece in such a way that it is not a campaign ad for Mark Weiss but that is probably not the best way to go).

What if you set up a photo shoot where I lounge around near Whole Foods and the piece and your photographer or Gilbert on Coke (not Gilbert and George,I presume) happens by. Brings to mind Washington Post and Joshua Bell, in addition to above. (For the record, Mark Weiss is a renter in Palo Alto but actually a member of the bourgeios.)?

To the extent that other paper rejected a version of this, in their defense it was merely a type treatment of
DON’T BULLSHIT A BULLSHITTER.
set in 1/4 page or so, maybe $500 or so.

Lemme know.

Mark Weiss
650.305.xxxx

and regarding my previous statement or query about the distinction between your editorial policy, in which I find flaws, and the ad department, I am fine with taking it up with Price should he include me in his coverage of the race or run a panel. I told Breena Kerr for instance that I thought his statement about enforcement of our codes regarding tables on the public right-of-way (“boot on neck of small business”) was puerile and perhaps dangerous, and a subsidy of landlords. Also, her article calls me “staunchly pro-Union” when in fact I refused in 2012 to sign their contract promising quid pro quo, something your paper did not report at the time.

From: Alo
To: earwopa@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2014 10:21 AM
Subject: 2014 City of Palo Alto Council

Good Morning Mark,

Congratulations on your candidacy for the City of Palo Alto Council. My name is Alo Mano, from the Palo Alto Daily Post newspaper and wanted to reach out and send you our Political advertising rates for this years elections.

The Palo Alto Daily Post is a free, daily publication based in Palo Alto that covers the entire Mid-Peninsula. Our distribution covers as far north as Burlingame and far south to Mountain View with heaviest distribution in Palo Alto and Menlo Park and a daily readership of 65,000+ daily.

Provided in the rate card is several advertising options; print, pre-printed mailers and/or front page stickie-notes. Ad sizes, frequency options are all listed below. Please review and let me know how I can help your campaign! If you have time in your schedule to meet and discuss instead let me know what works best for you as I’m flexible.

I look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck!

Best regards,

Alo Mano
(650) 328-7700
“We take pride in bringing our readers a great source and advertisers great results” especially you billionaires and developers

Piziali Weiss 2009/2014

Piziali Weiss 2009/2014

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Counting blue cars

Posted on August 14, 2014 by markweiss86

Hans Delannoy, his blue vette, at Charleston Center, August, 2014

Hans Delannoy, his blue vette, at Charleston Center, August, 2014


A guy named Mario, and his 1955 or 1954 blue, American beauty; note the Ferrari t-shirt, State Street Los Altos, August, 14, 2014

A guy named Mario, and his 1955 or 1954 blue, American beauty; note the Ferrari t-shirt, State Street Los Altos, August, 14, 2014

Outro, a number one modern rock hit by Dishwalla, on Pet Your Friends:

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Stanford garners Fields Prize

Posted on August 14, 2014 by markweiss86

maryam

Paul J. Cohen won the Fields Prize in 1966 for work he did on the continuum hypothesis in 1963 while living in Palo Alto, on Princeton Street in College Terrace (actually quite close to where Zuckerberg founded Facebook years later). Cohen’s three sons, Steve, Eric and Charles attended Gunn High and were stalwarts in academics, student government, sports, The Gunn Oracle and drama, as a set, individually and collectively, sometimes twinned.

Let’s hope the Mirzakhani family can continue to stay in Palo Alto and contribute to community life, and not be displaced by gentrification or forced to “sell-out”.

Kudos. 

I’m looking forward to either a graphic novel version of her work or a Hollywood pic with, if not Russell Crowe, Matt Damon or Robin Williams than at least Rachel Weisz or Hilary Swank. Anybody? (speaking of topology….)


Or, as Bjorn (!) Carey of the University News Service says:

Maryam Mirzakhani, a professor of mathematics at Stanford, has been awarded the 2014 Fields Medal, the most prestigious honor in mathematics. Mirzakhani is the first woman to win the prize, widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize of mathematics,” since it was established in 1936.

Courtesy of Maryam Mirzakhani

Maryam Mirzakhani portrait

Maryam Mirzakhani was awarded the Fields Medal for her sophisticated and highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems.

“This is a great honor. I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians,” Mirzakhani said. “I am sure there will be many more women winning this kind of award in coming years.”

Officially known as the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, the Fields Medal will be presented by the International Mathematical Union on Aug. 13 at the International Congress of Mathematicians, held this year in Seoul, South Korea. Mirzakhani is the first Stanford recipient to win this honor since Paul Cohen in 1966.

The award recognizes Mirzakhani’s sophisticated and highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding the symmetry of curved surfaces, such as spheres, the surfaces of doughnuts and of hyperbolic objects. Although her work is considered “pure mathematics” and is mostly theoretical, it has implications for physics and quantum field theory.

And the reason I bang that Bjorn of course is that in 1962 or so, Paul Cohen, the Jewish math whiz from Brooklyn was in Sweden on some type of junket and was on a Gilligan-esque “three hour tour” and met a local farm girl named Christina Karls and the rest is his-story, or their story: Steve, Eric, Charles and their parents. Steve and Eric, twins — and apologies to Dr. Mirzakhani for the topology of this post — I used to describe, noting the stereotypes of jews versus swedes as “Bjorn Borg meets Woody Allen”types. I still ring Steve or Eric out of the blue, at all hours, and throw “life-line” questions at them about math. I did call Steven the minute I saw Maryam’s news in the paper, and he said that Christina had already heard and told him. Someone else posted that Paul’s effort was “epic” and referenced Cantor, whereas Maryam, the implication is, is an ordinary or typical Fields laureate. Terry on her phone or computer has a picture of Paul’s actual prize, from when we helped Christina clear out the family’s long-time home on San Juan hill. Steven and Eric meanwhile are still sitting on a lot of footage they shot of PJC directly before he presented with the conditions that eventually did him in — plus some footage of the Godel 100. Maybe the film could be “Stanford Fields” and be about Paul and Maryam — like I was seeing, just shoot her. (inside joke about another fac brat bud of ours).

edit to add: this also, in my view, churns the topic of: should palo alto historical add a place or marker to the site on Princeton Street where Paul and Christina lived (before moving into that big house on campus) when he wrote the disproving forcing paper? In some ways, it is comparable to the garage.

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