Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss

OR, ALO STATUE?

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.

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

Menlo Park artist Joe Zirker turns 90 Wednesday and has an opening at Palo Alto Art Center Thursday, 6 p.m.

From our friends at Art Center:

Thursday, August 14, 6-8 p.m.
Palo Alto Art Center, Meeting Room
FREE

Join us on Thursday for refreshments (and cake!) as we celebrate the 90th birthday of internationally recognized local artist Joseph Zirker, and his current exhibition, Joseph Zirker: A Celebration of Prints, Collages and Sculptures. This exhibition offers a glimpse at works created during an extensive and ongoing career, highlighting new collages by the ever-prolific artist whose innovations continue to inspire.

For more information contact the Art Center at 620.329.2366 or artcenter@cityofpaloalto.org.

edit to add, an hour later: I was sitting in City Hall nodding off in a Committee of Policy and Services meeting on City Audit when my phone buzzed to tell me that the Joe Show was this week, Thursday. I jumped up and left meeting, waking the entire row, and within 8 minutes was posing Joe in the twilight. But when Terry, my Terry, Terry Acebo Davis the former two-term PA Arts Commissioner got back from her day-night job, on bike, she suggested that we swap out the immediacy of my photo for the reportage of our recent visit to the Zirker Studios, two-miles from City Hall, in nearby Menlo or MenAlto. By Terry: