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

Posted in art, ethniceities, Plato's Republic | Leave a comment

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:

Posted in filthy lucre, this blue marble, words | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in ethniceities, film, filthy lucre, math, sex | Leave a comment

Endorsements, encounters, engagement

Posted on August 12, 2014 by markweiss86

This is a 40-picture set of images I took with my new Motorola droid, most of which pertains to my Palo Alto City Council candidacy. Check back if this looks like less than 40.

My coach Hans Delannoy endorsed my campaign today.

My coach Hans Delannoy endorsed my campaign today.

I didn't ask Joe for an endorsement but did catch this natural light shot of him, Joe Zirker, on the day before his 90th birthday

I didn’t ask Joe for an endorsement but did catch this natural light shot of him, Joe Zirker, on the day before his 90th birthday

Terry Acebo Davis and Shylow, at Animal Services Palo Alto

Terry Acebo Davis and Shylow, at Animal Services Palo Alto

Megan the mixologist at Lure and Till seemed offended when I jokingly asked if she was Elizabeth Holmes, "the thirty-year-old with the nine-billion-dollar-start-up". I'm not 30! she said.

Megan the mixologist at Lure and Till seemed offended when I jokingly asked if she was Elizabeth Holmes, “the thirty-year-old with the nine-billion-dollar-start-up”. I’m not 30! she said.

My Gunn classmate Richard Freed and I spent a considerable amount of the 1980s and 1990s hanging Paly- and Frisco-style, but no so much in recent years; we chanced into each other at Johnson Park the other day.

My Gunn classmate Richard Freed and I spent a considerable amount of the 1980s and 1990s hanging Paly- and Frisco-style, but no so much in recent years; we chanced into each other at Johnson Park the other day.

Russ Cohen of Palo Alto Downtown, shown here at Cogswell nooner series, asked me not to malign him here; it's true I suffer from Foote-cone-mouth disease..

Russ Cohen of Palo Alto Downtown, shown here at Cogswell nooner series, asked me not to malign him here; it’s true I suffer from Foote-cone-mouth disease..

Terry and I met this charming young lady and her dog, Diego, at Austere, a Swedish themed gallery on Hill Street downtown LA-LA, when we stayed at Ace hotel in July, 2014

Terry and I met this charming young lady and her dog, Diego, at Austere, a Swedish themed gallery on Hill Street downtown LA-LA, when we stayed at Ace hotel in July, 2014

I thought I saw my name WEIS but it actually says 213 W. as in "west" but also the area code for that part of La-La.

I thought I saw my name WEIS but it actually says 213 W. as in “west” but also the area code for that part of La-La.

It actually is Weird Beers of 213 W. Seventh Street.

Devan John runs a 5:10 mile for the Michigan State Spartans but sat for me, kinda sorta, during her internship at Bryant Street Gallery of Palo Alto

Devan John runs a 5:10 mile for the Michigan State Spartans but sat for me, kinda sorta, during her internship at Bryant Street Gallery of Palo Alto

Henry and Rochelle Ford, both of whom have endorsed Mark Weiss for Palo Alto City Council, met in 1953 when he was a star footballer at Pitt and she was, as today, beautiful.

Henry and Rochelle Ford, both of whom have endorsed Mark Weiss for Palo Alto City Council, met in 1953 when he was a star footballer at Pitt and she was, as today, beautiful.

Terry and I met Carmenita Choy at the I-Hotel space in North Beach, where Terry's work hung this summer

Terry and I met Carmenita Choy at the I-Hotel space in North Beach, where Terry’s work hung this summer


Norzen lives and works in Palo Alto and offered to arrange a Tibetan divination about my campaign for Council.

Norzen lives and works in Palo Alto and offered to arrange a Tibetan divination about my campaign for Council.

Barbara Weiss, my mother, was President of the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center and, along with my father Paul Weiss donated a collection of pottery to the DeYoung Museum

Barbara Weiss, my mother, was President of the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center and, along with my father Paul Weiss donated a collection of pottery to the DeYoung Museum

edit to add, October 6: picked up two endorsements, Nancy Packer and Dr. Peter Casini. Thank you! Liz Zitelli already has four signs on her lawn but agreed to put up a Mark Bennett Weiss for City Council. Thanks, Liz. I told Nancy Packer that I’ve been talking about her son George Packer and “The Unwinding” so much that I might as well be selling it out of the trunk of my car. Will check with the local vendors to see if I can get a wholesale rate, and yeah, I would try that, if only to get a blog post out of the story. And in my brain this flashes to: Jim Newton a Paly ’81 to Packer’s Gunn 1978, to appear via Kepler’s interviewing Leon Panetta on Oct. 17. And I did mention to Weiss-endorser the staff attorney or chief attorney for Public Defender of Sf Matt Gonzalez (who wants to be remembered as an artist who dabbled politically) the Bryan Stevenson lecture coming to Kepler’s Nov. 6, two days after (my) election.

Deirdre Crommie 7 years on the Parks Commission and a mensch, thanks for your support!

Deirdre Crommie 7 years on the Parks Commission and a mensch, thanks for your support!

Posted in art, ethniceities, media, Plato's Republic, sports | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Our Mayor Nancy Scombridae

Posted on August 12, 2014 by markweiss86

I spoke at Council twice yesterday, once on our “parks deficit” and once on the dubious public benefit at the former JJ&F site, and both times Nancy Shepherd botched my name. (She called me “weese” once and “mike”).

Reminds me of this exchange between Evan O’Dorney — the Intel winner and Spelling Bee champ — and a CNN newsreader whose name no one recalls, in 2007. (Incidentally or not, I described the precocious O’Dorney in context of Paul J. Cohen — another Intel-Westinghouse winner — and that post is one of my post hit-upon; do the math).

Nancy and I, for the record, have been friends since we met, and were seated together, on the 2009 campaign trail.

(In a previous post, I imagined her dancing to an Imperial Teen song, from a movie).

Nancy mentioned that she has been stressing lately and has never been good with names, in an email.

Also, Jay Thorwaldsen, editor emeritus of PAW,commented below about Samantha Lee’s art NOT depicting a scuba diver, and coined a term “scubidicoius” or something (in the way that Pat Burt said the objection to work on Cali Ave was “clabber-gaseous”).

I will file this under “words”.

I will try to chill her out when the op arises, Ms. Nancy Scombridae.

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Joe 90 v. Joe 90

Posted on August 12, 2014 by markweiss86

I never heard of Joe 90 until my cousin Craig told me that his band had changed it’s name to it, to wit:

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Happy 90th birthday, Joseph Zirker and good luck at art show opening Thursday in Palo Alto

Posted on August 12, 2014 by markweiss86
Menlo Park artist Joe Zirker turns 90 Wednesday and has an opening at Palo Alto Art Center Thursday, 6 p.m.

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:

joepeg

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:
joeByTerry14

Posted in art, ethniceities, Plato's Republic | 1 Comment

Britt of 534 Ramona (from series of casual portraits of people I meet oftentimes)

Posted on August 12, 2014 by markweiss86

IMG_20140812_175458945

Years ago, before I moved back to Palo Alto from San Francisco I worked in ad agencies as a freelance copywriter and also had some of my own small clients. In that spirit I toured the then-new store on Ramona and told this woman, who later posed for a photo and said she wanted to be a singer, that I could help the managers of the store reach out to the community, and perhaps get our then-mayor to new a ribbon cutting or appearance. I left them a business card but did not do any work for them; the building is owned by Elizabeth and Jaime Wong, whose project at 429 University I later spoke in favor of. Also, back in the 1990s I briefly dated a woman who split her time between booking rock shows and doing the marketing for the same group that sells its wares at 534 Ramona the former shoe store.  As for “Britt” — if that’s her real name — have not seen her since nor  heard her sing, to the best of my knowledge. (the original post is from 2014, the update is summer, 2018 and only because WordPress says someone clicked on this yesterday. There are 2 views total in four years. Now that I’ve tagged this “elizabeth wong” lordy look out)

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Hoops legend endorses former player for Palo Alto City Council

Posted on August 12, 2014 by markweiss86
Cougar-Titan legend Hans Delannoy, Charleston Center, August 12, 2014

Cougar-Titan legend Hans Delannoy, Charleston Center, August 12, 2014

(my coach Hans Delannoy strolled Cubberley campus today and talked about old times. Hans led Gunn to league championships in 1980 and 1981 and was California Coach of the Year for leading San Ramon girls to a section championship in 2006, months after he and I organized a reunion to help current Gunn boys break a skid of losses to crosstown Paly. When Gunn finally beat Paly and won league, for first time in 28 years, Tom Jacoubowsky emailed all of us who playing our small role. Truth to told, I was a small part of the 1981 Titans, who went 25-3. Our top player, future Texas-El Paso star and NBA draftee for the Knicks Kent Lockhart had 1,400 points and I had exactly four — on one field goal and two free throws — I say, I get more mileage out of one bucket than any prep player in history…more to come here — I actually have about 40 shots — photo shots, not round ball delivered in arc with back spin — to post, that I will call “Endorsements, Encounters, Engagements”, later but meanwhile here is Bobbito Garcia and his highlight reel. Not an endorsement, but I did sit next to him at Brown Sugar in Oaktown. Mitch Stephens of the Chron and Exam dubbed Hans “Peninsula legend”

edit to add:

San Ramon Valley (16-11, 7-2), coached by longtime boys and girls coach and former Peninsula playing legend Hans deLannoy, seems to have all the pieces in place. San Ramon Valley is the only other Contra Costa team to win a Division II title (1990). MS, 12/25/04, the Chronicle

Meanwhile Hans is hosting his retirement gala, Saturday, August 23, 2014 6 p.m. at San Ramon Marriott; Tony Bowers and Mark Weiss are among the Titans set for the tilt. Thanks, Hans, for posting that photo of me on the Bill Green (1961-2012) bench, behind the Cubberley football-soccer-track fields.

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Meet Mike Cassidy and eat Chinese Tuesday

Posted on August 11, 2014 by markweiss86

TASC event — news to me

Mike Cassidy

August 12th

Women and Computing: The Promise Denied

Mike Cassidy, former Silicon Valley Dispatches columnist at the San Jose Mercury News, and currently the storyteller at BloomReach, a big data marketing application startup, wrote a three-part series on women and computing earlier this year. Part one of the series covered the reasons behind the lack of women in computing (women hold less than a quarter of computing jobs in the US) and the consequences. Part two addressed the question of why it matters that women are not better represented in the tech workforce. Part three looked at what it will take to reverse the decline (women earning computer science bachelor degrees declined from 37 percent in 1984 to 17.6 percent in 2011).

Mike will summarize his findings, share his experience researching the series and moderating a panel discussion (Cracking the Code: New Ways to Get More Women and Girls in Tech), and comment on the significance of recent moves by Google, Facebook and Yahoo to disclose the diversity of their workforces.

Mountain View, I found on link from Weekly, contact a Bob Kirby 965-something Hangen Schewan 134 Castro, I have a breakfast meeting with Lydia Kuo in Barron Park if anyone is stalking me.

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