Beyond Beyond Well Being

Took me a few months to get this uploaded, but this was taken on Memorial Day, adjacent to the Santa Monica pier where every Sunday an organization puts up a wooden cross for every soldier killed in the War of Terror (sic). They call it "Arlington West".

This sculpture is actually considered to be in West LA, found adjacent to the Los Angeles National Cemetery at the corner of Wilshire and Veteran.

Its inscription quotes Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address which talks about "...care for him who shall have borne the battle and his widow and orphan". It is a touching and fitting memorial to those who have lost their lives so that I might benefit. Nothing short of impressive there and I want to clearly offer my gratitude for such deeds.

Now, on to my point. My god, she's HOT!

Where was Jesse Helms when this sculpture was approved?

She's practically naked to begin with and although this image can't really pick it up, there are fully formed nipple erections and everything. No wonder the soldier's weapons are so erect and ready for action!

Seriously, you gotta check out this sculpture carefully next time you're driving by. I might also suggest that you cover the eyes of your preteen children less they erroneously begin to connect sex and war.

Too late?

This is Bob.

Bob has no compunctions against sitting down on a public bench with me even though every time he does so, he can't remember me from the time prior. With the exception of some difficulty in creating new memories, he's all there.

He can't remember me, but every time we sit and talk, I learn more about him. I tell him this each time he sits down, just to bring him up to speed. We laugh at the fact that I have him at a disadvantage in that I have a linear map of memories that we share, but he doesn't. Its kind of profound, if you think about it.

Imagine sitting down to a conversation with someone you've never met, but that person can tell you many things about your life. That must be quite a challenge to feel comfortable.

I try and keep him feeling comfortable, though. We share observations on the weather, the mood of the ocean, the startling amazement of the shear size of the pelicans that fly low over our heads.

Last time we said "goodbye" he walked off repeating my name over and over to himself. He's trying to remember me. Perhaps he'll be able to do it this time. That would be special. :)

Nice guy, I enjoy our talks.

That is Bob.

I try to only upload good pictures and this one ain't.
However this young man's value isn't his appearance.
It isn't his singing either. It's his guitar playing.

I believe that this is the same young man who started out playing for
change on the 3rd Street Promenade a few years ago. He was probably nine
years old at the time. Now he looks to be well in to his teens. He was a
genius as a child, and nothing has changed. He's only gotten better.

I call him the Spirit of Jimi. This is not something that I say lightly.
He's an incredible guitarist, but there are plenty of them around.
What makes this young man different is his lack of self-consciousness,
his innate understanding of electric blues, he really looks and sounds
like he is quite unaware of the fact that he's playing in public.
Just like Jimi.
There's something amazing going on here...

I really shouldn't call ginkgo "trendy". However it has been a popular subject for Asian artists for years and one that has been enthusiastically embraced in the West. And for good reason too, as you can see, ginkgo trees turn a brilliant yellow in the autumn.

Santa Monica locals love Chinese feng shui. However what few locals know about Chinese culture is that they put a LOT of thought into their naming of things because of a sort of verbal feng shui. Obviously, this apartment building was named long before feng shui ever entered the local consciousness.

So this Maxstudio clothing store on the Third Street Promenade is putting up a new display exploiting the whole green revolution. It bugs me enough to snap a picture of it, just in case I want to mock them on a blog or something. If it isn't evident, the signage reads: "Global Warming Panic Sale - 60% off"

Feh!