Fat and Lovely

Our yellow house guest has gotten so fat on moths that she'll now have to waddle across the flower. In the meantime, the pineapple sage is roaring back and looking lovely after a major trimming.

"Argo F**k Yourself"

We went to see Ben Affleck's highly suspenseful feature "Argo" yesterday. The director/star's film is the most successful exercise in audience control in years. Based on a real story nick named the Canadian Caper, I kept trying to reassure myself that all would be well in the end. It didn't work. John Goodman and Alan Arkin reinforce the stereotype that all us movie people are wise cracking, jaded jokesters.

50 Years

A clever video remixing of the Bond title songs. Watch it here

Perfect Sunset

With 3/4" of rain last week, the garden is waking from it's summer dormancy. New growth and color everywhere in these late afternoon pics.

Perfect Killer

The yellow spider has been catching one or two moths a day....and getting fat in the process. The lethal killing machine claims another victim. I beleive it to be a Goldenrod Crab Spider. They can change color over the course of a few days. This one blends in perfectly.

Perfect Meatballs

A perfect pot of WL's amazing meatballs simmering away on the stove top

Making the Impossible, Possible

The Metropolitan Museum recently shuttered it's Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exhibit. Amongst the dresses, famed director Baz Luhrmann created some videos of an imaginary dinner between the two women. A very real Miuccia Prada is in discussion with actress Judy Davis as "Schiap". Watch them all here

Mission 26

An interesting time lapse video of the space shuttle's travels through Los Angeles.

Simone's Shuttle

Superior BB Simone P sent along a few photos of the shuttle reaching the Science Center. It will be good to see the Endeavor up close soon.

White Hot Dog

Wide Load

The space shuttle snaked it's way through the streets of Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday to it's resting place at the California Science Center.

Unveiled

The foot got unveiled seven days after surgery. The nurse got down to this tape and went no further. I guess I don't get to see the toes until the stitches come out in two weeks.

Sinister Oddity

The garden is becoming a deadly place to be. The yellow spider claimed it's first victim today. An unlucky moth died looking for some nectar. This solves the question as to whether the spider's color was for camouflage or not. On a less lethal note, the pepper bush is bursting and new blooms are studding the branches.

DC Monastery

When I was in DC, I biked one morning over to the Franciscan Monastery in the northeast part of town. The grounds contain many gardens, mosaics, chapels and a few eerie looking passageways. Inside, the church is a replica of the one in the Holy Land. They have also recreated some of the catacombs that exist under Rome and house relics and bones of saints there.

Oddity

I was out working in the garden this morning and came across a spider on one of the flowers that I'd never seen before. Was wondering if the bright yellow was camouflage or if it was this oddity's natural color.

Once Upon A Time

I had a few days off while working in DC and one day coming back from the subway, I passed the Spanish Embassy. A large banner said there was a display of photographs taken in the Almeria area of famous film sites. "Once Upon A Time In Almeria" documents the area of Spain that Hollywood used as a backlot in the 1960's and 70's. "Cleopatra", "Lawrence of Arabia" and the spaghetti westerns of Clint Eastwood being just a few of the highlights. Mark Parascandola's contemporary photos capture the decaying set pieces in a dramatic light. My favorite is the beach which doubled as Aqaba, Jordan in "Lawrence of Arabia", huge construction cranes now standing in contrast to the hundreds of horses that streamed through the streets 50 years ago.