Autographs - Allen Ginsberg

This is one of only two authors whose autograph I have without having met them in person. (The other is Arthur C. Clarke.) I was a devoted customer of the wonderful LGBT bookstore A Different Light in Silverlake (long gone, sigh). But I had to be out of town on the date that Allen Ginsberg was going to visit and sign books. Bookstore manager Richard LaBonte readily agreed to ask Ginsberg to autograph these three books I bought ahead of time.

Even if I had met him, I'm not sure I would have had the nerve to ask him to kiss me, so I could enjoy the vicarious thrill of indirectly kissing so many other famous folks. As the story goes,

If you can get a staff member of the store [Philadelphia's Giovanni's Room] to kiss you, then you will be in the direct succession of Walt Whitman's kiss, which flows from Walt to Edward Carpenter to E.M. Forster to Allen Ginsberg to Bern Boyle, one of the founders of Giovanni's Room.

(Index of autographs)

Autographs

I have a modest collection of autographed books. Although it includes some very well-known authors, the books are mostly cheap paperbacks, because I've almost never bought hardbacks. And, because they're cheap paperbacks and because I never did anything to protect them, many are falling apart. 

Still, I enjoy recalling each meeting with an author. I've decided to start scanning the autographs and posting them here. 

I hesitated because nothing about these posts will help cultivate outrage, but there aren't enough of them to justify an entirely new blog, and there are already other non-outrage posts here. Click here for an index.

Channel Islands - Sept. '83

Pinnipeds at Pt. Bennet, San Miguel Island

Over Labor Day, 1983, I toured some of Channel Islands National Park. My visit began with an overnight boat trip to the farthest island, San Miguel. There a park ranger led us on a short hike to view the pinnipeds on the beach. In the photo, all those dark spots and streaks on the sand are seals and sea lions. We spent the rest of the day slowly cruising past the other islands and returning to the mainland.

Oahu - March 1981

Diamond Head and Honolulu

Hanauma Bay

Oahu cliffs

I've only been to Hawaii once (so far) and then, only Oahu. In March 1981, I took advantage of a friend's military posting to Schofield Barracks. He and his wife generously put me up and toured me around the island. I also spent time in Honolulu as a solo tourist. I so enjoyed snorkeling amid all the tropical fish in Hanauma Bay that I went back a second day.

Puerto Vallarta (Dec. 2011)

(Click the image to enlarge it.)

15 photos from Puerto Vallarta.

Victor and I spent a couple of days in Puerto Vallarta last week, courtesy of Frontiers newsmagazine and My Own Concierge. Yes, I won this ground package!

The highlight for me was going on eleven ziplines high above a jungle river! Victor declined to do the ziplines. This was at Canopy Nogalito. More zipline photos are at the first link above.

Our stay at Casa Cupula included a great dinner at their restaurant, Taste. Check out the impressive menu.

The trip was too short, but we had a great time.

Mova globe

I received my retirement gift from JPL a few days ago. I didn't fully realize what it was / did when I chose it many weeks ago. It's actually pretty cool.
Someone else's video of it (0:47)

On competition: re-purposed genes

Recently, I commented on Kevin Kelly's Google+ post that began, "Somehow I am missing that Collection Gene that many people seem to have...." I wrote, "But you also collect IDEAS and CONNECTIONS and SPECULATIONS. (And you're very good at it!)" (I've been reading Kelly's work for decades.)

There are several common genes I either missed or have re-purposed....

Fortunately, I missed the all too common Addiction Gene.

I am also completely missing the Fashion Gene. I don't even understand what it means for one color to "go with" or "not go with" another, or why stripes and spots can't co-exist.

My favorite common gene to ponder, though, is the Competetive Gene. I was never very interested in competing in sports, but I came to understand that I was instead very competitive in gathering information. (That recognition of different types of competition is why I was so quick to comment on Kelly's post.) If I get a chance, I'll try to write more about that at greater length.

CicLAvia

On October 9, I did a bit of CicLAvia as a pedestrian. Above is a snapshot of MacArthur Park.

Debs Park

Debs Park, which I call "my big back yard" and where I hike all the time, was in LAWeekly's "Best of LA".

Solar energy

Something I've been saying forever: What if solar got the same subsidies as fossil fuels? (Click on the graphic on that web page to enlarge it.)