Mad Macedonian

Outdoors in the OC: Unseen Pics - 2010 and 2011

With 13 entries left to reach 1200 posts since I retired my original blog, Sneakeasy's Joint, and started this one in October 2007, I thought to explore my old photo files and see if there were pics that appeared not to have been used for whatever reason.

I am surprising myself.

The first photos I found go back over 6 years, to October and Nov. 2010 and January 2011.

In the wake of my leaving my job at Verizon Wireless, I spent some time, not just going to computer classes, but walking, and riding my bike, around the OC.

The first photo rescued from obscurity shows me standing on a trail, in one of the parks, above the beaches in the Dana Point area, though I can't be exactly sure at this late date. Might be Crystal Cove, somewhat north, closer to Laguna Beach.

In November I spent some time reading the 2011 edition of   What Color Is My Parachute, doing some exercises and writing some related blog posts.

  I also though it was a good idea to visit my old stomping       grounds at Cal State University LA.

From the photos, the Far Left leanings of many in the student body was well on the way to surpassing what it had been in my day, and other things had also changed.

While downtown I took a couple of photos of iconic buildings.

The first was the old Terminal Annex Post Office Building across from the historic Union Station transit hub.

 

The 2nd pic was a nightime look at City Hall.

The Sights & Sounds of Furious Smooching? Not in Santa Ana

After the excitement and success, of Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day, on Wednessday, I decided to return to the scene this morning.

Word was that every homosexual between the Castro District in San Francisco and Barney Frank's basement were being encouraged to head to their nearest Chick-Fil-A for a smoochfest (aka National Same Sex Kiss Day)...and some tasty chicken on the side. :-D

I wanted to see this spectacle for myself so got there around 1015am expecting to see street theatre, a clogged drive-thru with cars on the street for a block on either side of the building, and LGBT's of every shape, size and color of the rainbow, clogging the inside, with more in line out the door.

Alas I got no tingle up my leg, witnessed no disgusting acts of tongue wrassling, or encountered any of the usual antics seen at some of the more offensive Pride Parades.

 

Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day, as Seen in Santa Ana Ca.

It's been an interesting day in America, today. Many people had chicken on the brain. They showed that they gave a cluck for the cause of free speech, tolerance, diversity, decency, and old fashioned christian family values. :-D

Mike Huckabee called, last week, for this day because the CEO of the popular restaurant chain was attacked for expressing his personal values, affirming his view that, as he wrote, "the Biblical view of marriage should be upheld. The Cathy family, led by Chick Fil-A founder Truett Cathy, are a wonderful Christian family who are committed to operating the company with Biblical principles and whose story is the true American success story."

Visit the Facebook Page Huckabee set up to learn more.

I started the day by, um, getting Right With the Lord, hee, hee!

By eating at the Santa Ana location, at MacArthur & Bristol, just a couple of blocks from ritzy South Coast Plaza Mall.

A Mad Macedonian Went to Social Media Day...

The technology and social networking blog Mashable, three years ago, created Social Media Day, on June 30th, as a yearly event where independent meetups occur worldwide for attendees to gather to learn and chat about social media.

Yet again the event at the OC Register HQ, here in Santa Ana, on the 29th, was among the largest in the world (800 people attended) and, this year it had something no other event could lay claim to...Me! :-D

There were 11 presentations and I sat thru 8 of them, taking a few notes along the way. The presentations I found most interesting were about how freelancers can utilize social media, going beyond youtube 101, how to use pinterest for brands and integrating videos on a blog.

At one point I was among some attendees that were taken up to the 3rd floor pressroom, and sat at a table with Register Journalists for a chat about using social media.

I mentioned my blogs and, so far, inefectual efforts to attract interest from OC shelters, rescues and pet stores, in Meowsings, wondering what could be done to turn that around.

Their responses were interesting and I passed out my card in the hope they might stop by for  look.

The OC Register has the 4 hr. video, of the presentations, with details about how to skip to the speakers you want to hear.

Experiencing an Annularism at UC Irvine

Yesterday evening I decided to hang out on a hillside, at the UC Irvine Campus, with hundreds of people, young, and old, that I don't even know!

For 2 hours!

 

What possessed me to do THAT?

The opportunity to somehow witness a partial, or "annular," Solar Eclipse that began at 530pm, and peaked at about 635pm.

 The UC Irvine Observatory hosted a "Visitor Night", encouraging the public to come with their own equipment, or view the event thru fancy telescopes they had on hand, or using special sunglasses costing $2 a pair.

 I took a bus to the campus, that dropped me off a mile from the Observatory, and walked up a narrow dirt path to reach it.

 There were old people, and young people, families with their kids, even some parents pushing Baby Utility Vehicles with their babies, & toddlers, college students, and young couple on a date night.

 It was an interesting evening in which I got to see the eclipse under several different conditions, using different types of equipment, homemade, and professional.

 I even used my own camera, an opportunity brought about by the incoming cloud cover that severly diluted the sunlight off, and on, including during the 10 minute window before, during, and after, the peak of the eclipse itself.

 This collection of photos shares my experience.

A young lady, in her 20's, brought the above homemade contraption.

The hole in the foreground projects the image onto the "Screen" in the backround.

If you look closely, just beyond where the arrow points, you can see my first glimpse of the eclipse, around 545pm.

Standing nearby was a man with a pair of binoculars, and a piece of cardboard.

My 2nd glimpse.

My 3rd view came while observing the eclipse projected onto a cardboard screen by a fancy telescope.

 

Where do Architects get their Ideas, Anyway? An OC Architect's Own Quest

Sticks and stones (And other materials!) may make great homes (And Cat Caves! That's the sassy, sexy, Elvira Mistress of Felinity!), but it's the mind of Man who designs them! :-D

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of attending an interesting, and informative, presentation by my old High School classmate, Laguna Beach architect, David M. Parker.

It covered famous architect John Lautner's work and his unique approach to design, and how it has influenced Mr. Parker's own work.

John Lautner (1911 - 1984) studied under Frank Lloyd Wright and later began his own practice in Los Angeles.

 While known for his dramatic custom homes which push the envelope of design and technology, it was this same daring that led many folks to be quite critical, and cranky, about his work, for many years.

The homes he designed, even those built over 50 years ago, are daring and visionary even by today's standards and, in his later years, and since his death, his styles have influenced at least two generations of architects.

His homes have appeared in a number of films such as "Diamonds are Forever", "Lethal Weapon 2", and "The Big Lebowski",  and music videos, and at least two of his homes exist in Laguna Beach.

It was 630pm, and I found myself in the popular DeBilzan Gallery, on Forest Ave., just east of PCH, downtown.

To say that the Oil/Mixed Media artwork of William DeBilzan is unique, and interesting, is an understatement.

Oh, and expensive, too! No doubt some of the folks I found myself mingling with last night, before the presentation, and at the reception afterward, and half of the residents of fancy homes in the hills above, and around us, could afford these works, that cost thousands of dollars, but as for me, I'll just settle for looking, and enjoying. :-D

 

A Mad Macedonian at the Opera

 

LATE NIGHT PORTRAIT OF AN OC WRITER

So, there I am sitting, nearly alone, in the Transit Center in Laguna Hills, at 11pm, on Friday the 13th, having just come from the Opera....

Oh, hi! I know, you are sitting there, scratching your head saying...

"He went WHERE? Opera? Him? What the hell???"

Let me explain. :-D

A year, or so, ago, I reconnected with an old High School classmate, and fellow violinist in the school orchestra, on Facebook. He helps promote the performance of music, dance, and theater, in non-traditional venues in the OC, and nearby areas (more on that later), and I have been on the e-mail list, hoping to one day find an opportunity to attend.

That opportunity came Friday night.

The American Chamber Opera is a new group that was founded in 2011 and is based in Chicago, Il.

It was founded by the husband, and wife team of Jonathan Paul Cambry (Piano),  Karrah Marie Cambry (Soprano), with the goal of making Opera accessible to performers and audiences alike.

As they explained to us...

Their mission is to "perform full-length opera and oratorio in English, to convey a true sense of the composer’s intent in each piece while making relative connections with their audiences." 

According to the website, the company finds young artists with exceptional talent to perform the roles.

The larger company, and smaller portions of it, tour, performing in various locations, concert-style, using simple and minimal staging to allow the music to be the main focus of attention for the audience.

Four members of the La Boheme cast performed for us, last night, an abridged version of the opera, and you can learn more about all 4 performers by looking up their names, with photo, & bio, here.

Their fundraising partner, for this west coast trip, the Free Wheelchair Mission, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations.

There were 2 representatives at the performance, with an example of the wheelchair, in tow, and they explained that the decade-old group is headquartered in Irvine, Ca., and "works around the world in partnership with humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope."

Their website has a ton of fascinating information about their efforts, from photos to videos, a great blog, and more, including how people can get involved in various ways.

A Free Will Offering was accepted from attendees of this event.

So, off to the Opera, I went, arriving at beautiful Geneva Presbyterian Church, around 645pm, and walked in the door, and into the church, looking down the aisle...

Laguna Beach People's Council Too Stoned to Critique Poetry, and Stories?

In the city of Laguna Beach can be found what many call the Creative, & Artistic, capital of South OC, if not all of Orange County.

Art, and the written & spoken word, are things on sale, display, and performed, through out the year, and at special events during certain times of the year only.

As readers know I, as well as Nikita, & Elvira Mistress of Felinity, my 2 Cats, are creative writers, poets, storytellers, and amateur journalists, with hopes, and dreams, regarding our collective talents. :-D

After spending some time, the other afternoon, visiting The Poet's Table, in Huntington Beach, I decided to head on over to Laguna Beach.

As readers also know I've given a couple of Public Presentations (REI, & Riverside Bicycle Club), and performed twice at Poetry Open Mics (Including locally at The Ugly Mug), over the years.

I want to do more of both, as well as do more with Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat, with Nikita, & Elvira and, maybe, even someday become an article contributor (print, or online), or book author.

In order to do more with the blogs, & publishing notions, I have to find ways to attract audiences that are not made up mostly of visitors doing Google Searches, and the 2000 spam comments a day that Meowsings attracts. ;-D

When I heard about a small group of creative types, billing themselves as "The People's Council", who have hung out, daily, since 2006, on the same street corner, between the Laguna Beach Police, and Fire Depts., downtown, I decided to pay them a visit.

I figured why not share some of my, & the Cats, stories, & poetry, with these folks, and get their opinions, and advice?

So, off I went, on the bus down PCH, all full of confidence, and hope! :-D

When I arrived I discovered that the group actually consisted of 2 men, & a woman, & that one of the men was a Dog Person (A rather promising discovery, I thought.), and the woman had a way with Birds.

As I proceeded to introduce myself I couldn't help but notice how silent they were.

Maybe they were meditating, I thought.

Afterall, at their feet, in a circle, were the words Safety, Happiness, Strength, Victory, Wealth, Success, Love, Fertility, Peace, Freedom, Health, and Justice.

As I proceeded to read some of my work, and that of the Cats,  they just stared at me, not budging an inch, refraining from giving any sort of feedback, positive, or negative.

They didn't even call the cops on me for, um, occupying their space, & ruining their day! ;-D

 

My Thanksgiving Day, in Words, & Pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best moment of the day actually occurred on the early morning bus ride to the Honda Center, where I was going to be among the thousands to partake of a hearty meal offered up by an organization tied to a local Hispanic Restuaranteur who had begun providing such meals 25 years ago.

I call this story Bachelor Survival Recon Mission: Holiday Military Edition...

I got on the bus, around 930am, and found myself sitting near a young Hispanic man, in his early 20's at the most, wearing what appeared to be a military uniform under his coat.

He's chatting with someone on his IPhone, and telling them that he's on a 72 hr. leave, & about to pick up his girlfriend, from her job, at the Block of Orange.

He's gonna take her to the movies, then go to Thanksgiving dinner at her parents house...to meet them for the very first time. ;-D

He's got his Dress Uniform with him.

He's also taking his parents advice...& not going empty handed. ;-D

When he got off the phone, & got up to exit the bus...I extended my hand, said, "Hey General, Happy Thanksgiving, thank you for your service, good luck with the girl, & her parents, nd stay safe!"

He looked surprised, then smiled, stuck out his hand for mine, and said Thank You...then he headed off the bus. ;-D

I had to walk a 1/4 mile to Honda Center, & once I arrived I found my way to the end of a line that was already getting long with 45 minutes until start time.

 Tables , & a stage, were set up in a parking lot on the Katella Ave. side of the arena, & Jr. ROTC Cadets, all in uniform, some dressed to the nines in uniforms with coats on which a ton of medals were afixed, were patrolling the lines, & passing out bottles of water, among other duties.

 10 minutes after I got in the line a younf female cadet approached me, & asked me to come with her.

 I asked her why, & she said I was being chosen to go to the front in a different line.

Apparently something to do with older people, & the handicapped.

 She pulled a gray-bearded, older, man, & his companion, out, & we looked at each otehr, shrugged our shoulders, & chatted, as we  followed her to a small, but growing, line, with people in wheelchairs, & a kid with a walker, & their accompanying families.

 One of my companions, Robert, & I, looked around, & noticed  a few others being added to our line.

 We assumed this must have been some random thing where the cadets were told to choose a "lucky few", & the only reason I could think for my being among them was the cadet had seen the way I walked on my ankle.

 Finally the line moved, & we were headed in.

 We were almost stopped before we started, though.

There were non-ROTC volunteers at the entrance to the food serving area, & a man took one look at  me, & my companions, & asked us who we were with, & why we were in this line.

I told him that we followed the request of a cadet, & he said the line was for the disabled.

I smiled, pointed at my feet, & said, 'Well, I got a broken ankle!"

He retorted, "That doesn't count!". but he let us through, anyway.

 

WARNING: Conservative Carrying Camera! 2 -- Take Back Irvine!

Hello, fellow Patriots!

It's me, The Mad Macedonian, a sort of 1 man Patriotic CCC (Civilian Conservative Corp, um, hee, hee!) for the 21st Century. ;-D (For late comers the series began, and is explained, here)

Take Back Your Republic! Times Up! ;-D

Yesterday, I was out, and about, doing some clothes shopping, when I decided to take a peek at Occupy Irvine.

The City Council, in an effort to make nice, and show their willingness to let people express themselves so long as they don't bring down property values, and cause a rucus, has allowed the Irvine contingent of Occupy Orange County, and Occupy Wall St., camp out on the sidewalk at the Civic Center.

The intersection, at Harvard & Alton, is a wide one, and my bus stop was far enough away that I couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary, and could barely hear the demand of, "No Pictures!", when I set up my camera on my hiking pole, and took the photo. ;-D

Not wanting to cross the street to the bus stop for the bus I next wanted to catch, since it was within smelling, and interaction, distance, of the Useful Idiots, I walked 3 blocks to the next bus stop. ;-D