The Hippies Are Back! And Not A Minute Too Soon!
I bumped into this “smile on wheels” today while in Encinitas.
The Kindness Bus Tour
Apparently Bob Votruba and his dog, Bogart, are dedicated to spreading one million random acts of kindness all over the nation. Ya gotta love it!
Check them out at http://www.onemillionactsofkindness.com/.
“If sand waves were sound waves. What song would be in the air now?”
Suzanne Vega
Cardiff Beach 3
Cardiff Beach 4
Cardiff Beach 5
Cardiff Beach 7
Cardiff Beach 8
Cardiff Beach 9
Panhandling…Begging or Working?
I pulled into La Jolla Village yesterday. For those of you who have not been here, La Jolla is one of the wealthiest communities in America. A place where the recession/ depression seems to be more a rumor or slight inconvenience then an every day reality.
At the 5 way intersection by the entrance to the Mall were 6 panhandlers. The closest to me was a twenty something with a sign proclaiming that he was a “down on his luck” Vietnam Veteran in desperate need of money. Given his age, this was clearly untrue. I made the comment to my friend that someone that young could find some job that pays as much as standing on a corner. Is there no shame? My friend told me not to be so quick to judge and explained why I was wrong. “The young man in question does have a job. He makes his own hours and pays no taxes. Begging is it”.
In the new America begging represents the height of entrepreneurial spirit. The act of making something from nothing with minimal resources. Standing on the corner with nothing more then a sad look and a piece of cardboard is boring and tedious work. But, given the right person with the right facial expression, the right amount of dirt and the right sign, on the right corner, someone can make as much as $50 or $60 an hour during peak traffic times.
The truthfulness of the sign is irrelevant. It is advertising, plain and simple. It is designed to illicit sympathy and spur the “customer” into giving. My friend also pointed out that it really isn’t “Money For Nothing”. The panhandler is providing a service. Everyone that hands over a dollar feels better and is saying to themselves, “There, but for the grace of God, am I”.
Still, if all of this is true and begging is just a new type of business, we quickly noticed that the “advertising” signs being used are poorly crafted and hugely antiquated for such an affluent community. After all, advertising has rules. Your message should be three to five words, maximum, finish by asking for the sale and, most importantly, know your demographic.
Wendi & I have decided they need our help.
Am desperate for an IPhone4..... God Bless
OMG the price of Jimmy Choo... Be Kind
Premium Cable Went Up... Again! Please Help $
Pilate bill is past due...Please Help Now
The Spring Line is in...Please Give
Spent a great day hiking Torrey Pines State Reserve. This is a terrific park. Crowded in the summer but pretty much perfect this time of year. Lots of trails. Easy hikes. Great for the kids. It’s sad to think that there is very little undeveloped Southern California’s coastline left, but there is this. So check it out.
Mission Beach Warning
Mission Beach at Sunset
Beach
As promised, our “Asymmetrical” portraits are done and we couldn’t be more thrilled! A huge thanks to Bart.
Wendi Peterson © Bart Nagel 2012
Bruce Peterson © Bart Nagel 2012
Check out more of Bart Nagel’s work at http://www.bartnagel.com/.
We don’t just look at photos. Sometimes we even get our picture taken. Our good friend and most excellent photographer Bart Nagel asked us to pose for one of his “A/Symmetrical” portraits. Check out what Bart’s up to at: http://bartnagel.com/asymmetrical/index.html
"Bart Nagel" - 2011
Wendi in the studio.
My turn.
We’ll show you our pictures when their done.
Our annual “Get The Hell Out Of The Rain” trip is off to a great start. We have spent our first week in the Bay Area visiting family and friends and seeing as many great photos as possible. Our exploration began at the Oakland Museum of California with a great Richard Misrach show, “1991: Oakland-Berkeley Fire Aftermath”. Immediately after the fire Misrach roamed the devastated neighborhoods with an 8 x 10 camera recording what many have called one of the worst urban disasters in American history. Out of respect for the victims, the artist had kept the images in storage for 20 years.
Next up was the SFMOMA for the much celebrated Francesca Woodman Show. This is the first major American retrospective of the artist’s work since her tragic suicide in 1981 at the age of 22. In Francesca Woodman’s terribly short life she managed to compile a huge body of highly influencial and ground breaking photographic art, over 10,000 negatives and 800 prints.
We finished up at the Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco with the Robert Adams’ “Consolations: Prairie, Forest, Sea” show. Astoria’s own, Robert Adams has had a huge influence on generations of artists. His refined black-and-white photographs document scenes of the American West of the past four decades, revealing the impact of human activity on the last vestiges of wilderness and open space.
“no place is boring, if you’ve had a good night’s sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film.” -robert adams
On Saturday, August 20th, the Port of Ilwaco will host the season’s third “Art Night at the Marina”. The Wade Gallery will feature our 3rd and final installment of the Seaview collection. Lots of folks have been excited to see the homes that make up their neighborhood. We will have over 50 images on display for this month’s show. We hope to print a limited edition book this fall.
"The Thorsen House" - K Place
"1895" - 37th Place
"1885" - K Place
"Jeri Lou" 1895 - K Place
"The Monkey Puzzle Tree" - K Place
"The Malin House" - L Place
1890 - K Place
Hope to see you at the Marina.
Saturday July 16th the Port of Ilwaco will host our second “Art Night at the Marina”. The Wade Gallery will feature the 2nd installment of my Seaview collection. Last month’s show was really well received and lots of folks were excited to see the homes that make up their neighborhood. We will have over 30 images on display for this month’s show. Let us know what you think.
The Sou'Wester - J Street
39th Place
K Street & 40th Place
K Street
K Street
K Street
K Street
K Street
K Street
L Street
Praying For Sales