Imitates Life

FW: Multimedia message

2009-05-31T23:40:00.001-07:00

This raised relief sculpture graces a wall of the New York New York casino near the Starbucks stand. He looks beautiful and classic... until you realize hes holding several big, comical ice cream cones.

FW: DSC00014

2008-12-27T03:33:00.001-08:00

What the heck is this white stuff? Its SNOW!
...Just in case you thought its always hot in Las Vegas.

Scenes From A Bus Stop: Waiting At Dusk

2008-04-08T01:02:00.000-07:00

Scenes from a bus stop:

Hip-hop be-bop something jazzy
slides out a door on the second floor
and falls into the street.
Cops chase robbers to the beat.

Neighbors talk loudly on the corner.
-- Nigga this and Nigga that.
-- People here say that a lot, but they dont know what it means.
-- They shot Charlie with an AK.

Boys hang out a car window to get a look at a pretty girl.
She turns around and they can see, shes a very old woman with a great body that doesnt match.
Boys drive off quiet and confused.

Ah, here comes the bus.

FW: Multimedia message

2008-03-28T11:43:00.001-07:00

Scenes from a bus:

She looks classy, doesnt she?
In her brown vintage suit she sits at the bus stop, but doesnt get on the bus...
With her pretty polka-dotted luggage and a trash bag of possessions by her side, she waits.

____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.

http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

FW: Multimedia message

2007-12-18T00:48:00.000-08:00

The Oscar Mayer Hot Dog Car. It was parked in front of my work, and yes, I scored a couple of those prized hot dog shaped whistles. :)

____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.

http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

FW: Multimedia message

2007-10-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

Mural near the library.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around

http://mail.yahoo.com

Soul Food Paradise On North Las Vegas Boulevard

2007-09-20T11:14:00.001-07:00

Clouds

2007-09-13T17:16:00.001-07:00

Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino

2007-08-15T16:54:00.001-07:00

Mary Statues At Wal-Mart

2007-08-15T14:10:00.001-07:00

I've never seen 3-foot-tall (1 meter) Mother Mary statues in a Wal-Mart department store before. It seems sort of tacky and sacrilegious...

My Local FBI Office

2007-08-10T20:59:00.001-07:00

Theres an FBI building just down the street from my apartment.
...um... I wonder why the FBI thinks they should be here? Would this be a good time to panic?

Las Vegas At Night

2007-08-02T20:38:00.001-07:00

Working On The Roof

2007-06-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

These guys are brave!

Cow Colored Cat

2007-06-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sun Mural

2007-06-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

This wonderful painting decorates the wall inside a local Soul Food restaurant.

The Condiment Building

2007-05-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

This bizarre ketchup, mustard and mayo colored building is almost finished being built. I'm really curious to see what sort of business will move into it.

A Day At The Beach

2007-05-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Red Flowers

2007-04-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

Park At Dusk

2007-03-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hippie Sticker

2007-02-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

This is a metal post outside the drive-thru window of a local burger stand. It's the same type of post that is put up around gas pumps to keep cars from driving into them. The funny thing about this post is that every time I go to the burger joint, something new has happened to it.

At first this post and several alongside it were red. Then someone put this sticker on it. The next time, someone had painted all the posts highlighter yellow, but painted around the hippie. For a while he wore a soda cup as a hat. Now someone has written "OSAMA" on his headband. I wonder what will happen to the poor hippie next?

Geyser

2007-02-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

My son and I spotted this as we exited the local Post Office parking lot. We both exclaimed COOOOOL! at the same time. It looks as if someone knocked over a fire hydrant or made a hole in a big water pipe.
Photos taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Tree With White Flowers

2007-02-07T11:16:00.001-08:00

Handicapped Parking Sign

2007-02-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

Some cheerful person drew a smile on the handicapped parking sign at the library.

Annoyed Kitty

2007-01-30T11:27:00.000-08:00

This is Polite Kitty. Looks like he's not in the mood for pictures today.

Sporty Old Man

2007-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

This cute old man can often be seen roller-blading around my neighborhood. He looks to be around 80 years old, but he can really move.

Seagulls

2007-01-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

These funny birds love to flock on the roof of this particular house. They leave all the other neighborhood houses alone. I wonder what's up there that they like so much?

Half Staff

2007-01-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

Our children should be here in school...

Our men and women should be here for their children...

Not dying for oil and our leaders' egos.

Moon Behind The Trees

2007-01-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

Smiling Horse

2006-12-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

College Campus

2006-12-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

There's something about a college campus in the fall...

Palm Tree Sunset

2006-12-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Bird's Nest

2006-12-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

Look what I found while trimming my orange tree yesterday! :)

Courthouse

2006-12-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

Dancing For Joy

2006-12-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

Mariachi Band

2006-12-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

California Christmas Tree

2006-12-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

I have my own California-style Christmas tree in my backyard. Some joker went and spray-painted a few of my oranges different colors - gold, silver, and black. They look kind of like ornaments. I would be mad if it weren't
so darn silly... at least they only painted five and left all the other oranges alone.

Iguana

2006-12-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

Skinny Window

2006-11-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Rorschach Cake

2006-11-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

Weird but interesting: did you ever wonder what the inside of a marble cake looks like?

Sunset Over A Hill

2006-11-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Goldfish

2006-11-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

Shopping Trip

2006-11-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

The boys and I went shopping today. We saw little lighthouse shaped salt and pepper shakers.

We'd better get some, we thought, so the gravy boats don't sink.

Because if they do, they will only be fit for fish and penguins.

I wonder, I thought as we passed the condiments, what part of the horse the radish comes from?

We'd better remember the punch bowl too, so that we can have a punchline. :D

Woman At Midday

2006-11-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

I was asked if "Not An Empress" was a self-portrait. It is only a portrait of my spirit and how I felt when I drew it. This is a bit closer to how I actually look, although there is still some artistic license. ;)

Philosophical Graffiti

2006-11-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

For the record, I don't condone graffiti... but there seems to be a very cool philosophical graffiti artist in my area.

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

ART MEME

2006-11-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Here's something really fun, one of those "meme" things that floats around the web. Eccentric Recluse tagged me for an art meme. My job was to make some sort of graphic art work and post it on my blog, then tag a few other people (E.R. says I can tag as many as I want). Then those people have to create some sort of art and post it on their blogs, and tag someone else. It doesn't have to be good, this is just for fun. Hmmm.... I wish I could choose everybody, but I'll try to keep it reasonable. I tag: Dragon51188, Amy (Addlehead10), and Skinny Little Blonde. Have fun! I call this picture "Not An Empress." She's very sorry she is not what he wanted her to be, and she never wanted to hurt him.

Fiesta - Giant Inflatable Chicken

2006-11-05T03:31:00.000-08:00

Fiesta - Tents And Trees

2006-11-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

About two weekends ago we had a happening downtown which I look forward to every October. They call it the Fiesta De La Familia (Celebration Of The Family). It's fun, but it's really more of a giant commercial sample-fest than anything else. Huge lines of people go from one manufacturer's booth to the next, like trick-or-treating for adults, and walk away with as many samples of food, cleaning products and household items as they can carry, coupons, pens, keychains, balloons etc. We get to sample new foods and drinks for free. I recommend Clamato's new tomato juice energy drink and Drumstick ice cream cone's new peanut butter-chocolate flavor. Sooooo tasty!

Coroner's Office

2006-10-31T12:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween. This is the very scary, goth-y, ivy-covered Riverside (California) Coroner's Office. BOO!

Birthday Cake

2006-10-30T13:03:00.000-08:00

...so it doesn't really look like a pumpkin, it turned out looking more like a toy truck wheel... but this is what 40 lit candles looks like. It made quit a bit of smoke in the house. (He-hee!)

Banana Tree

2006-10-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

The flower on this tree is as big as a person's head. If you look closely behind it you can see small bananas growing.

Interview With God Transcript

2006-10-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is for the people who can't get the link to the "Interview With God" slideshow to work, for whatever reason. I'm sorry I couldn't copy the beautiful pictures of nature for you, but here are the words.

I dreamed I had an interview with God.
“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.
“If you have the time,” I said.
God smiled.
“My time is eternity… what questions do you have in mind for me?”
“What surprises you most about human kind?”
God answered… “That they get bored with childhood, they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.”
“That they lose their health to make money… and then lose their money to restore their health.”
"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future.”
“That they live as if they will never die… and die as though they had never lived.”
God’s hand took mine… and we were silent for a while.
And then I asked, “As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”
“To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved.”
“To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.”
“To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.”
“To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them.”
“To learn that a rich person is not who has the most, but is one who needs the least.”
“To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings.”
“To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.”
“To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”
“Thank you for your time,” I said humbly. “Is there anything else you’d like your children to know?”God smiled and said…
“Just know that I am here. Always.”

Interview With God

2006-10-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

`*` Here is a link to a very beautiful and inspiring slideshow presentation that a friend sent me. Enjoy. `*`
http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/viewmovie.html

Birds On A Wire

2006-10-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Museum Window

2006-10-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Museum Restroom

2006-10-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

White Cat

2006-10-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Dark Red Flower

2006-10-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Skin

2006-10-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

A shipment of life-sized anatomically correct statues/mannequins about to enter the mall

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Sun

2006-10-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun
But mama, that's where the fun is

-- Manfred Mann's Earth Band Lyrics - Blinded By the Light

Our Lady Of Guadalupe

2006-10-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

Someone mysteriously e-mailed me this lovely picture, with the subject line "Fwd: fwd: For your soul: the Virgin de Guadalupe." By the way, those aren't horns she's standing on - it's a black crescent moon. Click here for the interesting story of this painting.

68 Years!

2006-10-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

This dear man was married to the same woman for an amazing 68 years. She passed away four years ago; it would have been 72 years.

Yellow Shirt

2006-10-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Cats On A Fence

2006-09-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

This cute fence encloses the back area of a veterinarian's office.

Alien Ships

2006-09-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what this concrete structure is. It's about knee high and sounds like there's water running through it. The interesting thing is the cute little spaceships painted all over it. Where did they come from? Probably the same place crop circles come from.

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Alien Face

2006-09-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Someone really likes aliens. Here's more alien graffiti. I think it's oddly interesting, and has an expressive face for someone with only eyes.

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Apples

2006-09-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Colorful Apples

2006-09-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Lovely green, red and yellow apples existing happily side by side.

Rabbi Parking

2006-09-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

I love a rabbi with a sense of humor.

Carousel

2006-09-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

New York New York Casino

2006-09-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

No, this is not the real thing. It's the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Notice the red roller coaster track behind Lady Liberty.

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Morning in Death Valley

2006-09-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Death Valley, California - along Interstate 15 near Nevada.

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.

Joshua Trees

2006-09-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by my son, Dragon51188.