Paris Parfait

Industrial charm at Bastille

Remember the American folk song " I've Been Working on the Railroad?" As children, we learned it in music class.

Industrial furnishings at Cedric Grare's Art Atypique stand at Bastille.

Specimens, both from nature and hand-forged.

An iron star on a stand against a backdrop of 19th-century gilt mirrors and frames.

Painted driftwood sculptures remind me of Native American feathers.

A 1960s jukebox in good working order.

I was captivated by two identical oeil de boeuf leaded-glass windows at Nina Nattaf's Les Impedimenta stand at Bastille. Iron cross bars help support the glass in each window, which - despite their age - have sustained only one tiny crack. The wood frames encasing the 19th-century treasures are four or five inches thick. The windows came from a chateau in Burgundy, France.

Check back Thursday for more photos of the Antiquites Brocante at Bastille, currently underway. The event is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Sunday, May 17th. Get your tickets for eight euros each at the main entrance on Place de la Bastille. The brocante extends along both sides of the picturesque Canal St. Martin.

Falling slowly - then remembering how to fly.

Tulip in full bloom, Paris.

"...Take this sinking boat
and ford it home,
we've still got time.
Raise your hopeful voice,
you have a choice;
you make it now..." - Glen Hansard, Falling Slowly

A few weeks ago I was watching Evening, the last film in which Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter Natasha Richardson appeared together. Before the film began, a trailer from Once played, along with Glen Hansard's Oscar-winning song Falling Slowly. The moment I heard the chorus, I burst into tears. You see, for months I've felt I was drifting so far off course, I wasn't sure how to find landfall again.

I've been overwhelmed with myriad expectations and writing deadlines. Even worse, while grappling with two stressful family issues, I have cast my own health and peace of mind aside. As a result, I've become physically - and emotionally - exhausted: barely sleeping, not exercising enough, not eating properly. With rare exception, I've been unable to quiet the thoughts and concerns constantly racing through my head.

Under the best of circumstances, I am hard on myself. While tolerant and forgiving of other's imperfections, I don't always allow myself the same leeway. I'm a perfectionist and that is trying. I always think I can improve on whatever I've created and keep working on it until I exhaust myself and finally just stop - stop writing; stop agonising that whatever I've created isn't perfect. Sometimes I set impossibly high standards for myself that require super-human effort, as well as cooperation from others (which isn't always forthcoming).

Certainly I have been aware that radical change was necessary: signs and portents along the way increasingly have demanded I pay attention. But even contemplating the actions required seemed too difficult, like hands against stone.

This weekend, I remembered vital advice, courtesy of Jen Lee and Jen Lemen: "What you think is a breakdown is really a breakthrough. So push through the hard parts."

On Sunday I took a long walk and thought about the seismic shifts needed to return to my own path - not the one criss-crossed with diversions that others mapped out for me. I remembered the timely message from the Adventurers' Club: "You do realize, Tara, that your batting average is 100% when it comes to prevailing in adversity, setbacks, challenges and recessions?" Happily, that's true.

In the process of reclaiming my life, I will focus more on work-in-progress and less on others' demands and expectations. I shall take steps to ensure that certain dream projects take flight. Crucially, I shall start saying no to requests by those who rarely reciprocate. I will stop giving time and energy to people who don't really appreciate the effort. I will take a step back from "negative nellies" who are quick to criticise, but disappear when praise is warranted.

And I'm going to stop blogging every single day. Some days I might post more than one piece; others - especially weekends, when it seems fewer people are reading - I may skip altogether. Watch for some new features and guest writers at Paris Parfait. Time to shake things up!

Changing fortunes

The small neighborhood park next to an eglise has been under construction since 2006. It was uprooted - along with a memorial to Gen. Charles de Gaulle - to create an underground parking garage. While this children's playground appears finished, the photo below indicates construction is still underway. Completion is expected by June.

What a wonderful thing to see Europe embracing America again, first at the G20 in London; now at the NATO summit in Strasbourg! But it made me smile to read that New York bankers were less enthusiastic after their meeting with President Obama.

Time to travel

Anyone who lives in a big city knows that no matter how beautiful or exciting the city, every three months or so, you need a break. After being home nearly four months without travel - even missing my usual side trips to London - it is time to get out of town.

So I'm off for some peace and sunshine elsewhere in France. Back soon, with photos and perhaps an adventure or two to report. Hope you're enjoying your own sunshine-filled weekend, wherever you are!

P.S. If you haven't seen the film Once, rent it! It's very sweet, not least because of this song.

Scroll down the page for an additional post today.

Fragile

Both fragility and strength lie in these intertwining branches, Parc de Edmond de Rothschild, Boulogne-Billancourt.

Remember the Sting song "Fragile?" After reading the latest installment of Australian artist Judy Wilkenfeld's Visual Anthologies, I was reminded that despite our fragility, we also carry vast hidden reserves of strength. And when necessary, we can summon that strength to push us forward through difficult challenges.

Judy's work is truly stunning, artfully blending beauty, humanity and history. Go here to see her thoughtful creations.

Dancing on the ceiling

"Dancing on the ceiling," in a Paris department store vitrine.

Whatever you're doing to celebrate St. Valentine's Day, hope you have fun! Remember that Lionel Richie song "Dancing on the Ceiling?" Check out this '80s video, with guest appearances by Cheech and Rodney Dangerfield.

"...Someone who does not run
towards the allure of love walks
a road where nothing lives." - Rumi

One of a dozen gorgeous white roses for Valentine's Day.

Of photos and fear-mongering

Ancient wood and iron decorative shutters over a shopfront, Barcelona, Spain..

Today I was out buying things for my camera (and the new Bruce Springsteen CD Working on a Dream). I've been busy cataloguing photos - copying nearly 4,000 images onto CDs, so I can delete them from my laptop. And before you ask, yes, I'm getting an external hard drive to house the full-resolution photos.

Recently, I've had a few requests and had to hunt for ages to find particular photos - only to discover I'd deleted some of them! So this week I'm making a concerted effort to organise my images - both on an external drive and filing backup copies of CDs - so I can find them in a hurry. How do you manage to keep track of your photos? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My very wise friend Vanessa Valencia wrote this today:

"...It was a very sad person who invented the idea of being too old for this or that. Of being too skinny, too tall, too short, too fat, for this or that. It was a very sad person, who blurted out mindless thoughts, that too many people listened to. Thoughts that set boundaries for centuries. Thoughts that had no meaning. No bearing. Just mindless thoughts of one negative person, that took off like wildfire. And because for some reason, it is easier to buy into negativity, we did. But, we don't have to. We never did..."

And I think her words definitely apply to these situations:

Joan Walsh's Salon article Some things just don't change

To favor due process is to favor "terrorists'" rights:

An excerpt from Glenn Greenwald's brilliant article in Salon:

"...As it turned out, of course, hundreds of the detainees imprisoned at Guantanamo when that 2004 Op-Ed was published -- ones which most of the country was calling "Terrorists" -- weren't "Terrorists" at all. They were guilty of absolutely nothing. In fact, the Bush administration subsequently acknowledged as much by eventually releasing hundreds of them -- after they had been put in cages for years with no trial of any kind. There still continues to be grave doubts about the guilt of many of the remaining detainees, including ones that have been there for years and are probably irrevocably broken as human beings.

"In fact, just two months ago, a right-wing, Bush-43-appointed federal Judge ordered five detainees released on the ground that there was never any "credible evidence" to justify their detention. Despite that, they had been imprisoned in Guantanamo for six years and were subjected to barbaric treatment that drove several of them close to insanity. They were released only after this judicial exoneration as part of a habeas corpus hearing in a federal court -- exactly the kind of hearing which the 2006 U.S. Congress, when it enacted the Military Commissions Act (with the support of most of the Washington Establishment), voted to abolish (an act that was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in its 2008 Boumediene decision, which restored habeas rights). Advocates of the Military Commissions Act, and those who now want to deny normal due process to accused Terrorists, argued then and still argue now the AP/Yoo line: Terrorists have no rights."

The newest fear-mongering campaign from the right and the media

Reading these three articles makes me shake my head in wonder at the biased reporting of the Associated Press (once a bastion of respected journalism) and other newspaper and television media. It's no wonder the mainstream media is faltering, when objective, ethical reporting is too often abandoned for television ratings and/or placating conservative advertisers.

Then there are the shrill one-note refrains of the Bush administration cheerleaders - who persist in making the same false claims, over and over, like a broken record. Instead of working together with Democrats to solve problems, all they do is try to spread fear and innuendo. Enough, already! The American public is not stupid and won't fall for the "shock and awe" spin and illusions anymore. Ca suffit!

Today President Obama discussed this genuine threat on which we all should focus some attention.

Onwards and upwards

Rassemblement de ballons libres, Place de la Concorde, Paris, 1930. Click to enlarge.

I found this image - reproduced from an original photographic plate - in an Ile Saint-Louis shop. Maybe not quite as many onlookers cheering as at President Barack Obama's inauguration Tuesday, but close!

Adults and children alike long have been fascinated by balloons and flight. In 1783, French brothers Joseph Michel and Jacques Étienne Montgolfier invented the hot-air balloon. In 1908 American aviator Wilbur Wright broke records for distance, duration and altitude during a 56-mile flight from Le Mans to Paris. A year later, French aviator Louis Blériot made the first complete balloon flight across the English Channel.

Here's a blast from the past: the Fifth Dimension singing "Up, up and away."

Let's not forget the disasters Bush instigated

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman writes in The New York Times that an inquest should be launched into the actions of the Bush administration. No one should be allowed to get away with the widespread damages and unmitigated disasters Bush & Co. heaped on the United States - and the world. No one is above the law. Read the full story here.

Glenn Greenwald reports in Salon that binding U.S. law requires prosecutions for those who authorize torture - including Dick Cheney, John Ashcroft, Condoleeza Rice et al.

"...And the philosophy that was at the base of the last administration has ruined many, many people's lives. The deregulation, the idea of the unfettered, free market, the blind foreign policy. This was a very radical group of people who pushed things in a very radical direction, had great success at moving things in that direction and we are suffering the consequences." - Bruce Springsteen, in an interview with The Guardian.

Better days ahead - starting Tuesday!

Scroll down the page for additional posts today.

Up the ladder to the roof

"...where we can see heaven much better." Remember The Supremes song Up the Ladder to the Roof? Rooftop view of the city from Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo, Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona, Spain.

A close-up of the tiled dome atop Casa Batllo.

The dome viewed from the opposite direction (taken via telephoto lens from across the street).

The tiled "dragon's back" of Gaudi's organic design.

A mosaic-tiled arch with a view.

Dancing pebbles on a rooftop terrace.

Top of the dome. For more photos of Casa Batllo go here and here.

It's a new day!

Following his hugely-popular "Yes We Can" song and video, Will.i.am. debuts his latest ode to Barack Obama, "It's a new day!"

Happily, America has remembered its promise.

As Frank Rich writes in The New York Times:

"...The actual real America is everywhere. It is the America that has been in shell shock since the aftermath of 9/11, when our government wielded a brutal attack by terrorists as a club to ratchet up our fears, betray our deepest constitutional values and turn Americans against one another in the name of “patriotism.” What we started to remember the morning after Election Day was what we had forgotten over the past eight years, as our abusive relationship with the Bush administration and its press enablers dragged on: That’s not who we are.

"So even as we celebrated our first black president, we looked around and rediscovered the nation that had elected him. “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” Obama said in February, and indeed millions of such Americans were here all along, waiting for a leader. This was the week that they reclaimed their country."

Meanwhile, the Bush administration continues its race towards the bottom, doing as much damage as possible to ordinary Americans before leaving office.

Today's the day: Vote for change.

Mural, Haight Street, San Francisco. Photo by Julie Michelle.

Reasons I support Sen. Barack Obama for president.

Make your vote count

If you encounter problems in casting your vote at the polls, please contact Election Protection at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).Non-partisan lawyers may be dispatched to problematic precincts at a moment’s notice, should any contested votes become an issue.

In some locations - particularly in key battleground states - election observers and lawyers may be on hand to address voting issues. Ask for help. Every vote matters.

Document your voting experience with video or a digital camera.

Watch the polls online at OurVoteLive.org,developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for Election Protection. Visit OurVoteLive.org to view, sort and analyze reports coming into Election Protection from voters around the country.

Bruce Springsteen performs for Sen. Obama and his family and supporters in Ohio.

It is hoped it's a harbinger of races to come: Sen. Obama has won the tiny hamlet of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire 15-6. It's the first time since 1968 the community has voted for a Democrat.

Even as we vote for change, the Bush administration continues wreaking havoc with our democracy. Let's make history today and take back our country. YES WE CAN!

Scroll down the page for the latest report of voting issues around the country, updated throughout the day.

Talented musicians on the streets of Barcelona

Javier van Velthoven plays his guitar near the Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. His haunting melodies linger in the stone-walled alleys and passageways surrounding the cathedral. I was so impressed with Javier's guitar skills, I bought a CD. It contains Javier's beautiful interpretations of Francisco Tarrega, Fernando Sor, Antonio Rubira, Issac Albeniz and Manuel de Falla, among others. His version of Albeniz's Asturias is magnificent! I could listen to Javier for hours.

8.G, a group of young musicians in Barcelona, has a Latin/Carribean sound not unlike the Buena Vista Social Club. I also bought their CD, containing music both danceable and romantic that makes me wish I were still in Spain.

Meanwhile, an American artist is set to create an enormous portrait of Sen. Barack Obama on the beach at Barcelona.

Springsteen in Philadelphia for Obama

Bruce Springsteen appearing for Barack Obama in Philadelpia:

"Hello Philly,

"I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next President of the United States.

"I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real. Opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

"I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities. The distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

"I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past eight years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities and desires and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

"They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving; it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.

"So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves and come on up for "The Rising."

Winehouse a no show at Rock en Seine

Photo of cardboard cutout abandoned at Solidays, the three-day series of concerts scheduled each first weekend in July in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris.

Rock En Seine organisers are threatening a lawsuit, after singer Amy Winehouse abruptly cancelled her performance, two hours before she was scheduled to appear as Friday's headliner.

Winehouse's musicians arrived in Paris Thursday and rehearsed at the venue at Parc de Saint-Cloud. But Winehouse never left London for Paris.

"We were told by Winehouse's agent at 8 p.m. that she would not be there and we were forced to cancel the performance," the statement said.

"We have still not been given any explanation of the exact reasons for her absence. We are very sorry about this situation and share the disappointment of the festival-goers."

Nearly 80,000 people are reported to have attended this year's event. Featured performers included R.E.M., the Kaiser Chiefs, Kate Nash, The Roots and Jamie Lidell, among others. The annual festival was initiated in 2003.

Singing the blues

Walter Harris sings the blues - and love songs - on the Riverfront in Savannah, Ga. Rain or shine, Harris has been entertaining visitors to the popular Southern city for 20 years.

A summer afternoon in Paris

Boys with birds, Notre Dame, Paris.

In the small park opposite the Hotel de Ville, this chain-smoking gentleman brings a bag of breadcrumbs and holds them - one by one - in the air. Birds flock to him. Click photo to enlarge for detail of the two sparrows on his hand and another en route. I had only my small pocket camera with me, which is limited in capturing movement.

Local musicians on the Ile Saint-Louis.

Bicycle with child's seat near Boulevard Saint-Germain.

Jewel-tone dahlias, Ile Saint-Louis.

Art nouveau sign, corner cafe, Boulevard Saint-Germain. Notice the red geraniums in a window-box?

17th-century building with the slanted foundation and leaded windows to prove it, Ile Saint-Louis.

Courtyard entrance, Ile Saint-Louis. Standing inside the courtyard are visiting Canadian friends Anna and Glenn, with whom I had lunch and spent a lovely afternoon. You may know Anna as the delightful blogger Naturegirl. We are having dinner together later in the week and will take more photos.

Grand design.

Hearts on fire.

An empty doorway midway through renovation.

Exposed wood on the same doorway. I like the effect created by remnants of various paint colours.

Grapes on a vine, local greengrocers.

Too many choices of cheese, shot through the vitrine of the local fromagerie. My friend Karyn once lived in a bijoux apartment three stories above this cheese shop. In the summertime, the aroma wafted through the building, despite the building owner's efforts to minimise the problem.

P.S. Almost anyone who's traveled has an airline horror story. But this one's hard to beat. (Hat tip to Americablog). And now United Airlines has the nerve to consider charging passengers for food on international flights! The words hubris, greed and incompetent management come to mind.

Heartstrings and typefaces

Vintage violin, hand-stitched book of sonatas and 19th-century walking sticks, Anges et Demons, Cunault, France, July 2008.

When editing a batch of photos for a book project, this one reminded me of another era... A time when some romantic soul might have scrawled a note of longing and left it for an admirer to find. In that spirit, the haiku popped into my head and I "wrote" it across the photograph with "Satisfaction" script. My IT guy in Florida tells me you won't be able to see the script, unless you have the same font installed on your computer. But no matter how the words appear on your screen, the intent is the same.

Moonlight sonata
Be still this force of longing;
heartstrings out of tune.

If you're a regular reader, you already know about my passion for old typeface letters and printer's cabinets. I blame it on my newspaper days, when the smell of printer's ink infused the air with the promise of constantly-evolving news and excitement. In those days to "stop the presses" was an expensive proposition. Sadly, much of the romance once associated with newspaper publishing has wafted away - along with the smell of printer's ink - as technology has improved. Paradoxically, the quality of newspaper content has declined. More and more advertisers are embracing online publications, forcing newspapers to reduce their editorial staff.

The internet has boosted development of new typefaces used for website design and advertising. This year I was thrilled to find a website that offers unique typefaces, many with interesting stories behind their design. Based in Cambridge, Mass., My Fonts has 62,506 fonts and new ones created monthly. With so many terrific choices, I dare you to pick just one!

Musical interlude

Two young musicians play enchanting melodies on the Chinese zither in San Francisco. When my daughter Jordana and I were in Chinatown last month, we noticed the lovely, soothing background music in at least two stores. We decided it was much more conducive to shopping than loud, driving, heavy bass-infused Top-of-the-Charts tunes.

A photo project comes to video

Won't you indulge me for a moment and watch this video produced in conjunction with a book project in Paris? My friend Julie in San Francisco deserves kudos for making the video - while she had a fever - using my photographs of Paris and London department store vitrines.

I'd like to divert your attention - yet again - to this hilarious blog. Olivier Magny writes about Parisians with the authority and wit that only a Frenchman can manage - without being reviled! If you've ever spent much time in Paris, chances are you'll delight in Olivier's astute observations.

Fete de la Musique

On this longest day of the year, a pop band performs at an outdoor pavilion at Hopital Ambroise Pare. It is one of numerous sites around the city where music of all genres is performed live in the annual Fete de la Musique.
If you're in Paris, public transport will extend its hours to accommodate the Fete de la Musique crowds.

Baby, you can drive my car

VW bug on the corner of Robson Street, May 24th, Vancouver, British Columbia.

If the car decorated with whimsical messages of peace and love isn't enough to bring a smile to your face this Monday morning, this hilarious short video set to The Beatles' song Drive my Car should do the trick.

Imagine the hours of effort it took to create this bold statement.

In the car's back seat, a small fountain gurgles away.

In your own life, are you a driver or a passenger?

Keep breathing

A private garden near Coit Tower, San Francisco. The garden features traditional roses, as well as abundant jade plants.

For the past two days, have been in the midst of a rare migraine attack, leaving me a bit melancholy. This morning I opened email to discover music and verse to match my mood. My friend Gracey sent this song and another friend sent Wendell Berry's poem The Peace of Wild Things:

"When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For the time
I rest in the grace of the world and am free."

Wishing you all a peaceful Tuesday.

P.S. Susannah has a Popsicle-bright post guaranteed to make you smile.

And in the news: the wondrous, as remains of an ancient church are discovered in Jordan and the outrageous, as the Bush administration willfully protects war profiteers from prosecution.

Musicians in the metro

A lively band of musicians entertain passers-by at a Paris metro station. It's unusual to find such a large group of musicians performing inside a metro station - typically you might see a lone violinist or perhaps a string trio.

A better way

Ben Harper's A Better Way honouring Sen. Barack Obama. Even the U.S. press pundits who deliberately have spun the race - to create news where none existed - now believe Sen. Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee. "And no one is going to dispute it." The math doesn't lie.

The inimitable city

Vitrines at Galeries Lafayette, Paris.

If you're missing the Paris sunrise, here's a lifeline...

Last weekend to visit brocante at Chatou

A trio of 19th-century globes at the 76th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites, a la Brocante et aux Jambons, underway from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. through Sunday at Ile de Chatou. If you get a chance to go, don't miss it! Tickets are available at the gate.

Today at La Poste, was sending something to Georgia and the clerk next to me overheard and started singing "Georgia." Then these two postal clerks wanted to know who'd made the song famous, so we talked about Ray Charles - all of it in French. Small world, eh? I'd hoped to have the opportunity to post more brocante photos and catch up with other blogs today, but no such luck. Am busy racing around Paris, being tour guide and will be at the brocante again Saturday. Will catch up with all of you soon! Bon weekend, as the French say.

Texans fired up for Obama!

Volunteers are all fired up in Texas, using their skills, time and considerable energy to campaign for Sen. Barack Obama. Whether or not you're interested in politics, you have to give these Texans credit for enthusiasm! On Tuesday, March 4, registered voters in Texas and Ohio will vote in presidential primaries. A record number of absentee ballots already have been cast in the Lone Star state.

Yes, we can!

 

"...In the unlikely story that is America, there's never been anything false about hope."

Treasure

Traveling around the world, I've had many memorable experiences and discovered treasure, both literally and figuratively. But the greatest treasures are not for sale at any price. For the Writers Island prompt "treasure," a poem inspired by one fateful Ides of March dancing to George Michael's Father Figure.

Something special, something sacred
shines in your eyes.
Nothing can rival that dazzling light;
not gold or precious jewels
or any pirates' bounty;
not a beachhouse on a tropical island
or adventurous holidays.
No stellar career
or diplomatic title
can compare.
All I ever wanted
is in your eyes.
Priceless treasure
found.

Lines 1, 11 and 12 are from "Father Figure." Roses photograph by Tina Modotti, Mexico, 1924, courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. To uncover buried treasure, visit Writers Island.

Summer musicians and street performers

String musicians at York, England.

The Nutty Chefs in York manage to create music with pots and pans and kitchen utensils.

Opera singers at York.

This York brass band is composed entirely of railway workers.

A keyboard player at Oxford, England.

A man dipped in lavender paint at York had passersby worried he'd get paint on them.

Star Wars characters at York.

Students dressed as Viking characters entertain children waiting to go into the Jorvik Museum at York.

A concert, censored lyrics and a cautionary tale

Photo of a Rock en Seine poster in a Paris metro station. The original poster designed for the event was removed, because of a printing error: Amy Winehouse was spelled "Amy Whinehouse." If you're in the city August 24-26, check out the annual concert at Saint Cloud.

Telecommunications giant AT&T is denying it censored lyrics criticizing George Bush during a Pearl Jam performance, blaming the omission on a technical glitch. On Thursday AT&T spokesman Michael Coe said, "Those lyrics in no way, shape or form, are something that should have been edited." But Pearl Jam has a different take on the matter, as reported on their website:

After concluding our Sunday night show at Lollapalooza, fans informed us that portions of that performance were missing and may have been censored by AT&T during the "Blue Room" Live Lollapalooza Webcast. When asked about the missing performance, AT&T informed Lollapalooza that portions of the show were in fact missing from the webcast, and that their content monitor had made a mistake in cutting them.

During the performance of "Daughter" the following lyrics were sung to the tune of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" but were cut from the webcast:

- "George Bush, leave this world alone." (the second time it was sung) and

- "George Bush find yourself another home."

This, of course, troubles us as artists but also as citizens concerned with the issue of censorship and the increasingly consolidated control of the media. AT&T's actions strike at the heart of the public's concerns over the power that corporations have when it comes to determining what the public sees and hears through communications media.

Aspects of censorship, consolidation, and preferential treatment of the internet are now being debated under the umbrella of "NetNeutrality." Check out The Future of Music or Save the Internet for more information on this issue.

Most telecommunications companies oppose "net neutrality" and argue that the public can trust them not to censor. Even the ex-head of AT&T, CEO Edward Whitacre, whose company sponsored our troubled webcast, stated just last March that fears his company and other big network providers would block traffic on their networks are overblown.

"Any provider that blocks access to content is inviting customers to find another provider." (Marguerite Reardon, Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: March 21, 2006, 2:23 PM PST).

But what if there is only one provider from which to choose? If a company that is controlling a webcast is cutting out bits of our performance -not based on laws, but on their own preferences and interpretations - fans have little choice but to watch the censored version.

What happened to us this weekend was a wake up call, and it's about something much bigger than the censorship of a rock band.

To see the video of the Pearl Jam performance, go here.

eBay music sellers beware

Remember how Universal had a video of a child dancing to a Prince song taken down from You-Tube, claiming copyright infringement? Now Universal is being sued by an eBay seller is taking on Universal Music after the record industry giant targeted his online music sales with false claims of copyright infringement.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the San Francisco law firm of Keker & Van Nest LLP are representing Troy Augusto, whose online auctions included sales of promotional CDs distributed by Universal. Augusto does business on eBay under the name Roast Beast Music and specializes in sales of rare and collectible music.

Copyright law's "first sale" doctrine makes it clear that the owner of a CD is entitled to resell it without the permission of the copyright holder. Nevertheless, Universal demanded eBay take down Augusto's auctions, claiming CDs marked as "promotional use only" remain the property of Universal and thus can never be resold.

"When a consumer buys a CD, he gets certain rights, including the right to resell it. Universal is mistaken if it thinks that it can trump these rights simply by putting a label on a CD," said Fred von Lohmann, EFF Senior Intellectual Property Attorney. "Universal is trying to unilaterally rewrite copyright law to the detriment of Augusto's legitimate business and the public. Unless this effort is blocked, it could jeopardize not only sales of used CDs, but also libraries, used bookstores and businesses that rent movies and video games."

In May, Universal filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Augusto. EFF has filed papers in federal court in Los Angeles answering Universal's claims and counter-suing the company for sending bogus "takedown notices" to eBay that resulted in the unwarranted suspension of Augusto's auctions.

Besides pulling the YouTube video because a snippet of a Prince song could be heard in the background, Universal also has made baseless copyright complaints about a video podcast by political blogger Michelle Malkin. Surely Universal has better things to do with its time than chase individuals with baseless copyright infringement charges?

Hooray! Some good news

The day before adjourning for August recess, the Senate unanimously approved S.849, the OPEN Government Act, a bipartisan bill that is the first significant update to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in more than a decade. When Congress returns after is summer recess, a conference will reconcile differences between this bill and similar legislation passed in March by the House of Representatives.

Revelations about the FBI's misuse of a key PATRIOT Act power and other privacy-invasive initiatives clearly demonstrate the importance of government transparency. This law will make it easier for EFF's Freedom of Information Act Litigation for Accountable Government (FLAG) project and other FOIA requesters to keep government accountable to the people.

Solidays: Le weekend!

Solidays, the three-day annual music festival, begins Friday at l'Hippodrome de Longchamp. That's in the Bois du Boulogne, just across the street from our apartment. Yes, one very noisy weekend is ahead! The sound checks are going on as I write this - lots of booming bass.

Performers include Lily Allen, Sum 41, Lauryn Hill, Kaiser Chiefs, Sean Lennon, Yannick Noah, Paolo Nutini, Abd Al Malik, Diam's, Joey Starr, Oxmo Puccino, Superbus, Grand Corps Malade, FFF and Ayo.

Ticket-holders are allowed to camp in specified areas of the Bois for eight euros per person, which covers three days' camping. Tickets may be purchased online or at the entrance gates at Longchamp. Proceeds go to Solidarite Sida. See map below.

Street musicians

Like most cities, Seville has its share of street musicians. These musicians were among those entertaining passersby on the Calle de Sierpes, one of Sevilla´s main shopping streets. The group called Capricio performs at bodas, fiestas, banquets, weddings and other special occasions.

BB King celebrates his birthday in Paris

Blues legend BB King celebrated his 81st birthday Saturday in Paris. Photo, the Academy of Achievement,Washington, D.C.

Last night I sang Happy Birthday to BB King - well, along with about 2000 other admirers at the Zenith theatre in Paris. The King was in town as part of his farewell tour and my husband got tickets as a birthday present for another September baby.

To me, BB King is the epitome of the Southern gentleman of a certain generation: hard-working, honest, a good and decent man, despite not always getting a break. And his time on stage reflects his fine character and charm. His powerful music is interspersed with personal stories, exchanges with his band members and the audience. The sheer force of his personality is so strong, the music becomes almost incidental, as a thrilling background to King the man.

King's magic guitar-playing skills are as strong as ever, expertly making his favourite instrument Lucille sing. And his voice is still powerful. His skill as a storyteller draws the audience in, then he rewards his listeners by launching into one of his many stellar hits, such as Ridin' with the King and The Thrill is Gone. Listening to his voice and music, my heart was full.

His touching rendition of the classic You Are My Sunshine brought a tear to my eye. When my daughter was four years old, we often sang that song to each other. And she still has the music box that plays that tune, given to her as solace while I was traveling.

Despite his 14 Grammys, worldwide fame and legendry talents, King has remained true to his Indianaola, Mississippi roots. His good-hearted nature is evident in his pleasant manners. King spent much of the evening thanking the audience with his delightful drawl, "Ya'll have been so nice to us;" introducing and re-introducing his band members and paying tribute to their unique talents. King was accompanied by his family, who flew from the U.S. to celebrate his 81st birthday Saturday.

The Zenith is a nice theatre, except for the strange design of their concrete steps, which has people tripping and falling throughout the evening. Ushers with penlights lead you to your seats - but they've gone ahead to find the seat, leaving one manuevering the double steps - one long wide step topped by a short baby step - in darkness. Perhaps the design was for crowd control; sometimes French logic defies understanding.

King's opening act was an impressive band from Capetown, South Africa, but we never caught their name. By the time we'd gone through security and the slow process of being ushered to our seats, the band's set was well underway.

Baking with B.B. and the blues

Photo of blues legend B.B. King by Kevin Westerberg.

This afternoon I was listening to B.B. King and Eric Clapton's wonderful CD Riding with the King, while yet again, baking cookies! That's twice in two weeks. Note to self: Must choose a less-fattening way to diffuse anxiety.

Listening to their Worried World Blues made me wish I had a piano to play the blues - even though I can't imagine where it would fit. The balcony? And I've had a relatively news-free day (for me, anyway), meaning I've only looked at newspapers two or three times and BBC television news once.

In any event, if you like chocolate, you'll like this treat from Allysa Torey's More from Magnolia book of yummy recipes. Perhaps you've sampled the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery in New York? Enough said!

Chocolate chocolate chip drop cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
One-half teaspoon baking powder
One-fourth teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling over cookies)
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
One-half cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream better, shortening and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Sprinkle lightly with the sugar. Place the cookie sheets in the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes.*

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

*Skipping this step will result in one giant flat cookie covering the baking sheet!

Singing the blues

Photo of B.B. King and his guitar "Lucille" by Kevin Westerberg. Photo below by Bob Guthridge, courtesy of Bob Guthridge.

B.B. King holds court
center stage in Memphis club
velvet voice, guitar.

This morning I was hand-washing crystal wine glasses, listening to the CD B.B. King & Friends 80. The CD features the 80-year-old Blues superstar from Mississippi singing and playing guitar with 12 talented musicians including Eric Clapton, Bobby Bland, Van Morrison, Sheryl Crow, Daryl Hall and Mark Knopfler.

I was thinking about how the poverty of the South inspired the blues, sending some musicians north in search of jobs and spreading the blues genre further. I was remembering all the dives and juke joints and little clubs in backwaters where I used to go to hear talented blues musicians pour their hearts out in song, from Arkansas to Louisiana to Mississippi to Alabama to Tennessee - and later, in Chicago, New York and San Francisco, where the clubs were more sophisticated, but the music was the same I heard growing up in the South.

So when I saw the One Deep Breath prompt "The Scenic Route," I remembered all those backroads; those gravel paths; those slick streets traveled to hear the blues. In tribute to the extraordinary B.B. King and other blues giants who have enriched the world with their talent, I offer these haiku:

Southern sharecropper
from the wrong side of the tracks
learns to sing the blues.

Black man's burden weighs
heavy; hard to make ends meet
mis'ry makes music.

Hand-to-mouth life here
picking cotton, sowing crops
Blues ease trouble's grip.

Self-taught, self-made man,
he learned to play as a kid:
gospel's cousin Blues.

Hardship, poverty
turning tough times into song;
stories fuel music.

No complaints heard here;
His guitar does the talking
Wailing the world's woes.

Deep lines on his face
reflect hard work, dignity
Still living the blues.

Plowing the field's crops
hands busy, worries threaten;
whistle troubles gone.

Iced silver goblets
mint juleps tinged with bourbon
sultry nights, raw pain.

Arkansas trav'ler*
Mississippi Delta blues
swimming in music.

*from the 1850 folk song "Arkansas Traveler" by Col. Sanford Faulkner

Magical music

On our CD player now: Bruce Springsteen's We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, Ben Harper's Both Sides of the Gun and the Gotan Project's Lunatico. The Gotan Project released their first album La Revancha del Tango five years ago, to worldwide success. The Paris-based group is originally from Argentina.

Music is the writing prompt for this week's Sunday Scribblings. Music's harmonious melodies have infused my life with meaning - like a pied piper, following me along all the winding roads I've traveled.

Walking along 33rd Street near Madison Square Garden in New York, I once heard music piped over outdoor loudspeakers. For a moment, I entertained the notion of how magical it would be if life were set to music - and one's subconscious automatically could select the music for every big occasion! Of course sometimes the sweetest music can be invoked in silence.

I love the universal language of music: how it can heighten or even alter a mood; how it punctuates big moments and special celebrations; how it can move one to tears or prompt a smile. From earliest recorded history, music's power to enchant its listeners is legendary.

During the American Depression, my great-grandfather, "Papa" was widowed and raising a son. Every Saturday morning he played the fiddle, in between giving free haircuts. Papa wasn't a barber, but in those days talent was incidental to need. Undoubtedly, Papa's fiddle playing and persistent good humour helped raise the spirits of men going through hard times. In those dark days they helped each other in whatever way they could.

A few years ago I was thrilled to meet a cousin in Northern California, who produced a cassette tape of my great-grandfather playing the fiddle. When I was a little girl, Papa could sometimes be coaxed into playing the fiddle, although arthritis probably made it difficult. Long after Papa passed away, I was proud that my daughter seemed to have inherited his talent, as she learned to played the violin beautifully.

When I was growing up in the South, we heard Pete Seeger (his songs recently performed admirably by Bruce Springsteen) and other folk music. A few times a year we attended gospel "singings" in little country churches, fanning ourselves with cardboard advertising fans, in futile attempts to diffuse the unbearable heat.

At lunchtime, the singers and their admirers rested long enough to enjoy potluck picnics, heaping plastic plates with fried chicken, salads and later pies and cakes from long tables spread with giant cotton tablecloths. Even under the trees' shade, the heat was too much, making anything containing mayonnaise quickly spoil. More than the music from these "singings," I remember getting sick from eating potato salad!