Analog Underground

I just love this! An Analog Revolution... back to the Future, again. Typewriters are having a renaissance! Along with vinyl albums, 35 mm film and not mentioned in the NY article, but another personal fav of mine: fountain pens.

As a writer, I recently had a hankering for a typewriter. At first, I thought about a real vintage model. You know, a black Underwood with the cool round keys like this one. I quickly gave up that idea for two reasons: too expensive now and not really useful. If I'm going to put a typewriter in my library, then it might as well be one I could actually use. Something fun. Talking to my friend Mo, I fondly recalled the portable I had as a teenager, an aqua Smith Corona. Then she sent me the NY mag article (linked in the title above) and lo and behold, it led me straight to a pic of my dream machine.

Here it is, a 70s era SCM "Cougar." I want one! For all I know, my old one could still be in the basement along with my inherited blue and mother of pearl accordion (don't get me going on that!) No, I wouldn't want to type out a book. Think of the problems with THOSE revisions! But, it would be fun to play around with...

just like my pens. Here is a sample of those. The new big Acura dragon (top), my beloved tiger eye Monteverde (left) followed by two Jinhao dragon pens, an ultra fine Jinhao and my bronze/pearl Laban. My new Picasso is on top of my journal. Two favorite inks there, too. The fabulous Caran d'ache "Storm" in it's leaded bottle and the round, inkwell included, Namiki blue. (click to enlarge) Love 'em all!

Kalachakra 2011

At 9 am (MDT) today, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, concluded the 2011 Kalachakra for World Peace ceremony in Washington DC. But, as always, the Kalachakra is MORE... it is deeply personal, and especially this year, as it also commemorated HHDL's 76 birthday, and included the annual worldwide Dharma Day. Truly an auspicious occasion! Here is the poster, which links to some of the images and videos from the 11 day event.

Thousands gathered for this most memorable event and nearly $6 Million was raised. HHDL and his foundation do not seek financial profit, so after expenses almost two million dollars will be donated to causes that benefit world peace. HHDL was enroute this morning to meet with President Obama at the White House. And, here is the mandala described in the link above.

And, despite how beautiful it is, made of sand and created laboriously by monks during the ceremony, at the end it is simply brushed away... like everything, impermanent. The sand is dumped into nearby water. In this case, the Potomac River, because like everything, the essence remains and the perfect peace of Kalachakra flows with it out into the everyday world. "May it be of benefit," said HHDL as he concluded the ceremony to thunderous applause. Yes, may it.

the Bella Vita

I really don't like going to the casinos these days. But, here I am being serenaded by local mariachis for my (mumble under breath) birthday. I'm at Route 66, one of our local indian casinos, with my long-time Romero friends. Sophie, seen in the second pic below, absolutely loves the buffet and still enjoys her slots. So, I go. This was actually Sunday, July 3rd, not my actual birthday. I would have preferred to stay home in the A/C and watched the closing arguments in the Anthony trial. Sigh, it's true, I was so caught up in that drama. Devoted a month of afternoons to live testimony on HLN.

Why? Who knows. As I posted on Fbook, others watch fictional TV dramas, this was real life drama. A young mother who probably chloroformed her baby so she could enjoy the bella vita (beautiful life.) She got that tattoo a day or so after her child died (or was killed.) And, now it seems she will have that "beautiful life" she craved. The jury returned NOT guilty. Casey will be a free woman with a million dollar book deal, some say.

I spent years writing my novel. Casey will have a ghost writer. Okay, I too had a ghost writer ;) Mine was rather demanding. He wanted the story told. I did not get a million dollar book deal. I'm not even in the black. Maybe crime does pay.