Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Chief at The Satellite
Chief hit the stage at The Satellite. I was expecting to see them earlier in the month. I went to The Satellite a couple weeks back, but had to leave before they hit the stage. So I headed back on a recent Monday to catch them. It took me a second to warm up to them, but once I did I couldn't get enough.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Tashaki Miyaki at The Satellite
Tashaki Miyaki had some sound problems during their set, but it didn't matter. This band, that takes me back to Mazzy Star, just draws you into their set.
And hey, I took a photo. The first time I saw them there was a request for no photos.
And hey, I took a photo. The first time I saw them there was a request for no photos.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
LA Festival of Books. John Scalzi in Conversation with Richard Kadrey
It was off to one of my favorite events of the year in Los Angeles: The LA Times Festival of Books. My final conversation was called "John Scalzi in Conversation with Richard Kadrey."
The below biography was stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
John Scalzi. Scalzi is the author of several novels including his massively successful debut "Old Man's War" and the New York Times bestsellers "The Last Colony," "Fuzzy Nation" and "Redshirts." He has won a John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the Hugo Award for "Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded," a collection of essays from his blog, Whatever. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
He used to worked as a newspaper journalist where he learned to write quickly. His first gig was as a movie critic and would have to drive from Fresno to San Francisco. He had a tight deadline and would need to write quickly to get his movie review in soon after getting back home.
He can't really do anything else so if he wants a certain lifestyle he needs to write. Finds it fun.
He wanted to be a writer at 14 when he wrote a story about a gift either given and received. He was the only kid who got an 'A' even though he wrote it in a last minute panic. "That's what I should do." It is easy to be better than your friends at 14, but you learn you need to work hard to be good.
He got fired at AOL. Do I have faith in my writing and marriage in this crisis test? He decided to move forward with his life, which included buying a home. Started to do consulting. Consulted for AOL as they needed him back.
Believed there is some luck to being successful. He got into television when someone read one of his books. He got to learn script writing. Being at the right place at the right time is helpful, but you need to capitalize on it.
One needsto have an ego. Need to believe you have something to say.
Journalism teaches concise, not to feel overly protective about own writing, fast writing.
Many writers don't have a business sense.
Publishing now is where film was in the late 60s/early70s. Publishing does not know about what will work next. Interesting times is when interesting work happens. You may as well try something new.
The below biography was stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
John Scalzi. Scalzi is the author of several novels including his massively successful debut "Old Man's War" and the New York Times bestsellers "The Last Colony," "Fuzzy Nation" and "Redshirts." He has won a John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the Hugo Award for "Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded," a collection of essays from his blog, Whatever. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
He used to worked as a newspaper journalist where he learned to write quickly. His first gig was as a movie critic and would have to drive from Fresno to San Francisco. He had a tight deadline and would need to write quickly to get his movie review in soon after getting back home.
He can't really do anything else so if he wants a certain lifestyle he needs to write. Finds it fun.
He wanted to be a writer at 14 when he wrote a story about a gift either given and received. He was the only kid who got an 'A' even though he wrote it in a last minute panic. "That's what I should do." It is easy to be better than your friends at 14, but you learn you need to work hard to be good.
He got fired at AOL. Do I have faith in my writing and marriage in this crisis test? He decided to move forward with his life, which included buying a home. Started to do consulting. Consulted for AOL as they needed him back.
Believed there is some luck to being successful. He got into television when someone read one of his books. He got to learn script writing. Being at the right place at the right time is helpful, but you need to capitalize on it.
One needsto have an ego. Need to believe you have something to say.
Journalism teaches concise, not to feel overly protective about own writing, fast writing.
Many writers don't have a business sense.
Publishing now is where film was in the late 60s/early70s. Publishing does not know about what will work next. Interesting times is when interesting work happens. You may as well try something new.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
LA Times Festival of Books. Jamaica Kincaid in Conversation with Hector Tobar
It was off to one of my favorite events of the year in Los Angeles: The LA Times Festival of Books. My fifth conversation was called "Jamaica Kincaid in Conversation with Hector Tobar."
The below biography was stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Jamaica Kincaid. Kincaid was born in St. John's, Antigua. Her books include "See Now Then," "At the Bottom of the River," "Annie John," "Lucy," "The Autobiography of my Mother," "My Brother" and "Potter." She lives with her family in Vermont.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Her latest book is about a family that separates. Mother, Father, Son, Daughter.
Quote: "You are like walking into barbwire at night."
When she started writing, she wanted to write something new. Didn't want to write a big book. Wanted to write a new way. Would write one sentence short stories. Wanted to do something about time.
One big influence to her style was the KJV Bible. Only thing she had to read for awhile. Other influences: Paradise Lost, which she was forced to copy due to behavior at school. She fell in love with Lucifer. She was given a dictionary for her 7th birthday, which she read cover to cover. Also, her life influenced her. She grew up on a small island, which was important to the British empire.
The narrator is the most unreliable person of the book. Talks about events from their viewpoint. But the narrator can be entertaining and is giving a complicated truth.
Every person is capable of doing some that is unknown to others.
"To exist is a disaster."
While little she was considered a liar, but was bad at it as it was easy to see through her lies. So much of what she has to say has to be the truth. Wanted to write truthfully about things. Wasn't aware of various writing theories when she started writing.
Why do people doubt me when I say it is a novel [her most recent book]? Don't say it is autobiographical.
Her children don't read her books. She is greatful for this. They know plenty about their mother and don't need to read more about her.
Her children did resent that she was more interested in something else versus them. What is good for you is not always good for your children. She learned this when she went to Finland and came back to find that her child had developed a stutter.
The below biography was stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Jamaica Kincaid. Kincaid was born in St. John's, Antigua. Her books include "See Now Then," "At the Bottom of the River," "Annie John," "Lucy," "The Autobiography of my Mother," "My Brother" and "Potter." She lives with her family in Vermont.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Her latest book is about a family that separates. Mother, Father, Son, Daughter.
Quote: "You are like walking into barbwire at night."
When she started writing, she wanted to write something new. Didn't want to write a big book. Wanted to write a new way. Would write one sentence short stories. Wanted to do something about time.
One big influence to her style was the KJV Bible. Only thing she had to read for awhile. Other influences: Paradise Lost, which she was forced to copy due to behavior at school. She fell in love with Lucifer. She was given a dictionary for her 7th birthday, which she read cover to cover. Also, her life influenced her. She grew up on a small island, which was important to the British empire.
The narrator is the most unreliable person of the book. Talks about events from their viewpoint. But the narrator can be entertaining and is giving a complicated truth.
Every person is capable of doing some that is unknown to others.
"To exist is a disaster."
While little she was considered a liar, but was bad at it as it was easy to see through her lies. So much of what she has to say has to be the truth. Wanted to write truthfully about things. Wasn't aware of various writing theories when she started writing.
Why do people doubt me when I say it is a novel [her most recent book]? Don't say it is autobiographical.
Her children don't read her books. She is greatful for this. They know plenty about their mother and don't need to read more about her.
Her children did resent that she was more interested in something else versus them. What is good for you is not always good for your children. She learned this when she went to Finland and came back to find that her child had developed a stutter.
Friday, April 26, 2013
LA Times Festival of Books. Current Events: Today's Dangerous World
It was off to one of my favorite events of the year in Los Angeles: The LA Times Festival of Books. My fourth conversation was called "Current Events: Today's Dangerous World."
The below biographies are stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Jess Bravin. Bravin is Supreme Court correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. He received the Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize for reporting on the International Criminal Court and the American Bar Assn.'s Silver Gavel Award for coverage of the legal response to 9/11. Bravin is a former UC regent and the author of several books, the most recent of which is "The Terror Court."
Brian Michael Jenkins. Jenkins is one of the world's foremost authorities on terrorism. During his four decades of analysis, Jenkins has advised governments, private corporations and international organizations. He currently serves as senior advisor to the president of the Rand Corp. His latest book is "The Long Shadow of 9/11: America's Response to Terrorism."
Mark Mazzetti. Mazzetti is a national security correspondent for the New York Times. In 2009, he shared a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the intensifying violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The previous year, he was a Pulitzer finalist for reporting on the CIA's detention and interrogation program. "The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army and a War at the Ends of the Earth" is his first book.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Brian Michael Jenkins. America is concerned about the security of chemical weapons in Syria, has plans to protect nuclear weapons in Pakistan and has held war game to secure nuclear weapons in North Korea if it implodes.
How can we put events in Boston into a broader context? The broad Jihad movement we face is much more decentralized after 9/11. It has moved to websites/chatrooms, but has not been successful. Many events were thwarted before terrorist events. Only 4 terrorist events were successful while many weren't. The successes: a military base, a military recruitment center, Time Square and Boston. Most of the terrorists are incompetent. Boston was not surprising as we can't stop 100% of events. Ideology is a component in realm of violence, but not key factor. Anger, humiliation, revenge, manhood, personal crisis are main reasons. Young people turn to terrorism as a way to deal with their own personal problems.
It is positive development that we are at least having a debate even if we are struggling with errors made during our war on terrorism.
Jess Bravin. Talk of military courts came from the top. Until 9/11, there was no problem with using the Federal Court system. He got wind of military commission after 9/11. As a legal scholar he had to look up about this from obscure legal classes from law school. There are issues based on citizenship versus non-citizens. Guantanamo was a round-up where legal charges were drawn up after evidence acquired on prisoners. The 9/11 plan was to set up a court that was outside of Federal Courts and Congress. Wanted as much flexibility as possible for Bush. No one brought to Guantanamo since 2004. Obama's policies are less unfair than Bush's, but still similar. It is hard to start up a court system from scratch.
Mark Mazzetti. 38 drone attacks during Bush, but Obama has done 121. Senator Obama indicated he would do what he is now doing. Did talk about waging war where America needed to wage war. Embraced war started by Bush. Obama said there needs to be ways in place regarding drone strikes as the power is seductive. There needs to be accountability. Members of Congress pressure for limits, but Congress has limited power in this area. Congress doesn't get memos that approve targeted killings. Implication of drone attacks: transformation of CIA, blurring of lines between soldiers and spies. Itelligence and interrogation were the main duties, but has shifted to targeted killing. Counter-terrorist department of CIA is growing more important. Military is also looking more like CIA. When Defense Secretary Rumsfeld came in, he set up the Pentagon to fight war outside of war zone and get more intelligence. There was an eventual compromise between the military and CIA where territory was split up between the two. For example, military in some areas are under CIA such as Zero Dark Thirty where navy seals were placed uner CIA authority.
The below biographies are stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Jess Bravin. Bravin is Supreme Court correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. He received the Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize for reporting on the International Criminal Court and the American Bar Assn.'s Silver Gavel Award for coverage of the legal response to 9/11. Bravin is a former UC regent and the author of several books, the most recent of which is "The Terror Court."
Brian Michael Jenkins. Jenkins is one of the world's foremost authorities on terrorism. During his four decades of analysis, Jenkins has advised governments, private corporations and international organizations. He currently serves as senior advisor to the president of the Rand Corp. His latest book is "The Long Shadow of 9/11: America's Response to Terrorism."
Mark Mazzetti. Mazzetti is a national security correspondent for the New York Times. In 2009, he shared a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the intensifying violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The previous year, he was a Pulitzer finalist for reporting on the CIA's detention and interrogation program. "The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army and a War at the Ends of the Earth" is his first book.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Brian Michael Jenkins. America is concerned about the security of chemical weapons in Syria, has plans to protect nuclear weapons in Pakistan and has held war game to secure nuclear weapons in North Korea if it implodes.
How can we put events in Boston into a broader context? The broad Jihad movement we face is much more decentralized after 9/11. It has moved to websites/chatrooms, but has not been successful. Many events were thwarted before terrorist events. Only 4 terrorist events were successful while many weren't. The successes: a military base, a military recruitment center, Time Square and Boston. Most of the terrorists are incompetent. Boston was not surprising as we can't stop 100% of events. Ideology is a component in realm of violence, but not key factor. Anger, humiliation, revenge, manhood, personal crisis are main reasons. Young people turn to terrorism as a way to deal with their own personal problems.
It is positive development that we are at least having a debate even if we are struggling with errors made during our war on terrorism.
Jess Bravin. Talk of military courts came from the top. Until 9/11, there was no problem with using the Federal Court system. He got wind of military commission after 9/11. As a legal scholar he had to look up about this from obscure legal classes from law school. There are issues based on citizenship versus non-citizens. Guantanamo was a round-up where legal charges were drawn up after evidence acquired on prisoners. The 9/11 plan was to set up a court that was outside of Federal Courts and Congress. Wanted as much flexibility as possible for Bush. No one brought to Guantanamo since 2004. Obama's policies are less unfair than Bush's, but still similar. It is hard to start up a court system from scratch.
Mark Mazzetti. 38 drone attacks during Bush, but Obama has done 121. Senator Obama indicated he would do what he is now doing. Did talk about waging war where America needed to wage war. Embraced war started by Bush. Obama said there needs to be ways in place regarding drone strikes as the power is seductive. There needs to be accountability. Members of Congress pressure for limits, but Congress has limited power in this area. Congress doesn't get memos that approve targeted killings. Implication of drone attacks: transformation of CIA, blurring of lines between soldiers and spies. Itelligence and interrogation were the main duties, but has shifted to targeted killing. Counter-terrorist department of CIA is growing more important. Military is also looking more like CIA. When Defense Secretary Rumsfeld came in, he set up the Pentagon to fight war outside of war zone and get more intelligence. There was an eventual compromise between the military and CIA where territory was split up between the two. For example, military in some areas are under CIA such as Zero Dark Thirty where navy seals were placed uner CIA authority.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
LA Times Festival of Books. History: Fight the Power
It was off to one of my favorite events of the year in Los Angeles: The LA Times Festival of Books. My third conversation was called "History: Fight the Power."
The below biographies are stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Joshua Bloom: Bloom is a fellow at the Ralph J. Bunche Center at UCLA. He is the coeditor of "Working for Justice: The L.A. Model of Organizing and Advocacy and the editor of the Black Panther Newspaper Collection. He is the coauthor of "Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party."
Matt Garcia: Garcia is the director of the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. He also directs the Comparative Border Studies Program. His forthcoming book, "From the Jaws of Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement," explores the formation of the most successful consumer boycott in U.S. history and the grassroots activists and union leaders who created it.
Seth Rosenfeld: Rosenfeld is an independent journalist based in San Francisco. A former investigative reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner, he has won the George Polk Award and other national honors. He has contributed to the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Harper's. His most recent book is "Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals and Reagan's Rise to Power."
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Seth Rosenfeld: In 1964, the Free Speech Movement started. LSD was still legal. War protests. Berkeley was the epicenter for these issues. His book looks at FBI involvement at Berkeley. Mario Savio, one of the leaders at Berkeley, was born in New York. He thought he was going to be a priest. He began questioning the dogma and broke with his Catholic faith, but left with the idea to do good. He got involved in the Civil Rights Movement and went to Mississippi in 1964 for voter registration drives.
At Berkeley, he found out there was a ban on political activity on the campus of Berkeley. He emerged as a leader, but didn't want the power.
Joshua Bloom: Why the emergence of Black Panther Party after the non-violent movement? Why the shift? The logic and dynamics of the Civil Rights movement was coming apart. There was an antagonistic relationship that started between the police and blacks. There was a lack of black involvement in the political machines of the North and West.
Everyone tries to make the most of the social space they live in. Do great men make history or does structural processes make history? Black Panther Party resulted from changes in structure -- especially the response to police brutality. There were charismatic leaders. There were different leaders who had idfferent strengths in philosophy and organization. People saw an organization that could help them.
Matt Garcia: Cesar Chavez studied Gandhi and MLK to control the violence of his followers. There was a realization that a strike by workers was not enough. What to do when harvest was over? Needed to keep people engaged. Almost as an after thought the group came up with the idea of a boycott. Brought LA/SF into it. Then went national.
Cesar Chavez was very soft spoken. Pious, but determined to reach his goals. Was right person at the time; however, movement was built around one person. The Farmer Movement never looked at structure/governing. This became a weakness as other voices were not heard. Without Cesar Chavez there would be not movement, but over-time the lack of structure hurt.
Why take on Cesar Chavez? Farm workers are little better off now. Why didn't the movement result in long lasting benefits? Garica feels it was his responsibility to look at what went wrong.
The below biographies are stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Joshua Bloom: Bloom is a fellow at the Ralph J. Bunche Center at UCLA. He is the coeditor of "Working for Justice: The L.A. Model of Organizing and Advocacy and the editor of the Black Panther Newspaper Collection. He is the coauthor of "Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party."
Matt Garcia: Garcia is the director of the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. He also directs the Comparative Border Studies Program. His forthcoming book, "From the Jaws of Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement," explores the formation of the most successful consumer boycott in U.S. history and the grassroots activists and union leaders who created it.
Seth Rosenfeld: Rosenfeld is an independent journalist based in San Francisco. A former investigative reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner, he has won the George Polk Award and other national honors. He has contributed to the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Harper's. His most recent book is "Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals and Reagan's Rise to Power."
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Seth Rosenfeld: In 1964, the Free Speech Movement started. LSD was still legal. War protests. Berkeley was the epicenter for these issues. His book looks at FBI involvement at Berkeley. Mario Savio, one of the leaders at Berkeley, was born in New York. He thought he was going to be a priest. He began questioning the dogma and broke with his Catholic faith, but left with the idea to do good. He got involved in the Civil Rights Movement and went to Mississippi in 1964 for voter registration drives.
At Berkeley, he found out there was a ban on political activity on the campus of Berkeley. He emerged as a leader, but didn't want the power.
Joshua Bloom: Why the emergence of Black Panther Party after the non-violent movement? Why the shift? The logic and dynamics of the Civil Rights movement was coming apart. There was an antagonistic relationship that started between the police and blacks. There was a lack of black involvement in the political machines of the North and West.
Everyone tries to make the most of the social space they live in. Do great men make history or does structural processes make history? Black Panther Party resulted from changes in structure -- especially the response to police brutality. There were charismatic leaders. There were different leaders who had idfferent strengths in philosophy and organization. People saw an organization that could help them.
Matt Garcia: Cesar Chavez studied Gandhi and MLK to control the violence of his followers. There was a realization that a strike by workers was not enough. What to do when harvest was over? Needed to keep people engaged. Almost as an after thought the group came up with the idea of a boycott. Brought LA/SF into it. Then went national.
Cesar Chavez was very soft spoken. Pious, but determined to reach his goals. Was right person at the time; however, movement was built around one person. The Farmer Movement never looked at structure/governing. This became a weakness as other voices were not heard. Without Cesar Chavez there would be not movement, but over-time the lack of structure hurt.
Why take on Cesar Chavez? Farm workers are little better off now. Why didn't the movement result in long lasting benefits? Garica feels it was his responsibility to look at what went wrong.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
LA Times Festival of Books. Holocaust Lives
It was off to one of my favorite events of the year in Los Angeles: The LA Times Festival of Books. My second conversation was called "Holocaust Lives."
The below biographies are stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Joe Bialowitz: Bialowitz is one of the youngest members of the "second generation" of European Holocaust survivors. He lectures internationally on ways to more effectively remember and teach about the Holocaust. Bialowitz's first book (coauthored with his father), "A Promise at Sobibor" has been published in English and Polish.
Lillian Faderman. Faderman's books include a memoir, "Naked in the Promised Land," and the recently reissued "Scotch Verdict." Her books have been translated into nine languages. She is the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards, including the Monette/Horwitz Award, the Publishers' Triangle Award and Yale University's James Brudner Award. "My Mother's Wars" is her latest book.
Marione Ingram. Ingram was born in Hamburg in 1935 and today lives in Hamburg and Washington, D.C. Her book, "The Hands of War," a memoir about the Second World War and about her later work as a civil rights activist in Mississippi, was published in 2013. Her art has been exhibited at galleries in Europe and America.
Jonathan Kirsch. Kirsch is an attorney and the author of 12 books, including the bestseller "A History of the End of the World." He contributed book reviews to the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years and is now the book editor of the Jewish Journal. His most recent title is "The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan: A Boy Avenger, a Nazi Diplomat and a Murder in Paris."
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Jonathan Kirsch: His book is about a 17 year old assassin named Herschel Grynszpan. Jews have searched for acts of resistance during the Holocaust. Warsaw Ghetto fighters felt there was a moral obligation to fight back. Why is Grynszpan been ignored? There is abundance of evidence. He was investigated by the French -- for a assassination of a German diplomat in Paris. The Germans had him at the top of their list to arrest.
Grynszpan was Polish. His parents along with other Jews were arrested in Germany and sent to Poland. Poland didn't want them either. They were left in the middle of no where. He escaped to Paris. There, he assassinated the German diplomat. Hitler wanted a show trial. This was supposed to be the excuse for why Jews needed to be murdered. He came up with a sexual scandal and so the Germans didn't put him on trial. He disappears from history at that point in time. He was a visionary to see what Hitler would do.
Lillian Faderman: Is Latvian. Her book is about her mother who happened to be 43 and unmarried when she gave birth to Lillian. She decided to study her mother to understand what Jews in America might have known was happening in Europe. Her mother was sent to America from Latvia at the age of 17. The goal was to get married, save money and bring the rest of the family to America. She knew no English. Did the fact that her mother did not marry until well later in life cause any guilt?
Antisemitism attitudes were not restricted to just Germany and Austria. There were political parties of some power in Romania and Poland that were also antisemitism But Latvia was considered fine; however, her brother knew better.
Many wanted to come to America in the 1930s, but there was a quota in place. It was based on the representation of immigrants from a certain country based on their 1890s population -- 2% of that population level was allowed into America. The anti-immigration wave was caused by the Great Depression. Since there were not that many Latvians in America in the 1890s, it was nearly impossible to bring the family over. And the emphasis to save Jews were focused on German/Austrian Jews as they seemed to be the most in danger.
Marione Ingram: Hamburg bombing was in 1943. Family was a privileged mixed race family. By 1941, most of the rest of her family was dead. The family was sent to Minsk. Grandmother left Marione pearl earrings as she was getting sent onto a train. Her family got the departure order in 1943, 2 days before the bombing started. Her mother sent the 2 daughters to relatives, but Marione returned home instead to find her mother with her head in the gas oven.
Father was beaten by Nazis for not divorcing her mother. The father was part of the underground.
Firebombing saved their lives, but destroyed her neighborhood. They fled through the streets of Hamburg for 10 days and 10 nights. She saw folks jumping into the water in flames and then pop out of the water for breath and start burning again -- due to the chemical used. She suffered horrific nightmares and wrote the book to deal with these nightmares.
The family went into hiding outside of Hamburg at a house run by another underground fighter. This lasted for 1.5 years.
She came to NY at 17. It was the first time she felt free as a Jew. She became a Civil Rights/Feminist Activist.
Joe Bialowitz: Father was part of a revolt and is still alive and believes he needs to bare witness. The book tries to walk in the shoes of his father. Why were there not more revolts: should you resist if it means the whole family will be put at risk? But by 1943, Jews knew they had to resist. Death by bullet was better than death by gas. At a camp his father fought Nazis, escaped through barbwire and landmines and hid with a Polish family.
The below biographies are stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Joe Bialowitz: Bialowitz is one of the youngest members of the "second generation" of European Holocaust survivors. He lectures internationally on ways to more effectively remember and teach about the Holocaust. Bialowitz's first book (coauthored with his father), "A Promise at Sobibor" has been published in English and Polish.
Lillian Faderman. Faderman's books include a memoir, "Naked in the Promised Land," and the recently reissued "Scotch Verdict." Her books have been translated into nine languages. She is the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards, including the Monette/Horwitz Award, the Publishers' Triangle Award and Yale University's James Brudner Award. "My Mother's Wars" is her latest book.
Marione Ingram. Ingram was born in Hamburg in 1935 and today lives in Hamburg and Washington, D.C. Her book, "The Hands of War," a memoir about the Second World War and about her later work as a civil rights activist in Mississippi, was published in 2013. Her art has been exhibited at galleries in Europe and America.
Jonathan Kirsch. Kirsch is an attorney and the author of 12 books, including the bestseller "A History of the End of the World." He contributed book reviews to the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years and is now the book editor of the Jewish Journal. His most recent title is "The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan: A Boy Avenger, a Nazi Diplomat and a Murder in Paris."
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Jonathan Kirsch: His book is about a 17 year old assassin named Herschel Grynszpan. Jews have searched for acts of resistance during the Holocaust. Warsaw Ghetto fighters felt there was a moral obligation to fight back. Why is Grynszpan been ignored? There is abundance of evidence. He was investigated by the French -- for a assassination of a German diplomat in Paris. The Germans had him at the top of their list to arrest.
Grynszpan was Polish. His parents along with other Jews were arrested in Germany and sent to Poland. Poland didn't want them either. They were left in the middle of no where. He escaped to Paris. There, he assassinated the German diplomat. Hitler wanted a show trial. This was supposed to be the excuse for why Jews needed to be murdered. He came up with a sexual scandal and so the Germans didn't put him on trial. He disappears from history at that point in time. He was a visionary to see what Hitler would do.
Lillian Faderman: Is Latvian. Her book is about her mother who happened to be 43 and unmarried when she gave birth to Lillian. She decided to study her mother to understand what Jews in America might have known was happening in Europe. Her mother was sent to America from Latvia at the age of 17. The goal was to get married, save money and bring the rest of the family to America. She knew no English. Did the fact that her mother did not marry until well later in life cause any guilt?
Antisemitism attitudes were not restricted to just Germany and Austria. There were political parties of some power in Romania and Poland that were also antisemitism But Latvia was considered fine; however, her brother knew better.
Many wanted to come to America in the 1930s, but there was a quota in place. It was based on the representation of immigrants from a certain country based on their 1890s population -- 2% of that population level was allowed into America. The anti-immigration wave was caused by the Great Depression. Since there were not that many Latvians in America in the 1890s, it was nearly impossible to bring the family over. And the emphasis to save Jews were focused on German/Austrian Jews as they seemed to be the most in danger.
Marione Ingram: Hamburg bombing was in 1943. Family was a privileged mixed race family. By 1941, most of the rest of her family was dead. The family was sent to Minsk. Grandmother left Marione pearl earrings as she was getting sent onto a train. Her family got the departure order in 1943, 2 days before the bombing started. Her mother sent the 2 daughters to relatives, but Marione returned home instead to find her mother with her head in the gas oven.
Father was beaten by Nazis for not divorcing her mother. The father was part of the underground.
Firebombing saved their lives, but destroyed her neighborhood. They fled through the streets of Hamburg for 10 days and 10 nights. She saw folks jumping into the water in flames and then pop out of the water for breath and start burning again -- due to the chemical used. She suffered horrific nightmares and wrote the book to deal with these nightmares.
The family went into hiding outside of Hamburg at a house run by another underground fighter. This lasted for 1.5 years.
She came to NY at 17. It was the first time she felt free as a Jew. She became a Civil Rights/Feminist Activist.
Joe Bialowitz: Father was part of a revolt and is still alive and believes he needs to bare witness. The book tries to walk in the shoes of his father. Why were there not more revolts: should you resist if it means the whole family will be put at risk? But by 1943, Jews knew they had to resist. Death by bullet was better than death by gas. At a camp his father fought Nazis, escaped through barbwire and landmines and hid with a Polish family.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
LA Times Festival of Books. Inner Self: Faith & Gay Identity
It was off to one of my favorite events of the year in Los Angeles: The LA Times Festival of Books. My first conversation was called "Inner Self: Faith & Gay Identity." The below biographies are stolen from the LA Times Festival guide:
Jeff Chu: Chu grew up in Berkeley and Miami. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University, earned a master's degree from the London School of Economics and has received French-American Foundation and Harvard Divinity School fellowships. He has written and edited for Time, Conde Nast Portfolio and Fast Company
Aaron Hartzler: Hartzler is a writer and actor who grew up in Kansas City. He currently splits hit time between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, where he lives with his boyfriend, Nate, and their two dogs, Charlie and Brah. His memoir, "Rapture Practice," was published earlier this month.
Chris Stedman: Stedman is the assistant humanist chaplain at Harvard University, emeritus managing director of state of formation at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue and author of "Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious." He is the founder of the first blog dedicated to exploring atheist-interfaith engagement, NonProphet Status, and writes fro CNN, MSNBC, the Rumpus and the Advocate, among others.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Aaron Hartzler: [His book is for a young adult audience.] Why target young adult audience? Tried to focus his memoir. He had so much material from his teen years. He hopes to turn teenagers onto memoirs. He tried to write from a 16-year old perspective.
What do we mean by believer? He wasn't kicked out of the church. He came up to brick wall of his sexuality. Do we believe the Bible is the word of God? Do you believe the Bible is inspired by God? If people don't believe, why go to church? Liberal Christians seem to shoehorn gays through the Bible.
Does Jesus love you? Do you love yourself? You need to know you're okay. That is where it needs to start.
Liberal denominations can be an exit out of Christianity.
Thinks coming out now is easier than in 1993. Ellen wasn't on TV yet. No one was talking about it on the news.
Marriage always had a religious aspect, but should be open to everyone.
Chris Stedman: Faitheist is a subset of atheists who are over-accommodating of people of faith. Derogatory term. Live in a world along side each other.
Converted to fundamentalist Christianity and joined a youth group. The group was very against homosexuality, but he was realizing his attraction to men. Mom took him to a more progressive church. Didn't feel he could have to terms if his mom didn't do this.
Follows Gay/Christian issues but doesn't have a dog in the fight as he is an atheist, but did find church more open then at high school. A problem with the LGBT community is that it isn't able to talk about religion.
When exchange stories, you build relationships. When in the closet, there are no stories shared. Marriage is only religious sacrament with a legal counterpart.
Jeff Chu: When he came out, he craved people's stories. There were two suggestions given to him when he came out. The conservative side said to be obedient to God. The other side said he should leave Christianity, because Christians hate gays. He went to Westboro to interview them for his book. He found out that they were actually nice. Self aware. Sense of humor. Their argument for their hateful comments: what kind of neighbor would I be if we didn't shock you out of your sin.
Uses believer loosely. Christians do not all serve the same "Jesus."
Acceptance of the LGBT community since his youth has gotten better outside of the church versus inside teh church. He doesn't think the books the three authors wrote would have been published 20 years ago, but the world still needs more conversations.
Jeff Chu: Chu grew up in Berkeley and Miami. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University, earned a master's degree from the London School of Economics and has received French-American Foundation and Harvard Divinity School fellowships. He has written and edited for Time, Conde Nast Portfolio and Fast Company
Aaron Hartzler: Hartzler is a writer and actor who grew up in Kansas City. He currently splits hit time between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, where he lives with his boyfriend, Nate, and their two dogs, Charlie and Brah. His memoir, "Rapture Practice," was published earlier this month.
Chris Stedman: Stedman is the assistant humanist chaplain at Harvard University, emeritus managing director of state of formation at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue and author of "Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious." He is the founder of the first blog dedicated to exploring atheist-interfaith engagement, NonProphet Status, and writes fro CNN, MSNBC, the Rumpus and the Advocate, among others.
The below are my notes -- flawed as they might be:
Aaron Hartzler: [His book is for a young adult audience.] Why target young adult audience? Tried to focus his memoir. He had so much material from his teen years. He hopes to turn teenagers onto memoirs. He tried to write from a 16-year old perspective.
What do we mean by believer? He wasn't kicked out of the church. He came up to brick wall of his sexuality. Do we believe the Bible is the word of God? Do you believe the Bible is inspired by God? If people don't believe, why go to church? Liberal Christians seem to shoehorn gays through the Bible.
Does Jesus love you? Do you love yourself? You need to know you're okay. That is where it needs to start.
Liberal denominations can be an exit out of Christianity.
Thinks coming out now is easier than in 1993. Ellen wasn't on TV yet. No one was talking about it on the news.
Marriage always had a religious aspect, but should be open to everyone.
Chris Stedman: Faitheist is a subset of atheists who are over-accommodating of people of faith. Derogatory term. Live in a world along side each other.
Converted to fundamentalist Christianity and joined a youth group. The group was very against homosexuality, but he was realizing his attraction to men. Mom took him to a more progressive church. Didn't feel he could have to terms if his mom didn't do this.
Follows Gay/Christian issues but doesn't have a dog in the fight as he is an atheist, but did find church more open then at high school. A problem with the LGBT community is that it isn't able to talk about religion.
When exchange stories, you build relationships. When in the closet, there are no stories shared. Marriage is only religious sacrament with a legal counterpart.
Jeff Chu: When he came out, he craved people's stories. There were two suggestions given to him when he came out. The conservative side said to be obedient to God. The other side said he should leave Christianity, because Christians hate gays. He went to Westboro to interview them for his book. He found out that they were actually nice. Self aware. Sense of humor. Their argument for their hateful comments: what kind of neighbor would I be if we didn't shock you out of your sin.
Uses believer loosely. Christians do not all serve the same "Jesus."
Acceptance of the LGBT community since his youth has gotten better outside of the church versus inside teh church. He doesn't think the books the three authors wrote would have been published 20 years ago, but the world still needs more conversations.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Pu$$y Cow at Los Globos
Pu$$y Cow hit the stage at Los Globos. What Kiss or Kill band were they going to target on this night: Overnight Lows. Pu$$y Cow was playing with Underwater City People on this night. The second set ever played by Pu$$y Cow was with UCP. What has changed since that time awhile back: a hat and a bandana. Seriously, that's it? Well, they've gotten progressively better, I'm sure.
The audience: the women were rocking, the men were pogo dancing.
The audience: the women were rocking, the men were pogo dancing.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Underwater City People at Los Globos
After disappearing from the scene for over a year, Underwater City People hit the stage at Los Globos. It felt like they had never left the scene. The crowd packed the space. The raise your hands was still in play. The twists and turns of the guitar and bass were timed perfectly so that they didn't bang into each other.
All of us loved the Underwater City People and I'm sure most of us hope it doesn't take another year plus for them to put on another show.
P.S. I know I love a set when I realize that I have a huge smile. I realized quickly enough that I had a huge smile.
All of us loved the Underwater City People and I'm sure most of us hope it doesn't take another year plus for them to put on another show.
P.S. I know I love a set when I realize that I have a huge smile. I realized quickly enough that I had a huge smile.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Santa Anita Park, 18 April, Thursday
Well, after a good day at the track followed by an okay day, I followed up with a horrible betting day at Santa Anita Park. It didn't help that two long shots won in the 6th and 7th race. Unlike the previous two days at the track, I didn't win a single daily double. That hurt. And I believe only a couple favorites won.
And it was a sad day, because I decided to do some significant pre-research into the horses. I spend at least 4 hours doing research. I had some time and figured I'd see if I couldn't improve my potential to win.
I guess not.
And it was a sad day, because I decided to do some significant pre-research into the horses. I spend at least 4 hours doing research. I had some time and figured I'd see if I couldn't improve my potential to win.
I guess not.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Santa Anita Park, Sunday April 14
It was back to the track to see if my luck would continue from Thursday.
Not so much. I didn't get killed, but the situation was up and down. On Thursday, I often had a winning bet on a race. This time around, I hit it big a couple times, but then went into a serious drought the other times.
I did work out a method to my madness of using the Racing Daily Form: 1.) look at speed of race at a similar distance for a horse; 2.) see how often the horse has run at such a distance (especially for the hillside races); 3.) see if the horse likes to run up front or from behind 4.) see if the horse faded or improved during a race 5.) look at speed of race for a horse at a distance that is either a +/- 1/2 furlong versus the current race.
Taking a look at my betting pattern over the last couple days where I've used the Racing Daily Form while trying out my new more aggressive betting style, I learned that I'm not very good at picking exactas -- even if I box the bet. Even though I like making such a bet, it might be best if I stop making that bet. Each of the two days, I lost money on this bet while making up money in my win-place-show and daily double bets.
Even though I think I should stop making exacta bets, my greatest joy was in Race 6 when I bet Scat Patty/Goodtobewild in a box exacta and that's how it came out. There was a thrill there. Of course, that was the only exacta bet I won and so net-net I lost money on my exacta bets. I suppose my worse bet of the day was also an exacta bet in the 3rd race where I boxed the two heavy favorites (Maker or Breaker/Egg Drop) and neither even came in show.
Not so much. I didn't get killed, but the situation was up and down. On Thursday, I often had a winning bet on a race. This time around, I hit it big a couple times, but then went into a serious drought the other times.
I did work out a method to my madness of using the Racing Daily Form: 1.) look at speed of race at a similar distance for a horse; 2.) see how often the horse has run at such a distance (especially for the hillside races); 3.) see if the horse likes to run up front or from behind 4.) see if the horse faded or improved during a race 5.) look at speed of race for a horse at a distance that is either a +/- 1/2 furlong versus the current race.
Taking a look at my betting pattern over the last couple days where I've used the Racing Daily Form while trying out my new more aggressive betting style, I learned that I'm not very good at picking exactas -- even if I box the bet. Even though I like making such a bet, it might be best if I stop making that bet. Each of the two days, I lost money on this bet while making up money in my win-place-show and daily double bets.
Even though I think I should stop making exacta bets, my greatest joy was in Race 6 when I bet Scat Patty/Goodtobewild in a box exacta and that's how it came out. There was a thrill there. Of course, that was the only exacta bet I won and so net-net I lost money on my exacta bets. I suppose my worse bet of the day was also an exacta bet in the 3rd race where I boxed the two heavy favorites (Maker or Breaker/Egg Drop) and neither even came in show.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Raw Geronimo at Casey's
It was off to Casey's to catch Raw Geronimo. First off, it was a pain in the butt trying to find free parking in downtown Los Angeles. I know, I should just pay for parking, but I have this thing about getting free parking. And as for driving, as I was heading down Hill Street, some jerk driver kept hitting his horn. When the light turned green, I watched the car driving pass and the driver and passenger were laughing their heads off.
I got to Casey's in time to catch Raw Geronimo even though I kept driving in circles. Lauren Fay was not with the band on this night. It didn't matter. Both Lauren and Laena Geronimo are two of my favorite musicians to photograph and so I was plenty busy taking photos of Laena.
Okay okay, the music. I'm not going to say Lauren wasn't missed, but I still loved the avant pop sound ex-her presence.
Noticed at Casey's: a former member of Black Flamingo.
I got to Casey's in time to catch Raw Geronimo even though I kept driving in circles. Lauren Fay was not with the band on this night. It didn't matter. Both Lauren and Laena Geronimo are two of my favorite musicians to photograph and so I was plenty busy taking photos of Laena.
Okay okay, the music. I'm not going to say Lauren wasn't missed, but I still loved the avant pop sound ex-her presence.
Noticed at Casey's: a former member of Black Flamingo.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Santa Anita Park, 4 April 2013
So I finally won some money at Santa Anita Park. I suppose it helped that the favorites came in.
In the first and second race, I won a daily double. I would have won an exacta, but I forgot my rule about skipping the trifectas. For the second race, I picked a winner.
Things went downhill in the 3rd and 4th race. My box exacta didn't have a chance as a longshot won the 3rd race. For the 4th race I had trouble when another longshot won.
Things perked up in the 5th thru 7th race when I followed Bejarano's coattails as he won 3 in a row. I picked up an exacta in the 5th and a daily double in the 6th/7th. Also, in the 7th, I went with a longshot for show, Thermal Nermal with Talamo. I figured why not go with a longshot when a top jockey is riding.
For the 8th race, I came away with nothing, but then I only went with one bet.
It felt good walking away with a little money after having spent the last few trips to Santa Anita Park a little lighter in the pocket.
I once again got the Racing Daily Form. Did it help me pick horses or was I just lucky? There is a lot of stats in that Form. For a guy like me, it is fun just staring at all the stats. For a couple races, it actually made it very difficult to make a decision. You have a situation sometimes where it seems that all the horses in a race have raced the exact same distance at the exact same time. So confusing. And considering I like making a Daily Double bet, I seriously couldn't even place a Daily Double bet a couple times, because I just couldn't make a quick enough decision about the 2nd half the bet. I suppose that might be why I should show up even earlier at the track . . .
In the first and second race, I won a daily double. I would have won an exacta, but I forgot my rule about skipping the trifectas. For the second race, I picked a winner.
Things went downhill in the 3rd and 4th race. My box exacta didn't have a chance as a longshot won the 3rd race. For the 4th race I had trouble when another longshot won.
Things perked up in the 5th thru 7th race when I followed Bejarano's coattails as he won 3 in a row. I picked up an exacta in the 5th and a daily double in the 6th/7th. Also, in the 7th, I went with a longshot for show, Thermal Nermal with Talamo. I figured why not go with a longshot when a top jockey is riding.
For the 8th race, I came away with nothing, but then I only went with one bet.
It felt good walking away with a little money after having spent the last few trips to Santa Anita Park a little lighter in the pocket.
I once again got the Racing Daily Form. Did it help me pick horses or was I just lucky? There is a lot of stats in that Form. For a guy like me, it is fun just staring at all the stats. For a couple races, it actually made it very difficult to make a decision. You have a situation sometimes where it seems that all the horses in a race have raced the exact same distance at the exact same time. So confusing. And considering I like making a Daily Double bet, I seriously couldn't even place a Daily Double bet a couple times, because I just couldn't make a quick enough decision about the 2nd half the bet. I suppose that might be why I should show up even earlier at the track . . .
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Charming Liars at Club Moscow
What is it about British bands coming to Los Angeles? It is similar to Portland bands coming to Los Angeles. They always seem to be solid bands. Charming Liars hit the stage at Club Moscow and immediately caught my attention with their energetic rock sound.
Noticed: Lead singer of TM87 was in the audience -- a band I caught at a music festival in Chinatown and was amused by their bickering regarding a water bottle.
Noticed: Lead singer of TM87 was in the audience -- a band I caught at a music festival in Chinatown and was amused by their bickering regarding a water bottle.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Prolific at Club Moscow
The Prolific continued a good night of music at Club Moscow. What was cool about seeing The Prolific was that I finally got to catch Matt Fuller's new band -- previously of The Mulhollands.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
New Born Authority at Club Moscow
It was a solid night of music at Club Moscow. New Born Authority took the stage first. When they began playing, I couldn't help but think: this band would be perfect for the Blue Star. Too bad -- unless I'm misinformed -- that venue isn't around anymore.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Santa Anita Park: Thursday, April 4
So I finally bought a Racing Daily Form. That form holds reams of data. For awhile, I just looked at it, not understanding a single detail. Eventually, I started to pick up on perhaps half of what was provided.
Did it help me make any bets? No. I still lost money. Actually, I could have ended up near flat for the day, but decided just to make some bets in the 8th race.
Interesting fact: I went to the betting seminar that is held before the races start. A Pick 6 (a bet I don't make) was provided. The betting expert nearly got it. He missed on the 7th race when the heavy favorite (Horizon Sky) came in third, which was apparently a shocker for nearly all the horse racing experts. In fact, the Racing Daily Form headline was: Horizon Sky looks like a pick-six single.
I basically went with Exactas and Daily Doubles for the day along with some very conservative Show bets. I missed my exacta on the first race when the final outcome of my bet was a win/show outcome versus the necessary win/place requirement. For the second race, the outcome was flipped, which made me wonder why I hadn't boxed the bet. The third race was my winner for the day. I got both a Daily Double (including the fourth race) and an exacta. It went downhill from there. I played the daily doubles for a handful of additional races and then came the 7th race where Horizon Sky was supposed to win. I did a couple exactas on that race and since Horizon Sky came in show, not even a box would have helped the situation.
Did it help me make any bets? No. I still lost money. Actually, I could have ended up near flat for the day, but decided just to make some bets in the 8th race.
Interesting fact: I went to the betting seminar that is held before the races start. A Pick 6 (a bet I don't make) was provided. The betting expert nearly got it. He missed on the 7th race when the heavy favorite (Horizon Sky) came in third, which was apparently a shocker for nearly all the horse racing experts. In fact, the Racing Daily Form headline was: Horizon Sky looks like a pick-six single.
I basically went with Exactas and Daily Doubles for the day along with some very conservative Show bets. I missed my exacta on the first race when the final outcome of my bet was a win/show outcome versus the necessary win/place requirement. For the second race, the outcome was flipped, which made me wonder why I hadn't boxed the bet. The third race was my winner for the day. I got both a Daily Double (including the fourth race) and an exacta. It went downhill from there. I played the daily doubles for a handful of additional races and then came the 7th race where Horizon Sky was supposed to win. I did a couple exactas on that race and since Horizon Sky came in show, not even a box would have helped the situation.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
A Book Review: The Reversal
The Reversal by Michael Connelly. I think this book ranks high in the Michael Connelly universe. Defense attorney Mickey Haller crosses over to work for the prosecution. Detective Harry Bosch joins in to help. They are brought together to retry Jason Jessup, a child killer. The book keeps you riveted and the ending blows up. Wow.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Gavin Turek at Bootleg Theater
Gavin Turek is the residency singer at Bootleg this month of April. Every once in awhile I come across a band or a musician where time seems to fly past. This was the case with Gavin Turek. I was totally lost in the moment when she announced that it was her last song. Now on the rare occasion there are bands or singers who will only do a 20 minute set. I figured she was in that category. I looked down at my watch and was shocked that 30 minutes had passed.
Her electro music will have you dancing. And she herself dances her mind off during the set.
Interesting note: for one of the bands the whole audience seemed to be squeezed into one of the corners of the Bootleg. I found it amusing, perhaps no one else will find that so.
Her electro music will have you dancing. And she herself dances her mind off during the set.
Interesting note: for one of the bands the whole audience seemed to be squeezed into one of the corners of the Bootleg. I found it amusing, perhaps no one else will find that so.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Western Scene at Bootleg
Western Scene hit the stage between residency singer Gavin Turek and Hustle Roses. An interesting placement as both Gavin Turek and Hustle Roses have a dance sound while Western Scene is more pop-ish. The change-up in genre was good, because their sound is awesome.
It should be noted that the Salvation sign has been transferred from Silverlake Lounge to Bootleg.
It should be noted that the Salvation sign has been transferred from Silverlake Lounge to Bootleg.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Book Review: 9 Dragons
9 Dragons. This book has to be one of Michael Connelly’s worse. LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is assigned a murder case in which someone shot a Chinese store owner. It is determined that the Hong Kong triad is involved. Within hours of starting his investigation, he finds out that his daughter (living in Hong Kong) has been kidnapped. Off to Hong Kong he goes to find his daughter.
This book is a re-write of the movie Taken.
I enjoyed the book up to the point where Harry Bosch heads to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, he meets up with his ex-wife. His ex-wife is emotionally shattered by these events and is a serious drag on Bosch’s attempt to find the individuals who kidnapped his daughter.
Okay, here’s the major problem with this description of the wife: his wife is a former-FBI agent. Is our FBI filled with people who are unable to help in a kidnapping investigation? This has to be seen as a sexist portrayal of this character.
Also, the ending can be seen from a mile away. Now I’ve read plenty of Connelly’s books so perhaps I’m getting too familiar with his twists and turns. It is possible that I just shouldn’t read another Connelly book for a couple years. On the other hand, I just felt that certain characters and events were written in a way that you just could smell out the fact that something wasn’t right. Maybe Connelly meant to write it this way, but if so he was way too obvious.
I enjoyed the book up to the point where Harry Bosch heads to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, he meets up with his ex-wife. His ex-wife is emotionally shattered by these events and is a serious drag on Bosch’s attempt to find the individuals who kidnapped his daughter.
Okay, here’s the major problem with this description of the wife: his wife is a former-FBI agent. Is our FBI filled with people who are unable to help in a kidnapping investigation? This has to be seen as a sexist portrayal of this character.
Also, the ending can be seen from a mile away. Now I’ve read plenty of Connelly’s books so perhaps I’m getting too familiar with his twists and turns. It is possible that I just shouldn’t read another Connelly book for a couple years. On the other hand, I just felt that certain characters and events were written in a way that you just could smell out the fact that something wasn’t right. Maybe Connelly meant to write it this way, but if so he was way too obvious.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Birds of a Black Feather at Harvard and Stone
It was off to see Birds of a Black Feather at Harvard and Stone. I only got to catch part of The Ross Sea Party. I showed up on time, but was stuck outside due to the bar being at capacity. For the part of Ross Sea Party that I did catch, it surely sounded like they've taken it up a notch since I last saw them at Silverlake Lounge. And for Birds of a Black Feather, the pulsing beats of southern rock merged with the beautiful harmonies of the two female lead singers results in some beautiful music.
Birds of a Black Feather
The Ross Sea Party
Birds of a Black Feather
The Ross Sea Party
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