Google Maps My Life with Cars (and other things I put off)

I was doing a Google Maps search last week and noticed something called "Street View." I didn't think much of it at the time, but a couple of days later, while doing another Map search, there it was again. How is this possible? The photos are not from a satellite in the sky, they are shot next to the address requested, taken from the street...

So I searched my address, and sure enough, there's my street, the fence in front of my house, and my cars. But wait, not my current cars, but cars of which one I have sold months ago, and one that is rarely parked at my house. It appears that what Google has done within the last YEAR is to have paid people to drive around most Los Angeles streets with a 360 degree camera strapped to the roof (just scroll down the image as far as you can; I can see that apparently it was a black car, but checking Marina's address it appeared to be a red car).

QUESTION: If I scroll UP in Google Street View and zoom in, can I see the Google sattellite? and if not, what are you hiding, Google?

Beyond the obvious privacy and technology questions (this is all inevitable, so get used to it), it got me thinking about my own recent history. This photo says so much to me about what was happening in my life appx. 6 months ago:

• The roof of my house does not yet have rolls of tar paper and packages of roofing shingles on it, so the photo was taken before I started re-roofing (something I started about 2 months ago, and have not finished). Two of the 5 skylights I installed over the last 2 years have started leaking because of the very heavy rains we had this winter, and a temp fix with roofing cement only repaired one. The other skylight in my bathroom leaked continuously during the rains, and as I am about to finish drywalling and install floor-to-ceiling tile, I realized I should probably re-roof (there were 3 layers already, the bottom one completely deteriorated). The roof's not THAT big, and I actually enjoyed the 3 days I have already spent tearing up half of it, and replacing it all with new paper and shingles. Unfortunately, that only completes about 1/4 of the entire job, and the hot summer is approaching, so I need to get to it and finish the rest! It's always easy to enjoy the beginning of a job - what makes it a JOB is having to follow through and complete it.
  
• 2004 Dodge Sprinter Van (parked across the street). What a cool van that was! I got it in my mind that, if I was going to commute a few times a year all the way from Los Angeles to Halifax, Nova Scotia to build a house there (more on this later - see photos of the land here), that I would need something bigger and more fuel efficient than my 1996 Chevy van with 330,000 miles (at 12 miles/gallon)! These diesel Mercedes vans can get up to 25MPG, and the longest wheelbase model had enough space for me to build a small sleeper behind the cab still have more than 10 feet of storage behind that! I shopped online in 2007 for quite a few months, bought one on eBay, and flew out in Feb 2007 to Columbus, OH (during a really bad snow storm), only to find it was the shorter one, so I left that one there and flew back home. A month later I found another in Little Rock, AK, so I bought THAT on eBay, flew out and drove it home in 2 days. I installed a rear camera, fixed some minor electrical thing, installed a good stereo, and happily drove it for 6 months. It was GREAT van for doing gigs with the band (doubled as a dressing room), but in the end I decided it was a little TOO long for most any other use, and the mileage on this model (the more heavy-duty 3500) wasn't much better than my other van, which in the meantime no one seemed interested in buying. Their loss, it's a great van still! Plans changed, I kept the Chevy and sold the Sprinter. On the day Google Maps took this photo, the Chevy van must have been used by my ex-wife, which is why the 62 Thunderbird is there...
  
• 1962 Ford Thunderbird - back in the 1990's my first wife and I owned old cars to fight high insurance costs and take advantage of the great old cars available in Southern California. I had a 1961 Ford Ranchero pickup, a vehicle in continuous stages of restoration and repair (as are ALL older cars, especially when they are used as daily drivers), and aI still occasionally see and drive it in my dreams. She had a 63 Falcon, which she still owns to this day. I eventually traded the Ranchero in for a 95 Pathfinder , having a driving job that wore out the old pickup (plus no air conditioning wore me out)! My second wife was and still is REALLY into old and classic things, and got the both of us into old cars once again. Sometime right after 9/11/01 I purchased this 62 Thunderbird on eBay from an old man on Long Island, New York, and flew out to drive it back (my ray-gun style timing gun had airport security confused for a few minutes, but eventually they figured it out). I could and still might write a story or screenplay about that trip, which included bad brakes that blew out 3 new tires, almost killed me coming off a freeway in Ohio (where a tow truck ruined the bumpers), a wife screaming "I told you so" on the phone the entire trip - ugh! I drove that car around Los Angeles for three years before finally swearing off old cars. I don't miss the old car hassles, and still own BOTH this 62 (I am planning on an adventure to Tijuana to get it painted and the interior done, then sell it), and a 1961 Thunderbird parked at ex-wife #2's back yard, restored but waiting to be reassembled (the 61 was going to be my keeper before I finally gave up on all classic cars, partly due to the nightmare that was and still is my ex'es 1951 Buick, one contributing factor in our divorce). In the meantime this 62 Bird is usually parked at her house across town for use as a backup when her Buick is down (you can never only own one car if it's a classic) - oh, how about the story where it was towed by the city because she had not moved it for a few days, and it was almost sold at auction...
• 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder - what a pleasure it is to drive this car. It's small, gets pretty good mileage (28MPG ave., although nowadays that's getting to be not quite good enough), is extremelyt reliable and cheap to maintain (it IS a Toyota), and is the perfect Southern California car for getting myself and my computer, or a bass, or Marina and NOTHING ELSE around town. I first bought one of these new in 2002 after marrying wife #2. I had a decent income, and the 30 mile commute justified something better than what I had at the time. Purchasing the car was another big controversy in the marriage, and the payments were too high to justify a year later when that job ended. I loved the car, and always hoped I would get another, but was trying the old car thing once more (see 62 Tbird above). One of the first things I did when I separated from wife #2 in Dec 2004 is buy another MR2, this time for half the price with WAY better loan terms. It is a joy to write the $260 car payment check every month, and having and driving this car enables me to appreciate what a great place Los Angeles is - diverse and interesting, from food to culture to architecture to nature, all within 30-60 minutes. This kind of lifestyle will probably change dramatically over the next decade or so because of the inevitable oil shortages and prices, but in the meantime I enjoy the freedom, mobility and my relatively "small carbon footprint" owning 4 vehicles - but driving only one at a time, usually the most efficient one.
  

Yes, my lifestyle is so extraordinarily extravagant compared to 95% of the world, and you cannot be a compassionate person (if, in fact, you are) without being aware of these things (bleeding heart liberal? You bet!). I am reminded that I need to, and am (slowly) reducing my possessions, so that they are not possessing me. This photo also reminds me that the car thing got out of a hand, and seems to be in a holding pattern until I can find the time to sell off the Thunderbirds. There is much work to be done before that, most of which is interesting if predictable (fix the roof, restore and sell 2 cars, finish replacing my fence, finish the plumbing and tiling of my bathroom, etc etc etc).

How does my life get so complicated? Following my passions, I guess. I have learned to trust them, and they usually end well. The complexity and many unfinished things in my life annoy Marina greatly, but that's part of who I am, and part of what I love about living.

It's a good thing I am such a good procrastinator; I am able to block out and ignore most of the unfinished things in my life. But I do think about them, about how to finish them, and believe I will get to them - eventually- and I usually do. Sometimes, ready or not, I am reminded about them in ways I had not anticipated, and if it gets my butt in gear, then that's OK.

THANKS A LOT, Google.

Freethinking Music

I have been asked to put together an hour of live music for Atheists United in Hollywood (some of the nicest people you will ever meet, no exaggeration). Bobbie Kirkhart asked that I assemble a program of music by and/or about atheists/humanists/freethinkers, etc. The performance will be called FREETHINKING MUSIC, to be at the Center For Inquiry West on Hollywood Blvd. on Sunday, May 25th 2008 at 11AM.

For me this means content that questions, doubts or rejects the metaphysical, or celebrates being human, mortal and alive. It gives me an opportunity to sing a couple of my songs (which have already explored these issues), some songs I have always wanted to sing (including John Lennon's IMAGINE and XTC's DEAR GOD), and act as music director and bassist behind other singers better than I.

The only way I would do this is if it was a PRO performance with PRO musicians and singers, not some sort of piano karaoke of old-time tin-pan alley songs by the likes of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Yip Harburg (which was one of the suggestions, betraying the cultural generation gap of many AU members, but thhat's another matter). I want this to represent music from the last 80-100 years, especially from live and current freethinking pop/rock bands and songwriters (there are plenty out there).

The first issue was musicians to perform WITH. My original band(s) have not played together in a few years, and some of those players are no longer in town. I am also acutely aware that not only is this a FREE gig (which understandably limits the available of some PRO musicians), but a gig for an Atheist organization, and not everyone would be so inclined to participate (yes, we can also be respectful of other people's religious beliefs!). I did not want to possibly alienate musicians that I may know who were not, lets say, fellow travelers.

As it turns out, everyone I asked said sure, no problem (unless they had prior commitments). So far I have rounded up a drummer and pianist, and my old guitarist is trying to move a previous gig. I also have at least 3 vocalists involved, with invitations out for a few more, and an expected listing in the upcoming MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE promises even more volunteers. On top of these I have decided to get a string quartet involved as well to play my 2 original songs and charts for 3 or 4 cover tunes. So far one or two players have said OK, so we're half way there!

As for the music, there is an obvious list to start off with. Amongst the aged atheist crowd I always hear about Yip, Gershwin, Porter, Irving Berlin, etc. But today's musicians who rejst the idea of god and afterlife include Elton John, Billy Joel, Burt Bacharach, Dave Matthews, John Lennon, XTC, Tori Amox, Jill Sobule (tyring to reach you, Jill, we'de love to have you!), Laura Nyro... here's one list I found.

Most of this music has nothing to do with religion or lack thereof, and I also did not want this program to be a review of nice pop songs. The songs that I have chosen (so far) either deal directly with this issue, or with doubt about status-quo interpretations of faith , or simply celebrate how we as humans can simply lean to enjoy life and get along:

• Dear God (XTC)
• Imagine (John Lennon)
• What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love (Bacharach/David)
• One of Us (made popular by Joan Osbourne)
• Your Song (Elton John) this song is regularly cited by christians as a song about god, which is categorically denied by the authors
• You May Be Right (Billy Joel) unless I can find a better one...
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow
• Brother Can You Spare a Dime
• Jesus is Just Alright (by the Doobie Brothers) featuring a slightly difference emphasis on JUST ALRIGHT)
  
• A medley of something from Berlin, Gershwin, Porter (over which I found some great quotes from a Bill Moyers program that will be read, see below)
• A couple of my songs, perhaps TOUCH or NOT AFRAID OF THE END, and a newer one called I LOVE, along with a few more cover tunes I may find between now and then

As this performance provides an opportunity to create some new things, I was looking for some way to throw some spoken word text into the mix. Many of the famous tin-pan alley atheist songwriters wrote many songs with god or religious themes (it was a job, after all, and it was not always a good idea to make announce your lack of belief...). Take Irving Berlin forr example: GOD BLESS AMERICA and WHITE CHRISTMAS are two of the biggest pop songs in the world, written by an atheist non-practicing Jew. The melodies are beautiful, even if the lyrics are something I and members of AU might not be interested in hearing (again and again and again!). I happen to come across some very moving quotes from a Bill Moyers show about god, faith and 9-11. A preist, a rabbi, a muslim religious leader and two atheists talk about the questioning god after the attacks, something I thought would be much more public than it was (although I would guess many people thought about it). Sounds like it could be the opening of a good joke, but they're actually very moving and sicere. Rather than exclude some of these great songs, I am actively seeking a suitable reader to read some of these quotes over this music - it shhould make for interesting contrast.

The Doobie Brother's JESUS IS JUST ALRIGHT is MUSIC I have always enjoyed, even if I felt nothing for the message. Since the 70's when it was written, "just alright" has taken on a slightly different meaning (thanks to Frank Zappa's VALLEY GIRL - oh, yes, maybe there is a Zappa tune I can include!). I am trying to get in touch with Julia Sweeney to add nuance to this concept, but as she is getting married in the next week, the timing may be off. I can wait a bit, Julia, PLEASE call me!

I will be volunteering a bit of time to man the Atheist United booth at the Los Angeles Times LA Book Fair at UCLA tomorrow Sat 26 April, and will bring a poster and some flyers to publicize the event. I will also bring some of my MORALS VS ETHICS postcards to sell, and will be soliciting more music suggestions. Your comments and suggestions are welcome, this program will probably change much in the next month.

OK, here we go...

My head has been shrinking as I get older. This is definitely a good thing at one level, since no one likes a big head. And expressing BIGHEADEDNESS is something that I would like to believe I have some control over (true or not), so I have tried been making a conscious effort over the last decade to TRY to not do this anymore. But I have also become less interested in expressing my opinions because I have been getting OVER myself. Finally.

I'm just sick of ME ME ME. It's not that I don't think Joel's a moderately interesting guy, and we all strive to find what makes us happy, but REALLY, give me a break, it's like a bad commercial (and how I HATE commercials), and I just don't care enough anymore. I have better things to do, like, um, finding what makes me happy, to worry about whether or not anybody else thinks I'm cool.

Funny, starting a blog to ramble is a somewhat textbook definition of an outsized ego. The world NEEDS to hear what I have to say (right?). Well, no, the world will probably be fine without hearing from me, thank you very much.

But isn't being an artist about thinking that you have a way of expressing SOMETHING that might be different enough that other people MIGHT want to hear about it? Last night Marina said told me she loved that I saw things differently, and was able to express them in succinct ways. At least the woman in my life thinks so (and how great is that!).

(side note: perhaps an artist IS someone that can't help but to see things in a different way, and is always searching for ways to express them to others, or at least to his/herself. It's not whether we think it or not - we can't help it, it's how we are (mis)wired. If you are entertained by this, please give the monkey a coin...)

Yes, I guess I think so, too. But I am conflicted, as I have gotten so sick of the self-promotion mindset required to hustle my art/music/business/etc. , and living in Los Angeles, the epicenter of media and entertainment, encourages this behavior (or, at least, offers a good excuse for it). These days I have a difficult time reminding my neighbors when my Who band has a local gig - they are HUGE Who fans, and have asked many times. I just feel like I don't want to bother them with my little band thingy OVER and OVER...

So I view my head shrinkage as a good thing, even though, when I look in a mirror, it looks like my head is bigger (well, my forehead, anyway). I guess most of us must think we're hot shit in our own ways, except for the ones with inferiority complexes and self-loathing issues (OK, that's in all of us a bit, but it's not a driving force in me). My shit may not be hot all the time, but sometimes... well, enough of THAT metaphor as I go pick up the giant Irish Wolfhound turds in my yard.

As for WHO DO I THINK I AM?, I just signed up for High School Reunion site (although I have no idea why, it's not like I'm in touch with ANYONE from my high school 30 years ago). They asked for a brief description/bio, and I came up with the one I keep on the ABOUT ME column of this blog:

"Living happily in Los Angeles, contemplating retiring to Canada; loving animals more than (most) people; making things, music, and paintings; making a living on computers (mostly)"

This is much happier and less cynical than the one I created when all those "6 word bios" were thrown about recently:

"Plays, paints, writes - no one cares"

Still like the brevity of that one, and it's still more or less accurate, but I'll go with things I love instead of what anyone else thinks.

Ooh, I felt a crack, is it shrinking or growing..?