Bush Declares Tues. Jan. 2 Day of Mourning for Ford

Courtesy of Reuters via Yahoo News:

Bush declares January 2 day of mourning for Ford
Thu Dec 28, 5:12 PM ET

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) -

President Bush on Thursday declared January 2 a "National Day of Mourning" for former President Gerald Ford who died this week.

The declaration means that federal offices will be closed on Tuesday.

"I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President Ford," Bush said in a proclamation.

Ford's body will be flown to Washington on Saturday and his casket will lie in state at the Capitol. A service will be held at the National Cathedral on Tuesday at which Bush will speak, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

Bush will return to Washington on Monday from spending the holiday week at his ranch in Texas and with his wife, Laura, go to the Capitol to pay respects to Ford, Stanzel said.

Resolution Revolution

I’m not big on resolutions. I don’t even think I’ve actually ever made one. It’s not out of fear of keeping one, I just don’t agree with the idea that we get to binge ourselves silly until 12/31 only to make ourselves start the violent purge on 1/1. I guess you could say I have resolved not to.

But I do believe in reflection and goal setting. Now is a good time to reflect on all the things we accomplished this year, and then decide what we want to tackle over the next 12 months.

Jason Womack of www.FitAndEffective.com talked to me recently on Radio Ojai about this timely topic. He offers some keen insight, including how a 3 x 5 card can help you set goals you will actually implement.

What’s your take on New Year’s Resolutions? If you have a resolution, please share it here. And how do you plan to ring in 2007? I’m always looking for a better way to celebrate the countdown, but that’s another story!

Relentless east winds

How did the wind and power outage affect you?

Mix and Party CDs

Mix tapes, or rather mix CDs or DVDs are great gifts. I received several this year, and predict, or at least hope, that this trend will continue.

When someone takes the time and trouble to burn you a CD, and even have the playlist etched on the cover, like Yoga Matt had done, you know they either have sincere regard for you, or are shamelessly sucking up. Either way, it's most appreciated. It is a very personal gift of time and attention.

Here's a video from one of my favorite songs, "Take Your Mama," by the dancehall sensations Scissor Sisters, from a mix recording I got:

What's the big 2006 story?

Which Ojai story affected you the most in 2006 and why? Consider the deaths of June Allyson, Otis Chandler, Maynard Ferguson or our own Bud Furillo; Escalating gang activity; The arrest of Cathy Elliot Jones; The City Council election; The city's financial stabilization; The Opening of Jersey Mike's; The closing of the O-Hi Frostie or Ojai Ford. Are there others?

Happy Festivus!

Technically, I'm 2 days late, but that's the beauty of Festivus; you can celebrate it whenever you want.

Festivus was popularized by Seinfeld nearly a decade ago, but it's been around much longer than that. According to Wikipedia, the episode surrounding the Costanza family celebration was inspired by Dan O'Keefe, who claims to have invented the holiday in 1966.

The non-denominational holiday calls for several traditions, even though it's intent is to scoff at tradition. First is the Festivus Pole, which must not be decorated and serves as the only adornment to mark the holiday. There is a company in Milwaukee selling the poles. Last year they sold 250. This year they expect to ship over 600. I'm not kidding.

The Festivus meal concludes with the Airing of Grievances. Family members, one at a time, are invited to share with the others all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year. When I told my friend about this, touting the many benefits of being the airer, she said, "What's so great about that? I do that all year long!"

And no Festivus can end until the head of the household is pinned in a wrestling match. Yes, the Feats of Strength is the most celebrated of all Festivus rituals. My husband loves this, but sadly his attempts to pin me have yet to succeed.

Let's not forget the greatest part of Festivus, the Festivus Miracle. My research is a little fuzzy on this, but I think you're allowed to declare a Festivus Miracle for pretty much anything that surprises you or is unusual. This year, when grass finally sprouted on my lawn (my husband is in the irrigation business), I shouted, "Good gawd, it's a Festivus Miracle!"

How do you celebrate Festivus?

Madrigali Performs Tonight at the Inn

From the current issue of the Ojai Valley Vistors Guide:

FINDING OJAI: Madrigali singers in tune with holiday spirit

I remember my first holiday season in Ojai, thinking that because the nearest mall is more than 25 miles away, I’d have to do all of my Christmas shopping “in town” or on the Internet. On a lark, and mostly because I had an unfinished shopping list and time was not on my side, I ventured into Ojai's village center. I was struck by all of the festive decorations, the sophisticated shops, the slight chill in the air, the dusting of snow on the Topa Topas and the sound of Christmas filling the air.

I strolled down the Arcade to find where the sound was coming from. There were no instruments, just lovely voices singing ancient sounds that reminded me of Dickens. I don’t know why, because who knows what sort of soundtrack would accompany Dickens, but if it did, it would sound like this. Warm and lilting and charming and lovely. And from another time. It felt nostalgic.

I found my way to a breezeway off the arcade where a small crowd had gathered into a circle. In the center was a group of carolers in full Renaissance regalia, trumpeting a capella. The breezeway offered the perfect acoustics for their harmony. The costumes were fancy; ladies in full-length velvet and cinched corsets and gentlemen in knickers and fancy feathered hats. They were animated and jolly and having as much fun as their audience.

Soon we were on the move, making our way down the Arcade, stopping every now and then. Along the way, I picked up a set of painted coasters at Kindred Spirit, a soft scarf with matching gloves at Rains and scented monogrammed soaps at Kava Gifts. With my Christmas gift list almost complete, the last stop took us to Rainbow Bridge for a hot cup of soup and more carols; a perfect end to a relaxing and entertaining afternoon of Christmas shopping free from the hectic pace and frantic crowds of the mall.

The Madrigali Renaissance Voices have been entertaining Ojaians and visitors alike since 1989. Jaye Hersh came to Ojai from Lubbock, Texas, and founded the group when she became involved with the Ojai Shakespeare Festival her first summer here.

Originally meant to entertain the audience during festival intermissions, the group quickly gained in popularity and was soon getting gigs left and right. And then people started calling them to sing holiday carols.

"We only sing music written before 1650," says Hersh, who was a music major in college. Through her work with the Shakespeare Festival, she recalls, "I ended up becoming the de facto specialist in Shakespeare music."

Much of Madrigali's music is based on song texts from Shakespeare's plays. "We have no idea what it actually sounded like, " says Hersh, explaining that all notated music of that era was written exclusively for the church. Secular music that was created for pure entertainment typically deviated from the church's music and was therefore considered sacrilegious. Because it wasn't notated, this music was essentially lost during the Baroque period and buried for about 300 years until choir directors in the 20's and 30's brought it back, then in the 60's it developed a following.

Hersh wanted to bring the music to life, so she sat with a colleague at a piano to come up with melodies to accompany Shakespeare's song texts. Now they have more than 100 songs in their repertoire, all sung in the madrigal style - a term for polyphonic vocal music.

"Madrigali music is incredibly satisfying to the singers," because, Hersh explains, the music was created in the "spirit of discovery and play, without expecation or requirement."

After 17 years, Madrigali is 13 members strong, and all are local residents living throughout Ventura County. They have traveled as far as Barcelona, Spain and Sienna, Italy, to perform as a group. In the beginning, their costumes were mostly borrowed and haphazardly put together. Hersh remembers thinking, "We need to get a look going on!" Now most of their costumes are handmade with strict adherence to complying with the Renaissance period.

During the holiday season, Madrigali typically performs on a for-hire basis for private audiences, but often they will end up in the Arcade after a show to entertain passersby. This year they are performing at the Ojai Valley Inn on Christmas Eve for guests and restaurant patrons.

For more information or to hire Madrigali, contact Hersh at 640-MUSE.

Guitarmaggedon Averted

For those about to rock, the city of Ojai salutes you.
“There is no city ordinance against playing air guitar in (Ojai) parks,” explained director of Public Works, Doug Breeze.
It’s a good thing, too — people were getting confused. Early last week, the city avoided what comic commentator Stephen Colbert of “The Colbert Report,” called, albeit in a different context, “Guitarmageddon” by tearing down a sign in Cluff Vista Park. The sign stated the simple rules of the park: No skating, no bicycling, no skateboarding, and ... no air guitar.
Kriston Rucker, co-founder of the annual U.S. Air Guitar Championships, said he was glad the city lifted its ban-by-signage. “Parks are public places,” said Rucker, whose organization is dedicated to bringing air guitar into the public eye, if not ear. “Air guitar couldn’t possibly be construed as a public nuisance, like, for instance, jogging. It’s much less dangerous to the public than Frisbee … Air guitar is not a crime.”
Breeze said that the sign — which listed air guitar as one of the banned activities in Cluff Vista Park — was removed because it was “inappropriate. We have no logic, other than that’s not the sign we ordered.”
But signmaker Allen Quigg of Woodcrafter Signs says he has a perfectly logical explanation for adding “air guitar” to the list of prohibitions. The previous sign, made out of foam by another signmaker, was torn down by vandals just weeks after its installation.
So Quigg decided to give the new sign a little extra security.
“My inspiration to do this was two-fold,” said Quigg. “One, to protect the sign from vandalism. I thought, if I put something up there that has some element of unique notoriety to it, then maybe locals would be more interested in protecting it. And two, to have it show that the city has a pretty unique sense of humor and knows how to get a good laugh.”
But there were few laughs around city hall after one city council member noticed the sign and complained to public works, Breeze said, so his employees pulled down the sign pending a final decision on whether or not to reinstall it.
Joe DeVito, another city council member, said he would not support a ban on air guitar, much to the relief of air guitarists across the valley.
“This is the first time I have ever heard of air guitar,” said DeVito, “but if anyone wants to sit around, anywhere, playing air guitar, I can’t imagine anyone denying them that right.”

OUSD kids name lawbreakers, collect $50

In January, Sheriff’s Deputy and Nordhoff High School resource officer Victor Medina introduced Scholastic Crime Stoppers as a tool to help keep the campus safe from drugs, alcohol and weapons.
Since its inception, nine arrests have been made at Nordhoff and six at Matilija Junior High School. Eleven of the arrests were made for marijuana possession, and one each for possession of alcohol, brass knuckles, stolen property and a knife.
Scholastic Crime Stoppers is a nationwide program under Crime Stoppers, an international nonprofit organization, which receives all of its revenues from community donations and fund-raising events. It has no government involvement or funding.
The program rewards students who report a suspected crime on campus that involves drugs, alcohol or weapons. “If the information leads to an arrest, the student is awarded $50, anonymously, and that’s the best thing,” says Medina. ”The student’s name never comes up. All they have to do is report it to an administrator, teacher or myself. It’s an incentive for kids to do the right thing and get rewarded.”
Though the Scholastic Crime Stoppers program is just now moving into the Ojai area, it has been operating successfully in Ventura County for four or five years, according to Gary D’Amico, who heads the Ventura County operation.
“Guns, knives and drugs,” D’Amico said, “are being turned in nearly every day from the participating schools in Ventura County. Criminals usually relax after a couple of days and start bragging to their friends. They’re usually turned in by someone who knows them.”
People generally wait to report the crime until they feel it’s safe to call in anonymously. Callers are given an ID number, then contacted and rewarded if an arrest is made. A conviction is not necessary to receive an award.
According to an anonymous parent, students who’ve committed a crime then go before a review board with the superintendent of schools to determine whether they will be expelled and, if expelled, which school they will attend.
“The disciplinary actions come from the school,” said D’Amico. “We hear about kids being expelled all the time.” Drugs and weapons are expellable offenses.
As for the program’s effectiveness, Medina and Susanna Arce, vice principle at Nordhoff, believe the faculty and most students have responded positively to the program. Medina said, “I’d like to think the students, just by the results I’m seeing, have responded in a positive manner. I haven’t heard anything negative.
Though students expressed apprehension about “ratting” on friends, that sentiment seemed to fade quickly. “Kids want to do the right thing,” said Medina. “That’s why we do have kids that step forward and report when there’s something illegal going on. I think it’s the ones who want to get away with certain things that aren’t going to buy into this program because they don’t want to get caught.”
Several students anonymously expressed willingness to report crimes involving weapons. “I think it might work for weapons, like, if someone brings a gun on campus, no one wants to see that,” one said. Another says she would be willing to report a weapon, but only if she knew a student was planning on hurting someone with it.
But, even students who generally favor the program question its effectiveness, pointing to issues of anonymity, loyalty to friends, ill-motivation on the part of students, and the culture of drugs in school. “There are kids that tell and kids that don’t tell because it’s their friends. And the kids that don’t tell kind of affect the whole. It does no good for anybody, actually,” says one student who believes students should always report on-campus drug crime.
Both D’Amico and Medina have complete confidence in the anonymity of the program, saying they’ve never had anyone whose anonymity hasn’t been protected. But, some students cite stories, mostly second- or third-hand, of kids being threatened or beaten up for “ratting” on other students. Those reporting crimes sometimes break their own anonymity, by “bragging” to friends and acquaintances. It may be anonymous to teachers, but if it goes around school, it’s not really anonymous.
All students interviewed appear convinced that reporting on-campus crime has clear social consequences. They believe if they tell, the arrested student will find out who actually told, and that other students make fun of them or be violent toward them. “Most people that tell get found out and people get really pissed off at them,” one student says. “The program’s a good thing,” some say, “but then all the kids hate whoever turned them in and you’re basically an outcast.”
Several students reported knowing a girl who turned several of their friends in, telling others ahead of time she intended to do it. “Everybody got mad at her and were so ready to kick her butt,” said a student under agreement of anonymity.
Arce agreed that sometimes students also use the program to try and get each other in trouble. “If you don’t like a kid,” another student says, “it’s a way to make money and get them in trouble at the same time.”
One parent whose child was expelled for drug possession agreed. “Personally, I think they’re sending the wrong message to offer the $50,” the parent said. “I think it is really malicious. The motivation should be to help somebody, not to get the fifty bucks.”
Drugs continue to be the main concern.
“Nine times out of ten, we’re catching kids with $10 worth of pot,” said D’Amico.
“There are people smoking weed in the bathroom (almost) everyday, another Nordhoff student reports. “If they were gonna get turned in, that would’ve already happened. And the only thing that might happen is that people turn other people in just to make money.”
As for the culture of drugs on campus, students doubt the teachers and administration are naïve. ”Half the teachers are older. They came from the ‘60s and ‘70s. They probably smoked weed when they were a kid,” a student says. And, while he agrees that students shouldn’t have knives or guns, “a little pot or alcohol is not that bad, but not like crack or heroine or anything. They should have a law where you could have maybe a gram of marijuana where maybe if you’re really energetic, like A.D.D., or something maybe have a little.”
Overall, students are more focused on drugs than weapons. And, several students point to a deeper problem than just clearing drugs from campus. “That’s not a way to stop drugs: to try to get students to turn in their friends. They’ve tried to stop drugs by bringing this cop on campus and suspending people. Instead of coming in and getting (kids) in trouble, there are ways to approach it that’s more direct and more pro-student,” a student said. “They could support us to do other things. It’s just a negative look at everything: look, it’s a problem; we need to solve it, consequence. But life isn’t that simple.”
“Absolutely no one has come around to talk to the kids about their problem that landed them in this situation,” said an expelled child’s parent, “which I find very odd.”
“We’re not in the treatment business,” D’Amico said. “We’re just in the business of keeping drugs off campus.”
D’Amico says the Crime Stoppers program will become much more visible beginning in January when a most wanted list will appear in targeted newspapers. In the last few years, anonymous citizen reports have helped to solve nine homicides in Ventura County. D’Amico asks anyone who witnesses or is aware of a crime to contact Crime Stoppers hotline at 494-TALK or 385-TALK.

Sheila Cluff's Pod for the Bod

The holidays are a notorious time of concern for millions of Americans who are watching their weight.Sheila Cluff is the mastermind behind “Pod for the Bod” and founder of the Oaks at Ojai, a fitness destination spa of 30 years in Ojai. Sheila describes ways to avoid holiday eating pitfalls, and tips for making realistic New Year’s resolutions.

Subscribe to this free podcast for an ongoing collection of thoughts and conversations about how to achieve your healthy best from Sheila Cluff, an internationally known fitness guru, author, instructor, motivational speaker and creator of The Oaks at Ojai.

The Late, Unlamented Pinochet

Henry Kissinger's favorite tyrant, Gen. Auguste Pinochet, died recently, and though it feels like, ahem, kicking a dead corpse, we should take a moment to note the glimpse of sun that peaks through the metaphorical clouds of evil that we hope will disperse in the wake of his passing. Let's do it in the memory of the tens of thousands of people who were "disappeared" by Pinochet.

One of my favorite bloggers, Neddie Jingo, was a teenager living in Santiago shortly after the U.S. backed assassination of democratically elected Salvador Allende. Here is his harrowing account of life under Pinochet:

In a fascist dictatorship -- gun emplacements on the public thoroughfare, DINA agents prowling the streets in unmarked cars ready to pounce and "disappear" you to torture chambers on Dawson Island, itchy-trigger-fingered Carabineros on street corners stopping any random passerby who looked vaguely "socialist" -- the Pissed-Off 1975 Teen look is the sort of thing that the Authorities lick their chops at. It's utterly impossible to understand, in a cosmopolitan democracy, the raw, adrenaline-pumping fear that can gnaw at your vitals when you can be hauled off the street at any instant for the way you dress. I'm sorry, punk rockers and Disaffected Victims of the Man: you can't know. There is no comparison. I came to dread with a sickly nausea those knee-trembling moments when a machine-gun-wielding cop would pick me out of a crowded sidewalk, step in front of me, and accost me for my ID: "A ver, joven..."

And I was safe! I was untouchable! I had Diplomatic Immunity! I had a diplomatic carnet de identidad that rendered me literally untouchable! Most of my friends were theoretically untouchable, too -- but try explaining that to my pal Joe, son of the Bolivian chargé d' affaires, who got his knee broken in just such an encounter. He'd forgotten his wallet. Boom. Rifle butt to the patella. Don't forget, punk.

Screenwriting blog

Been meaning to post this for a long while.

Ken Levine writes a really sharp, funny blog about writing for television - both the projects and personalities, the odd and serendipitous life of a television writer. He's been at it a good long while and has developed some seriously good shows. He's also a baseball announcer.

Anyway, he recently took up a discussion about why actors can be so difficult, so demanding. His theory is that Hollywood is such a Darwinian environment that being a jerk is a viable self-defense mechanism. True dat. But he went to name one exception who proves the rule - and that was Ojai's former and maybe future resident Ted Danson.

David and I have always contended all sitcom leads should be required to attend the “Ted Danson school of how to conduct yourself as a TV star”. There is a certain responsibility that goes along with being the star. He sets the tone for the whole stage. Ted is forever gracious, professional, on time, supportive, unselfish, makes everyone from guest stars to visitors feel completely welcome. His work ethic is impeccable. And as a result everyone else takes their cue from him.

What this creates is a happy set and that’s an intangible that always makes it to the screen – an infectious quality, an energy that gives the show just that extra little sparkle. And in today’s marketplace that spark, that twinkle could be the difference.

Steven Bochco once said, “the first year the actors work for you, the second year you work together, and the third you work for them.”

Interesting because Danson's show Becker, about a self-serving jerk, was played so well by someone who was anything but. Huge Cheers fan, have only caught a couple of episodes of Becker, have heard it's really good and now that it's in syndication, hopefully it will find the audience it deserves. And of course, who doesn't love Danson's frequent cameos on Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Here's the link to Levine's post:

Syncronocity and the art of Preparedness

Synchronicity and the Art of Preparedness


We all have encountered moments categorized as 'coincidence', or 'fate', or some other attributable definition that brings reason to the moment. Too often we either dismiss the occurrence out of hand, or rely on the universal machinery of space and time to bring us into alignment with another special moment. I have learned that the old Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared," are words so wise they may have been etched in some ancient stone by divine hands. We have the ability in our lives to supercharge these little soul engines of ours, enhancing and increasing our experiences here. I would like to propose an adage to the idea that we grow old when we stop dreaming: we grow tried when we are no longer ready.

Be always ready for the grand adventure of life.

Two quick stories...

Last year (2005), I was sheltering my lawn from the angry August rays with water when suddenly I had the strong urge to go to Libbey Park. "Okay, I guess, lets go!" I told myself. With the words, "never leave your camera," mantras of so many mentors ringing in my ears, I drove downtown. Knowing nothing of why I was there, I figured I would bring my tripod with me and set off for the fountain. When I came around the corner, a full moon was waiting for me, perfectly poised between two trees and aligned with our little fountain. This piece is called Providence.


Second: I attended a Holiday Party recently, one in which the only thing I wanted to do was assimilate into the atmosphere of socially lubricated bliss and forget all the work that centers around this time. However, I brought my camera, knowing that if something 'cool' happened, I must be prepared to engage the moment. Halfway through the evening, a troop of fire dancers preformed, and by the graces of 'fate' I came away with another exciting image.



I am no great sage, nor even a great photographer, but I am this; a student of life, and I invite you to embrace life for what it is, your grand adventure. Remember to pack light, take only what you need, get plenty of rest, and jump at the OPPORTUNITY!!!

International Polka Dot Day

Today has been officially declared (by me) International Polka Dot Day. To celebrate, we are all urged to watch these mesmerizing videos of The Pipettes, a Brighton, England girl group with soaring '60s Phil Spektorian melodies and almost (but not quite) too-cute polka dot dresses and choreography to match.

They haven't yet reached our shores, but I predict they will do well in the wake of "Dreamgirls." "Pull/Shape" will likely be their first single released in America, but "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" is even catchier - watch the audience bouncing with perfect rhythm. The perfect blend of the Ronettes and The Go-Gos.

Free Subscription for Puzzle Solver

Michel Gondry is one of the most clever, inventive directors out there. "The Science of Sleep" is his writing and directorial debut in English, but he directed Charlie Kaufman's wonderful 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and many films in France.

He is also known as a great music video director, having worked with The Chemical Brothers, Bjork and Massive Attack over the years.

Anyway, here's a youtube film of him solving a Rubik's Cube with his bare feet. A free one-year subscription to anyone who can tell me how he does it.



Here's the video "Protection" he did for Massive Attack. Massive Attack is a Bristol, England musical collective, more a DJ project than a traditional band. For example, they use lots of different singers and collaborate with all kinds of musicians. Very melodic, somewhat dark spacy progressive rock, also known as trip-hop. Been around for a couple of decades now.

Dancing With The Ojai Wine Festival Stars!

Greetings everyone. I found this video of the Ojai Wine Festival this year and this guy tear up the dance floor. I am sure it will bring a smile to your face and make you wanna shake it. haaaaa
If you know who this is please post.

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The Inequality Debate

Inequality has always been one of my big issues. Without an equality of opportunity, this country will gradually stratify even further into a banana republic. The haves and have mores have done especially great lately, with America's levels of inequality deeper than at any time since World War II.

Social mobility has always been more much rare and difficult than the perception, but it is becoming a myth in the present regime.

Anyway, there's a great link to an intellectually absorbing debate on wealth distribution and what it means between two Nobelian intellectual heavyweights, Gary Becker and Richard Posner.

Great music websites

Many of you are already familiar with Pitchfork media - a one-stop shopping site for music reviews, artist interviews, tickets and gear sales, and all kinds of unexpected and enlightening discoveries.

They recently posted 2006's top 25 videos. I especially loved Cat Power's "Life in Bars." Her voice is pure gothic honeysuckle - her music would make a great soundtrack for a movie based on a Faulkner book, maybe "As I Lay Dying."

Another great video from Boards of Canada "Dayvan Cowboy," is shot by a guy as he falls 125,000 feet from a special high-altitude balloon - believed to be the highest recorded free fall.

Enjoy

Joy Division

Too cheery this holiday season? Overload of Christmas spirit? Let (the often ironically named) Joy Division give you some emotional resonance and depth, some sense of life's fleeting and flickering beauty.



As so wonderfully chronicled in the movie 24 Hour Party People, Joy Division was the first of many bands (Happy Mondays and Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark are my other favorites) to break out of the industrial wasteland that was Manchester, England in the late 1970s. They represented a turn away from the angry, anti-melodic chops of punk toward a romantic haunted melodic lyrical New Wave pop music revival. Imagine Lord Byron as a rock star and you have Joy Division's lead singer Ian Curtis. All four were impeccable musicians, and put craft before art and art before anger and ennui.

This video was shot in April, 1980 just weeks before Ian Curtis committed suicide, just days after their first record started its long and steady climb up the charts. On the brink of success, he threw it all away. Joy Division reformed as New Order, and continued to make great records for years. Highly recommend the movie, if you're looking for a gem that was mostly overlooked in this country. Curtis is just a bit player in the movie, though. It's more about Tony Wilson, the British TV announcer and club owner who gave birth to the whole post-punk, New Wave and rave scene.

Merry Stressman!

“It’s already started. I got a huge bucket of popcorn at work today,” said my husband, while schlepping yet another bin of Harry and David Moose Munch from the porch.*

Already started? I don’t know about you, but it seems like this has been going on since Halloween. It’s as if someone said, “Let the feasting begin!” and the forks and knives started flying. And my house is a mess. Random treats are strewn across the kitchen counters, presents in various stages of wrapping have buried the dining room table and cardboard boxes with Styrofoam peanuts are all over the floor. You’d think Santa came in, vomited, then left.

Lately, I tend to have a mini panic attack as soon as I pull the car into the garage, because I know that when I go to check the mail there will be another pile of Christmas cards. It’s like they are taunting me, reminding me what a pathetic procrastinator I am. Christmas cards are probably the greatest source of stress in my household. I’m the writer, therefore it’s my wifely obligation to come up with something brilliant and hilarious and send it out to all of our family and friends. I have the stamps and the cards; I’m just missing brilliant and hilarious.

And then, there’s the photo. I know, I know, I should hire a professional like the Haag's do, but instead I inflict a sort of heinous yearly punishment upon my husband and dog with the requisite self-portrait. The husband is sent to the closet to find a suitable sweater and the dog is taunted with treats while I again try to remember how to work the camera timer. We sit ourselves down, line up the camera, find the right button to push, hold the treat up to the dog and say, “C’mon, girl, sit still.” Then the blinky thing goes off, and bam the photo is taken. We do this 30 more times until a non-offensive family photo with no one blinking, no one sniffing a crotch and no one looking like a gape-mouthed goon presents itself.

And don’t get me started with the Christmas parties. It’s not typically something I look forward to, but that’s another story.

What about you, holidays got you stressed? If not, what’s your secret?

Husband’s Disclaimer: “Don’t make me sound like an ungrateful ass. I’m really appreciative, I love that stuff, I just have no willpower.”

Need some cheering up?

Here are just the guys to do it:

The Music Genome Project

For years, I relied on the ever-shifting roster of young hipsters that newspapers typically attract (the best part of working for a newspaper is getting to work with a bunch of really smart people) for music recommendations.

But since Jay Ford Cullis left, and I no longer get those CDs of dubious provenance dropped off on my desk like welcome cards to a world of new sounds, I have had to try a little harder on my own to find new bands. My guiding principle is that there is a lot of good, even great, musicians out there who deserve an audience. As a music fan, I owe it to myself to find them.

Fortunately, I am not the only person who thinks this way. One of my inspirations for writing more about music was Ojai resident and screenwriter J.B. White, who, as a singer-songwriter and guitarist with Household Gods (voted Ojai's best band), and with a musically talented daughter with an ear for the pulse of excellent music, validates my musical choices with his unassailable credentials.

Others out there like him exist too, albeit with different genres and favorites. The one thing we all seem to have in common, though, is Pandora. Pandora is an offshoot of the Music Genome Project. "Like having your own personal DJ" goes their website blurb.

It's simple. Just type in pandora.com, then create as many stations as you like, with your favorite artist or song as the starting point. You can endlessly tailor the stations, too, with thumbs up or down, with skipping past certain songs, and you get a wealth of information about the artists and albums at one click. I listen to them all day, or whenever I'm not listening to SomaFM, my favorite internet radio station on iTunes.

Pandora.com's founder Tim Westergren (don't know if he is any relation to The Replacement's Paul Westergren) explains it here:

The Music Genome Project

On January 6, 2000 a group of musicians and music-loving technologists came together with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of music ever.

Together we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song - everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It's not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records - it's about what each individual song sounds like.

Over the past 6 years, we've carefully listened to the songs of over 10,000 different artists - ranging from popular to obscure - and analyzed the musical qualities of each song one attribute at a time. This work continues each and every day as we endeavor to include all the great new stuff coming out of studios, clubs and garages around the world.

It has been quite an adventure, you could say a little crazy - but now that we've created this extraordinary collection of music analysis, we think we can help be your guide as you explore your favorite parts of the music universe.

We hope you enjoy the journey.

Tim Westergren
Founder
The Music Genome Project

A: Ojai Jeopardy Contestant

Q: Who is Lorraine from Java & Joe?

Hey, just tuning into Jeopardy and I see a familiar face! Lorraine tore it up last night and came out the winner. Tonight she is kicking it in the Etruscan category.

Look for the full story in the OVN on Friday!

Go Lorraine!

Music and Place

The grunge movement would have never moved beyond an open mic night at a Seattle coffeehouse if not for Mudhoney and Sub Pop records. Similarly, the flourishing Austin, Texas music scene, as exemplified by the South by Southwest concert extravaganza and right through to emerging artists like Rhett Miller, formerly of the Hot 97s, would have never gained any traction if not for pioneers like Nanci Griffith.

The vibrant Glasgow music scene would never hit the radar if not for The Delgados, which in turn nurtured acts like Arab Strap, Mogwai and Belle & Sebastian, even Franz Ferdinand.

The anomaly, for me, is Montreal. Right now, three very talented bands from there have been dominating my iPod ear space - Arcade Fire, Islands and Wolf Parade. They all seemed to have emerged at about the same time. Any hard-core music geeks out there know where the mentoring and nurturing came from? A dedicated fan base, a visionary studio chief or sound engineer? An insightful music publication?

Perhaps, even with or in the absence of such a platform to launch from, occasional clusters of greatness break out. The amateur genius of Victorian Brits like James Clerk Maxwell or Darwin is an example. But I believe in most cases these clusters reflect a supportive environment of influential fans as well as a competitive urge to outshine their peers. Does anyone think the Beatles would have been so great if Lennon and McCartney weren't so determined to show up the other? Or if they hadn't had those long hours to hone their craft in the Hamburg clubs?

Just a thought, curious if anyone else knows any examples or exceptions.

Here's a link to an animated video by Arcade Fire:

Cyber Loaf Special

As a lucky member of the one of the first 200,000 households in MTV's test market in the summer of 1981, I have long been a fan of music videos.

In my not always humble opinion, Sigur Ros does it better than any other group out there today. They have mastered the art form with gorgeous, dazzling imagery, strong narrative threads and haunting music. You forget that the songs are in Icelandic and you can't understand a word.

Check it out:

Imagine, the tiny island nation of 220,000 has given birth to great artists like Sigur Ros and Bjork. Must be something in the water.

Here's a translation for the lyrics:



Enjoy

What's on Your iPod?

If you blinked, you missed the snow on the Topa Topas on Sunday morning. I, on the other hand, had it in my sights for a good hour while on the first half of my weekly training walk. I’ve been at this since September, when my husband, one of those crazies who runs for fun, challenged me to join him for the Phoenix Rock-n-Roll next month. He will run the half marathon for the third year in a row. I will walk it. So that I don’t end up in the medic tent on mile 2, I’ve been out on the Ojai Trail every Sunday. I started with an easy 5-miler, and now I’m up to 8 miles, and I know I'm improving because I'm cursing a lot less.

To help pass the time, Bill let me borrow his iPod, but the problem with that is it’s only got about an hour’s worth of music loaded onto it. And it takes me nearly 2.5 hours to go 8 miles. So after I heard The Boss’s Born to Run for the third time, I was ready to stomp all over the iPod. Listen Bruce, maybe you were born to run, but this girl was born to nap.

I need new music! What are you listening to these days? What songs do you suggest I listen to during my training walks?

An Artist's View of Ojai

Karen Winters, an Emmy award-winning producer and writer for ABC News 20/20, shared a recent sketch of an Ojai landscape from her daily art and sketchblog.


Click photo to view an enlarged image.

Titled "Citrus Valley," the sketch captures what she saw during a recent drive through our valley. On her blog she observes, "Most of the area is agricultural with rolling hills covered with avocado and citrus groves, and many eucalptus windbreaks."

The artist tells me she plans to turn this and other sketches from her recent travels into oil paintings. "I'll be painting a series of these watercolors and oils based on my trip to the area and someone might just enjoy seeing their farm, vineyard or favorite vista."

Please visit her blog at www.karensblog.com to view this and other works, including her 11/30 entry entitled, "Fire in Ojai," an incredible watercolor of the recent Day Fire.

My United States of Whatever

Monday got you down? Let Liam Lynch get you back and up and on your game.

Check it out:

Liam Lynch is one half of the cult favorite sock puppet team, "Sifl and Olly," which ran on MTV far back in the distant days of the past century (mid- to late-1990s). He is also a very talented musician, who produced most of the music for Jack Black's "Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny." He won a scholarship to a London music school and was one of five students selected to study guitar with Sir Paul McCartney.

Yeh, whatever indeed.

White Christmas

I am getting in the Holiday spirit and wanted to share this great clip of Bing Crosby.


Click for video

Ojai Ford

When Ojai Ford closed its doors after operating on West Ojai Avenue since the 1950s, albeit under three different ownerships, an announcement was made that the current owner would re-open with a new import dealership, hopefully, before the end of the year. In light of the auction that cleaned out virtually everything in the buildings, is re-opening really his intention?

Mayoral Selection

On Dec. 12, the Ojai City Council will vote to name Councilwoman Carol Smith Ojai's new mayor. The procedure is a formality, as the mayoral position is filled by the rotation of existing council members. Do you approve of the rotation process, will Smith make the best mayor, or should the mayor be elected by voters?

Loretta Lynn's Rightful Heir?

My hipster friends have raved for years about Rilo Kiley, a prog rock/indie/alt country act featuring actor Jenny Lewis on vocals and guitar.

I resisted, well, because Rilo Kiley seemed to be a bit too insider Hollywood, reminiscent of Keanu Reeves and Dogstar, or Jared Leto and his brother with 30 Seconds to Mars. Vanity projects, even if from extravagantly talented people. But Rilo Kiley kept coming up on SomaFM, my favorite internet radio station.

Definitely, Jenny has a tuneful voice, though she used to stretch it a bit too far from time to time, almost parodying herself.

But on this project, it is so rich and vibrant in a coal miner's daughter way that it's hard to believe she's been in show business almost since she was born, and didn't grow up in a shotgun shack in Appalachia. Her voice is maturing into a soulful instrument of great beauty, and it is great to listen to her grow artistically.

So when Jenny Lewis teamed up with the wonderfully harmonic Watson Twins on "Rabbit Fur Coat," I bought it from iTunes, on the strength of the single, "Rise Up With Fists." The Watson Twins are stars in their own right.

Here's a clip from the Sarah Silverman show. Ignore the annoying laugh track. Not sure what's that all about.

Youtube Watch Part Two

If you like roots music and America, there is no better combination than the Carter family.

Visit this youtube link:

This is from a family reunion with Maybelle and Sara.

As roots fan and blogger Will Divide wrote: "Whenever I feel bad about America, I think of the Carter family."

Check out the casual, cool guitar playing of Maybelle in this clip. Notice how she picks out the melody on the bass strings and the rhythm on the treble strings. This method was called "the Carter Scratch." It's fingerpicking good.

This song was originally written as a musical satire about the McKinley assassination and the crowds that gathered around the train carrying his body from Buffalo to Washington, D.C. The Carters turned it into a song about eternal departures.

Youtube Watch

Someone sent in a thumbs up to the Ojai Valley News about the recent passings of blues singer Ruth Brown and jazz singer Anita O'Day.

Here's a great clip of Anita O'Day from Bert Stern's documentary, "Jazz on a Summer Day," from the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. It gives you an idea of what the world has lost. Such a lovely voice from such a beautiful woman who lived an often ugly life.

Stern, a former fashion photographer, did a wonderful job of creating atmosphere in this film with his little glimpses of the audience. The woman eating her sandwich is my favorite.

Click youtube to see this video.


You may have to cut and paste the link to make it work, but trust me. It's worth it.

Enjoy

Shop Local Blah, Blah, Blah

I’m going to borrow a line from Bret’s editorial last week and dove tail onto that if I may. Shopping locally not only supports the livelihoods of our local shopkeepers, it’s so much more convenient! You no doubt have some shopping to do for the holidays, and I thought I would let you know what a handful of Ojai’s merchants have in store:

Studio C:
This is where I get my hair done, so it wasn’t the first place I thought of for Christmas gifts, but Lelah, who is sometimes charged with taming my unruly brows, was quick to point out several ideas:
Walker Wrist Wallets (great for someone who works out): $7.
Organic Soaps: $7.
Candles and Jewelry in several price points to fit any budget.
Sparkling vintage inspired ornaments and tree toppers.
Organic thick hot chocolate: $16.

Kava:
Hildegard showed me some fantastic gifts - these are my top picks for under $10:
A local 8-year-old boy is making beautiful hand-painted glass ornaments: $8.
Monogrammed luggage tags: $5.75, a great stocking stuffer for a travel buff.
I love the $8 Zulugrass stretchy beads which can be worn as a bracelet, necklace or ponytail holder, mixed and matched or worn alone.
Men of Ojai Calendar: Naked local butts all for a good cause in the form of community fine arts grants: $20 with tax.
Gift-wrapping is free and gorgeous!

Village Pharmacy:
Again, not a place I’d think of for Christmas shopping, but this writer lost her pen somewhere along the way, wandered in to buy a Bic and found lots of Ojai souvenir t-shirts: Adults $14, Kids $12.

Noah’s:
My sister and I trade gifts every year for our dogs, so this year Sydney the Labrador gave Gilby the Husky a small dog paw stocking filled with treats for around $10.

Rains:
What don’t they have? From apparel to kitchen gadgets to hardware, Ojai’s answer to the department store has got it all. And they have Michael McFadden's Color of Ojai Calendar featuring his stunning local landscape photography for $12. And gift-wrapping is free.

Every Saturday night in December, the arcade merchants are staying open late and offering a special activity. Tonight it’s storytelling and the official courtyard lighting, on the 9th is a dog parade, on the 16th is caroling, and on the 23rd “shop, snack and schmooze with the Merry Merchants of Ojai.” The Chamber of Commerce has more information.

My shopping list is nearly crossed off. But I still need a lava lamp, which I thought would be a sure bet in this town. Have you seen one in Ojai? Do you have any other local shopping tips?

Listen to an interview with Ojai Santa on Radio Ojai!

Final Election Results

Nearly a month later, as of 1:40 today, the County is calling this the Official Final Results:

OJAI CITY COUNCIL (VF-3)
6/6 100.00%

Candidate/Vote Count/Percent
NP - STEVE OLSEN/1,789/25.40%
NP - CAROL B. SMITH/1,404/19.93%
NP - JOE DE VITO/1,259/17.87%
NP - LEONARD J. KLAIF/1,183/16.79%
NP - DENNIS LEARY/713/10.12%
NP - PETE LAFOLLETTE/671/9.53%
WRITE-IN/23/0.33%
Total/7,042/99.97%

Check here for official results in other local races.