The Aliens, an award-winning play by Annie Baker, is now playing at the Ion Theatre in San Diego.
Yesterday evening I experienced something completely unexpected. Out of the blue I received a powerful jolt, as if struck to the core by a hammer.
What happened? I went to see The Aliens at the Ion Theatre. The Ion Theatre Company produces cutting edge live theater in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood. The Aliens is a very unusual and surprising play that won the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play. It was written by Annie Baker.
I wasn’t expecting such power.
The Aliens is well performed by three great actors: Brian Butler, Tyler Oakley and Reed Willard. The characters they portray are absolutely human–slightly absurd and terribly broken. They are troubled in ways that are disturbing, heart-wrenching. They are frustrated, uncertain, in pain, alienated, almost hopeless.
But they aren’t hopeless.
Each character possesses awkward warmth and connection. And humor.
Then, like a bolt from the blue, at the very end, the emotional hammer strikes. I won’t tell you what happens. You’ll have to find out for yourselves.
Here’s a hint. In everyone there is unique genius. And while some people might not go far in this world, that genius–that yearning outflow from each individual heart–never stops. Life’s path might be unexpectedly short, but genius does not die.
Thoughtful adults should see this play. Check out the Ion Theatre’s website. The Aliens runs through December 12.
Two gulls take a nap in the San Diego sunshine the day after Thanksgiving. Many people were enjoying a pleasant, easy stroll along the waterfront.
It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I just took a walk along San Diego’s Embarcadero. If a picture is worth a thousand words, here are 12,000 words that hint at why I’m thankful every day to live in this beautiful city. I could write volumes and volumes.
A sleepy sea lion doesn’t care what sort of crazy, wild-eyed antics his buddy is engaged in.The Maritime Museum of San Diego’s historic Pilot boat crosses the bay as white clouds glow gloriously in a blue sky.This seagull was watching me taking a walk around Tuna Harbor. I wonder what she thought I was up to?A couple snuggled on the rocks by Seaport Village watch a gull take flight from the nearby wall.A busker magician comedian mime guy gets tied up in inescapable rope during his funny routine at Seaport Village.Mrs. Claus greets a child and mother at the Seaport Village’s East Plaza Gazebo.A guy carrying a skateboard ambles past outdoor diners at Sally’s Seafood on the Water.A helpful tot picks up a photographer’s tripod after a photo shoot at Embarcadero Marina Park North.A snowy egret checks out a small stone in the Marriott Marina on San Diego’s waterfront.Magnificent clouds the day after Thanksgiving on San Diego’s Embarcadero. Visible is a Dole cargo ship at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.Taking flight in the sunshine.
The 9th floor gallery at San Diego’s Central Library features an art exhibit called RAINMAKER. The theme is water, drought and climate change.
RAINMAKER is a fascinating, thought-provoking art exhibition at downtown San Diego’s Central Library. Because it will be coming to a close this weekend, I recently headed to the library’s 9th floor gallery to check it out.
Charles Hatfield was hired by the city of San Diego a hundred years ago to produce much-needed precipitation in order to fill Lake Morena. He might or might not have created the torrential rains and catastrophic flooding that followed his efforts at “moisture acceleration”. Was Hatfield an actual scientist or a charlatan? The question remains open.
This art exhibition focuses on the importance of water in our arid region, and how people affect and are influenced by the environment. Twelve local artists have contributed pieces which touch upon this theme. RAINMAKER is especially relevant today, considering San Diego’s current long drought, and the threat of coming winter storms caused by a strong El Niño that has developed in the Pacific Ocean.
Charles Hatfield, self-proclaimed rainmaker, was hired by the city of San Diego in 1915 to fill Lake Morena reservoir during a severe drought. Record rain and floods ensued. Was this a coincidence?Photo at RAINMAKER exhibition shows catastrophic San Diego flooding caused by over 30 inches of rain in 1915.Adam Belt, Willow Wash, 2015. Paint, graphite and reflective powder on canvas. Where is the boundary between science and magic?Roman de Salvo, Joinery Blossom, 2013. Chinese elm, glue. Metaphor of Earth’s ecosystem, with networks of family, community, interdependence.Eva Struble, Navy Yard, 2011. Oil and acrylic on canvas. This piece emerged from a trek through Brooklyn’s Navy Yard. A vision of decay that is also expansive, waiting.Margaret Noble, I Have Arrived, 2015. Mixed media installation with 3 pedestals, 3 plant boxes, 3 sprinklers, and 3 handheld audio players. Lawns have been a symbol of status in society.Tools of the Rainmaker. The scales, measuring scoops and barometer in this case were donated to the San Diego Library in 1972 by Paul A. Hatfield, brother of rainmaker Charles M. Hatfield.Jim Wilsterman, Rain Event #10, 2011. Earth, fiber, raindrops. Somewhere between photograph, sculpture and painting, this art has recorded rainfall using clay and mud.Sheldon Wood, Drought Dreams, 2014. Watercolor on paper. With the lyrical movement of rain on a hot surface, references to petroglyphs and lost sinkholes, and an atmospheric perspective…Lisa Hutton, Supercell with Chickens, 2013. Graphite on paper. Environmental artwork depicts storm clouds.Lisa Hutton, A Flood and a Fire, 2013. Graphite on paper. The catastrophic effects of environmental disasters.Four pigment ink photographs of desert environment by Michael Feld record beauty and natural history.Dominic Paul Miller, rain gatherer, 2008. Ink on mylar. Part of a larger body of work concerning uranium mining and the Navajo Nation, who have scant access to running water.Gabriel Kalmuss-Katz, Dear Hatfield, 2015. Speculative writing. Reflects modern anxiety associated with urbanization.RAINMAKER, a fascinating art exhibition at San Diego’s Central Library, continues through November 29.
Signs of the holiday season have sprung up around San Diego a week or two before Thanksgiving.
The holidays are almost upon us! Four days until Thanksgiving!
While walking around San Diego this weekend, I noticed some signs of the coming holiday season. So I took pictures!
Ushers file past the fun Dr. Seuss Grinch Christmas Tree in front of the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park.Holiday lights are up in the courtyard of Balboa Park’s House of Hospitality.Poster in Balboa Park advertises New Direction at the North Pole! Joyful music will fill San Diego during the holiday season.The Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park is almost ready for December Nights, which will be held December 4 and 5 this year.Frosty the Snowman painted on a store window in San Diego’s sunny East County.The Salvation Army will be serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless in Golden Hall at the Civic Center.White Christmas opens Friday at the Spreckels Theatre.Kansas City Barbeque is offering active military a free Thanksgiving dinner.The San Diego Run For the Hungry takes place Thanksgiving morning.Traditional holiday garland and colorful ornaments festoon the Donut Bar in downtown San Diego.One of many beautiful wreaths hung all around Horton Plaza in San Diego. Christmas shopping is about to really get started on Black Friday!Surfing Santa poster in a window of the Seaport Cookie Company.Some shiny Christmas tree ornaments and festive entertainment near the Seaport Village carousel.Jolly old Saint Nick is being hung with care near stockings and candy cane pillars at the front door of a Seaport Village shop.
Shriner clown gives high fives to crowd during the 2015 Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon, California.
The 69th Annual Mother Goose Parade was held today in El Cajon, out in San Diego’s East County. The popular parade, which originated in 1947, is a highly-anticipated local tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday season. This year the theme was super heroes, both fictional and real.
The Mother Goose Parade has become the second largest parade west of the Mississippi . . . and until today I’d never seen it in person! So I figured I had to go check it out! Here are a few fun photos…
Mother Goose Parade, A Celebration of Children, is the second largest parade west of the Mississippi. It’s celebrating its 69th anniversary this year!A young boy hugs Mother Goose before the parade begins.And here comes a live goose! It was honking in a friendly way, much to the delight of everybody.Kids gravitated toward the goose. It gravitated toward some offered food.Dave Scott from KUSI News was introducing television viewers to Mother Goose and “Other Goose”! It was the funniest thing I saw all day!An inflatable Mother Goose balloon floats in the blue sky as the parade is ready to begin.The Mother Goose Parade is underway! The fun annual tradition in San Diego’s East County draws enormous crowds.These friendly guys on horseback are from the El Cajon Mounted Police.Truck 6 of Heartland Fire and Rescue sounds its loud horn and siren as it passes by!A big, patriotic American Legion float in the Mother Goose Parade.The Boy Scouts parade the colors down Main Street in El Cajon.The marching band of Christian High School in El Cajon provides stirring music during the parade.Cal Fire had a huge bulldozer in the parade! Wildfire poses a big threat to San Diego’s East County neighborhoods.Families have gathered on a beautiful Saturday morning. Kids and adults watch the Mother Goose Parade, which this year has a super hero theme.The Lions Club showcased America’s true super heroes–those who serve to defend our freedom.Kids wave from a float dedicated to raising awareness about childhood cancer.A bunch of wacky clowns following the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine made lots of people smile.This equestrian group had superhero horses! Now I’ve seen everything!And at the end of the parade, as always, there was Santa Claus. The jolly old elf and Mrs. Claus seem to be enjoying the sunny Southern California day. Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!
A photography blog concerning “Cool San Diego Sights” probably isn’t the best place to post unrelated works of fiction, so I started a new writing website! It’s called Short Stories by Richard. That’s where I’ve published my new story.
Unlike my other writing blog, Foolyman Stories, which is mostly just silly nonsense, Short Stories by Richard contains thoughtful pieces that are meant to challenge minds and touch hearts. I’d be honored if you checked it out!
What lies ahead? I don’t know! Come along for the ride! Perhaps we’ll be surprised!
French flag and the Eiffel Tower turned into a peace sign. Part of a touching memorial for the victims of the Paris terror attack.
A candlelight vigil was held last night at the House of France in Balboa Park. The House of France is a member of the peace-loving House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.
During the vigil, the victims of Friday’s ISIS terror attack in Paris were remembered, and loving support was displayed in San Diego for the good people of France.
I walked by the House of France early this morning. The candles were still lit.
A candlelight vigil was held last night in front of the House of France in San Diego’s Balboa Park.Candles remain lit the morning after the vigil. Signs, messages, flowers and letters show support for France and love for those who died during the Paris terror attack.Pray for Paris.Je suis Paris.Personal sentiments are written down by San Diegans, many with ties to France. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.Sending our love to Paris and the rest of the world.La France est la joie de vivre. A memorial for the innocent victims of the Paris terror attack. Hope, love and beauty cannot be conquered.
I’d like to propose a new informal organization. Anyone can join. It exists in our spirit. It’s called B.L.O.G., which stands for Bloggers Lifting Others Generously.
We bloggers have amazing power. Our presence on the internet is enormous. We have significant and increasing influence in the world. Together we can make a huge positive difference.
So why not flex our muscles and use that growing influence to do good?
My proposal:
To be a self-appointed member of B.L.O.G., one must make a conscious effort to help nonprofits, charities and unselfish individuals who tirelessly work to improve our world.
Bloggers Lifting Others Generously will help these deserving folks by providing them with publicity.
From time to time–when opportunities arise–members of B.L.O.G. will publish posts about charitable efforts. One might write a post to help publicize an organization’s food drive, or a community’s environmental cleanup, or neighborhood students trying to raise money, or a walk to find a cure…
Every member of B.L.O.G. will use the power of their passionate words to support those who work to improve our world.
Will you join me? I even made a big blue B.L.O.G. graphic as you can see at the top of this post! Make your own or use mine if you’d like! It’s all about a spirit of giving and doing things that are meaningful. Isn’t generosity what’s ultimately important in life, anyway?
Let’s make this world (and the internet) a better place!
Sign near the entrance to Visitor Center of Tijuana Estuary, home of a National Wildlife Refuge and National Estuarine Research Reserve.
What place in North America officially contains the most plant and animal species? You don’t know? San Diego and the Northern Baja California region!
Yesterday I took a nature walk around and through the northern section of the Tijuana River Estuary. The large estuary, which is located at the extreme southwest corner of the continental United States, where the Tijuana River empties into the Pacific Ocean, contains abundant life which reflects San Diego’s amazing biodiversity and range of habitats.
The Tijuana Estuary is not only a place of tranquil beauty, but it’s a scientific laboratory, protective refuge, and outdoor classroom where the public can learn about our natural environment. It’s managed by several agencies, including the NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the National Wildlife Refuge System under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
I absorbed so much information while walking about, reading signs, and listening to a volunteer guide during a short nature walk near the Visitor Center, that I couldn’t possibly convey it all on my blog. So I’ve selected some photos and have captioned them so you’ll get the gist of what I saw and learned. And hopefully you’ll want to visit, too!
Relatively few people partake of the scheduled weekend nature walks at the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center. Joan, the plant expert, said that some days nobody shows up. What a shame. Because there’s so much beauty, so much to see.
I strongly encourage anyone who lives in the San Diego area to head down to Imperial Beach and take a long, leisurely walk where life thrives!
Ecoroute Bikeway and sidewalk along Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach offers views of the north section of 2,500 acre Tijuana River Estuary.A white egret and other small birds enjoy the fertile, nutrient-rich environment created by this important coastal wetland.A shorebird equipped with a long bill, used to poke into sand and mudflats for food. Over 370 species of birds have been sighted in the wildlife reserve.Once a dump, and destined to be a boat marina, local citizens fought to have the Tijuana Estuary protected as a National Wildlife Refuge and National Estuarine Research Reserve.Steps lead down from Imperial Beach Boulevard to one of many trails in the fascinating, life-filled estuary.There are many habitats in the estuary including dune, salt panne, salt marsh, mudflat, brackish pond, riparian, coastal sage scrub, and vernal pool.Sign welcomes visitors to Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Five endangered and two threatened species of birds are protected here in their natural habitat.I was told these old wooden pilings used to support a storm drain which ran out to the ocean.A Snowy Egret perches atop a post, perhaps watching the water for prey. Small fish, frogs, reptiles and insects are part of the food chain in a shallow river estuary.The path to the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center passes through a garden of native plants often found along the coast of Southern California.This colorful abstract map at the Visitor Center entrance represents the 1,735 square mile watershed of the Tijuana River, reaching deep into Mexico.The edge of the map, inside the Visitor Center’s door, shows a part of San Diego and Tijuana. As it nears the Pacific Ocean, the Tijuana River crosses into the United States.One of many educational exhibits inside the cool Visitor Center. Wildlife abounds . . . at Tijuana Estuary!Viewed from the distance of the moon, the astonishing thing about the earth, catching the breath, is that it is alive.Habitats in a changing landscape. All eight habitats in the estuary endure constant change. Water levels rise and fall with the tides. Salinity of the water fluctuates.Visitors can jot notable sighting of birds on a board inside the Visitor Center. Buds and blooms are also listed.A few people out on a nature walk on a pleasant Saturday in November. The estuary is full of blooms, birds, and animal activity, even as winter approaches.Joan, a super nice park volunteer who is a plant expert (and author of a fun native plant book), shows us the yellow bloom of California bush sunflower.Even though the blue blooms of this pleasantly aromatic Cleveland Sage have dried, the seeds pods have a bluish tint.A tiny hummingbird is perched on the branch of a shrub.The Galvezia, or bush snapdragon, is common in Baja California. It has green stems, bright red tube flowers, and attracts hummingbirds.Hiking south down the North McCoy Trail in the Tijuana Estuary. Rising on the left horizon is Mexico. On the right horizon are the Coronado Islands in the Pacific Ocean.Ranger Debbie Good is super friendly. She answered a bunch of questions with a big smile. Here’s she’s putting away a table used to welcome volunteer workers.These volunteer students from SDSU are helping to plant native vegetation. Efforts to return the estuary to a natural state are ongoing. This area several decades ago was a dump.Looking across cordgrass and a beautiful wetland at the extreme southwest corner of the continental United States.A quiet bench on the North McCoy Trail invites walkers to relax and take in the sunshine and surrounding tranquility.Plaque on another bench at the south end of the trail. In memory of Glendon I. Layton. Rest a moment and watch the birds.The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a place where amazing biodiversity and nature’s beauty thrive.
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Benjamin Franklin with his famous kite, and Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb and phonograph, are depicted on a very unique mural in Ocean Beach.
Here’s a cool (and somewhat unusual) mural that I spotted on a wall next to a parking lot in Ocean Beach. It’s called History of Electricity! Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Guglielmo Marconi and Alessandro Volta share the OB streets with images of pop culture icons and surfers!
This artwork was created by Janis Ambrosiani of Walls With A View. Take a look!
Janis Ambrosiani of Walls With A View painted History of Electricity in Ocean Beach. OB is a cool, laid-back neighborhood with lots of colorful street art.Guglielmo Marconi was instrumental in the development of the radio.Alessandro Volta invented the electrical battery.Electricity has become a modern necessity. Technology is the backbone of our day-to-day living and central feature of 21st century culture.
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Cool San Diego Sights! 