Today's Quote

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
--Confucius

Zen, My Foot!

For some people, there may be nothing more relaxing than tending to their gardens. So I thought I would unwind today and use my weed-wacker to carve out the unruly growth around the landscape I call my backyard. Everything was going fine -- until for the umpteenth time, the weed-wacker's starter cord got stuck and would not recoil. Having just fixed something else and gaining great satisfaction from it, I thought I would take the motor apart and fix the conked out cord. Little did I realize was that upon taking the thing apart with the intention of lubricating and cleaning it, a five-foot spring would pop out that would prove impossible to place back where it belonged! After getting filthy and ruining my favorite shirt with spring-grease, I decided I just did not have the patience to endure this task. My Yin told my Yang to go F*** itself! Now my landscape looks like a bad hair day!
Lesson: When playing Mr. Fix-it, sometimes it is wisest to call in a professional!

Hurting History? Van Gogh Or Not Van Gogh, That Is The Question!

Since it’s discovery several years ago in an antiques shop by artist Tom Stanford, this photo of Vincent Van Gogh has caused much controversy. According to photo historian Joseph Buberger, the Van Gogh “authorities” refuse to admit that this is indeed a photo of Van Gogh because it would in turn cast doubt on what we know as “official” photos of Van Gogh – you know, those other photos that look nothing like his self portraits. What would be so bad in admitting that those photos were actually of Van Gogh’s brother Theo or his cousin(s)?
On several web sites, this photo was posted -- asking the question, “Did Vincent Van Gogh trace his self-portraits?” -- a David Hockney theory of sorts. Out of a total of about 100,000 responses, no one even thought to rebuke the assumption that the photo was actually Vincent. So why hasn’t it been made official by the art world?
Here’s what a reader from the Netherlands had to say:
“Zelfs een blinde ziet nog wel dat dit Vincent is,op de foto ziet hij er wat ouder uit,maar zeker!! hij is het”
English Translation:
“Even a blind man will see that this is still Vincent, on the picture he sees somewhat older, but certainly! It is”
What do you think?


Happy Birthday Vovo!

Master Zhìhuì Makes Many Mistakes!(Dizzy Gillespie & Arturo Sandoval)

I found this Polaroid in my desk recently. Many years ago, I met with Dizzy Gillespie to create his portrait from a photo. It was at The Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC. Dizzy was great, but here's where your friend and mine goofed:

I also wanted a photo of Dizzy and myself. So I looked for someone to snap it for me. I saw a gentleman coming into the dressing room and I asked, "Would you take a p...." "Sure my friend!", he replied before I could finish -- then proceeded to put his arm around me and pose. Then stupid me said, "No, I mean of Dizzy and me!" The man nodded and then graciously took the photo of Dizzy and I.

What I didn't know was that that man had just defected from Cuba and this was one of his first performances as a free man. It was Arturo Sandoval!

To this day I regret not taking my picture with Mr. Sandoval (even though I didn't know who he was at the time) -- it was so foolish of me. I wish I had another chance! I've been listening to his music ever since.

There's a lesson to be learned from this mistake!