The Good News:

Family & friends already know why I didn't post here for more than two months, but not everybody might be aware of the latest developments. If you were afraid to even ask you'd be happy to know that my Mom is fine, relatively speaking. Not healthy yet by any stretch of the imagination, but considering how long she had been in the ICU in very serious condition we're very excited about her progress. (Damn, we're freakin' ecsatic that she's still alive!). The resulting critical illness polyneuropathy is the big challenge now, but my sister tells me that Mom is highly motivated and in good spirits. She was transferred to the Neurologische Klinik Bad Neustadt, which seems an excellent place for rehab. Our hope is that she will fully recover, as 50 % of patients suffering from CIP do regain complete mobility, but for now we're happy about every step in the right direction, however small.

Die gute Nachricht:

Alle Freunde und Verwandten wissen weshalb hier mehr als zwei Monate Funkstille herrschte, aber nicht alle sind über den letzten Stand der Dinge informiert. Wer nicht mehr zu fragen wagte: Der Mutter geht's gut, d.h. relativ gut in Anbetracht dessen wie lange sie in Lebensgefahr schwebte. Da sie noch eine Critical-Illness-Polyneuropathie zu meistern hat wird es zwar noch eine Weile dauern bis sie ganz gesund sein wird, aber sie ist munter! In der Zwischenzeit ist sie zur Reha in der Bayrischen Rhön, in der Neurologischen Klinik Bad Neustadt. Meine Schwester erzählt, dass es ihr dort sehr gut gefällt, und dass sie äusserst motiviert ist wieder zu Kräften zu kommen. Mann, sind wir froh! Ich kann es kaum erwarten, dass ihr Telefon und/oder Rechner zur Verfügung stehen, so dass ich wieder direkt mit ihr reden kann!

Die schlechte Nachricht:

Die letzten Monate haben mir drastisch vor Augen geführt wie von Tragödien unbeleckt ich doch eigentlich bisher gewesen bin, wie lange ich so naiv vor mich hinsegeln durfte in weitgehender Ignoranz, dass der Tod auch in meiner Welt stattfinden könnte und würde. Ich bin kuriert, vom Schlimmsten aber weiterhin verschont. Auf Zeit. Die gezählt ist. Meine, und die der Menschen, die ich liebe. Soviel weiss ich jetzt doch.

Good Bye to Kathleen

Over the last couple of weeks, whenever I remembered that I had plans for this Sunday my first thought was that I would see Kathleen. I had to remind myself over and over that I would not meet her in person, but only in the form of family and friends' memories of her. Each time the realization came as a shock, part of my brain apparently still in denial. Kathleen's Service was very sad, but also very sweet. The Church couldn't hold all the people, who came. So many simply adored her. It's still hard to understand how somebody so vibrant could completely disappear. But of course the love everybody feels for her lives on, as does her poetry, which is on display now at 913 Cedar Street in Santa Cruz.
KUSP’s Poetry Show was dedicated to Kathleen on April 12 and is available here

Santa Cruz Film Festival, May 7-15

Meanwhile, back in our little town, the Santa Cruz Film Festival will present an impressive 120 films from 29 countries during 9 days and nights. On Thursday May 7, festivities commence with Gospel Hill at the Del Mar, followed by an Opening Night Gala at The Museum of Art & History. The schedule just came out. I have my eye on Saturday's Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love, otherwise I'm still pondering my options for the rest of the week. Since I want to enjoy at least one of the parties, though, I've already made a commitment to attend the Closing Night Film Automorphosis, Awards Ceremony, and Gala on Friday, May 15 at the Vets Hal. 

SCIFAM Movie Maven Amy will be out of town. When I showed interest in hosting Closing Night she officially promoted me to SCIFAM Assistant Organizer, which means that I could post events independently from now on should I feel so inclined. Very cool!

The 10th Annual How Weird Street Faire

Sunday May 10th from Noon to 7pm

Centered at Howard and 2nd Streets, San Francisco:

"Ten blocks, ten stages of electronic music, art and performances, colorful costumes, unique vendors and more. Plus a magic sticker!
The How Weird Street Faire celebrates San Francisco's creativity, community, and conscious awareness. 

From a small gathering in 2000, outside of the original World Peace Through Technology Organization headquarters on Howard Street, to over ten thousand people last year at the new location further down Howard Street, the How Weird Street Faire has become a San Francisco tradition. It is also the unofficial start of the city's famous street fair season, attracting people from across the city and world. For details visit the website How Weird.org"

Robin is organizing a trip to The Fair. I'm in!

The First Hundred Days as Flickr Photostream

For some very nice candid shots check out he Official White House Photostream on Flickr. The first set Delivering on Change contains almost 300 photos, starting with President Obama's very first day in office.

Für eine Auswahl sehr schöner Aufnahmen, die den Einzug Präsident Obamas und seiner Familie ins Weisse Haus, sowie die ersten 100 Tage im Amt dokumentieren, lohnt es sich den Official White House Photostream auf Flickr zu besuchen. Das erste Set, Delivering on Change, enthält unter fast 300 Fotos viel populäres, aber auch einige Bilder, die eine überraschend authentische Atmosphäre vermitteln.

Santa Cruz also celebrates National Dance Week, of course. The biggest night will actually be the opening night Thursday, April 30th. I really enjoyed Nocturnal Sunshine last year. They will be back for a Grand Fire Dance Finale, 8:30 pm, Cathcart at Pacific (Kianti's). For a full schedule of events visit SantaCruzDance.com

Have I mentioned before how much I like Harper's?

Have some Slum Pudding. Out of season, but as the school says, it's “a drama lesson on the use of language.” Yeah bruv. Innit?

THE PRINTS OF ANDY WARHOL

It looks like my mind was already unconsciously gravitating towards the San Jose Museum of Art when I picked a photo for the previous blog entry on the Dancin' Downtown event. On Sunday I actually physically ended up in the museum. It started out as a short visit to the facilities, but I strayed, leaving my friends to watch the dance pageantry by themselves. I was sucked in by a selection of prints on loan from The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. I thought I might just take a quick look around, not expecting too much. I had been disappointed by the Diane Arbus retrospective at SFMOMA years back, as well as the Annie Leibovitz show last summer. There was no added dimension; the original prints didn't offer any insight beyond what the familiar reproductions had to offer. I expected the Warhol prints to fall in the same category--- you've seen a decent coffee table book, you've essentially seen the artwork. To my surprise I found that there's more depth to the Warhols, in particular the celebrity prints. I liked how a series of Ingrid Bergman images from the Eighties dissolved on close inspection into pure color and penciled lines next to modulated areas delivering the illusion of 3 dimensionality. I discovered that Liz and Marilyn look more like sinister clowns than glamorous divas in a way I hadn't noticed before. Andy looks fragile in late self portraits, Beuys terrified. Death masks of cultural icons. Brilliantly, gaudily colored mortality pressed through silk screens. 

Through Sunday, May 31, 2009