My cell phone...

...plus two art phones by Paul Basye.

I saw the inside of the espresso machine...

...which was being repaired at Espresso Metro.

Happy sticker on the Chronicle box...

...and I just learned that the Chronicle is in danger of going broke.

Renee's fabulous fur...

...made from genetically engineered mammals.

The smallest good luck kitty ever

Piano/organ

This is a rare Gulbransen with a built-in extra keyboard controlling a Wurlitzer electronic (not tonewheel) organ. It also has built-in accompaniment rhythms, including "Teen Beat."

Some really old arrangements

...from playing with the George Bruno band today. Living history.

Two dads

A party mask...

...at a church function where I was playing today.

Art hero

While in prison, the artist did this drawing on newspaper and sold it for a pittance in order to buy drugs. 

Peace Corps at the Rubicon

We had a Peace Corps mixer at the Rubicon. It was much more lively than our usual monthly dinners. Most of the people were in their twenties, and most of them were trying to get into the Peace Corps, rather than former Volunteers.

I hadn't been to the Rubicon in something like twenty years. It was packed with noisy people and of course the beer was superb.

In this picture is Nicole Voorhees, the Northern California recruiter, and Mary Taylor, a fellow board member. Coincidentally, all three of us served in the Caribbean. (Car-ri-BE-an)

Let's go in

Kimball at the Columbian Exposition

Some Kimball pianos have this decal which celebrates their winning a medal at the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893. I have a great fondness for this Exposition, which is celebrated in the book The Devil and the White City. 

You can see some great photos of the Columbian Exposition here.

Secret pouch

I tuned an old piano today that has a little felt pouch tacked to the inside. What was it for? It's too small for the usual things. I put a bridle strap in it, just so it would hold something.

It would be perfect for a golf pencil. But I didn't have one.

Our daughter the Hitler-lover

Rachel was working on a short film about an alternate history where someone actually assassinates Hitler. The woman playing Eva Braun never showed up on set, and the only woman around who could fit into the costume was Rachel.  So she played Eva as a half-Jewish, somewhat Asian brunette. 

Saint Dad

Funniest restroom ever

Creepy dollar bill painting

Young people are our future, part 2

Young people are our future.

Here's one dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

Two round metal plates and a broken cabasa...

...left over from an arcane Shriner ceremony.

From the classroom of a friend...

Stuff you should know about Shriners

I played with Buddy Harpham at a Shriners affair tonight. I learned these things:

1. A Shriner's fez tells you what his job is.
   
2. Some fezzes say WRECKING CREW.
   
3. The Wrecking Crew is in charge of hazing initiates.
   
4. Hazing includes immersion in a vat of tomato sauce with anchovies.
   
5. Hazing used to include electric shocks, but not any more.
   

The eyes seem to follow you everywhere

Bricka Bracka

This building used to be an antique store (still has the historic marquee). But now it's Bricka Bracka, which reminds me of Andy Warhol's Factory: they make their money doing high-end web and database work, but it also has art, live music, Flash classes, Nintendo, and couches where you can just hang and use the free Wi-Fi. Read more here. 

My last two bagels from New York Bagel Boys

Therefore, two of the last real bagels in Sacramento.

New York Bagel Boys is (are?) no more

The last place in Sacramento that made real bagels (i.e., boiled the dough) went out of business. It think it's partly the economy and partly because most people here prefer their bagels soft*. Read the Bee article here.

(*As Lenny Bruce said,“If you live in New York or any other big city, you are Jewish. It doesn’t matter even if you’re Catholic; if you live in New York, you’re Jewish. If you live in Butte, Montana, you’re going to be goyish even if you’re Jewish.” )

Why are there holes in the elephant's nostrils?

Super Bowl tribute at Trader Joe's

We shopped at Trader Joe's today and saw this wonderful beer display.