Author Archive
June 9, 2014 by tomdalzell
23 Skidoo
In the early 20th century, the phrase “23 skidoo” was as popular a fad phrase as we had seen, or have seen since. What did it mean? Its meaning was, as delicately put by the Oxford English Dictionary, “uncertain.” It eventually came to mean “to go away,” usually used as a command. I write about […]
June 9, 2014 by tomdalzell
The Droste Effect / Infinite Digression / Self-Indulgence on Steroids
My term “infinite digression” is a cute, clever, AND brilliant allusion to “infinite regression.” I think that the term “infinite regression” is first heard in the 1971 movie Escape from the Planet of the Apes. Dr. Otto Hasslein explains the appearance of intelligent apes from the future in the present day: “Time can only be fully understood by […]
June 8, 2014 by tomdalzell
Lazarus
The story of Lazarus, found in John 11, is simple. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. Lazarus died. Jesus brought him back to life. 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. […]
June 6, 2014 by tomdalzell
Car Art
Not to be confused with art cars – this is about art depicting or incorporating cars or trucks. Sometimes I share my self-indulgent, creative narcissm right here. Sometimes I don’t, I put it somewhere else. Don’t worry – I can self-indulge about car art memories, but I won’t do it here, I will put it […]
June 5, 2014 by tomdalzell
Car Art and I
I was never in a relationship with the internal combustion engine. I really did like my father’s 1965 Mustang, but I didn’t tinker. And I admire a job nicely done, as in this Addison Street hot rod, but I was never into that scene. In my early teens, though, I was intrigued with the lowbrow […]
June 3, 2014 by tomdalzell
Dragons
1Being of a certain age, there is only one possible song for me to use as my dragon theme song. Puff. More on Puff here. If you care. Actually, it is there if you care or not. You click if you care and you go there. And without further ado, the dragons of Berkeley. For […]
June 3, 2014 by tomdalzell
Puff the Magic Dragon
“Puff the Magic Dragon” was the first tune that I picked out on a nylon-string guitar that my parents got me with S&H Green Stamps. No chords in my first playing of it – B-minor is no chord for a beginner to try. In 1965 I went on a double date with my friend Cris […]
June 2, 2014 by tomdalzell
More Miscellaneous Murals
I start this installment of murals that may not celebrate ethnic pride or struggle at 1277 Gilman, the corner of Gilman and Santa Fe, at the Toot Sweet Bakery. I start here because we can see, thanks to the photographs of William Newton, what the mural there looked like in 1979 and 1986: Today: […]
May 29, 2014 by tomdalzell
From a tree hanging….
A song to listen to with this post? The two songs that I can think of that speak of things hanging from a tree are too morose (“Tom Dooley“) or grim (“Strange Fruit”). For this reason, the Tone Police have declared – no song. Self-indulgent anecdote to accompany this post? When I was a boy, […]
May 29, 2014 by tomdalzell