Last night at Christie’s the iconic 1946 Richard Neutra ‘Kaufmann House’ here in Palm Springs sold for $15 million, with another $2.1 million for the adjacent orchard parcel. That price tag is at the rock bottom end of the $15 - $25 million pre-auction estimate (and pales in comparison to the Rothko that went for $50 million!)
I’ve had the great pleasure of knowing Beth and Brent Harris over the years and have many wonderful memories of that home. We can only hope that the new owner has the same dedication, love and respect as did they for such a significant piece of modern architecture.
The buyer of the house has not yet been identified so let the rumors begin! I’ll start: word on the street had it that Ellen was ‘very interested’ in the property…
Last Sunday was beautiful, here in Seattle. So I purchased a cheap kite at the local drugstore and went to a nearby field to fly it.
It was the first time I’d done so since childhood, and had forgotten the intensity and purity of emotions a $5 kite can evoke. Foremost amongst them: FRUSTRATION and RAGE.
– Go Fly a Kite
UToobage:
Your mother’s going to hear about this! Guy Scares Aunt. Poor woman, I thought she was going to jump!
We’ve all probably received those voicemail’s where someone’s phone accidently redials while in a pocket or purse and you get to listen to 2 min. of garbled something or another’s. (A certain Fishwrap reader’s phone likes to randomly call me at 6:30am as he’s walking to the bus stop) but I am grateful I’ve never gotten one like this: My Brother’s Firefight
What do you do when you have 3 over-ripe bananas sitting in your fruit bowl? Why, make banana bread of course!
Ingredients:
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar (could probably reduce)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup flour
Optional:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add walnuts. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Laugh out loud:
“By the time they had diminished from 50 to 8, the other dwarves began to suspect ‘Hungry’.” - Gary Larson via
“Damn, this lung is heavy.” Letting Go, on Smoking and Non-Smoking by David Sedaris, from the latest New Yorker.
How I Spent My Stimulus. See what people are really doing with those checks. Wanna know how I spent mine (and yes, I spent it before I even got it!)? One word. wii!
Speaking of stimulus… Watch the Green Porno series wherein Isabella Rossellini gives us the down and dirty on the sex lives of insects (and gastropods … who knew snails were into S&M?) Warning: might not be safe for work if a beautiful woman in a big puffy insect costume getting it on with other puffy costumes using anatomical language might get you in trouble.
via Gina
In Other News
Went to the Stagecoach Music Festival this weekend. It’s basically the Coachella for country music. I was impressed by how well organized the thing was - and it was frickin’ huge! Saw some great acts (though I missed the Judds because after 6 hours in the 90º sun I was beyond fried). All in all though, the weather was perfect for kicking back a few beers and listening to some great music. I’d definitely go back next year, but need to plan a little better in the endurance dept.
I finished up my jury duty on Monday, never made it into the box. It was extremely mind numbing and repetitive but I met an interesting cross section of the community; there are some very strange people out there… At any rate, here’s the trial I would have been on. It’s been all over the evening news.
Now free of my civic obligations for the next 12 months, I’ve been spending the last few days catching up on various chores and continuing to settle in to the new digs. Slowly this place is becoming more me. In fact someday it may be all me as the owner has offered to sell it to me if/when I am interested. I’m in no position to buy right now but we’ll see.
In Other Local News:
A dingo ate my baby! Coyote grabs 2 year old by the head. Just a reminder to keep an eye on your kids and pets… the cayoots are hungry!
Hey! It’s Friday and if I make a mark in time, I can’t say the mark is mine ’cause there’s a million things to be, you know that there are. So don’t be shy just let your feelings roll on by, on by…
Green: 20 things you can re-use at least twice before throwing away.
Gah! Vertigo alert! This cameraman is fearless.
El camino del Rey:
This limestone gorge in the south of Spain, through which passes the Guadalhorce river, sits the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes pass that is 700m (2296 feet) high. Originally built in 1901, the El camino del Rey walkway serves as an approach to Makinodromo, the famous climbing sector of El Chorro. In 2000, the paths was remove because a tourist died trying to cross it.
via neatorama
In Other News:
JD Update: Finally some progress! We’ve begun the voir dire - which means we were briefed on the case and now I have to be careful about what I say here.
I’m still in the pool, not yet in the box. Since we are starting a lot earlier today (10:15) I’m pretty sure they should have the final jury selection by the end of the day. Whew.
700 acres (as of 1:00pm) just southwest of Palm Springs. It started yesterday at Apache Peak, up in the San Jacinto Wilderness and is now burning in the Lily Rock area - moving down towards Indian Canyons. Right now there seems to be no threat to people or structures, so no evacs. It’s extremely rugged terrain up there and with the winds at 20-40 mph and low clouds, no aerial support to speak of, though some folks have reported hearing helicopters. I do know that they sent in some ground crews this morning who had to hike 5 miles or so just to get to the fire line and try and dig in some lines. The winds are still blowing at about 40 mph. A good reminder to stay prepared!
Update:
MMmm - And earthquakes too! Just had a 4.2.
Just FYI: In most states these days, jury lists are no longer culled solely from Voter Reg. lists. They also use DMV registered driver’s license rolls, welfare rolls, state tax payer rolls, among other sources. Yes, I looked it up!
And Keith and Danni? Florida and Massachusetts specifically state that they DO NOT use Voter Reg. rolls at all for jury duty selection. So the fact that you have not been called to jury service yet is just lucky I suppose. (unless you don’t drive, don’t pay taxes and possibly live in a cave without a mailbox)
Now stop perpetuating the myth and go register to vote, please. If you don’t exercise your right to vote, you have no right to complain.
Again, I’m stunned that anyone would give up their right to vote (the very foundation of our democratic system) simply to shirk spending a couple days performing their civic duty (the very foundation of our justice system). I could go on and on but I think you get my point.
/tongue lashing
In Other Jury Duty News:
Thanks for all the advice! Still waiting on my jury selection. Yesterday was just a repeat of Monday. Lots of waiting. My initial written hardship request was not granted. The judge wants to keep me around I guess. Of the 200 or so requests, he only granted about 75. Again, we’ll see when/if I end up in the box for the Q&A segment. They brought in another group of about 50 jurors to fill out the pool yesterday afternoon, but sent us home at 3:30 because they didn’t have their shit together a randomized list of names yet to start the voir dire.
I have to go back today at 1:30 for more hurry up and waiting I suppose.
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