2013 Hanami Video

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Cherry Blossoms 2013

At the Gokoku-jinja enjoying the Cherry Blossoms

March 29

 The Shrine has a Globe

in the center of the water trough

where people rinse out their mouths

 The walkway into the shrine

View from the park part of the shrine 

Hanami (花見, lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms (sakura) or (less often) plum blossoms (ume). From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan,^[and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa. The blossom forecast (桜前線 sakura-zensen, literally "cherry blossom front") is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. In some contexts the Sino-Japanese term kan'ō (観桜, view-cherry) is used instead, particularly for festivals. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜, literally night sakura). In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura. On the island of Okinawa, decorative electric lanterns are hung in the trees for evening enjoyment, such as on the trees ascending Mt. Yae, near Motobu Town, or at the Nakijin Castle.

A more ancient form of hanami also exists in Japan, which is enjoying the plum blossoms (梅 ume) instead, which is narrowly referred to as umemi (梅見, plum-viewing). This kind of hanami is popular among older people, because they are more calm than the sakura parties, which usually involve younger people and can sometimes be very crowded and noisy.

Marilyn Monroe, 'Nuff Said?

Marilyn Monroe impersonator on Hollywood Blvd.

February 11, 2013
Photo by Unidentified Passer By

Lovely Young Lady on Hollywood, Blvd.

A little bit of openess

and one can meet

the sweetest of people.

  Just outside the Chinese Theater
Photo of Alli by MaryAnn K.

Magic Castle

Here at the Magic Castle with Suzanne theMagician and Eugene Burger.

The Academy of Magical Arts have honored Suzanne by nominating her as 

Close up Magician of the Year for 2010. 

Suzanne is the first woman magician ever to receive this honor.

To get in the Castle,

you have to say

"Open Seseme"

To the owl at the left of the picture.

As you can see from the Ace of Spades
And the Joker of the Magic Castle deck
The Owl is the Magic Castle Symbol.

Eugene Burger is reputed for his close-up skills
and his work in mentalism and bizarre magic.
He is also a philosopher and a historian of religion.

St. Cecilia's Church in Pawtucket RI.

I Was Chief Altar Boy Here

My Being Arrested in LA on Hollywood Blvd.

It is with great shame that I have to tell of you of my arrest in LA. The police were very severe. They handcuffed me and hit me with their night sticks and treated me as the criminal that I was. I was bad and this is my confession.

My Arrest on Hollywood Boulevard

For some reason I did not resist arrest.