Molten's new digs, and events

One notable thing that happened in January was the opening of Molten Java in its new location at 213 Greenwood Ave, in Bethel, CT. A lot of elbow grease went into this openning and it shows: everything is gorgeous.  This is a day shot of the front room.

There appears to be renewed interest in evening activities too. This was my vantage point for viewing last night's Open Mic because there was not a chair to be had with a view of the performers so I sat on the stairs leading up to the second floor. It's a packed house these days. go early if you want a seat.

Nicholas Wells and his group played, Sal Saldagdo, Justin Virga, the host (whose name escapes me), young folks named Megan, Holly, etc. A few read poems.  Neal and Richard the old picker were there too. The list was long. I got a bit clastrophobic a little after nine and Henry Cort and I went home without playing. It was just as crowded the week before also. Maybe third is the charm.

There is a gallery upstairs and tonight from 6-8pm is an art show reception for Katie Bassett and Thomas Nackid whose work is up there right now. At 8 Seth Lefferts plays. Might have to check that out since the Pears are not on....  Some events are sometimes listed here

First Casablanca open mic last night

Al Rivoli (above) who plays and sings at quite a few area restaurants, hosted his first open mic last night. It's on Wednesdays 7-10 in the Casablanca Restaurant's small bar. The food is good, the coffee really excellent. It looks like this room might well open to a large side-porch in summer also so stay tuned.  Michel Rae (left) and Sal (below) did a duo and they performed solo also. They are both members of The Hip Relacements. See them if you can!  Michel and Sal are at the Blue Chip next Thursday I hear.

 I had a great time, and got to play two sets since it was a first run and there were not too many signups. I did my first live performance (world premier haha) of Elves on Expresso and I think my new tune caused a few near-dancing moves at one table!

Sketch: an extended doodle

Sometimes the hands are busy and the mind is doing something else. Not sure who these folks are, or what kind of odd fairy tale senario is going on here. I guess its a visual dream sequence. I was watching the idiot box, while doodling with a mechanical pencil and a black bic pen on an 8x11 sheet of light grey card stock. I digitally faded the grey to white.  I kind of like the result. It might be the plan for a painting.

BOOKS: The Last Place on Earth - a historical study in character

Need an amazing nature adventure? A character-driven drama?  Roland Huntford's mesmerizing "The Last Place on Earth." is for you. I know the genre on the back cover says history. Nonetheless  it kept me up late into the night several times. It's not a cliff hanger. But it is a fascinating dissection.

 In 1910-11 Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian,  and Robert Scott, a Brit, each led an extended expedition across Antarctica hoping to be the first to reach the South Pole and return. This book is a gripping, meticulously-researched  narrative that contrasts the two men, their characters, methods, values, preparation and leadership styles, and finally their relation to their country's differing cultures.

Amundsen got to the pole weeks ahead of Scott and lost not a man. Scott's poor planing and failure to learn. listen and prepare cost five lives including his own.  Instead of an investigation into how such a lackadaisical administrator, poor planner, vain publicity hound could have been entrusted with so many lives as they entered a dangerous environment - he was venerated as a national hero whose victory was "stolen" by Amundsen.  Talk about spin. Read this book. You might never again trust what you think is a cultural given. You might never trust a "hero" again.

This past December marked 100 years since Amundsen arrived at the South Pole.

There is apparently a whole six hour  epic mini-series  based on this book. It takes up 3 DVDs and has Martin Shaw as Scott and Sverre Anker Ousdal as Amundsen. Might have to see that now....

Seeing through the haze of actions and reactions

This digital abstract represents something for me today, namely - how hard it is sort through what is actually happening between humans.  Sometimes a person wants something from you - but it isn't obvious what that is. Sometimes you answer a question with what you think is your fairly simple reaction and step out into a mine field of replies.

It's hard to know what to make of it all. It feels like this picture, as if you were trying hard to see the simple line drawing or pattern through all this colorful and busy fog.

And in this technological world, sometimes technology allows people access to you at all hours, in a way someone you weren't particularly close to would never have had only a decade ago. Electronic communications can arrive when you are tired or half asleep or ill. They might seem to alternate between mild friendliness and something bordering on an aggressive insistence.  I have to learn not to check my mail so much and not to reply to email after say, 10pm. or before 8am. I really have to learn that. Like I had to learn not to pick up the phone and let it roll to the answering machine so I can deal with whatever it is at a later time when I have recently counted all my marbles and know where they are located.

Technology can also complicate things. Right under the "To" field in Google's webmail there is a line that says "Send also to:" which is followed by a list of people you might often email at the same time as you email the address in the "To" box.  If you have an oversensitive trackpad on your laptop (as I have on my Chromebook), you might hover a fraction of a second too long on the way to the Send button and find you've wisked an extra recipient into the "To" box.  Ah well. The kaffuffle is on - it always is I guess. Maybe life is just an extended kaffuffle.  hmmm.

The picture was created and edited on a phone, and then in enhanced Picnik.