Posts Tagged ‘Los Angeles’

Carma-heaven – Surviving 2011 has to be one of the most apocalyptic years known to date.

It’s only July, but, let’s take a brief look at some of the specatular events that we have survived so far.   Massive earthquakes, nuclear reactor meltdowns, tsunamis, overwhelming river bank flooding, the end of days in Harold Camping’s rapture and last but not least carmageddon on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles this last weekend.

For the last four weeks the Los Angeles media has blitzed the public with an endless assault of dire warnings of what was to come because of the closure of the 405 freeway.  Everyone was talking about it and many were scared to death to be on the roads and highways.  Saturday I was right in the middle of carmageddon as I had to go to an event that was planned long before carmageddon was announced.  I was absolutely amazed to see that no one was on the freeway.  It was like the twilight zone.  Actually, it was kinda scary!

It was inspiring to see that the great people of Los Angeles were able to get together and make this an incredible experience for everyone.  It’s also amazing that the Cal-Trans and construction workers finished well before the scheduled completion time.  It was a job well done by everyone in Los Angeles.

One could almost surmise that this should become an occurring event every so often to help reduce traffic, pollution, aid the environment and help people discover and support their local communities.  It was also amazing to see as I was driving home today on the 101 freeway a Cal-Trans sign that said, “Thank You Los Angeles.”

Meet the new Salvador Dali – Vladimir Kush is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting painters in the art world today. His work is vibrant, vast, deep and overflows with a radiant abundance of colors, symbols and allegory. His imagery instills a wealth of dreamlike thoughts and visions. His craftsmanship while flawless and virtually seamless appears not to have any apparent brush strokes.

Vladimir refers to his art as metaphorical realism. In my opinion, he is the new Salvador Dali. He really has taken over where Dali left off.  It is surrealism at a whole new level.  I find that his work would best be described as a progenitor who dwells at the creative edge of our hearts and minds. (See his At the edge of the Earth painting below)

At the End of the Earth

Here are some highlights from Vladimir’s Bio courtesy of Kush Fine Art.

Born 1965 in Moscow, Vladimir’s parents learned that he at the early age of three or four had the “talent.” His father would start drawings and amazingly Vladimir would complete them.  Eventually, he would be formally trained at the Art Institute of Moscow under the Cezanne method, which he quickly mastered. After Kush’s first successful show in Germany in 1989 it brought him to Los Angeles and eventually Maui, his home today.

African Sonata

Vladimir sums it up for us: “Due to political and geographic restraints, I was forced to travel with my mind as a child, and it is this most of all that has shaped my artistic perception and voice, but I would likely never have painted the colors or clouds seen in my paintings if it hadn’t been for the sights of my tropical, second home.”

Fauna in La Mancha

Vladimir Kush explains further: “I want to touch my audience on a much deeper emotional or intellectual level than would be possible by painting a pretty landscape or still life where viewers are tempted to place themselves in the landscape, or consume the bowl of fruit—the goal of realism is also its limitation. I try to provide layers of meaning for viewers to explore and emotionally respond to the discoveries they find in my art.”

Take a Metaphorical Voyage into the World of Vladimir Kush.

Arrival of the Flower Ship

Sacred Bird of Yucatan

Horn of Babel

Divine Geometry

For the record – this blogger feels Frank McCourt is wrong.  Bud Selig, the Commissioner of the MLB is not Un-American.  A few days ago I wrote a blog on “Baseball Ownership”  In that writing I spoke about what I thought baseball teaches us.  This last week I read in a local paper how Frank McCourt is claiming “foul” and that Bud Selig is “Un-American” because he cares about the game of baseball, its fans, players and owners.

Frank, you are way out of line and I think you need to learn some lessons from this game.  Commitment, for one, is not about you are first and the team and fans are second and third.  No, the team and fans are first.   The owner is always last.  Ownership of  anything is a sacrifice.  It’s “a tough row to hoe.”  But, that is what ownership and commitment are all about.  When I was a kid I worked for a wonderful woman by the name of Daisy Coe and she taught me that the business always comes first; everything else comes second, third and fourth.  The owner comes last.  That is what commitment means.

Every player on any team has struggled, sacrificed and done without in order to be excellent! What you probably are gonna say is the players get paid millions.  Yes, they do today, but, that wasn’t always the case.  In the early days of Baseball a lot of the players struggled.  They just wanted to play ball.  It’s that spirit and work ethic: Practice, Sacrifice, Training, Failure, Humility and Development.  These things make good players and sometimes great human beings.  Owners need to honor them, acknowledge them and share them.  The Owners are the custodians and caretakers of the game.

Ownership is not an entitlement; nor a bragging point – “Oh, I own a baseball team” and it’s not a passive kind of property.  When there is any “doing without” it’s the owner who does without so that the team and the fans can have what they need and want.  If you don’t believe this, I don’t think you should be an owner.  It’s not cut-out for everyone.

Frank and Jaime – it’s tough.  Somewhere along the line you lost the focus and the team became secondary.  Look, the team and the fans are number #1.  That’s your responsibility.  If you are out spending 100 million dollars (for personal uses) and the team is in debt millions,  then you’ve lost sight of what baseball ownership is all about.

Warren Buffet has been in the same house for 40 years.  He’s worth billions but he truly understands his priorities and knows what comes first: his business.  It comes before vacations, petty arguments, divorces, six mansions etc. etc.  I know it’s tough Frank and Jaime, but, at some point you have to learn this.  That’s the ethic.

Baseball is a game.  In this country it’s an institution.  It represents a lot of the original ideals in which this country was founded.  The Commissioner, Bud Selig, is not un-American as Frank says.  Mr. Selig is the master custodian of the game and his sole job is to protect it’s authenticity and heritage.  If dog and pony shows take over, the MLB could go the way of the carnie – dare I say more.

If Mr. Selig feels he needs to take over the LA Dodgers and the franchise I’m sure he’s thought this over.  Has this happened before in baseball history?  It’s a serious decision and I’m sure he doesn’t take it lightly.

Frank McCourt said he is willing to be transparent.  Frank, if you are willing, then be fully transparent on everything.  Don’t  say that something is “not necessary”  Be transparent!

Mr. Selig is in charge with caring for the present while staying true to the past and looking forward to the future.  The McCourts simply need to grow up.  No amount of money can hold them back from doing that.