Robert Soffian has been an acquaintance and inspirational local figure to me for many years. Yet, I was not at all aware of his paintings. I know him through his long body of work bringing edgy theater productions to the Shasta College stage. His eclectic and sometimes controversial performances influenced and expanded the horizons of many students. And they often explored the boundaries of community sensibilities, as all good theater should. In person, he is a striking ball of energy and ideas. Robert Soffian just posted some examples of his artwork at his website at the link. I encourage you to visit the Bio tab there as well. A remarkable life in art. That’s Really Redding.
“For me the unconscious is a rational system which painting objectifies.” Robert Soffian
A lovely Redding wedding video
Daniel + Rachel “Silver Lining” Film, by Daydream. Artistically shot in HD. Not sure where this took place in Redding, but I think I saw a glimpse of the river, along with a Stormtrooper or two.
Daniel + Rachel “Silver Lining” Film from Daydream on Vimeo.
Beautiful. We wish Daniel and Rachel a long and fulfilling marriage. That’s Really Redding.
State of the City Redding 2012
I attended the luncheon yesterday for the State of the City address. I love Redding. Evidently, I’m not the only one.
One real highlight was the “appearance” of Redding’s first mayor, C.C. Bush, from the past. It was a well done and thoughtful apparition. Interesting to think about the Redding of the past and compare it to the present.
Another highlight was this young lady singing the National Anthem. Heartstrings pulled, right off the charts. Good work.
The theme was Redding as a “Can-Do” community.
It can be.
There was also a lot of emphasis on the giving nature of our community and our citizens.
We are indeed.
Also seen, a rare public protest of REU, Redding’s electric utility. Good to see citizen activists expressing their opinion.
There may well be some room for improvement in the structure of our local electric utility. That said, we enjoy reliable and relatively cheap power. Also, as I have opined here before, the protestations rejecting the city policy of “Red Tagging” homes with no electricity service as uninhabitable may be well intended, but are misguided.
Although it sounds nice in theory to let people live in their homes without power, I have seen the reality. As a real estate agent sometimes working with foreclosed homes that quite often have no utilities, I have personally witnessed the awful results. No food refrigeration in Redding heat. Fire hazard candles. Ocean waves of fleas living in wall to wall carpet that has not seen a vacuum cleaner in months. Rats in the dark. If adults choose to live this way, yeah, maybe we should let them. But I see there are very often small children in those homes. That’s what makes it intolerable. That’s the Red Tag reality in our Can-Do city.
Elvis sighting in Redding
Yeah, Elvis Costello. Playing the Cascade last night.
Watchin’ the detectives. Niice.
Just the man and his talent, on display.
The angels may want to wear your red shoes, but your aim is true. Elvis is playing his Centenary Tour here, in case he’s not around to do it in 2054. Thoughtful chap.
His song catalog is extensive. Much too large for just one evening. I missed hearing a few favorites. No matter. It was a good show.
George Thorogood and the Destroyers play there tonight. Top name entertainment at the Cascade. It’s Really Redding.
Edit:
Somebody posted Allison from last night:
Mesmerizing Yo-Yo video, shot in Redding
Artistic dance video shot at Caldwell Park
I get a lot of nice comments about the dance videos I’ve been posting here. Here’s a new one from cinematographer Peyton Peltier, featuring dancers Bradyn Olsen and Joe Friedman.
Deep thoughts indeed. Nice work. You can like this work at the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheRisingFlight
“Looking for my guitar” – Yamaha FG-612S sold in Redding 2 years ago
Saw this plea on Craigslist a year ago. Renee tells me she’d still like to find it, so I am re-posting it. Maybe you can help. In the greater scheme of things, it’s perhaps not crucial. But a poetic return of the instrument is pleasing to consider.
“It’s a long story, but here goes. First of all, PLEASE do not delete this. My name is Renee. My mother and I lived in Redding in the 70’s and I bought this guitar from Bernie’s when I was just 15. I worked a whole summer to afford it. I’d read many reviews on The Sound Junky about this guitar so I knew it was a good one.
My mom contributed half the money, and I gave her my Oldesmobile, Delta 88 to cover that. I really LOVED this guitar and all the cool accessories I had with it, as you can imagine.
My daughters were both played to, nightly, while in my stomach, with this guitar, and it lulled them to sleep while I sung songs to them with it as they grew up. Now, 27 and 20, they loved it also.
I sung to my sister, when she was alive with it, and my father. I have lost them, all 3 now…mom, dad and sisters (both).
Well, I’m 46 now. I had that guitar til 2 years ago, when my mom’s heart went into failure. She was in RMC for 45 days before she passed away, and I live in Red Bluff, and I just couldn’t afford to drive every day back and forth, so I was forced to pawn my guitar to Olde West Guns and Loan.
She died. 46 days into the driving back and forth, I lost my beloved mother, and worse, I went into a horrible depression and lost my guitar.
There’s not a price you can put on the value of it…and it’s got memories from me, while I owned it nearly 30 years.
When I came out of the depression a bit, I went to get it out and to try to piece my life back together, but discovered that the pawn ticket had lapsed during my mourning. I lost my guitar…and I know, it’s my fault, but if anyone out there happened to buy it, please, please, please, give me a call and let’s talk about how I can buy it back. I’m anything but rich…but I guarantee, it will go back to where it belongs, and I will even HELP you find another guitar if that is the issue.
This isn’t just a guitar. It’s a symbol of the memory of my mother and me working together to achieve something…the memories of the time my two daughters were inside my stomach, and the times I sung for both my parents while they were alive, and my sister who’s also passed, at all the holidays. It is an item that cannot be priced, or have a price put on it.
My # is 530-355-7573. I’d be so glad to find out it’s alive…that someone has a huge heart and understands how MUCH this means to my family, and will help me relocate it.”
Here’s an image of such a guitar from Google. Looks like a lovely 12 string, but obviously it holds more than just music for the writer. Do you know where this instrument went?