Joe's Funhouse

Halloween 2011

2011-11-08T13:58:00.001-08:00

The Halloween parade at McKinley Elementary:

Emily was one of this year's vampires:

Back in the classroom, right before the final bell. The kids had a dance party. I guess this happens every day?

Trick-or-Treating in Bernal, with Cousin Bridget and her friend. Note the old school pillowcases, for greater candy collection.

Nothing like a night shot to show off the limitations of an iPhone camera:

Counting the haul:

-- Post From My iPhone

Afternoon at the Museum

2011-09-09T17:06:00.001-07:00

Went to the SF MoMA (museum of modern art) on Tuesday. Mom got us tickets to The Steins Collect, an exhibit of the many paintings collected by Gertrude Stein and her siblings. No photography allowed.

There was also a show of Dieter Rams, who designed a lot of objects for Braun.

Coffeemakers from the 1970's:

After the museum, we repaired to Thirsty Bear around the corner on Howard St, for beer and paella. Mmm, paella...

-- Post From My iPhone

Emily turns 7

2011-09-07T10:31:00.001-07:00

This year, Emily's birthday fell on a Saturday. We invited the kids from her new classroom. 20+ kids showed up to Precita Park.

Here Emily and Sophia getting worked up about the sugar they are about to consume. The cake is a made of cupcakes - no utensils necessary, just grab and go!

Parental Advice: Always use a park for a kids birthday party.

All of the sugar-related items were baked by my Aunt Kate, and delivered to the party by Emily's Aunt Sarah.

The Pinata portion of the foggy morning quickly turned into a scene from "Lord of the Flies". Next year we'll do something tamer.

The sun eventually came out:

Take-Home Treat: a cat-shaped cookie, modeled after our cat Ralph:

-- Post From My iPhone

Movie Log (w/spoilers)

2011-08-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

THE HELP - was ready to hate it, especially after reading this Slate piece - "A Feel Good Movie that feels kind of Icky." However, it's well-acted, well-written, and not as insulting to the African-American characters as I assumed it would be (though I'm a white guy, so how can I really judge? Your mileage may vary.) I would have appreciated a scene or two that zinged the well-intentioned liberals (as on "Mad Men" - also set in the 1960s). And there were slapstick scenes that were a little too silly. But I respected how the film ends on a relatively "low" point (the maid getting fired) rather than a fake, impossibly-idealistic "high" point.

SOMEWHERE - once I took an online survey - "Which director would film your life story?" - and my results came back Sofia. "Somewhere" follows a movie star who is between movies, living at the Chateau Marmont, and sitting around shell-shocked, like the lead character in a Joan Didion novel (Sofia, like Joan D., tends to set her stories in hotels). The movie star's ex-wife appears, dropping off their 11-year-old daughter for an extended stay, and our hero surprises us by acting like a doting father, sort of. Nothing too dramatic happens. "Somewhere" is not for everyone, but I loved it. I cautioned a friend that "Somewhere" makes "Lost in Translation" look like "Die Hard". And, Sofia? I'm ready for my close-up when you are.

BLUE VALENTINE - most depressing movie ever, or at least placing in the top-10*. I'm the filmgoer with a history of appreciating less-than-uplifting movies, but this one tested my limits. Nothing really awful happens, other than a couple realizing that they need to separate. But it's so hard and awful to watch. The great performances and spot-on writing/directing make it even worse. If the movie had flaws, I could focus on those flaws, rather than focus on humanity's flaws, which is what "Blue" forces the viewer to do. Oy!

SCHOOL OF ROCK - I loved this movie before I was a Dad, and I love watching it now with Emily. Brilliant how they use no profanity, so that film can appeal to both kids and their parents.

SPY KIDS - More of the same. In the interest of Family Friendly entertainment, we've watched 3 of the 4 Spy Kids movies over the last couple of weeks. The latest movie's villain may be the perfect role for Jeremy Piven (aka Ari Gold, the agent on "Entourage"). Also, great to see Jessica Alba as the Super Spy, fighting bad guys while very pregnant.

* - Here's my list of the most depressing movies ever:

Christiane F. (1981, Uli Edel)
Clean, Shaven (1993, Lodge Kerrigan)
Thirteen (2003, Catherine Hardwicke)
Breaking the Waves (1996, Lars von Trier)
Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars von Trier)
Frances (1982, Graeme Clifford)
Sophie's Choice (1982, Alan J. Paluka)
Star 80 (1983, Bob Fosse)
The War Zone (1999, Tim Roth)**
Nils By Mouth (1997, Gary Oldman)**
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (1998, Joan Chen)**
Sonny (2002, Nicolas Cage)**
Naked (1993, Mike Leigh)
Happiness (1998, Todd Solondz)
Auto Focus (2002, Paul Schrader)
Wonderland (2003, James Cox)

** - what's up with actors directing such depressing movies?

Frank Lloyd Wright in Orinda

2011-08-02T21:42:00.001-07:00

If you open a Frank Lloyd Wright house to the public, even if it's just for one weekend, the Geeks will come. Even if they charge a hefty fee (proceeds to benefit preservation of other Frank houses). Even if they make you park at the BART station and catch a shuttle bus. The Geeks will show up. Including us.

Walking into the driveway of the Buehler house in Orinda, CA. The original owners (Maynard and Katherine Buehler) lived there for 60+ years. Now the house is for sale. Details and cool photos are here.

Two Geeks in Love (with Frank) [and each other] near a corner of the house. Note the rampant use of cinder block (it's Frank, so it's OK).

Detail of pattern cut into wood:

Wider view of same pattern. This is the walkway to the front door.

Same wall, interior side. A 40' hallway lined with bookshelves, light streaming in, and all that wood - what more do you need?
(next 5 photos borrowed from a news outlet):

Living Room:

Dining Room, facing out:

Dining Room, facing in:

Exterior from back yard, facing Living Room and Dining Room:

Just for fun, a plaque made by the Buehlers - I'm assuming to commemorate their wedding date?

One of the volunteers came up from the Hollyhock House in LA:

on location in J-town

2011-08-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

There's an old joke about Independent Film crews in San Francisco. When shooting here, you've got to be careful not to film the crew at the next corner. The latest member of my extended family to join a ragtag guerilla film outfit? My Uncle Ben (married to my Aunt Kate) from the Sacramento area. A Facebook friend-of-a-friend of Ben's needed a last minute actor replacement. The part was described along the lines of: "50-something, Asian male, loafers, khakis, polo shirt". Ben's never acted before, but that didn't stop him from saying yes to the role. We went over to Japantown on Sunday to check out the production.

Above, the main crew members: DP shooting HD on a Canon DSLR camera (the 5D), tethered to a small monitor held by the Director. Sound Guy (bandana on head) wearing all his equipment around the neck.

Ben's daughter, aka Cousin Liz, is taking this opportunity to learn about filmmaking:

Film production is actually very boring when it's not your production. We walked into J-town to shop for plastic items and have lunch. There are no shortage of places to have lunch. It reminded me a bit of traveling in a foreign country, where you have no idea what to choose. Fortunately, we chose well and ate amazingly fresh sushi.

Later we rejoined la familia, who still weren't done with Ben's scenes.

-- Post From My iPhone

Notes on Camp

2011-07-25T16:09:00.001-07:00

It has come to my attention that photos on this blog (photos taken with the iPhone & uploaded via the Blogpress App) look a bit lackluster, until clicked on and expanded. Go ahead, click on this one:

See how the larger-sized photo was a much richer experience? Joe's Funhouse is working to correct the problem.

We went camping last weekend. Here's Emily, being the snake in the grass, showing Matthew the neat games on Daddy's old iPhone.

The trip was organized by our good friend Marty. Among those gathered was another old school friend, David H., who brought his bride of 3 weeks. I had no idea David had married. Why? Because David is not on Facebook. It's an interesting phenomenon, these friends who aren't documenting every moment of their lives online.

Met a friend of Marty's, who made me laugh with this description of his job: "I work at (name of famously-huge company), but only because they bought the start-up where I was before."

Our camping trip ended with a group visit to the top of Mt. Diablo:

-- Post From My iPhone

John and Frank

2011-07-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

There was a house tour I missed today in Los Angeles. To celebrate the 100th birthday of architect John Lautner, one could tour several of his selected houses. Someone clever compiled the following video, showing scenes from movies in Lautner houses. There is even a clip from The Simpsons. Try to ignore the obnoxious music choice in the 2nd half of the video:

John Lautner on Film from curbed los angeles on Vimeo.

There is a house tour I'm planning to attend next weekend in the Far-East Bay. A 1948 Frank Lloyd Wright house in Orinda is open to the public this Saturday. SF Gate story here.

Cars, nothing but Cars

2011-07-18T14:21:00.001-07:00

(some of) what we saw at the Reno Car Museum:

This car is from 1912, and it's electric:

A car designed for family camping:

early Woody:

Lana Turner's fabulous red car:

This looks like Jake's car from "Chinatown". Or maybe Evelyn's?:

Hard to classify:

First Volkswagen bug, late 1940's. German translation: the people's car.

Mercedes:

Studebaker 1966 station wagon. Just the coolest:

Never heard of the Ghia before - production was limited and this one was owned by Sinatra:

-- Post From My iPhone

Mountain Cheese

2011-07-12T18:01:00.001-07:00

door to a typical Tahoe store:

And then there's Reno. Land of the giant neon margarita.

The girls at the "dress-up area" of the Harrah's Car Museum in Reno:

Artifacts from a golden era.

Fun Fact: one of Mr Harrah's many wives was Bobbie Gentry (singer of "Ode to Billie Joe"):

Back in Tahoe City, a dogsled built by a policeman:

anyone able to build something out of "hickory, maple and rawhide" is all right with me:

-- Post From My iPhone

Reading List (Brothers and Sisters)

2011-07-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading "Love Will Tear Us Apart" after reading an interview with the author on my friend's blog. Siamese twin sisters about to turn 18 have been Britney-style pop stars most of their lives. A jaded NYC journalist gets the assignment to write a book about the girls.

I rushed to read this book because it reminds me of a script I once read. "Brothers of the Head" is about Siamese twin brothers who begin life in a carnival, are exploited by various managers and promoters, and wind up becoming a punk band in early-1980s Los Angeles. The story is told from different perspectives, sort of like "Citizen Kane." I always remembered the script, thinking "it's brilliant, but no one will ever make it." A movie was finally produced in 2005, the setting changed to 1970s England:

A YouTube comment - "this film broke my heart, but the brothers were hot and the music was awesome"

The "Head" refers to a 3rd head on one of the brother's shoulders. It's a 3rd brother, who may or may not be alive. In "Love Will Tear Us Apart," the Sparks sisters discover a long-lost half-sister. There are many other similiarities - and by pointing them out, I mean no disrespect to the book. It's a great read, especially for Gen-Xer's like me who are alternately facscinated and confused by today's Pop Culture.

Midsummer

2011-07-12T09:30:00.001-07:00

Emily brings a bit of industry to the North Shore:

with the large number of children who suddenly appeared in Uncle Tim's SUV:

Tim reluctantly taking a break during a hike:

Working a puzzle like Susan Alexander Kane:

-- Post From My iPhone

surrounded by ghosts

2011-07-08T18:09:00.001-07:00

• Tahoe is all about ghost stories. Anyone who has spent any time here either has had an experience, or knows someone with a tale to tell.

• We went to the CalNeva casino & Hotel to take the "tunnel" tour. It was part California history, part ghost hunt, part celebrity gossip. The place is still in operation - you can sleep in Sinatra's room (cabin #5) and there are kids swimming in the California/Nevada pool. Overall, it's sadly threadbare. I was expecting kitsch, but Cal Neva is like an elderly person's once-grand home. Although I did win a free drink ticket by answering one of the tour guide's celebrity trivia questions.

• Here we are in the "Indian" room, on the state border:

• Sinatra was hanging out at Cal Neva for a long time before he owned it. Here's his wet cement inscription inside the tunnel ("A.G." for Ava Gardner):

• On July 6th, it was 84 degrees, and suddenly lightening and thunder happened. And then rain started pounding. I love the sudden dramatic weather changes. This is the lake right before the rain:

• on the 4th of July, rushing to the beach as dusk fell, I left my phone in the car, so no fireworks photos, which is sad because the fireworks were really good this year.

• my wife's aunt remarked at my increasing amount of gray hair, as we walked toward a pool with 5 kids. This was inside the gated community where my wife's aunt and uncle rent a condo each year. We visit them, eat food, and use the pool.

• Here's the view from the amazing pool toward the lake:

-- Post From My iPhone

The most interesting car in the world

2011-07-02T14:55:00.001-07:00

• When you speak of Azul, you must do so in a low reverent tone. Ricardo Montalban crossed with the narrator of the Dos Equis commercials.

• I've never been motivated to name a car. And to tell the truth, this car seemed to arrive with it's name already decided. All I did was repeat it.

• This particular shade of blue is neither light blue or dark blue. Someone called it steel blue, which reminds me of "blue steel" from the movie Zoolander (2001), which is not a movie we speak of when we speak of Azul.

• Azul's gas tank is large and it takes many gallons to fill which requires a vast sum of money but we do not speak of this.

• The leather interior is rich and complex, like a full-bodied wine or a medium-rare strip of Tri-tip, flavors reminiscent of the Volvo's interior from many years ago.

• There are times when driving Azul that I am neglecting the VW. It could be said that every time I drive Azul, VW stays parked. VW never had a bad day, has always been reliable, and looked slightly more sporty with a bike strapped to it's roof rack.

-- Post From My iPhone

CalTrain

2011-07-01T16:07:00.001-07:00

• I took the CalTrain home from work. I've been meaning to try this for years. The San Francisco 22nd Street location is a mile from my house. The Palo Alto California Street station is a mile from work. Figure two 10-minute bike rides, plus 41 minutes on the express train (non-commute-hour trains take 55 minutes). It's always seemed easier to drive - home and work are both near the freeway. However, driving the same stretch of freeway every day...

• On the CalTrain, you line up with the other cyclists for the bike car. Bikes are stacked according to destination. It is necessary to tag your bike, just like checking luggage on a plane. The whole process is so easy and convenient. One could read a book, take a nap, check email...

• My Grandpa Steve used to do this same commute, in reverse. The train had a different name, but followed the same route. Grandpa caught the train in San Mateo to travel to his engineering job in San Francisco. He worked in a building at 18th and Florida, the same neighborhood where I now live. His building now houses the Pottery Barn offices.

• The CalTrain even connects to the BART train - the two lines share a station in Millbrae.

-- Post From My iPhone

building the funhouse

2011-06-29T19:49:00.001-07:00

• The Silicon Client's "history room" is almost finished. There are seven iPads, each loaded with different media content, to support the physical museum "artifacts".

• There was some debate over what to name the iPads. Standard procedure is to assign a name to each new computer. I wanted a set of names - words that when used separately will help remind the user (me) of the whole group. The 7 Dwarfs was the most obvious choice (already taken). 7 Deadly Sins (too negative). 7 Von Trapp family singers, 7 Brides or 7 Brothers? (too obscure, said the IT guy - actually he said something I shouldn't repeat). Finally I hit it - The Brady Bunch kids, plus Cousin Oliver.

• It's been over a year since my work got "really busy," and I've considered drastic measures, such as turning down work, eliminating smaller clients, and/or hiring someone. Really I just want to go ride my bike.

• The completion of this project comes with the fiscal year end. Combine this with 4th of July weekend, and it's time to start Summer.

-- Post From My iPhone

Photo Recap

2011-06-15T19:56:00.001-07:00

Today's post has no theme - just some random images from the past week or so.

Car loaded with bikes, on the way back from Golden Gate Park:

From the Friends of the Urban Forest planting day, taken by a neighbor with a real camera:

When you make a film in this town, watch out for the movie crew at the adjacent corner (with the coveted RED camera, no less):

Scary Times at Chuck E. Cheese. One of Em's very best friends was celebrating his birthday at this wonderful place. Fortunately there are hand-washing stations at frequent intervals. One Chuck visit was enough:

The birthday boy, surrounded by well-wishers:

Birthday Gift: fresh "kicks," as the kids used to say:

Sunday Open House, on the next block over. Check out the curve at the base of this staircase:

-- Post From My iPhone

Azul

2011-06-14T22:16:00.001-07:00

I decided to buy a new (to me) car. For years I've been driving predominately German vehicles. Currently my car is a Volkswagen. We also have a bit of Sweden in the garage - a Volvo mostly driven by Amy. There's nothing wrong with my VW. It runs great, but it's getting older, a little worn. Plus I've been driving more, and... actually, I don't have any real justification. I just wanted a change, without spending a fortune. The Saab has always been on my car wish list. Some people advised not to even go near a Saab. Others signed off, with caveats (stay away from the 9-5 model was one piece of advice).

After lots of Craigslist and eBay surfing, I found a beautiful blue Saab. The seller was a Saab mechanic in the South Bay. One look at the color and I was hooked. I've named the car Azul, and when I speak of Azul, I do so in a Ricardo Montalvon voice.

Of course I've been trying to take the perfect picture of Azul. Here's the Silicon Client's parking lot on a sunny day. Color isn't well-represented:

Overcast day. This picture is closer to Azul's true shade:

I'm holding onto the VW for the time being, which makes us a 3-car family, part German and mostly Swedish.

-- Post From My iPhone

Swanee River

2011-06-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, when watching the Oscar-winning movie "Black Swan," I kept thinking of an old Saturday Night Live clip. Something from the late 1970s, where ballerinas performing "Swan Lake" are joined by modern/"urban" dancers. The modern guys (known as "The Lockers") can't really be classified - you could call them early break dancers, but there's a 1940s swing style happening, too. Somehow all of these varieties of dance mesh together in a fun way. Way more fun than the movie "Black Swan." SNL keeps a tight lid on their video, so it's hard to find an old clip on YouTube. But I finally found it:

Weekend Recap

2011-06-06T15:48:00.001-07:00

Friday: Niece Bridget's graduation from 8th grade. Bridget sewed both of these dresses:

The flash on the iPhone is less than perfect. Here's B with big brother Calvin:

Saturday: tree & garden planting with FUF. Already discussed thoroughly on this blog.

Sunday: Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit at San Jose museum (recently we both read Patti Smith's book "Just Kids" - a memoir of her early NYC years with RM).

Elsewhere in the museum, kids can grab portable art supplies and set up anywhere:

Also on Sunday: I bought a car. I'm naming it "Azul".

-- Post From My iPhone

Neighbors + Plants + Rain

2011-06-05T19:34:00.001-07:00

Feeding 30 people inside our house:

The rain stopped in the afternoon:

As Amy said, it was partly about plants, and mostly about community.

-- Post From My iPhone

Greening

2011-06-04T07:40:00.001-07:00

This was the scene out front on Thursday, when compost was delivered and distributed to the new "garden" spaces.

Now it's Saturday - planting day, rain or shine. And we have rain.

-- Post From My iPhone

Snow and Sun

2011-06-01T19:55:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning:

Kept seeing these vehicles:

Sunday afternoon, the sun returns:

Monday night, driving home:

-- Post From My iPhone

Summer begins... Now!

2011-05-29T14:17:00.001-07:00

• snow began Saturday morning with a light dusting. There were still bike riders out. Then the snow continued to fall.

-- Post From My iPhone

the kids are alright

2011-05-27T16:17:00.001-07:00

• May is the busiest month, and the last week of May is the busiest week. I blame my Edu Client. All these graduations. Also the Silicon Client. And the Medical Client.

• Incredibly proud of Niece Bridget, and her recent performance as Mrs Hannigan in the 8th-grade's production of "Annie". Clearly I'm biased when it comes to the kids in my life, but she really was good...

• Speaking of kids, Nephew Calvin (older brother to Bridget) just graduated from high school. Here's Cal at the Irish Bank restaurant, prior to his sister's show:

• today is Emily's last day of school. Memorial Day weekend kicks off Summer (though the weather may say otherwise).

• Speaking of Summer, isn't this a cool car?

-- Post From My iPhone

how our garden rolls...

2011-05-16T19:35:00.001-07:00

In progress photos from the sidewalk-turned-garden. Friends of the Urban Forest is a local non-profit, greening our concrete landscape. For a nominal fee (augmented by a large grant) city residents can plant a tree, or sometimes, a wide swath of garden. We tried to mobilize as many neighbors as possible to take advantage of this limited opportunity. Some folks are just not interested, for whatever reason (too much upkeep?) Those of us signing on happen to live near one another. The result is that our little block will now have a "rain forest" section. Amy had been dreaming for years of this kind of project. Emily is wary - the new gardens will remove biking and/or scooter-ing space. So far, the concrete has been cut:

Here's an example of what a finished sidewalk garden looks like:

-- Post From My iPhone

Easter - part two

2011-05-10T15:03:00.001-07:00

Sunday was Mother's Day, and it was part two of Easter. As per family tradition (a tradition begun last year) Emily enjoyed an extra egg hunt in Grandma's garden:

-- Post From My iPhone

Last Weekend in Mendocino

2011-05-07T21:09:00.001-07:00

When your schedule is as crazy as ours, any two days off in a row can equal a weekend. Such as a Monday and Tuesday at the beginning of May:

Glass Beach. A former "dump" site; now full of interesting glass formations.

Detail, Glass Beach:

Random downtown Fort Bragg street scene:

-- Post From My iPhone

Road Noise

2011-05-02T17:36:00.001-07:00

• I booked the hotel because it has an indoor pool and Emily needs to practice her swimming. Reading the online comments about this hotel, one guest said: "it's nice, but there are all these kids running down the hallways and stairs." We arrived, and Emily became the kid running down the hallway. Which somehow felt like a plot twist from "12 Monkeys." I'm sure there's a disgruntled guest in his room complaining on an Expedia.com review. Hotels are Emily's Happy Place, so it's hard to slow her down.

• Brewpub rundown: dinner at North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg. Beer kind of average, just there. I had the IPA. Amy gave high marks to the Amber Ale (she's always looking for a better Amber). Prior to choosing beer, we tried a few "samples" - an array of 4 oz. glasses, arranged on a special placemat so one knows which beer is which:

-- Post From My iPhone

Saturday

2011-05-02T13:26:00.001-07:00

At Soccer game, Golden Gate Park, with team mate Sara:

Back home, with neighbors Sarah & Aiobhe:

-- Post From My iPhone

Road Trip

2011-05-02T10:49:00.001-07:00

• we've carved a few days out of our busy Spring to take a road trip.

• Destination is Mendocino county. We stopped for lunch in Boonville (temp 84F) then continued on Hwy 128 toward the ocean. Along 128 is a huge number of wineries - so many that it felt like a cartoon.

• stopped in the town of Mendocino for coffee (temp 60F). Sleepy vibe on a late Sunday afternoon. A few storefronts are vacant.

• Hotel is in Fort Bragg (8 miles North of Mendocino). Holiday Inn Express with indoor pool. Emily loves hotels and is in a continuous "happy place".

-- Post From My iPhone

Easter

2011-04-26T16:38:00.001-07:00

Walking from Mass to Dim Sum, Kearny Street:

Connor and Emily at the restaurant:

The Egg Hunt:

Bridget being tall:

Bridget's birthday (bit of multitasking on Easter!)

More Sugar:

On the avenue...

2011-04-23T21:25:00.001-07:00

• Dyeing Easter Eggs last night (Friday) at Tim's house:

• My pal Marty came by today for lunch. We bought burritos and visited the park:

• I think Rejuvenation may be opening a store in the Bay Area. If you don't know about Rejuvenation, it is a wonderful store in Portland and Seattle selling "Classic American Lighting and House Parts." Which is to say: new fixtures that look vintage. For those of us who live in older houses (ours is closing in on 90), the Rejuvenation catalog is an invaluable resource. So, I got an email requesting that I participate in an online survey about where in the Bay Rejuvenation should open their doors. Of course I was happy to take a break and participate in the survey. Potentially exciting news.

• By the way, Happy Easter:

• In this latest New Yorker, there is an item about the Loud family, who were the subjects of what is considered the first "reality TV" show. "An American Family" ran in the early 1970s, and now there is an HBO movie about it starring Tim Robbins and Diane Lane. The New Yorker piece reports that the Loud family objected to the version of their story told by HBO, and that HBO paid the Louds a "financial settlement for agreeing not to discuss it publicly." Which didn't stop the New Yorker from reporting it publicly. And what is on the back cover of this week's issue? A full-page ad for "Cinema Verite," the HBO movie in question.

• I'd kind of like to watch "Cinema Verite". It's probably mostly true. I'd also look forward to the much-maligned "The Kennedys". Speaking of the latter docu-drama, here is a funny SNL sketch about another famous Presidential family (with Helen Mirren as Eleanor Roosevelt):

More Photos

2011-04-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

More Photos from last weekend. The judging portion of Dogfest, wherein the dogs competed with special dog tricks.

Plus Wonka and the Oompa-Loompas.

Emily's takeaway points include:

- Cruella Deville is actually a man
- Willy Wonka works at the Double-J

Dogfest

2011-04-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the scene yesterday at Dogfest in Duboce Park:

I'm sure other Elementary Schools have dog-themed annual fundraisers, but how many have a floor show featuring dalmations (real ones and kids dressed up), plus a drag queen playing Cruella Deville?

This year's event set a new fundraising record, and everyone went home happy.

Wonka Vision

2011-04-15T12:32:00.001-07:00

It was never my life's ambition to produce a musical number featuring Oompa-Loompas...

....well, maybe just a little.

These pictures are from yesterday's shoot with the QSR Client. A lot of work. And a lot of fun.

Mr Wonka and team:

-- Post From My iPhone

I'm afraid of Virginia Woolf (but really admire Liz Taylor)

2011-04-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, boy. We decided to do a tribute to Elizabeth Taylor by renting a movie featuring one of her Oscar-winning performances. I have a whole list of Movies I Know About But Have Never Gotten Around To Actually Seeing, and this is one of them. Early directing job by Mike Nichols. Regularly shows up on 100-best lists. I'd just read a book by film editor Sam O'Steen, where he talks at length about the genius of this film. And... it was terrible! I hated it. A husband and wife who yell at each other for an two hours and ten minutes. And I'm the movie-goer who has a history of enjoying dysfunctional family movies. But this one was no fun at all.

I should have seen this coming. I'd forgotten my theory about movies from the 1960s based on plays, and how they tend to be less-than-cinematic. To be fair, there were scenes where the four characters left the four walls of the house. They never walked away from all that arguing. It was just so much of the same thing, over and over. Gratingly tedious. Here's how we looked after an hour of "Virginia Woolf":

Probably we need to track down the movie that contains Liz's other Oscar-winning role. Oh, here it is. Doesn't this look like a good movie?

OK, time to dig a little deeper. Liz did have a long career, after all. Every long career has highs and lows, some classic films, and others that seem dated.

Plus she was a wonderful humanitarian, an AIDS Activist when it was not that popular. Apparently, it was the 1985 death of her friend Rock Hudson that prompted Liz to begin her activism (sidebar: we have a friend who in 2002 was the victim of a hate crime, and Liz personally sent him a get-well card).

Reason to Believe

2011-04-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Confession: I like country music. And not just the classic Bob Wills/Hank Williams/Patsy Cline country. The contemporary stuff - Faith Hill, Darius Rucker, even (God help me) Taylor Swift. Sometimes when I'm working too many hours, driving too much, I'll turn on the country station (95.7 The Wolf). Maybe I'm bored with the formats of other radio stations. There's just something comforting about a good country song.

And then there's Bruce. If it's been a real long week, I listen to Bruce Springsteen's starkest album, "Nebraska" (1982). This was the first record Bruce recorded without his backing band. It's just Bruce with his guitar and harmonica. The bleak subjects of the songs match the starkness of the recording. The last song - "Reason to Believe" - is more uptempo, and always leaves me with a hopeful feeling. The chorus: "At the end of every hard-earned day, people find some reason to belive".

However... I think Bruce may have intended a more complex, darker message. In the following video, he offers this introduction: "This song is about the price that blind faith, and refusing to give up your illusions, extracts."

OK, so obviously Bruce is trying to say something deeper. And that's why he's a great American songwriter. But, darn it, I want an uplifting song at the end of "Nebraska." I want a reason to believe. Reminds me a bit of how "Born in the USA" is clearly a protest song, yet people adopt it as a flag-waving anthem. I've turned to the Blogosphere, and found this essay by someone else who has thought about this subject a great deal.

Simpsons

2011-04-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

My Simpsons viewing, like most of my TV-viewing, has been on hiatus for a couple years now. It used to be a ritualistic part of my week, watching the new Simpsons episode. This was augmented by re-runs, and DVD viewing. Then life got a lot busier, and years flew past. Lately, Amy has been watching ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", which debuts the same night/time. And we've decided that Emily is not quite old enough for "The Simpsons". Although she has caught a couple peeks (OK, I've leaked it) and is eager to start watching. We agreed on age 7...

However, one thing led to another, and it came to pass that Em was allowed to watch (chaperoned by Dad) the 7PM Sunday night re-run of the show she calls "Homer".

It was a Rip Van Winkle moment. I'd never watched the Simpsons on our newer, bigger TV (where animation looks especially good). But really it was watching the on-air promotion for other Fox Network shows. "Family Guy", "American Dad", "The Cleveland Show". All animation, all family sitcoms... all heavily laden with ironic commentary. It's that irony thing that has become so ubiquitous in today's TV shows. "The Simpsons" used to have a corner on the irony market, but now everyone is doing it. Emily's 'tween-aged cousins are devoted to a roster of cable shows, and all of these programs have that ironic tone. When "The Simpsons" first debuted on Fox (in 1990, more that 20 years ago) there was nothing else like it. The show was instantly a hit, but nobody tried to imitate it. Besides being entertaining, "The Simpsons" was social commentary for popular culture - same thing "Saturday Night Live" was doing, but "The Simpsons" did it better. Those were the days. Now, everyone is being ironic, and it's not as much fun. You can't be ironic about pop culture, because pop culture is irony. On an online discussion board, I found this quote: "it's not that The Simpsons has become too mainstream, it's that Mainstream has become too Simpsons."

"South Park" debuted in 1997, the same year our niece Bridget was born. Now Bridget is almost 14, and a big "South Park" fan. I love "South Park" too, but I had decades of prior media exposure to prep for the onslaught that is "South Park". Sometimes I feel like Bridget's generation was raised by "South Park".

A friend of mine from high school now lives in Southern California. Her 15-year-old son was going on a school field trip to the LA Museum of Tolerance. Son told Mom he didn't feel he needed to show up for the trip, since he'd already seen the museum on an episode of "South Park".

I have no real conclusion to any of these thoughts. Just some observations!

As for Emily and me, our daughter/daddy viewing of "The Simpsons" was a big hit. The episode had an exciting Dodgeball scene, plenty of funny lines from Homer, and all of that ironic social commentary that we know so well.

To-Do List

2011-04-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

It's Spring again, and that's great. Though I tend to chart the passing of time through other elements: the Apple mouse and my cheapo reading glasses.
The "mighty mouse" was an important move forward for Apple, and for me. Specifically, the tracking ball near the index finger (the small gray circle on the mouse, in the photo above) changed my life for the better. That tactile bump has streamlined many of my Final Cut Pro tasks. Unfortunately, mighty mice don't live forever. Sometimes the tracking ball gets stuck, stops working, and it feels like I'm missing several fingers. When the mouse is less than 100% and needs to be replaced, I know that time is passing.

Likewise, reading glasses, which I need for working on the computer. I keep buying them off the rack at Walgreens or Target or Hardware Stores, but I really should go see my Optometrist. When reading glasses break or get lost, I know time has passed.

Normally I don't have time to think about time, especially when I'm in the middle of a project list like this one:

• Informational video for a small bank looking to expand.

• Installation video for a milkshake company. This operation doesn't have brick-and-mortar stores. They market a self-service machine, similar in size to a Slurpee-maker, designed to stand alone in convenience stores.

• Audio for QSR Client's online training materials.

• New Client: Investment Firm. They need a quarterly video message to their shareholders. I shot the first one last Friday. Most takes ever.

• Ongoing projects with the Silicon Client, including "media training" for the new CEO.

• Ongoing projects with Edu Client.

• Editing the Behind-the-Scenes B-Roll footage (shot by someone else) from a commercial shoot starring a Well-Known Supermodel. I was so busy that I farmed this job out to Amy, so she got to work with the Supermodel footage.

• A possible new training video coming up for QSR Client, this one with a "Willy Wonka" theme.

Mix Tape

2011-04-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I missed the following song. Q-Tip is one of the great rappers from the golden early-1990s era. Norah Jones - well, you know who she is

Here's Norah Jones on working with Q-Tip:

I was searching for Talking Heads, and I found this cover by the NYC kids at PS22. It's just a wonderful rendition, and I can't watch without becoming a bit verklempt. These are the kids who sang "Over the Rainbow" at the end of this year's Oscars.

Kids making music makes me happy. PS22 also sang in the chorus of a recent song that I liked - "Little Secrets" by the band Passion Pit. If you know the song, the kids sing the "Higher and higher..." part. Here is some footage from the studio:

And finally, Bob Wills. Bob Wills! Country Swing from 60-odd years ago.
This song rocks:

2nd Acts (and other random notes)

2011-03-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

• F. Scott Fitzgerald commented famously that "There are no 2nd Acts in American Lives". I love the quote, even if I don't always agree. The great thing about America (to paraphrase Mathew Broderick's character in "Election") is that you can always start over. Case in point, I met an old friend yesterday for coffee and pie. We became good friends in college, have been living in the same city, in many ways have been living parallel lives, yet we had not seen each other for 10 years. Why? Well, it's complicated. Things were said, mistakes were made. Now there is (hopefully) a new chapter, a next act.

• On Saturday we painted the living room green. It's very green. Oh, so very green. Still getting used to it.

• In our newly-green living room, we watched a DVD of "3:10 to Yuma" with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. One of the benefits of "True Grit" is that Amy is now more receptive to watching Westerns. And "Yuma" is exciting stuff. Great documentary in the bonus features, where Crowe talks about making Westerns and bonding with his horse.

• Read Bret Easton Ellis' latest book - "Imperial Bedrooms", a sequel to his first novel "Less Than Zero". "Zero" was a 1980s tale of jaded adolescents in LA. "Imperial" re-visits the same characters 25 years later. One thing (of many things) that I loved about "Less Than Zero" was there was barely any plot. I know, you're saying: "how does that make a compelling book?" Trust me, it can happen. Ellis went on to write "The Rules of Attraction", a novel about college (ranks up there with "The Secret History" - in fact, Donna Tartt and Ellis were friends in college). And then there was "American Psycho." These days, Ellis is leaning on his plots more, some may call it over-plotting. And there's an extremely cynical side... I was feeling like Ellis has veered into Lars Van Trier territory, meaning his stuff has become too weird and twisted for ordinary consumption. I know, you're saying: "but the guy wrote 'American Psycho' - of course he's weird and twisted." But this is different.

• Then I read the latest Louise Erdrich novel - "Shadow Tag" - which is about a failing marriage. Husband is a painter who over the years has became famous with portraits of the Wife. Some of the paintings are luminous, others are disturbing. Now the Wife wants out of the marriage. Husband starts reading Wife's journal. Wife realizes her privacy has been violated, and starts writing fake entries. She keeps a concurrent real journal locked in a safe deposit box. More stuff happens. It's a great read. I've always liked Erdrich's books.

Snow Days

2011-03-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

• when there is fluffy powder on the ground, and sun in the sky, those are the best times of all.

• Emily is slowly warming up to skiing. Below, joined by Connor at Homewood:

• Next picture, the kids before the snowball fight. If you want a good workout, throw snowballs at a 10-year-old for an hour. My arm felt like I'd pitched the world's series.

• on top of the mountain with Amy. We actually got to ski together at Alpine Meadows. Later, driving home, we put on tire chains together. It's all about togetherness.

-- Post From My iPhone

might as well be Spring

2011-03-21T12:06:00.001-07:00

Something is less-than-optimal with my iPhone 4. I can't post photos to Facebook, or videos to Blogspot. However, I am able to post videos to Facebook and photos to the 'Blog. Of course, the problem may lie with F-book and/or the "blogpress" iPhone app. Just more motivation to post on the 'Blog.

Meanwhile, yesterday was the first dag of Spring. Also, the rain generally went away. We celebrated by grilling lamb:

Here's the forecast for this week:

(...although today has been sunny)

-- Post From My iPhone

St Patrick's Day

2011-03-19T08:14:00.001-07:00

Thursday of this week was the one day that the sun came out. The rain did not fall gently on our fields. It was St Patrick's Day in San Francisco.

I dropped Emily at school, went home to do some work, and then biked over to Haight Street to meet my friend Dave for lunch. We ate at Magnolia, the brewpub at Haight & Masonic.

Later, we were invited to a party. Here's Fritz and Stefan on the back deck, preparing a huge amount of food. There was also beer.

Corned Beef Goodness:

Cabbage. To paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara's father, there's no getting around it if you're Irish.

Earlier, at Emily's school:

-- Post From My iPhone

Zelig

2011-03-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

One of Woody Allen's best movies is "Zelig" (1983), a mock-documentary about a human chameleon. Leonard Zelig is uncomfortable being himself, so he magically transforms into whomever he happens to be hanging around with (for example, looking presidential, above). For a film that runs less than 90 minutes, it has an epic scope. Woody had to create all of the fake archival footage, home movies, newsreels, interviews, etc (similar to "Spinal Tap", released one year later). By the standards of today's post-modern high-tech world, it may be hard to realize what an accomplishment "Zelig" really was.

I was reminded of "Zelig" because of my current project with the Silicon Client. I've been compiling/editing archived video footage for the new History/Museum room. One of the many clips I'm working from is a mid-1990's documentary. This segment discusses a much-discussed event in 1979, when A Certain Young Hotshot Tech Guy paid a visit to Silicon Client:

At this week's meeting, I was presenting a demo of the video display in the History/Museum space. The discussion turned to YouTube, and what related video footage might be floating around. We discovered the following TV-movie dramatization of the 1979 event. Note the redheaded lady in the 'Doc, cast as a redhead in the TV movie (I know this person in real life, and she's very nice). Also notice the computer "nerds" wearing pocket protectors in their short sleeve button-down shirts (a bit over-the-top). And the office looks less like our modest headquarters, and more like an airport terminal. And, and...

And this was such a "Zelig" moment, because in "Zelig" there are clips from a 1935 Warner Brothers movie about Leonard Zelig called "The Changing Man".

Open House (LA + Iowa)

2011-02-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

In LA, a famous house is open for tours. The Stahl House (pictured below) is so iconic that I don't know what to say about the place that someone hasn't written down already. It's been in so many movies, music videos, magazines. And now people can visit, on selected evenings. If I was planning an LA trip, I'd sign up for a visit (the website refers to tours as "viewings"). Info is here.

On the beach in Santa Monica, one can visit the Marion Davies guest house (photo below borrowed from friend Jan's Blog). Everyone knows about Hearst Castle in San Simeon, on the California coast between LA and SF. Hearst also built a huge house on the Santa Monica beach (for his girlfriend, actress Marion Davies) which looked a bit like like Mt. Vernon. There was an enormous main house facing a long pool and the beach. Now only a guest house survives, but one can visit.

Here's what the original house looked like:

By all accounts, Marion Davies was warm, generous, and beloved by all. Most of her comedies are in rotation on the Ted Turner cable channels. Here she is poolside at the Santa Monica house with silent movie actors William Haines and George K. Arthur. Haines' acting career ended with talking pictures, so he became an interior decorator. He credited Hearst with providing his formal education in antiques.
As the song goes in "The Music Man," you ought to give Iowa a try. There are two Frank Lloyd Wright houses for sale in the great state of Iowa. Humorous article here comparing the two properties. One house at $275K, the other is $169K. Which is funny because there are two LA Frank houses currently for sale, both in the Millions (and both marked down in price).

The way to San Jose

2011-02-23T12:58:00.001-08:00

On Monday (President's Day Holiday), Amy's Mom volunteered to take Emily to a Kid's movie so that we could go to an Oscar Movie. Recently, a friend borrowed a cache of "Academy Screener" DVDs (low-res versions of current movies, distributed to Academy members, that is, the people who get to vote at the Oscars). On Saturday, I walked over to the friend's house and watched "The Fighter," which was (unexpectedly) really good. So that left us with "Blue Valentine" and "Black Swan" (two Best Actress nominations - Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman, respectively). I love Michelle W, really respect the movies she chooses... however, "Blue Valentine" is about a couple falling out of love, a couple with a 5- or 6-year-old daughter, so... we decided it wasn't the best movie for our "Date Afternoon" in San Jose. Although I still really want to see it.

Not that "Black Swan" is the feel-good film of the year, but at least our lives were several steps removed from the drama unfolding onscreen. We saw it at the CineArts theaters on Santana Row in San Jose. Santana Row can best be described as an Urban Theme Park - a shopping mall laid out like the main street of a 'happening' downtown, with sidewalk cafes, high-end shops, and expensive condos upstairs. It's all the fun of urban living without the messy parts. It just makes me laugh that we often leave authentically-urban San Francisco and wind up there. The 'Row is also noteworthy for being surrounded by older malls and movie theaters, which are still in use but looking tired by comparison. Suburban sprawl.

And the movie? "Black Swan" was about what I expected, which meant that for all the artistry, it was sort of boring. I guess there is so much buzz about this film that one can't help but walk in with preconceived notions... Natalie Portman lost weight for the role, so she'll win the Oscar - blah blah blah - surrealism, doppelgangers - yadda yadda yadda... It was great to see Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder so perfectly cast.

After the movie, we went to the less-glitzy side of the San Jose tracks, and ate at a place called Falafel's Drive In. Amy hadn't been there since her college days, and says it hasn't changed much. It was indeed very tasty.

at the beach

2011-02-21T20:46:00.001-08:00

It was raining cats and dogs all week. Finally on Sunday the sun came out. We drove down Highway One to join some friends on a beach South of Pescadero.

We came just for the day. Our SF neighbors were camping for the long weekend. The campground is called Costanoa, and if you're going to camp, this place is pretty nice. Chili was cooking over the fire. Home-brewed stout in a keg.

Last bit of sunset. We did a camera test - a Nikon SLR vs. my iPhone. The Nikon owner told me things I didn't know about the iPhone4 - mostly the advanced camera technology with the HDR (high dynamic range). BTW, one should click to enlarge these photos to really see the glory that is HDR (I'm sure it's there someplace).

The sun went down and it got cold. We huddled by the fire. After much food, drink & conversation, we drove home to our warm beds.

I'm in a bank

2011-02-17T21:30:00.001-08:00

You can tell I was with the Bank Client because of the books I borrowed to prop up my monitor:

The Bank Client was referred by Amy. Lately we've been cross-pollinating our clients, which works out great. Although at the Bank my name is no longer "Joe", it becomes "Amy's Husband."

-- Post From My iPhone

Field Trip

2011-02-15T14:34:00.001-08:00

California Academy of Sciences museum in Golden Gate Park. Here we go on another field trip.

In the center atrium with "snow" from a machine:

Waiting for the streetcar at 9th & Judah:

-- Post From My iPhone

Reading/Watching/Listening

2011-02-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

• Reading "Let the Great World Spin". Novelist Colum McCann takes one real-life event (the tightrope artist who in 1974 walked between the World Trade Center's twin towers), and creates several fictional narrative threads. Every chapter is a new story with different characters. The setting is New York during the gritty, pre-Giuliani period. There are priests, prostitutes, drugs, downtown artists, Park Avenue ladies and Vietnam casualties. Somehow it all blends together, and I can't wait to read the rest. Of course, I also dread reaching the end, because then there will be that "what do I read now?" feeling that comes with finishing a really good book.

• Went to see "The King's Speech" during our South Bay Date Night last weekend. I thought it was a perfect movie. My brother has a speech impediment, so I was expecting to be somewhat sad watching the film. Instead I laughed when Firth swears with no stammering (just like that brother of mine). The scenes between Colin Firth (as the uptight King) and Geoffry Rush (the down-to-earth Speech Therapist) reminded me of a western - in a western there are often men from different backgrounds who need to overcome their differences in order to achieve a common goal. And there was a lot in this movie about marriage. Not blatantly, but kind of there in the subtext. Both of the men have these wives who are obviously very important to them. Helena Bonham-Carter, playing the Queen Mum, is the instigator behind getting her husband into the sessions with Rush. It's not as if there's a scene where Geoffry Rush suddenly proclaims: "y'know, Luv, I'm ever so happy we got married!" as the music swells. That's a moment from a Lifetime Television afternoon movie. But with "The King's Speech" I came away with this gooey feeling about how relevant a good union can be. Of course, I was at the movies with my wife, and we had come directly from Gordon Biersch.

• People are all excited about a band from Portland. The Decemberists have a new album that is climbing the charts. Their sound doesn't grab me, but I did like what their lead singer Colin Meloy recently had to say about the bands latest recording:
"When my parents got divorced, my dad took the Stones records and my mom took the Neil Young records, so I guess our record is my way of getting the albums back together."

• One more note on "The Parent Trap," a film still in heavy rotation at our house. In the late-'90s version, there is a fun reference to "My Favorite Wife" (1940), a Cary Grant movie [Cary's wife is lost at sea, presumed drowned, and he marries a 2nd wife, and then the first one returns, appearing in the hotel lobby just as Cary is stepping into the elevator with 2nd wife]. Dennis Quaid is in a hotel elevator with his fiance, when he notices Natasha Richardson in the lobby, and it's shot just like the earlier film. Fun stuff for a Parent/Film Geek.

• And finally, Playwright August Strindberg. August Strindberg! A couple years back I was puzzling over this joke from a Woody Allen movie: "When it comes to relationships, I'm the winner of the August Strindberg award." I turned to Google, discovering that Strindberg wrote plays where marriages came unraveled, or relations between a man and woman were strained. OK, I get the joke. Or, I thought I did... More recently, I happened upon a book of his plays. I started with "The Father" (1887) in which a married couple argue over control of their only child, a daughter. Both parents use lies, deceit, and generally crazy behavior to achieve their goals. It's a bleak play, and here's the weird part - it feels modern. This is what kept me reading - it doesn't sound like dialogue written 120 years ago. But, boy, is it a dire portrait of a marriage. And now, I really understand the joke.

The Social Kitchen

2011-02-03T16:36:00.001-08:00

As part of my never-ending search for the perfect brewpub, we visited the Social Kitchen and Brewery at 9th & Irving. The location is a building specially-constructed as a brewpub. Two brewpubs have come and gone in the past decade.

The staff was friendly, and informed us that the brewpub was getting ready for Strong Beer Month. For some reason, this meant that not all of their beers were "pouring". They had selections from other brewers, but we'll have to return to get the full Social Kitchen experience. What we drank was just-OK, so I may not be rushing back.

They were playing a silent movie on their big TV, so bonus points for that:

-- Post From My iPhone

Snow falling on Gower Street

2011-02-02T12:36:00.001-08:00

Last night I went to this SF Sketchfest show at the Castro theater:

The first hour was a conversation on-stage with De Vito interviewing Brooks. Mostly it was the Danny De Vito show - he told stories, cracked jokes, went off on tangents, and was very entertaining. The two guys met on "Taxi" - they reminisced about that era of TV shows (mostly ABC) produced on the Paramount lot, when "snow was falling on Gower St". It was a time with a clear wall between TV and Movies; TV actors didn't get to become movie stars. Brooks went on to write & direct "Terms of Endearment", for which he won 3 Oscars. De Vito became, well, De Vito. The guy really does it all (acting/directing/producing) and he always seems to be having fun.

Eventually they got around to discussing "Broadcast News" (1987), and then we watched that movie. I'd forgotten how great it is. Brooks says they shot the movie in sequence, and began shooting before he'd come up with the ending. He gave a huge credit to Holly Hunter for being the core of the film.

For me, it was interesting to see scenes in the movie that have happened in my life - most notably the edit-at-the-last-minute/deliver-tape-at-last-possible-second sequence.

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore

2011-01-28T10:16:00.001-08:00

We switched our health coverage from a Blue Shield PPO to Kaiser. Our theory, not yet tested, is that Kaiser will cover more stuff. For example, that time when I went to the emergency room and it cost more money than expected.

I suddenly have the eye inflammation known as "pink eye". I didn't have time to go see a doctor. My sister pointed out that I could phone an advice nurse, who would authorize an RX. I called the number on my Kaiser card, and everyone was friendly and prompt. It never occurred to me that medical care could happen over the phone, but why shouldn't it?

One needs to pick up medicine at a Kaiser pharmacy - no more walking over to the neighborhood Walgreens. They sent my RX to the Kaiser in Mountain View, near the Silicon Client. I drove over and noticed my name on the electronic board:

So, maybe Kaiser will be OK. I just wish I didn't have pink eye.

-- Post From My iPhone

He Loved Big Brother

2011-01-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

• I love my gmail email account, even though the advertising feature is Orwellian-creepy. I got an email from a client canceling our meeting because "the Nanny is sick." As I typed a response, gmail provided links to Nanny/Au Pair hiring services.

• Gmail looked kind of silly when they brought out Google Buzz to "take on" Facebook. However, Google Docs is going to give Microsoft a run for it's money. If someone emails you an MS Word, Excell or Powerpoint attachment, and you happen to not own any Microsoft software, Google allows you to open the documents. You can even make edits to the documents, save them, and email them back. This might sound like a small thing to PC owners, but it feels kind of huge to this Mac user.

• The unique thing about my work is that I mostly work alone, independent, on a contract basis. However, many of my clients are big corporations. So while I'm not part of any particular "corporate culture", I get to hear all about corporations theories for their cultures, and sometimes I even assist in creating the culture.

• I visited A Large Silicon Valley Company on a job with a writer. Jim Stengel is writing a book about innovative companies, and he hires me to videotape some of his interviews. This particular Large Silicon Valley Company has a big lobby filled with big plasma displays, a whole wall of displays, showing off their latest promotions. It's like a trade show that never stops. We had lunch in the company cafeteria, and there were advertisements for the company on the walls of the cafeteria. The last time I worked for Jim, it was interviews at an Newish Super-Cool Soap Company. By contrast, Large Silicon Valley Company is established, done, out of the oven. I was impressed by some of the historical things I learned about Large Silicon Valley Company, but by the end of the day felt an overload from all the corporate-speak. (No disrespect: I love my Large Silicon Valley Company printers, and point-and-shoot camera). After the shoot, I drove up the hill to my Silicon Client, which by comparison felt like a quaint Mom&Pop corner store.

• My Silicon Client replaced their CEO. Amy took his photo (she's been doing Photography work here). The photo was placed on a server and played on the lobby's single plasma display. It's not as over-the-top a display as at Large Silicon Valley Company, but you could see the photo from the parking lot. Just a little bit of 1984

• Even though I'm "only" a contractor, I am running the video department. Admittedly, running the video department at a Silicon Valley research lab isn't a full time job. It's 10-20 hours per week, plus being available 24/7 via email/text/phone to answer questions. There used to be an entire department, with full-time staff and a roster of freelancers, but this was during the Clinton years.

• Silicon Client is creating an in-house Museum about their history. They've contracted an outside design firm to design the space. My part of the museum is taking archival videos, and re-editing them for the limited-attention-span generation. The museum will have Apple iPads displaying video and other interactive experiences. We needed to find a pedestal to display the iPads, but iPads are so new that there aren't any pedestals on the market. Luckily, there is a fully-staffed machine shop downstairs, and the guys there fabricated something really beautiful. It's a 3-foot-high aluminum stand with an inset for the iPad. The machine shop guys got compliments from the outside design firm. Then the question came up - the pedestals only hold the iPads in "portrait" mode, and for video viewing, isn't it better to watch in "landscape" mode?

• Meanwhile, at the QSR Client, I'll be producing a training video with a Facebook theme. They want to spoof the "Facebook in Real Life" video, as a way of introducing their new products.

• QSR Client also has an in-house museum, and it did not take as long to create as Silicon Client's. QSR's museum was suddenly just there.

• Still working with my Botox client. Shooting the Botox procedures did not turn my stomach at all (the way I thought it would). Editing the videos, I sometimes look away when the needle hits the skin. Sometimes needle hits skin multiple times in a single area. On the "Forehead" procedure, it looks as if the needle is outlining a football strategy.

Party with Ralph

2011-01-19T11:12:00.001-08:00

Saturday we hosted a dinner celebrating Kathy and Nick's 50th anniversary. Emily made decorations:

Calvin and Ralph:

Fritz and Ralph:

Post From My iPhone

movies, and a return to the blog!

2011-01-11T10:47:00.001-08:00

Yikes, forgive me folks, it's been more than a month since my last 'Blog post. And I've noticed that a couple of my favorite Bloggers are back at it. So let's get back into this with some movie talk, shall we?(this photograph is by Ruth Orkin. I'm mourning the loss of Kodachrome - Kodak officially stopped processing the stuff on 12/31/10. I'm not even 100% sure about the filmstock of this image, but it looks like Kodachrome, right? In the refrigerator, I've got a couple rolls of Kodachrome 40 Super-8 film, bought a couple years back and now obsolete.)

• "True Grit" About what I expected. Certainly entertaining. It's everything the critics say it is. Coen brothers moving the action along, Jeff Bridges being his lovable self, the young first time actress who plays the Girl doing a great job. So why is that disappointing? When movies are exactly what you expect? Is there nowhere to go after that? Felt the same way about "Winter's Bone" (an entirely competent movie, but kind of dull after you've read the reviews).

• "The Parent Trap" Thanks to a certain relative, we have vintage VHS tapes of both versions (early '60s and late '90s). Emily discovered them during her winter break. Now one or the other is in constant rotation. I keep walking into the living room, to see Lindsey Lohan or Hayley Mills or Maureen O'Hara or Natasha Richardson or Brian Keith or Dennis Quaid getting into crazy scrapes. Kind of bittersweet, given the eventual path of Ms. Lohan (those crazy Disney girls...) and what happened with Ms. Richardson. But it's a great movie - both versions. I've always been fascinated by stories about twins.

• "A Single Man" Starring Colin Firth, from a story by Christopher Isherwood, first-time directed by Fashion Dude Tom Ford. Set in the early 1960s, a gay man loses his long-time partner. Kind of slow, but there is something compelling about this film. It's probably Firth's best acting, and makes me eager to see his new film, "The King's Speech". Bonus points for shooting at a semi-famous house (Glendale house by architect John Lautner, seen here on the cover of a recent architecture book...)
• Early Hitchcock. My sister gave me a boxed-set of DVDs: the early British films of Alfred Hitchcock. Included are a few silents, beginning with his first film "The Lodger" (1926, when AH was about 26 years old). Then he kept churning them out, films with titles like "Blackmail" and "Murder." Also "Easy Virtue", a silent version of a Noel Coward play (there was a more recent version with Jessica Biel). His early films are low budget and raw, but it's clear who made them. AH's first really great film came in 1935 - "The 39 Steps". Then he was snapped up by Hollywood and David O. Selznick, coming to America to make "Rebecca" (1940). During a career that spanned 50 years, Hitchcock made about 50 movies.

• Oscar Movies? Time to go see "Black Swan", "The King's Speech", "Blue Valentine"... hoping the academy will recognize either Ms. Bening or Ms. Moore from "The Kids Are Alright"

it's beautiful and so are you

2010-11-30T20:54:00.001-08:00

Day After Thanksgiving. For some it's "Black Friday." For us it's "Head for the hills and cut down a tree and take a family picture while you're at it". And hope for good weather. Luckily Tree Friday was a beautiful day. Very cold, but at least the sun was out. Here's Amy framing up a photo, before handing her camera to the teenage son of the tree farm owner.

Part of the road that comes down from Skyline Blvd. Connor and Emily are in the foreground, searching for bugs.
Our convoy of vehicles, laden with trees:
Again we were joined by our doppelgangers, i.e. another extended family convoying into the mountains. A not-very-friendly group, I might add. Plus they set up a crafts-service table with urns of coffee and protestant bagels. Harrumph.
Saturday, tree almost trimmed. Emily is holding a circa 2008 home-made ornament:

in memoriam

2010-11-30T16:24:00.000-08:00

I had started working with a shooter named Brendan Pedder, through the Edu Client. I was impressed with Brendan's skills and professionalism, and started to bring him on other jobs. For example, he worked with me on the Botox video and the "Gilligan's Island" Golf video. In the scene below, Gilligan bothers a golfer while Brendan is in the background wearing a white shirt.

I didn't know Brendan that well, but I was looking forward to working with him more. Unfortunately, he died in his sleep on Thanksgiving weekend. I received the news via text message, which added a surreal tone to the strange, sad news.

We will miss you, Brendan.

Stuff My Daughter Says

2010-11-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

(just the G-rated material...)

• "I am 6, just like Eloise, but then I'm going to be older and Eloise will always be 6."

• "Call me Bob, because Bob is a Grandpa's name."
(there has been some fascination with Grandpas lately)

• "I like to watch birds, even though I'm not 40."

• "Here's your men soap."
(at Bed Bath & Beyond, casually handing me a soap package emblazoned with a 'handsome man' picture)

• "What's so awesome about that?"

• "We're staying here for the day to do our amigo thing."

• "I meant to do that."

Matisses, every one

2010-11-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

I remembered asking my kids' second-grade teacher: 'Why are all your students geniuses? Look at the first grade - blotches of green and black. The third grade - camouflage. But your grade, the second grade, Matisses, every one. You've made my child a Matisse. Let me study with you. Let me into the second grade. What is your secret?'
- Flan Kittredge, "Six Degrees of Separation"I was a parent-volunteer on a field trip with Emily's classroom. We took the kids to the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park. This involved a trip on the Muni streetcar, which meant a lot of walking - McKinley to Duboce Park, wait for N Judah, ride for 10 minutes, off at 9th & Irving, walk 15 minutes into Golden Gate Park. We probably spent as much time commuting as we did at the museum. There were twenty kids, five parents, one teacher.

Once we arrived at the museum, everything was very efficient. A de Young employee met us outside and whisked our group upstairs (elevator to the Tower's 7th floor) for an art activity:
Then the kids got an (abridged) tour of the permanent collection, with a couple of lecture-stops:
Later, everyone ate lunch on the benches outside, facing the bandshell:(I always think of this bench area as a movie location for the Woody Allen movie "Play It Again, Sam"[1972]).

Off-Season

2010-11-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

Whenever we go to Tahoe in the Summer or Winter, we always say: "we should come back in the Fall, when it's not so crowded, and the colors are different, and..." So, on Veterans Day Weekend, we returned to Tahoe:
There is something neat about being in a "resort" during the off-season. Someone must have written a novel about this by now. And I don't mean a Stephen King story. Maybe Anne Tyler? The quiet, the cold, stores and restaurants practically empty. It didn't snow or rain, and the skies were blue much of the time. When cloud cover happened, it seemed to be accompanied by Shawn Colvin's rendition of "In The Bleak Mid-Winter" (weather has a theme song).
Bear tracks were everywhere. This one was probably a cub:
At the Donner Party museum. Behind Emily is the monument dedicated in 1918. The platform is 18 feet high, which was the snow level during that unfortunate winter of 1846-47:
We were all cold, except for Emily:

one last post (for now) about Houses

2010-11-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

Big Real Estate news at the website la.curbed.com, noted in a very funny manner:
"Say, does anyone know where to find a stadium-sized engagement ring? Because we'd like to ask this house to marry us:"
Built 1929 or 1930, in Santa Monica Canyon (South of Sunset, North of San Vicente) commonly known as the Dolores Del Rio house. Designed by her husband Cedric Gibbons, who was the head Art Director at MGM for decades (he won Oscars for his work, and also designed the Oscar statute). Del Rio was a big star in the 1930s, and the house was an appropriately glamorous backdrop. Later the marriage broke up when Dolores stepped out with the young Orson Welles, in town to make "Citizen Kane".
Much later, the house was featured in the movies "To Live and Die in LA" (1985), and "Twilight" (1998)
Speaking of famous dwellings, there is a Los Feliz house I've always admired. The Samuel-Novarro house (1928) by Frank's son, Lloyd Wright. Original owner/movie star Ramon Novarro played "Ben Hur" in the silent film version. Not sure who "Samuel" was. This is one of Lloyd Wright's most famous houses. There are four stories, built into a hillside, opening to two different streets. Here's a vintage photo:

I came across this set of Flickr photos from a 2006 Open House. It's a great group of photos but, honestly, Ramon's house looks a little shabby compared to Dolores's. Plus, in 2006 the place was being sold by Christina Ricci, who had made some questionable choices with wallpaper and dark interior paint.

OK, that's enough about houses!

(for now)

dream house

2010-11-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished this (non-fiction) book:...wherein the author documents her lifetime of obsession with houses and apartments, the many that she's lived in and those she can only dream of. For me the book was, well, close to home.

Like many people in the Bay Area, we have thought about living somewhere else. Somewhere like... Portland, Oregon! Currently our plan is to stay put in the Bay, but sometimes, just for "fun", I check the out-of-town real estate listings, especially this Portland Realtor. Here's a 1904 "classic 4-square" in a Portland neighborhood known as "Ladd's Addition". Four bedrooms, two baths. A bargain at $570K. More photos at the realtor's website.

So there are beautiful houses in cities where I will probably never live. And then there are famous houses... famous because of the famous architect who built them. I came across a website for an architectural firm that specializes in restoration of some of the these famous houses (go to the site to see more pictures)

R.M. Schindler's Elliot House (1930) in Los Feliz. Have to love a fireplace that faces both indoors and out.

Richard Neutra's Kaufman House (1946) in Palm Springs. Kaufman was the same client who built Fallingwater (1937) with Neutra's one-time mentor. The Palm Springs house says it all about modernism in the desert:

John Lautner's Garcia House (1962), somewhere along Mulholland Drive. Kind of gaudy and over-the-top, though hard to ignore. Famous movie role as the Bad Guy's House in "Lethal Weapon 2". Mel Gibson (back then often portraying the Good Guy) attaches a rope to the hillside home and uses his pick-up truck to pull it down.

Movies

2010-11-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

• "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" (1985) - Emily watched and laughed, and laughed some more, which made me happy. Tim Burton's first film is now 25 years old. It's still extremely funny. Jan Hooks as the Texan Tour Guide at the Alamo. James Brolin as "P.W. Herman" in the movie-within-a-movie about Pee Wee's life.

• "Sex and the City Part 2" (2010) - Rental for Friday night viewing. So over-the-top, but that's the fun of SATC. Liza Minnelli makes a cameo appearance as the Officiant at a Big Gay Wedding. I felt a little sorry for Liza in the scene where she is suddenly belting out a Beyonce song.

• "The Social Network" (2010) - I haven't seen many movies lately, but I can say that this is one of this year's best films. Brilliant script. Great cast, especially Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerman, and Justin Timberlake as the Napster Dude. Director David Fincher has redeemed himself after the misstep of last year's "Benjamin Button".

• On Saturday we went to the De Anza Flea Market in Cupertino. This is a once-a-month event that we attend maybe once per year, always in the company of Amy's Mother and her friends. De Anza is a little nicer than your average flea market, and has the added bonus of being across the street from a Hobee's Restaurant (if you're going, get the coffee cake). I bought some DVD's at the low low price of 3 for $10. Or I could have bought 7 for $20. And there were further attractive price structures for DVD's. Music CD's were more expensive. One booth was selling them at $5 apiece, which seemed high (recently I've found CD's at garage sales for $1 or $2). Hoping for a bulk discount, I asked the vendor what his CD's would cost if I were to buy two. He replied: "That would be ten dollars." Another guy was selling vinyl, at $8-to-$10 apiece, which was what records used to cost back in the 1980s before CD's took over. So DVD's are the fading technology here. The ones I bought: "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006), "Stripes" (1981; a classic comedy) and "Love and Death on Long Island" (1997; underrated film starring the unlikely duo of John Hurt and Jason Priestly).

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween in Bernal. A warm night.
Emily's very simple Halloween costume - A Magician.
Cape, wand, hat, and we're ready to roll:
Walking up Henry Street to McKinley's "Harvest Festival":
Marty and Kari in their awesome costumes on Halloween night:
Cousin Bridget with Emily:
Bernal, Bernal, Bernal:

Emily with her haul:

May You Live in Interesting Times

2010-11-04T09:10:00.001-07:00

• Mid-Term Election: somehow less dama in 2010 than in 2008 - the Rich Lady vs. the Old Guy wasn't nearly as exciting as McCain vs. Obama.

• Economic Indicator: last week I found a 60-something woman climbing a fence in the backyard. She seems to live in a neighboring house, and was reaching for the apples on another neighbor's tree, while standing precariously on a fence that I built. Her English was lacking, and she smiled sheepishly. I tried to convey that the fence wasn't made for standing. Then I picked the apples for her, and we said goodbye.

• Voted for a certain state candidate because my sister used to babysit his niece.

• Our new Governor is also our former Governor. My Grandpa, who spent his entire career working for the State of California, knew JB back in the 1970s. I don't think they particularly liked one another, but I voted for JB anyway, since he's the Democrat.

• My Republican In-Laws confessed to not being thrilled with Republican candidate Meg Whitman. I confessed to not being thrilled with JB. I guess this is what they mean by "reaching across the aisle". Then we all went and voted for our respective less-than-thrilling candidates.

• Watched "Be Kind Rewind" (wherein Video Store workers accidently erase all of their videos; then replace the movies by shooting their own versions). Wonderful scenes where the guys make the movies. Uneven, wooden scenes leading up to the movie-making.

• A crew member from a film I made in the 1990s is now a Big Time Director. Ryan Fleck is his name, and "It's Kind of a Funny Story" is his film, featuring Emma Roberts and Zoe Kravitz (daughter of Lenny & Lisa). In theaters now.

• Another of our neighbors, the CCL (Crazy Cat Lady) sent an email expressing her interest in euthanizing our cat Ralph. CCL looks out for all of the cats in our city block, and is full of advice and opinions. She thinks Ralph isn't doing so well, and is "willing" to be present when the SPCA does the procedure. Since CCL is unemployed, she would like us to pay for the SPCA procedure. Our cat began his life as "Mulo", living with twin brothers who bought a house near the corner. We took over the cat ownership after the twins bought a second property in South San Francisco (sidebar: these real estate-accumulating twins work as garbage men for the city). Lately, Ralph has this weird thing about eating. He won't eat unless someone (usually me) is petting him, while simultaneously placing him in front of the food. So we're doubling up this effort of trying to keep Ralph nourished, and asking CCL to hold off.

Even More from LA

2010-10-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

On the East side of Silver Lake is a one-block-long street where all of the houses were designed by one architect:
There are about ten houses total, packed close together on small lots. Most have heavy foliage:

Nearby is Richard Neutra's own house (now open for tours each Saturday). Originally built in the early 1930s, it was rebuilt in the 1960s (after a fire). Some of Neutra's later work tends to look like California Public Grammar Schools, but maybe he was just that influential.
From Neutra's house, looking across Silver Lake to a John Lautner house known as "Silvertop" (early 1960s, I believe). The best view of the house is here, across the reservoir. Silvertop was featured in the movie "Less Than Zero" (1987) as the lead character's house. More photos (from someone who's actually been inside [not me]) are here.
Back in Hollywood, Frank Lloyd Wright's Storer House (1923), another in his concrete block series. Movie Producer Joel Silver restored this house in the 1980s. Note the gate (not by Frank) guarding the foot of the driveway.

I paid a visit to the Dennis Hopper's house (same neighborhood as the Storer House). This was where DH lived in the 1960s with his first wife, Brooke Hayward. Decades later, DH published a book of his photographs from that period. In the 1960s, the front of the house was more open to the street. Now there is a street-side wall, two gates and lots of hedge:

Reseda Blvd (more LA notes)

2010-10-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

The recent trip to LA included a stop at Paladino's in Tarzana (take the Ventura freeway to the Reseda Blvd exit) to see Sean and his new band. Back in high school, Sean was all about the hard rock/heavy metal, while I was more into new wave, but somehow we always remained friends.
Sean with some of his friends:
Cousin Robert (Left) came along to check out the show:

Pumpkins on Saturday

2010-10-18T15:46:00.001-07:00

On Saturday afternoon we drove South along Highway 1, and wound up here:

It's a pumpkin farm theme park, somewhere South of Half Moon Bay and North of Pescadero. There were pony rides, a haunted house, and a maze constructed from bales of hay.

Traffic from the HMB Pumpkin Festival made it impossible to drive home on Hwy 1. We detoured along Hwy 84, through LaHonda (Ken Kesey country). Stopped for dinner at an aptly-named roadside diner:

Emily w/ Aunt Sarah:

-- Post From My iPhone

Neutra Place (LA, pt 4)

2010-10-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

The culmination of the MAK tour was Neutra's most famous work (Lovell House, 1929) in Los Feliz, at the end of a narrow winding hillside road. I've been up here many times to look at the exterior, but this is the first time I've been inside.

These two views of the Exterior (above and below) can be seen from the street.
The main feature is the staircase next to 2-story windows, leading downstairs to the Living Room. I've attempted to capture it in the following three pictures:

The Living Room:
Living Room, looking toward the library:
Terrace off of Living Room:

Swimming Pool, empty. Apparently it's been empty for quite some time. The retired couple who own the Lovell house bought it in 1960, which means they've lived there 50 years. 50 years!

Soriano & Schindler & Neutra, Oh My! (LA, pt 3)

2010-10-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

After Neutra's Kun house (see previous entry) I drove North into Laurel Canyon. At the top of the hill, it was right on Mulholland, then an immediate right onto Woodrow Wilson. A mile along WW, and there was Julius Shulman's house and studio:

By the time Shulman built his house, he knew all of the LA architects and could have chosen any of them. He went with Raphael Soriano, and the house was completed about 1950. Shulman lived and worked here for nearly 60 years.
Soriano was also the architect of my Dad's one-time house in Los Feliz (which was on last year's MAK tour), so being in Shulman's house felt very familiar.

Shulman's photo, from his studio looking toward the house.
The Shulman house is situated on two acres, which feels like being out in the country. It is currently for sale, somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.2 Million (which is a nice neighborhood).

Following Soriano/Shulman, the tour continued over Laurel Canyon into Studio City, where there is a concentration of R.M. Schindler. Here is the Gold House (1945):

If I had to choose between living in a Schindler or a Neutra, I'd probably go with Schindler. Neutra does make you feel like you're in a museum. Schindler's spaces are more comfortably domestic. However, at this point of the tour, I was eager to reach the last stop, Neutra's most famous house. So eager that I skipped the next-to-last house [Gantert House (1981), Pierre Koenig]; but here's Shulman's picture:

And then it was back to Los Feliz... (see next post)

Defering to The Man (LA, pt 2)

2010-10-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

The MAK Center architecture tour took place on the 100th birthday of photographer Julius Shulman. It's kind of ironic to have taken so many pictures of the houses, when Shulman's iconic photos of the same houses are so superior to anything we mere mortals can do. And yet everyone had a point-and-shoot dangling from their wrist, and/or an iPhone. Shulman also had the benefits of more time, all-access and less foliage. So in certain instances, I'm going to defer to Mr. Shulman, and mix in some of his photos with mine.

Hillside House (1962), off of Sunset Plaza Drive (which winds above the West Hollywood portion of Sunset Blvd). Architect: Carl Louis Maston (I'd never heard of him, either). Maston built this house for himself and then quickly outgrew it, moving on within a few years.

For all of the gravitas, this a small house. The current owners had plans to expand, but then decided on a rehabilitation after discovering some Shulman photographs of their house.

The terrace off of the Living Room featured a small swimming pool, and this message:
Then it was East on Sunset Blvd, Left at Crescent Heights and into the hills:
Kun House (1936), Architect: Richard J. Neutra. One enters at the top floor, where there is a rooftop terrace. You go downstairs to find the living areas. As you might imagine, the hillside looks a lot different today.

I was just listening to the director's commentary of "The Anniversary Party" (2001) which was filmed entirely within a Neutra house. Co-Director Jennifer Jason Leigh said her impression of Neutra houses is that they are "beautiful... yet dangerous."
View from Kun house South to the LA basin. 10/10/10 was a hot day in LA, about 90F.
And then there was more, much more. Stay tuned...

LA is my Lady* (LA, pt 1)

2010-10-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

I was headed to West Hollywood and the start of the MAK Center architectural tour. I took a detour to Pasadena to see La Miniatura, or as we like to call it, Aunt Alice's house** In recent years, the place has been surrounded by chain-link fences and covered with tarp. Now all of the restoration is done, and La Miniatura is for sale.

The concrete blocks are looking brand new.
No one was around, and it was easy to peek inside a window. It was also possible to walk onto the grounds. Not that I advocate trespassing. And maybe there was someone inside. So I stayed in front. But it was exciting that the house is so finished and brand-new looking.

* during the 1984 Olympics, as part of the ramp-up in excitement, there was a song - "LA is my Lady" - recorded by Frank Sinatra and produced by Quincy Jones. There was a cheesy music video, with oranges rolling along the ground and Frank picking one up and smiling, but I can't find it on You Tube.

** My great-grandmother Emily had a sister named Alice, and she married a Mr. Millard, who sold antiques and rare books. The Millards hired Frank Lloyd Wright to build them a house in Highland Park (North of Chicago). After she was widowed, Alice moved West to Pasadena, and asked Wright to build her another house. La Miniatura is not as famous as Fallingwater, but it was among Frank's favorites of his work.

at school

2010-10-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

This morning (Friday) walking from the car to McKinley, joined by Eva and Sofia (who are sisters):

The girls in the middle of a Group Hug:

-- Post From My iPhone

Postcard from LA

2010-10-14T15:31:00.001-07:00

Much to Blog about re: last weekend's LA architecture tour. For now, here's one little sightseeing novelty: you know you're not in the Bay Area anymore when you drive on the Ronald Reagan freeway and pass the Whiteman airport. At least the Richie Valens municipal swimming pool is nearby to balance out this equation...

-- Post From My iPhone

Preschool Picnic Songs (Blog Post #400)

2010-10-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my last Blog post. And this one happens to be my 400th post to this Blog. I used to Blog more often, while eagerly following the Blogs of others. Now people (including me) neglect their Blogs, and we follow friends/events/interests via Facebook. Something has been lost, although it's hard to say exactly what. On the other hand, FB is a wonderful tool for so much communication. I'm interested to see how Bloggers-who-keep-Blogging will balance their Blogs with FB-ing. Anyway, to commemorate the occasion of my 400th Blog, and salute Social Networking in general, let me share this quote from E.B. White:

"The essayist is a self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest... Only a person who is congenitally self-centered has the effrontery and the stamina to write essays."

Well! As Daniel Day-Lewis' character said in "Room With A View", I confess to being such a chap. Continuing on...

Emily is done with Preschool, but the annual Preschool picnic remains. The musical numbers follow...

Sophia, Ethan & Emily (2010 Graduates) sing their song:

Emily and Cousin Bridget singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas":

(once an older person [who meant well] told me that she found people annoying when they talked incessantly about their pets and/or children - again I refer to my "Room w/View" quote)

Anniversary (of sorts)

2010-09-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

• It's a beautiful Saturday morning in San Francisco. Late September, perched between Summer and Fall (as everyone knows, in the Bay Area, our Summer happens in the Fall). Today (Sept 25th) happens to be the anniversary of the day I left my last "permanent" job, and entered freelance/contract work full time. It's been 8 whole years! And I worried about having enough work ... today I'm prepping for a weekend of jobs. Saturday night: the opening of a Frozen Yogurt chain (or "concept" as they prefer to call themselves these days) in Sunnyvale. Sunday is Part 2 of my Medical Client (aka The Botox People). Monday is Job #2 with CEP (Crazy Event Planner) and a second Video-in-One-Day on a golf course, this time in Marin County with a Scottish theme (I pitched ideas involving a cheerfully belligerent narrator, using subtitles since he's incomprehensible - CEP wants something more straightforward).
• Amy is busy too, with more photography work. Some weeks our family schedule is like air traffic control - pick up Emily here, drop off there. It's a good thing Emily's 13-year-old cousin lives three blocks away and is eager to start a babysitting career.
• Random Movie Note: at the video store, Emily chose a DVD of "Lassie", a recent (2005) English production with Peter O'Toole and Samantha Morton. Kind of similar to a Merchant-Ivory production: widescreen full of lush countryside, bold colors, set in the 1930s. I suppose I'm becoming one of those adults who gets wrapped up in kid movies, but it was such a great film!

• Now it's 3 days later, and I've finished the crazy Saturday-Sunday-Monday schedule. 12 hour days on Sunday and Monday. Driving away from Santa Cruz on Sunday night along Highway 17, there was a bit of traffic congestion. I opened the sunroof and listened to the crickets. Crickets are really loud outside the city. Last night, leaving Marin, driving down the Fairfax-Bolinas Road, I listened to the same sound. What are the other positives to 12-hour workdays? Anyone? Anyone?
• I bought a real Clapper, for the Medical job (we're shooting with 2 cameras, so we need a clapper to sync 'em up later in post). The wonderful staff at JCX Expendables also recommended the right dry-erase marker/eraser. The Clapper's white surface wipes off nicely. There are small magnets that help close the arm with a loud Clap! (though I was asked by the doctor and patients to not clap so loudly). Now I feel like a grown-up:

• The Silicon Client held their 40th Anniversary event last week. I got to catch up with co-workers past and present (L-R: Me, Deanna, Dave, Cynthia)

• Of course, I'd rather be where we were when this photo was taken (our car parked in Stinson Beach. Note bike on top of car. Note also Harley Dudes rumbling past):

Motel Chronicles

2010-09-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

September will go down as one of the busiest and most random months ever. From the US Secretary of Education to Frozen Yogurt, from a Botox Lab to an episode of "Gilligan's Island" on a golf course. Where to begin? (I don't know) When will it end? (in October - maybe)

A week ago I checked in to the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, and had the most difficult work experience. The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay is hidden behind a golf course and a gated community. I was never exactly sure of the location, kind of like "Brigadoon." There were three weddings occurring simultaneously when I arrived. My room had a view of the ocean. I should have taken pictures, but I was way too nervous about the job. Shooting and Editing an event in one day. It was a golf tournament to raise money for a hospital. The theme was "Gilligan's Island" and actors were hired to play the Castaways. So the Skipper, Ginger, the Howells (and the rest) spent the day mingling with golfers, and acting in scenes for me. I've shot event videos over a couple of days, to be shown at the end of a 3-day conference. This was my first Single Day-er. Part of me knew it would be hard, the other part thought it would be a fun challenge. I hired a friend to edit the piece, while I rode around in a golf cart shooting stuff (shuttling media cards back and forth). And a third friend (who happens to golf, and is looking for video work in the 'Bay) volunteered to come and help. It was great fun to work with the actors, who never left their characters. We were supposed to be shooting a story wherein the uncharted desert isle is visited by the charity golf tournament. Mr Howell enters the game, making a wager that if he wins, the golfers will rescue the castaways. Gilligan conspires to distract the pro golfers so Mr Howell can achieve victory. Ginger and Mary Ann compete for caddying jobs, leading to that age-old joke: "Who do you choose, Ginger or Mary Ann?" Mr Howell wins, but Gilligan neglects to turn in his score card, so the castaways are stuck - yet again - on uncharted desert isle (where there happens to be a golf course). So, that was the plan. The shooting went smoothly, the editing was slower than I expected, and... things got interesting from there, so interesting in fact that I regretted signing on, and am planning to avoid One-Day-ers from here on. Although I committed to two of these jobs, and the next one is next week in Marin. But after that, never again...

Tomorrow is the Botox shoot in Santa Cruz. Although Santa Cruz is close enough to San Francisco, I've chosen to spend the night close to the job. I'm at a modest hotel - with attached steakhouse - by a highway, and I'm hoping for smooth sailing tomorrow. As smooth as the patient's faces after their hits of Botox! (should stop making fun, but it's so easy...) Actually, everyone at the doctors office has been wonderful so far, and I think it's going to go great.

September has also brought issues with the house, and Emily's first month of school. Feels like life is on Fast-Forward. Much to report, but that's all for now. Time to let the sound of trucks on the highway lull me to sleep (really, it's similar to the sound of the surf at the last hotel).

Dream Job

2010-09-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

• Here's a video about a video guy who goes out and shoots video of exciting stuff, mostly having to do with sports and nature. It looks like these guys are having way too much fun, especially with the HD camera mounted on top of their SUV:

UPDATE: I've removed the video embed, because it kept starting on it's own. Go to Creator's Project to see lots of inspiring work.

• Finishing up my "Gilligan's Island" script, for the charity Golf Tournament on Monday. Since it's a shoot-in-one-day deal, I need to create a strict shooting schedule. It turning into an immense amount of pre-production. And the EPL (Event Planner Lady) is kind of crazy. But... it's going to be fun... yeah, I keep repeating that.
• Edu Client ramping back up for another school year. Tomorrow the US Secretary of Education (Arne Duncan, nominated by Obama in 2009) is visiting one of our campuses. So that's kind of excited, even for an apolitical sort like me.
• Silicon Client getting ready for their 40th Anniversary (later this month) with a day of panel discussions, gala receptions, and visiting notables. The so-called Silicon Valley is an interesting place. Locals simply call it The Valley; though for me, "The Valley" always means the San Fernando Valley. Having once lived in LA and been around the Entertainment Industry (which LA locals simply call "The Industry," as if there is no other), I notice similarities between these industries of Entertainment and Silicon. You can feel the same rise of energy in air, as if you've reached the center of something. Although the Silicon Valley can be so understated and unassuming and suburban. It's like they took the important parts of Hollywood and placed everything in Tarzana.

Finest Worksong

2010-09-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

• I'm making a medical video! It's for a Botox Facility in Santa Cruz. They have a fancier name for what they do, but for the sake of clarity: Botox! Botox! The doctors are very nice and appear quite young. I have to shoot in a small little exam room. One of the procedures is known as "Filler". A long needle (one inch, bendable) is inserted under the skin, and stays there awhile, literally filling the aged area with whatever it is that Botox Docs fill you with. I'm going to have to get over my considerable squeamishness about such things. I signed all kinds of non-disclosure forms, so I've probably said too much already.
• I did a Botox site visit in Santa Cruz Wednesday. Driving back, I stopped at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Next weekend I'll be shooting a video there. It's a charity Golf tournament, with a Gilligan's Island theme. The event organizers are hiring lookalikes; there will be actors playing Gilligan, the Skipper, Mr Howell, etc, to mingle with the Big Donors. My job is to shoot a funny video, to be watched at the evening's gala dinner. I’ve done on-site videos before, but never with this short of a timeframe. On this job, everything takes place on the same day – shooting the event, editing the video, screening the results. I’m hiring an editor friend to camp out in my hotel room, editing the footage that I gather. The Client wants the video to have a story, wherein The Castaways try to get The VIP Big Donor Golfers to rescue them from the island. In a way, having a story makes it easier. Part of my job is to spice up the story with funny bits-of-business. I’ve been researching Gilligan’s Island on Wikipedia (where there is a section on ‘recurring themes’) and YouTube (cover versions of the song). One of my best gags in the script involves a transition from black-and-white to color. It really is like writing sketch comedy. The Client is an Event Planner Woman whom I haven’t met yet, though we’ve managed to have at least one argument over the phone (we managed to kiss-and-make-up later in the same call). She wants a lot, and I'm worried that some of her expectations (which pop up at random) may be a tad unrealistic. On the plus side, I get to write something funny and stay at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay.
• On Thursday the Edu Client was welcoming an appearance by Jerry Brown, Democratic candidate for California Governor (what happened to Gavin? is this the best we Dems can do?) The campaign workers set up a podium in the Quad. Nearby, I got my camera ready. People walking through kept stopping to ask me what was going on (once on this campus, my Laotian co-worker told me his theory that people always come to me for information, since I'm A) tall and B) Caucasian). I copped the "I'm just the media" plea. One lady, who was clearly speaking English as her Second or Third Language, stopped to ask me the following questions: "Is it the Democrats or Republicans who are against the Gays?" and: "Which kind is Jerry Brown?" I tried to be diplomatic, not totally point the finger at Republicans. The woman then stated that she was "against the Gays," and started going off on a tirade, something about: "In my country they would not be tolerated" blah-blah-blah. And then when Brown was speaking, there were students lined up behind him with campaign signs. And this woman was right there, in the center of the action, holding a sign aloft.

Hop on the Schwinn

2010-08-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: "So what are you going to get Elaine for her birthday?"
JERRY: (discouraged) "I don't know... she said something about a bench."
- Seinfeld episode, c.1990

Amy said something about wanting an older bike, possibly something vintage, for riding around the neighborhood. Just a simple cruiser for going to the produce market or other local shopping. Here in the Mission District, there are a lot of wonderful local markets, and the best way to access them is by bike. Also, our neighborhood is relatively flat, compared to the rest of hilly San Francisco.

I did have to point out that Amy's wish for a vintage bicycle had already been transformed into a cultural stereotype, over at the 'blog "Stuff White People Like":

"...there is a special category of bicycles that appeal far more to white women, the European city bike... White women have a lot of fantasies about idealized lives, and one of them is living in Europe and riding around an old city on one of these bikes. They dream about waking up and riding to a little cafe, then visiting bakeries and cheese shops and finally riding home to prepare a fancy meal for their friends who will all eat under a canopy with white Christmas lights."

So I like to make fun, but I also like a good shopping challenge. As the double-header of Emily and Amy's birthdays approached, I started looking on Craigslist. It didn't take long to narrow the search to Schwinn, and its 1970s-era bike known as the Breeze. I found a perfect bike almost immediately. Good shape, but not too pristine. Recent mechanical work done on the gears and brakes. There are three gears, by the way, and the shifting takes place within a hub on the back wheel.

We presented the bike to the birthday girl this morning.

Birthday Cake

2010-08-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Kate made this cake for Emily's Birthday Party. It's made of cupcakes, so it pulls apart when it's time for kids to eat. Kate also produced other baked items for today's party.

Blog of the Day

2010-08-27T22:07:00.001-07:00

In this brave new world of social media, where all internet activity is happening within the narrow confines of Facebook, it's refreshing to find a homegrown web site. This is how the internet used to be - individuals throwing sites together to see if anyone notices. Web sites built around one simple idea. It helps if its a funny idea. Today that website is called Sexy People:

It's actually not "sexy" at all. They just use the term "sexy" ironically. What it is is cheesy "Sears Family Portrait"-style photography from different eras. There are categories, such as Matching Outfits, Cowboy, and Fringe. There are portraits of the same family spanning several decades. It's our collective American history.

The Show

2010-08-26T18:04:00.001-07:00

Recently visited a fancy-schmanzy high-end video production company in the Silicon Valley....

There were two cameras, one with it's own Dolly Grip, plus a makeup person, and random folks sitting there. All for simple "talking head" interviews. Nice work if you can get it...

Nina & Sita & Annette

2010-08-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

So I used to know this cartoonist (Nina Paley) who is now a filmmaker, and her film ("Sita Sings the Blues") has been getting lots of attention. I haven't actually seen the film, but I've been following the drama via (of course) Facebook. Nina made "Sita" on her computer, using the program known as Flash. She raised money by soliciting donations on her Blog. She's made the film free to download and view via her website. She's had rave reviews. She's had hate email from random fundamentalists. Here's a brief description of "Sita":

"Sita Sings the Blues is a musical, animated personal interpretation of the Indian epic the Ramayana. The aspect of the story that I focus on is the relationship between Sita and Rama, who are gods incarnated as human beings, and even they can't make their marriage work."

What I had not realized is that "Sita" is a musical. In a recent story at the A/V Club, it is described how Nina used existing songs from a forgotten 1920s singer. Annette Hanshaw is the singer, and her songs are used to arc the story, just like in a musical. And these songs are the so-called "standards", the ones we hear in Woody Allen movies. In the clip below, there's a battle raging on, but all Sita can think about is "Who's That Knocking At My Door?" Great stuff. Now I need to go watch the whole film.

(this discrepancy between YouTube's Widescreen and Blogger's skinny column needs to be addressed [ for now here's the link to the YouTube movie)

pick a little, talk a little...

2010-08-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ever since Emily started school, my life has been all about Small Talk. Welcome BBQ at the school: Small Talk. First Week of School, with parents hanging around as the kids get acclimated to Kindergarten: Small Talk. This Thursday, McKinley PTA Meeting: Anticipated Small Talk. Last weekend, with kids birthday parties and a high school reunion, the small talk kicked into high gear. I'm not a huge fan of small talk. I'm not very good at it. But maybe, just maybe, a foundation of Small Talk will build to Important Talk. I hope so.

One of the kids in Emily's classroom had a birthday, and the parents invited all 22 kids in the class. More Small Talk required, although these people were very nice. The party was in Dolores Park. Across the green, an all-women theater troupe was doing yoga before performing "Much Ado About Nothing". Here Emily watches from afar, and tries to mimic the yoga pose:

Then we had another Sunday kids birthday party to go to. George from Preschool was celebrating his special day at Giants Stadium (aka AT&T Park). When a game isn't scheduled, the public can access part of the mezzanine level. And if you're George, you can have your birthday party there. Check out these awesome thematic cupcakes:

Also this weekend, I went to my "official" high school reunion. By official I mean the one specific to the year of my graduation. There was an "unofficial" reunion earlier this Summer that was based more around a group of us who were friends but not necessarily in the same grade, and I enjoyed that a lot. This one had not many people attending, and of those that were, few people that I was good friends with. Also, on a morbid note, five of my fellow high school graduates have since died (I wasn't close to any of them, but still). However, it was in the neighborhood, and one of my best friends from those days did get on a plane to attend. So I felt I should go (especially since I offered to pick up Sean at the airport). Amy sat this one out, citing a clause in our prenup where we get to opt out of spousal reunions. Many friends did bring wives, and I probably spent as much time talking to the wives as I did to the classmates. Did have a nice chat with a former classmate who is currently an SF Parent, and who strongly considered McKinley Elementary.

On the right is Sean, Wayne to my Garth. Our lives have taken off on wildly different tangents, but we're always happy to see one another.

Pop Culture

2010-08-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

There's a crackpot website out there called ChristWire.org, with important stories like "Is my husband Gay?" Telltale signs include [to name just a few]: 'sudden and heavy drinking', 'travel to big cities or Asia'; 'sassy, sarcastic and ironic around friends'; and the big one: 'Love of Pop Culture'. The website and story were profiled at the Huffington Post, which dressed it up with a lot of, well, sassy and ironic commentary. In my opinion, it's better to go to the ChristWire website and read the text there, unabridged - I say better because it's more creepy when you poke around on this site.

Apropos of this (maybe?), I'm reading a paperback of Brendan Gill's "Here at The New Yorker" (1975). Gill landed a job writing for the magazine in 1936 (he was 21), and he stayed on for his entire life. As a brash young reporter, he once quizzed Ernest Hemingway on the theory that all of EH's manliness (in his writing and life) was just overcompensation for actually being a homosexual. Hemingway, who had just married his fourth wife, was more amused than offended. His response: "Let's just say that my life would have been a whole lot simpler for me if I had been."

There's a protest at Target! This story hasn't gotten a whole lot of press, and there are conflicting theories about who actually did the wrong thing. Target gave $150K to an organization, and that organization gave it to a Republican, and that Republican is against Gay marriage. So now people are organizing a boycott. Anyway, the important thing is that the protesters (in the video below) protested with a rousing musical number, and who can argue with that?
What also interests me about this story is that, typically, Progressive Urban Liberals (a group typically supporting Gay rights) tend to love them some Target. They love Target the way they love Whole Foods or Trader Joes. They (OK: We) criticize Walmart, but they give Target a pass. I don't see a boycott of Target really sticking with this community.

And speaking of Pop Culture, this week was Madonna's birthday. Since M's history is really the history of our collective Pop Culture (by "our" I mean everyone who is approximately my age) check out the following video. Best described as the "M History 101," it was produced by a friend of ours, Dustin. For anyone who knows anything about film editing, or would care to learn, this is an inspiring piece to watch. Oh, and be warned: it's got some R-rated bits about a minute in, which is why I didn't post on Facebook. Enjoy!

Madonna "Nobody Knows Me" from Dustin Robertson on Vimeo.

School Daze

2010-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

First day of school at McKinley Elementary. First assignment was for the kids to write their name and draw a picture of something they did over the Summer. Note all of the hovering parents with cameras.
Third Day, picking up Emily at the playground:

First Day of School

2010-08-16T17:35:00.001-07:00

"LA's a small town... "

2010-08-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

At some point this Summer, I met a family who live in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles. Their house was long ago owned by writer-director Paul Brickman, best known for writing and directing "Risky Business" (1983). Brickman moved out decades ago, but his former home is still a destination for fan mail, unsolicited screenplays, and sometimes, strange packages and even phone calls, looking for advice. I love this story. It feels like I've heard variations of this same story from everyone I know who lives in LA, and I never get tired of it.

I'm going to LA in early October for another architecture tour. It's very exciting, because one of the most famous houses in the world is on the tour:It's known as the Lovell house, in Los Feliz, by architect Richard Neutra. It was used in the movie "LA Confidential". I've posted the following clip before, about mid-century modern LA houses being used as bad guys houses in movies.

In other famous house news, the Sowden House was featured on 90210. The Sowden house is a mid-1920s Egyptian fortress on Franklin Avenue, architect Lloyd Wright (son of you-know-who; he was a fine architect in his own right, and would have been recognized more were it not for having the same name as his famous father).

The Sowden was recently renovated, but the owners couldn't sell it, so now they rent it as a film location. In this episode of 90210, Kelly Lynch plays a veteran music producer who is developing one of the young students (the scene begins about 1 minute in on the following clip). Here's a story from la.curbed with links to more YouTube files.

The Sowden house also was the setting for a real-life crime book. Retired LA Police Detective Steve Hodel wrote a book claiming that his father was the murderer of the Black Dahlia, and that the murder took place at the Sowden house. Hodel carefully lays out his case, and maybe he's nuts, but now I can never look at the house the same way. Hodel also has great stories about director John Huston, who was his mother's first husband (which is all you need to know about LA being a small town).

In real life, the actress Kelly Lynch lives in a couple of significant mid-century houses, including one by Richard Neutra, and another by John Lautner. Here's a trailer for a Lautner documentary, where KL comments on her house:

Way back...

2010-08-13T14:45:00.001-07:00

Further evidence that Tahoe is in a timewarp (especially the West shore). A perfect 280Z (as in a Datsun 280Z, before they started using the name "Nissan"). You just don't see these cars on the road much anymore...

A boat parked next to someone's house is funky enough. A boat with a bumper sticker from a radio station that hasn't existed for decades? That's impressive.

Local Bayareans of a certain age will remember this bumper sticker...

vacation all I ever wanted

2010-08-09T11:44:00.001-07:00

• Emily and Zane and their creations at Kings Beach
(on the North shore of Lake Tahoe)
• The kids at the classically vintage mini-golf course in King's Beach. Emily is holding the golf club, Dove is behind wearing a white cap, Zane is seated. Marc (Dad to the two boys) stands by, ready to mediate:

• This morning (Monday) we're back in San Francisco after a week in Tahoe. Emily woke up slowly, and sleepy. She said: "It seems like we live in Tahoe and we're just visiting here." Meanwhile, Preschool graduation is this Thursday, the New School (McKinley Elementary) has a Welcome Picnic Saturday, and Kindergarten starts Monday.
• Maybe it's all the changes in the air, or my workload lately, but the past week did feel like the Best Week Off Ever. We were joined midweek by some friends-with-kids, and there was swimming, hiking, biking, eating, and all of the usual Summer themes.
• It's always the 1970's in Tahoe. I'm not sure why. I just roll with it, and listen to Kansas or Styx or ELO blasting from every storefront and each vehicle. It's actually kind of comforting. At the cabin I plugged in my iPod and played a lot of B-52s, for Emily's dancing enjoyment, and this prompted Marc to point out that it's always the '80s inside the cabin.
• We also tried this relatively-new activity known as Paddle Boarding (one stands on a surfboard, and rows with a long oar). Here's Marc with two passengers:

back to school

2010-07-31T01:15:00.000-07:00

Emily starts Kindergarten in less than one month.
There is this new ad for Target, where Triplet girls go back to school.
If you look closely, you'll note that one of the girls is named Emily.
And listen for the Marlo Thomas "Free To Be You And Me" song.
Plus, the Volvo at the beginning is the same era/model as the one I grew up with (a 240 station wagon).
Now there is a different family Volvo, and the next generation is starting school.

(This widescreen video gets cut off by all the flair on this Blog. Here's a YouTube link to see the video properly)

sometimes I'm Happy...

2010-07-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

The small, the random, the happy. Here's a list...

• Reading Shirley Jackson's memoir "Life Among the Savages." Humorous homemaking non-fiction from the author of "The Lottery."
• Saw a great movie: "The Kids Are Alright." Redeemed my faith in movies. Clearly my favorite films are the Indie-flavored ones about families with issues.
• Watched a not-so-great movie "Inception." SciFi/Thriller has never been my favorite genre. But at least I got to hang out with my sister. And anything co-starring Marion Cotillard is not all bad.
• Biking in Woodside on a Sunday with Marty. Kids with a lemonade stand, and their parents' espresso machine. Single shots were $1 and better than the average cafe
• Burger in Santa Cruz. The restaurant called it "The Gilroy". Topped with Mozzarella cheese and softened cloves of garlic. The photo I took does not do it justice, so I'm going to leave it up to imagination. Trust me: it was tasty.
• "working" with The Girls at a recent wedding. Amy is wearing a dress from the 1920s (which she also wore to her Prom in the 1980s). Emily refuses to wear a dress, so she wore a purple Chinese outfit. Note Emily and I sharing the iPod headphones:

• I've been testing out a small HD-video camera (Canon HV20, in photos above) that somehow manages to record quality images. I don't really trust a camera that only weighs one pound, though tests will continue. And where better to test a camera than a friend's wedding?
• Marty and I were in the car, discussing our favorite iPhone apps, and Marty said: "Aren't you glad we live in the future?"
• High School reunion coming up soon. My good friend Sean Okin (who I haven't seen for a million years, and is also sometimes known as Stokin' Okin) will be flying in for the day.
• Speaking of iPhones, I was at an Apple Store and checked out the new iPhone4. I don't really need a new phone, but the 4 sure is pretty...
• "Mad Men" season three on DVD, which must be completed before we dive into "Entourage" season six.

follow me and climb the stairs

2010-07-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

• Another crazy week working in the glamorous world that is corporate video. On Monday I was hired to shoot interviews for a guy named Jim who's writing a book about unique businesses. The job was at a place called "Method" which I assumed was some kind of PR Firm or Branding Agency. I get off the elevator, and there is a huge display of soap products. Like the dish soap bottles with the cool design and unique smell that we buy at Target. Oh, that method!, I said to myself, enjoying an internal celebrity moment. I've been in main corporate offices that try to represent their brands, but none that do it as well as method's office. I parked myself behind the camera, and listened while Jim interviewed seven of method's key people. By the end of the afternoon, I had learned a lot about the company. Plus they gave us all big bottles of their product. Excerpts from the videos will possibly wind up as Amazon.com movies, to help publicize the book.
• We went to see the documentary about Joan Rivers. She's 75 and still working hard (she claims to be in need of money, later confesses to a love of being on stage). Early in the film, we see Rivers paging through her Date Book (old school, non-electronic, written in pen). When she sees too much white space, she knows she's not working enough. "I need sunglasses!" she cries at the bright empty pages. When the book is full of scribbled appointments, Rivers is content, as happy as a comic can get.

• Later in the week, it was time for Media Training with the Silicon Client. This is when an outside PR firm comes in to "drill" our Executives and Lab Managers with "tough questions." I point a light, attach a lapel mic, record the mock interviews, and then stand by to play them back for review.

• Bike Lust at the Silicon Client's bike parking structure:

• recent Fun Times have included: Summer Travel; a dinner where friends came over; Yoga in Marin with my teacher John Marino who recently left SF; planning for our anniversary tomorrow. (But these are subjects for another post...)

Summer is the Champion

2010-07-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

• Emily likes to assign everyone in the family with a favorite season. Amy always picks Summer. Emily says she likes Winter. I choose Autumn. And Ralph the cat gets stuck with Spring. Emily drew everyone a picture with their chosen season. But, really, I like them all.
• I've been busy with work. And traveling. Basically since mid-May, it's been solid Work-Travel-Work-Travel. When you're a freelancer, being busy is a good thing. And when you go away on trips, work gets compressed into the time you're home. But I'm not complaining.
• In late May I covered one graduation for the Edu Client, then worked a few days for Silicon Client, then flew to Denver for QSR Client, flew back to SF for three more graduations with Edu Client. Which was followed by Memorial Day weekend in Tahoe, and then I rushed back to Silicon Client.
• Graduation Highlight at the Fox Theater: Restless audience talking loud in the balcony. Acoustics are so good at the newly-restored theater that those on-stage could hear everything said by the audience. Tense moment as a faculty member yelled at the people to be quiet, and the people (being The People) booed back.
• Borrowed Emily's portable DVD Player for the flight to Denver. Lighter than a laptop. But you can't listen to a movie on a plane with those Apple iPod "earbud" headphones. Best to bring the big Sony headphones that look like they're from the 1970s.
• Between SF and Denver, Frontier Airlines flies over Mono Lake, which I appreciated.
• At the Silicon Client a lot so far this Summer. Although not a "full-time" employee, I'm on-site often enough to warrant an office and two computers. Plus there's a Mac Tech to help me run these computers. Mac Tech is sometimes grumpy, mostly nice, and I work hard to stay on his good side.
• With Silicon Client, I've been able to experience such random things as a meeting where everyone brings their laptop, and works on other stuff when the meeting focuses away from them. Also a Researcher who asked that I add a Tibetan chant to his video (known as a 'Cyberspace Blessing') audio very low in the background. All in a day's work.
• Most recent trip was back to Tahoe on the week leading up to July 4th. We hung out with various of Emily's 'tween-aged cousins, accompanied by two additional 'tween friends. For a few days we followed this group to all of their activities. It was, to put it gently, an education. When your child is a cheery almost-6-year-old, to have her surrounded by four older kids who have logged many hours watching a lot of ironic cartoons and vapid Disney shows... well, a parent feels protective. But mostly it was a good time.
• Left Tahoe on the morning of July 3rd, in order to drive hectically across the state of California, toward the Mendocino County town of Hopland. My cousin Erin was to be married at a winery. Erin works in PR for food & wine clients, so we knew her wedding was a must-attend.
• We had volunteered our video/photography skills, and then we got to the wedding right at the start time of 5PM. Fortunately, the ceremony was running late, and I was able to mic up Walter-the-groom.
• Enroute from Tahoe to Hopland, we passed Clear Lake, where I'd never been. It's certainly a big lake, we can say that.
• Brewpubs on the Road: Auburn Alehouse (Auburn, CA is on the I-80, East of Sacramento) was just-OK. Better luck at the FiftyFifty Brewing Company in Truckee, CA. The Donner Party Porter is not to be missed.

• Song about Summer from an album full of songs about Summer. I really should have gone to see Laura Veirs when she came to town last March:

Rest Stop

2010-06-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

This made me laugh on our road trip a couple weeks ago. Summer Solstice (June 21st) on the Sonora Pass (elevation 9628'). Rest area was snowed in. Here's where our car could go no further:
Not to be deterred, we plodded through the snow:
Up the hill, with snow in amusing places.There was also thunder in the distance. A real Teddy Roosevelt kind of day. Later on the drive, we hit the sunny central valley, where temperatures hovered around 100F.

Cricket

2010-06-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

Cricket is a horse at the Hunewill Ranch (aka the Circle H):
Emily took her first Circle H ride Monday morning:

That's Grandma leading the horse: