INSPIRATION LIVES HERE and MIND BLOWING TALENT

OLMSTED POINT

     Olmsted Point, one of America's iconic locations, offers a view of the north side of Half Dome, one of the planet's most incredible spots.

   It seems appropriate this powerful view is named for a family that exerted powerful influence over how we live with nature.

   Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. who designed New York's Central Park is considered the father of American landscape architecture.  His son Frederick Jr. followed his path. Jr designed Biltmore and worked on Acadia, the Everglades and Yosemite. They understood the importance of nature,  setting and the quality of timelessness.

  Now generations come to this high spot in Yosemite and inspire their own muse.

Photo by Lana Cochrun
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

     Millard Fillmore, a Whig, was President when the Onyx Store opened in 1851. Today the store gets high ratings for its sandwiches, though there are not many places around this Kern County establishment in the town of 475.  

     The Onyx Store opened two years after the California Gold Rush began.  As an historical footnote, it was the year Moby Dick was published, the Yacht America, from the New York Yacht Club, won the first Americas Cup race and Virginia decided that all white males had the right to vote.

      A piece of the old west survives. What stories it could to tell.

A GREAT PERFORMANCE

     Michael Keaton in Birdman is one of the all time great performances. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu weaves a quirky comedic tale powered by incredible acting all around. Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, Zach Galifinakas and the rest of cast are all simply superb. But Keaton leaves us with a theatrical work of art.  In fact the film is very much like excellent theatre and coincidentally is shot at and around the St. James theatre, all of which adds texture and nuance to what we see. Seeing Keaton work is a joy.  

     There is a scene where Norton is trying for a role in the play Keaton is staging. The two do an audition rehearsal and as characters they realize there is a magic in the way they interact. Fact is, you get that same pop and awareness from your seat watching the play in the film and realize there is some talent at work, in combine.

      If you get to see this work, pay particularly close attention to Keaton's eyes. Masterful work. Hope the politics of the Academy work in such a way he gets a nomination for this performance.

      See you down the trail.

     

BEFORE AND AFTER-FREE SPEECH AND THUGGERY-DATE NIGHT OPTIONS-FESTIVAL OLIVES

BEFORE AND AFTER

FREE SPEECH AND THUGGERY

    As regards Ferguson Missouri-

          --The right to assemble peacefully does not include looting and vandalism.

          --Targeting media is stupid and could be criminal.

          --Some say the media should ignore protests. When masses of people and armed, militarized police mix, someone needs to watch.

          --Media presence cannot help but influence or charge a situation, but what is the alternative?

          --A predominately African America community with a predominately white police department does not make sense.

          --Local police agencies have become increasingly armed and militarized.  Homeland Security and other federal funding for the weapons and arms industry is partially to blame.

         --Many, if not most, police agencies need better training and preparation of officers to deal with civil disturbance, protests, crowd control and general social skills.

         --Police work is not military work. The US has troubles on this point.

         --Demonstrators and protesters should remain civil, non violent and need to better control themselves.

        --Hoodlums, thugs, thieves and criminals always take advantage of social discord on this scale.

         --The level of violence in America is troubling, not understood and a search for understanding of root causes is long overdue.

DELIGHTFUL

     The HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY is as delicious and entertaining as we expected.  Again Helen Mirren is masterful. There is a scene where she merely arches an eyebrow and nods her head and it is as though she could change the course of rivers. Manish Dayal as young chef Hassan is superb and shows enormous potential as does Charlotte Le Bon as Marguerite. It is impossible to see and hear this French ingenue and not think "precious." Vetran Om Puri as Pappa can do more with an expression or his voice than most. He's a delightful foil to Mirren.

      Lasse Hallstrom has created a beautiful entertainment and homage to food. You'll leave entertained, feeling good and hungry.

A GORGEOUS TIME PIECE

AS WOODY GET PHILOSOPHICAL

      While some make it a sport to trash Woody Allen films, the man is a brilliant director, writer and his ear for music is among the best. MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT is a case in point. So start with that, add the beauty of the south of France, set it in the late 20's with jazz and wardrobe from the era, add an intelligent, light and playful examination of God, faith and spiritual mediums, turned by Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Simon McBurney, and Eileen Atkins and you've got a great 97 minutes.  It's especially great if you like that era of jazz. 

      Firth's performance is worth the ticket alone as a pompous, rationalist who falls under the spell of a gorgeous Stone.  This is fun, pretty, superbly directed and told and is a perfect date night film.

WHEN OLIVES ARE A FESTIVAL

Paso Robles

   Paso Robles appellation wines are are known around the world.  Rapidly, the regions olive oil makers are becoming the favorite of chefs and home kitchen culinary artists. 

  Today's post presents scenes from this year's Olive Festival in the park in Paso Robles. 

      It is getting as difficult to choose between great olive oils as it is great wines.  A lovely dilemma here in the American Provence'.

       See you down the trail.