DIFFERENT & GENIUS

DIFFERENT

   Before the dawn of awareness, back in the dark ages of the 1950's, we had what were kindly called "Special Ed" classes.

    In the Muncie elementary school the special ed class room was in the basement, but trips to the boys room gave us a chance to glimpse into a world different that our own. There were kids in wheel chairs, kids who's faces and heads were different, some of the loud voices were different and there were some who just looked sad.

    I noticed more of the same when we moved to Ft. Wayne and the Special Ed kids were not entirely, but a little more integrated into other classes and social activity. Still there were kids who's only apparent "special ness" was they were quiet and withdrawn.

    By my freshman year I had become a friend of a kid with muscular dystrophy. He struggled to speak but it was merely a physical affectation, his mind was keen and he was extraordinarily bright. His body betrayed him and physical motion was a challenge so we walked more slowly but we built a friendship that has lasted. He benefited from being moved out of a "special ed" class into the mainstream.

    Clearly some with particular conditions seemed to benefit from the closer attention provided by a special education teacher. It was those quiet and somewhat non social kids I continued to wonder about, until years later I learned of autism and Aspergers syndrome.  When that veil of ignorance was lifted I understood in retrospect a friend from earlier days.  

     He was, I was told, a genius. His room was full, truly full, of completed models of every airplane, ship, submarine, car or boat. OK a lot of kids were model makers, but these you had to see to believe.  Tiny to huge and they were perfect. What Mike had on other kids was his encyclopedic knowledge of every plane, boat, car and ship he had made. And then there were the Dinosaurs of every imaginable size and shape and again there was his encyclopedic knowledge. Same for the Rocket ships, which in this case he made and fabricated himself. Plus there were the pages and pages of the detailed and intricate drawings of dinosaurs, rockets, planes and boats.

     Mike could also play the piano. To my young and frankly somewhat bored ears, he sounded like a concert master. 

    I learned you could not touch Mike, he would freeze, choke and/or maybe yell. He wouldn't play ball, they were dirty and there was touch involved. He'd ride his bike, but only on a clearly prescribed route. We could never make even a slight variation. Mike had been in my grade school for a couple of years, but missed a lot of classes. Eventally he had a special teacher. He lived only a couple of blocks away, though Mike never came to my house. I didn't mind that we were at his place because his mom made sure we had plenty of Twinkies, an extravagance for our family. She was always nearby and would routinely look in as we hung out which meant watching him build or explain a model or riding that special bicycle route.

     I thought of Mike as I watched LOVE AND MERCY the amazing film playing now, telling the story of a special boy, Brian Wilson.

    We thoroughly enjoyed seeing Brian and his band in concert last September, his musical genius still fully evident and switched on.

     But what a rough trail he's traveled. Those who are fans know the story, but seeing it vividly portrayed increases the respect and admiration for one of those quiet, maybe sad and special kids.

     Paul Dano as the young Brian and John Cusack as the elder are superb. Their performances are riveting. The versatile Paul Giamatti is perfect as a maniacal and manipulative Dr Eugene Landy, who controlled and for a period ruined the life of a musical genius. Elizabeth Banks is more than merely a beautiful foil to Landy's meanness and temper. Banks portrays Melinda Ledbetter's struggle to free Brian from the prison of Landy's drugs and control and she does so with an authenticity. Brian Wilson calls the film very factual.

     Director Bill Pohlad does a masterful job of capturing how the young Wilson struggled to capture the genius but bewildering inspiration in his head and turn it into a unique and remarkable music and sound. 

     The Wrecking Crew, subject of a recent film is seen working with Wilson and giving him credit for his brilliance, even if eccentric. 

     If you are a fan, this is a must see though at times is a bit painful or heart breaking. Your respect for Wilson will  increase. 

     I can't imagine how contemporary music and Brian's life would have been different had he grown up away from Southern California where artistry, creativity and even eccentricities are tolerated. I wonder though what became of my pal Mike and others who traveled in less sunny and accepting climes. 

JUNE TAKES

  Early summer brings Twilight on the Terrace at Hearst Castle where Cafe Musique plays on a plaza being refurbished.

HOW MUCH PAELLA CAN YOU EAT?

   You can try to answer that at the annual Pinot and Paella Festival in Paso Robles. Begun by Marc Goldberg and Maggie D'Ambrosia of Windward Vineyard the Festival has become a signature central California event. 20 Paso Robles Pinot Noirs and 15 Paellas. Proceeds to to the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation.  Enjoy-

   

  By the way, trying to determine your favorite is challenging.

   See you down the trail 

  

    

LOVELY ART AND WHORES OF A CERTAIN ILK

POLITICIANS AS WHORES

cases in point coming up

but first-something nice

 Talent

   A moment of personal pride as we see Lana at work on her most recent series, California Grown. Here work is being done, appropriately, in California sunshine.

   The series hangs through October at Windward Vineyard and Winery in the Paso Robles westside region.

   To see more of the California Grown series link to

Lana's blog here.

 Bottles at Stolo

  In a nice coincidence, Lana's Bottles Beaucoup series hangs on the gallery walls at Cambria's own Stolo Family Vineyard and Winery.

   We note the series are in distinctive styles and both are diversions from her award winning plein air work. 

WHERE MONEY IS POISON

   Big money and politics is trouble. With apologies to prostitutes around the world, money in electoral politics is turning candidates into whores. Too much legislation is essentially purchased and written by financial contributions.

   Could this be a case in point? Laurel Rosenhall of the Sacramento Bee reports since tobacco companies have dumped big money on California politicians the legislature has rejected legislation aimed at smoking, including bans on public school campuses, at start parks and beaches as well as tax increases on tobacco. As Rosenhall writes "anti cancer advocates say it is no coincidence…" In California alone Altria and RJ Reynolds have invested  $129 million since 2000. 

MAYBE THERE IS A PLACE FOR BIG MONEY

    If corporations and special interests really must spend on public issues, why not invest the billions they spend on electoral politics instead where it does some good, helping to rebuild our aging and decaying infrastructure, or to improve operations at the VA, or to fund improvements in public schools, or etc? Money that ends up as annoying commercials and direct mailers or in the the politicians pocket could make a huge difference in the quality of American life.

    And to conclude this rant, it would be the right thing to do to outlaw the ability of members of the house or senate to establish leadership PACs. In case you are unaware, that is where the money can flow to the individual and be spent as they wish and can follow them out of office.  There was a time in America when we'd call that a slush fund. Sadly it is accepted and sanctioned by the very perpetrators. That's crazy, it should be criminal and PACs are, in fact, slush funds. How long will we tolerate this abuse?

 tough
dedicated to persistence and tenacity

  California poppies seem to thrive anywhere.

    as well as these drought tolerant succulents.  

   See you down the trail.

OF MATES, PARTNERS AND OTHER CREATIVE ADVENTURES

WE CAN WORK IT OUT

    Joshua Wolf Shenk uses the pages of The Atlantic to tease a new book and to launch us on a journey into creativity in duos. 

    Lennon and McCartney are front and center, the odd couple they were but with historic impact.

    I've often been a captive of the creative couple syndrome. My late business partner Ben and I began as an investigative documentary team. Years later we helmed a multifaceted television and content production company with clients in the US, Europe, South America and Asia. We often scared new staff with our "creative meetings" which the uninitiated took as arguments.

    Don Hewitt and Mike Wallace, for that matter Don Hewitt and other CBS 60 Minutes staff, employed a similar style of collaboration. Often loud, robust and emphatic. Creative arguments were being made!

     To be honest, I knew of no other way. I walked into a metropolitan newspaper city room as a naive suburban teen and knew in the first 3 minutes I had gone beyond Oz. Smoke filled, scented with hot lead fumes from Linotype machines as the floor rumbled from presses below, men and women seemed in the midst of an urgency and all conversation was stripped to the essence. The editor was the loudest in the room as he prowled or scowled from his desk overlooking the struggling minions. That was my introduction to the collaborative process.

    It has been ever such.  As a cub in a large city radio newsroom it was not uncommon to stand toe to toe, nose to nose and yell purple framed arguments about what and how to cover stories, all the while the clock ticked and another hourly deadline drew near, waiting to be fed.

    By the time I was a senior news executive for a publicly traded chain of television stations and web sites things had become dampened. Newsrooms were decorated upscale, shouting and profanity was the exception, undesirable furtive release from the still constant stress, human resource departments provided constant training in workplace civility and practices. But when my Assistant News Director Kevin and/or Executive Producer Stacy were in my glassed in office on our level above the constant buzz of enterprise, the creative couple "discussions" ensued. 

     I don't think one can invest so much life in such a creative pursuit and form of communication and have it not  seep into civilian life-a couple's life-marriage or long term relationship.  In fact I submit that long time couples are not unlike other creative duos, with this as a caveat.  The more unalike, diverse or different the couple, the better the arena and ground for such "creativity."  Those who can, work it out and leave a long and winding road of adventure shared. I think Lana will agree. You can bet we'll have a chat.

    What do you think?

     MORE CREATIVE COUPLING

Old form-New Purpose and Function

    Former wine barrels find new life.

 Extraordinarily comfortable

 and practical. The above frames are from Le Cuvier Winery

in the Paso Robles appellation. 

 Above, Windward Vineyard in the Paso west side reuses Pinot barrels in their beautiful lath house.

Some of the sweeping valley is re purposed, as you seen mid frame, into a solar farm. Lot of sun here and lot of energy too. Another kind of creative coupling.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

DOCUMENTATION

Creative Partners through the years

 Seated above is the late Fred Heckman, legendary radio newsman. My boss, mentor and frequent argument partner in the late 60's and 70's.  Standing behind him, next to me is RK Shull, the late syndicated newspaper columnist.  Arky was an Indianapolis newspaper figure from the 40's to 90's.

The PM/Evening Magazine team-1979. 

Kim Hood, Randy Miller and TC. It seems as though we spent decades together on the road in that van.  It was my first 2 years in television. 

 Kim and Tom in the old Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway-1980

 The WTHR Investigative Team 1980's

Steve Starnes-an award winning photographer and good friend and Ben Strout who became a business partner and eventually like a brother.

 With Co Anchor Anne Ryder and referees before the tip off a Pacers game.

1990's

 Ben and Martin Sheen during a shoot in our making of 

the 1999 Documentary, Virus of Violence examining links between school shootings and point and shoot video games. Martin was our presenter.

 On assignment in the Caribbean.

On assignment in Africa.

    Ben, who passed much too early, morphed from trusted colleague, to business partner to being a kind of brother. I liked that. My brothers were gone and Ben and I shared adventures.
   We escaped with our heads on shoulders and bodies in tact from more situations and incidents and survived more difficulties, obstacles and turmoil than with which one should tempt fate.

   We were vastly different personalities but as an investigative team, then as documentary producers and as business owners we were able to find that creative middle ground that Shenk explores. 

   Before all of this was radio.

   See you down the trail.

DYLAN SCORES-SEATTLE POUNDS-USING THE RAIN AND OTHER GOOD THINGS-CHEERS

GOOD THINGS
(For the Dylan surprise and the Super flop
read below--but first....)

     A painted sky, from the deck of friends Jacque and Mike.

THE FIRST RAIN OF THE YEAR

   The California drought was dampened with a bit of rain on Super Bowl Sunday.  A little more than an inch fell in the first measurable rain since last year, but conservation minded Californians went to work gathering what we could.

 Lana made repeated visit to empty a catchment vessel, filling storage containers. 

    The harvested rain water will irrigate a vegetable garden.

  All communities ought be more aggressive in harvesting rain flow. 

 MORE GOOD STUFF

   Comparing French Burgundy to Windward Pinot. Vintage tasting from 2000 to 2014. Our favorite was Windward in each year and these women are two of the best wine hostesses in the state, any year.

    Carpaccio covered with a Parmesan and truffle sauce!

    Catching the Moon and Venus in a ballet.

   And one more look at a rain wet deck-a delightful scene to dry Californians.

NOT SO GOOD

    Disappointed by the Super Bowl-not just the outcome, but the lack of excitement, balance, and competition.  Seattle's defense was relentless and effective. Denver's was not. 
     It is almost a sport to criticize Peyton Manning today, though not fair or objective. Manning never really got a chance, his line did very little to help, though his performance still set a record, but is of little consolation. Seattle's offense and especially Russell Wilson were champions. Seattle won the game, handily and deserve accolades.I wish it would have been closer, just because it would have been more fun. And while the Red Hot Chili Peppers are fun, I would have preferred a half time show with more Bruno Mars and less Peppers. But the party was cool, the company was great and the food was good, so, why should I complain.  Go 49ers!
     And while some of you are yelling "sell out," I was knocked out by the Bob Dylan Chrysler commercial. I certainly didn't see that coming! I was surprised that he'd do a commercial, yes, but I loved the tone and vibe of the piece he did.  
     I can't understand why folks would be upset. After all the music biz is just that, a business. Why shouldn't a poet, songwriter or rock star be able to earn a bit more by doing a commercial? It raises the quality of the advertising. Are artists supposed to give away paintings, or songs, or novels? I'm not sure it makes me want to buy a Chrysler, but I give them credit for making the American road, a patch of Highway 61.

    See you down the trail.

POSITIVITY

IN THE PINK

     The idea of relative values has been running in the back of my mind, making me smile.  Californians have been shivering and complaining about the cold snap we are enduring.  To be honest, it has been chilly, but....

      Temperatures here are approaching record overnight lows , low 30's and upper 20's.  Yes, cooler than normal, but compared to what most of the nation endures and what we experienced for all those decades in Indiana, well, you get the drift.  On one of our "cold" nights, I took something out to the trash, wearing a T-shirt.  I would not want to have stayed out long, but there were winter storm nights in the mid-west such an act could have been near lethal.  Relative values.

   This is Toccata, the signature piece in Lana's new exhibition at the Windward Vineyard Gallery.  It is a departure, or a return to her roots, after 6 years of doing
Plein Air work.  You can see more of the work by linking here.

    My sincere thanks to those of you who have written, asking about why the break in the blog posting.  I missed filing the Weekender, due in part to the two gents in the foreground.

   Mike Griffin, on the left, who I mentioned recently and Bruce Taylor, AKA Catalyst, who's own blog, Oddball Observations, is linked in the column to the right, are central to my excuse.  The 3 of us worked together back in 1969 and have remained fast friends since.  As you may recall, Bruce and his lovely Judy, have been inspirations in our life.  They are here, visiting and frankly we've been having too much fun to break away long enough to post.  I'm sneaking this one in quickly, awaiting Bruce and Judy's arrival for an afternoon and evening of more.

   See you down the trail.