WAITING A LIFE TIME TO SEE IT plus WHEEL TO WHEEL and WALL STREET WELFARE

Desert Blooms

    Lana said she had waited most of her life to see a saguaro cactus bloom.

   In the stretch from Phoenix to Prescott Valley and Sedona  the desert scrub is populated by the massive uprights and spears.

   Closer examination of these saguaro, that can age to 2 centuries, revealed blooms. Blossoms appear only when a cactus is at least 35 years. They grow their first arm at between 75 and 100 years.

   The blooms are short-lived and open at night during spring. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona.

  Other worldly and exotic they are native of the Sonoran desert in Mexico and Arizona, the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County area of California. In Arizona it is against the law to harm a saguaro.

Wheel to Wheel on the Pacific Coast Highway

    The Amgen Tour of California raced past Cambria in Stage 4-Morro Bay to Monterey-on the famed Highway 1.

   The lead of the pack as they approached the south edge of Cambria having just come up a long hill.

    Immediately the racers began to use the level stretch for changing positions.

    Just as rapidly they were past the first access to Cambria and on the way toward San Simeon, Ragged Point, Big Sur and Monterey at speeds of 25 to 35 mph. 

       Here they are just a few miles into a 133 mile stage.

    The Amgen Tour of California finishes in Sacramento.

WALL STREET WELFARE

    This may feel like a kick in the head. Oxfam America recently published a study that reveals for every dollar America's largest companies paid in federal taxes from 2008 to 2014 they got back $27 in loans, guarantees and bailout funds from the Federal Government. Once more--the top 50 American corporations pay a dollar in taxes and get back $27. Is that the kind of tax plan you are on?

      Oxfam reports that for every dollar spent on lobbying by the largest corporations they get $130 in tax breaks and $4,000 in federal loans and guarantees.

      Ray Offenheiser, President of Oxfam, says, "The global economic system is becoming increasingly rigged." Oxfam is a federation of groups working on poverty and economic disadvantage in some 90 nations. They've been a respected player since the 1940's.

      Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times writes that a recent study found that tax dodging by major corporations "costs the US Treasury up to $111 billion a year."  Imagine the infrastructure repair, increase in pay and benefits to police, fire and veterans and improvements to schools and teacher training and pay that could be accomplished.  Kristof notes that since 1952 the share of corporate taxation in federal revenue has declined from 32% to 11%, but as you know from your own paystubs the portion of payroll taxes has increased. 

      To paraphrase Shakespeare-Something is rotten and this time it is not in Denmark.

      See you down the trail.

NIGHT MOVES & THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO JON

Noir

    A challenge to photographers, night images have a special appeal. There is a delicate balance to achieve in light value to capture a genuine mood and night shots are full of mood. In the frame above I like the way the light from the street lamp pools while the clouds, house lights and trees hold their own value.

    Night images hold mystery. I was first fascinated with light values in the darkness when I delivered a morning newspaper route in my teens. From a sidewalk or street an illuminated room shines as though a stage.

   Shadow play is fascinating. Capturing an image, offering detail, architecture and shadow is another balancing act. Here we see the multiple textures of the tree, the brick weave, the feature of the fountain, block in the wall and still capture the shadows.

   Night scenes around water offer textured views.

JON THE BEARER

     Pundit, social critic, wit and bright guy Jon Stewart's comments to David Axlerod at the University of Chicago are some of the truest words of the 2016 campaign.

      He told the former Obama political wiz the Democrats and the Obama administration are responsible for what he called the man-baby of Donald Trump. Stewart said their inability to show the American voter an efficient and effective government helped pave the way for what he said was an "ass hole like Donald Trump" whom he also called a demagogue.

     His toughest words for Hillary Clinton have people either ready to take off his head or nodding in approval.

     "What do I think about Hillary Clinton is, you know...I imagine her to be a very bright woman without the courage of her convictions."

      Stewart challenged Clinton to be "authentic" and genuine and to show if "there is a real person underneath."  He said her campaign and communication style reminded him of Magic Johnson's attempt to be a talk show host. It was too much of an act and not real.

       I wonder how many others miss Stewart's nightly presence and the insight of his rapier wit?

       See you down the trail

ADJUSTED & UNDERCOVER IN THE TRUMP FEVER TENT

New Horizon

    There was more than one left turn as our friends Bruce and Judy drove us beyond scenic Jerome Arizona into Verde Valley Wine Country!  Yep, Arizona Wine Country! Who'd thunk it?!

   Their good recon work put us outside Cornville at scenic Page Springs Cellars.

    Judy is the undisputed queen of the picnic. Lana has been emulating her since an incredible repast in Red Rock Canyon country on a first visit many seasons ago.

    In cooling shade and near the Page Springs flow just off the nearby Oak Creek, the culinary magic happened again.

 Green white soup accompanied the cheeses, pate's, olives, fruit and more.  

    Arizona Wine Country offered up its own special charms as well.

   After a previous tasting we settled on a bottle of Vermentino as we sat near the budding crop.

   OK, full disclosure here. I was skeptical. After about a decade of living in the Paso Robles appellation, I guess I have become a "California snob," but winemaker Eric Glomski does a fine job. He did his training at a California winery and is helping to establish a burgeoning wine culture in Arizona.

   Page Springs Cellars is a lovely spot, featuring menu items grown in their nearby garden. It has lovely views and even a massage tent near the vines and the flowing Oak Creek.

    I belong to the school that believes wine is one of the great socializers of the world. Through history wine has been a source of collegiality. Most states now boast of wine growing and Arizona's adds to the virtues of The Grand Canyon state.

UNDER COVER IN

THE TRUMP FEVER TENT

    He and a couple of his pals decided to check out a Trump Rally in their Utah town. They were there to see the spectacle and to let someone know their sentiments, should the occasion arise. He's a sharp young business man, the son of dear friends. One of his buddies was a former newspaper colleague who we were told is uninhibited in his political expressions, especially his disdain for all things Trump.

    As fate would have it they were in the right spot as the  Trump goon squad began syphoning in a couple hundred folks from the some 3 thousand who had gathered in mass. In a moment they found themselves face to face with secret service and other security, being patted down and frisked before being ushered into a tiny theater. These would be hecklers were front and center. Our friend said his first impression was "Hate and racism are alive and well in Utah." 

    Clearly the trio was outnumbered and since they were not wearing cowboy hats and football sized belt buckles they were immediately targets of suspicion.  That is when his heart started to pound bit more rapidly. It ticked a bit more when the Trumpeters began handing out signs and banners as they spewed their Trumpisms. He said of course he needed to take one of the signs, not to do so might have landed him on the front page as another Trump protester being pounded by the Trump true believers.

    A few Utah right wingers and political sorts came to "warm up the crowd." This is when our friends son thought he might just end up pulp.  As a Congressional candidate began extolling the virtues of Utah and a piece of legislation he had backed, the young man's uninhibited friend began to heckle the speaker with a sign he had turned into a megaphone.  He said he could feel the force move, that would be the dark side. He sensed they were being surrounded by the Trump cowboys. His friend continued to heckle the speaker saying he was a sell out, a member of the establishment, part of the problem in government. He challenged him as not being a true Trumpeter. This was when the young man detected a significant shift in the vibe. Now the Trumpeters were giving the razz to the earnest Utah Republican who was eventually jeered off the stage as being an establishment lackey. 

     Ah, the poetry of it!  True Trumpeters, being led in the insurrection by a guy who had turned up to protest the Donald himself. Instead he was able to whip up this Trump Rally into booing out one of the few republicans willing to show up.

     As for Trump himself?  They decided just to listen. Our friends son said in his 20 minutes on stage it was more about show business, a kind of call and response. "We're going to build that wall!"  Massive response! "We're going to make American great again!"  Massive response!  And so it went.

The young man said he can't recall Trump completing one full sentence, or for that matter a full thought without jumping into some line that drew a response.  He said it was clearly performance.  But the rabble loved it. 

     It makes for a great dinner story. But it also makes for great insight. And so the Trump movement-moves.

     See you down the trail.

SPECIAL PLACES, PEOPLE AND TIMES

CATCHING THE CATS

    At home with the Catalyst and his buddy Blackwell. My longtime pal and mentor Bruce looks right, as his beloved Blackwell looks left. It is a special moment, being with dear old  longtime friends.

    

    The evening made even more special with this Indonesian feast prepared by Judy, aka SWMBO. We've been stealing recipes and food prep tips from Judy for a few seasons now. We are adding another page to the book.

     Bruce has blogged about our get together and you can find that to the right of this post in the Rich Blogs roll.

PRISTINE

      You are looking at a rare "pristine" culture of native species. This ledge, Arroyo Del La Cruz, is on the Pacific coast north of the Hearst Castle on route to Big Sur.
       It is one of the last patches free of non native and invasive vegetation. The shelf overlooks a secluded beach hidden to those who travel the famous Highway 1.

    It is an alluvium deposit patch of California begun in Lompoc some 95 miles south. Silt, clay, sand and gravel compressed and was moved by natural forces some 150 thousand years ago.

    Someplace near Lompoc there is chunk of earth that is a body double for this alluvium deposit.

    That mound in the frame below is a midden, a kind of refuse pile left by native residents centuries ago. Theories vary as to what tribe left the deposit-Salinan, Chalon, or Esselen. 

    See you down the trail.

THE TREE & THE FACTS

    Our good neighbor Karen asked what is that fluffy white snowball like tree blooming near our deck.

    I said it was a bit of a mystery, even to the expert arborist who keeps it healthy and trimmed. He thought it was a kind of Bottle Brush tree. Others told us it was called Paper Bark or that it was a kind of pepper.

   Our almost 19 inches of rain this year-the most in 5 years-agreed with it and it's been a magnificent bloom.

   Karen, who sees this exposure researched and learned it is a Melaleuca Linarifolia, also called Paper Bark and Bottle Brush.

   Full from the road, it is a center piece in a meditation spot Lana created just off our front deck.

   A closer look shows you why it's called Paper Bark.

    And the soft blooms look a bit like a bottle brush.

  Not sure how good it is for allergy sufferers, but it is beautiful.

GETTING AN ANSWER

    Hillary Clinton wasted no time in assembling the words of Jeb, Ted, Lindsey, Carly, John and others as they spoke of the Donald. It makes an effective commercial. We'll see a lot of that kind of thing.

     Perhaps I'm hoping for too much, but I'd like to see the 2016 political media begin to act like adults. They could begin by emulating the pros of yesteryear who asked questions  until they got an answer-to the question they posed. They did not accept a rehearsed and canned political spiel. Refusing to answer directly and prevaricating has become business as normal. Getting a straight answer is especially necessary in the case of Trump. That is not to say they should not also press Clinton, but she has a record, defined positions, actions and a voting record. Trump is only pie in the sky promises, double talk (he repeats himself endlessly) and braggadocio. 

      Americans will vote for whomever they choose, but when it is the Presidency at issue it is wise to extract as full a measure of the candidate's thoughts, mental facility and understanding of issues as can be extracted. Trump has been given a pass, thus far. He's also a skilled deflector. It's time for the high priced media talent to begin showing the mettle to demand substantive answers from Drumpf.

     Unseemly as it is more than a few Republicans will begin to close ranks around their nominee. They did it with Barry Goldwater last century. There will be even reluctant endorsers, that is what political parties do. Though none will provide the humor of Governor Christie. He's come to resemble a neglected orphan in a  Charles Dicken's setting, transformed into a kind of adoring lap puppy licking up whatever it is his master spews his way. And Donald spews.

      He'll get new staff, position analysts and policy guides and he will suddenly have people feeding his brain. But we all know it is just a cram. Until Hillary stands on stage with him at a debate, and don't you imagine she can be tough, we can hope the media will begin to see what's beneath that orange top. 

      See you down the trail

EXPECTATIONS AND VIEWS

fresh

the tribes

steps

powered up

lows

    Low information and high motivation are grumpy parents. The offspring is a chimera now morphing the DNA of the  body politic and it's occurring before our eyes. It isn't the Revolution you expected, but it is televised and phoned, tableted, app'ed, and alogrithimzed.

     The 2016 Presidential race is a warrant. We see from the campaign trail a disturbing image of America.
     Donald Trump campaigns like pitchmen who sell products on late night tv, tweets like a mouthy punk and does so with the frequency of a hormone riven teen, but an American political party has been unable to stop him. 
     My wise friend with a rich experience in law says, "some of us are dinosaurs." The ethic of election campaigns is a moving storm and what used to make sense seems now frequently out of mode. 

    Still, it is hard to imagine a majority of American voters choosing to cast for someone who campaigns with the rhetorical skills of a carnival barker. What about temperament? Where are the first shadings of a policy standard? Where is a sign of intellect up to the complexity of diplomacy? What in his history would lead a voter to conclude he would/could work in the political culture that is the Federal Government. Yes, hard to imagine, but he hasn't gone away and he fans anger and fear.

     There is no data that shows Trump with the ability to win a national election. His followers are a fraction of a fractured party. But he's had more impact than expected. Expectations are not to be trusted anymore and that was a point my wise friend made. That, and old rules are loosing function.

      Boomers watch as reaction times shrink and depth disappear. This political season has been cheap and brawling. Americans who believe governance needs a higher tone and better participants can only shake their heads. In the end Mr. Trump should be marginalized, but those he has rallied will remain inflamed. And one wonders how the circus will play in 4 more years. In politics imitation is not flattery, it is the norm. Have we crossed a Rubicon? Are short attention spans, selfish anger, missing historical perspectives and form over content new rules?

highs

     High praise to Don Cheadle for Miles Ahead, the non biopic film on Miles Davis.  Cheadle directed and starred in an impressionistic triptych fantasy that presents snatches of the great trumpeters life, moving forward and backward, in and out of reality. It is an artful and arty film and features extraordinary music. It is Davis's music but mostly done by cover players, brilliant in their own right. This is not a purist's tale and there are wild diversions brought from imagination, but they still help shape a "sense" of Davis. 

       Miles Davis influenced jazz in several iterations as well as bop and even rock in immense ways. He was a strange cat with exotic ways and tastes but he left a musical heritage. Cheadle does not define Miles Davis for the history books, but he gives us a playful and excellent entertainment that in the end shines the Davis mystique. Cheadle is brilliant as Davis and bold and imaginative as a director.

     See you down the trail.

FIELD TRIP

A FRENCH ACCENT

      It was a lovely spring day and the lure of the Paso Robles  wine region was irresistible. 

     As your surrogates a group of us immersed in the French connection of Tablas Creek.

   A purveyor of Rhone varietals, Tablas Creek has a long relationship with the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastle in Provence'. There is a French accent here.

    A walk in a vineyard and a picnic accompanied with content from one of these is a cure for election fatigue. And it is a fine way to spend an afternoon with friends. 

    Cheers!

    See you down the trail.