"ASHAMED AND SORRY" UPDATING THE POST--CLEARING YOUR HEAD & GETTING IT SAID-- WITH A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT

RESNICKS "ASHAMED AND SORRY"
Make restitution in Paso Wine Region

    The Tribune reporter Lindsey Holden reports Stewart and Lynda Resnick, owners of Justin Vineyards say "they were asleep at the wheel" when their company cut thousands of oak trees, denuded a large hill side and began work on an illegal holding pond that would have sucked 6 million gallons of water, frightening nearby neighbors and farmers worried about their wells. Holden quotes them as saying they are "ashamed and sorry."

     The good news is they plan to give the 380 acre parcel to a local nonprofit group and say they are looking for conservation opportunities. They promise to plant 5 thousand new oaks.  

      As we have noted previously neighbors and other growers were worried by the Resnick actions. Since our original posts the LA Times and the San Luis Obispo Tribune and other media have given the growing story a lot of attention. Major restaurants have dropped Justin Wine from their menus and boycotts of the Resnick products Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful and Justin wine have begun. All of these products are produced by Wonderful Company. 

      The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors issued stop work orders and is investigating potential violations.  

       Holden reports Wonderful reported income of $3.8 billion 

  in 2014.  Since the Resnick purchase of the prestigious Justin label from Justin Baldwin they've experienced staff turnover, loss of a premier winemaker, have increased production levels and begun a mass marketing campaign.

Long time fans have dropped membership in the wine club and complained about the drop in quality of the product. The Justin operation is "corporate" while the majority of Paso Robles appellation winemakers are smaller, independent, boutique, mom and pop and artisan.

Fresh

Moonstone Beach, Cambria Ca     

    It is always a good place to clear your head. Politics, discord, warm temperatures and whatever disappear in the breeze and lullaby of the surf.

the intersection 

 the solo walker

 the mystery of where rocks land-why here?

 closer looks

 the world awaits

In a Council Chamber not far away

   The once revered Justin Winery took a verbal beating before the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors investigating land use irregularities and tree cutting on Justin property.

    Lindsey Holden of the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports dozens of farmers, residents and environmentalists decried practises by the winery owned by Stewart Resnick and his Wonderful Company.

     The county is considering penalties for trying to build a water storage pond and grading violations that neighbors say threaten their wells.

      Supervisor Bruce Gibson is quoted as saying "it is the most appalling demonstration of corporate greed I've seen in a very long time."

       Holden reports Chairwoman Lynn Compton told of how growers talk about how they grew up respecting the land and caring for it  "And then you have some out of town corporation....and they really come in and spoil it for everyone."

      As we posted previously, when Justin Baldwin owned the winery his product was highly regarded. Since sale to the Resnick group the wine appears to be just another commodity in a business that sells Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful and other products. Several fine dining establishments have dropped Justin and many former fans talk about a cheapening of the product. The ethos of Justin seems entirely out of place and character in the Paso Robles appellation which is gaining reputation for quality and a friendly and accessible counterpoint to Napa, a corporate wine region. 

      The Board of Supervisors is considering new Oak protection ordinances for that rural area, similar to those in place elsewhere.

The Gun Fight

    It appears the next battle ground for gun control, safety and regulation will be in state legislatures. The Supreme Court has permitted state regulation, consistent with their rulings on the Second Amendment. Further the US Congress is impotent and under the control of the NRA and their fellow gun industry lobbyists.  

    The state level fight worked for previous social issues, including marriage. In addition former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg vows to fight the NRA perversion of Congress. He's probably got deeper pockets and is a lot tougher than LaPierre.

    Interesting times we inhabit eh?

    Remember to take a walk once in a while.

    See you down the trail.

SUMMER COOL, LIVE AND LET LIVE, LIVE OAK SCENES

COOL SUMMER

      As temperatures "over the hill" on the other side of the Santa Lucia mountains rise, it draws moisture from the Pacific through the Templeton Gap, Highway 46, and leaves this side of the range shrouded in a cool marine fog.

    It ghosts in, filling valleys and creating a mood and ambiance. Evening is the preferred time of this cooling mist during summer. We can transition from bright cobalt sky and sun to a wispy fog in just moments.

LIVE AND LET LIVE

or leave

    Boomers grew up with the concept of "the melting pot," America as place where diverse cultures met and lived jointly. Somewhere along the timeline it became important to some that they not share a common good and still honor their unique history, instead they became tribal, standing off and finding fault with meeting in the middle. Subsequently sub groups grew, denigrating shared culture and fostering an attitude that a melting pot culture was wrong. Now there are some who would destroy what we have become to live according to their precepts, imposing them. Yes there are external threats, Isis and that sort, but homegrown separatists exist. I'm not sure how it happened, when the disrespect began, when narrow and selfish emerged. Thank heavens that view remains less than normative, but it's growing. As generations spend more time on screens and less in real life interaction I wonder if we only exacerbate it.

Diversity, where heritage and culture are celebrated is beautiful and makes the whole stronger and more interesting.

LIVE OAK NATION

business

African Guitar Summit at Live Oak Music Festival

    Frequent readers have seen previous posts from the Live Oak Music Festival, a premiere fund raiser for central California coast public radio, KCBX.

    Nestled in a magnificent live oak grove near Lake Cachuma and the San Marcos pass north of Santa Barbara, it is a weekend of magnificent music, camping, family gathering, fun and merchandise.
     This year's snap shots tend toward the vendors.

   As they say "peace, love and dirt." It's become a multi generational affair over the last 28 years. This year daughter Katherine joined us for the first time and she too approved!

OAK TREE UPDATE

     As the county continues its investigation of the Justin Winery ownership for large scale cutting of oak trees, improper land clearing and lying about their intent, a boycott of Justin wines has begun.

     Several San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles restaurants have dropped Justin wines. Individuals are stopping their purchase of Justin as well. Once owned and operated by Justin Baldwin, it is now the province of Stewart Resnick's big business empire that includes Fiji water, Pom Wonderful and other products.

     Neighbors have expressed concern about Justin's  intention to build a lake or reservoir that would have sucked huge amounts of water out of the already hard pressed aquifer. Longtime fans complain about the change the new owners have brought to a once prestige wine maker and for the attitude they evince in a friendly and family like wine region. Stay tuned.

    See you down the trail.

JUST-WHAT IS IT? & SWEET ENDINGS

Flag Day in Cambria

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Abraham Lincoln

THE BLOODY NRA

     In a parallel world where the morality of the NRA rules human hearts instead of Judeo-Christian values or those of other faith systems and beliefs, Wayne Lapierre would be gunned down by an AR 15.  In this world Lapierre has been an accomplice in the gunning down of innocent men, women and children. 

     The NRA and every member of Congress or a state legislature who has not advocated or voted to ban or restrict sales of the AR 15 have the blood of Orlando, Newtown, Auora and San Bernadino on their hands. The bullshit machine of the gun manufacturing and sales industry and the NRA has tried to sell this nation on the "sporting, hunting and self defense" qualities of the AR 15, a civilian model of the M 16 military rifle. The truth behind the fraud is greed, the sales of a gun.

     With federal trainers, ATF and FBI agents, local and state law enforcement personnel and US Army weapons instructors I have used AR 15s and many other weapons and handguns and with proficiency. There is no sound reason the AR 15 should be in civilian hands. AR 15s are designed to kill and the semi automatic nature of such weapons can be easily turned into rapid fire purveyors of death. Anyone who tells you anything else is either a liar, coward or someone who needs to prove masculinity or feminine macho with a gun.

     There are better hunting weapons. There are other weapons that require greater skill and mastery for sport and competitive shooting. There are plenty of other weapons that could be used for self defense-but God help us if we descend to the absurd theory being advocated that if more people are armed there would be fewer victims of mass shootings.

      The issues of gun safety, registration, control and all the peripheral arguments aside, the sale of assault weapons to the public is simply stupid and dangerous. Not to do something about it only moves us closer to that parallel world.

BOYCOTT JUSTIN?  

       When Justin Baldwin owned and managed the Justin Winery it was a place of quality, sustainability and a prestige label in the Paso Robles appellation. The flag ship Isosceles was an expensive wine but award winning and well respected. How far Justin has tumbled since Mr. Baldwin sold the operation to the Wonderful group owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick the people behind POM Wonderful and Fiji Water and other enterprises.

        Presently San Luis Obispo County is investigating the practices of Justin winery. After a couple of years of complaints from the family-like Paso Robles wine industry, Justin is being seen in an interesting light.  A couple of years ago people complained that Justin had begun cutting revered California Live Oak trees, in droves. During the height of the drought Justin began clearing land and planting new vines. And they were said to be over irrigating. Many shook their heads.

        Aside from staff departures, the destruction of a beloved rose garden, they increased the volume of wine made. Under Baldwin the label found a level of case production that assured the quality people expected. That changed. Californians, familiar with Justin, found the wine on shelves and restaurants as far as Florida, where the once vaunted wine tasted nothing like the old limited quality product. 

      I pass this along and label it as gossip-I cannot prove the  veracity though anecdotally this has gained wide circulation in the local wine industry-where Baldwin produced something like 200 thousand cases a year, the Resnick regime is trying to push it to 1 million or more. They do sell a lot of pomegranate juice and bottled water, but a high quality wine is different. Baldwin loved wine and winemaking as do most of the Paso winemakers. It appears the new Justin is simply the manufacture of a commodity in pursuit of more sales.

      In the meantime they are being investigated for killing many prized California Live Oak-something you can not do-scraping hillsides and lying to the county about their intentions. They display the arrogance of a "one percenter" in a community known for friendly, cooperative, environmentally sensitive practices where there is a devotion to quality wine. We know people who are dropping their membership. Others are talking about a boycott. And the local government may have sanctions in store for a bad neighbor. It's my take the Resnick operation would be more at home in Napa.

A BETTER TASTE

    An apple rosette made by my daughter Katherine.

    A Zuccotto made by Chef Giovanni of the Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough Playhouse in Cambria.

GREAT PERFORMANCES

    Bryan Cranston as LBJ in the HBO adaptation of the stage production All The Way. Melissa Leo as Ladybird, Bradley Whitford as Senator Hubert Humphrey, Frank Langella as Senator Richard Russell.

    Also first class Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins in the teledrama The Dresser.  Good work too from Emily Watson and Edward Fox.

    See you down the trail.

MOMMA PRESIDENT...A DOG HOLE PORT... A SUNDAY IN '35...

MOTHER AS PRESIDENT

     Hillary Clinton's nomination would set up a potential shift in the American psyche, the likes of which we have not seen.

      US citizens, consciously or unconsciously, think of the President as a default "Father" figure. One could build a case that it started with our reference to George Washington as the "Father of our Country," and followed from there in a largely patriarchal society. Hillary would cause a shift.

       The US adapted, not entirely successfully, to a Black President. The next adaptation would be to a Mother President which I submit would be even more profound. Both Obama and Clinton carry "historical narratives" and with those come historical disruptions, which by themselves are positive, even progressive. It is the manner of reaction in the short run that can be sensitive.        

        If Hillary is elected it would be probably the last definitive cultural change brought by the boomer generation, the parting echo of the 60's counter cultural revolution. It would be a big deal here, but women leaders of nations is not news. That it would be such a big story here is further evidence of how hung up, fossilized, old school and out of touch is US politics. This breeze stirs a haunting refrain from long ago, that is more than an anachronism, "Oh, the times, they are a changing..." It's about time many would say.

  

PARTINGTON COVE

       Nautical drama played out in the shallows beyond the trees rimming Partington Cove south of Big Sur.

  You are looking at a "dog hole port" as they were known in the late 19th century.

  The remains of a tunnel transports you to the scene of 1870's adventure.

  It was here that schooner captains proved their mastery of the sea by bringing their sailing ships into this dog hole port. They were so called because in the idiom of the day, there was "barely room for a dog to turn around."

  A 125 year old tie up remains witness to the loading of tan bark product that took place here below the famed Partington Ridge in Big Sur.

  There were no engines or motors, only wind and water for the captains to command as they battled their way along the rugged California coast. These were isolated areas but rich with Tan Bark trees that were used by San Francisco tanners north up the coast. The captain would read the tide and pilot his schooner into these tight quarters as crewmen went to work loading the bark that had been harvested on the other side of the mountain in thick oak and redwood forests.

   It is hard not to be impressed by the enterprise and heroics of 1870-1890 commerce that plied along this rugged coast.

   Construction of a tunnel, for example, that was build to last.

THE LOCAL RODEO

  This is from a Hearst Ranch historical display in San Simeon. Cambria's 8th Annual Rodeo program for Sunday June 30, 1935.  I note the Rodeo was preceded on Saturday night and followed on Sunday by Cowboy Dances.

   I took pleasure too in noting the ad on the left from the Cambria Development company, promising longer life in Cambria Pines by the sea.  

   See you down the trail.

COUPLING--LANDS END--REMEMBERING ALI and GILKEY

Final Acts

    Muhammad Ali was just a bit older than Boomers but he always seemed like one of us. His life arc paralleled ours. Of all that has and will be said of him and his big life I prefer to think of his legacy as courage. He was brave, in many ways.

      After boxing he lived for a while in southern Michigan and was involved in several events and causes in the Midwest including Indianapolis. It was in this context I met Ali. Even during those few years of his mid-west residency we saw the continuing toll of the disease that robbed him of so much, yet I remember his smile, his winks and his air boxing jabs that delighted kids. He never ducked a question and he always spoke with conviction.

      If you are ever near Louisville make a point to visit the Ali Museum. The scope of his life and the breadth of his influence in the world is extraordinary.

      He was tenacious in life as he was in the ring. He entertained and he challenged us and to quote his old faux nemesis Howard Cosell, Ali "told it like it was."

      "He who is not courageous enough to takes risks will accomplish nothing in life"

                            Muhammad Ali

In the line of duty

     Condolences to the family and friends of award winning photographer David Gilkey, killed with interpreter Zabihulla Tamanna in Afghanistan.  Gilkey worked for NPR and was embedded with Afghanistan and American forces when the vehicle he was in was hit by an RPG.  

      We are regular NPR listeners and web viewers and have seen Gilkey's work as well has heard his voice when interviewed by NPR correspondents and reporters. He's won many awards for his brilliant photography. The NPR news team has been emotionally shaken by the killing of one of their own. Our hearts are heavy when  fellow journalists and news gatherers are lost in the line of duty. 

     

Matchmaking

     Who are the running mates? Speculation season is full tilt.

TRUMP AND ?

      Chris Christie

    Niki Haley

    John Kasich

      Newt Gingrich

     Ben Carson

Captain America

The Incredible Hulk

Sara Palin

HILLARY AND ?

Corey Booker

Julian Castro

Wesley Clark

Tim Kaine

Bernie Sanders

Elizabeth Warren

and others

       The challenge for Trump is to find someone who gives him credibility and acceptance. It will need to be someone with his kind of bravado, but with real experience.

        The wisest choice for Hillary may be Sanders. Why?

Because of his own appeal and his millions of followers. Anyone else is a guess when it comes to getting national votes. Sanders has proven he can ignite even more fervent support than Clinton. Some of those Sanders voters may not follow Hillary, but they likely would if Sanders were VP. The Senator has pushed Clinton. A reconciliation would be a strong plus and would give a range of Democrats cause to get out the vote. It could keep millions of Democrat voters in line.

         Still, my buddy Ray has a novel ticket suggestion-

Joe Biden and Colin Powell.  Hmmmmmm!

          Stay tuned. 

On the Edge

        Environmental campers near Lampton Cliff in Cambria are up close and personal with the Pacific, ocean breezes and soaring birds. 

      See you down the trail.

        

GOLDEN MOMENTS

    Surrounded by Gold

Series of photos around Cambria

Golden Memory

     She could not have known the affect she had baked. The first bite was as though being belted into a time machine and delivered to an address in the early 1950's.

      Since Christmas a couple of years ago a jar of genuine English mincemeat sat in the back of the pantry. Lana put it to life in pie-cobbler. No top crust, just the savory sweet and unique taste, so authentic it time shifted me. My English grandmother and her sisters made mincemeat pie when they shared a large home, very much like a boarding house, on West Jackson Street in Muncie. Most of them were widows by then and frankly their English culinary skills were not to my liking as a lad with a couple of exceptions, ox tail soup and mincemeat pie.

      It had been decades since I tasted real mincemeat pie and each taste fired synapses deep in the memory file, vividly. I could smell the various perfumes of my great aunts, hear the sounds of that big house, feel the buzz as extended family gathered for Thanksgiving or Christmas. What a sweet and naive time it was. And what a wonderful taste!

Generation Shift

      My great aunt Martha who eventually survived all the others used to marvel at the progress she had seen and told my brothers and me we would see things she could not even dream of. My mother and father also welcomed the promise of the future and new thinking. Not everyone is wired that way.

     While most of the focus has been on the candidates in this cycle there is a glimpse of the future in the supporters and that is probably most true in Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.

     Trump is a sentry of the old and changing structure; Whites, mostly older white men and women, some angry, some frustrated and most frightened by the disruptive nature of the future. More about that in a moment.

      Look at the faces and age of the massive crowds that Bernie Sanders has attracted coast to coast. Young, all sex and gender identity, culturally diverse and very much at home with disruption.

      Disruptive innovation, big data and the shared economy are forces that are shredding old ways and creating new businesses, opportunities, economic models, ways of living and in essence our future. Trump's supporters have more difficulty getting their heads around such concepts. Sander's supporters are already living lives that make Uber, Airbnb, 

metadata analysis, cooperative living, Instagram news and more, a reality. 

       20 years in the future? Most of Trumps supporters will be dead. Sander's demographic strength will be the most viable political voting block in the US.

      Based on the fervent support they have given Sanders, and the ease with which millennials adapt to disruptive influence and data processed lives, the formulating will of the American electorate will be much more inclined to a Sander's vision of government than any of the other candidates in this year. By 2036 a form of social Democracy may well be the model for being elected. I think we are seeing the first signs of that in Sander's appeal to those who will be the bulk of the future.

      Boomers are a fault line. Some take comfort in the knowledge of what they know, the richness of their lives and memories. They like things as they are. New operating systems on phones or computers, new designs in cars, new music, fashion and etc are annoyances. Others are still early adopters, fascinated by new art, cinema, technology, eager to use it, unintimidated by diverse mores, excited about the appointments of shared economy, comfortable with change including the relinquishing of power. 

      At the risk of annoying friends elsewhere-the most exciting region in the US now is the bay area-San Francisco-San Jose-Santa Rosa. Technology, information, data, money, ideas, innovation, space science, energy, automobiles, medical research and application are proportionately more robust and fully engaged in the Bay Area than anywhere else. Disruptive influence, big data, new business models and new politics thrive. That too is a glimpse of the future.

     Watch the politics there, a generation shift foretold. I hope as I continue my march to old boy irrelevance I will be excited by new technology, scientific advance and can still find mincemeat pie.

Surrounded by Gold

   See you down the trail