THE DAILY BOSCO

Fixing The NFL Pro Bowl

2012-01-30T03:32:00.000-08:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

You know me. I'm a Problem Solver.

For years I've been working on the major issues. You know...World Peace, World Hunger.....finding the right formula for the NFL Pro Bowl.

I don't know about you, but I can not find a more boring All-star game than the NFL Pro Bowl. Out of all the major sports, this has to be the worst and most uninteresting.

First of all, two teams...the Super Bowl teams, aren't even represented. So this year we didn't even get to see Tom Brady and Eli Manning in the All-Star Game. Second of all, half the guys don't even want to be there. The other half that actually go usually half ass it. Thirdly, they always play it in Hawaii. A lot of us don't even get to go see it in person.

So I was watching the National Hockey League All-Star game on Sunday and then it hit me. The NFL could learn a lot from the NHL.

What the NHL has done is pick two captains and they choose up sides for their All-star game. No East - West matchup. No AFC-NFC matchup. No US vs. the World format. Just like when the guys were kids when they would play out on the frozen pond. They brought the fun back to the game.

With that in mind, here is my modest proposal for the NFL Pro Bowl. Are you ready for this?

Play the NFL All-Star game on Thanksgiving Day...Roughly in the middle of the season....like most All-Star games.

Then you pick two captains who choose up sides from a pool of All-stars and play a flag football game on some field in Mid-America or somebody's backyard....at an undisclosed location then televise it.

No coaches either. Seriously, how many times have you watched an All-Star game to watch the coaches?

Can you think of anything more American than playing touch or flag football on Thanksgiving? Having the bye week during Thanksgiving will allow the players to rest up and get ready for the playoff run. Playing Flag football will minimize injuries which is always a concern about the NFL All Star game.

And I don't want to hear about scrapping the traditional Thanksgiving Day NFL games in Dallas and Detroit. We can watch this new game on Thanksgiving now and instead of overeating and sitting down in front of the television to watch another game or two...maybe this will inspire a lot of us to go outside, get some exercise and play our own family/friends touch football games.

And if you really need a second game to watch on Thanksgiving maybe they could have a flag football game between two teams of NFL Cheerleaders on the under card.

Love, Loss, Truth, and Transparency

2012-01-29T09:04:00.000-08:00

Subterfuge
STAGES Theatre
400 E. Commonwealth Ave.
Fullerton, CA
Written By Tiina Mittler
Directed By Andrea Freeman
Through February 18
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

One of the biggest challenges of being a parent is making decisions on what to tell your child and what not to tell them.

A lot of us are inclined always to be transparent and honest with our kids. But what if there is something in our past lives that we did that could potentially be harmful in the development and the well being of our children? Then what do you do? Be cautious and not say anything? Or, be forthcoming?

That is the dilemma facing Maeghan (Cleta Cohen) in Playwright Tiina Mittler's first effort "Subterfuge". The play runs at Fullerton's STAGE's Theater until February 18.

Laurel (played wonderfully by Candice M. Clasby) returns to her Midwestern home after the death of her husband to try to sort out her life, grieve, and try to figure out what the next step will be when she stumbles across some old family secrets. The play centers around Laurel attempting to unravel the mysteries of her family's life with the help (or more aptly, the non-help) of her mother Maeghan, family friend Grace (Judy Jones) and Grace's daughter and Laurel's childhood friend Laci (Tanya Raisa Mironowski).

Wonderful and warm performances by the elder members of the cast, Cleta Cohen and Judy Jones and great Direction by Andrea Freeman.

The only criticism of this play is that it is too short. Clocking in under just 50 minutes, the play almost feels as if you are watching a Pilot episode of a Television series. That is not necessarily a bad thing but I really wanted to know more about these characters and what happens next in their lives. On the other hand, knowing how to "write tight" is a skill a lot of writers don't necessarily grasp. Tiina Mittler seems to understand the concept.

This is a great first effort by playwright Mittler, who is the Stage Manager at Brea's Curtis Theater. Subterfuge leaves you wanting to see more from this writer.

I also love the fascinating and busy set design by Fred Kinney. The story takes place in Maeghan and Grace's antique store in the Midwest which doubles as Maeghan's home. Having an antique and collectible business, I didn't go anywhere during intermission checking out all the collectibles and antiques on the stage. Shhh! The set is also used for American Buffalo which is also running now at Stages.

And speaking of American Buffalo, this is the opening of the 20th season at STAGES Theater in Fullerton and along with Subterfuge , these two shows really define what STAGES is. On one hand you have the new, fresh and original Subterfuge and on the other hand you have the troupe doing an established and seminal work by David Mamet.

If Subterfuge is any indication, this is going to be an exciting year for live Theater in town.

On Snow, Daughters, and Winter Memories

2012-01-28T06:08:00.001-08:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Today it will snow in my hometown of Fullerton, Southern California, USA

It never actually really snows in my hometown but that doesn't stop us from going up to the nearest mountain and bringing back a big truckload of snow and depositing it by the Dam so we can play in the cold white stuff.

I bet if you go to above the Arctic Circle in Alaska about now, I'm sure most of those folks would think we were crazy. "You can have OUR snow", they would be saying..."Take all you want!...You crazy looney tunes"

If you can't go to the mountain, bring the mountain to...

Which got me to thinking that this probably isn't such a bad idea really. That's because most of my fondest memories of my kids and family had snow added.

I was thinking specifically this week about the winter season of 26 years ago. I was spending some time with my young family in the Southern California mountain community of Big Bear. My daughter, 6 at the time, and I took some time off from the rigors of playing in the snow by our cabin or roasting marshmallows to take a drive into Big Bear City for a bite to eat. This was when we came across this luge ride out by the lake. We had to try it. As expected, we became instantly addicted to it and spent the whole afternoon there. We were pretending to be a part of the USA two man luge team and we were timing ourselves on the run to get better so we could qualify for the Olympics...in our minds.

I remember this so clearly. The cold clean mountain air was rushing into our faces as we kareemed down the mountain...faster and faster. With every turn we would lean in unison and with every trip we got faster and better.

On about the fourth trip down we took a turn too fast...the sled almost went over the enbankment which could have been really disasterous. I remember watching Wide World of Sports and they had this happen in a luge race...They never found the guy. We kept it on the track but both my daughter and I broke away from the sled and started to slide sledless and on our backs and apart from each other down the track.

For a moment I stopped being a kid and went back to being the responsible parent. Maybe this wasn't the safest thing for a six year old and her father to be doing...and I suggested that we go back to the cabin. And my daughter, in a way that would become her persona as an adult said "Let's try it again Dad. I'm OK."

Fast forward 23 years later. A couple of things triggered this memory about my daughter. In March 2008, my daughter, then 27 and I decided on a whim to run the Los Angeles Marathon. She had never ran or walked more than ten miles before in her life. At the ten mile mark her hip started hurting. She could have packed it in at that point. Especially since her apartment was literally a two minute walk from that point of the race. But she didn't give up. She got to an aid station, took some Advil, and continued on. She finished the race. She and I went across the finish line arm and arm.

The other thing Nadia did in 2008 was start a new business...in the horrible economy. Nadia is like me in the aspect that we are either too naive or stubborn to listen to naysayers that say this is not a good time to be starting businesses. So far, her business is doing quite well.

One Saturday a few years ago, I went to Los Angeles to help her get some furniture for her apartment. We could have had the stuff delivered...we had to make four stops to pickup stuff she had bought and load it into the apartment...but it gave us a rare moment to be together. A lot of funny stuff happened and we laughed a lot as we wove around West LA and Hollywood, well kind of like we were on that sled going down the mountain 25 years ago.

My daughter is scheduled to come over this weekend. Maybe we'll go over to the snow they have dumped in Fullerton and do Luge runs...For old times sake.

Wide World of Sports On Steroids

2012-01-28T03:48:00.001-08:00

ESPN3.com
Online 24/7
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

I have to tell you that I am completely addicted to ESPN 3.com, the online live and recorded sports network. Everything is suffering...my writing...my social life is in the dumpster. And I was trying to figure out why I liked it so much.

The reason is that it's a throwback to the start of ESPN.

Remember before ESPN had all the major sports contracts how they used to fill programming time with stuff like Australian rules football, the USFL, Lumberjack competitions....wherever there was a live sporting event..they would be there. Kind of like the Wide World of Sports for 24 continuous hours.

This is what espn3.com is like. Here I was last fall watching Futsal at 5:00 in the morning. Futsal is a great sport. They play soccer on a basketball court with a small goal...there's no walls. I can't believe thay can keep the ball in bounds for more than ten seconds. Then this week I'm watching the Australian Open, and not just the major stuff...all action on all courts....then the practice of a NASCAR sprint race....not the qualifying round...not actual race...practice. Then they even have basketball games from Italy at 3 in the morning. This is my kind of network.

I was able to see every pitch of the last World Baseball Classic, plus NBA basketball, almost every NIT basketball game, the NCAA basketball play-in game and much more.

ESPN3 really excels on Saturdays. Wall to wall coverage of at least 20 college basketball games live. During football season it was 20 college football games. It's hard to pull me away from the I-touch or my laptop.

For access...go to www.espn3.com and log in. Bosco Radio Sports also links to many of the events on espn3.com

The Days After The Worst Day

2012-01-27T03:43:00.001-08:00

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Directed by Stephen Daltry
With Tom Hanks, Thomas Horn,
Sandra Bullock, and Max VonSydow
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed By Richard Miranda, The Daily Bosco

With the war in Iraq over and the country turning its attention to politics and the economy, it may be an odd time to be drawn back to the events of 9/11 or as young Oskar Schell refers to it, “the Worst Day”. But this story isn’t really about a national tragedy or a war or even the day that changed the world for many of us. It’s the story of a journey, determination and resolution.

You won’t necessarily enjoy this movie, that is, you won’t walk out of the theater with the usual Hollywood, warm fuzzy, everything’s tied up in a ribbon kind of feeling. I’d go so far as to say if you’re making an evening of it, wait and eat after the movie because your stomach may ache a bit as the story unfolds.

Oskar Schell is a young boy, incredibly intelligent but challenged by Asperger’s Disorder. His father (played by Tom Hanks) is devoted to him and supports and challenges his abilities particularly with serendipitous exercises that they refer to as Reconnaissance Expeditions. A series of clues that require young Oskar to not only use his deductive talents but to ask questions of the strangers and socially engage himself; a hurdle for people with Asperger’s. It would seem that all of this comes to a tragic end when his father dies in the collapse of the World Trade Center.

Oskar’s trouble coping with the loss of his father, compounded by his condition, furthers the emotional distance between his mother and himself that seemed to exist prior to the tragedy. Her own grieving only works to reinforce it. Eventually he discovers a key in his father’s closet which he takes to be a clue and the initiation of a final Reconnaissance Expedition to find what it unlocks. It is his own self-admitted attempt to keep the spirit of his father alive and part of his life.

The journey is the bulk of the story, culminating in this young boy’s realization that his father is gone. It’s an emotional realization as is most of the journey. And like many journeys there are people met along the way, a travelling companion and a conclusion that isn’t quite what’s expected.

The chronology jumps from time to time back to events in Oskar’s life prior to and including 9/11. While occasionally a bit disorienting the thread of story is fairly easy to follow and since it’s told primarily from the boy’s perspective it makes sense this way. The editing, score and camera work lend themselves to a certain intensity that reflects Oskar’s drive as well as a sympathy and concern for the character as he travels throughout the five burrows of New York on his quest. There’s distinct uneasiness in this and the fact that you’re not quite sure where this is all going that can easily manifest itself in that stomach ache mentioned earlier.

Oskar is aptly played by Thomas Horn whose previous experience in front of a camera consists of being a record breaking teen Jeopardy champion. His performance, while not exceptional is certainly credible. Noteworthy as a debut and quite an effort to follow if he decides to pursue acting as a career. Now, at 13, he maybe someone to watch for in the future.

Tom Hanks briefly plays Oskar’s father Thomas Schell. Ideal as the everyman that we all love to watch, his role is rather limited to the initial paternal encounters and a few flashbacks to develop the relationship between father and son that is the foundation of this story.

Sandra Bullock plays the mother with a reserve and restraint appropriate for the part. This part could’ve been schmaltzed up with a mother-lode of emotion but credit goes to Bullock and the director, Stephen Daltry, for opting for the less-is-more approach. Whether it be the Asperger’s or her own grieving, the character of Linda Schell is portrayed with a stoicism and reserve so as to allow her son the space he needs to come to terms with his father’s death. This reserve ultimately is appreciated by the son (and the audience) and reveals an insight and understanding that is superbly played by this wonderful actress. She is aged a bit for this part which facilitates not only the credibility of the character but the actress’s potential playing, older characters with substance.

Max VonSydow deserves recognition, not that he needs it, for his excellent performance as Oskar’s “travelling companion” on his expedition. He plays an elderly mute who communicates with “yes” and “no” tattooed on his hands, a notepad and, most exquisitely, with his facial expressions and body language. And not to forget John Goodman who checks in with little more than a cameo as the doorman for the apartment building, and verbal sparring partner with young Oskar.

With all this talent from these movie stars, and I refer to them in that fashion to emphasize the magnitude of their celebrity, it is to their credit as well as Daltry’s that they didn’t suck all the oxygen out of the room and leave little space for the principle character to operate. In this, they kept their star power on simmer and let Thomas Horn’s performance carry the load that it should.

This time of the year is awash in feel good movies and I suspect that there are even a few out there that are worth seeing. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is certainly not in the category of a Feel Good Movie. It originally came out on Christmas Day which I suspect it may have something to do with the Academy Awards but regardless it’s definitely worth your time and money. Like Oskar Schell, you may not be smiling at the end of the story but you’ll leave with a sense of satisfaction, enriched for the time spent which is hard to find in theaters this time of year.

How Working In The Garage With Dad Pays Off

2012-01-26T04:10:00.001-08:00

By Doug Vehle, The Daily Bosco

It was a common experience for a Japanese intelligence officer during the Solomon Islands campaign of World War II to wonder at the strange little vehicle Americans were using to clear fields and build airstrips. Their largely nonmechanized society was still engaged in horticulture, garden type farming, on a national level. Coupled with a provincial nature that left them with little understanding of life beyond their own local community they were unable to even identify a tractor, a farm vehicle so common in the United States that the U.S. military didn't have to train operators, they would assign new recruits who had grown up driving them on the family farm. The Japanese, meanwhile, were leveling airstrips with shovels and rakes, a slow process that left loose dirt at the surface rather than the solid ground that make the American airstrips far more serviceable in all weather. 'We didn't know what those machines were,' was the usual explanation of those intelligence officers after the war, 'But we could guess they meant trouble for us.' The Japanese would lose more planes in the Solomon's to landing accidents on fragile runways than in combat. It was their inability to troubleshoot these problems that left them unable to endure that war.

These is something Americans have come to expect to have; an advantage in producing results even though few understand why that advantage they expect even exists. Watching the U.S. Olympic Basketball team in 1992 as they tried to build 50 point LEADS in game after game (Succeeding twice) was more than just fun, so many thought of it as an entitlement Star American players griped at not getting to be a member of the team, while other countries would have been thrilled to have them. Never mind that it only happened because basketball was not only born and raised in the U.S., other countries weren't really playing all that much of it. Since then, the world has been catching up.

I think a lot about things like this lately, seeing such a dicotomy in my own predictament and that of so many other of the under unemployed. As I have to deal with the overabundance of qualified people in the television field, I spend my free time trying to build things. Let's just say I have no fear of poverty, just a raw terror at the thought of being idle, so I've gained quite an education in welding, machining and fabricating metal, motorcycle repair, composites: Literally, I've been going to school. The odd thing is I've already become more qualified at, say, building a prototype car or other forms of R&D than many people I've been meeting who hope to get one of the many jobs that are going unfilled in the area. Thousands of jobs in Southern California alone, with none of the unemployed able to fill them. Not that much they have to learn, either. How has our educational system sank so low that this can happen?

This on a day with the major news story about how there is no economic recovery at the moment. The socalled 'Stimulus Package' of the last few years has failed as miserably as it was destined to, there was nothing there that could ever have helped. Meanwhile, training the unemployed to fill existing openings that can't currently be filled is being cut once again.

So during the anniversary of the Battle of Midway last year (June 3-6, 1942) I was reminded of a magazine article published ten years before the battle that offered the uncanny insight that the Japanese would be unable to operate or service their equipment at a level to match the United States. The "Best Mechanics" would have grown up helping dad work on the car in the driveway as well as on other things, as adults they'd be ready to learn quickly. Those "Best Mechanics" were in the United States.

At the time of the invention of the forerunner to the tractor in 1850, the Japanese were in a period of forced isolation. In 1635 the Emperor had so feared European expansion and firearms he ordered all foreigners off his island. In 1853 the Japanese would be trying to drive away Commodore Perry when an impromptu artillery demonstration inspired their grudging cooperation. They attempted to melt down some church bells and build big tube guns of their own, but that didn't go well. After a riot by foreigners in 1869 led to a British warship shelling a Japanese harbor town, the government went to work reorganizing their society as part of a plan to build an empire and rule much of their part of the globe. The groundwork for World War Two was laid out in 1871.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Japanese bought 6 battleships from the British, unaware that the British considered the ships out of date and were replacing them with the larger, faster, more deadly Dreadnought class. The Japanese blithely went to work replicating the technology, believing they were bringing themselves up to date. Thus would they begin the myth of Japan as a superpower, a myth only they would believe at the time. By 1941 they operated the worlds' largest aircraft carrier fleet, with more under construction than the U.S., who had the 2nd largest. Even the Japanese questioned the functionality of their fleet, as they estimated the possibility of losing several of these ships to mechanical failures in the operation to bomb Pearl Harbor. While the U.S. staged their first mock Japanese attack simulation on Pearl Harbor in 1925, it was still considered improbable in 1941.

The story of Midway begins with the Battle of Coral Sea four weeks earlier, which greatly influenced the approach both navies took to the coming confrontation. Originally planning to support the Port Moresby/Tulagi invasions with light aircraft carriers, the Japanese decided to send what they considered to be the disappointing Zuikaku and Shokaku, the newest of the force that bombed Pearl Harbor, to gain some experience in hopes they could come to meet the standards set by the other four of Japan's top ships. While the Japanese were able to win the sea battle, there was enough damage to their forces that they canceled the land offensives. Meanwhile, the Japanese were unable to bring enough personnel to repair the only lightly damaged Shokaku or organize an air wing for the Zuikaku in time for the planned showdown to finish off the remnants of the American navy.

The American aircraft carrier Yorktown had been considered sunk by the Japanese along with the Lexington. With the Saratoga undergoing repairs in San Diego, there was the expectation of encountering only two American carriers at Midway. In fact the Yorktown was able to return to Pearl Harbor. The repair facilities were judged inadequate for the needs of the ship, estimates ran as high as six months in the state of Washington. With only three days worth of patchwork done by over one thousand technicians, additional planes and pilots from the damaged Saratoga were loaded and the semioperational Yorktown sailed. Had the Shokaku and Zuikaku been American ships, they would have participated in the Battle of Midway.

There was one advantage the Japanese navy held in the battle: Combat experience. They had used an unofficial military campaign in China for a decade as a way of developing their forces. All the while denying they were at war. The Americans at Midway would make the first air strikes on the Japanese fleet with pilots who had not seen combat and were improperly trained. The Army Air Force had limited their pilots to four hours of flying a month, requiring that eight takeoff/landing operations be conducted with that flight time. The Marines were similarly neglected in their development, as well as being given castoff equipment from the Navy such as the Vought Vindicator "Vibrator" divebomber.

Bombs were dropped from B-17's at such high altitudes that it gave ships time to maneuver away. As seaplanes and others launched torpedoes they were ill equipped to use, the Japanese struggled to suppress their laughter as the few hits proved to be duds. The World War One era torpedoes had been known to be defective, but the contractor had used political connections to resolve the problem. American submarines were able to launch but also suffered failure to detonate. More than 100 planes had been unable to inflict damage on the Japanese ships prior to the arrival of those experienced from actively flying raids on Japanese held islands, pilots of the Dauntless Divebombers from the Enterprise and the Yorktown.

No more than fifteen minutes after three bombs had struck the Soryu, the Captain ordered the crew off. He would be criticized for not allowing more effort to safe his ship, but witnessing the inept efforts of his crew convinced him this was hopeless. A Japanese ship might have 5% of the crew given some fire training without practice on their ship, with the expectation that if they couldn't handle the problem alone they could tell the others what to do. But it's estimated that under duress someone can lose as much as half their measurable IQ, have their physical agility, virtually being transformed into an ape that can only act out of instinct. No time for someone to be learning.

Had this been an American ship, the entire crew would have fire suppression training, with every man knowing his job and experiencing regular readiness drills. The decision to give up the Soryu quickly undoubtedly saved many lives.

The situation aboard the Kaga gave rise to many myths about an American junior officer who found himself in command of his ship after the death of senior officers and died saving his men. In fact the situation actually occurred aboard the Kaga, but quite differently than told. A mixup in splitting the bombers of the Enterprise to attack two ships sent nearly all after the Kaga, with at least five known hits that doomed the ship. This included the destruction of the superstructure, which killed the entire command staff.

Had this been an American ship, the crew would have continued knowing what to do. A former coworker, himself a longtime naval officer, once told me "You can disobey almost any order you want, you just better make it work out." The Japanese chain of command was structured on the concept of the vital few leading the ignorant many. Never mind what you hear about Japanese schools today, back then there was far less education and even less faith put in the undereducated. One junior officer put his men to work while the others waited for orders that would never come. The one officer was, in fact, now the highest ranked man onboard but didn't know it. He and his men would be driven overboard to escape the flames, leading to him desperately searching for a way back on board while others stayed safely in the water. Returning to the deck, he at last learned that he was in command. He made his one order a good one: "Abandon ship."

The crew of the Akagi, the flagship of the carrier fleet, would prove the most hapless of them all. The entire flight of Enterprise bombers intended to attack the Akagi had instead gone after the Kaga, causing three of the strike on the Kaga to evade them and fly toward the Akagi. While U.S. naval strategy at the time would call it a wasted effort, the three planes went ahead an attacked the Akagi, scoring only one hit. Again, the inadequate fire training left them unable to put out the relatively small fires, so they grew. No one considered that the fuel lines that reached to the planes could burn a trail back to the main tanks. No one thought to deal with the inability to flood one of the bomb magazines with water to keep the heat from detonating the bombs. The Japanese knew only to follow the master plan. In the American Navy, it's almost a slogan: 'No plan survives being put in action.' You have to be able to think on your feet.

More important than the bomb hit was a near miss at the stern of the ship. Had it been an American ship, the hull would have been shocked to prevent damage from the vibration of the explosion. It was this near miss that knocked out electricity and water pressure to much of the ship, preventing the flooding of the magazine to prevent the explosion. The bigger problem was caused by damage to the steering. The ship was in a turn to evade the bomber attack, now it couldn't straighten out. Had this been an American ship the methodology was built into the system to turn the ship either with a large wrench on a hex bolt on top or by inserting a pipe, with crewmen trained and practiced in the operation. The Japanese had no such plan in place. Nor did the crew have the know how to fix the steering, the electricity or the water. The entire nation of Japan had few engineers, yet they were attempting to operate these large scale machines of war who had never handled the sort of tools they were using until they'd joined the navy, that didn't know much about the machines they were trying to fix.

Through the repeated calls from the other ships asking WHEN the they would have the problem under control and rejoin the battle, the Akagi burned all day and into the night. Eventually when the vanquished fleet withdrew the ship was scuttled as they couldn't straighten it out to take it under tow.

The attacking fleet had been carelessly spread across the Pacific Ocean to keep the Americans from learning the size of the fleet. Two smaller aircraft carriers were too far away to help the lone surviving Hiryu in counterattack. A small number of bombers that had been launching as the U.S. attacked the Japanese fleet, a number the U.S. navy would have considered ineffective, attacked the Yorktown. The skilled, highly experienced Japanese pilots were able to put three bombs on the deck of the Yorktown, the same number that had so quickly caused the abandonment of the Soryu. As the smoke filled the sky the Japanese pilots flew away confident that the ship was crippled if not destroyed. In spite of the considerable previous damage that had not been repaired, the American crew quickly put out the fire and cleaned up the mess. Forty five minutes later a second wave of Japanese planes believed they had found a different ship, how could this ship possibly have been attacked before? The U.S. had attacked the Japanese ships with many times over as many torpedo bombers without doing any damage, but the veteran Japanese again battered the Yorktown, which began to list so badly the Japanese believed it would quickly roll over and sink.

The crew stabilized the Yorktown but was evacuated before dark as a precaution. A destroyer kept a forlorn watch on the stricken vessel as the fleet withdrew for fear of the larger Japanese forces coming to wage a surface battle, the ship would be scuttled to prevent capture. In the morning some limited crew reboarded to work as it was taken in tow, in spite of the fact it had suffered worse damage than even the Kaga it was on its' way home for repairs until a Japanese submarine showed up it strike it with several torpedoes.

The lesson continued for the Japanese when the planes of the Enterprise returned to attack the Hiryu. As before, they were simply unable to gain control of the fires. As the fleet withdrew the trail of smoke would have given away their position all the way home, the ship was a liability. As the ships that had waited to recover the crew sailed away, several who had been left behind were seen on the deck. They were signaled that they were being left to die. When higher ups in the fleet discovered this, a ship was sent back to look for survivors. On arrival the Hiryu had sank and there was no sign of the remaining crew.

It wouldn't be until after the war that the Japanese would learn that an American ship had arrived first and rescued the abandoned crewmen. Later in the war, as Americans bombed Chi Chi Jima to eliminate the island as the threat rather than invade it, a lone American pilot was rescued within sight of the island by a submarine. The Japanese soldiers who watched would say they knew their own government would never had acted to save then in that situation, viewing them as unimportant. The downed pilot was George H. W. Bush.

And there was the advantage the United States had over Japan, the value of its' people and the knowledge of that. Six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. still lacked the basic combat readiness of the Japanese. Be they bombers or gunners, Japanese attackers were more likely to hit their targets than Americans. Were that the only thing that mattered we all might have grown up speaking a different language.

The Americans on the other hand had a monopoly on the ability to learn. The rest of the world didn't understand that was what Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation" did: The simply learned whatever they needed to. When the Marines were handed down an unpredictable plane the Navy had rejected as their new primary fighter, they added new control surfaces to stabilize the plane for landings and cut a new window in the floor to help see the ground as they did. They even figured out that if you flew the plane in a half circle instead of a straight on approach you could even land the plane on an aircraft carrier, afterall. That plane was the F4U Corsair, which the Marines did not want to give up even when they were offered the Navy's best to replace it.

And that is what is being lost today. It's not that kids need to learn in school, it's that they need to learn how to learn. Based on the knowledge of the graduates, the Northern European K-12 educational system must be the best in the world, they come away knowing so much more than anyone else. Yet they cover less subject matter than an American school. Kids there know how to learn what is covered.

The Japanese will cover less in four years of high school than American schools do their freshman year. But the Japanese arrive in high school having spent their grade school years learning to correct their own deficiencies. They'll be able to do more with what little they learn than their American counterparts because they know how to adapt.

There is no question that so much of that old advantage has been lost. Any navy in the world has on every ship a group that is ready to steer the ship if the mechanism is damaged. Sail on an ocean liner from any country and the entire crew of the 'Love Boat' is a lean, mean, fire fighting machine. The rest of the world has caught up, there's not much left we're ahead in these days.

When I find myself in a college class as a student, teaching unemployed adult students how to measure, (Some are so amazed to see you can lock a tape measure in place) I have to wonder if there's any hope. Recruiters from companies desperate to hire in this time when more than 10% are out of work are hovering over these classes, if only they could find people who could do the job. (More than once they've watched me dealing with these people, then stuck an application in my hand. Sorry, not looking for a career change.) My own feeling is that the economy doesn't have to be this bad right now. Except we're really not ready to do anything about it. These people are not catching up quickly. And yet there's little opportunity to keep them in school and teach them things they should already know. The scientific measurement class from this particular program seems to have been canceled permanently, thanks to so many budget cuts.

When I was teaching television to high school students, it was through the Regional Occupational Program, so the annual in service training sessions were industrial themed. Speakers from foreign countries would tell us that they came to the U.S. to open factories even if they did have to pay higher wages because the American infrastructure kept productivity up. Again, the world is catching up; other countries are building roads and more reliable electric grids. Honda motorcycles has largely done their Research and Development in North America because that's where the engineers are. Many foreign cars are developed in studios in Tustin, Fountain Valley, all over the U.S. But foreign colleges are currently turning out more engineers than American colleges. How much longer will they need us?

When was the last time you saw a kid working on the car in the driveway with dad? And that takes you to the point I'm trying to make. Most of the old ways of REALLY learning are gone. We better come up with some new ones fast. If history is going to repeat itself, we could wind up on the losing end.

Want To Get To NoCal Fast? Take A Plane

2012-01-25T04:32:00.001-08:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

I can't believe that I of all people do not want High Speed Rail in my home state of California.

Don't get me wrong...this avid train and public transportation rider would love nothing more to ride a high speed rail train from my home town in Fullerton to San Francisco. That would be very cool.

But at what cost?

The price tag for this boondoggle is now estimated over 100 Billion Dollars which is going to come out of the taxpayers pocket.

The original idea was to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than five hours. With changes in the route plans that trip is going to take longer.

This is why God invented airplanes. If the goal is to get to San Francisco from Orange County fast...then, and I can't believe I am saying this: Take a plane! That works when you need to be somewhere fast. Until they finish developing the transporter (ala Star Trek)that still is the quickest way to get from point A (Los Angeles) to point B (San Francisco or Sacramento).

The rest of us that use rail frequently know that it takes around seven hours to get to San Francisco from Fullerton by train. That's why we plan ahead and take our work, our lap tops, cel phones, etc. We have meetings on the train and we get work done while we are going toward our destination. There is no reason to throw over 100 Billion Dollars so we can get there a few hours faster when we can hop in a jet and be in San Francisco in under half the time.

But you know what we can spend money on? The infrastructure of the current train system and the trains itself. Train tracks need to be repaired and trains need to be brought into the 21st century.

This will not take over hundred billion. We can do it for the fraction of that mind-staggering cost and this will still...the other goal...put a lot of Californians back to work.

And by the way, while we are on that subject... let's stop hiring people from out of state to work on our projects. Keep it in the family. Put Californians back to work. We're paying for this...we get to choose who builds it.

As I was on a recent train excursion...through the Northwest from Southern California to Seattle, I was reminded of what the nation's passenger rail service, Amtrak, is and I thought about what it could be.

First of all, the scenery from Los Angeles to San Francisco and on to Seattle, as seen from the comfort of the Amtrak observation lounge rivals the best in the country. From the ocean views to the Northern California and Oregon mountains to the lushness of Northern Oregon into Washington and the Puget Sound area near Seattle..it's arguably hard to beat for breathtaking beauty not only in the US but in the world.

The people I met on this journey were incredible. People from Northern California and the Northwest are generally generous, educated, and progressive, and this makes for wonderful and interesting conversation. And since you have to sit with somebody at the dining car you have the opportunity to get into some wonderful discussions with fascinating people.

But, those are all the benefits of taking the train...anywhere. What I want to talk about is what Amtrak is doing right and where they fall short.

I was actually on two trains this trip through the northwest. For those who were not following the trip on this webzine as it was happening, my son Felix and I took the Coast Starlight from Fullerton, CA to San Francisco...stayed two days in San Francisco...got back on the CS and went to Eugene, OR where we stayed with my good friends Mark and Greg. After we left Eugene we switched to the Cascades which is the run from Eugene to Seattle. The two trains were like night and day.

First of all, in all fairness, the train they use for the Coast Starlight is similar to the trains they use on the Southwest Chief (LA to Chicago) or the Zephyr (Chicago to San Francisco). These trains were built in the 70's in an era where there were no cel phones, no laptops, no personal DVD players. So there are very few electrical outlets and the first thing that everybody looks for is an outlet but with an average of one or two per car it's tough going.

The second thing, I noticed was the service is suffering and I had wonderful experiences last year on the Zephyr and Southwest Chief. I think it has to do with teams that they put on the train. All it takes is a couple of disgruntled employees to permeate the group and the experience becomes less than satisfactory. The service from LA to Oakland fell into the less than satisfactory category. But the Emeryville to Eugene ride was much better.

On the LA to Oakland run, the Amtrak employees were rude, obnoxious, and let you know that they were understaffed and overwhelmed. OK that last part is probably true...but it doesn't mean you have to take it out on the customers. We're trying to have a good time and get to where we need to go...lose the attitude and work out whatever differences you have with your employer.

I was particulary disappointed in the service in the dining room. Plastic eating utensils, high prices, paper table cloths, less than satisfactory food and again waiters with bad attitudes. What happened to the golden age of train travel where you had wonderful service, china, cloth table cloths, and beautiful silverware and glasses for your drinks? No wonder people don't like taking the trains anymore.

Then the lounge is not showing movies anymore because the motion picture industry wants a cut for them showing the movies. Give me a break.

Contrast that with what I experienced on the Amtrak Cascades train from Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA. This train service is a cooperative between the states of Oregon, Washington and Amtrak. It's all the things Amtrak does right. First of all the train is always generally on time because they split the ride in two trips. One train starts in Eugene and runs to Portland. Then another train takes you to Seattle. Also, I understand they don't have the freight train right of way issues that are experienced in other parts of the country.

This train was built within the last few years and they did it right. An electrical outlet at every seat, tv screens for movies in every car with plugs on the console for headsets to listen to the movie, a wonderful lounge and Bistro, large and beautiful bathrooms, an onboard systems for telling you time, weather, how far ahead or behind the train is on schedule. This is on when the movies are not going. And by the way, with every Amtrak train I've been on...much more leg room than an airline seat. And the crew on this train were happy, neatly dressed, and extremely helpful.

And now comes my modest proposal.

Why can't they run Amtrak like National Public Radio or Public Television? Since it is a government subsidized service, get corporate sponsorships and have fundraisers to create more money. Here's some ideas what you could do with corporate and individual involvement.

Have a major restaurant run the Dining Room. Have Outback Steakhouse, as an example, be responsible for the dining room. They would staff it, they would design the inside of the rolling restaurant, they could have their menu. And they would do a great job, because it would be a great advertisement for their traditional restaurants.

Create free enterprise aboard the train. There could be a mini McDonalds, a Starbucks, some small shops like a mini-mall all on the train. Can you imagine the bidding war companies would get into to get those spots and how much more money it would generate for the railroad?

Yes, have a movie theatre, sponsored by AMC or another chain or at least do what they did in the Northwest with a screen in view near the seats with a plug to listen at your seat.

Get an interior designer to sponsor a redesign of the interiors of the trains. Again, a bidding war would insue and the winning bidder would generate a lot of publicity. And of course, put an electrical plug at every seat and hook up the trains for wi-fi. Because of these innovations, train travel would be fun and sexy again.

There is so much that could be done with the current Train system in America. We have a beautiful country and traveling by train is a wonderful way to meet the people and see the sights of this great land. Europe and other countries are way ahead of the US on this So any investment we put into this venture is going to pay dividends in the economy as more people get out and spend more money in the areas around the country.

Tragedies Amplified By The Media

2012-01-23T00:31:00.000-08:00

Op-Ed By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Even though it has been over a year since the shooting tragedy in Tucson, Arizona and the unnecessary loss of human life, I can not stop thinking about the media's role in this.

I want to see an end to the spotlight we put on these cold blooded killers. We don't need to know these murderers names and we don't need to know their political leanings and everything about the killer.

Didn't we learn anything from other similar tragedies?

Again, at the beginning of this calendar year, another tragic death spree took place in my home county in Southern California. And again the media was there ready to give us the killer's reasons, his background, his name and why he committed these heinous murders.

We cannot legitimize what these people do by having their names all over the news.

They should not get their five minutes of fame. They should not get to have their views posted all over the place and recognized after they murder innocent people. And they should not get to encourage other deranged and mentally unstable people to do the same. I am sickened what this deranged person did to these innocent people.

But I am also sickened by the irresponsible nature of our media.

The following is a response by Daily Bosco Writer Rick Miranda

I used to watch a series on ethics that was aired a few years ago. They presented scenarios that were about ethical issues to a panel of individuals that were or previously had been in very influential positions. Among the panelists were ...Supreme court justices, surgeons general, lawyers and senators and predominant members of the news media including a number of prime time anchors.

They spoke of very high minded ethics and their responsibilities as journalists to get the news out in a fair and unbiased manner. I think that once they get put under the pressure of the 24 hour cycle of constant news and competition from the other networks it gets compromised and they go the ratings instead of what people should hear.

This guy was disturbed. He shot a bunch of innocent people. Beyond that they were dealing with conjecture. I understand and support our need for journalism to have a free hand in this society. I just wish they wouldn't abuse their freedoms for the sake of profit and ratings.

The following is a comment from reader Elaine Miller

I absolutely agree. I am also sick to death of hearing all about the perpetrator's sad, sad childhood. Many people have terrible childhoods and don't behave insanely because of it. I have three words for people, and I used these three words many times when my children suffered some setback or were treated badly: Get Over It!

The Case For Re-Inventing The Economy

2012-01-22T02:16:00.001-08:00

Make it in America:
The Case for Re-Inventing the Economy
Andrew Liveris
Paperback: 256 pages $18.95
John Wiley and Sons
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed By Doug Vehle
The Daily Bosco

I'm not sure there's really a choir to preach to on the subject of the problems of the American economy, but maybe there should be. People have a lot to say, without any real knowledge to back it up. Myself I have to admit that while I share the views of the author, I don't know the details so well as he does. Therefore I found this book to be absolutely fabulous reading. And a little frustrating, though that wasn't the authors fault; In fact he was sharing my frustration.

Liveris cites the problem of "How we fell out of love with manufacturing" as the source of the problem, not so much that the competition is tough as the fact we don't show much resolve in competing. He takes to task the misconception of business demanding a total lack of regulation while outlining the type of regulation he sees as lacking in America while other countries are using an iron fist to put such regulation in place, thus drawing more jobs to those countries. Scoffing at the notion of low labor costs as an important factor in off shoring, he has a long list of benefits companies seek in the third world that seem almost shocking for their absence in the United States.

And he has much to say on a related subject that many rail about without any knowledge of the real problem, in this case the "Permanent National Recession" in education. With one in four holders of "STEM Degrees" (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) over 50 and nearing retirement, he cites Lockheed Martin's expressed need to hire nearly 15,000 engineers a year for the next decade while the entire graduating class of engineers averages just 60,000 annually, creating intense competition for the few people who can fill the many needs of American industry. (We need that number doubled quickly.) Without the engineers, there will be no need for the support staff to assemble what the experts develop. Filling these jobs create more jobs. (The current estimate is that there are some 4 million openings for employment in America which, once filled, would each create from 2 to 5 additional openings. 3 million of those openings require the equivalent of the 4 year education in the STEM related fields, 1 million require special skills training in areas such as welding, machining, etc. that you can't simply learn on the job. Training 4 million people to fill these positions would recreate the demand for an approximate 10 million less skilled workers. Just my own note.)

Liveris painfully explains the preventable migration of an American innovation, the Kindle, as the rights to the technology found it's way to the country where it was built, no longer does an American company even OWN the Kindle. Yet the inevitability of this hits home as you learn of people coming to America to be in what they believe to be the only country where they can bring their idea to life, only to be FORCED to relocate in the 3rd world just to survive. Access to capital, a bureaucracy that ENCOURAGES innovation instead of working to prevent it, lower taxes: As with the novel 'Lost Horizon,' aptly named for this comparison, Shangri La seems in fact to be waiting in Asia, gathering the world's knowledge to emerge dominant as other societies insist on destroying themselves.

A lot of people won't like what Andrew Liveris has to say. They want the Asian countries to be punished for developing sound business practices because it interferes with the sense of entitlement so many Americans have. He explains why it just doesn't work to create a larger and larger welfare state by increasing taxes for the decreasing numbers of those working, to further punish those who succeed. Liveris could have discussed 'How we fell out of love with the American Way.' In 1992, former U.S. Senator and Governor of Nebraska Bob Kerrey ran for president with a campaign commercial depicting him as a goal tender fending off shots from suspiciously Asian players. Nothing about goals of his own, just stopping those who are putting out effort from succeeding. That is a very popular message, but it is insanely wrong headed. If a few good investments really can beat a lifetime of toil, the best investment this country could make right now would be to follow the authors' advice.

This issue of the future of employment is important to me. Ever since I manned a camera during the 'Together we're the BEST' campaign of the City of Los Angeles and recorded Jeremy Rifkin explaining his book 'The End of Work' and how this Globalization thing would mean a future where "Fair Compensation" would be a daily battle, my volunteer social work shifted away from the maintenance and rehabilitation you find in the food banks, the homeless shelters, the Alliance for the Mentally Ill and all those drug and alcohol programs, (Such as AA) therefore instead seeking ways to help those who just want to help. This is how I see a serious job seeker, as someone looking for a way to be useful. THAT is why I'll be receiving an award on Wednesday, January 4th, the day you are scheduled to be reading this on The Daily Bosco. I didn't have to volunteer so much time and effort for these people, some of whom have never had a steady job. But I saw a 60 year old man whom I believe might have been homeless at the time get a fulltime job, the first of his life, in (GASP) manufacturing. Unemployment was over 10% at the time. This company has manufacturing jobs that go unfilled because too few are bothering to learn what are actually rather simple skills to be hired. At the time of his hiring I told a man from my neighborhood who had just lost his job how he could be quickly trained and hired for such a job but he couldn't be bothered. His family lost their home, I don't know how they're doing now.

I guess this makes me one of the few choirboys that Andrew Liveris could find to preach to. I may not know this subject as well as he does, but thanks to books like his I'm catching up. I'm giving others the chance to catch up too, my copy is on its' way to the Fullerton Library and should be in their catalog shortly. This time I'm really hoping there'll be people reading, and THINKING.

How the Upscale, Suburbanite 99% Live

2012-01-22T02:13:00.000-08:00

By Doug Vehle, The Daily Bosco

Can it always be true that real disasters never strike Fullerton, or do we have one in the offing? I joked to a grim faced police officer about how the sign used to say "Brea Wonderful" before they moved in, he actually laughed. Cyclists stopped for a look, then not seeing the point in sticking around with just the 12 tents and one visible person. The Brea Dam has been invaded by the lowest common denominator, to which I facetiously say "God Help us ALL!" Once again, a small group of people declares that they are going to push the rest of us around. Once again, I'm saying "Like hell you are."

I've followed the news. What started out as modern day "Hooverville" settlements (Named for the President at the beginning of the Great Depression) has taken a greater resemblance to the "Rookeries" of 18th-19th century England. Rioting, vandalism and stealing in various communities, extortion/"Protection Racket" activities in San Diego and other cities, even a shootout between residents, or should I say "Occupiers," in Oakland. This is worse than anything the people in the various Hoovervilles did, but most of those people didn't want to be a bother. Now it's the city of Fullerton indulging them as other communities have. You don't have to look too carefully at the photograph to see another illustration of people bending over backward to look the other way as the Occupy Movement does as it pleases. In case you didn't catch it, the sign says "No overnight camping," yet they'll be allowed to stay until they've simply bullied too many people to tolerate anymore. Then they'll scream it's "Illegal" to protect yourself from them.

If I don't sound unimpressed, that's because I'm not. I see absolutely no effort to accomplish anything by these people and their "Movement." Ah, the romance of disrupting press conferences, of screaming "That's ILLEGAL" about perfectly legal things that go against you. Of aligning yourself with a group that symbolizes itself with a mask of a possibly retarded fall guy whose body the conspirators had intended to leave in the rumble when they blew up parliament,or if he escaped would have flee the country to lead the trail away from themselves; only to have him brag foolishly to the guards what they were up to and name names. Just as later writers would convert Guy Fawkes into what has been referred to as an "Acceptable fictional character," so do the Occupiers try to rehabilitate their image to that of freedom fighters rather than squatters. But if they didn't destroy things, I'd say they weren't even doing squat. I'm not working much at the moment, I'm occupying myself going to school, trying to help the school to deal with being understaffed and the students to deal with being under prepared. Yeah, life's tough all around. I can tell Occupiers about jobs they can get if they're willing to get just a little bit of training to prepare for it, jobs that have a way of going unfilled because people won't bother. I'm sure they'd get mad. I say that I alone mean a whole lot more to America than the entire Occupy movement. If the truth were told, how much economic injustice have the Occupiers been the cause of in their lifetime?

I recall the howling when the "Dot Bomb" Internet economy collapsed. All these people who'd flunked out of college and got well paying jobs not getting any work done were now unemployed, with no skills to get another job. There had been a lot of us who'd needed jobs that had learned to do the things that could have kept all those companies in business, but these do nothings had wanted to protect their phoney baloney jobs, so they'd only hire their own kind. How am I supposed to be sympathetic when I'm reading an article that included the whining of a ne'erdowell who'd stumbled into a job where he'd wound up interviewing me, became wide eyed with panic as I told him how to solve problems he was just telling me I was just going to have to live with while I worked there because not even HE could solve them. Do you get where my 100% scores on all 4 tests they had me take didn't get me the job, while others there who'd peaked at 75% and fell below 40% on one or two others were given start dates? The real "Economic Justice" would have been if I was reading his published "Poor Me, POOR ME" on a break from my first ever permanent full time job. What have the occupiers really done to solve their own problems? I've only caught where they complain, steal and threaten people. I can tell you I've been as desperate as these Occupiers if not more so, I've never behaved as badly as they do. I've gone to the trouble of becoming someone who really should have access to the real job I've never been able to get.

My thoughts will always go to the homeless man trying to raise his son and get off the street who went on to become a millionaire and the subject of a film starring Wil Smith. There is the real courage to me, actually trying to do something himself rather than pouting until SOMEONE ELSE fixes it for him, a la Obama health care. What is the badly misidentified "99%" really doing other than alienating even the 19% that once supported them? (Insert answer here, if you can.) While Guy Fawkes spun quite a fanciful tale of the activities of himself and his conspirators, there was never any proof they did much besides collect gunpowder. Even the extensive tunnel he told of digging never existed. As imaginary as the enttitlement the Occupiers feel.

I recall a little 'Compare and Contrast' editorial in the 'New York Times' on Irish Republican Army terrorist Bobby Sands after he'd starved himself to death on a hunger strike in prison, a place he'd been several times before at the age of 26. "Mahatma Gandhi used the hunger strike to move his countrymen to abstain from fratricide. Bobby Sands' deliberate slow suicide is intended to precipitate civil war. The former deserved veneration and influence. The latter would be viewed, in a reasonable world, not as a charismatic martyr but as a fanatical suicide. . . ." Oh, Sands was even elected to Parliament, yet instead or taking office chose to kill himself. Thus escaping the pressure of having to actually accomplish something.

To the rest of the world, most Americans are the 1%. To be what is considered "Poor" in America is to be unable to replace that TV you bought at a garage sale (Or possibly did buy new) with a big screen, to wonder how you'll get a new washer and dryer when those you have wear out. If the check the government gives you isn't enough, you make a run to the food bank and stop on the way home where they give you dinner ready made. The homeless are allowed to leave their electronics, the DVD player, portable computer that can access the free WiFi (And used WIkipedia during the blackout, as I did to fact check this) at the coffeeshops, etc., to charge at local businesses while they run to their mailboxes to pick up their celphone bills and their monthly checks. If you don't believe any of that, go volunteer with the organizations working with these people and you'll find out. In short, the Occupiers socalled 99% are included among the world's wealthiest. I won't be satisfied until I hear Occupiers admit "We ARE the 1% upper class." If you really want to hear someone scoff at the Occupy movement, talk to a "Foreigner" (Immigrant, legal or illegal) who works at fast food or a convenience store after Occupiers have been in there demanding to be fed and blocking the doors until they are. These people will tell you they'll take being homeless in America.

So Steve, whom I hope is reading this, told me of his childhood adventures at a campground where his family spent the summer in a tent when Dad was out of work but had a teaching job coming in the fall. I guess a modern "Condo Tent" has gotta beat the built from what they could find shanties of the 1930's Hoovervilles. He talks about that as a happy memory. I wonder if the Occupiers even care about their socalled "Movement," or if it's all just a facade. As I was taking my photographs, a family of cyclists stopped to look at the encampment. They asked where all the people were, I told them I had only seen one man since I'd arrived. They asked about the planned activities, how many more were coming, etc., I think they took my responses as coming from a member of the camp. Who knows, if the one man had come over he might have said the same thing I was saying: 'I don't know.' Obviously there would be no vicarious thrill here, they rode on.

As they did, the grade school age boy vented his disappointment. "This is the worst Occupy ever." If that is what makes it the worst, I just hope it stays that way, we don't need their kind of disaster here. It's not worth having them do anything "Better."

Just Want To Ride On My Motorsickle

2012-01-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

By Doug Vehle, The Daily Bosco

I'm not really looking for one, but sometimes I just can't help myself. It's just a hobby to find the occasional old motorcycle, moped, scooter and bring it back to life - I don't really even restore them, I just get them running and rideable again.

It's just that I can't quite take my mind off one old bike, so time and again I find myself typing in the letters "RX50" into the Craigslist search, every now and then there's a match. Sometimes they use those magic words, "Pinkslip in hand." Not that huge numbers of bikes are stolen, just that so many people lose the pinkslip and don't want to bother getting a new copy from the DMV, which makes it hard to register if you buy it. Some people bought from someone else without the pink, now they're trying to sell it.

Contrary to what some sellers want you to believe, being old doesn't make something collectable, nor does being "Rare." Priceless, timeless, these have their specific definitions that don't quite fit the real meaning of the words. And with one particular old motorcycle, it's hard to say how much it's really worth, or how much more than what it's really worth it's then really worth. How much could a bike be worth used if when it was new it cost --- NOTHING?

So back in college I was a soft touch for someone to bring over when they needed a favor, or a ride somewhere. Jim was rather abusive of that, wanting someone else to drive him around to all the McDonalds so he could get his "No Purchase Necessary" game pieces to try to win money. Mostly he didn't want to be the one paying for gas, but he didn't always even have a car, or when he did have one he lacked a steady job to pay for gas. He was always incensed when we became impatient with his antics, we were keeping HIM from winning HIS money. Always the fault of everyone else that HE was broke, while those of us with our parttime jobs had whatever small about of pocket money, which greatly mystified Jim.

For that reason there just didn't seem to be any reason to take Jim to the Yamaha dealer that used to be located on Yorba Linda Blvd. near Rose in Placentia. Just a more grown up version of the kid looking in the toy store at what he can't have. But Jim would have given almost anything for a motorcycle of his own, just so there wasn't any money involved. Unbeknownst to me, he thought he'd found his angle to play. And since I was the one who'd taken HIS bike, or what he would remind me that he thought should have been his first bike, he figured I owed him this opportunity to get his FREE bike. And since I always love watching a good train wreck, I really couldn't help myself but to take him to that dealer and watch him flail about like a fish on the deck of a boat.

My first bike, the one Jim had wanted for years, came my way accidentally. Having learned that there was to be another kid in Placentia jumping several cars on sheer pedal power, I made the trek from Fullerton on my own little BMX bike that I'd cobbled together from cast off parts. Jim was present that day, as was an Orange County Register photographer. The stunt made the paper. I don't recall if Jim or I were visible in the background. Years later, on the first day of my first college class session, the guy sitting next to me suddenly asked if he'd been talking to me that day of the bicycle jump. I had him in several classes that semester, we were both Broadcasting majors.

Thus did I find myself on my way to his house one Saturday morning some weeks later, driving my ancient 4 door Rambler that I'd bought for $100 when the owner had been unable to start it at 7am after his night shift ended. Already planning to sell, he'd stuck the "For Sale" sign in the window and walked home, coming back a few hours later when I'd found the car while passing through that parking lot. I had to get it running again to bring it home. Jim had been rebuilding a near identical Rambler engine from the same year, I wound up replacing my unnaturally 'S' curved pushrods with the still straight rods he cast off from his engine, making a big difference in the driveability of my car. Still, I had a new girlfriend who lived in Anaheim Hills, that weak old car never made it up the hill to her house, I would walk over a mile from where I was forced to park the car when the running start ran out of momentum and it stopped going uphill.

On the morning of this day when he would give me those pushrods, I was driving down his street when I passed a house with a garage sale. I saw a small motorcycle of a type they just don't make anymore, the moped has pushed them aside. When I reached his house, my first words were "I'd have thought you'd be all over that bike he's selling over there."

He was jolted. "He's selling the bike?" Spinning around, seeing the two wheeler getting pushed to the street to get it noticed, his eyes were popping. Picture Robert Blake trying to run while playing 'Baretta' on TV, Jim wasn't much taller. You get the picture. I felt as though I was just walking fast to keep up. But I can picture this guy as a high schooler gazing into the garage at this old abandoned machine, dreaming of bringing it back to life and loving what it represents in a special way. Not much of a motorcycle, but at least he'd have one.

Which is why I was surprised when Jim didn't buy it. The seller wanted what amounted to pocketchange. In fact, that's what I wound up giving the man for it. I guess Jim was daunted by the fact that his Rambler rebuild had become such a long term, expensive job, he didn't want to spend more time and money on this little thing. It's almost embarrassing for me that I can't remember just what it was besides a Honda, but unlike Jim, I wasn't dreaming of my own motorcycle.

But I'd take one. My Dad called me 'Dauntless' not just because it was a play on Douglas. After giving the man everything I had in my pocket -- NOT MUCH -- the bike went into my back seat, good thing it was so small. I was just going to run it home and come back, but once it was in the family driveway and my tools were close by, I just couldn't help myself, I had to work on it. And as any addicted motorcycle tinkerer can tell you, it's amazing how little it takes to get a bike started after it's been sitting almost a decade in someone's garage, seemingly dead. Bikes don't start one day for reasons that are a mystery even to people who fix them, then they find themselves abandoned. Years later, someone like me comes along. . . .

So as I'm riding slowly up Jim's street, I stand up on the bike as I ride past the garage sale. The look on the face of the man that sold it to me. Then the look on Jim's face. Priceless. "I'll give you twice what you paid him for it. 3 times." That still wouldn't have been much. Nah, I was hooked now. My little brother had been stunned at me turning up with this old bike and getting it running, this buying stuff for loose change and fixing it was an idea that was growing on him. Even better was the sheer disgust of my mother at my having the devil's own transportation. And of course the looks on those two faces as I rode up Jim's street. In the less than an hour I had it, this bike had already greatly enhanced my life. Maybe I needed a black leather vest and a big ole' chain for my wallet.

So if he wasn't ready to give up so much as one day's pay for that one bike, what was he doing at the dealer, inquiring on the new Midnight Maxim? Jim, you see, considered himself quite the conman. His best friend Wayne kept trying to point out to him that nobody was fooled. I would get the finger waggling and the tongue lashing over 'Humoring' Jim, as Wayne would be warning Jim I was just playing along so I could watch him get himself into another fine mess. As Lou Costello used to say, "I'm a BAAAAAAD BOOOOOOOY."

And so, without further explanation, I had driven Jim to the dealer on the insistence that he had finally found a way to get himself the bike he always wanted. I watched Jim bargaining with the salesman for what was supposed to be the purchase of one of the more expensive bikes on the market at the time. Knowing Jim, I could tell he was wheedling about something, though what it was didn't get mentioned. In the end, both came away disappointed. The salesman didn't get the commission, Jim didn't get the entry for the drawing for the free bike.

And that is what makes the old RX50 such an interesting bike: Not a single sale was ever made of this bike, though something like 1,000 existed. Yamaha had cobbled together, from parts already manufactured for other bikes, a cheap little machine to offer as a prize in a drawing where every dealer would give one away to their customers. Had Jim found a way to be a "Customer," who knows, maybe he would have won his free bike. But if he'd wanted to buy one, he'd have had to pick one up used from a winner.

My cheap bike was at least a little better than what he was trying to win. It was either a Supercub, or a variant such as the Passport or the Trail series. I wasn't familiar with it at the time I bought it, winding up to only have it 3 days. After that Jim wouldn't let up about how I should have given it to him. If you know the old 'Malcolm in the Middle' TV series, you get the idea of my relationship to my 3 brothers. The 2nd oldest is, well, NUTS. I only had one other chance to ride my bike before he came to the house, searched my room for the key, then wrecked the thing about a half mile from the house. It was his opinion that he'd done me a favor by dragging what was left back home. Of course if he hadn't brought it back I'd have been assuming he had sold it. People buy bikes without pinkslips, some really are stolen. These days I see a red Honda of that type from the era, about the right size, I wonder if that's the model I had. I'm not sure I knew exactly at the time. The Supercub wound up being the most successful motor vehicle in history, some 66 million were sold worldwide in the 50 years it was on the market by 2006 when it was discontinued. That doesn't count the variants on the theme, which probably boost the number over 100 million.

Shortly after that I picked up a crunched Enduro, half dirt/half street, to piece back together with junk parts. Before it was properly aligned and tightened to spec, my younger brother got the key and rode it, doing considerable damage to studs and other loose parts which put me back to work when I had been about finished. Then when it really was done the older brother came over and rode it, again destroying it completely, this time leaving it where it lay for me to recover because it was just too much trouble for him to bring home. About that time I had a minor incident with my oldest brother's dirtbike, which I promptly fixed. He'd just laughed at the time it happened, reminding me of what HE had been through with this particular brother destroying his bikes. (This one brother never actually PAYS for anything when he does this.) He knew who he was dealing with when it was me and that this time the bike would be fixed. In fact fixed twice: of course it was ridden by the younger brother before it was finished, thus damaged again. The oldest brother was rather short with the efforts of the 2nd brother to act as though I really hadn't done a good job of fixing it, offering "He did a better job than YOU'VE ever done." (Truer words were never spoken.) Again, the 2nd oldest brother would destroy this bike. Hopefully you're seeing the pattern that is emerging here.

Actually, a few patterns. You see, I'd always fixed things. An 8th child, with 6 nieces and nephews before I finished grade school, let's just say money would have been tight in the family even if Dad hadn't lost half his pay in the aerospace cutbacks under President Nixon. So many things I only had because I was able to fix one someone else had broken and discarded. That had included bicycles. Later it was cars and motorcycles. My next effort at a motorbike was a Cimatti Citybike moped. Dead or not, it cost me more than that original motorcycle had cost. (The couple selling it angrily ranted over and over, for no apparent reason, that was what they wanted for it, until I told them if they didn't shut up I was leaving.) Once I had it going Jim offered his distain at the thought of someone getting a moped, but he wasn't too proud to go dirtbiking with me on the bridle trails and open fields around town. We had to take turns. Nor was my older brother too proud to go out and wreck it for me, this time literally snapping the frame in half as part of the deal. He would later put gas without 2 cycle oil in another of my mopeds and burn up the engine, further tearing it up in anger while bringing it back to the house. 4 bikes he took out of this world for me in so many years, 2 more in that time alone he smashed for our older brother.

You'd think I'd give up, but shortly after college I was making a video for someone in return for receiving an old Yamaha SR250, smaller than the Midnight Maxim but bigger than that RX50. Finally I had a bike long enough to ride to Cook's Corner, etc. Chaining it up didn't do any good, the 2 brothers cut locks off and damaged the street bike trying to trail ride, etc. The older brother was equally adept in wrecking cars, this time combining the two to drive over the bike in my driveway, finally destroying it. I puttered around on it a bit after that even if it wasn't worth the cost of replacing almost everything, it came in handy when I had car trouble and needed a way to commute 40 miles to work. Kind of scary riding the freeway on a motorcycle with handlebars twisted to an odd shape like that.

Once that bike was gone, I did without for awhile. Then those little pocketbikes came along. I found myself racing at Rialto Airport Speedway, the Grange in Apple Valley, etc. There was also the midibike, bigger than a pocketbike but still smaller than a moped, at least in height. I was just too big to race those danged things if I wanted to win, but the midi's had the full shift, it was the real thing. I found myself taking the MSI (Motorcycle Safety Institute) class at Mt. San Antonio College, getting a perfect score on the riding test at the end of the class which doubled for the DMV riding test. I figure I'd rode some 50,000 miles by then, so I should have a perfect score. When the rest of the class was panicking at being told they'd have to ride a near figure 8 in a box for the next trick, I asked if I could move up in line and go first. "Maybe if they see someone in the class do it they'll relax." People told me afterward that had indeed put their minds at ease. Pity those instructors facing such panic every class they teach, not always having someone like me there to go first.

All this left me with a list of junk bikes to find and fix when I took the ROP Motorcycle Repair class in Garden Grove. I wanted an SR250 to fix, never found one. No Supercub, no variant. I picked up several mopeds, never a Cimatti. Couldn't find an enduro, but I helped another guy in class with his. Several Yamaha scooters and a YG5 Trailmaster, several offbrand Chinese scooters, an original Pagsta, a pre Ninja GPZ750, I brought quite a collection of bikes back to life during that class. Even electrics, such as several of the eCycle Dash and an Electra Voy.

And a collection is just what they were. The 1984 Yamaha Riva XC180 I fixed was indeed a bike that purists collect. An MSI class bought it from me for their students to ride if they couldn't handle a full fledged motorcycle. The old 'Yamahopper' got a lot of attention too when I sold it. My mopeds were all from the 70's, the pedal crowd loves those. There was this really good kid who would zip around the neighborhood as best he could on a goped, stopping to help anyone in need as though he was on a mission; He was getting to be 18 when I gave him one of the Chinese Vespa style scooters which was too abused to actually sell to anyone. I just wish there were people like Jim around to watch and get the message when I did.

So this might help you to understand the real reason something becomes collectable. Someone forms an emotional attachment to such an item, whether they had one before or not. My Father worked timing and scoring at the race James Dean won in a Porsche Super Speedster; a few years later Dad was picking one up himself, he'd come to regret that he'd eventually traded it in. Those old Speedsters became a favorite of the less wealthy who couldn't be a collector, yet went to college with a rich kid who was driving the car they all longed to have someday. 20-40 years later, they'd finally get their car.

The Yamaha RX50 wasn't much of a bike, kind of like the joke of a camel being a horse designed by a committee. The engine was a 50cc 2 cycle from a kids' size bike. Nowhere near freeway capable, the transmission might enable it to outrun mopeds using near identical engines. If you ride that thing very long at one time, you're likely to burn up the engine. I never could have commuted to work on it way back when. If Yamaha HAD tried to put a price on it in the shop, it's hard to say if they could have sold any. My Pagsta is probably just as shoddy as the Yamaha even with a 4 cycle engine that probably came from Japan. I think it's given me a feel for what it would be like to ride an RX50. Well, I DO like riding my Pagsta; afterall, it's a motorsickle. All this fuels the ongoing interest.

My two destructive brothers have long ago moved to Texas, motorcycles are at last safe at my house. I may get these bikes running, but they're still old, slow, worn out. Still, I wish I'd never given up that Yamahopper. The guy that bought it keeps trying to sell it for 3 times what I sold it to him for. No, he won't get it. I'm always debating picking up another Riva, they're hard to work on but I've fixed legendary Riva problems that other struggle with for years. People were scoffing at YG5's they'd seen for sale when they posted about them on motorcycle boards, but I posted about mine and their tune changed, some went back and bought them. People are still commenting on my now departed mopeds that I mentioned at the Moped Army board. This time around I'm making memories with happy endings. I'm even thinking of getting the Taiwanese Symba, a replica of the Supercub.

If it had been me and not Jim that won one of those RX50's back when, I shutter to think what would have happened to it when it got to my place. I can't imagine I could have hid it in the crawlspace under the house or something, it would have been doomed when my brothers saw it. If I was ready to pay more than it's really worth to have that silly glorified moped without pedals of a marketing "Leave behind," it could have a long life with me taking care of it. Jim wouldn't be around to ride it either, let's just say I got fed up with the drunken self pity when he continually whined about how bad he had it, what with being lazy and unwilling to make it himself in the world and all. Last I heard from Wayne, he was fed up too. Wayne is up the coast of Central California now, selling business software. Jim I understand to be in sales himself. I remember the things they wanted to do, I think of how far from that they ended up, it just reminds me of why so many people envy me of how far I went in Television, even if I don't feel like a real success. At least I did some of what I wanted to do, just as at last I get to ride as I wanted to. But gee, I wonder if Jim ever did get to own his own motorcycle. I remember one day, years after I'd last spoken to him, I'm sure I saw him without a helmet as he rode past. .

. . . .Just want to ride on my motorsickle
And I don't want a tickle
'Cause I'd rather ride on my motorsickle
And I don't want to die
I just want to ride on my motorcy...cle

Arlo Guthrie's Motorcycle Song

Unseen. Unforgotten

2012-01-12T01:42:00.000-08:00

By Doug Vehle
The Daily Bosco

I wonder how many people realize the number of homeless camps that set up shop at the schools of Fullerton every night, only to see the residents vanish from sight in time for the kids to arrive each morning. And that largely is how they want to keep it, some relative invisibility to keep from seeming a bother. When that invisibility is interrupted, the community has a way of taking sides against each other while the homeless silently slip out of sight again.

But it really isn't always that way. At one time, sleeping in a doorway on Wilshire near Malden, was Fullerton's most prominent homeless man about town. There was nothing unusual about someone walking up to him and handing him a muffin or some soup. A patron leaving a restaurant might bring him a cup of coffee. One Christmas time I would see a woman dressed as though she was on her way to one of the better restaurants suddenly call "Johnny" and run to him, pulling a Christmas card from her purse she had been carrying in case she saw him. As always, he would be unable to look right at the person giving him something, but his face would slowly come to a very bright smile. When I asked this woman about the phenomenon I was witnessing, she told me they had gone to high school together, that a number of old schoolmates had started doing small things to take care of him. But I don't think they were all old classmates, I never had the chance to find out about why most of them were looking out for him. It probably came easy in this case, because look at the appreciation he showed.

Johnny Morris, to my limited understanding, appeared to be a Catatonic Schizophrenic, which bears some resemblance to autism. The articulated hand movements he exhibited as he acted out using imaginary objects drew my envy, as I was involved live improv comedy and "Spacework" at the time. The first time I intervened in one of his episodes, he was using his hand as though holding a Colt 1911 automatic pistol or something with a similar thumb safety, judging from the use of his opposing digit. Literally, from watching his hand, I could name the gun. The other hand was held up as though he was showing his badge; he was yelling "FREEZE! FBI UNDERCOVER!"

I learned a few things as a volunteer working with the mentally ill. In this case, I ran up next to him and took up his same position, mimicking his actions. So these people in the parking lot he'd been threatening to gun down now had two of us. But I explained quickly that he was harmless and it helped to mirror his movements to bring him out of it. He stopped moving, but his hand remained up pointing his "Gun." Since my moving out of position might set him in motion again, I asked if one of them would please just run over to Back Alley Grill right close and get the owner, who was very good at dealing with Johnny. The "Victims" were already laughing nervously, one asked if he was going to frisk them. At the sound of the owners voice, Johnny broke that slow smile.

It wasn't always so amiable. At Fullerton Library he might start yelling as he acted out some drama; maybe imagined, maybe remembered. Often it would involve violence or threats of violence. But always it was Johnny himself on the receiving end of the violence. The librarians never seemed to question when I'd squat into an imaginary chair next to him and match his gestures, between his shouts saying "Johnny, you can't be doing this here." They're educated people, they know something is working when he quiets down. But Johnny wore out his welcome in a library that welcomes the homeless, he was finally told not to come back. And he didn't, he really didn't want to be a problem.

And mostly he wasn't. I don't know if the business owner was bothered that Johnny would keep himself out of the rain, mostly out of the wind by spending the night in the inset space of the doorway, or if the owner even knew. I do know how I'd feel if I owned a business, if customers were uncomfortable with the homeless, even with my understanding that these people are alive and have to fill a space somewhere, even as we build cities they can't adapt to and take away all the free space. These matters create a lot of tough questions without ready answers.

The end came for Johnny while he was having a rare moment indoors. He was given some coffee, he sat at a table, suddenly he went face down. Easy to think he'd fallen asleep, it wasn't quite sun up. The word traveled quickly, so many knew Johnny.

A plaque went up memorializing Johnny at Back Alley Grill. People left food, I'm not sure if it was simply a memorial or if it was meant for other homeless, but they don't seem to go to that neighborhood and it went to waste. Not the case at the memorial site for Kelly Thomas, the food, clothes, cigarettes are quickly put to use. I'm asked why I bring cigarettes and I point out that in my time working with the mentally ill I realized that smoking brought what little pleasure some of them had. I'm not a smoker myself and I had the opportunity to decide that on my own. I'll let them do the same.

The Kelly Thomas site is temporary, unless the OCTA should decide to allow something permanent. No reason that they should. Either way, the drop offs should subside after a month or so of relative prosperity for these people who survive on so little. They smile about that, saying they appreciate it for as long as it might last. They can't all be Johnny Morris.

On New Years and Change

2012-01-02T02:16:00.000-08:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Some traditions seem to die hard with me...especially around New Years Day.

For instance, as a wannabe sports broadcaster growing up in the late 60's and early 70's I was very aware of the Bowl Game lineup and the announcers on television for each of the Bowl games. It was Lindsey Nelson on the Cotton Bowl on CBS in the morning. Curt Gowdy on the Rose Bowl in the afternoon and Jim Simpson on the Orange Bowl in the evening (both on NBC). That Bowl lineup was like it was etched in stone when I was a kid.

It was as traditional as eating Black Eyed Peas on New Years.

And before all those Bowl Games it was the Rose Parade with a gentleman by the name of Bill Welsh doing the commentary on KTTV Channel 11. I would stay with my Grandmother every New Years night and into the evening of New Years Day when our entire family would gather. On New Years morning I would get up early and run to her front yard to pick up the Los Angeles Times. There we could see the Parade lineup so we could follow along when the Parade started.

But before all the parade festivities and the bowl games....shortly before midnight on New Years I would stay up with my Grandmother and flip between the Johnny Carson Show and the Guy Lombardo show on television. Shortly before midnight Grandma Liesch would go to her cupboards and pull out some pots and pans. She would apologize for not having any fire crackers but she told me "We gotta make some noise...let's go" and we would go outside and rattle those pots and pans as vigorously and as loud as possible at midnight.

I can't remember when this all changed, but like everything I suppose it was a gradual process.

Fast forward forty two years later.

Johnny Carson, Guy Lombardo, Bill Welsh, Kurt Gowdy, Lindsey Nelson, and my Grandma Liesch are no longer with us anymore. And Jim Simpson has been retired for a long time.

I picked up the Los Angeles Times on Saturday morning. Instead of seeing the Parade Lineup (because there is now an ap for that)...there was an article about how most of the flowers on the Rose Parade floats aren't even grown in California. As a lot of things in my home state of California, like jobs and businesses, this has been apparently outsourced to foreign countries or out of state.

I was in the car on Saturday doing some errands and was listening to something called the Meineke Car Care Bowl and later, the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl. I realized that both the main announcers on both of the games were women. They were doing a great job and this has been done since 2000 when Pam Ward first did it but I still miss Kurt Gowdy and Lindsey Nelson with his southern drawl and loud psychedelic suits that I swear he was just wearing to mess with the CBS producers.

Speaking of Bowl Games, the Cotton Bowl isn't even played on New Years anymore.

And about all these sponsors for the bowl games. They never had that back in the Day.

If you are going to do that, at least match up the sponsor with the bowl game. The only sponsor that sort of matches up is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The rest don't match up. Not even close. Like what does Auto Zone have to do with Liberty? Or what does Vizio have to do with Roses? Wouldn't you rather see the Sunkist Orange Bowl or the Hanes Cotton Bowl or the Jackson & Perkins Rose Bowl or the C&H Sugar Bowl?

One thing about the Fiesta Bowl. I remember watching that game on TV when I was a kid in the late 60's when it was played on a torn up dirt and grass patch somewhere in the Arizona desert. They would televise it on one of the low budget independent stations...channel 13. It was the ugliest game to watch especially if you had to watch it in black and white like I did. When did this turn into the premiere Bowl game? Now the game is played in a state of the art stadium where they roll out the turf and reseed before every game and the game is viewed by millions and the fans watch in air conditioned comfort of a domed stadium.

My New Years has morphed into new traditions like spending New Years with 10,000 of my closest friends in our town's First Night Celebration and watching a firework extravaganza at midnight, having family over at the house for barbeque, and watching movies with my family on New Years Day instead of football and a parade.

As much as I long for the good old days of New Years past, in the end, I guess the biggest tradition of New Years Day is change and starting in a new direction. So I did something entirely different this year.

This year I watched Videos of classic Guy Lombardo and Johnny Carson New Years Shows, old Rose Parades, old Cotton, Rose and Orange Bowls (with no corporate sponsorship) and I banged pots and pans at midnight. Then I ate some Black Eyed Peas for Good Luck.

Happy New Year Everybody!

It's Christmas Time In The City

2011-12-22T03:57:00.000-08:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

One thing I have to say about my neighbor Steve Weisman …well there are two things….he loves Christmas and he gets a little crazy at this time of the year. First of all, the sheer fact that we live on Bedford Drive (You know, like “It’s A Wonderful Life” Bedford Falls ) indicates how far he takes this obsession with Christmas. In other words, I don’t think that it is a coincidence that he lives on Bedford Drive. And I doubt it is a coincidence his name is Weisman (as in Wiseman)

Steve, his two children and lovely wife start decorating their home for Christmas in the summer. Ok, it just seems that way. Actually he starts on December 26...as in December 26, 2010 for the 2011 display.

Steve is always looking for deals on Christmas decorations. He hits the Estate Sale and garage sale circuit pretty good looking for the perfect Christmas decorations for his yard. His yard at Christmas is like the Who’s Who of Christmas Ornaments. You name it, he’s got it. Except for those inflatable Homer Simpsons and Santa Claus and Frosty the Snow men….Steve doesn’t go in for the inflatables apparently.

Which leads me to digress a little bit…When you are doing a Christmas presentation on your front lawn…and this is just a suggestion… go with either the religious motif or the “fun” motif. This is what I don’t want to see on any lawn in America…Jesus in a manger, the three Wisemen, A cross on top of your house AND a 20 foot inflatable Homer Simpson in a Santa Outfit. You either have to go one way or another. Steve primarily understands this…he goes for the fun in Christmas primarily. Steve could go religious…he’s a devoted Lutheran and he sends his two kids to wonderful Lutheran schools but he decided to go the fun route.

So a survey of Steve’s lawn will find a penguin in a tophat, lit candy cains, and my personal favorite a working Ferris wheel full of winter creatures like penguins or maybe it’s a big mouse dressed like a penguin… I’m not sure, a train on the roof, assorted lit reindeers, snowmen, and American Flag draped over his fence. 4 large Evergreens covered with lights…well you get the idea.

Steve single-handily keeps the White Cotton bunting industry going. The local fabric store in Fullerton here sees him coming and they know that they will meet their profit margin for the year. He rolls yards of that stuff onto his yard so that it looks like snow and he basically sacrifices his lawn for the Christmas display. Nothing can grow after he puts all that bunting down.

Steve isn’t the only one on my street that gets into the Christmas spirit on Bedford Drive. In fact it’s like peer pressure to not only have a Christmas display…You have to give 100%. Effort. You have to bring your “A” game when you are doing Christmas decorations on Bedford Drive. A couple of years ago, I startled everybody on my street. They thought I had converted to Judaism, which would have been cool with my neighbors, because they are cool and embrace religious diversity, but that would also have meant I would have been the only one on the block without Christmas decorations.

It was a series of events that made it appear I had in fact become one of the Chosen. First of all, I accidentally bought Hannakuh wrap from Steve’s daughter Stephanie for the school. I meant to buy the snowman ensemble but somehow I marked the code for the Hannakuh wrap on the order sheet. It’s beautiful in silver and blue metallic, but not Christmassy. Then, the former owner of my home, Jay, left me boxes of old colorful Christmas lights. One thing about me is that I like the white Icicle lights and simple elegance of the aforementioned so I don’t use the color lights. So, I went to Steve and simply said, “I won’t be needing these anymore” and he gave me a concerned “Come back to the flock” look.

The third thing that happened was that I could not make Steve’s annual Neighborhood Holiday bash at his home due to another commitment which totally looked like I was snubbing my Christian bretheren. And to top everything else, since I was gone for most of December that year…I literally didn’t put up any ornaments until December 24. But on December 24 everybody knew I was still a Christian….a lazy, procrastinating Christian mind you…but one still the same.

So I wish all of my neighbors (and everybody else for that matter) a wonderful and safe Holiday season. And if you experience a spike in your electric bill this month because of your Christmas lights and decorations and you wonder if it is all worth the money and time and effort just think of Steve Weisman and realize that some youngster is probably visiting Bedford Drive right now with his parents and staring with awe at the Weisman’s beautiful and wonderful Christmas decorations.

Saving The Best For Last

2011-12-16T03:22:00.000-08:00

Theatre Uncut
Monkey Wrench Collective
204 N. Harbor Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92832
Directed by Dave Barton
Written by Laura Lomas, Dennis Kelly,
Jack Thorne, Clara Brennan, Lucy Kirkwood,
Mark Ravenhill, Anders Lustgarten, and David Greig
Through Sunday Dec. 18
Friday and Saturday - 8 PM
Sundays - 2 PM
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

As a long-time admirer and fan of Monkey Wrench Collective and it's predecessor (Rude Guerrilla Theater) in Fullerton, I am more than a little sad and out of sorts today.

That is because after the three remaining performances this weekend of Theatre Uncut, MWC goes permanently dark, packs it's bags and moves to Los Angeles.

Monkey Wrench Collective was the only place in Fullerton that you could go to for the timely, the avant garde, and the most controversial live theater. It never ever backed down from it's original mission statement.

And it isn't closing from a lack of trying. MWC has received rave reviews from publications as diverse as the OC Register, LA Times, OC Weekly as well as the one you are reading right now. I find it hard to believe that this Theater that sits in the middle of a College Town with fine acting tradition and people with a love of good inventive theater, can't pack their small, intimate venue night after night.

But on Monday it will be gone.

Good news however! There are three performances left of their latest effort and the Wrench has left the best for last.

True to form for Monkey Wrench, Theatre Uncut, which had it's genesis just this year in March and first opened in London, is ripped right out of today's news, and so relevant, you will wonder if this is actually today's newscast. This is adaptable theater which MWC is great at. I don't even think it was on their season schedule when it was announced earlier in the year.

If you are a bit hazy on the purpose of the Occupy Movement who the 99% are, then you will definitely want to see this. The play was originally written in protest of spending cuts by the Coalition Government in the UK but it tells the story of the 99% pretty well.

Theatre Uncut is actually eight short plays by eight different writers that tell one story. The production runs seamlessly as if it were one play and this is because Director Dave Barton is like an accomplished fine artist. Barton mixes multi-media here to great effect: video, lighting, set design by Jason Bannister, costume design by Heather Enriquez Girten sound and use of actors in an engaging and fascinating way.

There are some truly amazing performances by the actors here. Cynthia Ryannen's Linda, a mother dealing with her child's medical condition in Clara Brennan's Hi Vis is touching, absorbing, and moving. The same can be said about Bryan Jennings as Nigel and Jill Cary Martin as Julie in Jack Thorne's Whiff Whaff.

My personal favorite, and it's hard to pick one favorite here because it is all great, is Mark Ravenhill's A Bigger Banner. What would happen if two protesters from the 40's ran into a protester from the Occupy Movement today? A Bigger Banner answers that question with great performances by MWC veterans Jessica Lamprinos and Jennifer Pierce as well as Jami McCoy and Sean Engard.

Remember, starting tonight (Fri. Dec. 16) these are the last three shows by the Monkey Wrench Collective before they close the doors in Fullerton forever. It's the end of an era which we will probably not see the likes again in this town for a long time to come.

The 2011 NCAA Football Division I Playoffs

2011-12-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Well, it's that time of year again...One more chance for me to get one last rant in on why there should be a Playoff Series in NCAA Division 1 Football. This comes to mind as I look over the current NCAA Bowl Game Schedule and I realize that instead of staring at a 7-5 and 9-4 team in the Idaho Potato Bowl this weekend...we could actually be starting the first round of the playoffs.

And there are so many questions. Just because LSU is undefeated, how would Wisconsin with two losses play against the Tigers? Or better yet how would Oklahoma State with one loss do against either Oregon or Stanford?

This whole yearly national debate could be settled by a playoff. Almost all NCAA sports including lower division football have a playoff system. A playoff at the Division 1 level is now a no brainer. And you don't have to go any further than the NCAA Division 1 Basketball tournament to realize how huge of an event this could be.

How would it work? Very simple. First of all you don't throw out the BCS ranking system...maybe you try to improve the process...but you don't get rid of the concept. Top eight teams at the end of the regular season are in the playoffs.

First week number eight plays number one, number seven plays two...and so on. Second week, reseed and have the semi-finals and third week is the championship.

What about the revenues for and from the current bowl games? Simple. You don't get rid of the bowl games. First of all, you already have a championship game set up on a neutral site so that doesn't change. Each year, cities would bid for the championship game...much like the Super Bowl. Revenues to the schools involved would increase.

Then you have four quarterfinals and two semi-finals. Six bowl games could serve as those games. Those six games would be bid on by the Bowl committees. All the other cities get to have their bowls like they usually do...sort of like the NIT tournament in basketball. Say the Rose Bowl wants to go back to the traditional Pac Ten - Big Ten matchup...they don't have to bid on a game for the playoffs...then again...maybe they want to if a Pac-Ten team is involved.

What about the argument that it creates more games? This arrangement creates two additional games for only two teams in the country. Think about it. These teams are currently playing in a bowl game already so that's one game. Take away the League championships and that's another game. That argument has never flown with many people. And if you really want to be safe...drop one of the preseason games which are usually unnecessary.

Here's how the Playoff System could have worked this year. The operative word here is "could". No emails about who I projected to win the games.

In the first week, the quarter-finals: Alabama beats Arkansas in the Gator Bowl, LSU beats Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl, Boise State surprises Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl, and Stanford beats Oregon in the Rose Bowl. (Notice how the Bowl alignments this year are almost regional with Stanford and Oregon playing in the west in Pasadena, Alabama and Arkansas in the South in Jacksonville, LSU playing in the South in Miami and Oklahoma State playing in the Southwest in Dallas.)

In the second week, the semi-finals: LSU beats Boise State in the Sugar Bowl and Alabama beats Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl.

In the Championship Game held at University of Phoenix Field in Arizona....Alabama beats LSU and wins the national championship.

See how simple and cool that was?

Hopefully it will be a reality next season. President Obama and I will be working on it.

Not Your Parents Breakfast Club

2011-12-09T03:57:00.000-08:00

Cockroach
Written by
Sam Holcroft
Hudson Guild
6539 Santa Monica
Los Angeles
Through Dec. 18
Fri, Sat. 8 PM;
Sun. 3 PM
5 Scoops

By Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I settled in to watch Sam Holcroft's Cockroach, the latest offering by Monkey Wrench Collective at the Hudson Guild in Los Angeles.

I thought maybe I was going to see the British version of the Breakfast Club crossed with To Sir With Love or any of those fill-in-the-blank British bad boy and girl juvenile delinquent movies from the early 60's and maybe a little Stand And Deliver.

As was extremely evident from the first frenetic, intense and hectic in-your-face opening minutes of the play, there is no comparison to be made to the aforementioned and we were going to be in for a roller coaster of a ride.

The entire cast does a wonderful job bringing Holcroft's rich characters, dialogues and monologues to life. Whether it is Katelyn Gault's Leah, Kourtni Pollard's Mmoma, Kyra Kiener's teacher Beth, Alexander Price's Lee, Kevin Shewey's Davey or Adele Heather Taylor's Danielle...these are all top-notch performances by an ensemble that works wonderfully as single performers or as the sum of their parts.

In a sea of great performances here, my favorite is the performance of relative newcomer Pollard as Mmoma. I love the scene where a lonely Mmoma, who is the odd person out because everybody including the teacher is in a relationship...manufactures a love interest out of an old used and bloody army uniform and talks, dances, and sings, beautifully I might add, the theme to "Love Story" to the imagined boyfriend. So much is conveyed in that scene, brilliantly written by Holcroft. That scene is worth the price of admission alone.

I'm not going to go into detail on the intricacies of the script and the scenes because I want you to explore and discover that on your own. But here's the skinny...You take five angry punk high school kids with issues serving detention with a perturbed teacher who would rather be someplace else. Place the six people in a small confined area with a major war raging on in the real world outside. That's like a petrie dish experiment waiting to happen and it does in Cockroach.

I always marvel how Monkey Wrench Collective does so much with such a small area to work with. This play is perfect for the venue because the audience is thrust into the class room and never leaves...it doesn't have to. Great work by Director Christopher Basile at not only directing this group and creating a perfect storm of activity but for his great yet simple set design of the classroom in an intimate setting. Also, great and on cue lighting design and execution by Dan Weingarten. Not to mention a great sound track of music.

It seems like I say this every time I see a Monkey Wrench production and it bears saying it again. The group under the direction of Dave Barton, Bryan Jennings, Greg Adkins and Alexander Price really go out of their way to find the freshest, and newest plays out there for us to see. Think about it. While most other theaters in are doing tried, true, and the familiar this is the theater you come for to see something new. Outside of the UK, this play had never been seen in the US before. So kudos to MWC for taking the chance with this.

We're off to See and Download the Wizard

2011-10-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Wizard of Oz
Live Stage Performance
Plummer Auditorium
Fullerton, CA
Opens Fri. Oct. 14; 8 PM

By Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

As The Wizard of Oz begins a two week live run at Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton tonight, my thoughts turned to all things Wizard of Oz.

When I was a kid, one of the highlights of my year was when I used to go over to my Grandparents house to watch the Wizard of Oz. It was a special event. The television network...I believe it was NBC... would show it only once a year.

I had watched the movie on my parents black and white television, but it was more special at Grandma and Grandpas. They had a color televison. And as you know, one of the interesting things about the movie is when it transforms from the black and white landscape of tornado-ravaged Kansas to the colorful and magical land of Oz.

And, somehow, the Jiffy Pop tasted better from Grandma's stove. She had a knack for not burning a single kernel. Something I could never quite get the hang of..even with the microwaved popcorn.

And the other thing...Grandma was there to run to whenever the Wicked Witch would make her appearance.

I read last year that Netflix, in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the release of the Wizard of Oz, made the classic movie available as a free download.

I would be the first to applaud the ability to be able to download television programs and movies at will. I wait till the weekend usually and watch my favorite programs that way now. I love Hulu...I can watch a lot of shows on demand that way. But, at the same time, it takes away a bit from the specialness of the event.

With technology as it is...we can watch any program, anytime we want it. I pass cars all the time where the kids are in the back watching cartoons or movies while traveling.

That's cool but that can't beat going to Grandma's house once a year to watch the Wizard of Oz.

Bringing Down The House

2011-09-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

Hugh Laurie
Let Them Talk
Four Scoops of Bosco

Since my tastes in TV tend to run to The History Channel, most of what I know of the actor Hugh Laurie comes from my wife Barbara, the author of a book about the show House M.D. (Chasing Zebras).

Laurie is clearly a talented actor and comedian. He’s also written a novel and seems to be a pretty good musician. So when Barbara invited me to review Laurie’s new album, Let Them Talk, it was pretty difficult to say no – after all, this is the kind of music that I profess to know something about. I already complain that too few people are interested in these styles of music.

Laurie’s official website describes the album as “a celebration of New Orleans blues,” but to be fair, his tastes go well beyond this, embracing spirituals (“Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho”), classic American songwriting (“It Ain't Necessarily So," “After You’ve Gone," “Swanee River”), and traditional folk music (“John Henry”). The album, produced by Joe Henry (as Laurie states, no relation to John), has a strong supporting lineup: David Piltch on upright bass; Kevin Breit on guitar, dobro, and mandolin; Patrick Warren on organ, Chamberlin and accordion; and Jay Bellerose on drums/percussion. Allen Toussaint, who knows more than a little bit about New Orleans music, directs a nifty horn section. Backup vocalists include Jean McClain and Gennine Jackson-Francis.

Besides the celebrity status of the lead performer, there are a couple of areas that distinguish this album from similar efforts. One of the more interesting is that there aren’t a lot of straight leads on instrumental choruses as one would expect. Instead, the instruments seem to play off each other during the breaks. I can only speculate on how this approach was chosen, but it’s actually pretty effective.

Another aspect is that they make use of different approaches to give the music more variability. For example, in "Swanee River," Laurie begins with a slow, minor key version of the chorus, which then leads into a boogie woogie version of the song. He then intersperses an uptempo version of the minor key with more boogie (for an interesting comparison, check out Dr. John’s "Swanee River Boogie" on The Great Sounds of New Orleans). On "Saint James Infirmary," Laurie begins with a slow, mournful arpeggio-laden introduction that shows off his inventiveness as a soloist. The rhythm section's other instruments join in. It eventually leads into a rhythmic medium-tempo vocal that plays the horn section off Laurie’s piano, finishing with a coda that recalls the opening section.

Another highlight, and a change of pace from the other material, is Blind Blake's "Police Dog Blues," featuring some nice guitar picking from Laurie.

Laurie and the horn section also show off their chops on the Professor Longhair classic "Tipitina." It's clear that Laurie has a special affinity for this style. Fans of the old A Bit of Fry and Laurie TV series (or those who were forced by their spouses to watch) will recall that the theme song was the Professor's "Mardi Gras in New Orleans."

Unfortunately, this CD is encumbered by Laurie's singing. Sorry, it's just not very good. His voice has a somewhat thin, reedy quality that seems to be emphasized by his interpretation of the lyrics. Vocals work out much better when Laurie turns those duties over to guests Dr. John ("After You're Gone"), Irma Thomas ("John Henry"), and Sir Tom Jones ("Baby, Please Make a Change").

So where does this all rank? Would people be better off to forego this album and look up the original material? Well, maybe, but most won't have the patience to wade through the hisses, pops and uneven recordings that most fans of this material put up with. Also, Let Them Talk has enough twists and turns, both in the material and the arrangements, to make it interesting despite its flaws. So yes, I think this is an album worth purchasing.

Now, excuse me while I go upstairs and watch The History Channel.

Reviewed by Philip Barnett
Mr. Barnett writes reviews for Blog Critic

"Would You Believe?" This Is A Very Funny Show

2011-09-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Get Smart
Created by Mel Brooks
and Buck Henry
Directed by Brian Newell
Maverick Theater
110 Walnut Ave,
Fullerton, CA
Fri., Sat. 8 PM
Sun. 4 PM
Through Sept 17
Five Scoops

Reviewed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

I have a confession to make.

The real reason why I started watching Get Smart (the parody of television and movie double agent shows like James Bond and Man From UNCLE) as an eight year old boy in the late sixties was that I had a huge crush on Agent 99 (played by Barbara Feldon). To be fair to blonde women, I also had a crush on Barbara Eden prancing around and granting wishes in that skimpy Genie outfit in the show that preceded Get Smart on Saturday nights (I Dream of Jeannie)...but I digress.

The reason why I continued to watch Get Smart through it's entire television run and it became one of my favorite shows of all time is that it was extremely funny. But it was a totally different humor that I had ever witnessed on network television. I also, as many fans of the show, was trying to figure out what the acronyms KAOS and KONTROL meant. Of course, later on we found out the writers were playing a cruel trick on us.....Those acronyms don't stand for anything.

What I didn't realize when I was a young boy is that I was watching one of the earlier efforts of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Mel Brooks of course would go on to write and direct such comedy classic movies as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, and the Producers. Buck Henry would go on to write, host,act and be a major force in the early years of Saturday Night Live.

So, I was excited when I first heard the Maverick Theater in Fullerton was doing a stage version of Get Smart. Ironically one of the show times was on a Saturday night...the same night the TV show came on...at approximately the same time a small wide-eyed eight year old would watch the show in the late sixties. I was even more excited when Director Brian Newell invited me to watch and review the show.

I was not disappointed. Everything about this show was cool and funny. As an added bonus, for us fans of the original television show, it really pays a great homage to the original television show.

The one thing I liked off the bat was that Shaun Michael McNamara, the actor who plays Maxwell Smart, does not try to channel the spirit of Don Addams (the actor who played Maxwell Smart brilliantly in the original TV Show). McNamara brings his own refreshing, comedic take to the character with great success.

The same can be said about Jax DiBennedetto...the young lady that plays Agent 99. No copying of Barbara Feldon here and she doesn't even try to look like the original Anent 99. DiBennedetto (like Barbara Feldon) is still plenty cute though and plays the comic foil to McNamara very well.

This is classic Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. There is no denying their influence on this show. A lot of third wall breaking. For instance, when the infamous Cone of Silence breaks down, two guys from the stage crew emerge to take it away...through the crowd, apologizing as they step over the audience. Or, with the famous Get Smart theme song playing, Maxwell Smart walks through a door as he does on one of the most recognized and famous openings of a TV show...the bathroom door stage right...the music stops, the audience hears the toilet flush, Maxwell Smart comes out wiping his hand on a towel as he walks back through the audience and hands it to one of the audience members. Funny stuff.

And, as is the case in all Mel Brooks and Buck Henry creations, there are some hilarious over the top characters. And this show is no exception. In this show its the Transgender Villian Lady V played wonderfully by RC Sands . Or the extremely sexy henchgirls Kitty Galore, Honey Potts and Number 3.

But my favorite is the befuddled chief. Played here wonderfully by Maverick veteran Rick Sands.

Great Direction, lighting design, and use of space at the Maverick by Director Brian Newell. I also enjoyed the live band under the direction of Sho Fujeida...that is a cross between a 60's surf band and the Henry Mancini or Nelson Riddle Orchestra (groups that were so prevalent in the 1960's when the TV show was in production).

There are only a few shows left of Get Smart at the Maverick (it runs until Sept. 17).

"Would you believe?"...it is very funny and entertaining and if you are a fan of the series...not to be missed.

Frank Cano Returns to Steamers

2011-09-03T07:24:00.001-07:00

Frank Cano
Steamers Jazz
Club and Cafe
Fullerton, CA
Sat. Sept. 3

Editors Note: Los Angeles Trumpeter Frank Cano and his Latin Jazz Band play tonight at Steamers Cafe in Fullerton, CA. In 2007, Mr. Cano released a wonderful jazz album which we review today in anticipation of tonight's show.

Frank Cano
A Beautiful Day / Un Lindo Dia
Independent
Five Scoops of Bosco

Frank Cano is an LA based trumpeter, a good composer as well as a decent arranger. He showcases these talents to fine effect on his debut recording "A Beautiful Day, Un Lindo Dia". As the leader on this outing he also proves that he can put together a great Latin Jazz band.

The talented master percussionist and conguero Francisco Aguabella adds immensely to the Latin Cubop theme on two of the tracks, while conguero Joey De Leon, master bongosero, Jose ‘Papo’ Rodriguez and timbalist Ramon Banda add the salsa touch with heavy clave rhythms.

This all star cast of percussionists create spontaneous movement in the listening experience. Joined by a host of talented LA studio musicians who team up to create an exciting and varied salsa heavy band that sounds festively alluring.

Frank Cano, Mexican born and Californian raised, has performed for three years with legendary conguero Francisco Aguabella, a fine training ground for catching a groove and polishing it to a finely honed edge as seems to be the case here. The songs that are featured are primarily Cano compositions. Six of the eight compositions on the CD are by Cano. He is joined by Robert Chasco, Bruce Goss and Jimmy Quiroz as contributing composers on certain track selections. The song “Encanto” is composed by Francisco Torres, the trombonist and co-producer along with Cano on this album.

A Frank Cano original kick starts the album. “Validacion” certainly validates the music as authentic, inspiring and moving in the right direction. The percussionist ensemble is allowed to run free - opening the door for the soloists who come on strong right out of the gate. A strong tenor saxophone solo by Javier Vergara leads and finds Frank Cano responding with an equally as impressive trumpet solo. The trumpet solo leads to a drum battle of intensity, all members of the percussion section are interacting with typical Latin fire and passion. A return to the opening melody all too soon, some five minutes later, and a gentle fade out.

The title track “A Beautiful Day/ Un Lindo Dia” is another original by Frank Cano. The song features the flautist Danilo Lozano and vocalist Melanie Jackson, a moderate tempo in a cha-cha style rhythm with a smooth Latin jazz groove. Lozano’s flute playing flows, flutters and flashes brilliance, conguero Francisco Aguabella who is also featured on this track plays as passionately as ever.

Many of the songs are straight ahead salsa tunes that make you want to get up and dance, “Sesionar” written by Cano, Chasco, and Goss is one such tune, while “Baila Mi Negra” by Cano and Chasco is another, featuring some inspired flute playing by Lozano. The song also has a nice piano interlude by Chris Barron and a trombone solo by Francisco Torres that swings and cooks up a storm.

The final song of the album “A Beautiful Day/ Un Lindo Dia”, entitled “Human Nature” by Cano, Chasco, and Goss, is a fitting closer, featuring fiery playing by Vergara on tenor sax and some inspired conga, bongo and timbale playing by the percussionistas - the song revs up the pulse of the listener to the near breaking point. Pianist Chris Barron lets loose with some inspired playing on this track as well, he sets the pace, lays down the melody and set the tone for the horns. The horn arrangements really stand out on this number, this is perhaps the most exciting song and pushes the listener to start all over again.

Review by Paul J. Youngman
Mr. Youngman is a Jazz reviewer for Vinlemania.net

The Car Guys Versus The Bean Counters

2011-08-29T01:57:00.000-07:00

Car Guys vs. Bean Counters:
The battle for the soul of
American Business
by Bob Lutz
Illustrated, 232 pp $26.95
Portfolio/Penguin
Four scoops of Bosco

Reviewed By Doug Vehle
The Daily Bosco

A rollicking romp through a world of brainwashing and propaganda, where the author proves to his self satisfaction that what he has always believed about what great people those who agree with him are, as well as illustrating the evil of those who don't agree with him. Not that he can offer any proof of Al Gore being "Discredited," or of governmental confessions which come about whenever HE is there to ask questions; he's convinced his ragings against Rush Limbaugh for opposing the government bailout of GM is all it will take to convince us. If he won, I'd say the battle for the soul of American business was lost.

Not to say the book wasn't fun to read. I hope he's telling the truth of the Pontiac Firebird that received a Ferrari V12 just to illustrate how much better a GM sports car could be with such an engine. It's just hard to trust a man after his attack on Doug Korthoff as "An embarrassment to the entire West Coast electric vehicle fan community. . . ." This about a man who regularly appears on top 10 lists of 'Most Influential' or 'Most Popular' in the electric car world. Korthoff dared like a GM product that GM itself didn't like, the notorious Saturn EV1. Korthoff may not be the most congenial, but clearly the author isn't either.

At last I had explained for me the system by which GM had integrated the Japanese method of speeding up the assembly line by degrading quality in manufacturing. (After the Japanese had decided to move away from it.) VLE's, Vehicle Line Executives, were given the power to alter design to make the car cheaper to produce. Meeting demand takes a backseat to meeting deadlines. We all knew something like this went on, here's the chance to see it exactly. Unless of course the author's obsession with his own opinion in fact caused him to distort the process a bit. It's easy to believe someone that hierarchy would complain about the introduction of a needed new product because it's "Out of process." (Quicker than expected.) I just feel uncertain about taking this author's word on it.

Lutz doesn't hide his frustration at the 'Conceptual designers' he says ". . . .Could imagine things, but they couldn't actually draw them." If this was true, this would definitely create a perplexing situation. But he creates so many questions over his viewpoint I find myself doubting statements such as this are really true. Did someone at GM really call Saturn customers "Postmodern?" The only time postmodern came to mind for me in the almost 20 year history of the line was the commercial where the bikers see a gathering of Saturn owners that seemed somewhat reminiscent of a trip to Sturgis, or at least a Grateful Dead concert. Even that is in conflict with what Lutz calls ". . . .The person who (Allegedly) didn't care about character, proportion, or design, but wanted a bland, anonymous appliance." I just remember people I knew who became fiercely loyal to the brand, mainly because it was a new and different way to build a car. The Lexan body that didn't dent was popular with one guy who used to kick his drivers door for you. There certainly weren't enough of them so loyal.

As a person with a Pontiac Solstice SSB racecar in his garage, I was really wanting to learn why GM had promised to make Pontiac their performance niche make then didn't follow through. While my question wasn't answered completely, the suggestion is at least there that, because the efforts to produce Holden (Australian GM division) cars in the U.S. and to mount a joint venture with Subaru were shot down by the American effort to focus on "Features" rather than quality, Pontiac was left without designs in the pipeline.

So there's a lot that's interesting in the book. I wish the author had left out the distracting, often annoying opinionizing. He repeatedly complains that the American media simply had it in for American cars, saying Detroit was "Bad" simply because Detroit WAS Bad, without proof. This is the same attitude he himself projects. His assertions of GM's work with the hydrogen fuel cell is "Undeniably true" doesn't carry any real meaning, yet he complains that it didn't "Resonate" with the public. I don't buy his claim that GM had "Exciting Prototypes," I drove the Chevy Equinox he bragged of, as well as others. NOT exciting. The experts I rode with were knowledgeable, including explaining why GM couldn't really build this car, an electric drive with a built in hydrogen generator instead of batteries, for the public. Most important, the materials needed to seal corrosive hydrogen in a tank are not only expensive, but quite structurally unsound for a large container bearing pressure. You wouldn't get much range, even if there WAS a place to refuel it. So he complains of people seeing it as the "Vaporware" that it has been. Although I agree with him that it must have helped in the development of the Chevrolet Volt, much the same sort of powerplant except running on gasoline.

So if you consider yourself a 'Car Guy,' I definitely can say you might enjoy reading the book while wearing some old clothes or coveralls to be stained by some of what drips off the page. My copy will soon appear on the shelves of the Fullerton Library, as most books where I don't want to keep my copy for reference wind up doing. If you can't wait for that, you can follow the link to Google Books and read it online.

Channeling Steve Martin and Britcoms

2011-08-26T03:48:00.001-07:00

The Underpants
Written by Steve Martin
Adapted from a Carl Sternhiem Play
StagesTheatre Fullerton
400 E. Commonwealth Ave. Suite 4
Fullerton, CA 92832
Through September 10
Saturdays and Sundays 5 PM
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

As I was watching Stages Theatre's performance of "The Underpants" I couldn't help but be reminded of those old British Sitcoms, or "Britcoms". You know the ones that they show on BBC America or Public Television here in Orange County Friday nights? Except, with this play (unlike the Britcoms) I could actually understand what was going on.

That's because comedian Steve Martin got a hold of this turn of the 20th century British Comedy written by Carl Sternhiem about what happens when a young married woman's panties accidentally fall off in public and has infused his own trademark frenetic comedy pacing and timing. And some great one-liners too.

The Stages Theater Troupe does a wonderful job of channeling the spirit of Steve Martin into this play. My favorites are the hilarious Sean Contu as the boarder Versati and Dan Barnard as the boarder Cohen who both fall deeply in love and lust with their landlady Louise (the lady that drops her panties) and form one of the funniest and strangest love triangles ever seen on stage.

When you see this play, pay keen attention to the way these actors deliver their lines. You will immediately see Steve Martin in each and every one of them.

Rounding out the cast with completely over the top humor complete with British accents (and as everybody knows everything just sounds funnier in English) are the equally delightful Ryan Young as Theo (Louise's befuddled and clueless husband), Natalie Beisner as Louise, Rose London as the nosy neighbor Gertrude and Brian Fichtner as the mysterious Klinlgehoff.

I often marvel at how the Directors at Stages utilize the intimate setting of the house to their full advantage and David Chorley does a great job of doing just that here as well as directing a very fast paced and fun group.

In short, "The Underpants" is naughty, over the top and just flat out funny. But what would you expect from Steve Martin, British humor and Stages Theater Fullerton?

This play runs through September 10 with performances on Saturday and Sundays at 5 PM.

Now For Something Completely Different

2011-08-22T00:21:00.000-07:00

Blank Slate
Collaborative Theatre
Artist's Group (CTAG)
at Monkey Wrench Collective
Fullerton, California
Directed by RJ Romero
Through Sun. Aug. 28
Four Scoops of Bosco

A favored stunt of small theater groups in recent years involves the submission of story and thematic ideas by audience members, elements then transformed by a theater troupe into a full-fledged production – often in very short order, such as over the course of a weekend.

That's the guiding principle at work with the fledgling Collaborative Theatre Artists' Group (known as "CTAG") with "Blank Slate," the original new show now on stage at the Monkey Wrench Collective theater.

In CTAG's case, the ideas and themes originated with the core ensemble members – about a dozen actors, artists and musicians – who began to develop the show starting in mid- to late June, fashioning a completed script in less than two months.

CTAG founder R.J. Romero, the show's director, states that the purpose of constructing a play in this manner is to meet the challenges and push the boundaries of collaborative writing.

While the CTAG ensemble may have intended the show's title to reflect the nature by which the show came into being, the words "blank slate" actually are apt in a much different way: As a stage play, the show is surprisingly devoid of meaningful content – a loose collection of music, characters and storyline that's still very much a work in progress and has a long way to go before it can be lauded for its artistic merit.

The shame of it is that many of the individual ensemble members are clearly talented. What's not always clear is what each performer's individual strengths are. That leads to the sneaking suspicion that while compiling a play in assembly-line fashion may be an enjoyable process for those involved, for the rest of us poor schmoes in the audience, the finished product is very much a mixed bag.

Though director Romero appears as the vaguely omnipotent General Powers, "Blank Slate" is carried by ensemble members Lew Dentler, Kabir Kamboj, Isaac Kim, Cori Knight, Celeste Lyn, Benjamin Thomas Morrow, Jason Paley, Rae Panas and Robert Ayon Suarez.

This group's members, excepting Dentler, appear to be of college-age (or slightly older). All nine portray counterculture figures rebelling against society. The thin storyline follows this group, which calls itself "The Intrepid Troupe of Traveling Troubadours," as it moves from town to town in a post-apocalyptic world where even the most basic survival needs form often insurmountable obstacles.

After an opening half-hour of whimsical, off-the-cuff improvising, during which Lyn and Panas tap-dance and Kim plays the saw, the story opens with wandering cowboy guitarist Dentler befriending the lonely, frightened Lyn as she wistfully stargazes while singing "Over the Rainbow."

Soon, Dentler has attracted a small following of singers, dancers, actors and musicians about half his age who look to him for leadership and guidance. As Paley notes, "we were drawn to him as if by some unseen power."

The rest of "Blank Slate" follows the troupe as it seeks to subsist solely on its ability to entertain, grabbing up whatever food and drink it can scrounge. It's here that we see the potential of the show to explore intellectual and philosophical themes revolving around survival, religious faith and man's place in the world and the universe.

At this stage, though, "Blank Slate" is still too disjointed to be able to effectively put such points across. While Act Two shows how the small group has jelled into a makeshift family that's eventually worn down by the rigors of fending for themselves, it also points up the script's weaknesses.

"Blank Slate" also misses the opportunity to explore themes revolving around the conflict between military service and personal identity (Suarez's persona is an Iraq War vet who has lost his way in life since his return home) and those which concern political or social leadership (Dentler is murdered by a knife-wielding stranger, prompting the "scrawny misfit" Knight to try to fill his shoes).

The show's second half is also top-heavy with clichés such as "hope is all we got," "togetherness is all this family has," and "life is like a blank slate."

On the plus side, "Blank Slate" works as a showcase for the considerable musical talents of various ensemble members. As a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Dentler is a standout, performing his own original material, but Paley and Kim are also skilled musicians, and the many cast-wide songs are among the show's finest moments.

The print program acknowledges the collaborative contributions of Matt Dallal, Paul Floures, Zach Kanner, Faith Kearns, Hannah Knous, Nicole Sanders and Scott Williams, and it's doubtless that many others were also crucial to the process.

While the members of CTAG may see the show in its current form as good enough to merit 90 minutes of stage time, "Blank Slate" is less a culmination and more of a viable starting point for a hybrid of artistic talent in the service of, yet still in search of, a potent message or two.

Reviewed by Eric Marchese
Mr. Marchese writes for Orangecounty.com

Joe Felz Does Not Deserve A Raise

2011-08-17T05:40:00.001-07:00

Op-Ed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

I, as I suspect many citizens of Fullerton, collective jaws dropped to the floor when we learned that the Fullerton City Council is actually considering giving City Manager Joe Felz a $35,000 a year raise.

It's not like I don't like Joe Felz. I first met Joe in the late 80's when he was heading the Museum and Parks and Recreations. I had him on my Fullerton talk show on local cable TV in 1988 and he is a nice guy and did a nice job working in both of the aforementioned departments.

But, to use a baseball analogy, Parks and Recreation and the Museum is Double A ball...and City Manager is the Major Leagues.

You've had your cup of coffee Joe and it's time for you to go back to the Minors.

This is because Felz has done a horrible job in his short stint as City Manager.

When Felz saw that the Chief of Police Mike Sellers did not get those six officers responsible for the beating death of Kelly Thomas off the streets, did not get the case to the FBI and DA immediately, was not being forthcoming and getting in front of the public immediately on the worst debacle in City History, Felz should have stepped in with the City Council with all the power he has as the City Manager to take over. He should have fired Mike Sellers. He should have been outfront and talking to his city.

Due to this lack of action, our city has lost it's dignity and now is the laughing stock of the nation. We are literally going to lose millions of dollars over this lack of leadership.

And as far as hiring a private investigator to look at the FPD and the Kelly Thomas case, he could have saved the city $70,000. That' because KABC 790 Talk Show Host and well known Attorney Leo Terrell offered on air and probably to Joe Felz directly a helping hand to do the same thing that Michael Gennaco is getting paid to do...Pro Bono! No charge.

Going back to the decision to allow Chevron to build homes on the Coyote Hills oil drilling site....doesn't Mr. Felz know that there is no way that Chevron can insure the safety of the residents of that area after over one hundred years of drilling for Oil on that property? That property is damaged forever. With all the powers that Felz has he should have stepped in and put a stop to that decision by City Council. Because when the first home blows up or first fire starts from a Methane gas leak, The City of Fullerton is going to be sued for millions of dollars.

In a short period of time, Felz has mismanaged the city and his decisions are going to cost our city more money. A lot of money. He is already costing us money.

The city council should not even be considering a raise for anybody right now. But in the case of Mr. Felz, they need to really be considering whether he should even have a job in the city as our City Manager.

Striking Back Without Striking A Blow

2011-08-12T04:17:00.000-07:00

By Doug Vehle
The Daily Bosco

Whether your reaction is "The chief is gone, long live the chief" or "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss," it's time to admit that the departure of Chief Sellers doesn't change much just yet. At some point the rank and file will start to recognize their former Chief was throwing them collectively under the bus just to keep his own face from becoming associated with the crisis. That's just taking this code of silence thing way too seriously. Maybe they realize this already.

We may not be finished with the Kelly Thomas story, but Fullerton PD is in a great position to move on, independent reviewer or no. The public finger pointing should shift further in the direction of city hall, if it continues. Even with the various investigations continuing, the matter has advanced to a stage where it feels like the other shoe has dropped, it's time to look elsewhere for excitement.

Fullerton PD is also in the position of having to rebuild their reputation. No amount of spin doctoring or whining that noone recognizes all the things you do, etc., is going to turn this around. It's like the American Revolution and one of the early heroes writing about going unappreciated after the war. He had captured Fort Ticonderoga, several times halted British advances with smaller forces, all at his own cost without being reimbursed by the Continental Congress. He was such a hero at the Battle of Saratoga there is a monument to him in honor of the wound that left him crippled for life. The problem is a single event really can outweigh all the rest. That man, the greatest hero the American Revolution had by the time of the Battle of Saratoga, was in fact Benedict Arnold. One event really can outweigh all else.

So no idle rhetoric or PR campaign will mean anything. The entire city is waiting to see just how well Fullerton PD can strike back, without striking a blow.

* * *

For maybe a dozen Fullerton PD officers there would be no time for briefing before last Saturday evening began. A call to a nearby park would send them streaming to their cars and meeting up with the outgoing day shift. Reports went out of what could be two dozen Fullerton cop cars converging with shotguns and M16's for what might be a test, although it was no drill. In the shadow of the current controversy, all threats become darkened and harder to see. But as in the Pakistani proverb, 'Every man in this village is a liar,' you're going to have to enter that village anyway. A gun, however, should turn out to be telling the truth: If it's fired, the bullets will be real.

I was a short distance away as this was occurring. A man asked a cashier why as many as 20 cop cars were lined up at the park around the corner. Since I can't really write about it if I don't see it, I was immediately on my way to find out why. With the theory already forming in my head. While I have only spotty information of what specifically occurred, I feel certain I can piece together a recreation that Fullerton PD would agree was pretty spot on, unless they just didn't want to admit it publicly, there's some speculation about a touchy subject here. This not only from some knowledge of the procedure, but also from past experience.

#

It was a quiet Saturday on La Brea Blvd some years back. Billy forgot something in his car. The very image of Robert Blake playing the TV character 'Baretta,' he didn't bother going to the corner to cross at the light, but started his heavy footed run through the traffic in the middle of the block. Right in front of an LAPD patrol car. As in he could have been run down. The lights when on, Billy's hands went in the air and he laughed as he started shouting "Don't shoot." We were laughing, this was pure Billy running right into trouble again. As the police officer emerged from the car I shouted "Didn't they teach you about looking both ways before you cross the street?" More laughter from us, but not the cop; she looked askance at us as she walked toward him. I was getting the eyeball in particular.

As two more cars raced onto the scene, a helicopter appeared overhead. The jokes started about so many cops showing up, including my impression of Arlo Gutherie/'Alice's Restaurant' ". . . .Because it was the CRIME of the CENTURY and EVERYONE wanted to be in the newspaper STORY. . . ." But the new arrivals weren't just making a follow up, they came out of the car ready to go to work, taking up position between Billy and ourselves. And the helicopter was circling the neighborhood. Out of earshot for us, Billy would jokingly ask "All this for ME????" And she would tell him---YES!

A few nights earlier, perhaps on the very block were we stood, LAPD had another of their business as usual controversies. A homeless woman was suspected of stealing, they meant to search her shopping cart. It wasn't really her cart, it was stolen, after all. But if you've dealt with the homeless, you know how possessive they can be over the few things in their possession. The object she attacked with would prove to be a screwdriver, but not before the woman lay dead.

And if you know anything about those sudden outpourings against perceived injustice, you realize that a lot of preplanning goes into making them so spontaneous. It's not easy causing an accidental uprising, I pointed out to the others that the helicopter was looking for a staging area for the out of the blue riot. They laughed even harder at that than they had at Billy, but those two cops were giving me some real hard looks as I was talking. If the out of the blue riot did happen, they must have figured they knew who the leader was.

Well now, have you figured out there WAS no riot? These things are rare enough, but it doesn't hurt to be ready. If the matter had reached a boiling point, you could expect that the backup officers were to act as an extraction team to get the one writing the ticket out of there. They'd leave this to Metro, LAPD's good squad, who would arrive dragging their hairy knuckles into the crowd. . . .

#

But Fullerton PD has no Metro squad, they're not cut out for big city type insurrection. They're better suited to moments as happened in the early morning hours just before. A loud crash had woke my neighborhood in the middle of the night. The elderly in an assisted living home, a county social worker, various people peered out of their homes as shrill voices screamed back and forth from a house no different from the others on the outside. Fullerton PD officers arrived shortly, continually shining a flashlight in the direction of the social workers home. Probably he hovered outside, awaiting an opportunity to meddle in the proceedings, but the flashlight seemed a warning from a cop with no idea who he was, of "We know you're there, don't get any ideas."

A man was sent away, a woman who had been saying nothing was wrong then began to tell of the physical part of the latest fight. Easy to imagine what the loud crash might have been. But the biker gang boyfriend was now gone, the woman he was living off of alone with her children. The now forlorn looking house seemed to warn of the troubles within as it spent the rest of the evening with every light on. Hard to call this a happy ending, but peace had returned. How would this story have progressed without the police? Or if they hadn't been able to handle it without striking a blow?

In a predominately bedroom community, you can find a lot of success if you can handle the domestic squabbles. But they don't all happen in the home. And they don't all end so quickly.

#

The Saturday evening shift was preceded with a greeting by the ongoing demonstrations over the death of Kelly Thomas; in their minds messages like "Shame on FPD" and "You cannot hide behind a code of silence" roughly translating to 'Tie both hands behind your back when you work.'

Did they really miss their briefing? I believe they'll have a 6pm shift that should be meeting about that time. The norm in law enforcement in recent years is for 12 hour days, 6am to 6pm, 6pm to 6am, and 3pm to 3am. My source that witnessed the line of black and whites coming off the lot almost bumper to bumper paints a picture that convinces me that yes, they were all in one place at the station, of one mind, when the call came that there was a group in the park that was fighting, with gunplay appearing to be part of it. Apparently they all moved at once. I think it's a good guess that, even if the briefing began, they didn't have a chance to finish.

What they've undoubtedly been briefed on in recent weeks is the same possibility that LAPD had faced in their own case of the death of a homeless suspect: Someone might be planning a spontaneous riot. Assuming the park has a camera, they could be observing a small number of the gathering in an altercation, with others seeming to ignore it all. Are they used to such a scene between these combatants, or is there another reason this doesn't hold their interest?

Witnesses at the park didn't paint a picture of a major showdown once the police got there. By the time I arrived they'd taken up positions next to all the picnic benches which had people seated. While what appeared to be two groups of combatants that had been separated talked it out, (One seeming to want to continue fighting even with the police there) mostly people were laughing and shaking their heads as they ate. People were allowed to leave, one said that the mother of the child whose birthday it was became angry that the father had brought his new girlfriend. She said "Baby Mama Drama." As the matter seemed settled, the officers drifted away one or two at a time, eyes rolling, a little laughter. Quite the successful operation, noone got hurt.

And that's the way it's supposed to be. The Police aren't supposed to be bragging 'We're heart breakers and life takers.' As one family left, a woman was griping to noone in particular "This is my first time coming to Fullerton, look how the police act." I told her it was lucky that noone in there was homeless. I don't think she got it. But no matter how agitated those cops were before they arrived, nothing happened. Which is a good sign. Maybe there really were additional people in the cul-de-sac nearby, scared off by the sheer numbers. Best not to find out.

Right now would be a good time for Fullerton PD officers to remind themselves how good they have it. They tell themselves otherwise, but they're kept separate from so many of the problems of this world. I remember years ago when a psychotic California Highway Patrolman arrived at the side of the road and inexplicably started screaming "I deal with the scum of the earth, I. . . I . . . I . . . ." I asked him if he meant everyone in the State of California, or just his fellow Highway Patrolmen, which seemed to embarrass him into honoring the code of silence. Truth be told, law enforcement sees far less of the seamy side of life than most of us, because it flees them and inflicts itself on us. A neighbor remarked that the Mongol biker would smile and wave while he was high during his months on the block. The police were fortunate to only spend a few minutes with him. Do you know how many things disappeared from my garage, my truck in the driveway, etc., WHILE I WAS HOME in the time he's been here? If I'd bothered to report it, the officer would spend a few minutes here then go park under a tree to write a report. I'm the one going on dealing with the scum of the earth in the neighborhood, he'd get to go on calls where they're not bad people at all.

I saw a few weeks ago when the police took the marijuana from a pair of teenagers and ground it into the pavement without arresting them. I also saw the homeless man that had shouted "Murderers" over and over from across the street go and scrape it up after the police left. (I hope he decided they weren't so bad after all.) As the kids came out of the nearby store, the homeless man was smoking it with his buddies, calling out "That's gooooood )#W%*, you should have just picked it up yourself." The kids laughed and said they'd just get more. I waited and watched because, post modernist that I am, I knew something like this would happen as soon as the one was grinding it on the road. The movies aren't this good these days. It would be a good thing for them to admit they don't have it nearly so figured out as they like to pretend.

The police came around later looking for the biker, apparently there's a warrant for his arrest afterall. But he appears to be gone. The lights are still on all night in that house, no telling when that will end. But it doesn't really end. You just get used to it. Like the way the Saturday morning cops have started smiling at the protesters in front of the police department.

OCDA Finds No Evidence of "Intentional Murder"

2011-08-10T01:11:00.000-07:00

The Orange County District Attorney claims he's seen no evidence that police had intentionally tried to kill a homeless man who died after being beaten by six officers from the Fullerton Police Department.

Kelly Thomas, 37, died after resisting arrest in the college town of Fullerton in Orange County.

Video of the incident shows police officers beating and tasering Mr Thomas repeatedly as he lies on the floor crying out for his father.

Eye witnesses said he was unable to offer any resistance as he was beaten beyond recognition by the officers who were responding to reports of a break-in.

But Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said he'd seen no evidence to suggest Thomas had been intentionally killed.

He told the Los Angeles Times: 'As far as intentional killing — whether an officer intended to kill him ... I have not seen any evidence of that in this case.'

Rackauckas is trying to establish whether excessive force was used during the incident on July 5 this year.

The coroner's office is waiting for results of toxicology tests before they can determine the cause of death. Rackauckas, in an interview with radio hosts John and Ken on Monday said that process could take anywhere from two to six months.

Thomas was left in a critical condition having suffered severe head and neck injuries in the attack.

He was taken off life support and died five days after the incident.

His death has sparked outrage in the city of Fullerton.

According to reports Thomas - who suffered from schizophrenia - caught the attention of the police after someone reported a burglar was breaking into cars parked near a Fullerton bus station.

When officers approached him in the depot parking lot and tried to arrest him, he resisted.

Eye witnesses Mark Turgeon, said: 'They kept beating him and tasering him. I could hear zapping, and he wasn't even moving.

'He had one arm in front of him like this, he wasn't resisting. And they kept telling him, "He's resisting, quit resisting", and he wasn't resisting.'

Members of the Fullerton community described Thomas as a passive, peaceful person.

He had a previous conviction for assault with a deadly weapon 16 years ago which had been attributed to the onset of his mental illness.

Since his death, his family and members of the community have held protests outside the police department headquarters, looking for answers.

His father Ron Thomas, a former sheriff's deputy, claims he rejected a compensation offer of almost $1million, and plans to sue the city of Fullerton.

He said: 'His death was gang-involved, the way I see it. A gang of rogue officers who brutally beat my son to death.'

By Daniel Miller
Mr. Miller is a writer for the Daily Mail

A Letter From Council Woman Sharon Quirk-Silva

2011-08-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Fullerton Community Members:

First and foremost, I extend my condolences to the Thomas family. As a member of our Fullerton community, as a member of our City Council, and as a mother, I am deeply disturbed by the events that led to the death of Kelly Thomas.

For the well-being of the Thomas family and the residents of Fullerton, I will continue to ask the questions and demand the actions that I feel necessary to make sure that justice is done.

Current status: All the officers involved in the Thomas incident have been placed on administrative leave. The city is working with the District Attorney and the FBI to ensure that a full investigation proceeds in the most transparent and expedient manner.

Yesterday, I requested that the city manager seek the resignation of Fullerton Police Chief Michael Sellers. I feel that the leadership required from our chief during this crisis was lacking. Citizens of Fullerton need to have confidence in a police chief who can not only provide expert, professional crisis management, but who is capable of being the face of the city when a police crisis occurs. I believe we were failed on both counts. All of us who are privileged to hold leadership positions in this city should be held responsible and accountable for the well-being of our city.

As we move forward, I understand that there are some things that we cannot address immediately, and for this I ask your patience. We need to wait for final reports from the D.A. and the FBI before we can make a final judgment on the officers involved (and for their own safety, I don’t feel it is advisable for their names to be released publicly at this time). However, there is something we in city leadership can do immediately as we grieve Kelly Thomas and begin our healing: revisit our policy on the homeless in our city and county.

Homelessness and mental illness are serious and complex issues that all cities grapple with, but what can we do to better understand their challenges in Fullerton? How can we work with local and county agencies and churches to make connections for families who struggle with mental illness? How can we find necessary resources for those without a home? At the very least, we can all try to gain a better understanding of their plight (see my P.S. below).

Finally, I love the City of Fullerton! We are a loving, resilient community, and we will make our way out of this very difficult period.

Sincerely,

Sharon Quirk-Silva
Fullerton City Councilwoman

P.S. While speaking to a homeless woman named Kirsten yesterday, I asked her what she might need that could make a difference for her and others on the street. First, she said that, for a woman on the street, it would be safety and shelter. Next, she said, simply: “socks!” She wanted some socks to keep her feet warm and clean. She said that some churches and shelters used to provide a pair, but not anymore. This is a request that we as a community can take immediate action on.

If you have any extra socks and/or travel-size personal hygiene items: toothpaste, soap….please drop them off at City Hall. I will personally pledge to deliver the items to the homeless on a regular basis now and in the future. I know that socks and hygiene items will not solve the issue of homelessness or mental illness, and they won’t bring Kelly Thomas back. But our actions might allow us to better understand the Kelly Thomases who are still out there struggling to live day to day with no place to call home.

NBC Calls FPD Beating Death A "Scuffle"

2011-08-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

I stumbled on a NBC article when researching the death of Kelly Thomas. At first it caught my eye because they were reporting that the FBI was getting involved in the investigation.

This is good news since we really can’t trust anything handled internally by the Fullerton Police Department at this point. FBI involvement could be key to getting at the truth in all of this.

But then I started reading:

The FBI is reviewing the scuffle between Fullerton police and a 37-year-old homeless man suspected of possessing stolen goods who later died, the bureau confirmed Friday.

The FBI is looking into whether Kelly Thomas’ civil rights were violated when Fullerton police struggled to arrest him earlier this month, Laura Eimiller of the FBI said.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is also reviewing the circumstances of Thomas’ death to see if any laws were violated. The FBI review will be a parallel investigation, Eimiller said.

Notice how the beating and multiple tasings are described as a ‘scuffle’. Notice also how NBC does its best to avoid linking said ‘scuffle’ to the death of Kelly Thomas. He simply ‘later died’ as though the two instances were almost entirely unrelated.

Take a look at the picture of Thomas after this little police ‘scuffle’. It’s right there in the NBC article. How anyone could call it anything but a beating (at the very least) is beyond me.

Fortunately the NBC report leaves us with this closing sentiment:

The officers found Thomas at the lot and because he matched the description of the suspect they started talking to him, Goodrich said. They found evidence that he was in possession of stolen property from a burglary, he said.

However, when they tried to pat him down to arrest him, Thomas spun away and started fighting with the officers, Goodrich said.

Yes, the homeless schizophrenic started fighting with six police officers, so they tased and beat him bloody and days later he died. But he was resisting arrest!

Good grief people, I realize this is reporting and you’re supposed to speak in a passive voice and everything, but show a little humanity. The scuffle left a man dead for goodness sakes.

There’s something seriously wrong with that, and maybe your reporting should at least reflect that a tiny bit. At least give us context.

Op-Ed by E.D. Kain
Mr. Kain writes for Forbes Magazine

An Enraged Community Speaks Out

2011-08-04T14:14:00.001-07:00

The City Council, not the police chief, will have final say on any discipline imposed on the officers involved in a physical altercation with Kelly Thomas that led to the homeless man's death, City Attorney Richard Jones said at the start of Tuesday's night's council meeting.

From there, for more than three hours, speakers from the public largely expressed anger at the death and how city officials have handed subsequent events.

The Council Chambers were packed with 200 spectators, including Thomas' parents. Another 50 watched on a TV in City Hall's lobby. More than 70 spoke, with a dozen-plus calling for the resignation of Police Chief Michael Sellers.

On July 5, officers confronted Thomas while investigating reports of a man burglarizing cars in the Transportation Center, where buses come and go. Police say Thomas became violent as two officers tried to search him, kicking off a fight in which six officers were needed to subdue him. Thomas suffered severe head and neck injuries and died July 10.

All six involved officers are now on paid administrative leave. Before Tuesday, one was on administrative leave, one was on medical leave and the other four were taken off of patrol and had no contact with the public.

When addressing the council Tuesday, Ron Thomas once again said his son was beaten to death.

"We, the family, are having a real difficult time," Thomas said. "I'm close to losing it emotionally. ... I may have lost 15 pounds over the past few weeks."

Thomas praised council members Sharon Quirk-Silva and Bruce Whitaker for publicly demanding that information surrounding the incident, including surveillance video of the incident captured at the Transportation Center, be made public.

Thomas also berated other council members and city officials for withholding information.

Officials with the Orange County District Attorney's Office have said they have a video.

"If the Police Department saw me beat somebody on a video, I'd be so far behind bars, you couldn't find me," Thomas said. "If I went out and committed a crime, the 9-1-1 tapes would have been released that day."

Said Councilman Richard Jones: "We want justice. We want your questions answered too."

Many who talked Tuesday night hugged and offered condolences to Thomas, who sat in the front row, a few feet from the podium.

Many in the crowd, believing the police got out of control, came to demand that justice be served.

"I'm here because I had to witness a terrible murder," said Mark Turgeon, who said he witnessed the incident. "I've been trying to hide and stay away, because I am in fear of retaliation."

Jack Dean, who runs a local blog, insisted that the key video be made public.

"If taxpayers are funding these recordings, then taxpayers should have easy access to them," Dean said. "Police are watching us, but we don't get to watch them."

Councilman Pat McKinley, who was Fullerton's police chief for 16 years, said the public should reserve judgment until the investigation is finished.

"If the investigation shows that we have bad police officers, the judicial system and the city of Fullerton will deal with them accordingly," McKinley said. "If the investigation exonerates them, their careers will continue."

When addressing the council, Alex Espinoza held up a photo of a bloody and bruised Kelly Thomas taken in the hospital the day after the altercation.

"I just want to say how outraged I am by this," Espinoza said.

Before the meeting, three men stood at the entrance to City Hall holding a 20-foot-long banner with a photo of Kelly Thomas and the words: "Release the tape."

One of the men, Jeff Levine, said he used to be homeless himself and spent a lot of time with Kelly Thomas, who was 37.

"I'd see him, and he wouldn't bother anybody," Levine said. "The main reason (I came tonight) is because I knew him as a friend and a human being and when I heard about it, it hit me hard."

To view an archive from last nights City Council meeting, we have posted a link to the City's website in our sidebar under Fullerton Radio/Television in our Bosco Fullerton Magazine. (Click on the link in the sidebar here to our community newspaper) We also have a link there to today's John and Ken radio program where they are once again scheduled to talk about the Beating Death of Kelly Thomas at the hands of the Fullerton Police Department. That program begins at 3 PM PT

By Lou Ponsi
Mr. Ponsi is a writer for the Orange County Register

FPD Involved In Beating Death Taken Off Street

2011-07-30T08:20:00.001-07:00

The FBI will investigate the death of Kelly Thomas fatally injured during a fight with Fullerton police, authorities confirmed Friday, as the police chief temporarily took the officers involved in the confrontation off street duty.

A day after Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson sent a letter to the Department of Justice's civil-rights division requesting a federal inquiry into the "facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Kelly Thomas at the hands of the Fullerton Police Department," FBI officials confirmed that they have opened an investigation.

Thomas, 37, died several days after a confrontation with six police officers.

One of the officers is now on administrative leave. While the five other officers have since returned to active duty, Fullerton police Chief Michael Sellers on Friday evening temporarily reassigned them away from front-line patrol duties.

"In other words, they are not working the streets," Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said. "The chief said that for the sake of public trust and confidence, and in the best interest of the investigation, he made these reassignments."

Officers confronted Thomas on July 5 while investigating reports of a man burglarizing cars near a bus depot. Police say Thomas became violent as two officers tried to search him, kicking off a fight in which six officers were needed to subdue him. Thomas suffered severe head and neck injuries.

Thomas was taken off life support several days after his confrontation with police. An autopsy was inconclusive, with Orange County Coroner's Office officials saying they need to carry out further tests to determine the cause of Thomas' death.

Police initially said two officers had broken bones after the fight. The officers were later diagnosed with soft-tissue damage after they were re-examined, Goodrich said.

Thomas' family members accuse officers of using excessive force during what they described as a "brutal beating." Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas' father, has said police beat his son to death and has circulated a picture of his son's bruised and bloody face.

The graphic photo, as well as the online posting of a cell-phone video that appears to show the fight, has brought widespread attention to the incident.

In the video, the sound of a Taser can be heard, along with Kelly Thomas screaming and then yelling, "Dad! ... Dad! ... Dad!"

Witnesses can also be heard on the video saying, 'Oh, my God," "They're freaking ruthless" and "What is that ... five cops and one guy."

The Orange County District Attorney's Office is looking into what happened that night. Fullerton police are conducting an internal investigation, and Goodrich said two cell-phone videos are "in the hands of the D.A."

"We believe there should be a transparent, neutral-party investigation, and that is being conducted right now," Goodrich said. "We realize the images are troubling. But you have to have a thorough and complete investigation that looks at the facts as facts. We have to separate the emotions that everybody has."

Nelson, who represents the district that includes Fullerton, says he turned to the Department of Justice as a "neutral referee" to carry out an investigation.

"Rumors aren't answers, and there is a danger in too much speculation," Nelson said. "But it is sometimes all too convenient for government to stand by this 'We have to wait for the investigation' bit. I've got people in Fullerton who are scared now, and the silence sometimes is what is causing fear."

The federal inquiry comes days after Fullerton Councilman Bruce Whitaker urged city officials to release any evidence, including video, of the fight between Thomas and police.

The District Attorney's Office will not publicly release video of the fight, said Susan Schroeder, the DA's chief of staff.

"We want to make sure that witnesses are testifying to what they actually witnessed, not what they saw in the media," Schroeder said.

District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has "made it clear that this case is important and a priority," with dozens of investigators involved in the inquiry, Schroeder said. District Attorney's Office investigators have interviewed about 80 witnesses so far, Schroeder said, and expect to talk to more than 100 people before the investigation concludes.

"Anybody who has any sort of compassion would understand why the father is upset, the family is upset and the public upset," Schroeder said. "But it is important we do a thorough job of investigating this case, because we want to make sure the truth comes out."

The federal investigation will run parallel to the other investigations but will remain independent, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

Family members described Thomas, who suffered from schizophrenia, as a good-natured "free spirit" who was homeless by choice.

Thomas had more than two dozen run-ins with the law dating back to the 1990s, mostly petty misdemeanors or infractions, court records show. He pleaded guilty in 1995 to assault with a deadly weapon, the only felony on his record.

Emotions continued to run high Friday, with Ron Thomas accusing Fullerton police of releasing a misleading booking photo of a man he claims is not his son as part of what he described as a "smear campaign."

Police denied the charge, contending that the photo was a booking photo of Thomas taken when he was arrested on suspicion of trespassing in late 2009, and kept in a file with his fingerprints. They responded late Friday by releasing a second booking photo taken with a different camera and at a different angle while they say he was being booked into Orange County Jail.

A public protest is expected to take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in front of the Fullerton Police Station, 237 W. Commonwealth Ave., followed by a vigil from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday in front of Fullerton City Hall, 303 W. Commonwealth Ave.

By Sean Emery, Lou Ponsi, and Doug Irving
Emery, Ponsi and Irving write for the Orange County Register

3-1/2 Weeks Later, FPD Still Needs to Explain

2011-07-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Op-Ed By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Growing up in Fullerton, I have always had a tremendous respect for the men and women that serve on our Police force in the city. That respect grew even more as I went on ride-alongs as a kid. Or when the nice officers would visit Richman Elementary and speak to us kids about the dangers of drugs. Then later some of my friends joined first the Scout program and then became officers with FPD. My brother went through the Fullerton College Police Cadet program and became an officer with the Orange County Sheriffs Department. Then I came to realize first hand, from an adult perspective, what it is like to be an officer.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I think I understand the challenges and the pressures and the good work our officers and leaders on the FPD do in behalf of the city.

So this is why I am a little more than puzzled and alarmed by the developments of this horrible beating and ultimate death of Kelly Thomas on July 5.

This is, by all what I have heard so far, not the Fullerton Police Department I know and respect.

According to eyewitness accounts, Thomas, 37, was beaten and tasered by six FPD officers. According to Thomas' father, a career law enforcement and military man, his son's face was beaten into an almost unrecognizable condition by the officers. He said based on his experience as an officer, the FPD used unnecessary force and there were no drugs in his son's system. Kelly Thomas was unconscious after being beaten by the officers, according to witnesses, and put on life support. The Thomas family made the tough decision to pull life support on July 10.

According to one source, a video of the incident was taken by a local real estate agent and the police officers took the video for evidence. There is also a camera in the Transportation Center area which may have caught the incident on tape.

After nearly four weeks, we need answers. I would like the Chief of Police Michael Sellers and the DA's office to hold a press conference to make public comment and show the video and explain why six uniformed FPD officers that probably weigh a combined weight of around 1500 pounds with their equipment had the need to beat to death one 165 pound man with apparently no weapons on him while people around, reportedly, shouted to the officers to stop the unnecessary brutality. I am quite positive the video will show the reason why this was necessary and exonerate the officers and the Department. But the longer the silence from the FPD and the DA's office continues, it appears there may be a cover up.

What disciplinary action, if any, is being taken against the officers? And what training, if any, is being done with all officers to teach the proper method of interrogation and subduing a suspect going forward? We pay the Police Officers salaries. We have a right to know.

Please restore my faith in the FPD and do this now.

FPD Chief Needs To Speak To Us Now

2011-07-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

Op-Ed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco
Photo by Jesse LaTour

Enough is enough.

As another round of protests is happening this morning as I write this outside the Fullerton Police Department over the Brutal Beating Death of Kelly Thomas at the hands of the FPD, we still have yet to hear from the head of the Fullerton Police Department Michael Sellers.

And while I appreciate Councilman Bruce Whitaker stepping up and writing an unofficial apology and a call to full disclosure from the FPD on this matter on City letterhead, this is really not the Councilman's job or place to do that. I believe, and I can't speak for Mr. Whitaker, that he (as most of the citizens of Fullerton) is embarrassed that it has taken so long (almost 3 weeks) for a statement from the Chief of Police. He probably felt he had to say something. Anything.

And you can't fault the FPD Spokesperson Officer Goodrich. He has been a public voice, but he is just following orders and repeating the policy of the department.

According to one report, Chief Sellers has been on vacation.

I appreciate that our Police officers and especially the Chief need to take periodic breaks. This is important because a Police' job is extremely stressful and I'm sure it was pre-planned before the incident. It is the summer after all. But this is an extremely urgent matter and so many things are riding on this. Like the fact that who is going to want to come to downtown Fullerton to shop and enjoy a meal, music, theater and art and everything our fine city has to offer without the fear (probably the wrong perception) of looking at the officers of the FPD the wrong way and getting pulverized to death?

This is a major disservice also to our fine men and women who wear the badge in Fullerton that do their job correctly and wonderfully and with outstanding merit.

In my opinion, it is so important, that the chief should have, by now (almost three weeks after the beating) arranged to speak from his vacation place to make a statement and answer questions....even if it is to just say "We are still investigating and we will have an answer by such and such a date".

Because the longer this goes on, the beating and taser death of a 135 pound unarmed man at the hands of six uniformed Fullerton Police Department officers is looking more and more like uncontrolled police brutality and even worse a cover up by the FPD.

There is a recording of the incident somewhere. You know there is a recording of the incident. If not by the city camera pointed directly at the place of the beating in the Transportation Center...there was one made by a private citizen. According to Tony Bushala's video interview on the FFFF blog with Mike Turgeon who witnessed the beating, a real estate agent was recording the incident. That recording will either exonerate our officers or damn tham.

And where is the mainstream media in this? Outside of a few reports on ABC 7 and a couple of weak articles by the OC Register's Lou Ponsi, there has been little or no coverage of this major event. This is big news. This should be on CNN nationally it is so big.

Of course the Tribune is not reporting anything, the Daily Titan is off on summer break, and not even the Observer has weighed in yet. Most of the investigative reporting on this matter is coming from Tony Bushala, Jesse La Tour, and even the guys at the Fullertonian have uncovered the fact that there were no police injuries, as orginally reported.

So, we can speculate even more...or Chief Sellers...do the right thing and talk to us. Let us know what is going on. Exonerate the FPD or take disciplinary action.

And do it today if possible.

On My Town's Library Grand Re-Opening

2011-07-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

I am extremely excited about the Grand Re-opening of our town's Public Library this morning. Like a kid on Christmas Day waiting to open his presents excited.

From what I have heard this is going to be an exciting and great center piece...a destination place in our town.

As long as I can remember, the Fullerton Public Library has been one of the center pieces of my life.

When I was a young kid growing up in town, I remember the very first time my mother Lois took my brother and I to the old library on Pomona Ave. (the building where the museum is now). I was three or four years old. My mom didn't drive in the early sixties so we literally would walk from our home by Richman School to the library.

I remember looking up in awe when I first entered the building on Pomona Ave. A whole world was there right in front of me...all I had to do was learn how to read. And that was the point...my mom wanted my brother and I to learn to read early. What better way to stimulate that desire than to go to the Fullerton Public Library.

Plus, the Fullerton Public Library had the coolest children's section. It was underground!!! And as everybody knows, stuff is just cooler underground.

From that moment I was hooked and I never let a week go by without visiting the Library. Or the Bookmobile...which would park out in front of Orangethorpe school every Monday.

I used the Fullerton Library for a lot of things through the years. I worked on many a homework assignments and singlehandedly wore our the Encylopedia Americana from my assignments from Richman Elementary, Nicolas Junior High, Fullerton High, Fullerton College, and Cal State Fullerton.

I would listen to the music upstairs when I was a teenager. They had this tremendous vinyl album and cassette tape library. One summer I spent a lot of time listening and absorbing jazz. Everything from Cal Tjader, to Dizzie Gillespie, to Stan Getz and Herbie Hancock. All through the turntable and head sets at the Fullerton Public Library.

In the early 80's as I was starting my business, before cel phones, I-phones, the internet, laptops and other mobile devices, I used the Library as one of my offices on the road. I would type up proposals and quotes on one of the Library's IBM Selectrics. I would make phone calls and retrieve messages from the pay phone outside the Library. I would make copies on the Library Copy Machine.

I researched my family history and researched other things and looked at reams of Fullerton Trib and Los Angeles Times articles on the Fullerton Library Microfilm machines in my early 20's. The people in the microfilm dept. became my close and personal friends..I was there so much.

I have seen great independent films and listened to lectures from great minds at the FPL. I even have been to a few piano recitals with my children involved at the Osborne Auditorium inside the Library.

The point is, I love the Fullerton Public Library and I can't wait to see what they've done with the place today.

I have a feeling it is going to be awesome.

Photo: The Carnegie Library in Fullerton in the 1920's.
Credit: Fullerton Public Library, Launer Room.

Protest Against FPD Beating Death Held

2011-07-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

By Allen Bacon
Daily Bosco
Photo by Jesse LaTour

A protest against the beating death of Kelly Thomas was held in front of the Fullerton Police Department on Monday.

As of Monday, neither the Fullerton Police nor the District Attorney's Office have made a statement about the findings of an internal investigation of the July 5 beating when witnesses say that six FPD officers beat and tasered Kelly Thomas at the Fullerton Transportation Center.

Kelly Thomas's father, Rob, a retired officer with the Orange County Sheriff Department, said that this was a case of police brutality and his son's face was almost unrecognizable when he went to see him.

Kelly Thomas was in critical condition until July 11 when the family made the decision to take him off life support. Kelly Thomas died on July 11, less than a week after the beating.

FPD Needs To Disclose Details of Beating Death

2011-07-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Op-Ed By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Growing up in Fullerton, I have always had a tremendous respect for the men and women that serve on our Police force in the city. That respect grew even more as I went on ride-alongs as a kid. Or when the nice officers would visit Richman Elementary and speak to us kids about the dangers of drugs. Then later some of my friends joined first the Scout program and then became officers with FPD. My brother went through the Fullerton College Police Cadet program and became an officer with the Orange County Sheriffs Department. Then I came to realize first hand, from an adult perspective, what it is like to be an officer.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I think I understand the challenges and the pressures and the good work our officers and leaders on the FPD do in behalf of the city.

So this is why I am a little more than puzzled and alarmed by the developments of this horrible beating and ultimate death of Kelly Thomas on July 5.

This is, by all what I have heard so far, not the Fullerton Police Department I know and respect.

According to eyewitness accounts, Thomas, 37, was beaten and tasered by six FPD officers. According to Thomas' father, a career law enforcement and military man, his son's face was beaten into an almost unrecognizable condition by the officers. He said based on his experience as an officer, the FPD used unnecessary force and there were no drugs in his son's system. Kelly Thomas was unconscious after being beaten by the officers, according to witnesses, and put on life support. The Thomas family made the tough decision to pull life support on July 10.

According to one source, a video of the incident was taken by a local real estate agent and the police officers took the video for evidence. There is also a camera in the Transportation Center area which may have caught the incident on tape.

After nearly four weeks, we need answers. I would like Chief of Police and the DA's office to hold a press conference to make public comment and show the video and explain why six uniformed FPD officers that probably weigh a combined weight of around 1500 pounds with their equipment had the need to beat to death one 165 pound man with apparently no weapons on him while people around, reportedly, shouted to the officers to stop the unnecessary brutality. I am quite positive the video will show the reason why this was necessary and exonerate the officers and the Department. But the longer the silence from the FPD and the DA's office continues, it appears there may be a cover up.

What disciplinary action, if any, is being taken against the officers? And what training, if any, is being done with all officers to teach the proper method of interrogation and subduing a suspect going forward? We pay the Police Officers salaries. We have a right to know.

Please restore my faith in the FPD and do this now.

Tales of Sex and Religion In Conservativeville

2011-07-16T08:41:00.001-07:00

Damnee Manon, Sacree Sandra
Written by Michel Tremblay
Directed by Richard Stein
Featuring Jessica Lamprinos and
Alexander Price
Monkey Wrench Collective
Fullerton, California
Through July
Friday and Saturday Nights 8 PM
Sundays at 2 PM
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco
Photo By Melita Ann Sagar

As I was watching Michel Tremblay's "Damnee Manon, Sacree Sandra", the current show running at the Monkey Wrench Collective in Fullerton, CA I could not help think of the irony of the location of the theater on Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton.

In this extremely controversial play that explores similarities between sex and religion, I realized that this theater was ground zero between two Fullerton institutions, The United Methodist Church down the alley and the Naughty Teddy. The Monkey Wrench Theater couldn't be in a more perfect location for this tale.

How controversial is Tremblay's 1977 play? Director Richard Stein says the first time he saw it in hardened New York, people walked out of the play in the first five minutes they were so offended. And that's New York.

And how gutsy is MWC's Director Dave Barton and company's call to produce this play right in the middle of the City of Fullerton that has more than one Catholic Church and ultra-conservative North Orange County? Not to mention we are in the middle of a theater season here in Fullerton bringing us, save for Hunger Artist's run of Lenane, safe and tried and true fare like Chicago, Twilight Zone, Little Shop of Horrors, and the Rat Pack. Pretty risky if you ask me.

Well the fact is nobody walked out the night I was there. You are immediately drawn to the two characters Manon (the religious) and Sandra (the Transvestite) on stage.

The challenge of a lot of Michel Tremblay's play is to keep the dialogue interesting and fresh. In this play in particular. There have been reviews of other company's doing this play where the actors could not pull off the monologues and keep it fresh. I am happy to report, this was not problem with MWC's Jessica Lamprinos and Alexander Price who play Manon and Sandra respectively. Plus, it's really not a true monologue because you have two people saying their own monologue. So, to me, the change back and forth was energizing and refreshing.

The thing about this play that is fascinating and the questions you have as it unfolds is while these two people..one sexual and carnal, the other religious...appear to be on opposite sides of each other, there is also a commonality of what they are saying. You also want to know what the connection, if any, there is with these two people.

Minimal, yet effective, set and costume design by the Collective, with the focus rightfully being on the two actors. Lighting is subtle but well done as the focus goes back in forth between both sides of the stage with the actors.

Kudos again to the Monkey Wrench crew and Dave Barton, the Dirctor Richard Stein, and playwright Michel Tremblay for another job well done. And for being brave enough to show this in Fullerton.

Next Stop Willoughby -The Play

2011-07-16T02:54:00.001-07:00

The Twilight Zone
Stages Theater
Fullerton, California
Fri. and Sat. Night 11 PM
Ends Today July 16
Five Scoops of Bosco

By Rick Miranda, For The Daily Bosco

A long time ago I had a guidance counselor ask me, “Where do you want to be right now? Where do you want to go?” After a second I said “Willoughby.” He didn’t get it, the Philistine.

Maybe I’m more of a product of my circumstances than I am of my own design. My Catholic upbringing provides a solid foundation for an acceptance in a world greater than the tangible. Add a Mexican heritage where the paranormal and metaphysical are taken as matter of fact and as real as the sun rising or the rain pouring down. Temper it all a bit with a solid education in the sciences and logical reasoning from Aquinas to Hawking and then throw in a life time of over exposure to television and all its toxins. I find that something like the Twilight Zone isn’t as bizarre or fantastic as I would like it to be. In fact, nothing provides fodder so well for my musings on the unexplained in my life, particularly those rare incidents that completely defy a logical explanation. It has reinforced my interest, no, my affection for the quest for an answer that just isn’t in the right pigeonhole.

I’m not saying that I readily go looking for aliens or things that go bump in the night. I prefer to reasonable and scientific explanation for pretty much whatever I encounter. Yet I resist the notion that the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one, what is inaccurately attributed to Occam’s razor. But at times it’s just easier. It’s too hard to contort my imagination with the form of mental yoga that a Fox Mulder or a Carl Kolchak (remember him) would exercise on a daily basis. But maybe once in a long while an issue, a coincidence or fortunate happenstance or even a misadventure occurs that causes me to fathom the possibility that greater things may be at work.

Human nature usually encourages us to brush these things off with the shake of the head or a hand gesture. Like Ronnie Neary said in “Close Encounters”, “It’s just one of those things.” Afford no more mental energy on said incident and maybe someone will provide you with a palatable explanation at a later date. A mental paperclip to keep those question marks down to a comfortable level. We’re not at ease with the unexplained and especially when it doesn’t fit our personal model of the universe. One of the best things about the Twilight Zone is how the characters react and cope with Rod Serling’s curve ball in their 22 minutes of existence.

The premise is usually the same. Given their environment and circumstance, these are ordinary people. Men or women with which we can somehow identify or at the very least sympathize. The extraordinary nature of their circumstance is only brought to our attention as the story unfolds. A lot of times the protagonist becomes aware of it along with us, further drawing on our sympathies and similarities. Their humanization and the depth of their character is a hallmark of this show. If they are not us they are everyman or everywoman.

Quite often they get beyond their initial disbelief and plunge into the experience with enough reasoning intact to get them through the slight modification reality. The ultimate consequence of their actions is the direct result of either their ability to reason, their moral integrity or their lack of it. Aside from the immediate lesson to these morality plays I think there’s a greater object lesson to be learned. The world changes so quickly that it’s hard to maintain a sense of objectivity about it all. Like a drowning victim in the middle of a river we’re doing our best to keep our heads above water. We don’t have the point of view of the spectator on dry land that can see the sand bank to the left or the impending waterfall a hundred yards down river. The Twilight Zone is an exercise in perspective.

Down through the years these episodes have been played over and over. First in the early sixties, now in syndication and on holiday marathons they have become modern day Aesop fables of at least two or three generations. They have even been modified for radio and the series has been reimagined twice, albeit with limited success. Their repetition provides affection and a familiarity to the point that most of us can synopsize the episode and explain the moral of the story after only a scene or a few lines.

For myself, these stories have become part the collection of vicarious experiences against which I analogize the dilemmas in my own life. Just like any other work of literature, they are on my mental rolodex of possible situations and solutions along with Steinbeck and Solzhenitsyn. Serling, Matheson, Hamner, et al have made their contributions to literature no less significant than modern writers of a so called higher caliber. Their medium was simply television rather than the printed page. The poet expresses their message in a few stanzas; the author can take hundreds of pages. The screen writer has half an hour of air time to do the same. It’s a shame that so many of the great television dramas and anthology series have been forgotten and that the writing for shows like this one, Playhouse 90 or The Philco Television Playhouse are a thing of the past, replaced in this day and age with the vacuous drivel that permeates “reality television”.

But these are dearer to me in some way. Maybe it’s the fact that I was introduced to them first. I was certainly watching the Twilight Zone long before I was reading any of the great literary works of the twentieth century. Actually, it even predates my watching Batman so there has to be some kind of initial influence going on. The original run was during my first five years so knowing my father’s penchant for speculative fiction I’m sure I was exposed to it before I was on solid food.

Now as a local theater company has been so kind as to produce a few of these treasures for a live audience I’m compelled to attend. I have to see at least a couple of these stories on the live stage. Unfortunately my family and friends don’t appreciate these gems the way I do, perhaps from too much viewing on those aforementioned holidays. My wife looks at them and my affection for them much as she would an old girlfriend, she doesn’t really like them but she’ll tolerate me moderately dwelling on them from time to time. I’m going not to critique the quality of the adaption, the lighting, the acting or the scenery. These are stories I grew up with; fond, implanted vignettes; my fairy tales; my briar patch.

So when Gart Williams makes his departure I’ll be there rooting him on. Knowing that really there’s “No Willoughby on the line.” for the rest of us. But in his final moments Mr. Williams has found his “peaceful, restful place, where a man can slow down to a walk and live his life full measure." In Willoughby… and the Twilight Zone.

Chevron Should Just Do The Right Thing

2011-07-12T01:54:00.000-07:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Do you know what I am thinking about on the morning of the historic public discussion and vote on what is going to happen to Coyote Hills, one of the last natural habitats and open spaces left in Orange County, in my hometown of Fullerton California?

I am thinking about that television ad campaign by the Chevron Corporation (the oil company who has had rights to the Coyote Hills property since 1913) in the 80's. Do you remember the one I am talking about?

Zoom in on an adorable Bear quietly snoring and sleeping with it's cute little cubs as snow lightly falls. The voice over: Would a Company really drill for oil in the dead of winter in North Dakota so that the Bear can sleep through the coldest part of the year....People Do...Chevron.

Why can't the good people of Fullerton get THAT Chevron Oil Company? You know...the warm and fuzzy Chevron. The one with the cute talking cars and the cuddly and fuzzy snoring Bears?

Why do we get the Chevron that is behaving more like their greedy predecessor, the Standard Oil Company who systematically and single handedly, among other things, along with a tire company dismantled one of the best public transportation systems in the country in the interests of selling more gas, oil, and tires.

We don't need more homes and shopping centers in Fullerton....We can't even fill the houses and stores we have now.

I get it. I'm a home and land owner. I would be upset too if somebody told me I couldn't do what I wanted to do with my land. But, I also haven't extracted millions of dollars worth of crude oil off my property over the past 100 years either.

Just because something is ok and it may be within your lawful right to turn Coyote Hills into rows and rows of cookie cutter homes Chevron, doesn't mean it is the right thing to do.

Why can't Chevron just sell the land to the OCTA so the folks in this area can enjoy the last open space in Orange County? Why can't they form a partnership with a group interested in the Quality of Life and keep the land open? Just think, Chevron, if you do that, think of all of the goodwill that will be generated for your company. Maybe you can produce another "Adorable Bear...People Do" type commercial.

I divert a little from a lot of people who want absolutely no development on the Coyote Hills property. I would welcome a partnership with Chevron. I don't care if you call it the Chevron Coyote Hills Natural Conservatory. I wouldn't even mind putting a Museum on one end of the land that talks about the impact of oil in the region and charge Five Bucks a head because like it or not, oil is a big part of our history. Maybe a new outdoor ampitheatre for concerts and live theater against the natural setting of the Coyote Hills on the very edge of the open space. I wouldn't even mind care if you call it the Chevron Coyote Hills Ampitheatre.

The majority of folks in this town want a wide open space to hike and enjoy and share. Is that too much to ask after Chevron has made millions and millions off the property over the years? We're not asking for Chevron to lose money on the deal...just listen and work with the majority of the folks that live here and do the right thing. And the majority wants a wide open space where Chevron used to drill for oil.

And one more thing, Chevron....why was it all right to keep the land open for over a hundred years with no development while you took crude oil out of the property? Where was the desire then to turn one of the last precious open spaces in the county into more urban sprawl?

No matter what your position on this matter is...be sure to be there tonight at the City Council meeting and let your opinion be heard.

6:30 PM. City Hall. Be There.

This is one of those important moments in our town's history.

Channeling The Spirit of Early Spielberg

2011-06-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

Super 8
Directed by JJ Abrams
Produced by Steven Spielberg
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

There were several reasons why I thouroughly enjoyed the film Super 8, a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Director JJ Abrams (Lost) which opened this past weekend.

First, the movie takes place in the late 70's. For me, it's like walking into a time warp with the music (who amongst us have not rocked out to the Knack's "My Sharona" or Blondie's "Heart of Glass") and the attention to detail on the set is amazing. This is what mid-America looked like in the late 70's, this is what we were watching on TV, these were the toys we played with (ie, Walkie Talkies and CB Radios)...these are the clothes we wore. One of my favorite scenes is when the kids want to get their film developed quickly and they ask the film dept. clerk if they could get the film back the same day. "That's impossible" says the clerk..."Three Days is the fastest"...and he stamps it rush.

Second, if you have ever had a junior high or high school age child that is obsessed with being a film maker (like I do), you are going to love this. All the enthusiasm, the excitement, the sense of accomplishing something when they make a movie...it's all in this film. We see the kids in this film, making their film about Zombies for a festival, during the movie. Stick around for the credits...because you get to see the finished product while the credits are running.

Third, this film is a collaboration between Producer Steven Spielberg and Director JJ Abrams. While Abrams can stand on his own as an exciting film maker, it seems he really channels the spirit of Steven Spielberg's movies from the late 70's/early 80's. Think about it. You have a misunderstood alien (ET, Close Encounters), a band of nerdy kids banding together to fight against the establishment (Goonies), exciting chase scenes and great special effects (Indiana Jones). I actually enjoyed this collaboration even more than Spielberg/Lucas. Throw all that in with the great "coming of age" films like "Stand by Me" or even "Sandlot"...well you get the idea.

And fourth, I really enjoyed the work of the actors in this film. I am a huge fan of Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Hometown) and he brings the same calmness he displays in FNL when he is asked to step into the roll of the town's Sheriff while his world crumbles around him.

And the young actors are wonderful. This reminded me of the cast of the Goonies or ET.

There are so many reasons to see this film, especially if you grew up in the 70's.

Hopefully we will see more work with Spielberg and Abrams in the near future.

The Synopsis: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Tripping Through The Twilight Zone

2011-06-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Twilight Zone
Stages Theater Fullerton, CA
Through July 16
Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm
Created by Rod Serling
Directed by Darri Kristin,
David Campos, and Frank Tryon
Five Scoops of Bosco

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone. —Rod Serling

By Allen Bacon
Daily Bosco
Accompanying History of Twilight Zone
is from Wikipedia

When I was a teenager growing up in Southern California, one of my most frightening experiences was the night (while watching my Grandma and Grandpas house when they were on vacation) I decided to watch an episode of the Twilight Zone.

It was a cold January Friday night in the mid-70's. It was raining and the wind was howling. I had all of the lights off in my Grandma's big house and it was 11 PM. They used to show the Twilight Zone reruns on KTLA channel 5 in Los Angeles at 11 PM after the news.

This particular night they ran the episode "In The Eye of The Beholder". Remember...That was the one where the young lady had just undergone radical plastic surgery on her face and the whole show you never see her doctors or her face until a very unexpected plot twist at the very end. If you haven't seen it, I won't give away the ending...Pretty cool stuff. Not the scariest Twilight Zone I would ever see, but mixed with the darkness, the rain, the wind, being alone in a big house by myself..it was scary enough.

So, how fitting, around 40 years later, that Stages Theater in Fullerton, CA under the skillful direction of Darri Kristin, David Campos, and Frank Tryon is recreating, on stage, live, six of the shows coolest episodes. Twilight Zone at Stages Theater Fullerton runs until July 16. Ironically, for me anyway, the shows begin at 11 PM on Friday (and Saturday) nights.

The first two episodes of the series just concluded. "The Man in the Bottle", A story about a discontented curio shop owner who thinks he's finally found happiness when a genie he discovers in an old bottle grants him four wishes. This episode featured the wonderful acting of Joe Parrish, Cynthia Ryanen, Mark Coyan, Jami McCoy, Robert Nunez and Frank Tryon

The second show of the evening in the first group was "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" was a fictional morality play about how at the age of 19 everyone must undergo an operation that makes them beautiful...and identical to everyone else but one girl desperately hangs on to her own identity. This show featured Mo Arii, Frank Tryon, Doreen Jones & Lauren Sanatra. Both of the first two episodes were directed by Stages Darri Kristin.

Starting this Friday night June 24 at 11 PM and running until July 2 will be two more episodes.

"Four O'Clock" is the story of political fanatic Oliver Crangle who has determined that at 4 PM he will eliminate all his enemies by shrinking them. But his plan proves to be a little shortsighted... This segment will feature Frank Tryon, Darri Kristin, Amanda DeMaio and Hal Ley.

After the intermission "What You Need" is a story about a two-bit thug who thinks he's found the key to a better life in an old sidewalk salesman who has the uncanny ability to tell people what they need the most. This show features Sean Hesketh, Dan Meyers, Richard Burnes, Andrea Freeman, Jason Sutton, Jeffrey Larson, Wendy Karn and Brett Schickling.

Both of these upcoming segments are directed by David Campos

Starting on July 8 and running until July 16, two new episodes of the Twilight Zone will be up including "The Trade-Ins" and "A Stop at Willoughby" These shows will be under the direction of Frank Tyron.

If you are a fan of Twilight Zone you will absolutely love these episodes brought to life in the intimate setting of Stages Theater.

The Twilight Zone was an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic,or disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising plot twist and was usually brought to closure with some sort of message.

That show would also eventually spawn graphic novels, a feature length movie, a great radio anthology series, books, and now on stage plays.

The television series was also notable for featuring both established stars (e.g., Cliff Robertson, Ann Blyth, Jack Klugman) and younger actors who would later became famous (e.g., Robert Redford, William Shatner, Burt Reynolds, Mariette Hartley, Shelley Fabares, Ron Howard).

Rod Serling served as executive producer and head writer; he wrote or co-wrote 92 of the show's 156 episodes. He was also the show's host, delivering on- or off-screen monologues at the beginning and end of each episode. During the first season, except for the season's final episode, Serling's narrations were off-camera voiceovers; he only appeared on-camera at the end of each show to promote the next episode (footage that was removed from syndicated versions but restored for DVD release, although some of these promotions exist today only in audio format).

The "twilight zone" itself is not presented as being a tangible plane, but rather a metaphor for the strange circumstances befalling the protagonists. Serling's opening and closing narrations usually summarized the episode's events in tones ranging from cryptic to pithy to eloquent to unsympathetic, encapsulating how and why the main character(s) had "entered the Twilight Zone".

In 2002, The Twilight Zone was ranked #26 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

By the late 1950s, Rod Serling was a regular name in television. His successful teleplays included Patterns (for Kraft Television Theater) and Requiem for a Heavyweight (for Playhouse 90), but constant changes and edits made by the networks and sponsors frustrated Serling, who decided that creating his own show was the best way to get around these obstacles. He thought that behind a television series with robots, aliens and other supernatural occurrences, he could also express his political views in a more subtle fashion.

"The Time Element" was Serling's 1957 pilot pitch for his show, a time travel adventure about a man who travels back to Honolulu in 1941 and unsuccessfully tries to warn everyone about the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. The script, however, was rejected and shelved for a year until Bert Granet discovered and produced it as an episode of Desilu Playhouse in 1958. The show was a huge success and enabled Serling to finally begin production on his anthology series, The Twilight Zone.

The Twilight Zone premiered on television the night of October 2, 1959 to rave reviews. "...Twilight Zone is about the only show on the air that I actually look forward to seeing. It's the one series that I will let interfere with other plans", said Terry Turner for the Chicago Daily News. Others agreed. Daily Variety ranked it with "the best that has ever been accomplished in half-hour filmed television" and the New York Herald Tribune found the show to be "certainly the best and most original anthology series of the year."

Even as the show proved popular to television's critics, it struggled to find a receptive audience of television viewers. CBS was banking on a rating of at least 21 or 22, but its initial numbers were much worse. The series' future was jeopardized when its third episode, "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" earned a 16.3 rating. The show attracted a large enough audience to survive a brief hiatus in November, during which it finally surpassed its competition on ABC and NBC and convinced its sponsors (General Foods and Kimberly-Clark) to stay on until the end of the season.

With one exception ("The Chaser"), the first season featured only scripts written by Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson, a team that was eventually responsible for 127 of the show's 156 episodes. Additionally, with one exception ("A World of His Own"), Serling never appeared on camera except to announce the next episode, instead doing voice-over narrations. Many of the first season's episodes proved to be among the series' most celebrated, including "Time Enough at Last", "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street", "Walking Distance" and "The After Hours". The first season won Serling an unprecedented fourth Emmy for dramatic writing, a Producers Guild Award for Serling's creative partner Buck Houghton and the Hugo Award for best dramatic presentation.

Bernard Hermann's original opening theme lasted throughout the first season. Towards the end of the season, the original Dali-esque "pit and summit" opening montage and narration was replaced by a piece featuring a blinking eye and shorter narration, and a truncated version of the theme.

The second season premiered on September 30, 1960 with "King Nine Will Not Return", Serling's fresh take on the pilot episode "Where Is Everybody?". The familiarity of this first story stood in stark contrast to the novelty of the show's new packaging: Bernard Herrmann's stately original theme was replaced by Marius Constant's more jarring and dissonant (and now more-familiar) new guitar-and-bongo theme. The blinking eye was replaced by a more surreal introduction inspired by the new images in Serling's narration ("That's the signpost up ahead"), and Serling himself stepped in front of the cameras to present his opening narration, rather than being only a voice-over narrator (as in the first season).

A new sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive, replaced the previous year's Kimberly-Clark (as Liggett & Myers would succeed General Foods, in April 1961), and a new network executive, James Aubrey, took over CBS. "Jim Aubrey was a very, very difficult problem for the show", said associate producer Del Reisman. "He was particularly tough on The Twilight Zone because for its time it was a particularly costly half hour show....Aubrey was real tough on [the show's budget] even when it was a small number of dollars." In a push to keep the show's expenses down, Aubrey ordered that seven fewer episodes be produced than last season and that six of those being produced would be shot on videotape rather than film, a move Serling disliked, calling it "neither fish nor fowl".[citation needed]

The second season saw the production of many of the series' most acclaimed episodes, including "The Eye of the Beholder" and "The Invaders". The trio of Serling, Matheson and Beaumont began to admit new writers, and this season saw the television debut of George Clayton Johnson. Emmys were won by Serling (his fifth) for dramatic writing and by director of photography George T. Clemens and, for the second year in a row, the series won the Hugo Award for best dramatic presentation. It also earned the Unity Award for "Outstanding Contributions to Better Race Relations" and an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama".

In his third year as executive producer, host, narrator and primary writer for The Twilight Zone, Serling was beginning to feel exhausted. "I've never felt quite so drained of ideas as I do at this moment", said the 37-year old playwright at the time. In the first two seasons he contributed 48 scripts, or 73% of the show's total output. He contributed only 56% of the third season's output. "The show now seems to be feeding off itself", said a Variety reviewer of the season's second episode, who couldn't understand Serling's endless and exhaustive treatment of themes.[citation needed]

Despite his avowed weariness, Serling again managed to produce several teleplays that are widely regarded as classics, including "It's a Good Life", "To Serve Man", and "Five Characters in Search of an Exit". Scripts by Montgomery Pittman and Earl Hamner Jr. supplemented Matheson and Beaumont's output, and George Clayton Johnson submitted three teleplays that examined complex themes. The episode "I Sing the Body Electric" could boast: "Written by Ray Bradbury." By the end of the third season, the series had reached over 100 episodes.

The Twilight Zone received two Emmy nominations (for cinematography and art design), but was awarded neither. It again received the Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation", making it the only three-time recipient until it was tied by Doctor Who in 2008.

In spring 1962, The Twilight Zone was late in finding a sponsor for its fourth season and was replaced on CBS' fall schedule with a new hour-long situation comedy called Fair Exchange. In the confusion that followed this apparent cancellation, producer Buck Houghton left the series for a position at Four Star Productions. Serling meanwhile accepted a teaching post at Antioch College, his alma mater. Though the series was eventually renewed, Serling's contribution as executive producer decreased in its final seasons.

In November 1962 CBS contracted Twilight Zone (now sans the The) as a mid-season January replacement for Fair Exchange, the very show that replaced it in the September 1962 schedule. In order to fill the Fair Exchange timeslot each episode had to be expanded to an hour, an idea which did not sit well with the production crew. "Ours is the perfect half-hour show... If we went to an hour, we'd have to fleshen our stories, soap opera style. Viewers could watch fifteen minutes without knowing whether they were in a Twilight Zone or Desilu Playhouse", Serling responded. Herbert Hirschman was hired to replace long-time producer Buck Houghton. One of Hirschman's first decisions was to direct a new opening sequence, this one illustrating a door, eye, window and other objects suspended Magritte-like in space. His second task was to find and produce quality scripts.

This season of Twilight Zone once again turned to the reliable trio of Serling, Matheson and Beaumont. However, Serling’s input was limited this season; he still provided the lion’s-share of the teleplays, but as executive producer he was virtually absent and as host, his artful narrations had to be shot back-to-back against a gray background during his infrequent trips to Los Angeles. Due to complications from a developing brain disease, Beaumont’s input also began to diminish significantly. Additional scripts were commissioned from Earl Hamner, Jr. and Reginald Rose to fill in the gap.

With five episodes left in the season, Hirschman received an offer to work on a new NBC series called Espionage and was replaced by Bert Granet, who had previously produced "The Time Element". Among Granet’s first assignments was "On Thursday We Leave for Home", which Serling considered the season's most effective episode. There was an Emmy nomination for cinematography, and a nomination for the Hugo Award. The show returned to its half-hour format for the fall schedule.

Serling later claimed, "I was writing so much, I felt I had begun to lose my perspective on what was good and what was bad." By the end of this final season, he had contributed 92 scripts in five years. This season, the new alternate sponsors were American Tobacco and Procter & Gamble.

Beaumont was now out of the picture entirely, contributing scripts only through the ghostwriters Jerry Sohl and John Tomerlin, and after producing only 13 episodes, Bert Granet left and was replaced by William Froug—with whom Serling had worked on Playhouse 90.

Froug made a number of unpopular decisions; first by shelving several scripts purchased under Granet's term (including Matheson’s The Doll, which was nominated for a Writer's Guild Award when finally produced in 1986 on Amazing Stories); secondly, Froug alienated George Clayton Johnson when he hired Richard deRoy to completely rewrite Johnson’s teleplay Tick of Time, eventually produced as "Ninety Years Without Slumbering". "It makes the plot trivial", complained Johnson of the resulting script, insisting he be given screen credit for the final version of the episode as "Johnson Smith". Tick of Time became Johnson’s final submission to The Twilight Zone.

Even under these conditions, several episodes were produced that are well remembered, including "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", "A Kind of a Stopwatch" and "Living Doll". Although this season received no Emmy recognition, episode number 142, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"—a 1962 French-produced short film which was modified slightly for broadcast—received the Academy Award for best short film in 1963.

In late January 1964, CBS announced the show's cancellation. "For one reason or other, Jim Aubrey decided he was sick of the show... [H]e claimed that it was too far over budget and that the ratings weren't good enough", explained Froug. But Serling countered by telling the Daily Variety that he had "decided to cancel the network". ABC showed interest in bringing the show over to their network under the new name Witches, Warlocks and Werewolves, but Serling wasn't impressed.

"The network executives seem to prefer weekly ghouls, and we have what appears to be a considerable difference in opinion. I don't mind my show being supernatural, but I don't want to be booked into a graveyard every week." Shortly afterwards Serling sold his 40% share in The Twilight Zone to CBS, leaving the show and indeed all projects involving the supernatural behind him until 1969, when Night Gallery debuted.

Gina Saputo Redefines Hip

2011-06-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

Gina Saputo
Live Fri. June 10
Steamers Jazz Club
Fullerton, CA
8 PM. Tickets: $8

Gina Saputo is a vocalist, entertainer, clinician and arranger who has already established herself as one of the hippest rising headliners on the scene.

A native of Eugene, Oregon, Gina began training at the age of 8, singing with the Oregon Children’s Choir. By the age of 16 she was putting together her own groups and singing in jazz clubs, often waiting outside during breaks because she was underage.

From there, Gina attended USC’s prestigious Thornton School of Music, and was awarded the Barry Manilow Scholarship for all four years of her education. Gina studied at Jazz Aspen Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado under Christian McBride. She was interviewed by Dee Dee Bridgewater for her show JazzSet on National Public Radio.

Gina was among seven musicians chosen by Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard, and Wayne Shorter to study at the Thelonius Monk Institute. During her time with the institute, she performed for the State Department in Washington, D.C., and toured Viet Nam with Herbie Hancock and Nnenna Freelon.

Her first CD, “Gina Saputo” was recorded with vocal sessions produced by Grammy award nominated vocalist Tierney Sutton, who said, “Gina has the talent as well as the passion to stretch and think outside the box.”

After two successful tours of Japan, her CD has climbed to #3 on the prestigious Swing Journal charts, and has received rave reviews.

She was a guest professor at Gwangju University in South K

Of Proms, Hopes, Dreams, and Tony Bowls

2011-06-08T23:17:00.000-07:00

It's definitely not your mom and dad's prom. Designer Sherri Hill weighs in with this gold number and prom fashion hits the runway. Remembering Proms Past

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Daily Bosco

I must admit I am not much of an expert when it comes to high school proms. This is because I've only been to one my entire life. But still I have many wonderful memories of the ones I have been associated with.

What triggers this thought process is the fact that one of my good friends was busy helping her daughter get ready to go to prom last month. I had also read an article the other day on how the fashions for the prom have changed over the years and now it's like going to an awards show with big name designers getting involved and runway shows...which is all very cool. It's what makes life fun. My daughter had designer dresses for her proms and my son's dates for his proms looked great in their beautiful designer dresses. And they would go in large groups in large wonderful limousines to exotic locations for their proms.

My prom date in 1979...the most beautiful girl at the prom...was Tina Marie Tucker. I believe she wore something from the Martha Tucker collection....a wonderful pink dress (I think her mom helped her make the dress...in other words). And that's how it used to be done usually. I saw the photos of my mom and dad's prom and mom was also wearing a beautiful vintage dress which was handmade by Grandma Liesch. I know my other grandma, Grandma Florrie, was a wonderful seamstress and made the most lovely of all wedding dresses for mom...and maybe she was involved in the beautiful prom dress too...I'll have to ask mom. The common thread between proms of yesteryear and today are that it is a wonderful time usually when a mother and a daughter can work on something together, spend time together, and strenghten their bond. It's really about family and friends and romance and not as much about the clothes.

Tina and I had a wonderful time that spring evening in 1979. I was a nervous wreck. This was my first big date and I wanted it to go perfect. And the fact that Tina was the most beautiful young lady at the prom didn't make me any less nervous.

For me, it was the little things that evening that I remember the most. The time honored tradition of placing our corsages on each other for one. And some of it was silly. Like when Tina dropped a miniature cherry tomato from her salad at the fanciest restaurant in town and it rolled around the floor for a while and she tried to pick it up without being conspicuous or breaking her conversation with me.

The band was horrible...that much I remember... but we were too busy dancing and having fun to care. But the thing I remember most was this sense of joy when I would escort her or when we would hold hands...It was a beautiful innocent evening...like a Fairy Tale.

I hope if you are going to a prom this year...or are involved in getting somebody ready for a prom, that you savor each moment and enjoy the time spent...these are the moments you will always remember.

Record Vault: New York Rock and Soul Review

2011-06-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

The New York Rock & Soul Review
Live at the Beacon
Donald Fagen, Phoebe Snow, Michael McDonald,
Boz Scaggs, Jeff Young, Rascals
1991 Arista
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

Editor's Note: In the Bosco Record Vault Series we take a look at past albums that had an impact or were in retrospect important turning points for artists. In this review, on it's 20th anniversary release date, we look at the 1991 Live Album The New York Rock and Soul Review; Live at the Beacon an important time for Steely Dan's Donald Fagen.

In the early 90's, Steely Dan fans were "reeling in the years". There had been no SD Music for over ten years, save for a great Donald Fagen solo album The Nightfly and a couple of songs that appeared in movies. Later the story came out that Fagen was suffering from a combination of writers block and apparent stage fright which extended back to the Steely Dan salad years...the late 70's. Remember, Steely Dan was only doing studio work in the late 70's and early 80's with Fagen and Walter Becker assembling the best musicians they could find for each song.

So, in 1991 Becker is off in Hawaii raising a family and producing great records for the likes of Ricki Lee Jones, and Fagen is doing a variety of projects including writing op-ed pieces for publications. It was in 1991 that it was announced that Fagen would be performing at the famous Beacon Theatre in New York City for the annual Rock and Soul Review. The result was a wonderful live album. The performance was also was the beginning for Fagen and eventually Becker to get back together, write music, make albums, win Grammys and yes even tour once again.

This lineup reads like a who's who of 50's 60's and 70's Rock and Soul Icons. In addition to Fagen the lineup included the late and legendary Charles Brown, The Rascals, Michael McDonald, Phoebe Snow, and Boz Scaggs. Also performing is the late saxophone great, Cornelius Bumphus who appears on many of the legendary Steely Dan albums.

Before this album there was very few legal live Steely Dan recordings. Remember, this is way before SD's Alive in America which was released later in the 1990's. The only song recorded live song was Bodistavta which was a B side on Ricki Don't Lose that Number single. On this album Fagen and Jeff Young and the Youngsters give us live versions of Pretzel Logic (with Michael McDonald reprising his background vocal duties), and Chain Lightening. In addition, Fagen does a live version of one of his solo songs from The Nightfly entitled Green Flower Street

"Our Daily Bran" Is Cereal For The Soul

2011-06-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Our Daily Bran
Warren Anderson
Self Published
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

One thing I love about self-published books is that usually these are books that the big publishers don't have the vision, patience or the courage to produce. A lot of these books miss the mark, mind you, but every once in a while you run across a real gem. Our Daily Bran, a collection of poems by Warren Anderson definitely falls in the latter category.

First of all, you have to love an author who paints his own cover. Anderson is an accomplished landscape artist and his cover sets the mood for his book of poems. It is calm and pastoral with just a hint of mischief. As a publisher myself, I would have tied into the Bran theme more. I would have probably created a faux Bran cereal box for the cover. But that's just me and my graphics background coming through.

I love where Anderson gets his inspiration for his interest in the written word . "My word hero is Vin Scully (the LA Dodger broadcaster), says Anderson. "who can colorfully describe the action without distortion, use metaphors and similes that sparkle and call a game without umpiring or rooting for the home team. For instance, Vinny described a huge base runner who stumbled, fell down and tried to get back to the bag, as looking "like a beached whale trying to get back in the water! He described the floating knuckle ball as a butterfly or debris and described the pitchers for tomorrow's game as a Dodger with all of his strikeouts and a pitcher who has a long name as the Cub with all of his syllables.", continued Anderson.

In fact one of my favorite poems/stories in the book, The Sights of Mexico is an account of Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitching. Or the hilarious Next of Kin is another personal favorite.

I suppose the best way to describe Anderson's style is that he is like a cross between Charles Osgood of CBS radio, Shel Silverstein, Garrison Keillor and Billy Graham. The first part of his book is devoted to religious themes while the second part is primarily whimsical and clever poetry on everyday life.

The son of Swedish immigrants, Anderson grew up in Minneapolis. He earned his degree in Southern California and entered public school work as a teacher, counselor and administrator. He is a Christian and enjoys writing poems on Biblical themes. "I will read a text several times for inspiration, not looking for doctrinal evidence or debate but for pathos, triumph, personal edification or even enjoyment. I am interested in what the text says to me, rather than what I can prove from the text.", Anderson said.

Mr. Anderson's book is available through BOSCO Books. This book is $12 plus $5 for shipping and handling. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express accepted. Email orders to: boscotheblog@earthlink.net

The Two Amtraks and A Modest Proposal

2011-06-02T06:39:00.001-07:00

By Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

As I was on a recent train excursion...through the Northwest from Southern California to Seattle, I was reminded of what the nation's passenger rail service, Amtrak, is and I thought about what it could be.

First of all, the scenery from Los Angeles to Seattle, as seen from the comfort of the Amtrak observation lounge rivals the best in the country. From the ocean views to the Northern California and Oregon mountains to the lushness of Northern Oregon into Washington and the Puget Sound area near Seattle..it's hard to beat for breathtaking beauty not only in the US but in the world.

The people I met on this journey were incredible. People from Northern California and the Northwest are generally generous, educated, and progressive, and this makes for wonderful and interesting conversation. And since you have to sit with somebody at the dining car you have the opportunity to get into some wonderful discussions with fascinating people.

But, those are all the benefits of taking the train...anywhere. What I want to talk about is what Amtrak is doing right and where they fall short.

I was actually on two trains this trip through the northwest. For those who were not following the trip on this webzine as it was happening, my son Felix and I took the Coast Starlight from Fullerton, CA to San Francisco...stayed two days in San Francisco...got back on the CS and went to Eugene, OR where we stayed with my good friends Mark and Greg. After we left Eugene we switched to the Cascades which is the run from Eugene to Seattle. The two trains were like night and day.

First of all, in all fairness, the train they use for the Coast Starlight is similar to the trains they use on the Southwest Chief (LA to Chicago) or the Zephyr (Chicago to San Francisco). These trains were built in the 70's in an era where there were no cel phones, no laptops, no personal DVD players. So there are very few electrical outlets and the first thing that everybody looks for is an outlet but with an average of one or two per car it's tough going.

The second thing, I noticed was the service is suffering and I had wonderful experiences last year on the Zephyr and Southwest Chief. I think it has to do with teams that they put on the train. All it takes is a couple of disgruntled employees to permeate the group and the experience becomes less than satisfactory. The service from LA to Oakland fell into the less than satisfactory category. But the Emeryville to Eugene ride was much better.

On the LA to Oakland run, the Amtrak employees were rude, obnoxious, and let you know that they were understaffed and overwhelmed. OK that last part is probably true...but it doesn't mean you have to take it out on the customers. We're trying to have a good time and get to where we need to go...lose the attitude and work out whatever differences you have with your employer.

I was particulary disappointed in the service in the dining room. Plastic eating utensils, high prices, paper table cloths, less than satisfactory food and again waiters with bad attitudes. What happened to the golden age of train travel where you had wonderful service, china, cloth table cloths, and beautiful silverware and glasses for your drinks? No wonder people don't like taking the trains anymore.

Then the lounge is not showing movies anymore because the motion picture industry wants a cut for them showing the movies. Give me a break.

Contrast that with what I experienced on the Amtrak Cascades train from Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA. This train service is a cooperative between the states of Oregon, Washington and Amtrak. It's all the things Amtrak does right. First of all the train is always generally on time because they split the ride in two trips. One train starts in Eugene and runs to Portland. Then another train takes you to Seattle. Also, I understand they don't have the freight train right of way issues that are experienced in other parts of the country.

This train was built within the last couple of years and they did it right. An electrical outlet at every seat, tv screens for movies in every car with plugs on the console for headsets to listen to the movie, a wonderful lounge and Bistro, large and beautiful bathrooms, an onboard systems for telling you time, weather, how far ahead or behind the train is on schedule. This is on when the movies are not going. And by the way, with every Amtrak train I've been on...much more leg room than an airline seat. And the crew on this train were happy, neatly dressed, and extremely helpful.

And now comes my modest proposal.

Why can't they run Amtrak like National Public Radio or Public Television? Since it is a government subsidized service, get corporate sponsorships and have fundraisers to create more money. Here's some ideas what you could do with corporate and individual involvement.

Have a major restaurant run the Dining Room. Have Outback Steakhouse, as an example, be responsible for the dining room. They would staff it, they would design the inside of the rolling restaurant, they could have their menu. And they would do a great job, because it would be a great advertisement for their traditional restaurants.

Create free enterprise aboard the train. There could be a mini McDonalds, a Starbucks, some small shops like a mini-mall all on the train. Can you imagine the bidding war companies would get into to get those spots and how much more money it would generate for the railroad?

Yes, have a movie theatre, sponsored by AMC or another chain or at least do what they did in the Northwest with a screen in view near the seats with a plug to listen at your seat.

Get an interior designer to sponsor a redesign of the interiors of the trains. Again, a bidding war would insue and the winning bidder would generate a lot of publicity. And of course, put an electrical plug at every seat and hook up the trains for wi-fi. Because of these innovations, train travel would be fun and sexy again.

There is so much that could be done with the current Train system in America. We have a beautiful country and traveling by train is a wonderful way to meet the people and see the sights of this great land. Europe and other countries are way ahead of the US on this So any investment we put into this venture is going to pay dividends in the economy as more people get out and spend more money in the areas around the country.

Memorial Day 2011 In the Rear View

2011-06-01T05:05:00.001-07:00

By Rick Miranda
For The Daily Bosco

I’m not particularly fond of holidays. Before you start throwing stones and calling me a nihilist I should qualify that. I don’t hate them...I just don’t find them particularly celebratory. An annual remembrance of some event or notion that is usually overshadowed by the celebration itself. It’s usually a reason to drag family and friends together for mirth and merriment but with the exception of a few religious holidays little time is actually spent in consideration of the actual reason for a day off with pay. An unfortunate by-product of the Monday holiday bill.

But Monday was a bit different for me. While many of the same rites and rituals were repeated across this great country of ours and many a family, including my own, hauled out the briquettes and lighter fluid, feasted on red meat and potato salad and listened to the latest family gossip, one extra detail set this holiday weekend aside; at least for me.

Some thirteen years ago my father passed from this world. Every year I mean to visit his grave, and like so many good intentions, time and circumstances seem to get in the way. None the less I do try to make it there when I can and since the anniversary of his death coincides with Memorial Day, I find those visits that I do make to be that much more emotional.

Like so many of his age, my dad spent his time in military service. For his time in uniform he was afforded the privilege of burial among his fellow servicemen in a special section of the cemetery. It moves me to visit this place of honor on a weekend such as this. Each grave adorned with a flag, some with flowers, a cross or the Magen David, it fills me with a sense of gratitude and pride that there is a collective recognition for the service that my father gave along with all these men and women.

Most buried here didn’t die in service to their country. They went on to live typical, some would say mundane, lives. To marry, work, pay taxes, raise children. To perpetuate and enjoy the society to which they had expressed their devotion through the military. Mundane, pedestrian, mediocre, perhaps to those who take it for granted, but so very precious to those who realize how blessed a life it truly is.

Some may have been heroes and some may have been clerks. For every warrior on the line there are ten behind helping to get the job done. Each performed their duties and no one of us afforded the pleasure of freedom can or should judge the depth or quality of their individual efforts. We leave that to our Creator and those that served with them. Whether draftee, volunteer, officer or enlisted these people gave a part of their lives to ensure our well being, that of our country and to a great extent that of the world.

While most were driven by a sense of duty I know not everyone serves for the same reason. I’m sure there are those here that joined for the benefits, financial help with college or simply had nowhere else to go at the time. To be sure some went unwillingly. But it’s their duty that we’re to remember, not their motivation. How many of us have done the greatest things in our lives for the noblest of reasons?

Since my father so loved his time in the service, I feel fortunate, grateful actually, that the occasion of his death coincided with this most appropriate day of national remembrance. It reminds me of his best qualities, qualities valued in any soldier, duty, reverence, integrity. And it reminds me of his hopes to not only instill those qualities within myself but that I pass that paternal obligation on to my sons as well.

In that respect, I can only hope to fulfill that obligation to him, to myself and to my children. So to all those that lay in this field of honor, all those that have served and to this, my first, best hero, I offer my gratitude and consideration of your efforts and sacrifice.

The Most Dangerous Driver in Auto Racing

2011-06-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

By Doug Vehle
Special For The Daily Bosco

So this guy running a racing league for kids back in the 1990's thought he knew which of those kids was in front of him after the race as he said. 'Nice race, Kyle, clean and fair, as always.' He was caught by surprise when the answer was a predictably surly "Save it for my little brother." Not only was Kurt unlikely to ever be called "Clean" or "Fair" after a race, he didn't want you to forget it. For Kyle Busch, meanwhile, it was the beginning of a period of receiving ire intended for his older brother. By the time he ran his first NASCAR Cup race, his brother Kurt had caught a big break by winning the first 'Roush Racing: Driver X' reality show that brought him the chance to race in NASCAR. During the race where he died, Dale Earnhardt would give Kurt the finger with his hand out the window, followed by other high profile feuds with drivers and an arrest. As Kurt was listed 3rd in a 'GQ Magazine' top 10 list of most hated athletes (Behind Barry Bonds and Terrell Owens) Kyle arrived to boos at the mention of the name 'Busch.' Kyle would smile, bow to the more persistant crowds desperate for someone to hate, even welcome them to continue doing so. Quickly the crowds forgot about Kurt continuing to feud with other drivers and even smashing his car repeatedly into another off the track during practice, spewing profanities at his crewchief and occasionally car owner, instead focusing their bile on the, at the least, more sedate Kyle. When Kyle finally offered a transgression of his own by speeding more than 50mph over the limit, the lynch mobs finally had what they wanted: An excuse to call for Kyles' head.

You're left to wonder at the way some walk away scot free while others take a bad rap. Not only do NASCAR drivers Karl Edwards and Kevin Harvick brag of wrecking others deliberately, when their efforts backfire and they wreck themselves, they seek revenge on the intended victim. Yet Edwards especially smiles for the crowd and all is forgiven, even after he deliberately flipped another car he had carelessly run into earlier in the race and damaged his own car while doing it. How he can say he has reason to be mad at the other driver is beyond all logic, yet he persists.

The son of the legendary Dale Earnhardt doesn't win much, but he can be expected to be voted most popular driver, no matter how many times he hunts down and wrecks a driver he couldn't get past for 23rd place, or how many other cars he takes out as he does so. Meanwhile there's a lack of legitimate complaints against Kyle Busch, although there's always someone quick to place threadbare blame on him as they know the masses will accept it. Such as the winner of a race who stood in the winners circle saying he spun because Kyle Busch was a dirty driver, even though the video proves Busch never came close to touching him. The truth has never stopped the self righteous before, why should it start now? So the troublemakers get to keep causing trouble while the wrong person takes the heat.

My great concern at the moment is not in NASCAR but in Grand Prix racing. Now in his 5th year, Lewis Hamilton is complaining because he's faced penalties in 5 out of 6 races so far this year. Somehow his reckless driving is an entitlement in his mind, while punishment is an affront. The regularity of his behavioral problems is rapidly making him the Terrell Owens of racing, as the situation is always exacerbated by the largeness of his mouth. After a qualifying penalty failed to discourage him from committing the same violation twice during the race at Monte Carlo last weekend and wrecking others out on both occasions, he has chosen to play the race card: "Maybe it's because I'm black."

Since he brings it up, Hamilton is rather like the English Barack Obama, black father and white mother, raised by the mother and the white half of the family yet identified as black. His well to do father made up for absenteeism with radio control cars, go karts, anything racing that makes him the envy of so many of us poor kids who would just love to be out there doing these things. He did well enough to become sponsored by the McLaren Young Drivers program, giving him the opportunity to step up into the more expensive development racing leagues.

And winning, he would take the championship at each level before moving up, all the way to GP2, the current primary feeder series in the pathway to the Grand Prix. You don't HAVE to run GP2 to get to Formula 1, but winning the title there is almost a guarantee. Hamilton arrived to drive with Team McLaren more than 10 years after he is said to have approached owner Ron Dennis to say 'I want to drive for you.' Dennis responded he'd discuss it in 9 years. In fact it was just 3 years later that Hamilton signed with the development program, meaning that at the age of 13 he was the youngest driver to ever ink a deal that included a clause giving a team the right to his services in Formula 1 when he was ready. Indeed the Williams team was prevented from signing him, McLaren held the rights to this minor leaguer. Easy to see how all this could go to his head. But don't forget, this is like a college athlete who must understand that all his teammates were also stars in high school, as with every team he will play against. And all the pro athletes were stars in college, unless they skipped and went straight to the pros. His prior success didn't make him all THAT special.

Yet his rookie year in 2007 he was the teammate of the winner of the last two championships, Fernando Alonzo. You might expect him to show some appreciation to the top team that was giving him the rare opportunity to start at the top rather than being forced to bide his time with lesser equipment, as Alonzo had done. And you could definitely expect him to show some respect to the top driver in the Grand Prix. Yet Hamilton would commence complaining that the team had told him to hold back while running second to Alonzo, which led to an investigation where recordings of the radio contact would prove otherwise. 'Team Orders,' where one driver is racing only to support his teammate, was not allowed. Rather than learning to keep his mouth shut after being caught in a lie, he seemed to figure out others were listening. He proceeded to complain of Alonzo being in the team pit stall as he came in and waiting for traffic to clear before leaving, causing Hamilton to run out of time to get another fast lap. No real proof of a violation, yet Alonzo was penalized. Hamilton complained the penalty should have been worse, even as McLaren reminded him of his own lack of cooperation. McLaren, meanwhile, began to acquiesce to their Infant Terrible as he commenced swearing at personnel when he didn't get his way. Alonzo saw the favoritism affecting his title hopes. Indeed Alonzo and Hamilton tied for second in the standings, one point behind champion Kimi Raikkonen. The unwarranted penalty alone may well have cost Alonzo a third title.

With Alonzo leaving (Escaping?) at the end of the season, McLaren hoped there might be peace with Hamilton. There's a great romance to being able to develop a driver for yourself at such a young age. Alonzo had been World Champion when McLaren signed him, but Hamilton was only racing at this level because of McLaren. Yet the difficulties continued, not including off track legal problems, with the penalties at last falling where they belonged. Hamilton has faced discipline for impeding other drivers during qualifying and races, forcing drivers off the track, cutting curbs in chicanes, even for lying to officials to cause a car in front of him to be disqualified before recordings of Hamiltons' radio communications proved he knew his testimony was untrue. He would blame McLaren owner Ron Dennis for the lying incident, leading Dennis to leave his active role with the Grand Prix team.

I'm hard pressed to think of another driver facing near the disciplinary action of Hamilton, or offering such petulant talk in response to it. With yet another cutting the curb in a chicane in qualifying causing him to whine when his time was disallowed, then his howling that his recklessly making contact with 3 other cars in the race to cause two wrecks is not the cause of his latest predicament, I'm as tired of his reckless MOUTH as I am of his reckless driving. His convoluted explanations that always blame the OTHER guy demonstrate his unreasonable expectation that we just go along with him over all good sense.

The fact remains that Lewis Hamilton is still the Golden Child, protected far more than he deserves. When he caused the first wreck in the same manner that he was penalized for in qualifying the live commentators were limited in their reaction. When there was a misunderstanding and his former champion teammate in an identical car was at first blamed for the second incident the commentators instantly spoke of race stewards and penalties, talk which ended the moment they learned who the guilty party really was. Hamilton is far from being a target.

When he first was announced as the first black Formula One driver, it was anticipated that he would most likely own all the firsts, as he could be expected to be the first black driver to be fast qualifier, race winner, champion, all measures of success were possible with a team like McLaren. Now that he has indeed achieved all of them, it's time to stop handling him with kidgloves. Several drivers are already complaining that his punishments are never enough to match the crime, that is why the behavior continues.

As he gets older his behavior seems to get worse. Probably because he's outgrowing the influence of his father, who seems at least from a distance to be an individual of better character than his son. While we were not learning what was being said behind closed doors, the signs were there it was being said. The most visible came after what had been Hamiltons' most serious incident prior to last weekends' race. At the Canadian Grand Prix
his nearest competitors in the standings were race leader Raikkonen and 2nd place Robert Kubica, both of whom were stopped by a red traffic light leaving the pits because of traffic. An inattentive Hamilton came too fast heading straight at Kubica and since he couldn't stop in time apparently chose to swerve and take the tougher competitor of the two out of the race with him. Unfortunately it takes a little more than the visible maneuvering under braking to bring the deserved penalty, so he climbed from the car safe from punishment, at least officially.

As they climbed from the wrecked cars the quiet Raikkonen reached over and turned Hamiltons' head toward the light he'd ignored and pointed to it. One commentator called it "The polite way to give the finger in public." Hamilton might have been contrite enough to not treat it that way, but he responded with a gesture of his own on television and seemed ready to take it to a physical altercation. As the media crowded around during his walk to the garage he began to push them away and demonstrate the level of his displeasure. It seemed like a long, pregnant walk back to the garage, the next incident was ready to occur. He was demonstrating that he thought HE was the victim here, it was everyone else causing all the problems.

As he reached a back door he knew the press could not follow him through, he pulled it open to see his Father waiting for him, clearly not amused. For all the jokes made about the earful this overgrown child was about to hear, it's plain that this successful, self made millionaire was nonetheless over the age of 21 and ready to let it go in one ear and out the other. As he always does with the race stewards when handed penalties. He's now trying to pass off his own accusations of racism over his penalties as a "Poor joke," expecting it to be laughed off. It's past time to stop laughing at any of this, to start taking it seriously. No matter how safe the cars are these days, people can still die in racing accidents. When the accident is caused by someone so callous as Hamilton, it's pure manslaughter. And racing officials who fail to take proper actions after so many warnings of this problem are his accessories.

Remembering Our Heroes On Memorial Day

2011-05-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: Today is Memorial Day, and I thought it would be appropriate to reprise three stories that we have done over the past year on the men in women from my hometown that have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have.

First off a story of the 1942 Fullerton High School CIF Champion Baseball team who to the man enlisted to serve our country. Many never came home. We call this one "How the Boys of Spring Became the Men of Summer and Our Heroes"

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

In Fullerton, California baseball is king. But in 1942 with war breaking out in Europe and our democracy being challenged, even baseball took a back seat in Fullerton to the war.

Almost forgotten that year in the events of the day, was the fact that Fullerton High School was busy working on another baseball championship and on the field was probably the best team ever assembled in Fullerton baseball history. That says a lot for a town that has produced the likes of hall of famers Walter Johnson, Arky Vaughan, Gary Carter, Willard Hershberger and a guy that should be in the hall of fame...Del Crandall.

During the backdrop of the war, the boys of Fullerton rolled on to a League championship and then were taking out opponents right and left in the post season. Anchored by a tall, lanky righthander Vaughan Jones and his battery mate Kenny Sullivan the team was virtually unstoppable. Except this story takes an unexpected turn.

In 1942 two things were happening. Number one, most of the interest was going toward the war effort and not on high school sports. In the CIF (California Intersholastic Federation) that year it was not like today with multiple divisions based on high school size, etc. There was only a major winner which was San Diego that year and a minor winner which was Fullerton. Fullerton was supposed to play San Diego that year to determine on the field which was the better team. That game never happened.

That's because all of the Fullerton High Senior boys and the popular coach of Fullerton High all went down before the season ended and enlisted in the military to serve their country. Most of those boys were in the battlefields by Summer. Most of the boys never got back home. Vaughan Jones the righthander was one of the 1942 Championship team that was killed in action that year.

Ken Sullivan, story was somewhat of a tragedy too. When you consider the fact that he was ticketed for the major leagues and could have added his name to the Hall of Famers from Fullerton. Ken took shrapnel to his leg and could barely walk. His baseball career was over. He was decorated for his service in World War II. He was a war hero.

Ken would go on to mentor the great Del Crandall as a catcher.

I met Ken eight years ago while I was organizing the annual Fullerton High School Baseball Alumni Game and Reunion. He was not bitter about his life. He couldn't be...he had a great family, great friends, a wonderful career, but one thing he told me was not setting well with him all these years. The CIF never recognized the 1942 team as CIF champions. The official winner that year for baseball was San Diego. I and some others tried to get the school to at least have a banner up with the other CIF Champions for the 1942 baseball team. They wouldn't do it.

Ken died a few years ago. It's strange how life is sometimes. I had started a community newspaper in Fullerton and one of the first stories I wanted to do was on Ken and the 1942 FUHS baseball team. I was going to make a phone call to interview Ken but before I made that call I decided to do some preliminary background research on the team and the year 1942. That's when I ran across Ken's obituary.

A good friend of Ken's, Tom Gregory, picked up the ball and ran with the CIF recoginition. Fortunately, with Tom's hard work CIF reversed their ruling and officially made Fullerton High 1942 baseball team CIF champions. The team even made it to the banner that hangs at the Fullerton High Baseball Field.

But because many of them made the ultimate sacrifice and were great men, they will always be our champions.

Second up, a story by our Jim Helm on a young boy growing up in Fullerton in the late 1960's and his POW bracelet. We call this one "I Didn't Know Charles V. Newton, but I Will Never Forget Him"

By Jim Helm,
Special for the Daily Bosco

I remember when I heard the news but I can't remember who told me. His younger brother was one of the big kids in the neighborhood and he was so much older than his younger brother that I always thought of him as an "adult". A 20 year old adult. His parents didn't come out of the house much and his younger brother moved away shortly after. As they suffered their loss they probably never imagined that anyone but their family would remember them 40 years later. This is how I remember the war in Vietnam.

I remember when they said the kid up the street had died there. I remember the look on my mom's face when we heard her younger brother was going there. I remember the TV news with their daily counts of the wounded and dead. I remember the countless stories 30 years later of the men who were "Dealing with it".

I never went. I was never there. I can't imagine it, but at the same time I can imagine it because I have heard so much and read so much about it. I didn't understand it when I was a kid, but I knew it was bad. And mostly, the thing I remember was in High School and the relief that I felt hearing that I wouldn't have to go there. We had all thought about it, talked about it, and tried to prepare for it. And then it was over.

When I asked my mom for the $3.00 to buy the bracelet, her immediate response was "No". But, when I explained to her why I wanted it, I must have been convincing because she kind of sighed and got the money out of her purse. You see, $3.00 back then was about like $30.00 today. So imagine your 10 or 11 year-old asking if they can have that much money to buy a bracelet for a missing soldier from some guy on the street. Would you do it? Would you really do it???? My mom did it twice.

They called them POW Bracelets. The first ones were solid brass and etched with the soldiers name and date and location that the Soldier was lost. It was a flat piece of brass that had been shaped into a semi-circle. You couldn't get your wrist into it without bending it open slightly and once it was on your wrist you had to bend it shut again. When they came around a few months later, the new ones were stainless steel. Same engraving, same message. Somehow I talked mom into one of those too.

I remember they wouldn’t let me pick a specific name. You got the name they gave you. But each one had a unique name of a lost soldier engraved on them. That amazed me, one man, one bracelet. So I wore them, I wore them a lot. The first one, the brass one, was overcome by years of surfing and other abuse and wore through the engraving of the name of the soldier after about 10 years. Although I can't read or remember the name, I still feel like I am honoring him by keeping the bracelet. The stainless steel bracelet bears the following inscription:

SSG Charles V. Newton

17, Apr 69 SVN.

SVN, South Viet Nam. Wow, it sounds so far away when you are a kid. Now that I am older and the world has gotten so much smaller, it doesn’t seem so far. Still, I can’t help but to do the math in my head. He was SSG at that time so I assume he had been serving for a while. Let’s assume he was 18 or so when he went in and it took a year or so for him to make Special Forces Rank. He was only 12-15 years older than me. The date of 17 Apr 1969 is when he was reported missing.

I was ten.

There was no Internet back then. No other places for a kid to go to research and see if they were ever found. I know from watching the news some were found and they came back home to be reunited with their families. It would be nice to hear he was found too but I wouldn’t throw away the bracelet if that were the case. It’s spent too many years on my wrist and a bunch more in my dresser drawer for me to get rid of it now. And every once in a while when I’m wearing it someone looks at me and then looks down at the bracelet and then looks back up at me and smiles. They rarely say anything. They know what it is and they know that it’s my way to remember someone who gave their life for our Country. After I started writing this I finally decided to do a search for him on the Internet. Here's what I found.

Charles V. Newton

Charles Newton, was born and reared in the small Texas town of Canadian. Seven months after he graduated from high school, he followed in the footsteps of his three brothers, and enlisted in the U. S. Army. Charles completed Basic Airborne School with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and after a tour of duty in Germany, volunteered for Special Forces and Vietnam.

In November, 1966, Charles joined the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam. He attended the Reconnaissance School in Nha Trang, and was assigned to Special Project Delta Detachment B-52.

During his second tour in Vietnam, Charles landed in the hospital at Long Bihn on January 11, 1968. Following are excerpts from a letter Charles wrote to his mom and dad:

Dear Folks,

Here I am again, flat on my back, however no real harm done . . . got one of the million dollar wounds. Caught a bullet on top of the head Tuesday a.m. and underwent surgery that afternoon. All are amazed that I'm here. I told them, you still can't keep a good man down. Hold all my mail. I should be state side in a couple of weeks.

Charles received a thirty-day convalescent leave, and arrived in his home town. He sported a chest-full of medals, including the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, air medal, and three Purple Hearts. He recovered from his wounds, and in May of 1968, married a home town gal. Two months later, he returned to Vietnam.

On March 22, 1969, Charles wrote a letter stating that he would be leaving Nha Trang in one to two days for I Corps (Phu Bai), Northern South Vietnam, and would be gone between thirty and ninety days. Each of his letters, left the reader with a definite sense that Charles intended a long career with the army.

Charles was a Recon Team Leader in Detachment B-52, referred to as "Project Delta." His team included three Vietnamese and three U.S. Special Force soldiers with a mission to conduct long-range reconnaissance into enemy occupied areas. These missions normally lasted for a three to five day period.

On April 14, 1969, his Team infiltrated Quang Nam Province in South Vietnam, and on the 16th, encountered enemy contact, but continued the mission. Shortly after noon on April 17th, the Team reported it was in contact with the enemy and requested air support. The last radio transmission heard from the team stated, "we're in a stream bed and hit bad".

Recon Team six which included SSG Charles V Newton; SGT Charles F Prevedel; SP-4 Douglas E Dahill; and three unidentified Vietnamese, became missing in action.

On this 28 day operation, between 29 Mar 1969 and 25 April 1969, Project Delta had suffered 5 KIA, 33 WIA, and 11 MIA, which included the loss of Road Runner Team 101 and Recon Team number six.

On December 16, 1969, five months after Charles Newton was declared missing in action, the U.S. Army promoted him to Sergeant First Class.

A Bronze Start with Oak leaf and three Purple Hearts. Somehow I knew he was a tough guy. 82nd Airborne were the bad boys they dropped in to clear the way for our other men. Project Delta were Special Forces Units of 5 or 6 men that went deep behind enemy lines. It was nice to hear that he was from an Army family following in his brothers footsteps. But the best thing was to read the letter home and to get the slightest feel of who he was and how much he loved his family. The sense of humor he used to tell them he was wounded but OK and would be returning home soon.

You don’t have to have a bracelet to remember them. There are many ways you can show your thanks for our soldiers. My wife can’t get through the start of any sports program without a tear in her eye if the Color Guard is performing. It’s because she remembers and she is proud and thankful for them. Others may stop in the airport to shake the hand of a retuning soldier to thank them for their service or to let a deployed one know that we pray for their safe return and thank them for putting their life on the line for all of us here at home.

I didn’t go....I was never there.... I didn’t know Charles V Newton. But I will always have this bracelet to remind me of the ones that did.

And finally, our third story....

With the death of Al Qaueda leader Osama Bin Laden earlier this month, the first thing many of us were probably thinking about was the tremendous cost of human life, suffering and sacrifices made by our brave men and women in the armed services and their families. Many were our neighbors and friends.

The day seemed like it may never get here. It felt like sometimes we were chasing a ghost and maybe we might give up the chase. But in the end we, as Americans, did not forget and we will never forget that horrible day on September 11, 2001 and all the horrible things that happened before and since at the hands and plans of that man.

In the city of Fullerton, we had five men that either lived, were born or came from the National Guard Station in our town that paid the ultimate sacrifice in this war and were instrumental in arriving at this day.

Today, on Memorial Day we thought it would be an appropriate thing to remember them again. They are our hometown heroes afterall and we will never, ever forget their service. Thank you. - Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Army Sgt. Shin W. Kim
Died June 28, 2007 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of Fullerton, Calif.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 28 of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked in Balad by insurgents using improvised explosive devices. Also killed were Sgt. Michael J. Martinez, Sgt. Giann C. Joya Mendoza, Spc. Dustin L. Workman II and Pfc. Cory F. Hiltz.

Shin Kim's Story: During two weeks of home leave from Iraq in February, Army Sgt. Shinwoo Kim surrounded himself with friends and relatives, binged on junk food and traveled to Las Vegas.

The combat medic from Fullerton, however, couldn’t leave Iraq completely behind. Before returning to the battlefield, he visited a memorial to Iraq’s dead on a Santa Monica beach and left the name of a fallen friend on one cross in the precise rows of crosses.

“It was like something he just had to do,” said his girlfriend Tammy Cho.

Shinwoo, 23, was among five soldiers killed in a June 28 Baghdad attack. Last weekend, it was his family’s turn to pay tribute to him at the memorial, known as Arlington West.

“We know he’s gone. But I guess we haven’t fully accepted it,” said his sister Shinae, 27. “My mom and dad are having a difficult time coping. We all are. Shinwoo was the baby. My mom never stopped calling him her baby.”

The family keeps a shrine with his picture and combat awards in their living room, and a certificate granting the South Korean native posthumous U.S. citizenship.

Kim’s parents, Yoo Buk and Kum Ok Kim, emigrated from South Korea with their three children 20 years ago. They said they didn’t want their son to enlist in the Army.

But he was moved to enlist by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“He kept newspaper stories about the attacks and terrorism,” his brother Josh, 31, said. “We didn’t want him to join, but after he did we all supported him.”

Kum King, with Josh translating, said if she spoke better English she would have demanded the recruiter tear up her son’s enlistment contract.

He volunteered to be a medic because he wanted to help people, not hurt them, Cho said.

Kim served in South Korea for a year before deploying to Iraq. He came home on leave in 2006 and thought he was to be permanently assigned to Fort Carson, Colo. He was ordered back to Iraq soon after.

Josh Kim said his brother did not die immediately from the attack. A doctor in Iraq held a telephone to Kim’s ear as his family bid the unconscious soldier goodbye from their Fullerton home.

Army Sgt. Eric M. Holke
Died July 15, 2007 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

31, of Crestline, Calif.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry, California Army National Guard, Fullerton, Calif.; died July 15 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained from a non-combat-related incident. His death is under investigation.

Eric's Story: Sgt. Eric Holke, hungry for life experience, performed at Renaissance fairs, spent two years in the California wilderness and served with the Army and National Guard.

Holke, 31, was on his second tour in Iraq, serving with the California Army National Guard, when he died in a non-combat incident in Tallil. Family said he died when the Humvee he was in swerved and flipped when it tried to avoid hitting an Iraqi.

“It’s very sad that he’s gone,” his sister Erin Holke said. “I wish he was still alive and coming back to his huge family and all the things he loved to do.”

This included anything in the outdoors, such as hiking, skiing and snowboarding. He joined the California Conservation Corps after graduating from high school and spent two years in the woods of Northern California.

After returning from the wilderness, Holke became active in the Renaissance fair circuit. At the fairs, he demonstrated how the German military lived in the 1400s through 1600s.

“It was a lot of fun seeing him get into the character,” said Tom Wilson, a fair producer. “You could talk to him for an hour and he would still have the accent.”

Holke, who died just a few weeks after his deployment, left behind a new wife and son, parents, a sister and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

He met and married his wife Cassidhe after returning from Afghanistan and Iraq as a soldier with the 82nd Airborne.

He had been honorably discharged from the Army in 2005 and was studying business and film at San Bernardino Valley College when the two met. He also had recently joined the California National Guard.

Holke and his wife also lived with her 16-year-old son, Steven. He was called to serve and in March left for Camp Shelby, Miss. He was deployed to Iraq in June.

At his funeral service July 22, the military presented his family five medals, including the Bronze Star.

Army Pfc. Shane M. Stinson
Died June 23, 2007 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of Fullerton, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died June 23 in Balad, Iraq of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire in Baghdad. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Michael D. Moody Jr. and Sgt. Chris Davis.

Shane's Story: Shane Stinson got to do a lot on his first leave home from Iraq.

For two weeks last month, he celebrated his 23rd birthday with his family in Orange County, went to the beach and took in three games with his favorite baseball team, the Angels.

But he wanted to get back to work.

“He was happy to be home, but he said he missed his buddies in Iraq and he was ready to go back and serve,” said his brother, Rhyan Stinson. “Coming home, several people stopped him to shake his hand and thank him for his service. That made him very proud.”

Stinson, an Army private, was killed June 23 when attackers fired on his unit in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division, based in Fort Benning, Ga.

“My brother believed in what he was doing over there and he wanted to better his life,” Rhyan Stinson said. “It hurts that he doesn’t get a chance anymore.”

Stinson told his brother he eventually wanted to attend business school and open a sporting-goods shop.

Stinson was born in Artesia but attended Troy High School in Fullerton. He earned his general-equivalency diploma in 2001.

He worked for three years at Toys “R” Us before deciding to enlist.

“We were all concerned for him, but he’s the kind of guy you don’t talk out of it,” said a friend, Justin Matthews.

In addition to his brother, Stinson is survived by his mother, Evelyn, and his stepfather, Joseph Hackerd.

Army Spc. Marcelino R. Corniel
Died December 31, 2005 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of La Puente, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, Fullerton, Calif.; killed Dec. 31 when an enemy mortar attack occurred in the vicinity of his observation post in Baghdad.

Marcelino's Story: An Army National Guard member killed in Iraq was posthumously promoted to sergeant and will be awarded a Purple Heart, officials said Friday.

Marcelino R. Corniel, 23, of La Puente, was killed New Year’s Eve during a mortar attack in Baghdad. He had just five days left to serve in Iraq. He was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, based in Fullerton in Orange County.

Corniel had served in Iraq as a Marine and joined the National Guard in June. He volunteered to go to Iraq, said Maj. Jon Siepmann of the California National Guard.

The Purple Heart is awarded to soldiers who are wounded by the enemy and can be presented posthumously to those killed in action.

Corniel also will posthumously be awarded the Bronze Star, national Defense Ribbon and Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

Army Spc. Mike T. Sonoda Jr.
Died September 22, 2005 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

34, of Fallbrook, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, Fullerton, Calif.; died Sept. 22 of injuries sustained Sept. 21 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M113 Armored Personnel Carrier in Baghdad.

Mike's Story: Mike Sonoda Jr., a specialist with the California Army National Guard, was killed in Iraq last month when a homemade bomb blew up near his armored personnel carrier.

Sonoda, 34, died Sept. 22 of injuries suffered a day earlier in the Baghdad explosion. He was the only soldier killed.

Sonoda had been living in Fallbrook in San Diego County before he was deployed to Iraq in January with the guard’s 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment.

Sonoda often was the first to volunteer for patrols, said Maj. Daniel Markert, one of his commanders.

“He was the kind of guy the younger soldiers would look up to and the older sergeants could rely on,” Markert said. “He was a real spirit of the platoon.”

He relaxed by reading science fiction and history.

“He could read a 300-page book in a day, and he would always come back for more,” Markert said.

Sonoda was “very caring and generous, inquisitive and dedicated,” said his sister, Irene.

“He was my big brother and my hero. Our entire family is so proud of his service,” she said in a statement.

Sonoda joined the Army in 1995 and served about two years as a parachute rigger with the 325th Airborne in Italy.

He joined the National Guard two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and served in Kuwait until March 2002.

He was due to return to the United States early next year.

In addition to his sister, Sonoda is survived by his parents, Mike Sr. and Emiko.

Indy With An Unfair Advantage

2011-05-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

By Doug Vehle
The Daily Bosco

"He stressed if we were going to go racing, we should only go first class. Racing is very expensive, he said, and it was important to only compete with cars we could afford."
-Mark Donohue, The Unfair Advantage

I first read Mark Donohues' autobiography sitting in the Cal State Fullerton library without checking it out. This was a number of years after his death, as well as at least a year after the death of my Father, which had ended nearly a decade of my involvement in timing and scoring for racing. Without Dad it just wasn't the same, just as racing hadn't been the same without one of my biggest childhood idols. Reading the book brought back memories of growing up wishing I could be a part of such amazing events. Also the burning desire to be the guy with that knack to make it work, which Donohue definitely was. While some would talk of the lack of excitement in his recounting of his racing career I found something else; He almost accidently offered a true insight into the inner character that drove him to become a racing legend. And brought back my favorite memory of the Indianapolis 500.

When he ignored the advice he was given when he first met Roger Penske, whose name is now seen on the side of rental trucks and many other things that make lots of money, Donohue struggled. When he followed it, he won 3 amateur titles and a lot of races. That advice was given to him by a seemingly wizened sage, yet Penske was a fellow 22 year old, born 26 days earlier. 2 years after that first meeting, Penske would buy the remains of a Cooper grand prix car, wrecked at the season ending US grand prix, for chump change, thus sparing them the cost of shipping across the Atlantic a car they wouldn't bother to fix anyway. Penske would use this as the basis to build a 'Prototype' sports car with which he would win the USAC Road Racing Championship in its' final year. There'd be a lot of complaints from other competitors, but the official confirmed that Penske understood the rules well enough to build a car that only SEEMED to have an 'Unfair Advantage.' That car bore the number '6', which would become a staple of Donohues' cars. Penske was a good enough driver, but it was as an excellent OPERATOR that he would make his name and fortune.

So when Penske decided to give up driving himself at the age of 28 to focus on his growing business fortunes, he gave various drivers a chance to race for his team. Within a year, Donohue was calling Penske 'The Captain' while Penske was assuring Donohue they were cocaptains, as the one driver who moved to the forefront of the teams' efforts. Donohue emerged at the time of the 'Tom Slick' cartoon, bearing an eerie resemblance to the character both in appearance and by his nature. His domination of the US Road Racing Championship (12 wins in 18 races and two titles) is said to have brought the series to an end, while his TransAmerican Challenge Cup effort started off its' first year appearing to be a continuous mechanical failure only to see the Brown University Engineering graduate pull apart and rework his Camaro until he was dominating the final races. The Penske team would talk openly of their Unfair Advantage, that advantage was really just Mark Donohue and his ability to get things right. For all this success, he was still a minor leaguer. But The Captain was making plans to change that; Mark Donohue would be going to Indy.

In 1969 he was rookie of the year, running 2nd to Mario Andretti late in the race when a magneto problem sent him to the pits and dropped him to 7th. In 1970 he was the fasted in practice leading up to qualifying, again finding himself running 2nd in the race to eventual winner Al Unser. He didn't run many Indycar races, still focusing on road racing with his reputation growing. But in the big time events he'd been unable to win, kind of like Fran Tarkenton or Jim Kelly in the Superbowl. This led up to an almost unholy alliance in 1971 with not one but two arch nemsis types, for a head to head showdown with a third.

The first was Team McLaren. Just as his initial Penske efforts were coming to fruition Donohue had been partnered with Bruce McLaren as a codriver for the Ford GT. The two did not see eye to eye on the setup of the car. While the arrogant New Zealander had expected to ride roughshod on the mild mannered American, he'd discover that the Clark Kent exterior hid a real live man of steel. Donohue bore no grudge from that effort, even warning McLaren of defective oil that kept both Mclaren team cars in one race which cost Donohue not only the win but the Canadian American Challenge Cup Championship for the year if he'd just let them drop out. But McLaren was said to have obsessed over a lingering resentment of Donohue, definitely showing signs of it in public, up until his death.

With their founder gone, the team shocked the racing world by turning to the Penske-Donohue team to help them with their new Indycar. With the McLaren formula one effort struggling, Donohue would also be contracted to race at the end of the season and sort out some problems, his 3rd place finish in his first race was McLarens' best finish for the year. Denis Hulme seemed so distraught at the sight of Donohue in the McLaren garage, as though the world turned upside down, he would walk away from testing, claiming only that he was 'Sick.'

In addition to Hulme, Donohue would have to work with the driver who replaced McLaren, Peter Revson. It was a love/hate relationship between them, dating back to amateur racing where the single Revlon heir Revson always had plenty of money while working class new dad Donohue was pinching pennies but still beating Revson and winning a title, much to the open chagrin of Revson. Revson is believed to be the unnamed driver who two years earlier had warned Donohue of Parnelli Jones planning an on track confrontation with Donohue during a TransAm race, apparently out of resentment of Donohues' domination of the series, at that time winning 18 of his last 26 starts while parttime teammate Ronnie Bucknam won 2 of the 8 races Penske fielded a car for him.

Jones, the coowner of Al Unsers' Indycar, had turned the Riverside TransAm race into a 'Mad Max' affair that Donohue would dub "Real knifefight racing." The slamdance culminated with Jones stopping his damaged car off the track and waiting for Donohue to return the next lap, then speeding directly into him. The remains of Jones car limped to the pits. But Donohue had built his car to survive such a turn of events and continued on to win once again. As Debra Harry would sing, 'The hardest part. . .is the man of steel behind the steering wheel.' Revson was rewarded with a TransAm ride the following year as Donohues' teammate.

So it must have felt good to be wheeling the new McLaren M16 Indycar out on the speedway to run practice laps 6mph above the previous lap record, then to head for a TransAm race where Jones would start alongside him but wouldn't speak to him two years after the incident. Jones' partner Vel Militich approached Donohue to ask if the rumored practice speeds were in fact true, leaving Donohue to watch with amusement as Militich ran to Jones with the bad news.

Donohue would stumble a bit in qualifying and watch the pole position go to Revson, who proceeded to use his soapbox to gripe about Donohue winning rookie of the year in 1969 instead of himself, that the TransAm equipment with Penske was "Junk" because it was setup to suit Donohues' aggressive brake early then power into the turn style, that Donohue just had that 'Unfair Advantage' of knowing how to fix his cars but couldn't drive and life was just unfair like that. But it was Donohue who dominated the first third of the race, setting the lap record of the time on lap 66 only to have the transmission break in car number 66 as he did so. The Penske team had known other teams were using bigger, stronger gears as the horsepower had increased that year, but hadn't gotten around to trying it out. Revson had saved his stumbling for the race; unable to use his clearly superior car to keep pace with Al Unsers' out of date car, which won for Parnelli Jones as Donohue looked on.

Returning in 1972, the McLarens were struggling to keep pace with the new Dan Gurney Eagle, with Donohue struggling to keep his car on the track after 7 engine failures. The day before the race the team was down to their last spare, a down on power unit that had been previously pulled from a car, with no time to have a replacement shipped from the factory. There was a team (Oh, guess who) that was ready to sell them an unused engine at nearly twice the price of a new one. For Penske the decision went all the way back to what he had said 13 years earlier when the pair first met. He was running a first class operation, he could afford the engine, so it was going in his car double the price or no.

Donohue would choose a slightly smaller turbocharger than the rest of the field was using but still qualify 3rd. When the race started, he fell back steadily as the difference in power was enough to carry half the cars past him in the early laps. Yet as the race progressed, his pace picked up, even breaking his lap record from the previous year with the fastest lap of the race with that smaller turbocharger. Faster even than Bobby Unsers' pole winning Eagle was able to go in the 30 laps he completed before his distributor shaft broke. As with Donohue the previous year, not all the vulnerable parts had been beefed up to match the higher horsepower which had again increased for that year. By this time Unsers' teammate Jerry Grant had emerged in 2nd place as Donohues' teammate Gary Bettenhausen seemed to be running off with the day. Penske wanted nothing more from Donohue than for him to protect 3rd. But then Bettenhausens' engine also failed under the strain. It now befell Donohue to carry Penskes' hopes and catch Grant. But Dan Gurneys' cars had been the two fastest leading into the race, Grant and Unser both had an even larger turbocharger than any other car was using that day. That made their engines more powerful by forcing more fuel into each cylinder. Yet the others with their smaller turbochargers were fearing for their fuel mileage, they were allowed only so much to go the distance on. How was Gurney planning to finish the race with his cars using so much fuel?

Donohue was closing the gap, but it might not have been quickly enough, he was running out of time. Meanwhile there was the feeling that Grant might have been sandbagging. Saving fuel? Once Donohue had been able to catch him, would Grant have merely opened his throttle all the way? How could Grants' car hope to finish? Did Gurney have some sleight of hand to play?

Suddenly, with 13 laps to go, Grant was making an unexpected stop. The Gurney crew was off to work quickly with a tire change, even though Grant was in the WRONG pit, that of his teammate Bobby Unser. Grant emerged from his pitstop at full speed, passing Donohue to unlap himself and running as though he thought he could make up the 2 1/2 miles he trailed at the rate of a thousand feet a lap. Perhaps he was hoping for a yellow flag to bunch the field together for a final dash. How could he have the fuel to run this way?

But Gurney as already screaming to the officials that Grant had been a whole lap ahead of Donohue and was in fact still leading the race. That argument would continue into the evening, but another was brewing. The crew chief for Mario Andretti was asking the officials if Andretti could come in for a 'Splash and Go' from teammate Joe Leonards' fuel, as Andrettis' supply had been exhausted. When the officials said no, he asked why Grant had been allowed to. Indeed, the television coverage showed that as Grant was receiving a tire change in the wrong pit stall, the fuel line from Unsers' tank was subtly plugged into his car long enough for him to receive the fuel he would need to run the final 13 laps. Though Gurney would never admit it, they had run the car to the moment the oversize turbocharger had used up all the allotted fuel, then used the ruse of a tire change to sneak more in. By the time Andretti ran out to lose 4th place with 4 laps to go he had already surpassed the Gurney teams' final official lap. Grant was bearing down quickly on the safely cruising Donohue for nothing. Gurneys' trickery to get around the rules had FAILED.

As was usually the case, it was good judgement that won the race for Mark Donohue. Roger Penske would remark that after all that Donohue had done to make his racing team a success he was owed whatever Penske could do to make sure he had the right car ready for the race. The winners share was certainly more than the cost of that engine. And after all those engine failures, Donohue favored an engine that would last over horsepower. All those others who made it through practice without a problem had it catch up to them in the race. That would be his Unfair Advantage on this day.

And it was so amazing to me as a kid to see him climb out of the car in the winners circle and seem. . . HUMBLED! The man who won more than a third of his starts as a professional race driver looked like he was crying. His Mother attended most of his races and found her way over to join him. (I wonder what it's like having a mom that's on your side.) I felt like I was seeing what success is all about.

It was about that time, when I was still in grade school, that I got to go to Riverside International Raceway for the first time. Dad was a bigshot, they called him 'Scoring Marshall' for races like the California 500 and the Long Beach Grand Prix. He never asked if I wanted to go, I'm sure he never considered it would be necessary. One Saturday he woke me up early and I knew what that was going to mean. We were out of there before the sun came up, before Mom knew. The only way we were getting out of there without a fight. I can picture how she stewed all day to the point where she was resigned by the time I got home, the next day there was annoyance but no argument when we left. There were hundreds of days at the track to come before I even finished college.

And I remembered all these things as I read 'The Unfair Advantage' for the first time, with graduation on the horizon. My Father was an engineer: I'd say even if the cartoon character he resembled was more like Fred Flintstone he still thought much like Mark Donohue, as he would say things like "Most good judgement comes from bad experience." From the two of them I had the picture of the way to succeed at things as I went off to work in television. In a field where so many are trying to trick you out of your paycheck I never let anyone work on my set without being paid. Whenever I encountered yet another person determined to run scams or outright steal things for their silly little production I'd refuse to even start shooting until the money to finish it in an HONEST manner was in place. I just feel the reason I never did anything else for a living is because, like my Father, and Penske/Donohue, I'd always seek to do it first class. I remember the one old boss who fought with pretty well everyone except me, because I just wouldn't. He would say "The only reason you're working so much is you're always running around getting along with people." Well, as Mark Donohue was seeing in these situations, that's not always enough.

So I remember working camera at an Angels game in Anaheim Stadium. I got the shot when the foul ball went up into the stands and this old man showed he could still handle the hot ones, bringing it down bare handed and handing it to what I guess was his grandson. The kid put it in his lap and put his hands on the sides of his head and just SCREAMED, it was so exciting. I really think I know how he felt.

There was this race at Riverside, with me up in timing and scoring. I wasn't much older than that kid, so they could send me to the pits with paperwork and I'd run the whole way. Going through the garages a door suddenly opened and the Penske team started pushing out the Porsche 917/30, which had won the last 5 races in the CanAm series. THAT brought me to a halt. But it got better. I hear them calling "Mark! MARK!" Suddenly it was like that line in 'Day of the Jackal,' I turned around and it was as though Zeus had come down from Mount Olympus! You gotta just know he'd be used to kids staring at him bugeyed and open mouthed, he just smiled in that way that won him the nickname 'Captain Nice.' And. . .OH MY GOD! HE SHOOK MY HAND. . . !

Getting You up To Speed For the Indy 500

2011-05-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

By Doug Vehle
Special For the Daily Bosco

Last July it felt like that scene from 'Casablanca,' as I said: "I am shocked, SHOCKED to learn of Dallara continuing to be the spec (Specification) chassis for the Indianapolis 500." While I'd held out some hope that the Italian company would lose to our local Swift Engineering and that these innovative cars they had designed would be built in South Orange County, it came as no surprise that revolutionary lost out to evolutionary, especially since the not quite next generation car chosen will be built in a new facility in Indiana, near the home of the Indianapolis Racing Leaque that sanctions Indycar racing. What would have been a surprise would be if they'd given me what I REALLY wanted: A return to the days of 'May the best design win,' or at times the best even losing to the not so good, as the crowd cheers wildly for the underdog.

Because that is the real excitement of racing, man vs. man in the form of man with plenty of everything vs. man trying to make up the gap between reality and expectation in the battle of machine vs. machine. The turbine may have been the fastest car at Indy for several years in the late 1960's, but it would never win. It sure did make it exciting. Just as it was exciting to see a 1971 race in Pocono Pennsylvania with the top 5 finishers in 5 dramatically different cars. 4th place was taken by a conventional engined descendant of the turbine that broke 9 laps from winning the 1968 race. A 6 year old design from Orange County that won one quarter of the races that year was not represented in that finish.

And that early 1970's era was my choice for the most exciting time in Indy racing, culminating in some 40 chassis' of at least 8 new designs arriving for the 1972 Indy 500, though 13 of the 33 starting spots would be snatched by 9 types of old technology, each highly modified of course, as some of the new cars just didn't work out. Some of those old cars required some last minute modernization right at qualifying time. Still a stunning development, the old cars had always continued to be recycled and sometimes win the race literally up until that year. In fact, the dominant new design the year before that prompted the revolution had settled for 2nd place in the '71 500 as Al Unser Sr. drove his "Didn't have a chance" previous years winner to back to back victories in '70-71 when McLaren driver and Revlon heir Peter Revson fumbled away the top spot.

But the 9 hybrid concepts of old/new were never a factor in the '72 race. And again, the dominant new Dan Gurney Eagle chassis from Santa Ana let victory slip away, as the updated McLaren finally had its' day. The Eagle won 4 of the 10 races that year, the new Parnelli design won 3, the new McLaren won only at Indy while year old McLarens' won twice.

For the following decade, it would be normal to see 10 or more designs make up the starting lineup, with the individual cars often customized by teams to further separate them. But by 1982 more than half the field would be running the March Engineering car, with the popular alternative being to run an older Penske car until that team also had some of the 27 March cars in the 1985 500. The era of the dominant chassis had arrived.

Lola, Reynard, GForce, there would be various makers who would take turns putting most of the cars in the race and usually come out on top, but in 1998 Eddie Cheever gave Dallara their first Indy 500 win, by then there was only 2 makes in the race. In 2005 Danica Patrick made her rookie run in the endangered Panoz design that had managed to win the race just the year before. Patrick would be the final driver to lead the race in something other than a Dallara, finishing 4th with her teammate Vitor Meira in 2nd, the last strong showing by a non Dallara as well as the last time there would be more than one engine represented in the race. In 2007 3 of the old Panoz chassis started in the last 2 rows in their final appearance, bringing an end to the time of design and innovation at Indy. It's been quite a while since the Dallara itself looked any different, that will change in 2012, at least a little. There's been talk of allowing teams to create "Aero packages" that would vary the look slightly, but that has been posponed. So far there has been a few companies offering to sell these packages to as many customers as possible, which would lead to teams all gravitating to the best available package.

There's always moments when people hold out hope. When the rival Champ Car World Series adopted a newer Panoz as a spec car in 2007, fingers were crossed for a rumored merger to reunify the two racing series and a head to head matchup between the 2 designs. Instead in 2008 the Champ Car teams were handed the old Dallaras from the Indycar teams who were then given new Dallaras to race, and Indy racing remained one car/one idea. This seemed to make that official. Even the return to Indy racing of Lotus, who won in 1965 with Jimmy Clark and in 1967 with A.J. Foyt calling his rebodied Lotus a "Coyote," is with the traditional green and yellow Lotus colors on a Dallara.

Swift Engineering, who offered not just one but 3 variations on their entry for the competition, currently builds cars for other spec racing series, more one and one only racing. They were showing off their prototype for a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) at the Long Beach SAMPE (Society for the Advancement of Material Engineering) show in Long Beach days before the Indy 500, a departure from their normal focus on their racing technology. Dan Gurney has departed racing to build UAV's, so there are no more Eagles.

These days building a racing car takes some serious engineering, which takes serious money, leaving the company to want to sell ALL the cars running in a series. How I long for stories of the guy who needed a ride, so his neighbor built a car in his garage for the 1983 race. Or Clint Brawner, poised on the edge of eternity, tearing apart a wrecked Brabham Indycar in late 1964 to learn what he could about how a rear engine racecar was constructed, as the front engine roadsters he was accustomed to working with were fading into history. Brawner Hawks would carry Mario Andretti to rookie of the year at Indy in 1965 as well as 3 Indycar titles in the 5 years he drove them, capped with an Indy 500 victory in 1969.

So it's a shame that the powers that be at Indy have continued to go back on their word to broaden the scope of technology in the Indianapolis 500. This time, again, there was some discussion of just letting the designers race for it, maybe allow all the entered designs to compete. There's even talk of opening up to an additional engine manufacturer. But for now, the only difference is in the paint job. Thank God for sponsorship. Although that's fading away, also.

Of Go Carts, Ten Speeds and Time Machines

2011-05-24T14:10:00.001-07:00

By Allen Bacon, Editor, The Daily Bosco

I want to be able to time travel. Like for instance the other night when I got food poisoning. I want the ability to go back in time and go to another restaurant to eat. I know it would screw with the whole time-space continuum thing...but at least I wouldn't have got sick.

The other day I stopped by this indoor go cart track. I've passed this place everyday for the past five years and I'm not sure what made me do it but I went in, paid my money, put on the fire suit and helmet and took my place among the other nine kids (actually people my age who were acting like kids). This one guy in his fifties was even talking like a kid..."Dude, these cars go over 40 miles an hour...it's so rad!" Well maybe it was a combo of a kid from now and from the 80's...he had his jargon mixed up.

As I was hurling around the track and getting routinely bumped going somewhere in the high 30 mph range and low to the ground I was transported back in time when my brother Steve, friend Tim Murray and I would go out to the go cart track or Malibu Grand Prix. I would routinely get my ass kicked and always finish in the lower half there too. Malibu Grand Prix was almost like a formula one race. It was in the Angel Stadium parking lot not too far from this place I was at. Now there's a Hooters there in it's place. I guess Hooters is fun if you like Chicken Wings and ladies half your age with big breasts in tight tee shirts and hot pants but I much prefer racing formula one cars. As a side note...Tim Murray...Steve and I still have our Hot Wheels and we've maintained them in pristine condition. So my Limited edition Chrome Boss Hoss '68 Mustang can still beat your Fleetside with the solder in it to make it faster and I'm calling you out! Bring the track and we'll settle this like men, er, like boys.

Then a while ago...I'm not sure what made me do it...because I'm basically a walker as most of you know...but I got on my ten speed mountain bike and headed off to Huntington Beach down the Santa River Trail from my home in Fullerton. For the uninformed...that is a 45 mile round trip.

I had not done this for 30 years. As I was being passed routinely by men and women in skintight riding gear that looked like they were in the Olympic road racing competition (actually there were a few that this type of clothing should never be an option) I was transported back in time and started to think about my times on a bicycle.

I had problems with asthma and bronchitis when I was a kid. One time the asthma got so bad my brother Steve who was my roommate, got up and went into the living room where my parents were watching the Smothers Brothers or Mission Impossible...Which by the way is why I can write for television now. My parents would always send us to bed before Mission Impossible came on...but I could hear all the dialogue through the walls. I can tell you line for line what those guys were saying but I have never watched the show. I also have this overwhelming need to vote for Pat Paulsen this election year...but that's another story.

More to come....Later...Please Return Won't You? Thank You

Photo Credit: Dromo1.com

Dating Game, Bachelor, and Poker after Dark

2011-05-23T04:27:00.000-07:00

By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

So I fell asleep the a few weeks back while watching an episode of Parenthood on NBC. That may or may not be a commentary on the show…but I was really tired. Anyway, I wake up in the middle of the night...NBC still going. I had slept through the local news, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, and Carson Daly. So, it’s around 2:30 in the morning and I can’t believe what I’m seeing and hearing on my TV.

On the screen are some guys around a poker table smoking cigars and playing poker and talking...kinda like my neighbor's Friday night poker game. Some guy’s talking about his former girlfriend and how he ran into her…blah, blah, blah…how she looked different now that she was older….blah blah blah…the conversation was more compelling than the actual poker game.

So this is what NBC has been reduced to? The Peacock network is now mostly talk shows, badly acted cop shows from Dick Wolf, The Office, 30 Rock, and Poker…Cool.

Then for whatever reason I was thinking about an earlier season of The Bachelor. This is probably because the current season isn't all that good or because I still can't believe what they did that season. It was the season where they had a single dad looking for a new wife. So, let me get this straight…here is a single dad who is not only looking for a wife but a mother for his kid? That’s sweet until he gets into the hot tub with 15 young women in bikinis. Kid when older: So Dad, how did you meet mom? Well, I thought she looked the best in a wet swimsuit. Kid: How about parenting skills? Well, that whole parenting thing is kind of overrated.

After seeing that, I kind of miss the original Dating Game. Well I actually miss Jim Lange, the host, but that’s another story. The Dating Game was more innocent….even with all the sexual inneuendos. Bachelor # 1, If I were an artichoke heart, what would you do to me? "I would rip the heart out and eat it for lunch?… which is probably what you're going to do after a couple dates."

Sometimes, since the person asking the questions couldn’t see the three prospective dates they would usually go with the person who “sounded” the coolest. It was funny when the person that she or he picked look like a total dweeb. The expression on their face when they came out from behind the wall was priceless.

I didn’t really care about The Dating Game so much until Karen Valentine the cute teacher on Room 222 was on the show. Then I wanted to be on the show and win the date. Bachelor # 1….If I was your teacher how would you treat me? "Get detention so I can stay after school with you…what do you want me to say Karen? Anything to get a date". None of my teachers looked like that. With the possible exception of Miss Newby in the third grade. She would always wear mini-skirts to school too...just like Karen Valentine. But she was off limits. The rumour was that she was going with the other third grade guy teacher who was single and cool. So us boys didn't have a chance. Plus there was that whole underage thing which is apparently frowned upon.

So if the date was successful you would see the couple on the Newlywed Game in a few months. If it wasn’t so good you would see them on Cheaters.

I always thought they sent the couples on the Dating Game to lame places for a date. Except I think they sent Karen Valentine and her date to Hawaii. I was so jealous. I kept on thinking all the stuff the dweeb she picked and her were doing in Hawaii together. I was a very jealous eleven year old.

So, after thinking about the three aforementioned shows, I think if you merged the three shows together you would really have something. What better way to get to know your prospective mate than by the way they play poker....in a hot tub...behind a wall...

See This Show Before It Disappears

2011-05-20T06:47:00.001-07:00

Disappeared
Monkey Wrench
Through June 7
Phyllis Nagy
Director:
Dave Barton
Fullerton, CA
Fri. 8 , Sat. 7
Sun. 2 PM
800.838.3006
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed By
Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

There is a running theme in many of Los Angeles-based playwright Phyllis Nagy's plays of people losing their identities, feeling unfulfilled and wanting to just vanish. Her characters are frequently complicated souls. But mostly highly identifiable. We know these people. We may even be one of these people. The challenge when a company performs her work is bringing these complexities and nuances of the characters to light in a palatable way.

The Monkey Wrench Collective's latest, Nagy's 1995 play Disappeared meets and exceeds all expectations. The play runs through May 22 at the Monkey Wrench Theater on Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton.

First of all Nagy's story of Sarah Casey (Jennifer Pierce) a young woman, unhappy and feeling unfulfilled with her life grips you from the very beginning. Sarah disappears after meeting and leaving a bar in the Hell's Kitchen district of New York with a suspicious character, an odd Thrift Store worker and a pathological liar named Elston (played wonderfully by Robert Dean Nunez).

Elston takes on the personalities of the people's clothes he "borrows" and brags to Sarah and the bartender Jack (Christopher Basile) that he has actually killed more than one person in his life.

This plays like a noir mystery. Did Sarah just disappear or is there something sinister about this disappearance? Is Elston the killer? Is the ex-boyfriend, the bartender, a suspect? He was after all one of the last people to see her.

But this we quickly find out is only one aspect of Nagy's tale because on a totally different level we end up exploring the lives of not only Sarah and Elston but of the bartender, the detective, the thrift shop owner, the guys who Elston impersonates while wearing their clothes, Sarah's mom Ellen and Sarah's boyfriend Anthony. And we discover something very interesting...a common thread running between all of the characters.

The layout of the MWC theater stage lends itself well to this play. We want to really see these characters more and want to be so close we can almost touch them and see every nuance of their expressions.

A simple but wonderful set design by Basile, and a pinpoint direction of the actors by Dave Barton make this play a visual work of art. Barton has also created a great soundtrack of early to mid-60's pop tunes that add to this production starting with the Turtle's "Elenore" coming from a juke box at the beginning of the show. Barton's lighting and sound design is put to good effect down to the very last scene which we will not reveal but let's just say he uses the natural sound of Harbor Blvd. where the theater is located to good effect.

One of Monkey Wrench Theater's commitments in their mission statement is to "expect theater that asks more from you than just a plesant night out." Their rendition of Disappeared does just that.

Sunday Conversation With Poncho Sanchez

2011-05-15T07:26:00.001-07:00

Poncho Sanchez
Steamers Jazz Cafe
Fullerton, CA
Tonight, May 15, 8 PM

What inspired you to go take up the congas?

Poncho: I'm the youngest of 11 kids, 6 sisters and 4 brothers. We were born in Laredo, Texas. And we moved to Los Angeles, California when I was 4 years old. And then, I don't know how, my brothers and sisters got into the Mambo and Cha Cha Cha music that they use to play in the radio. Actually, there was only one station that would play it in LA way back when. There was a disc jockey by the name of Chico Cesno. Chico use to come on every night and play "musica Cubana" or "musica Latina" with the Mambo and Cha Cha Cha, now they call it Salsa. Anyway, I use to hear that every night and hear the congas of Tito Puente, Machito, Tito Rodriguez, Orchesta Aragon. So for me those were in my heart I would also hear the traditional music from Mexico. My mother was from the north of Mexico, Vallecillo, Nuevo Leon and she would like "musica Nortena". My father was from Matalsas, Jalisco and so he liked Mariachi. So I use to hear that music too. But I really like the music my sisters would play like the Machito tunes. That was the first time I heard the sounds of the congas, the maracas and los bongos.

Question: When did you play your first percussion?

Poncho: Actually, I think I was in high school, about 10th grade. I had a friend who had a little Latin Jazz band. The first thing I played was the timbales and his father made the timbales for us, so I learned to play on them. A couple years later, my dad bought a conga and I bought another conga. I put on the records that my brothers and sisters had and I would listen to them and would then try to get the same sound. So I'm self-taught.

So did you study with anyone afterwards formally?

Poncho: Not really, I only had one lesson on the conga.

How has it been for you as a Chicano to break through the cultural barriers as a musician?

Poncho: Of course, like all Latinos, its been an uphill battle. And then for me in the early years, it was even harder because I wanted to play a conga that comes from Africa by way of Cuba and Puerto Rico and my ancestors are from Mexico. And I was raised as a Chicano or Tejano. When I finally started playing a little better, I would go to the park, Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Every Sunday they had drummers playing out there. There would be a big circle of about 30 guys playing under this big tree. And they played horrible, all 30 of them. Some would even play on trash cans. Then there was another circle that played pretty good. And then there was the best circle of them all, where the guys played real good, and they were all Cubans and Puertoricans. And of course, I would go watch them. One day I asked them if I could play, and they asked me. "Are you Cuban or Puertorican?" and I said. "No I'm Chicano", "So you can't play, Chicano's can't play Congas", they said. I was very young and I thought: "I don't know about that." So one day, one guy did let me play cause he had seen me play with one of the other guys, and he said to the others, "this guy plays pretty good". So they let me play with them after that. The same thing happened in New York City many years later when I traveled there with my band. We played at the Village Gate. Every musician I could think of was there, Manny Oquendo, Tito Puente, Patato, Caco 'cause they were checking out our band. They wanted to see if we were going to make it or not. This was serious stuff. We played and we've been back to New York many, many times.

Are there any members of your band that are from the Caribbean?

Poncho: Just Jose "Papo" Rodriguez. We was born in the Bronx and raised in Phadelphia. His mother and father are from Puerto Rico. Most of them are Chicanos. One is italiano, Sal Cracchiolo. Francisco, the newest member of our band is from Sonora, Mexico.

You have some members in your group that have been with you for a while.

Poncho: Ramon and Tony Banda, and Sal Cracchiolo. They have been with the band from day one, nineteen years now. Most of the guys have been in the band for about ten years.

You have such an extensive concert schedule. I was seeing in your website, this month was booked all the way through and your just about booked throughout the end of the year, how do you manage to keep up the momentum and how do you recover, how do you recharge?

Poncho: We try to rest on the days off, but usually a lot of days off are really not down days, they are travel days. We're on the road most of the time. What I like to do now is have my agency book me Thursday through Sunday out on the road and go home on Monday. That's what we've been doing for the last several months. Last week, we were in Houston. We did the Houston Jazz Festival and the Jazz Festival in Hartford, Connecticut. Next week we go to New Hampshire.

What are your upcoming projects? I saw that you are going to do something with the music of Tito Rodriguez.

Poncho: Well, I would like to. That's in the making. We want to do that because I'm a big Tito Rodriguez' fan for many, many years. And also, I would like to make a tribute to Willie Bobo. But what is going to be up next in late October is our live CD. Actually, we did the first one of live recordings in Oakland, California about a, month and a half ago, and then we did another live recording about three weeks ago at the Congo Room. We used both recordings and hand picked what we wanted.

Do you already have a name picked out for it?

Poncho: I think they wanted to call it The Latin Soul of Poncho Sanchez. We're just kicking that all around right now. We are working on a cover and the final mix right now.

If you were to pass on a message to the youth today, what would be that message, especially to those who are venturing out into their music career?

Poncho: To the young musicians, I would say first of all, be very serious about your music, study and practice, a lot of practice. I practiced every day for many, many years. We all did, and still do. I play so much now I don't practice as much as I did. Now days, young musicians are very lucky. They have many more things than what we had. There were no videos of Latin music. I was lucky I got those albums from my sisters. My sisters had a hard time finding those albums in the area I grew up in. Los Angeles. Nowadays, the young kids have so many things available to them. So I would say, take advantage of all the play along CD's where they have the actual jazz recording without your instrument so you can play that part and then you have your music in front of you. So there you are, it's all right in front of you. There are a lot of videotapes now on How to Play Congas. As a matter of fact, Fm working on an instructional video right now. Stay focused on what you feel in your heart and what you want to do in life. Because there are so many different avenues and different roads that can come and change your mind. And there are a lot of bad things that can change your mind too, there are a lot of drugs out there, we all know that, there is violence. For a young child, focus in on a goal, so you won't get distracted.

What has been your inspiration to keep you focused and inspired to create music?

Poncho: I have to, first of all, give thanks to my mother and father, and to my background, my roots. They were great parents that I had. They sang in a choir church. In fact, they were not super musically inclined, but I owe a lot to my parents and my brothers and sisters. I grew up in a house where they played music every day and danced to the Mambo and Cha Cha Cha, so I learned a lot from them. The other thing I would say is I have a fire burning in my heart to play this music. I've worked for a long time to get to where I'm at, and I think just the love and the respect for the music is what has kept me going. Then there are always people, like my music director, David Torres, who comes up with ideas for new tunes. Dave will call me and say: "Remember this old number, let s do it like this or like that." And I'll get excited about another tune we can do. So those kinds of things inspire you and keep you going. You'll see right now when we play, we feed off each other, it's a unit, we work together. I mean, I direct a lot of the traffic, but we all listen to each other, and play off of each other.

By Jose Reyes and Iris Castanon-Reyes

Mr. Reyes and Ms. Reyes are both journalists and photographers, and are the Denver Editors for justSalsa.com

"We Will Never Ever Forget" Our Heroes

2011-05-02T04:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, with the news of the death of Al Qaueda leader Osama Bin Laden, the first thing many of us were probably thinking about was the tremendous cost of human life, suffering and sacrifices made by our brave men and women in the armed services and their families. Many were our neighbors and friends.

The day seemed like it may never get here. It felt like sometimes we were chasing a ghost and maybe we might give up the chase. But in the end we, as Americans, did not forget and we will never forget that horrible day on September 11, 2001 and all the horrible things that happened before and since at the hands and plans of that man.

In my home city of Fullerton, we had five men that either lived, were born or came from the National Guard Station in our town that paid the ultimate sacrifice in this war and were instrumental in arriving at this day.

Today, we thought it would be an appropriate thing to remember them again. They are our hometown heroes afterall and we will never, ever forget their service. Thank you. - Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Army Sgt. Shin W. Kim
Died June 28, 2007 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of Fullerton, Calif.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 28 of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked in Balad by insurgents using improvised explosive devices. Also killed were Sgt. Michael J. Martinez, Sgt. Giann C. Joya Mendoza, Spc. Dustin L. Workman II and Pfc. Cory F. Hiltz.

Shin Kim's Story: During two weeks of home leave from Iraq in February, Army Sgt. Shinwoo Kim surrounded himself with friends and relatives, binged on junk food and traveled to Las Vegas.

The combat medic from Fullerton, however, couldn’t leave Iraq completely behind. Before returning to the battlefield, he visited a memorial to Iraq’s dead on a Santa Monica beach and left the name of a fallen friend on one cross in the precise rows of crosses.

“It was like something he just had to do,” said his girlfriend Tammy Cho.

Shinwoo, 23, was among five soldiers killed in a June 28 Baghdad attack. Last weekend, it was his family’s turn to pay tribute to him at the memorial, known as Arlington West.

“We know he’s gone. But I guess we haven’t fully accepted it,” said his sister Shinae, 27. “My mom and dad are having a difficult time coping. We all are. Shinwoo was the baby. My mom never stopped calling him her baby.”

The family keeps a shrine with his picture and combat awards in their living room, and a certificate granting the South Korean native posthumous U.S. citizenship.

Kim’s parents, Yoo Buk and Kum Ok Kim, emigrated from South Korea with their three children 20 years ago. They said they didn’t want their son to enlist in the Army.

But he was moved to enlist by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“He kept newspaper stories about the attacks and terrorism,” his brother Josh, 31, said. “We didn’t want him to join, but after he did we all supported him.”

Kum King, with Josh translating, said if she spoke better English she would have demanded the recruiter tear up her son’s enlistment contract.

He volunteered to be a medic because he wanted to help people, not hurt them, Cho said.

Kim served in South Korea for a year before deploying to Iraq. He came home on leave in 2006 and thought he was to be permanently assigned to Fort Carson, Colo. He was ordered back to Iraq soon after.

Josh Kim said his brother did not die immediately from the attack. A doctor in Iraq held a telephone to Kim’s ear as his family bid the unconscious soldier goodbye from their Fullerton home.

Army Sgt. Eric M. Holke
Died July 15, 2007 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

31, of Crestline, Calif.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry, California Army National Guard, Fullerton, Calif.; died July 15 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained from a non-combat-related incident. His death is under investigation.

Eric's Story: Sgt. Eric Holke, hungry for life experience, performed at Renaissance fairs, spent two years in the California wilderness and served with the Army and National Guard.

Holke, 31, was on his second tour in Iraq, serving with the California Army National Guard, when he died in a non-combat incident in Tallil. Family said he died when the Humvee he was in swerved and flipped when it tried to avoid hitting an Iraqi.

“It’s very sad that he’s gone,” his sister Erin Holke said. “I wish he was still alive and coming back to his huge family and all the things he loved to do.”

This included anything in the outdoors, such as hiking, skiing and snowboarding. He joined the California Conservation Corps after graduating from high school and spent two years in the woods of Northern California.

After returning from the wilderness, Holke became active in the Renaissance fair circuit. At the fairs, he demonstrated how the German military lived in the 1400s through 1600s.

“It was a lot of fun seeing him get into the character,” said Tom Wilson, a fair producer. “You could talk to him for an hour and he would still have the accent.”

Holke, who died just a few weeks after his deployment, left behind a new wife and son, parents, a sister and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

He met and married his wife Cassidhe after returning from Afghanistan and Iraq as a soldier with the 82nd Airborne.

He had been honorably discharged from the Army in 2005 and was studying business and film at San Bernardino Valley College when the two met. He also had recently joined the California National Guard.

Holke and his wife also lived with her 16-year-old son, Steven. He was called to serve and in March left for Camp Shelby, Miss. He was deployed to Iraq in June.

At his funeral service July 22, the military presented his family five medals, including the Bronze Star.

Army Pfc. Shane M. Stinson
Died June 23, 2007 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of Fullerton, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died June 23 in Balad, Iraq of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire in Baghdad. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Michael D. Moody Jr. and Sgt. Chris Davis.

Shane's Story: Shane Stinson got to do a lot on his first leave home from Iraq.

For two weeks last month, he celebrated his 23rd birthday with his family in Orange County, went to the beach and took in three games with his favorite baseball team, the Angels.

But he wanted to get back to work.

“He was happy to be home, but he said he missed his buddies in Iraq and he was ready to go back and serve,” said his brother, Rhyan Stinson. “Coming home, several people stopped him to shake his hand and thank him for his service. That made him very proud.”

Stinson, an Army private, was killed June 23 when attackers fired on his unit in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division, based in Fort Benning, Ga.

“My brother believed in what he was doing over there and he wanted to better his life,” Rhyan Stinson said. “It hurts that he doesn’t get a chance anymore.”

Stinson told his brother he eventually wanted to attend business school and open a sporting-goods shop.

Stinson was born in Artesia but attended Troy High School in Fullerton. He earned his general-equivalency diploma in 2001.

He worked for three years at Toys “R” Us before deciding to enlist.

“We were all concerned for him, but he’s the kind of guy you don’t talk out of it,” said a friend, Justin Matthews.

In addition to his brother, Stinson is survived by his mother, Evelyn, and his stepfather, Joseph Hackerd.

Army Spc. Marcelino R. Corniel
Died December 31, 2005 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

23, of La Puente, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, Fullerton, Calif.; killed Dec. 31 when an enemy mortar attack occurred in the vicinity of his observation post in Baghdad.

Marcelino's Story: An Army National Guard member killed in Iraq was posthumously promoted to sergeant and will be awarded a Purple Heart, officials said Friday.

Marcelino R. Corniel, 23, of La Puente, was killed New Year’s Eve during a mortar attack in Baghdad. He had just five days left to serve in Iraq. He was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, based in Fullerton in Orange County.

Corniel had served in Iraq as a Marine and joined the National Guard in June. He volunteered to go to Iraq, said Maj. Jon Siepmann of the California National Guard.

The Purple Heart is awarded to soldiers who are wounded by the enemy and can be presented posthumously to those killed in action.

Corniel also will posthumously be awarded the Bronze Star, national Defense Ribbon and Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

Army Spc. Mike T. Sonoda Jr.
Died September 22, 2005 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom

34, of Fallbrook, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, Fullerton, Calif.; died Sept. 22 of injuries sustained Sept. 21 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M113 Armored Personnel Carrier in Baghdad.

Mike's Story: Mike Sonoda Jr., a specialist with the California Army National Guard, was killed in Iraq last month when a homemade bomb blew up near his armored personnel carrier.

Sonoda, 34, died Sept. 22 of injuries suffered a day earlier in the Baghdad explosion. He was the only soldier killed.

Sonoda had been living in Fallbrook in San Diego County before he was deployed to Iraq in January with the guard’s 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment.

Sonoda often was the first to volunteer for patrols, said Maj. Daniel Markert, one of his commanders.

“He was the kind of guy the younger soldiers would look up to and the older sergeants could rely on,” Markert said. “He was a real spirit of the platoon.”

He relaxed by reading science fiction and history.

“He could read a 300-page book in a day, and he would always come back for more,” Markert said.

Sonoda was “very caring and generous, inquisitive and dedicated,” said his sister, Irene.

“He was my big brother and my hero. Our entire family is so proud of his service,” she said in a statement.

Sonoda joined the Army in 1995 and served about two years as a parachute rigger with the 325th Airborne in Italy.

He joined the National Guard two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and served in Kuwait until March 2002.

He was due to return to the United States early next year.

In addition to his sister, Sonoda is survived by his parents, Mike Sr. and Emiko.

Of Gulley Washers, Fulla Bulla and Other Slurpees

2011-04-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

By Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

It was a warm day in Southern California yesterday and I found myself in the neighborhood Seven Eleven to escape the heat. Because as everybody knows Seven Elevens have the best air conditioning systems. There was a group of about five kids by the Slurpee machines making 44 ounce suicide slurpees...you know where you combine all five flavors together. Sometimes it can taste pretty nasty. Crystal Lite Cherry doesn't usually combine with Powerade very well.

I flashed back to a simpler time in SoCal and my Slurpee runs. You see at one time in the late 60's and early 70's Slurpees were the rage. This is when Bob Stanford and the Stanford Agency advertising company created the most creative marketing campaign for Seven-Eleven and the Slurpee. Legend has it that Bob was sitting around in a brainstorming session and noticed that as he was sucking the Slurpee through his straw it made a slurping noise...he added two e's and well the rest is history.

Slurpees used to have great names like the Gulley Washer, Fulla Bulla, Red Eye, Kiss Me You Fool, and Fire Water. Can't tell you what they tasted like but I remember those names. And of course you could always get a Coca-Cola Slurpee. And they would have these great banners on the outside of the Seven Eleven announcing the new Slurpee flavors as they arrived. My favorite radio station KEZY 1190 would have cool radio spots for the new frozen concoctions. Slurpees would also come in these cool psychedelic cups too capitilizing on the LSD craze of the time. Later on when I was twelve they came in cups with my favorite DC and Marvel comic book characters on the outside.

When I was eight going to Seven Eleven was a treat. I only got to go when my cool friends the Matthews were going downtown. I lived closer to a Tick Tock market that carried Icee. Icees were ok but they weren't as cool as Slurpees. Icees came in cups with a polar bear with a sweater and they only came in coke and cherry. No creative names. Sort of like Slurpees today. I can get a Coke slurpee, a Powerade slurpee, a Crystal Lite Slurpee or a Cherry Coke Slurpee but not a Gulley Washer or a Fulla Bulla. As a side note, the Icee was originally made by the same company as the Slurpee...just marketed differently.

If Seven Eleven wants to do something interesting they should bring back the classic slurpees in the old psychedelic cups. I would definitely be interested in that. In the meantime if it is as hot as it was yesterday... I'm making a Slurpee run today.

How The Boys of Spring Became Men

2011-03-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: Since baseball season is in full swing in my hometown of Fullerton, I thought it would be appropriate to remember one of the greatest Fullerton High baseball teams ever. And it's not just for what they did on the field. They will always be our heroes.

By Allen Bacon, Editor, The Daily Bosco

In Fullerton, California baseball is king. But in 1942 with war breaking out in Europe and our democracy being challenged, even baseball took a back seat in Fullerton to the war.

Almost forgotten that year in the events of the day, was the fact that Fullerton High School was busy working on another baseball championship and on the field was probably the best team ever assembled in Fullerton baseball history. That says a lot for a town that has produced the likes of hall of famers Walter Johnson, Arky Vaughan, Gary Carter, Willard Herhberger and a guy that should be in the hall of fame...Del Crandall.

During the backdrop of the war, the boys of Fullerton rolled on to a League championship and then were taking out opponents right and left in the post season. Anchored by a tall, lanky righthander Vaughan Jones and his battery mate Kenny Sullivan the team was virtually unstoppable. Except this story takes an unexpected turn.

In 1942 two things were happening. Number one, most of the interest was going toward the war effort and not on high school sports. In the CIF (California Intersholastic Federation) that year it was not like today with multiple divisions based on high school size, etc. There was only a major winner which was San Diego that year and a minor winner which was Fullerton. Fullerton was supposed to play San Diego that year to determine on the field which was the better team. That game never happened.

That's because all of the Fullerton High Senior boys and the popular coach of Fullerton High all went down before the season ended and enlisted in the military to serve their country. Most of those boys were in the battlefields by Summer. Most of the boys never got back home. Vaughan Jones the righthander was one of the 1942 Championship team that was killed in action that year.

Ken Sullivan, story was somewhat of a tragedy too. When you consider the fact that he was ticketed for the major leagues and could have added his name to the Hall of Famers from Fullerton. Ken took shrapnel to his leg and could barely walk. His baseball career was over. He was decorated for his service in World War II. He was a war hero.

Ken would go on to mentor the great Del Crandall as a catcher.

I met Ken eight years ago while I was organizing the annual Fullerton High School Baseball Alumni Game and Reunion. He was not bitter about his life. He couldn't be...he had a great family, great friends, a wonderful career, but one thing he told me was not setting well with him all these years. The CIF never recognized the 1942 team as CIF champions. The official winner that year for baseball was San Diego. I and some others tried to get the school to at least have a banner up with the other CIF Champions for the 1942 baseball team. They wouldn't do it.

Ken a few years ago. It's strange how life is sometimes. I had started a community newspaper in Fullerton and one of the first stories I wanted to do was on Ken and the 1942 FUHS baseball team. I was going to make a phone call to interview Ken but before I made that call I decided to do some preliminary background research on the team and the year 1942. That's when I ran across Ken's obituary.

A good friend of Ken's, Tom Gregory, picked up the ball and ran with the CIF recoginition. Fortunately, with Tom's hard work CIF reversed their ruling and officially made Fullerton High 1942 baseball team CIF champions.

But because many of them made the ultimate sacrifice and were great men, they will always be our champions.

Iditarod: Team Baker Brings Championship Back To An Alaskan Village For First Time Since 1976

2011-03-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

Editors Note: Our friend John Baker from Kotzebue, Alaska won the Iditarod Classic in record time on Tues. March 15 to become the first Alaskan native since 1976 to win the race. Congratulations to John, his wonderful team of dogs, his family, and the towns people of Kotzebue who have waited a long time for this moment. Two accounts below from first Yereth Rosen and then one last story from a guy that has been our eyes and ears throughout the entire race this week, Bruce Lee from Iditarod.com . .

Nome, Alaska - John Baker won the storied Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in record time on Tuesday while becoming the first Alaska Native champion since 1976.

He shattered the course record by three hours, finishing the 1,100-mile race in eight days, 19 hours and 46 minutes. The previous record had been set in 2002 by four-time champion Martin Buser.

Driving a team of 10 trotting dogs, Baker sledded along snow-covered Front Street in Nome, Alaska, as he approached the finish line marked by a polished, knotted wood arch.

He was greeted by drummers and dancers from his Inupiat tribe, and a large crowd of relatives and supporters from his home town of Kotzebue, located about 180 miles north of Nome.

"Running a team like this, there's nothing better," Baker, 48, said at the finish line. "This is the way life is supposed to be."

The Iditarod commemorates a 1925 rescue mission that sent diphtheria serum to Nome by sled-dog relay.

Aside from being the first Alaska Native to win the race since 1976, Baker is the event's first Inupiat victor.

The Inupiat are the Eskimo people of Alaska's northern and northwestern coast. Their language is distinct from that of the Yupik people, who are from the more southern parts of western Alaska, and they have common traditions based on whaling and other subsistence food-gathering traditions.

Among those celebrating Baker's win was Denise Michels, the first Inupiat to be elected mayor of Nome.

"I've waited eight years to tell you this," she said, after hugging Baker. "On behalf of the city of Nome, congratulations on coming to the burled arch first."

At the finish line, where Baker received an oversized check for $50,400, keys to a new truck and flower wreaths for his lead dogs, the new champion said he did not realize he was on a record pace until the final hours of the race.

"I didn't have any thoughts about breaking the record. That dawned on me last night or early this morning," he said. "Breaking the record was certainly the icing on the cake."

Baker is a commercial pilot who flies small planes between rural villages in northwestern Alaska, an area that lacks road links. His home of Kotzebue, a mostly Inupiat town of about 3,200, lies above the Arctic Circle.

Baker is one of the few Iditarod champions who lives in a truly rural part of the state. Most top mushers reside along the road system north of Anchorage or in the Fairbanks area, with easy access to supplies, business partners and corporate sponsors.

He has been a consistent top-10 finisher over the past several years and placed as high as third in previous races.

Past Native Iditarod champions have been Athabascan Indians from interior Alaska.

The latest Iditarod competition began on March 5 with a ceremonial run in Anchorage. Sixty-two mushers and their dog teams began the race. As of early Tuesday, 11 had dropped out.

Story by Yereth Rosen

And, one more story from Bruce Lee, our eyes and ears of the Iditarod:

John Baker’s record breaking win of Iditarod 39 brings to fulfillment the dream of the individuals that started the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The goal of Joe Redington Sr., the volunteers and the mushers that successfully pulled off that first Iditarod in 1973 was to bring attention to the important role that sled dogs played in the history of the North and to rekindle the interest of sled dogs in the rural villages of Alaska, where the arrival of the snow machine was slowly causing sled dog kennels to disappear. John Baker who is from the community of Kotzebue on the shore of the Chukchi Sea personifies Redington’s dream of keeping the sled dogs in the villages.

This years Iditarod is historic on a number of levels:

1. John Bakers’ win returned the Iditarod championship to a village in rural Alaska

2. Bakers win ended the 4 year reign of Lance Mackey which is likely to stand in record books forever.

3. John’s record breaking finish of 8 days 18 hours 46 minutes and 39 seconds shatters the previous race record for the fastest time from Anchorage to Nome. This means that not only did John beat every other musher in this years Iditarod but he also beat every musher in every race from Anchorage to Nome both for the Northern and Southern routes. As a footnote, John set this record on the Southern Route which is considered a more difficult trail and a few miles longer.

4. Ramey Smyth, the musher who won second place and chased John up the coast is the son of Bud Smyth who competed in the very first Iditarod. Once again we see the fulfillment of the dream of keeping an interest in sled dogs with the passing of the torch from one generation to the next. Hopefully these two individual’s great performances will inspire young mushers throughout Alaska and the rural villages to keep the interest in sled dogs burning bright.

For his effort John Baker won $50,400 and a new Dodge pickup truck. Ramey Smyth will receive $46,300 for his second place finish.

Fans and mushers reviewing this race will wonder how did John do it? Everything you need to know about sled dog racing you learned in Kindergarten. It’s the story of the tortoise and the hare. Rick Swenson told me years ago that you don’t need a fired up, loping team to win the Iditarod. He said that a dog team that will trot at 7 to 9 miles per hour from start to finish will get you to Nome first. John’s team is a reflection of this philosophy and maintained a steady pace from Anchorage to Nome. If there is one key factor that I observed following John’s team up the trail it would be leaders. Many mushers now have fast, race leaders that can burn up the miles going down the trail. Not many have the old style gee/haw trap line type of leaders that perform in any conditions on simple voice commands. I watched John at numerous checkpoints gee and haw his dog team around obstacles, into parking spots and leave the checkpoint flawlessly. This saves mushers both time and energy in checkpoints and along the trail. John’s team to me reflected the good cross country travel type of team brought to the race by mushers like Joe May when he won the Iditarod in 1980.

But the Iditarod is not over. There are still mushers and lots of dogs moving up the trail. There’s still prize money to be won. We don’t know who will be the rookie of the year or who will be the red lantern winner. From first to last the Iditarod Insider will film the finish of each team. Keep watching and enjoy the conclusion of Iditarod 39 until the last musher reaches Nome.

Iditarod: Team Baker Leads At White Mountain

2011-03-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

Editor's note: As of 1:36 AM PST, our friend John Baker and his team of dogs from Kotzebue, AK had a 51 minute lead over Ramey Smith as the 11th day of racing approached at the 2011 Iditarod Classic. Only two stops and 77 miles remain before the exciting finish and run to Nome. Here is an eyewitness account from correspondent Bruce Lee at the White Mountain Stop at 10:30 PM AST Time on Monday Night March 14.Follow real time coverage including the exciting run to the finish by clicking on to this link iditarod.com

Both John Baker and Ramey Smyth’s teams looked outstanding when they pulled into White Mountain. John’s ate everything he offered them. Most of them jumped up to eat and a few barked for more meat snacks as he carried his snack bag around. His team obviously has a good attitude and plenty of power.

Fifty one minutes behind John is Ramey Smyth, a musher who has a history of fast finishes in this race. In fact he has won the fastest time from Safety to Nome more than any musher in Iditarod history. In short we still have a race, maybe even right down to Front street in Nome.

With a time difference that’s just short of an hour, it is possible to close this gap on the 77 mile run from here to the finish line. While John’s team looks very capable of pulling off this win, the fact is if you’re standing here in White Mountain Ramey’s team looks strong too and Ramey Smyth is a formidable opponent. He told me that he packed light weight mukluks in his food drop bags, (the equivalent of Alaskan running shoes) and he’ll run all the way to Nome to help his dogs. He also said that he is very proud of the performance his dogs gave him as he came up the coast. He traveled from Unalakleet to White Mountain at an incredibly fast pace and if you know this terrain there are significant climbs through the Blueberry Hills, up over Little McKinley and across the hills on your way to Golovin Bay. Every musher in Alaska knows and respects Ramey Smyth’s athletic capability and will power. He will always give his personal best performance and if he gets you in his sites he will run you down.

The excitement out here on the trail is contagious and everyone is talking about what a nail biter of a race this is coming down to be. Two great teams, two great mushers and 77 miles to go.