Test Driving Life

Weekend of Music and Beer

2012-02-27T07:33:00.002-08:00

Somehow, the last three days became a whirlwind tour of music and beer. Today, starting with my oatmeal with almonds, I will get back to normal.

Friday night, I met three people from a company I work with through my job at the Devil's Canyon Brewing Company's monthly public events. Music was by Billy Manzik, featuring Billy on guitar, a guy on saxophone and a lady upright bass player (always a treat). It went well with the two beers I sampled--a light champagne style and the Kaleidoscope dark.

Afterwards, we went to a Louisiana style restaurant where a third beer, along with a pound of spicy shrimp, went down much too easily.

Saturday evening I went to hear the highly talented Stadler Gibbons Band, featuring Mike Stadler, Mary Gibbons, with ace pedal steel and dobro player Jon Mitguard and incredible bassist Chuck Irvin--who makes it look easy (it's not). They played at the Urban Island Concert Series, which takes place at the loading doc behind the Urban Island used furniture store. The evening began with a surprisingly entertaining duo, The Red Shoes, comprising two young ladies that appeared to be high school seniors playing fiddle with cello, occasionally switching up for ukelele. Their stage presence and apparent total lack of stage fright was charming--and they had the chops to keep it moving with just the two of them.

The next act, Emily Bonn and the Vivants, delivered a powerful shot of old-time dance tunes, honky-tonk country, and western swing. Emily writes a lot of her own material and her powerful voice invigorates the show. Accompanied by a tap-dancing violinist, a double-bassist with the longest mustache I've seen in some time, and a stirring accordionist, Emily's guitar playing and presence made this a group worth watching--and following.

Stadler Gibbons was the headliner, and they gave the kind of performance that has kept me following them around for the last year. Mike has the fine pipes of an old folkie, as does Mary, and the musicianship is extremely high level. As a bassist, I appreciate Chuck's versatility and style, and Jon's pedal steel is out of this world.

The beer this time had to happen afterwards, since the Urban Island provided a solitary Thai food truck (the roti was tasty, but no alcohol was available). We went to the Hobnob bar nearby for a couple glasses of Arrogant Bastard Ale. Yum.

Sunday I shifted gears and listened to fine chamber music performances by the Summer Quartet (strings) and the Hillside Quintet (winds) at my local library. All nine people are members of the Castro Valley Chamber Orchestra, of which I also am a member. Afterwards, some of the musicians went to a local Mexican restaurant for beer and, it turned out, some tasty food. (I had the golfos).

Now it, Monday, and time to get back to work!

Toyota Prius V - Bigger, but Thirstier

2012-02-26T14:03:00.003-08:00

The Prius V has arrived! It provides more cargo space and practicality than the standard Prius, and is the third member of what is becoming the Prius family of cars. Besides the Plug-in Prius, a fourth model will arrive this year, the Prius C (compact, or, perhaps "cheaper"). The C will not offer significantly greater fuel economy numbers, but will be 19 inches shorter than the standard Prius and will, most importantly, have a lower entry price, bringing hybrid ownership to first-time compact car buyers.

The Prius has never been a particularly small car, but in the interests of maximum efficiency, it tapers down at the back.This gives it a coefficient of drag (cd) of just.25--excellent. The new V is more of a crossover/wagon configuration, with a more straight-back roofline and full vertical tailgate, so it rates at .29 for its cd. That, along with a weight gain of 232 pounds using the same 134 horsepower gasoline/electric powertrain, drops the fuel economy numbers. While the familiar Prius hatchback averages 50 mpg, the Prius V gets just 42. I averaged 38.8 mpg over my test week, which included a lot of freeway driving. Incidentally, the 0-60 time drops from 9.8 seconds to 10.4 with the V.

Those fuel economy numbers bring up an interesting point. One big difference between hybrids and normal cars is that the City rating for hybrids is usually higher than the Highway figure (it's 44/40 for the Prius V). So, oddly, if I had spent more time in town my average might have been a bit closer to the EPA's 42 mpg.

Toyota has made the Prius V feel a little more like a crossover SUV inside by giving it a more symmetrical and solid-looking dash panel. My Prius-owning neighbor noticed that the center console is not attached to the dash, so it feels more spacious up front. Of course the wagon-like practicality behind adds cargo space. Cargo space jumps from 21.6 cubic feet to 34.3 with the V, and with the seats folded, it can be up to 67.3 cubic feet--that's generous for a car that can get 40 mpg.

The price is a bit scary. My tester, a top-of-the-line level 5 model, was $36,692--approaching entry luxury territory. The list for the level 5 starts at $30,750, including shipping, but mine had the Advanced Technology Package, which added many things, including $5,580 to the bottom line. Prices for the Prius V level 2 start at a more affordable $27,160.

Prii for everyone! Stay tuned.

Bill Maher - A Million Laughs, then a Million Bucks

2012-02-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last night, I had the pleasure of experiencing a full hour of Bill Maher--in person. I had seen him before on TV when he'd open with a monologue and then sit down with guests to hash out the latest stories from the headlines. But live and in person works great for the 56-year-old comedian and social commentarian.

If you were brought up to be a nice boy or girl, your parents probably told you that to avoid trouble, don't bring up sex, politics or religion in the conversation. Well, Bill revels in talking about all three--sometimes at the same time.

It's natural that he'd go after the current trio of Republican presidential hopefuls, and he skewers Romney, Gingrich and Santorum with brilliant flair. In fact, it may have been the entire first half of his hour that was dedicated to tearing them apart, as only he can do it.

For religion, there's nothing like pointing out the documented weaknesses of the Catholic Church, in which the professed atheist Maher was brought up. Sex? Well, plenty of hilarious references to male and female sexual organs and things done with and to them. When he discusses old Catholic bishops' statements on a woman's reproductive rights (mixing sex, religion and politics in one topic!) he talks about "70-year-old virgins who wear dresses to work." Nice (big laugh, too).

If you're a liberal Democrat and not religious, like this crowd, Maher is your man, and he was in his element here in Silicon Valley, California. What was not expected, however, was his surprise announcement of a $1,000,000 donation to the president's political action committee. Maher first warned about not taking Obama's re-election for granted, despite what he sees as a crop of crazy men on the Republican side. Then he had two young women carry out one of those giant checks (see photo) and told of his support. He said, "I'm not a multi-millionaire, and this hurts," he said, but said he hoped that wealthy liberal Democrat donors would pitch in too, based on his example. Surely some smaller donations will be made today by those in the audience who are also worried about a Romney, Gingrich or Santorum presidency.

His CrazyStupidPolitics performance was streamed online as a debut of the Yahoo Screen Live Comedy Series, but being there in person was great fun and went all too quickly. When you're doing it live, when the show's over, it's over. No retakes.

1947 Plymouth Sighted - a Happy Moment

2012-02-21T07:01:00.003-08:00

Commuting back and forth to work 22 miles each way can become a grind. To ease the boredom, I listen to music, and that's fine. Sometimes I can use the Bluetooth connection and chat on the phone. But the real treat is to enjoy a car sighting--something special.

I've seen a late 1950's Chrysler, with its huge fins. Now and then a 40-year-old Volvo 1800s pops up, or even something like an original early 1970's Honda Civic. But when I see a car that's older than I am--it's pretty impressive.

Yesterday, on the way home, I saw that traffic was moving more slowly in the right lane. As I approached, in my futuristic silver 2012 Toyota Prius V, I saw why it was dragging. A 1947 Plymouth, serene in it's shiny tan paint and chrome bumpers, was rolling along at about 55 mph. Sweet!

The '47 was much like the '42, which was cut short for wartime production of military vehicles, so it looks especially tall and bulbous, even by the standards of the early 1950's. My scoutmaster, in the late 1960's drove a 1948 Chrysler that looked the same. What a fine beast that was--I rode in it at least once. A 20-year-old car really looked OLD back then, whereas a 1992 car on the road today wouldn't even attract attention.

I wonder what I'll see today? It'll be hard to top that Plymouth.

Hyundai Veloster - Just for Fun

2012-02-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

The Banana Car. Photo: Boundless Captures

I just spent a fun week with the new Hyundai Veloster, a compact and quirky vehicle. Showing up in "26.2 Yellow" didn't hurt--and it led to me calling the stylishly tapered ride the "banana car."

Hyundai has been producing nicer and nicer vehicles as they learn the lessons that Toyota and Honda did years ago. The materials and fit-and-finish need to be good and the value has to be there too. My little yellow car came well equipped, especially with its Style Package and Tech Package, which delivered such things as 18-inch wheels with matching yellow inserts, a panoramic sunroof, a premium audio system and various styling extras.

The best part of the car though, was its odd three-door configuration (not counting the convenient hatchback). On the right, the car has typical sedan doors--and a side pillar between them. The rear door's handle is hidden in its extreme upper right corner trim, so it's not immediately obvious. The driver's side, however, is like that on a coupe--one long door. I had fun demonstrating this to incredulous fellow parkers. And the funniest part is the window button panel on the door -- with two on the right and one on the left (see photo).

The hatch, with its quick-remove cargo cover, meant I could carry my bass and other stuff easily. Rear seating had enough legroom but headroom was quite tight thanks to the fastback design.

The Veloster, at this point, comes with one engine--Hyundai's 1.6-liter, 138-horsepower 4. Through a welcome six-speed manual transmission, it averaged an even 30.0 miles per gallon and was fun to point and shoot down the interstate. If you're looking for more dramatic performance, wait for a turbo model, but 30 mpg is nice to have, too. EPA numbers are 28 City, 40 Highway, 32 Average.

The stylists went to town on this car. Outside, its a festival of curves and lines, with interestingly scooped out areas next to the taillamps that make them larger elements. The front wears the fierce look favored by Hyundais these days. Inside, the silvery trim is applied jewelry, keeping your eye moving around the cabin. It feels substantial. The best odd element is the pair of door pull rings built into the armrests that project upward several inches.

My car's base price was just $17,300, but came to $21,300, plus shipping.

I could live long term with this car--it definitely fits my personality--especially in yellow.

Classic Cars to Help Returning Vets Reintegrate

2012-02-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

I just heard about this great idea in the newsletter of American Collectors Insurance, the company that insures my 1956 Nash Metropolitan. The Road Home is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by a group of compassionate and generous automotive enthusiasts to connect returning veterans with social, training and employment opportunities. Think of all those old cars that need help, including my own (!) and it's a fantastic idea.

The network connects returning sailors, soldiers and airmen with any shops that are ready to put them to work. Here's what they say on their website:

We believe the automotive restoration industry is uniquely qualified to help provide social, training, and employment opportunities to returning American veterans of war. These individuals have skills and a strong work ethic, and many are struggling to get back to normal after life in the service.

What a great way to help those who take care of us to integrate back into civilian life.

Spread the word.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead - Moving

2012-02-13T07:29:00.000-08:00

A lot of us realize that we are not eating the right food, and that our conditions--including fat bellies--come from those bad habits. But the world we live in here in 21st century America is filled with bad eating choices. What can you do to really make a difference?

Australian businessman Joe Cross was severely overweight, and ill for years with a condition that made him swell up with red splotches. But when he went on a fresh juice fast -- no solid food for two months--he regained his health. And not only that--he spread the word to others. What happens to Phil, a 429-pound truck driver from Iowa, is heroic and poignant.

This movement, known as Reboot Your Life, is going viral, as you can see on Facebook. There's nothing like a great example and a story you can relate to to move you along. Although I don't have the issues that Joe and Phil do, I am still above my ideal weight, and my blood pressure is a little high. My wife and I are already making changes -- and we have one of those great Breville juicers. Next - a juice fast--but not for 30 or 60 days!

I need this.

Kia Rio - Small Car, Big Step Up

2012-02-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

When you're selling in the lower end of the car market, it's easy to be dismissed as a cheap "econobox." The Kia Rio could be treated that way--but it would be a mistake. For 2012, it's not only better looking, but has the feel, inside and out, of a real car that's worth buying for its own sake--not just for the price.

Much of the goodness is its looks comes from the happy fact that Kia's design chief, Peter Schreyer, used to design Audis for a living. Everything Kia sells is getting a profound upgrade, and now, Kia's smallest vehicle in America has been hit with with the beauty brush (the opposite of an ugly stick). From the large headlight pods to the subtle scoops on the sides to the tightly integrated high taillamps,this car looks the part of a scrappy little hatchback now--or a tidy sedan, depending on which you choose.

I just spent a week driving back and forth to work and all over the place in a Signal Red Rio 5-door hatch. I got 29.6 miles per gallon in the process. It would probably have been a little higher if I had the manual transmission, but that's still quite good for a regular, non-hybrid vehicle.

Regarding the manual, it's available--but only on the LX base model, so ordering one would preclude some items I'd want, including Bluetooth, telescoping steering column and the standard audio system. The automatic worked fine with the 1.6-liter, 138-horsepower four-cylinder engine, and it wasn't too noisy in the cabin.

And what an interior you get now with this little car. While sister division Hyundai revels in swoops and curves, the little Kia is chunky and Teutonic--more like a VW Golf--and the flat, matte-finish dash is just one area where you can see the influence. The door armrests felt a little "sticky" with their soft plastic coating, but the overall sense of high quality, good design and attention to detail makes this car a whole lot nicer than the Kia Sephia I tested back in 1994.

Yes, the bass fits in there fine when you flip down the rear seats and remove the cargo cover. I had the scroll as an armrest, and it was the one time when I was glad I had an automatic.

My car, with SX model, with shipping, came to $18,545. Prices start at $14,350.

Things are going very well for the Korean manufacturers in the U.S. now, and that's because they're delivering what customers want--looks, features and price-and it's all backed up with a 10-year warranty.

The Ramona Bar -- Candy Heaven

2012-02-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was a kid, you'd open up a candy bar and it tasted wonderful. They were bigger then, and cost a nickel. I recall sitting with a Snickers of a Milky Way for a long time, nibbling away at its chocolate, nuts, and caramel.

Today, the bars are smaller, and maybe I'm just jaded, but they don't seem to taste as good.

So, when I heard about the Ramona bar, a supercharged, all-natural, top-quality version of the classic Snickers, I jumped at it.

In 2008, Double Dutch Sweets opened in Oakland, California to deliver super-quality candy. They targeted the Snickers, but used the finest chocolate, nuts and other ingredients they could find. They make the bars by hand and have a limited distribution network (although you can order then online).

Last night, my wife and I each sampled one. It was a little challenging breaking into the tightly-sealed wrapper, which, now that I think of it, was more like the form-fitted wrappers of the past and not one of today's machine-sealed plastic envelopes. The aroma of the chocolate burst forth, and with the first bite, I remembered that feeling of the perfect, intense flavor of a real candy bar.

About halfway through, I had actually had enough--they're so rich--but I carried on anyway. I'll have to be careful, because these treasures, despite weighing just 1.8 ounces, are $6 apiece. But they are worth it--for the occasional special treat.

A Day at the Antiquarian Book Fair

2012-02-05T20:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I spent an enjoyable afternoon at the San Francisco Antiquarian Book, Print and Paper Fair. Having worked my first seven years after college for two distinguished rare book businesses, it was a happy homecoming. I also had the pleasure of reminiscing and learning about the state of today's antiquarian book world with my friend and former colleague, Jennifer Larson.

Antiquarian book fairs are amazing places to visit. Booth after booth features dealers from around the world showing off their best and most interesting wares. It could be a first edition of The Great Gatsby in its original paper dust jacket or a beautiful set of Shakespeare in handsome leather binding. I saw original drawings by Dr. Seuss, a case full of tiny miniature books, the first issue of Sports Illustrated (August 16, 1954), and a signed portrait of Margaret Thatcher. How about Harry Potter in the original British editions or a 1937 Coronation Souvenir book from the UK? Everywhere I walked there was something fascinating.

I was especially impressed by an amazing two-volume set of gorgeous plates of cities and monuments. Joan Blaeu's Theatrum Italiae from 1663 was so mind boggling that it took a 10-minute explanation from Paul Michael Dowling of Liber Antiquus to fully grasp the wonder of this item. Price? $75,000. See the photo.

Rare books can cost a lot, and so much is dependent on the true and perceived rarity. Jennifer explained how just as the Internet has made almost anything available to anyone anywhere with a checkbook, it has also discouraged some collectors, who are now aware of exactly how many copies of a book are available for sale at the moment. It reduces the urgency to own an item when it seems so easily found.

Despite this ease of location, there are still many surprises to be found. Don Lindgren, of Rabelais Inc., specialists in books on food, wine and the arts, explained that he can go into a shop that claims to have nothing he'd be interested in and turn up some treasures. Not everything is catalogued online, so the hunt continues.

I was impressed by the Judaica I found at Eric Chaim Kline's booth. Kline is a longtime expert in this field, and he kindly showed me some amazing old Hebrew bibles, books on Hebrew typography, and, two special treasures from his display case. The first was a Passover Haggadah from 1946, a slim paper volume printed right after World War II. It contained some shocking and painful depictions of concentration camps and the other horrors of the day. On a happier note from that period, a 1948 colorful book presented the story of emigration to an Israeli kibbutz for children, with sweet illustrations that would have helped the kids adjust to the move.

So much to see and talk about. How about a hand-drawn cartoon and letter from a San Quentin Prison inmate from 1935? A book from Adolf Hitler's personal library, with his bookplate (no thanks). I saw a sample book with hundreds of tiny skeins of silk in a rainbow of colors ($495).

Thanks to the Bonnetts of Windgate Press for sharing that delicious sandwich. Wayne was showing some beautiful automotive prints he's developing that may become available someday.

My community, San Francisco, hosts a major book fair every year in February. Be sure to see the 2013 fair, or look up one of the many dealers in your community. If you're in the Los Angeles area, their big fair, in Pasadena, runs February 10-12, 2012. You're sure to find something wonderful.

Hyundai Accent Amazes

2012-02-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

I just spent a very happy week with the new 2012 Hyundai Accent. The Accent is the Korean manufacturer's smallest car sold in America. It competes with other entry-level cars such as the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit.

The Accent is all new for 2012, offering hatchbacks and four-door sedans in three trim levels. All wear the company's swoopy, sculpted styling that has helped make the midsize Sonata sedan such a hit. The look successfully scales down to the Elantra compact and the now the Accent.

I had the hatchback, in a sober gray worthy of a Mercedes-Benz, but the car managed to have a cuteness mixed with a confidence in its own wheelbase. Inside the car, the sweep of the dash and doors, nice fit of the panels, lack of cheapness and remarkable solidity was impressive. There was plenty of rear legroom for adults. Hyundai, and the Accent, have come a long way.

My car was an SE--the sporty model--and it had, hooray, a six-speed manual transmission. There aren't that many around any more, with even the lowliest economy ride proferring an automatic. As it is, Hyundai has chosen to offer the manual as standard and the automatic as optional in each line. That's commendable, as the Accent's cousin, the Kia Rio, offers a manual only in the base car.

My tester was not base. I enjoyed Bluetooth for my phone, Satellite Radio, air conditioning (really standard everywhere these days), power windows, locks and mirrors (also pretty ubiquitous). A leather steering wheel and shift knob gave an upscale feeling, and the design itself was just right. Compared to the Ford Fiesta, which is a little overstyled, it seemed to be a balance between youthful exuberance and the kind of environment you wouldn't mind occupying for a few hours a day without getting distracted.

The Accent uses a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter engine that moved the car along smoothly and quietly, and delivered 32 miles per gallon. That's quite good. The EPA gives it ratings of 30 City, 40 Highway (34 average) and Green Vehicle Guide numbers of 6 for Air Pollution and 8 for Greenhouse Gas (that's SmartWay-winning territory).

Prices start at just $12,545 for the GLS up to $15,895 for the SE, plus shipping. Hyundai vehicles have been attractively priced from the beginning, but they are today great cars to own and drive, even at the starting end of the market.

Devil's Canyon Brewing Company Makes Friday

2012-01-31T07:13:00.000-08:00

After a busy week, it's good to settle into some fine beer and entertainment. Well, at least once a month, and the Devil's Canyon Brewing Company provided that last Friday. I'd enjoyed their beer at a local restaurant, Jack's Prime, a while back and when someone told me about the brewery's monthly musical after-work events, I scheduled it. Suddenly, it was the last Friday of the month, so off I went.

It was quiet when I arrived, but before long, a mostly young crowd had formed. I bought my Devil's Canyon glass for 6 bucks and then filled it, for $6 a pop, with three of the brew varieties the place offers: a lager, an IPA, and the Full Boar porter. All strong but not overpowering, and, when mixed with music, conversation, and cheap tacos from a truck parked right at the entrance, it made for a good time. And a buck from each glass of beer goes to a local charity, so you can think of yourself as helping the community while you're enjoying yourself.

You need the right kind of bands, and they had two. The first group, Cryin' Shame, was a country-rock foursome, featuring an upright bass (electrified). I chatted with the bass player afterwards and found we had some musical opinions in common--always a good thing. They reminded me of Red Paint a little. The second band, Mister Loveless, was more urban and punky--with a more driving sound from a picked bass part on a McCartney-style Rickenbacker bass guitar. The lead guitarist had a matching 6-string that added some visual and aural symmetry. The driving beat gave me thoughts of turning up my amp next time I play.

I'm really looking forward to next month's event.

Acura TSX - More of What We Need

2012-01-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

Giving the Germans a run for their money.

Acura was founded by Honda in the late 1980s to be an aspirational brand for the company. Folks loved their Civics and Accords (both of which were significantly smaller and less powerful back then), but Honda wanted to expand and felt that prospective buyers would be put off by a higher-priced Honda. Despite it's head start, Acura has lagged in perception below Toyota's luxury line, Lexus, which originated just a couple of years later.

The TSX is the heart of Acura, sitting in the Entry Premium category (high $20K - mid $30K). It's not too huge nor too small. It is actually the European Honda Accord, essentially--smaller and sharper than the now lumbering Accord sold (and built) in the U.S. In Europe, this is a sizeable vehicle, although it's fairly compact by American standards.

Competitors include the German trio: Audi A4, BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. There are Japanese competitors from Lexus and Infiniti, too, and the Volvo S60 can be considered part of the group, too. The TSX recently became available as a lean and handsome Sport Wagon (tested last year), which lets it compete with cars like the Audi A4 Avant as well.

My tester came with Acura's well-regarded 201-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, but there's also a potent, 280-horsepower V6 available. The four got 25.9 mpg during its stay with me, which matches up nicely with what the EPA awards it. The six is rated at 23 mpg average--not that much worse for it's significant power gain. The V6 lets the TSX match up with the V6-powered versions of the above-mentioned cars, which is important if you want to reach that entry premium buyer.

The four-cylinder car is offered with an automatic or a manual six-speed (yes, it helps compete against the Audi and BMW), but the six comes only with the automatic.

I like nice cars that drive well and have good sound systems and are filled with electronic goodies. But the demographic for the four-cylinder model is age 28 to 34, college educated, about evenly split male/female. Two out of three's not bad, I guess. The V6 model is targeted at a somewhat older buyer, more heavily male.

The TSX has a nicely crafted feel inside, with lots of buttons all over the console, dash, doors and steering wheel making it feel a little like a jet. The exterior wears the requisite edginess that Acura is using to define itself these days--but the shovel nose has been toned down a bit. Take a look.

If you're willing to look at the whole package and keep an open mind, a TSX could be a nice alternative to the Germans you've dreamed of owning.

Video by Chris Kidwell.

Cars of the (Sustainable) Future

2012-01-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

It's a tough time in the automotive business now. Most of the companies are struggling to sell enough vehicles to make a profit, GM and Chrysler are emerging from bankruptcy, Saab is R.I P. But there's more. The manufacturers will have to meet greatly increased environmental standards.

The corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in the U.S. now require that a manufacturer's cars average 27.5 miles per gallon. However, plans by the president would move that to 54.5 mpg by 2025. That's a huge jump, but it's based on many factors, including environmental concerns and a depleting supply of oil.

Manufacturers have explored alternative vehicles for years. Hybrid vehicles, exemplified by the Toyota Prius, can achieve higher fuel economy and run more cleanly, but there are also electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf now on the market, and other options includes (clean) Diesel vehicles, offered by multiple manufacturers, plug-in hybrids, such as the Chevrolet Volt, and in an emerging technology, hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles. There are also numerous efforts to bring greater efficiency to existing gasoline vehicles, such as Mazda's SKYACTIV Technology.

It's not a time to worry about the shape of a fender or how fast it'll go. There are some certainties and some uncertainties, but one thing is clear--to meet that 54.5 CAFE standard, something major is going to have to change.

Yesterday, at the Future Cars, Future Transportation Forum, put on by the Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ), I got to drive several vehicles that will be doing their part to help in this effort. I also got to hear industry experts from several manufacturers and two writers from major automotive publications give their thoughts on what's coming. Local TV station KGO Channel 7 covered the event.

My first drive was in the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell electric vehicle. It's a compact hatchback, small but not teeny, that uses a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Fuel cells generate electricity electricity in a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen that yields only pure water vapor. It sounds like a dream come true.

But--the downsides include the need to manufacture the hydrogen (it's everywhere, but not in the form you need for the car) and the biggest issue of all--there's no infrastructure. There are 250,000 gas stations in the country but virtually no hydrogen stations. Los Angeles has a few, and that's where you can lease one of a few initial Mercedes B-Class F-Cells.

Driving the car on a short test loop showed that besides being a very sweet little people carrier (with Mercedes styling), there is absolutely no loss of performance or utility running on hydrogen. Smooth and silent, it would be a guaranteed winner, if there was a place to fuel it. And--what would it cost? That could be a problem, at least until enough were produced that economies of scale kicked in.

I also sampled Toyota's FCHV-adv, fresh fuel cell technology in a previous-generation Toyota Highlander body. Like the Mercedes-Benz, it drove very nicely and quietly. Toyota has been working on this problem for decades. This latest model has improvements to the cells, the control system, the tanks, cold-weather startup, fuel efficiency and cruising range. But there are still no hydrogen stations around.

Electric vehicles have been in the experimental stage for many years and have even been on the market for limited purposes, essentially overgrown golf carts. The Nissan Leaf represents the first viable "regular car" that you can buy. I tested one recently, but at the event, I got to sample Mitsubushi's i-MiEV, a compact hatch that looks like a future pod more than anything else on the road. The bottom line? It drove silently and smoothly, like one would expect. It has rear seats that fold down and a handy hatch, a pleasant, if simple linterior, and would serve my personal commute needs exactly. However, Like all electrics, with the possible exception of the $100,000 + Tesla Roadster, it has a range of less than 100 miles, though, and would cost nearly $30,000 before national and state rebates dropped it down closer to $20,000. Dave Patterson of Mitsubishi is enthusiastic about the future of electric cars, and told us that the company will introduce multiple electrics over the next few years, including a crossover that seats seven.

The problems with electric cars, besides range, include the time (hours) it takes to refill the tank. With improvements in battery technology and quick charging, electric cars will have to play a big part in the future automotive market to help meet the CAFE standards.

The Chevrolet Volt tries to work it both ways by giving about 35 miles of service on pure electricity before switching to a hybrid mode, in which a gasoline engine kicks in to power the electric motor. It seems like an interim solution, but the Volt I drove yesterday felt solid, and with all its colorful displays inside, it would be very entertaining for a while. If you had a 15-mile commute each way, you could end up using no gasoline at all.

What about simply improving the cars we already have? Mazda is attempting this with the SKYACTIV Technology. I drove a Mazda3 with this recently, and also took a short run at the event. Nice: a six-speed manual for sportiness. The friendly Mazda rep explained the changes in the engine and transmission, and how the technology would include many more aspects in upcoming vehicles, including the brand-new CX-5 crossover, which will be out very soon. The experts in the panels all agreed that the internal combustion gasoline engine was going to be around for a while, so improving every aspect of it, and the cars that use it, makes a lot of sense.

Diesel cars have been around for a long time. Mercedes-Benz has sold tons of them. Nowadays, Volkswagen is a major Diesel marketer in the U.S. I drove the brand-new Passat TDI, which boasts amazingly high fuel economy (43 mpg Highway) and a huge range of nearly 800 miles! The downside of Diesel is that it's still burning a fuel, and Diesel emits more particulate matter than gasoline. But as a short-term solution, especially towards hitting that 54.5 mpg average, it's a player. And the performance can be quite thrilling with its high torque.

So, what's coming? None of the expert panelists could say for sure, but they all agreed that for a technology to have an impact it would have to represent at least 15 percent of the automotive market. Today, none of these alternative vehicle types comes close. Even the ubiquitous Toyota Prius barely makes a dent.

It's going to be very interesting, and 13 years is not a long time to get this very important job done.

Kopi Luwak - Poop Coffee Tastes Good

2012-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

I had the chance today to try Kopi Luwak coffee. It's a super premium beverage in which the bean actually passes through an Asian Palm Civet (small animal, pictured). After being pooped out, the beans are scrubbed and ground and from their special passage, lose their bitterness.

It's produced in extremely limited quantities in Indonesia and the Phillipines, and can run $100 to $600 a pound, making it the most expensive coffee in the world.

It tastes much nicer than you'd think. I seem to have survived a half cup of it this afternoon. With the low bitterness, you can drink it straight with no milk or sugar and it's very smooth.

What would Juan Valdez say?

Red Paint CD Release Party Tonight - a Culmination

2012-01-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Red Paint, an Alameda, California-based four-piece rock band, takes the stage at its first ever CD Release Party. It's the culmination of everything the group has worked for since it started up in lead guitarist Shaun Reid's livingroom in October of 2006. It also features Colin Close as lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Tony Herrin on drums and me on bass. Colin writes most of our original material.

For me, it began long before 2006. Sure, I got my Fender Precision Bass Special on my birthday in 2003, but my actual first bass goes back to when I was just 18, living alone in semi-poverty in San Francisco. I had dreamed of bass playing for years, perhaps from listening to Paul McCartney's brilliant work with the Beatles and other 1960's pop music. In any case, I was strumming my guitar and trying to start a modest career as a soloist in the image of, say, Bob Dylan. It was going slowly, with open mike nights at the Coffee Gallery in San Francisco's North Beach and a few little parties and events.

In any case, I decided to take my sole item of value--my coin collection--to a pawn shop in the Tenderloin and acquire a bass. I must have read about Jazz musicians doing this, I don't know. In any case, there was a green Fender-style solid-body electric bass. I made the swap, and saw all those remarkably unworn 19th-century Indian pennies, along with my $2-1/2 gold piece, slip away forever.

I took my new possession home and plunked away on it for a while, but, without an amplifier, I wasn't much good to anyone. Sadly, not too much later, someone broke into my ground-floor apartment and stole my bass. I figured it was a message. I devoted my energies thenceforth to my college education and tried to forget about bass playing, although I did still strum and sing with my guitar over the years and spent one fun year playing bluegrass mandolin.

A 50th birthday is a milestone. I decided, in lieu of a Ferrari or an affair, to acquire the bass I always wanted. I advanced this idea to my supportive wife and she said, "Go get it!"

After some shopping around I settled on the electric bass I still play most of the time. Although I acquired two other bass guitars over the years, and have made a whole second project with the upright bass, I stand today ready to play our band's 11-song CD (all original songs) live in front of as many friends and relatives as are willing to answer an EVITE and actually show up. You can hear some of it on our Facebook page.

We recorded this music a while ago, in two different studios, but it took a while to plan the event and get the date. We are excited to offer a second set of new original songs and a few covers in our second set. For our fans, it's a chance to hear something new from the band. You really have no good excuse for not being there, unless, of course, you're reading this in Anchorage, Alaska or Peru or Poland.

I always wanted to be in a band, was drawn to bass playing since Nixon was president, and love music. What could be better than this?

Red Paint plays at High Street Station in Alameda, California on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 7 - 10 p.m.

Honda Civic Natural Gas - A Clean Alternative

2012-01-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

In 20 years of automotive testing, it's rare when you get to drive something for the first time. Well, I just did. I spent a week with the Honda Civic Natural Gas, which runs on, that's right, compressed natural gas (CNG). While Honda has offered the GX model in small quantities over the last several years, particularly to fleets, it now has "Natural Gas" emblazoned on the trunklid, with a blue CNG diamond below it, and plans to make the car more widely available.

The CNG sticker, apparently, is for emergency crews so they'll know that instead of a normal gas tank, your vehicle has an 8-gallon (equivalent) one, which is not only holding the fuel in a gaseous state at 3,600 psi but takes up most of the trunk (behind a panel).

The good news is substantial. I averaged 30.5 miles per gallon (the EPA says 31), which is very slightly lower than a normal Honda Civic. Posted EPA scores are 27 City, 38 Highway. There was no difference in driving the car from the typical pleasant Civic experience, despite a difference of 30 horsepower (110 vs. 140). And the thing runs extremely cleanly thanks to CNG's inherently more efficient combustion. The EPA numbers are 9 for Air Pollution and 8 for Greenhouse Gas compared to 6 and 7 respectively for a standard Civic.

CNG is less expensive than gasoline. I paid $2.40 and $2.50 per gallon (equivalent). Oh, and CNG comes from the USA--not on tankers from hostile nations.

The bad news? Well, with a 250-mile range and few available filling locations, you've really got to watch your fuel gauge and plan ahead. I made two fuel stops instead of one during my test week. Also, the car is more expensive than a standard Civic. List price for my car, with the Navigation system, came to $28,425, which is a lot for a compact car with cloth seats and a plastic steering wheel. It costs money to modify the Honda engine and tank to accommodate the different fuel, which is delivered at higher pressure. But those are the only downsides.

I had two "learning experiences" filling the tank. It doesn't take long, but you do need to go to places you normally don't. In my case, I visited the north and south ends of the San Francisco Airport, where two companies, Clean Energy and Trillium, offer unpretentious accommodations. You might drive right past the little row of pumps without even noticing unless you go to the websites and get the information. Both locations had attendants, and I needed both of them.

The first station, Clean Energy, had a short video training built into the pump that I had to watch before pumping. It explained the method of clamping the filler nozzle onto the slim chrome filler in my car and working the pump. Unlike a typical gasoline pump, this one not only shows gallons and cost but also percent of full. At 100 percent, you carefully remove the nozzle and you're done. See a short video by my friend Chris.

Trillium provided a different type of connection but was basically the same. They didn't require any video viewing, but I might have liked one. They had a list of steps posted on the side of the tank, but I needed the attendant to show me that I left a lever up, which is why the system didn't know I was finished.

If you don't plan on making too many long trips this car could work great for you. That's why fleets, in which the vehicles have specific routes and the company can run its own fueling stations, have been the primary clients for CNG cars. The Civic, at this point, is the only standard CNG car you can buy. My companions at the filling stations were shuttle buses and commercial trucks. Some municipal buses fleets use CNG, and I can see that it would be handy. Surely someone else could offer a CNG car, right?

Oatmeal Weather

2012-01-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

Well, where is the rain we normally get in January? Nothing--and the ski resort folks are getting antsy. In place of the moisture we're getting cold. Yesterday, it said 31 degrees on my car's digital thermometer. That's below freezing.

It's a big deal--and not much of a deal--depending on how you look at it. With heat in my house, car and office, I went about my business. I wore a sweater. The plants around my yard--none too well cared for, sadly--remain green despite my neglect. Like so many things that are beyond my control, the weather remains in the background. For now.

Rain is actually a pain in the neck from a dog-walking, groceries-from-the-car standpoint. So I think I'll enjoy the dryness while I can, until I have to stop taking showers. I'm having a big bowl of steel-cut oatmeal today--the perfect cold weather breakfast.

Gotta be Connected Online

2012-01-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

On Thursday night, my connection to the Internet went south--for no obvious reason. I decided to wait until Friday to see if the problem fixed itself--something that's not unknown with electronic gear. Well, Friday arrived and it was still disconnected, so I went to work early and produced my blog post from there.

Sunday morning, and still nothing. So--I called AT&T and they were able to reset it--and here I am.

But--the problem is--I HATE being disconnected. Surely it's one thing to be put out by not receiving the service for which I pay (substantially) monthly, but it's also a nagging sense of being in the boondocks--out of touch--and unable to communicate--that I wonder about. Because I am old enough to remember when if you weren't at home you couldn't make a phone call, and if you wanted to say something to lots of people at once, you'd have to rent a hall.

Whew. Perhaps someday this will all be up in the cloud and we'll be device independent, but what happens when there's a cloudburst? What about super sunspots? Then, it's back to square one.

Mazda3 - Doing the Job Well

2012-01-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

I was expecting the Mazda3 five-door I tested to do a fine job of hauling me and my stuff in comfort and economy, and it certainly did so. It has been on my short list of "Cars I'd Buy" for quite some time.

As a compact wagon, it's the perfect car for efficient commuting during the week and carrying lots of gear on the weekend. I carry a bass and amplifiers, so that's easy. You may have camping gear or make periodic trips to Costco. Same difference. The rear seats flip down easily (and feel very lightweight when you release the catches on them). When the seats are up you can put real people in the back. Four might be happier than five, but three slim folks in back is do-able.

With its 2.0-liter, 155-horsepower engine, the Mazda3 delivered 32.7 miles per gallon--that's against the EPA's 27 City, 38 Highway (31 Average) scores. So--I outdid the EPA this week, for a change. Mazda is touting its new "SKYACTIV" Technology, which is their way of saying they worked on many of the details of a conventional powertrain to increase efficiency. EPA Green Vehicle Guide scores of 9 for Air Pollution and 7 for Greenhouse Gas, along with those favorable mpg numbers, make this a great choice for anyone who wants to go green without spending the extra money for a hybrid.

My tester came with a six-speed manual transmission, so it felt sportier--and a little more like its MX-5 Miata cousin. An automatic is also available, and it increases the fuel economy by 1 mpg.

Other than a mediocre audio system (and no USB port or satellite radio) I was happy all week in my tester. And the price brought a smile too--just $19,745, including delivery.

2013 Ford Fusion - European Beauty Comes Stateside

2012-01-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ford has been doing everything right lately. Alan Mulally, it's visionary president and CEO since 2006, has helped the company weather the storm of the last few years while building up a new lineup of vehicles. Some of these, such as the subcompact Fiesta and compact Focus, have their origins to Europe, and add the graceful aesthetics and taut packaging that's expected there.

With the arrival of the surprisingly beautiful Fusion, Ford's lineup is now completely refreshed. Sitting in the volume middle of the product line and competing with midsize entries from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Chevy and others, it looks like another winner from the blue oval folks.

Ford introduced the Evos concept car last year with a new look--a pretty face with lean headlamps and a finely detailed grille like an Aston Martin. It signaled a new look for Ford, and the Fusion gets it. And, the car will offer gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, so it can give Prius shoppers something different to consider.

The new Fusion is due out in the second half of this year.

Creatures of Habit

2012-01-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

This morning, as I always do, I released my little Boston Terrier, Coco, into our back yard to do her business. As I watched from the top of the stairs, I witnessed the same process she does every day. She sniffs here, sniffs there, and nine times out of ten, ends up using the same two square feet to place her deposit. It made me think--is this the same way I live as a human being?

I don't mean this literally. Of course I use the same spot for my "business"--we have designated places for that--but in terms of the way I live. Do I always go to the same 5 restaurants when there are 50--or 500? Do I always put on the same radio station when there are dozens? Do I drive the same roads the same way to the same place five days a week? Even worse, do I think the same thoughts over and over?

This comes more into focus when I do something a little different. I went to two places I'd never been before on Saturday, one of which involved meeting some new people, and it was exciting. It gave the day a different mood. I've started a few new activities for my 2012 Jewish Roots Project and it's the same feeling. Yesterday, my band, Red Paint, practiced on Sunday afternoon instead of Thursday night and we seemed especially productive.

So, let's not be creatures of habit--unless it makes sense. Have something different for lunch today!

San Francisco in 1955

2012-01-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Look at that skyline!

I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1965 and in the actual city itself from 1970 to 1985. I have many impressions of that great metropolis from the years of occuping different apartments in different neighborhoods and working at various jobs, starting as a dishwasher/busboy diagonally across the corner where Moscone Center (a large conference center) stands today.

So, I was excited to discover a more than 21-minute-long full-color movie of touring the city in 1955. So much has changed, but much looks, oddly, the same. Of course the old cars are fun to see in their shiny new condition, but many of the old buildings on the streets out of central downtown are quite similar. Downtown, though--Market Street especially--is almost unrecognizable.

It's a form of time travel to enjoy these preserved images. There's actually another short film shot in San Francisco just before the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Now THAT'S really interesting. With a few tiny exceptions, my S.F. memories start in 1970, which is still a pretty long time ago.

Biking with Bluetooth

2012-01-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

While I was researching Bluetooth wireless technology at work yesterday for the eBeam Edge that my company produces, I came across the HIOD One. It's a Bluetooth device for your bicycle. So, when you're riding along with your biking buddies you can communicate with them, placing phone calls on the run, and can stream music from your ipod into the earpiece that comes with it.

I'm guessing that for some bikers, getting away from technology and working up a good sweat on a challenging trail is the goal, but if you're out with others and want to plan your strategy or not get lost, this device claims to work up to 1,300 feet away.

The control panel mounts on your handlebars, but you wear the voice unit on your arm or chest, kind of like the Jewish tefillin. See the video at their website for a good view of someone wearing one. Pricing information isn't available yet.

I hope that this won't prove to be the same distraction that using a cell phone or texting while driving has become.

Where Do the Lost Things Go?

2012-01-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

It seemed easy enough. Just take a photo and then upload it to my computer. But--what happened to the little gray USB cable? It's only sat in the same spot on my work table for the last several years. But it was nowhere to be found.

I tried looking again and still nothing. Who could/would have taken it? Did I move it for some reason? Did it fall behind something? I looked again. I even tried a borrowed cable--it didn't work.

I had this issue not long ago with my debit card. I remember the sense of disbelief that something you were just using has simply disappeared. With the card, I had to cancel the old one and get a new one--a minor inconvenience. I actually had forgotten about it until now.

A house full of clutter is a great place for an item to go AWOL. My father kept his house (and workshop) perfectly organized so he didn't have this problem. In my rebellion against his perfect order (long ago) I became only semi-organized, and now I'm paying the price.

Next stop? A computer or camera store to see if I can find a replacement cable that'll work. Then, of course, I'll turn up the old one. At that point, I'll remember the day I moved it (or something like that).

Oh well, it's not exactly a serious illness or unemployment or some other crisis. So I'm going to let it go (or try to) as I head out into my day. Now where did I put that pencil?

Acura ZDX is Certainly... Different

2012-01-04T07:23:00.000-08:00

The Acura ZDX stands out. I especially noticed this last weekend, when I parked my test car next to another ZDX. The two together (facing different directions thanks to the other driver's backing in) emphasized the car's unusual proportions and edgy shape.

The ZDX is an upscale crossover vehicle. That means it rides high like an SUV but doesn't have the boxy profile or the great headroom. With its swept back windshield and low windows, I actually bumped my head getting in one time--and was much more careful after that.

But what an interior. Sumptious leather heat/cool seats, a generous, stitched leather swatch of golden brown leather across the dash and doors, handsomely turned out metallic (looking) console and dash trim, and the kind of overt, in-your-face styling that remains interesting to the eye.

The fittings feel very firm and solid--carved from one piece--and the performance from whats under the pointed hood is impressive too. You get 300 horsepower from a 3.7-liter V6 and it's right there and ready to rock with a touch of your right foot. Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SHAWD) keeps you in place even in inclement weather.

Fuel economy is 16 City, 23 Highway--average 19. I got 17.4 mpg over a week of driving, much of it freeway. Premium fuel is specified.

You'll pay for fuel and you'll pay to buy this luxury ride. Base price is $46,020, but if you want the Advance Package, which came on my tester, expect to pay $56,520.

But with that package, you've got a high tech marvel at your fingertips. The Advance Package includes Navigation, a super premium 10-speaker audio system, and special goodies like an adjustable suspension (comfort or sport--I left it in the latter), adaptable cruise control (keep a set distance from the guy in front), and the great safety of a blind spot warning system. With the limited visibility of this hunkered-down ride, that last feature will pay for itself every day.

Crazy, Stupid, Love isn't So

2012-01-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

As usual, we watched a couple of movies on New Year's Eve at home while eating and drinking things that are not recommended for weight loss or long term health. This year, one of our two movies was Crazy, Stupid, Love. It's a comedy of midlife crisis, with a touch of My Fair Lady and some surprise twists.

Steve Carell plays Cal, who is a nice guy but totally uncool. His wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), wants a divorce, so suddenly he's out on his own, trying to pick up girls in a bar. He's hapless, but luckily, he gets some help from Jacob (played by Ryan Gosling), who seems to really have the knack. He fixes up Cal, but there's a lot more to the story--for Cal and for him.

Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), has a crush on his 17-year-old babysitter (Analeigh Tipton), just part of the crazy, stupid part of love. It's so touching though, because I remember that feeling, not only for a high school girl who looked after 12-year-old me but my life in high school that included a few of these unrequited love situations. And Ms. Tipton, who is actually 22 years old, and is quite fetching, too.

I was pretty uncool myself, but when I was divorced many years ago I might have liked to have a Jacob to show me around. I did OK. We learn more about Jacob in the movie--the other side of guys who seem to have it all together.

It's not my intention to spill the beans on this or any movie, but this one will work for anyone who can identify with poor Cal--or anyone else in the movie. A great time--and a fine choice for starting out the new year.

Accounting for 2011 - Big Growth

2012-01-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

The goal with Test Driving Life in 2011 was to post daily. I did that--and somehow, at the beginning two extra posts slipped in, so there were 367 posts last year.

Total Views for the year were 35,091, and the number grew steadily all year, from 647 in January (after practically nothing in December 2010) to 2,312 in July and up to 6,254 in December--the best month of the year.

Test Driving Life is focused on two main subjects, Cars and Music, but the third, category, Miscellaneous, actually had more items.

Cars - 106
Music - 101
Miscellaneous -158
There were two additional stories that were specifically dedicated to both cars and music. Add them all up and you get 367.

My end-of-the-year survey shows that the Miscellaneous subjects included at least 28 categories, from Art to Food to Anniversaries (birth and death), Architecture, Tattoos, Movies, Health, Sports, Travel, Social Issues, the News, and more.

The top 10 stories of the year were:

Audi A2 May Return - Hooray   9/3/11     2,292 views
Ford Pinto Turns 40 - Join the Stampede 6/5/11 1,801 views
My Worklife in a Nutshell 3/25/11 975 views
Bob Dylan is 70 Today -- Really? 5/24/11   942 views
Jack Casady - Bassman Then and Now 6/6/11 691 views
Fiat 500 Brings Cuteness into the Present 8/2/11 644 views
Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts 3/1/11 491 views
George Harrison's Cloud Nine - Post Beatle High Spot 11/10/11 459 views
Paul McCartney Meets a Girl from the Motor Trade 5/6/11 436 views
Three Beatle Weekend 10/10/11   384 views

Of the top 10, three were related to cars, including the top two, which were far ahead of the pack. Of the seven remaining, six involved musicians, of which three were related to the Beatles. Christina Perri was not the only musician from today who was featured in the blog, but is the only one to crack the top 10.

Test Driving Life continues, but may not be daily. Check regularly, though. Thanks.

Two of Us at the Hayward Farmers Market

2011-12-31T14:07:00.000-08:00

The Beatles' music lives forever, as shown by the appreciation of the farmer's market shoppers today, who put $93.70 in my music partner Frank's guitar case. As the Beatles duo, Two of Us, we ran through dozens of Fab Four favorites, including everything from Please Please Me to the concluding section of the second side of Abbey Road (by request).

The weather cooperated, with temperatures in the high 50s and no wind, so we weren't uncomfortable. Several of our local friends and fellow musicians dropped by. Gary Howe was good enough to join us on one song.

The beauty of playing in this kind of venue is that you can try out stuff and nobody minds if you screw up. We had plenty of false endings, wrong chords, shaky harmonies, and the like, but we are getting better ("all the time") and are looking forward to another outing in February and next summer.

SPECIAL NOTE:

This post completes a commitment to blog daily in 2011, and is on a theme, music, that was popular as a blog subject. Test Driving Life is about trying everything as a "test drive," but music and cars were the main stars. I'll publish a review of the year of blogging tomorrow, when all the numbers are in. I do know that December 2011 was the most popular month ever for Test Driving Life, with more than 6,000 view. It's amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it.

Thanks to everyone who reads this blog. It will continue, but may not have a daily entry, in 2012. See the Jewish Roots Project for the blog that will be my primary focus next year.

Robert Schoen Quartet: Memorable Memories

2011-12-30T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the pleasure of hearing Catherine DeCuir sing 21 beautiful songs accompanied by Robert Schoen's Jazz trio. I have known Ms. DeCuir and heard her fine voice for many years, but finally she's in the perfect setting to highlight her considerable talents.

The highly skilled band, which played a few numbers on their own to give Ms. DeCuir a break about 2/3 of the way through the two-hour set, is led by Robert Schoen on keyboard with Jamie Dowd on bass and John Remenarich holding down the drum duties. These guys obviously have been around and know their stuff. Photo, left to right: Schoen, DeCuir, Remenarich, Dowd.

Ms. DeCuir adds a powerful vocal element that, if you squint and ignore your cell phone, would put you right into the past. She sang 21 songs ranging from I've Got Rhythm (Gershwin) to Under the Boardwalk (classic Motown). She sang just as well in Spanish and in French ("La Vie en Rose") as she did in English. She also sang in Portuguese for two Brazilian songs ("Mas Que Nada" and "Tristeza"). It was heaven.

This all took place in a warm and friendly Thai restaurant, Saysetha, on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland near the Berkeley border. My spicy chicken with cashews went well with a nice Singha Thai beer.

The music ended too soon, but you can hear the quartet at Saysetha almost every Thursday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Music Machine is Broken

2011-12-29T01:09:00.000-08:00

I just learned on a tweet that Sean Bonniwell, the leader of the Music Machine, had died. The band's song, Talk Talk, was a hit in 1966. Bonniwell was 71, so that's not that unusual, but his band is one of those one-hit-wonders you hear about sometimes.

The Music Machine was local, more or less, for me, being in San Jose, California, but I never went and saw them. I just heard the song as I was starting high school. It had just the right psychedelic rock sound at the time and I remember it viscerally.

There surely will be more of these memorials as time marches on, but I'm taking a few minutes today to remember that song--and my 13-year-old ears that heard it.

Nissan Maxima - Maximum Nissan

2011-12-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

A Nissan Maxima has served me well over the last week as a commuter, family hauler and bass schlepper. Nissan's flagship, dubbed the "four door sports car," has the style and the muscle to justify that slogan.

The Maxima has been around awhile, originating as the Datsun 810 before becoming the Maxima as Nissan shed the Datsun name in the early 1980s. It's been Nissan's flagship ever since and is now in its seventh generation. The one I drove is actually built in Smyrna, Tennessee.

This latest Maxima is a large vehicle, with a dramatically sweeping treatment of the sides and a surprising ridged edge to the rippled hood. You can see this from the driver's seat, and it makes you more aware of road presence of the car from the inside--a nice trick today.

The interior fittings are much like the upscale Infiniti division, with a "floating" dash and well-equipped console. The whole experience is luxury without excess and nothing amiss. After a week driving it I can hardly remember the car--I just know it's very pleasant to drive.

There's plenty of power from the 3.5-liter V6--290 horsepower and 261 lb.-ft. of torque do the job admirably. The automatic is a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), showing that Nissan is putting this kind of "gearbox" into practically everything it builds now. I couldn't hear the transmission much, but on acceleration sometimes the engine rpms would climb more than they would in a standard, geared automatic. It all added up to 20.4 mpg average. The EPA says 19 City, 26 Highway (22 average). That's pretty close, I guess.

My car came to $40,055, including shipping and the Sport and Sport Technology packages. These significantly upgraded the car's looks and feel, but that price is really encroaching on luxury car territory.

Funny, but the XM NavWeather feature in the Sport Technology package kept warning me that it was freezing someplace within five miles of the car. I finally figured out that it must be five miles directly above in the atmosphere.

Afikomen Judaica - Home of Rabbi Harvey

2011-12-27T01:41:00.000-08:00

I took a trip over to Afikomen Judaica today. I hadn't been there for awhile. It's a fully equipped spot for all your Jewish needs, from mezuzot (for your doorpost) to books of all kinds to yalmukes for your head to toys for the kids! Of course, at this time of year, it's packed with stuff relevant to Chanukah, the eight-day winter holiday that is like the "Jewish Christmas," except that it's a completely different holiday.

There aren't many places like Afikomen because it's a specialized business. It's where you stop if you need a gift for a bris (ritual circumcision) or a bar or bat mitzvah (adolescent coming of age ceremony for boys and girls respectively). Or--they had lots of different versions of the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) in Hebrew and in English. The store's motto is, "Contemporary Judaica for Inspired Living." 'Nuff said!

I bought a bottle of Barkan Classic Chardonnay. I normally like red wine, but this bottle was made from grapes from Kibbutz Hulda, where I lived for 10 months in 1974. I actually walked in those vineyards! Back then, the kibbutz wasn't making wine, but things have changed in 28 years. We'll see how good it tastes soon.

Afikomen is actually a word associated with the Passover seder (ceremonial meal). The afikomen is a piece of the special matzos (unleavened bread--like giant saltines without the salt). It's wrapped up and hidden, and when the kids find it there's a special prize.

At Afikomen I found the graphic novel, Rabbi Harvey Rides Again. Steve Shenkin is making his second effort at an oddly compelling "comic novel." I may write more about it when I finish it.

Time

2011-12-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, time passes quickly. It's December 26th--where has the year gone? I'm on 2011 blog post number 362. That sure felt like it added up fast. And by the way, how can it be 2012 already? I remember when we finished up with the '90s and it seemed like a big deal.

Here's what's playing in my head right now--I love this song.

Why does it feel like forever when you're waiting in line at Chipotle to have your burrito made but when it's your turn, everybody's hands are moving like lightning and the coordination is perfect? Suddenly, you're halfway to your car in the parking lot.

Yesterday, I spent nine hours with my family celebrating the holidays. The 1-1/2-hour drive there and back felt longer than the span we spent eating, talking and laughing.

Does life feel different when you're 6 from when you're 60? I've been one and am almost the other, yet I can't really say. A Sunday working on the project for social studies in the 6th grade is interminable but a week at a college campus playing chamber music flies by.

It must have something to do with our perception. As an English major and not a scientist (or a philosopher) I can't say what that might be. Maybe your level of consciousness is somehow involved. Then it can become a matter of increasing your awareness of yourself and the world around you to get the maximum enjoyment and value out of life. Uh oh, we're slipping into scary territory, because it's very hard to say what our purpose of living at all is, and who wants to imagine it over? We're just here. But just maybe, we have something to do here.

I don't know, but I do know I've been very busy, and that doesn't seem to be in danger of letting up soon. That gives life a pleasurable density and a sense of momentum. And I've started to refer to my future as "the third third." That seems to limit me to 90 years, though--that may not be a good idea. 8-)

A Little Christmas Tree Decorating Music, Please

2011-12-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

As I prepare for my Jewish Roots Project, I spent part of last evening decorating the diminutive holiday tree we bought a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I have an interesting household--and life.

We pulled out the boxes of ornaments, and to set the mood, put on Now That's What I Call Christmas, from the Now That's What I Call Music folks. It's a two-disc CD containing 36 songs of the holiday, from Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song to Boyz II Men's Silent Night.

Yes, the CD is ten years old--NSYNC is there too, along with Britney Spears--but it covers the range of popular favorites with less emphasis on the religious songs, from White Christmas (Bing, of course), Burl Ives' A Holly Jolly Christmas, and John & Yoko's Happy Xmas (War is Over).

There were some classics, like O Come All Ye Faithful (done by Luther Vandross) and Away in a Manger (Mannheim Steamroller.)

I discovered that there have been FOUR of these Christmas compilations, with the latest, from 2010, available from iTunes or Amazon (see photo). It has Rihanna and Lady Gaga on it--a bit more up to date. Maybe I'll get it for next year's decorating party.

Exploring Jewish Roots

2011-12-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

As my year of daily blogging enters its final week, and Chanukah passes it midpoint, I am beginning a new focus for 2012. With the Jewish Roots Project, I will explore my ancestry in Judaism with a wide range of activities. These include interviewing rabbis, reading a wide range of material, attending services, practicing some of the rituals, growing a nice big beard, and much more.

I'll look at Jewish art, learn about famous Jews through history, and attempt to get a comprehensive overview of 5,772 years of culture.

As an intermarried, assimilated Jew, it would be easy to simply ignore my background. Life is going just fine and I love my family. But periodically, I get a certain feeling that calls me back to my roots.

Those roots are buried but present. My family practiced Reform Judaism sporadically and without a great deal of enthusiasm. I have had a few years of Jewish education -- 7th through 10th grade -- celebrated a hastily prepared Bar Mitzvah at 13, and I spent 10 months living in Israel, feeding cows and studying Hebrew as a young adult. But it's all part of the bigger Jewish picture.

I'll record my findings and periodically post something to the new Jewish Roots Project blog. Then, on January 1, 2013, I'll assess what I've found and decide how to proceed with my relationship to Judaism for the rest of my life. Will it require more study? (I'm guessing yes). I won't join any synagogues until then, if at all. But if I've learned anything in the last several years, it's that having a focus and doing something daily that relates to it is what makes things happen. And it helps to work with other people to get support and perspective (and it just feels good, too).

So, after January 1, 2012, Test Driving Life will not necessarily be fresh daily, but be sure to visit the Jewish Roots Project as well to see what's going on.

A Christmas Carol - 3 Performances in One Day

2011-12-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

In my quest for the full bass playing experience, I achieved another milestone yesterday. I played for three performances of the 90-minute musical A Christmas Carol --in one day.

The first two shows were at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., for schoolkids. You could hear the high pitched din as they came in and sat and waited for us to start. Of course, in the pit you can't see anything in the building, but we knew we had a full house. We got some visitors peering over the wall, and we did our best to make it an interesting introduction to musical instruments, showing off what they looked and sounded like. From the sound of the applause and cheering at the end, the kids had a great time.

Andrea Gorham, who owns Curtain Call Performing Arts, the company that put the program together, talked with the kids, telling them it was her dream to expose kids to theater. Her outreach program to schoolkids has shown live theater to about 5,000 kids so far. The local girl, who attended the school in which the performances were taking place, thanked two of her former teachers, who were in the audience with their students.

The evening show was for grown-ups. You could tell by how quiet it was. But--there was plenty of applause when we were done--and we had some visitors peeking in too.

The three performances all went well from a musical standpoint. Each time, I played a little better and more completely. Passages that I had just glossed over came into focus and I beat out the rhythm with confidence. It helped to have a fine bunch of fellow player in the pit with me, and a leader like Jon Siapno, who has years of experience in choral conducting, but was working with his first instrumental group.

Two more shows--one tonight and a matinee tomorrow, and then we wrap. Eight performances in two weeks. But so far, no blisters, and my sore feet recover quickly as soon as I sit down for a few minutes.

I'll have to see about doing this again next year. I'm thinking perhaps the Nutcracker!

Prius C - Baby of the Family

2011-12-22T06:40:00.000-08:00

Toyota released photos of the Prius C yesterday. The car will be formally introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month and will be available at dealerships in 2012. The question is, why didn't they think of this sooner?

The Prius, Toyota's hybrid vehicle, is the poster child for high efficiency driving. It's by far the largest selling hybrid and is almost the generic name for gas/electric vehicles--like "Kleenex" for tissues or "iPod" for MP3 player. Expanding the family makes good marketing sense, since the name is already familiar and associated with high efficiency motoring.

One way to give a car higher fuel efficiency is to make it smaller and lighter. That's why a car like the excellent Mazda2 can get superior mileage without the extra cost, complexity and weight of a hybrid. Remember -- a hybrid has to use a gas engine and an electric motor -- and all the technology that links them together, including extra-large batteries and the regenerative braking system.

All that being said, the Prius C (compact?) will be smaller and lighter than the standard Prius, which actually is much larger than you might think (check out the back seat and cargo capacity). Based on the subcompact Yaris platform, the Prius C should already be pretty efficient just by its size and weight. If the standard Prius can average 50 miles per gallon, could the new baby Prius get 60? If so, it would immediately carve itself a nice fat slice out of the high efficiency car market. Being smaller and lighter, it should be more affordable too, putting a Prius in even more garages across the U.S. and the world.

The Prius V, a bigger wagon model, just debuted. It's a lovely thing, but with its larger size and greater weight, its fuel economy numbers are lower than a standard Prius (44/40).

I eagerly await a test of the new Prius C and will report on it right here.

Red Hot Volvo S60 T6

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

I just stepped out of a very potent Volvo sedan. Yes, you read that right. Volvo, long known as the purveyor of boxy, solid transportation--especially wagons--has gone much more performance-oriented over the last decade or so, and the S60 is the one to have.

The car came in Passion Red paint! I swam through the sea of silver Camrys and Accords on my commute and knew I had they something they couldn't even imagine. Under the tapered hood lived a turbocharged 3.0-liter six that put out an amazing 325 horsepower and 354 lb.-ft of torque. No wonder the car jumped ahead like a hungry racehorse when I touched the accelerator.

Inside, the look and feel is upscale, but cool and collected--that famous and desirable Danish modern. The matte black, padded surfaces, pressed and shaped into forms that pumped up the energy, only encouraged the feeling of speed and aggression. The silvery "hook" of trim that eventually culminates in the door handles is remarkably elaborate for a Volvo--but this isn't the same old company.

Last year, I spent time with this car's ancestor. a beautiful 1966 red Volvo 122S appropriately named Old Red. That car was dated-looking in its time but was a beautiful rendition of the solid, sturdy, reliable Volvo of yore--before the era of the box. What a treat driving it was. But motoring about in this new car was actually exciting.

Despite the power, fuel economy is rated at 18 City, 26 Highway (average 21). I got 18.6 mpg--not much above the City rating, despite driving mostly on the highway. Still--a lot for a vigorous car.

My car came to $46,875 with numerous options, but S60s start at $32,175, including shipping.

With new Chinese ownership, it looks OK for Volvo in the short term. There is a lot of upheaval in the car business now, and Volvo's Swedish competitor--Saab--has now gone bankrupt. Watch for updates and drive safely. (Hey, wasn't Volvo all about safety too? They pioneered the seatbelt, for example.)

A Jew at Christmastime

2011-12-20T06:52:00.001-08:00

Chanukah starts tonight. As usual, I'll get out a menorah--or two--and light one candle, plus the shamus, in each to start the first of eight nights of this holiday. Each night I'll add a candle. In these days of electric lights, candles still evoke a mood--in this case, one to remember our ancestors who didn't have electricity. Or, on later nights, when there are several candles going, you can wager on which one will be the last to go out.

I'm a Jew at Christmastime, living in a world of lights, trees, Santa, and even, sometimes, Jesus. Last night, I was out shopping for gifts for my granddaughter, who, not being Jewish, celebrates Christmas--with gusto.

I think my street has more Christmas lights than usual this year. I like them. I remember driving around our neighborhood when I was six, sitting in the back seat of the Rambler with my brother, looking at all the displays. There may have been some snow--it was Buffalo, New York--and the lights were pretty much all the big pepper-shaped colored ones. Today there are icicles and bright blue ones and all kinds of inflatable and even moving holiday displays (reindeer are popular). I've seen Santa on a Harley. I have a string of illuminated plastic Nash Metropolitans and Airstream trailers. It's all good.

What I don't have much of is a sense of Chanukah community. Perhaps only in Israel is there a public celebration of Chanukah--and even there, the substantial Christian community celebrates Christ's traditional birthday--in the very spot where it happened. That has to have a lot of meaning for some people.

As kids, we got our holiday gifts with candles, not under a tree, and the paper wasn't red and green. While we certainly weren't denied any of the joy of getting presents, the festivity of the holiday wasn't that big a deal--except for Christmas carols. I love them and can sing most of them now--well, the first verse anyway. Hark the Herald Angels Sing... Oh Come All Ye Faithful... Silent Night... Deck the Halls... Joy to the World... Even Jingle Bells. And don't forget the popular songs: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, White Christmas, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire....." (Had a chestnut lately? Me neither.)

I remember going over to my friends' houses and seeing their trees--with tinsel and those glimmering glass globes and twinkling electric lights. I remember making school projects with stars and bells and Santas using colored paper and glitter.

I was the kid with the candles--and no tree. Today, I have a tree (a realistic fake one and sometimes a real one) and we have a nice variety of ornaments that we've collected over the last couple of decades--one for each person each year. It adds up.

Other great stuff about this time of year--hot cider and hot chocolate, Christmas cookies, Peppermint Bark, Honeybaked Ham (available all year). And the movies--It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (animated).

I'm a Jew at Christmastime. Happy Chanukah.

Saab - RIP

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001-08:00

Saab has filed for bankruptcy, so it looks like it won't survive much longer.

A lot has been going on with the company since GM sold it off in its own bankruptcy proceedings in 2009. There had been been hope of a Chinese white knight to somehow take on the daunting challenge of restoring profitability to the Swedish automaker, but it looks like time and interest has run out. That solution has worked, for the time being, for the other Swedish brand, Volvo.

It's sad, and it's not the first brand I've known all my life that has gone. I've seen all of America's "Big 3" shed brands -- Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Mercury are now defunct, and Saturn, the newest GM brand, lasted only 20 years.

This kind of change happened in the 1950's, which saw many independents, such as Nash, Hudson, Packard and Kaiser, fade into history. Studebaker, which predated all the car companies in being a wagon manufacturer in the 19th century, held on until 1966.

What's happening today shows broad changes in the highly competitive auto industry and although it's too bad, it's also a necessity for the overall car business to thrive. Growth is definitely happening in the Korean companies, Hyundai and Kia, so although there are now fewer brands from the major US companies, there are still lots of choices.

Saab made a lot of interesting cars -- many are still out there in traffic -- and, when, as it looks nearly inevitable, it passes into history, it will not be soon forgotten. That's the latest 9-5 in the photo.

I've never owned a Saab, but I've driven some, including a bright green convertible. I do have a Plymouth and a Nash. Maybe it's time to add a Saab to my collection.

A Christmas Carol - Defining the Holiday for Us

2011-12-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

Playing in the pit orchestra for A Christmas Carol has inspired me to go and read the original book by Charles Dickens. It's a short one -- a 95-page small paperback -- but well worth the read. I knocked it out in an hour and a half yesterday.

Originally published in 1843 by the author to make some quick money, the story has gone on to be hugely inflluential in how modern people celebrate the holiday. See this story for a few details and some insight into what Dickens was reading when he wrote this tale.

Twenty-first-century readers might be challenged by the mid-nineteenth-century language and pacing in the original tale, and Dickens was a master of detail from early days of court reporting. But it conjures up the flavor of that time, when books were read by lamplight, before any of the instant communication we enjoy today existed.

But the essence of the story--the miserly Scrooge, loving but shivering Bob Cratchit, poor Tiny Tim, Scrooge's cheerful nephew Fred, and the three Christmas spirits who turn Scrooge around -- is all there in today's 90-minute theater production (takes about the same time as reading the book!).

Beyond religion and commercialism, the holiday spirit, from Dickens to us, is "goodwill toward men." And throw in some togetherness and hilarity too.

After listening to the Hallmark version of A Christmas Carol on my iPod, I was moved to send a donation to my local Second Harvest Food Bank. While I am no miser, I still feel especially fortunate and wanted to do something. No one should go hungry at this time of year (or ever).

Winter Chocolate with The Ticket Kitchen

2011-12-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

Browsing in a bookstore (yes, they still have a few around), I saw Hot Chocolate on a Stick. I immediately bought one, knowing it had to be a great treat for a cold day.

I decided to give it as my $5 contribution to the company gift exchange. At the holiday party, I ended up with a different item, but, oddly enough, the recipient of my chocolate treasure was walking around, not appreciating its wonderfulness, and I traded back--I ended up giving the gift of chocolate to myself.

Now it sits, waiting for the perfect time.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick is made by The Ticket Kitchen in San Francisco. The company was founded by two women (mothers of 3 and 4 respectively), who loved chocolate growing up and wanted to offer something special.

Visit the website to see the various flavors, including French Dark Truffle, Vanilla Mint and Salted Caramel. There are attractive gift packages available too, although Christmas is getting pretty close!

If I were truly test driving life, I'd tell you here how wonderful it tasted, but I'm saving it until just the right moment. But, like Scrooge, I'll have to change my ways and stop hoarding my little treasure.

Report from the Orchestra Pit

2011-12-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

Last night was the final tech rehearsal for A Christmas Carol, and we took it very slowly. With all the stops, starts, changes and tweaks, we ran past midnight. Tonight, we will have an audience and I hope we're all ready for them.

It was my first experience in an orchestra pit. And that's truly what it is--a stage-wide slice of area invisible to most of the audience where the musicians crowd together and play. I was tucked next to the entry stairs with just enough width to move a bow. Even then, I frequently knocked its tip into the stair's railing. That's not as bad as my poor compadre who put the first dent in his gorgeous bass saxophone when the stand it was in decided to collapse. But he went on, like a pro. The photo here is not our orchestra or theater, but it shows the same view from the corner that I have.

The odd thing is, we're right in front of, and under, the actors, but we can't see what they're doing. We watch our conductor and guide attentively--he can see the stage--but it's an act of faith. In the theatre, you're constantly stopping and starting and changing the tempo to match the action above--that you can't see. But when it's going well, it sounds great, and that's what kept me moving along last night.

Audi A7 Carries it Off

2011-12-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

The new Audi A7, slotted between the midsize A6 and fullsize A8, creates its own identity there. Besides its unique fastback styling, it offers a convenient and spacious liftback--something that some American buyers may find perplexing. Aren't hatchbacks just for cheap econoboxes? Well, no.

The A7 offers all the upscale design and equipment you expect in this segment--you do get your $68,000 worth! The design flows smoothly from front to rear outside and from door to door across the dash inside. The usual high-quality materials and fit-and-finish make the driving environment a joy to occupy.

Audi has smoothed out some of the fussiness on the dash now--the gauges no longer look like teardrops. The lines flow into delicate points on the doors. The doors have their own subtle illumination. The display screen for audio, navigation and car information slips delicately out of the upper dash when you start the car. You can send it back in if you don't want to look at it but it's unobtrusive.

My Moonlight Blue Metallic test car had the Prestige package, which added upsized wheels, navigation, front and rear parking sensors, climate control, BOSE surround sound and lots more. Then, my car had the wheels upsized to 20 inchers! Whew.

The 3.0-liter 310-horsepower supercharged engine sends the car rocketing towards your destination with an EPA average of 22 mpg. I averaged 19.3.

Always a treat, great for carrying big loads, and now, already on its way to the next journalist.

Starting 2012 out with a Bang!

2011-12-14T01:28:00.000-08:00

Here in mid December, I am already planning for events for my two areas of personal interest, music and cars. Each receives an important event in January following a great and busy 2011.

Musically, Red Paint presents its long awaited CD Release Party, where the band will play the new American Tender CD (pictured) live from end to end, and then present a second set of new songs and covers. It happens on Saturday, January 21 from 7 p.m. at the High Street Station in Alameda, California. See Red Paint's Facebook Page for more details.

Just a few days later, the Western Automotive Journalists presents Future Cars -- Future Technology. It's a noon to nine event for automotive journalists and other people in the field to meet to discuss what the cars we'll be driving soon will be like--and what they'll be using for fuel. The ride and drive features cars like Mitsubishi's new all-electric i (pictured). That's on Tuesday, January 24. See the WAJ website for details.

It's fun to have twin passions, and it looks like they'll be moving along nicely by late January of 2012.

After that, February 8, 2012 will mark 20 years since my first published automotive article. Watch this space for more as the day gets closer!

A Christmas Carol - My First Musical

2011-12-13T01:40:00.000-08:00

Last night marked another rehearsal on the way to performing in my first musical theater production. It went well --three hours of work with the ensemble. I'll do a dress rehearsal on Thursday night and then, Friday is opening night!

It's a little different doing musicals, because you're not the main attraction, like you are in an orchestral concert. Actually, we'll be in the "pit," hidden from view, playing when it suits the actors/singers above us. I'm guessing that my 8th performance will be better than the first one.

As usual, I'm the only bass player, but we have a nice selection of other instruments, including a piano, a horn section, violins, flute and even a bass saxophone. The drummer arrived tonight, and he, a hirsute and mature 17-year-old, played directly behind me--and he was right on the beat. We talked music a little bit, too; it's fun to share something with someone who's less than a third of your age. The years melted away when we discussed our musical passion.

A Christmas Carol plays December 16, 17, 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. and December 18 and 24 at a 2 p.m. matinee. It's the same great story you know about Mr. Scrooge learning the spirit of Christmas by seeing the past, present and future. If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, feel free to order tickets here.

Our leader is Jon Siapno, an energetic young man who has a light touch while keeping us moving. He's also a high school teacher, and I'll bet his class is the fun one of the day. It's been great working with him so far, and when we're all playing in the pit these next couple weeks I'm sure we'll get to know him even better. I'll bet there will be more opportunities like this one.

A year ago I got my upright and electric basses tattooed on my arm. Along with making that kind of commitment, I now end the year with a CD and some gigs with my band, another successful year of orchestra concerts, several chamber music workshop weekends, a freelance gig at a church, and now this opportunity. It's wonderful.

The new year will start out with the CD Release Party for Red Paint on Saturday, January 21 at the High Street Station in Alameda, California. You should come.

James Taylor Eternal

2011-12-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

I happened to hear "Blossom," a very early James Taylor song, on my "Song for a Winter's Night" channel on Pandora the other day. Ah, the Sweet Baby James album--what a breakthrough for young singer/songwriter James Taylor. It was 1970.

James Taylor, like so many creative types, has had his ups and downs with drugs and lifestyle issues, but somehow he comes out sounding wonderful. Another highlight in his long career is his comeback album, Hourglass, in 1997, on which his beautiful, straightforward singing sounds undiminished--even enhanced--after 27 years.

Taylor has recently released two albums of covers and he still sounds great. I regret that his record company (or perhaps he) feels required to Photoshop the heck out of his images, though. It's fine to wear a hat when you're bald (and Taylor lost his hair pretty early), but a guy his age (63) has a wrinkle or two.

Interesting to contrast James Taylor's voice, which has retained its quality through his tortured artist life, to Gordon Lightfoot's. Lightfoot sounded great in 1970, too, with "If You Could Read My Mind," but in 1998, about the same time as Taylor's Hourglass, his delivery had changed tremendously--as on A Painter Passing Through. Still a great performer, though, and he is 10 years older than JT.

Doug's Place for Sunday Breakfast

2011-12-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Nothing says Sunday morning than a nice hearty breakfast that you don't make yourself. Yeah, we have eggs in the refrigerator, coffee beans in a bag and can buy and cook bacon, but sometimes, we'd rather let Doug's Place do it for us.

Doug's is a friendly local non-chain that has lots of movie posters, team sponsor group photos and other memorabilia along its walls (I especially like one early photos of Marilyn Monroe). The staff is very efficient and professional and the service is quick, friendly and accurate. The stacks of bacon are profoundly more than any one person needs and you know there are at least three eggs in that pile of scrambled.

I like the Number 6--two plate-sized pancakes, plus an entire plateful of bacon and eggs. When I commented on the scale of the servings our waiter said it could be "breakfast and lunch." I think he's right. I never finish everything.

I remember going out to a place similar to this (minus the old movie photos) as a child of 5 or 6 and it was always fun. I'm probably reliving this now at Doug's but what's not to like? Back to a bowl of quinoa with almonds and dried blueberries tomorrow.

I Heard the News Today, Oh Boy

2011-12-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

With apologies to John Lennon and the Beatles for the title, I heard two disturbing stories on the local TV news today that reminded me why I like to avoid watching the news. First, a middle school teacher was arrested (and he confessed) for his affair with a teenage student. Second, a toddler who was caught in gang crossfire last week and was in a coma had his plug pulled and died.

For the first story, they showed the school administration performing their due diligence and notifying all the parents by robocall to show that they were on the job protecting their children. Then, the newsman interviewed the teacher's next door neighbors, who were appropriately shocked. I find the latter kind of news reporting unhelpful. Of course the neighbors were surprised. Wouldn't you be?

For the second story, they showed a photo of the cute little boy in happier times (pictured) and the mother displayed the blue baby footprint tattoo she had on her arm to remember her boy.

Now I'm depressed.

It may be selfish, but I'd rather think about the musical I'm going to be playing in next week or my wife's beautiful face or my younger son's gainful employment or the growing company I work for or the nice view from my rear deck. Is it wrong to avoid bad news? Am I putting my head in the sand? What about climate change and the endless wars we seem to be fighting all over the world? What about the various Occupy [your city here] events? What about the scary crop of Republican presidential hopefuls? There are current and historic horrors available to consider every single day.

Meanwhile, according to the weather woman, it's clear and chilly now and will get to about 60 degrees here today. Now that's news I can use.

Dodge Dart is Back!

2011-12-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

The New Chrysler has been short of a compact sedan. But soon, that problem will be elegantly solved with the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart. The car will debut at the Detroit Auto Show one month from today.

If the name sounds familiar, that's because it is. Dart was introduced as a version of the full-size Dodge back in 1960, but it was the ground-breaking 1963 compact model that made it was it was. That car, after changes in 1968, ran into the mid 1970's and featured an economical and bulletproof "slant 6" as well as some mighty V8s, making it popular for the modest and the manic.

A 1966 model is pictured. I learned to drive on the Plymouth Valiant of the same year--it's corporate cousin--and later drove my mother's 1966 Dart convertible--a baby blue beauty with "three on the tree" manual transmission and black vinyl interior.

The 2013 is shown in teasers like the red one posted here. It's based on an Alfa Romeo and promises to be handsome and a fine driver. Three efficient four-cylinder engines, including one with a turbo, should, like the early Dart, provide a choice of driving experiences.

The new Dart will be built in the updated Belvidere, Illinois plant that has produced compact Dodge and Plymouth Neons and other models for Chrysler since it opened in 1965.

I hope they offer one with a manual transmission!

John Lennon - Never Forgotten

2011-12-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

John Lennon was murdered in his adopted home of New York City on this day in 1980. I will never forget it. John was my hero and he was cut down senselessly just as he resurfaced from five years of musical exile.

What is it exactly that keeps me memorializing John on this day every year? Is it the shock of his sudden death? After 31 years it still burns, as I imagine, December 7th must to a generation that remembers Pearl Harbor. I don't want to imply that these events are similar or of equal importance (John is famous for saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus and getting in big trouble for it). But, in my life, safe and protected by those who did fight in WWII, having my hero killed was and is a big deal.

Although I loved (and still love) the Beatles as a group, and believe that their unique chemistry is what made them so great, John still stands out. There was something about his personality that made him the leader of the band--at first. As time went on, various factors caused him to step back while Paul took the controls, but by then the Beatles were becoming four more developed individuals, and John's songs stood out even more.

In the Lennon/McCartney songwriting team, while Paul supplied the sweet, John provided the savory, for a perfect blend--kind of like a chocolate-covered pretzel or a good sweet and sour chicken.

Although I mostly play the bass today--Paul's instrument--I still celebrate John more. His songwriting, singing and guitar playing were special--and his heart was in the right place.

I'll think about John today and, tonight, with my band, Red Paint, will play something in his memory--probably You've Got to Hide Your Love Away--but there are many more. Being in a four-man band helps me preserve the memory of the Beatles, even though they are not heavily represented in our repertoire.

And in 2012, Two of Us, a duo, will continue to celebrate the music of John and the boys. More on this soon.

Rest in Peace, John. We will never forget you or your music.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Rocks

2011-12-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

I'm just completing a week in the surprisingly compelling Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. You know the look--it's the classic Jeep from WWII and Beetle Bailey--but so much nicer than it ever was for our fighting men and women.

For one thing, my car came in a beautiful Flame Red Clearcoat paint instead of Army Green. The seats were leather-covered, and the interior, once again, has been upgraded to premium status. Other than the very upright, flat windshield and shallow dash, it could have been an upscale modern crossover vehicle.

I discovered that the windshield reflected my voice when I sang along with my iPod selections--and that was a hidden benefit (when I was on key).

The hardtop on my tester was air-tight and made riding down the freeway about as quiet as it gets for this Trail Rated four-wheel-drive offroader. Previous test Jeeps with the cloth soft-top provided much less protection from cold and sound. I would definitely want my Wrangler equipped like this--if it was my daily driver. The roof panels over the front seat are removable--but it takes unlatching from the windshield, turning three levers, and unscrewing the side facing the back before they come free. It's no power sliding sunroof.

My tester had a 3.6-liter V6, mated to a 5-speed automatic, that put out 285 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. I averaged just over 17 miles per gallon--the EPA tests say 18, so that's about right.

At $34,625, this is no toy, but you can pick one up starting at about $23,000. I was surprised at the comfort and utility I got, and also the quick reflexes of the short wheelbase and the feeling of sitting up high wearing big boots. It was more fun than I expected.

I gave a friendly wave to the woman in the yellow Wrangler Unlimited I saw--it was a Jeep thing. It looked like she was really enjoying her car--with its roof rack and coating of dirt--not just passing through, like me.

Jeep is one of the hot brands in the car market now--sales are way up. And, the 2012 Wrangler just won the Four Wheeler of the Year award from Four Wheeler magazine.

Photo by Chris Kidwell.

2013 Ford Escape Interior Uses More Recycled Materials

2011-12-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

The all-new 2013 Ford Escape compact crossover SUV will use more recycled material in its interior than any Ford model to date. According to Ford materials engineer Laura Sinclair, in an Automotive News article (Dec. 5, 2011), it's all part of Ford's sustainability drive.

For example, the carpets will contain about 25 20-ounce PET plastic beverage bottles. The goal is to keep 4 million bottles out of landfills every year.

The story by Bradford Wernle mentions other sustainable materials, including soy in the seat cushions and fiber from the kenaf plant in the door inserts. The dash insulation includes more than 10 pounds of scrap cotton from jeans, sweaters, T-shirts and other materials. The climate control gasket is made from recycled tires.

According to Sinclair, Ford tests all of these new materials to be sure they will wear at least as long as the stuff they replace. It's a good effort, and I expect we'll see a lot more in the future. Every bit of plastic we can recycle means less new plastic--and you know where that comes from, right? Oil.

Stairway to Heaven - Best Rock Song Ever?

2011-12-05T06:47:00.001-08:00

I just got another chance to enjoy the magnificence of Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin's finest song and one of the greatest rock recordings of all time. I've always admired the way it starts pretty and folksy and gradually builds, adding a piece at a time, until it expands to an outright wail, only to fade softly away at the end.

First, the acoustic guitar becomes an electric guitar. Then the bass becomes more prominent. Then the drums enter. After that, a ringing guitar anthem, followed by Jimmy Page's iconic solo. On top of that, suddenly the tempo gets more syncopated as Robert Plant screams out his part as only he can.

The latest numbers for Stairway to Heaven on YouTube are 44,712,551 plays for the recorded version with a changing still photo gallery of the band. Whew, look at all that hair! And Jimmy Page's double-necked guitar! It's 8 minutes and two seconds of magic. It's also 40 years old this November, and sounding as fresh as ever.

Up On the Roof

2011-12-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

When this old world starts getting me down...

No, unlike in the classic Drifters song, I didn't go up there to get away from my troubles. My real purpose was to remove a deposit of leaves from my old shake roof. Leaving them there would be asking for trouble--if I don't have enough of it already. The shakes are getting soft and I found a couple of pieces of them on the ground after the latest wind.

So... Up I clambered and not only blew them off with an electric leaf blower (kind of fun) but cleaned the gutters (stuffed) and trimmed some overhanging branches with an electric saw.

All this was instigated and greatly assisted by Ted, my kind and energetic neighbor, who always warns me about the things I need to do for my house. He not only supplied the ladders and the electric devices, but also pitched in and we got a lot done.

So, despite my usual protestations against any work not performed on a musical instrument or a laptop, it was kind of energizing. And the view from up there was pretty darned nice, too (see photo).

Sadly, I think I need a new roof! But I'm not doing that labor myself.

Yamaha WX5 Sounds like Anything You Want!

2011-12-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

I was at a rehearsal for a musical today when a fellow musician arrived with two fascinating instruments. Besides the gorgeous golden bass saxophone he lugged in was a trim little tube that looked like a digital clarinet designed in 2011. It turned out to be the Yamaha WX5. This amazing device sounds like whatever you want it to because it's a midi sound generator. The guy with it today had it sounding like a saxophone, but it could be a piano or a guitar or a bass or whatever.

It works just like any other midi tone generator, so it's completely compatible. You can set different fingerings to approximate various instruments. And it only weighs a little over a pound!

Apparently it's not too expensive--about $500, my musical colleague told me.

And check out the gorgeous bass saxophone (which sounded fantastic when he played it):

Happy 30th Birthday to My Son!

2011-12-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe, but my older son turns 30 today. It's been a great three decades, and he stands today a professional, a husband, a father, and a fine human being.

I still remember bringing that little 8-pound, 10-ounce bundle home in the newly purchased car seat in the back of our little white Toyota. I was lucky enough to have some time off, so I got to stay home and help take care of him, grabbing naps where possible, helping his mom when I could (she did all the feeding), and getting used to him being with us.

I remember walks in strollers, lots of pants changes (other than the obvious odor issues, a sweet time with a little one), the beginning of speech, the cute things, the toys spread out all over the floor (I remember his "slime ball"--what we called his Chime Ball.)

We took him to Montessori preschool, then moved to a nice suburban community for his entire kindergarten through high school education. I promised I wouldn't move him during high school and I didn't.

What could have been a problem--my divorce from his mother--was minimized because his mother, who is a fine person, and I agreed on many things and shared our boy without crisis or stress. With the addition of high-quality step parents, my son grew up with four parents instead of two, and I think that had a positive effect on how well he turned out.

My son stayed out of trouble in high school, then distinguished himself at a rustic University of California campus, earning not only two bachelor's degrees but finding his beautiful wife-to-be in his first year in the dorms.

After graduation, he developed his accounting chops working for a small firm, culminating in passing the CPA exams. He moved to an exciting new company this year and is on track for big success there.

Providing me with a darling granddaughter while I'm still a young guy is a great gift, too. It's part of the payoff of being a parent to have such a fine, successful, well actualized child. You hope he got at least some of the good stuff from you.

My son shares his exact birthday with a celebrity. Click HERE to see who!

Today, I'm so proud of my big guy!

Frank Sinatra - Cycles

2011-12-01T06:53:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's the end of the year and coming of winter, but this morning, Frank Sinatra's Cycles came into my mind. The song, released at the end of 1968, has a melancholy beauty that is very different from his more uptempo hits like Witchcraft or Got the World on a String.

This is a Sinatra song from my era--not a big band number or one of the great 1950's performances. Frank and his daughter Nancy had scored a huge hit with Something Stupid the year before, showing that the great crooner had what it took to be relevant in the era of the Beatles.

Nancy will forever be remembered for These Boots are Made for Walking--the 1966 classic--but my favorites of hers are Some Velvet Morning and Summer Wine, with Lee Hazelwood.

It's December--time for melancholic, beautiful songs. And Frank's birthday (Dec. 12).

Nissan Rogue - Today's Wagon

2011-11-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

I'm just winding up a week with the Rogue, Nissan's compact crossover. The verdict? Nice, but the average mileage from the 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower inline four-cylinder engine was kind of low--just 20.6 mpg. The EPA gives the car 23 City, 28 Highway (average 25) so maybe I'm being leadfooted--but I don't think so.

With the popularity of this vehicle type, especially from Toyota, Honda and Ford, Nissan needed a competitor, so the Rogue arrived a few years ago. It has surprisingly restrained styling for a Nissan--home of the Cube, Juke and Xterra. But the Rogue takes its looks from the larger Murano--one of the original car-based, laid-back windshield crossovers. It's fluid rather than urban youth oddball or off-road chunky.

Inside, it's plenty roomy, and my car, with the SL package, had heated leather seats among its many upgrades. That's what brought the price to $5 over $29,000. Didn't that used to be the price of a luxury car?

What used to be luxury accommodations are, today, normal car equipment, so maybe that's not unreasonable. The Rogue flies virtually silently along the freeway, darts in and out of traffic with a gentle tug of the steering wheel, and never feels out of breath. The Bose audio system sounds great, but the continuously variable transmission makes that gearless moan that's not sporty sounding.

The window sticker contains this slogan: More than you expect. Everything you deserve. I wonder who crafted that? Other than the disappointing fuel economy, I guess it does sum it up. This is a car to enjoy in the daily haul, and with the rear seats dropped, it can schlep plenty. But it's not an enthusiast's ride.

Give the Gift of Hotrods for Christmas

2011-11-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

The season is upon us, and it's time to consider what you might be selecting to give to your family and friends this holiday season. It's handy that I just received yesterday the Genuine Hotrod Hardware, Inc. catalog. This glossy 100-page book is filled to overflowing with every imaginable item for the hotrod auto and motorcycle enthusiast, from a wide range of brightly printed T-shirts to miniature vehicle models to tiny piston and spark plug tree ornaments. But there's more--so much more.

How about an authentic looking sign from a long-gone service station or car brand? A shelf that's an exact replica of the front clip of your favorite Corvette, '57 Chevy or Mustang? An illuminated Santa on a chopper for your front lawn? A sturdy tote bag shaped like the Chevy bowtie or Ford blue oval? How about a hotrod pedal car for that grandchild? A matching MAN CAVE pub table and stools? Historic dragstrip poster replicas? Die-cast engine replicas? The selection is mind boggling!

I'm looking seriously at the Ratfink clocks myself.

Honda Civic Wagon - Old School

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

I was reading a story on Japanese classic cars in the January 2012 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine and started thinking about Honda Civic wagons. The Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) is the big show, and the seventh annual event took place on September 10th in Long Beach, California. Pre-1985 Japanese cars are considered "old school," and there were plenty on display.

I'm looking for an expensive, fun-to-drive little hauler and I remembered that the early Civics came in a five-door version for a while in the U.S. in the late 1970s and 1980s. As an enthusiast of MINI Cooper Clubmans, it's a natural for me. The problem is, Clubmans are still pretty expensive--even the used ones are in the $20,000 range. I'm sure a Civic wagon in decent shape would be a fraction of that (if I can find one).

I Googled Honda Civic Wagon and found, unsurprisingly, HondaCivicWagon.com - a forum, which I joined. Apparently I'm not alone in my enthusiasm for these little cars. Many owners have done the Civic tuner thing--lowering, different wheels, special aftermarket modifications--but I'd like to find a nicely preserved model with a manual transmission and keep it around. It would combine the old car world with some daily practicality--as long as it didn't become a repair issue.

I remember friends who had one when it it was new in the 1980's and it stood tall on its short wheelbase. My 1986 Civic Si was a sweet car, so surely a wagon version would be, too. I have seen one in the parking lot at work--maybe it's time to do some research. Meanwhile, the JCCS is September 15, 2012, so I'll have to go. Other Old School Japanese car events take place, so there may be one near you.

Jeffrey Thomas, Fine Bookseller, Remembered

2011-11-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

From 1982 to 1985 I had the good fortune and privilege to work for Jeffrey Thomas. I met Jeffrey when we worked together at John Howell-Books, a leading fine and rare antiquarian book dealer in San Francisco (established 1912).

One day, Jeffrey surprised us all by leaving. He then started to accumulate the stock of merchandise he would need to set up his own small book business. He recruited me in February of 1982 to help him run it. He called me his "staff."

Like any new business, it was pretty slow at first. Unlike at Howell's, we were not on ground level and were not established, so we had few visitors. Jeffrey, a Yale grad and U.C. Berkeley Ph.D, loved writing book descriptions, issuing catalogs and acquiring interesting books, so he did that while I took care of producing the catalogs, planning the office layout (and moving us down the hall to new quarters at one point), setting up the computer system, paying bills, shipping the merchandise, and writing some simple book descriptions.

Jeffrey was born on November 27, 1938, which is why I am writing this today. We worked together at Jeffrey Thomas Fine & Rare Books for only three years, but when I left, the business was much more established. I recruited an excellent replacement for myself, who gave Jeffrey two decades of fine service, which only ended when Jeffrey died four years ago.

Every year after I left his employ, I would call Jeffrey on his birthday and we'd have a nice chat. What makes this remarkable, to me at least, is that we had little other contact, and he is the only person that I have ever called without fail on their birthday. It was just a way of keeping in touch.

Jeffrey was a gentleman, brilliant, funny, kind, and he added a lot to the antiquarian book business for many years. Like so many owner-centered businesses, Jeffrey Thomas Fine & Rare Books did not survive his passing.

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey. I miss you.

Car Show Leaves Me Exhausted

2011-11-26T04:12:00.000-08:00

I attended the 2011 San Francisco Auto Show yesterday. As a huge dealer showroom (plus more), there were lots and lots of cars there, and plenty of people looking at them.

We arrived just when it was opening, hoping to minimize the crowds on Black Friday. We needn't have worried--it never got too bad. Descending the staircase, we saw the Fisker Karma--a remarkable and expensive plug-in Hybrid vehicle--and the powerful and very expensive McClaren.

It was the 1959 Autobianchi near the stairs that really appealed to me, though (a similar car is shown in the photo).

We opted to turn left and start our tour at the Lexus stand. The brand new 2013 GS was on display and a young man was describing its wonders. Looked nice, with its spindle grille, but not particularly exciting.

The Ford/Lincoln display had some new models worth considering, including two important Fords--the 2013 Focus BEV all-electric vehicle and the 2013 Escape compact crossover SUV. The electric Focus, due early in 2012, will give the Nissan Leaf some direct competition with its estimated 100-mile driving range. The all-new Escape replaces an aging bestseller with the more stylish European Kuga.

At the Hyundai stand, the new Equus looked huge and over chromed--and overpriced. It's surely contains all the right stuff, though, so we'll see who goes for it. The new Hyundai Veloster sports sedan/coupe was there with its oddball four-door sedan left side and two-door coupe right side. It looks better than that might sound, and in bright colors, should be another hit for the rising Korean brand. The Hyundai Elantra Touring could be a nice ride. It comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission and starts at $16,000.

Speaking of Koreans, the new Kia Rio hatchback looked like a shrunken little brother of the remarkably appealing new Optima. So much going on with those two brands now.

GM had some fresh merchandise, with Buick's compact Verano--the smallest Buick in a long time--and the new full-size Cadillac XTS. I think both could be successful, but Buick is still struggling to entice folks used to buying import brands. At least at a car show people can get a feel for the new iron--although these two cars were perched up on stands away from the future buyers to sit in them and check out the interiors. Chevy's new 2013 Malibu sat right next to the 2012 model, showing the big changes--while keeping a smooth, handsome overall shape. This is a volume car and needs to be excellent to battle the dominant Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

The 2012 Camry, by the way, was there, ready to check out. The problem is, it's so subtly redone that buyers may not be aware that it's new. As a mainstream midsize (virtually fullsize) sedan, it needs to not upset anybody, but it may not entice anyone either.

As I kept moving through the show, I realized that I was getting tired. There were lots more cars there but they didn't move me. The new Subaru Impreza looked good but they still don't know how to draw a pretty face at that company. VW had a couple of new Beetles there, and that was fun. I've already driven one for a few minutes so it wasn't my first look, but the future of that model is probably in good hands with the new, sharper, lower, modern interpretation. With it's hatchback and drop down 2nd row seats, it could be a practical choice too.

There were loads of classic cars from the Academy of Art University collection and you could drive the Nissan Leaf in a short loop.

Oddly missing--Mercedes-Benz.

What to buy? I need a small wagon or hatchback with a folding rear seat. There were numerous options, with the Mazda3 with SKYACTIV technology looks promising, especially in bright blue paint. The grin up front is a little toned down now.

Exhausted, now I'll review my hoard of brochures and think about my favorites.

November 25 - The Day I Met My Wife

2011-11-25T15:29:00.000-08:00

Every year, right around Thanksgiving, I celebrate the day I met my wife. It was on November 25, 1987 that we were introduced, semi-accidentally, at a restaurant dinner put on by the cousin of a woman I had met at work. Thus began what is today a 24-year relationship that keeps going--and makes my life worth living.

Every year we talk about "meeting day" as one of our anniversaries, like our wedding date, halfway around the calendar, two years later. It's not often that one particular day stands out in your life, but this is one of them. The birth of our son in 1992 is another.

In a world where there are negative anniversaries (9/11/2001 or 12/8/1980, for example) it's great to celebrate the positive too. Actually, that's what holidays and birthdays are for, right? Every year at Thanksgiving, besides being grateful for the abundance that my life has given me, I give special thanks for finding my sweetheart too.

Today, we spent time together at the San Francisco Auto Show, which is an annual ritual for us. We wandered through the sprawling underground rooms of the Moscone Center looking at this year's crop of cars and wondering what we'd want to own. So few really make the cut--too expensive, unappealing styling, gas hogs or just plain boring. Maybe a few gems. See tomorrow's post for more about this car show and my shifting sentiments on cars in general.

Next year, we'll celebrate the quarter century anniversary of meeting day. Maybe we'll do something special--go somewhere--but just hanging out together on November 25 is fine with me.

Infiniti M Hybrid - Save Gas in Style

2011-11-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

I just stepped out of a week with one of the most luxurious hybrids I've ever driven. Yes, I did spend time with the Lexus LS 600h L a couple of years ago ($112,000) but this new Infiniti M Hybrid coddles while it sips the fuel. An EPA rating of 27 City, 32 Highway (I averaged 25.8 miles per gallon) is excellent--for a 4,200-pound luxury sedan.

The standard M35 without the hybrid is rated at 18 City, 26 Highway, so there's a significant difference in economy. The price is about $6,000 more for the M Hybrid, so it could take quite a while to make up the difference on cost alone.

The M Hybrid uses a powerful 3.5-liter V6 plus an electric motor to generate 360 horsepower (a lot) and 457 lb.-ft. of torque (huge), all through a 7-speed automatic. So, you can at one hand be rolling slowly through a parking lot or in commute traffic using no fuel at all--electric motor only--or be accelerating onto the freeway like a rocket with the engine.

There are simple, understandable graphic displays to understand where the power is coming from and when the battery is being used or charged, so you can monitor your consumption and behavior.

Being the Infiniti flagship, the car is loaded with comforts, starting with the leather-wrapped seats and continuing with silvered Japanese Ash trim (see photo). The design of the car is soft and voluptuous, from the sweep of trim across the doors and twin-cupped "bustier" over the gauges to the Jaguaresque curve of the fenders--visible through the windshield as you drive.

At $67,565, my fully loaded car was much more expensive than anything I'm every likely to buy--you could get two 50-mile-per gallon Prii for that. If you hold off on the extra fancy options you can get it down to $53,700 (base price). But then you'd miss out on the Bose 10-speaker premium audio system and the gorgeous wood.

Now that I'm back in a "normal" Nissan Rogue I remember the way the Infiniti transported me. Now, if it could get 40 mpg...

Photo by Chris Kidwell.

Buffalo - For Real

2011-11-23T06:59:00.001-08:00

I just received a video on the City of Buffalo, New York from my aunt. In five gently narrated, beautifully filmed minutes, it imparts a glow and polish on an often maligned rust belt city that also happens to be my home town.

I left Buffalo just before I turned 7, so my early childhood memories are made up of time spent with my family in a modest house in suburban Kenmore and visits to my grandparents' place closer to downtown.

As a kid, I knew nothing of the history of the city, but Buffalo at one time was filled with wealth from its strategic location on the Erie Canal and Lake Erie, fueled by plentiful electricity generated at nearby Niagara Falls. Before so many Americans went west, Buffalo was a real place to be, and the wealthy businessmen and civic leaders built some amazing monuments to the city's prosperity.

The video celebrates Buffalo's "good bones" -- the infrastructure and cultural treasures that make it actually a pretty nice place to live if you like those kinds of urban amenities. There are Frank Lloyd Wright houses (Darwin Martin House in photo), a world-class symphony, an internationally recognized art gallery, beautiful parks, rows of century-old houses and other historic treasures. It looks picturesque and desirable on film.

It's also quite cold in Buffalo, but the video touches on it at the end, showing people playing in the snow, making snowmen, and hinting about being "lucky to be snowed in."

Between the images, the story and the compelling soundtrack, it certainly makes you want to visit. Maybe it's time to go catch up with some family.

Little Boxes

2011-11-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

You never know what song might pop into your mind at any time. Today, as I was about to step into the shower, I was picturing my community from above and recalled the song, Little Boxes, by Malvina Reynolds. She wrote the song as she was riding south from San Francisco and saw the neat rows of tract homes in Daly City. It could have been any suburban tract at the time.

The song was a hit for folksinger Pete Seeger in 1963, and entered the public consciousness as part of the 1960's revolt against conformity. It's been recorded by other folks more recently, including Death Cab for Cutie.

...and they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same..."

Alpha Rev Bursts out of Texas

2011-11-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

I remember hearing the Beatles when they first appeared on American AM radio, so I've got decades of music inside my brain. The is nobody quite like the Fab Four, but sometimes, I hear a band that has energy, excitement and something that draws me in. I remember the Police doing that in the 1980's, for example.

Alpha Rev is one of the bands doing it for me today. The group was started in 2005 and went through some recording dead ends before starting on their international debut album.

That album, New Morning, was ranked #3 in 2010 and their video made into the top 10 rotation on VH1. Not bad.

I like the tight harmonies and strong guitars in Heaven and the beauty of the title cut. I haven't heard the whole album through, but they surely need more focused attention--sitting in the chair with the headphones--more than just an occasional visit with the iPod on the road.

I thank to my wife, who discovered these guys somewhere and shared them with me.

Science Tattoos - Wear What You Love

2011-11-20T09:03:00.001-08:00

I'm used to thinking of tattoos as having more "artistic" or "aesthetic" or even "creepy" themes, but I stumbled across the book, Science Ink, by Carl Zimmer, yesterday and I have learned something new. Apparently a lot of scientists wear their enthusiasms on the sleeve--or arm--or back--or leg.

Carl Zimmer saw a scientist he respected relaxing at a pool one time and noted his tattoo. With his scientific mind, Zimmer began researching this phenomenon, and turned up a range of skin art.

There are animals represented, some living, some extinct. Some formulas, from E=mc2 and on, are gracing scientist skin. There are neurons and Tesla motors (not the car company), mass spectrometers, frog skeletons, trees of life--you name it and someone out there is wearing it.

The book is beautifully presented, and actually explains what the tattoos mean--both to the wearer and to science itself, so it's kind of an education, too. Zimmer writes the blog, The Loom, for Discover magazine online, so he knows of what he speaks, and he speaks clearly to laymen.

An extra treat is the Foreword by Mary Roach, who has written several fascinating and also hilarious books on sex, death, space travel -- from a scientific but also practical perspective. Her most recent one is Packing for Mars. I have an autographed copy from when I met her recently.

Hey! Come Hear Barbwyre!

2011-11-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to hear Barbwyre, an excellent trio of musicians that play their country/folk/bluegrass sound to perfection--mostly original compositions. I've heard them before and they delivered--sounding even better perhaps, if that's possible. Over Rob's agile electric bass are Jon's pedal steel, dobro and guitar and Dana's mandolin, guitar and beautifully built cittern (octave mandolin).

They were playing in a perfectly nice venue - the High Street Station in Alameda, where I have seen them, other bands, and even played with my band, Red Paint. So--where were the people? I counted nine in the audience, including myself, and I later learned that three of them were relatives of the band. A couple more straggled in later.

It seems that being good isn't good enough. What is it that motivates people to come hear you? Red Paint, as it gets better, is still working on this issue.

Please--Support your local live musicians! Thank you.

Tom Rush - Urge for Going

2011-11-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

If you go to Pandora and create a Gordon Lightfoot station, you'll hear a fine selection of singers in his style. One of them is Tom Rush. He sings Urge for Going, a Joni Mitchell song. Yesterday, I heard it again, and it's a real beauty.

The mood created by a baritone, a tinkling guitar, and a few satisfying chord changes can haunt your whole day. Joni herself is a master of setting a memorable mood with melody and poetry combined, and this particular song works for me.

Tom was a folkie in the 1960's, and recorded some albums, but he took a long break and released a new CD, What I Know, in 2009. His 1999 compilation, The Very Best of Tom Rush, is going to live in my iPod very shortly. I've got the urge for listening.

Birthdays

2011-11-17T06:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my fellow employees gathered around a couple of tables filled with cakes, pies and fruit and sang "Happy Birthday" to several colleagues who happened to share November birthdays. They blew out the candles together and the feasting began. Then, we went back to work. We do this every month.

How many million times a day does this ritual play out in homes and offices around the country--or the world? Celebrating birthdays is everywhere--or at least it's all over the U.S., where I live.

Also at work this week, we celebrated a birth, when an employee delivered her first child on 11/11/11--at just a few minutes before 11:11! Two photos of the beautiful boy circulated through our emailboxes.

Today is the birthday of Gordon Lightfoot, one of my favorite singer/songwriter/musicians. I spent an evening with him last week. Here's a case of celebrating the achievement of years. The man is still with us at 73, and although he doesn't sound the same, he is our treasured artist and we celebrate him every time "If You Could Read My Mind" comes on the iPod. There wasn't an empty seat at his concert last week.

The Beatles sang "You say it's your birthday..." on the White Album, and that song gets played a lot, although it is not as ubiquitous as the aforementioned little tune. There are lots of other birthday songs out there.

My wife, stepmom and older son all have birthdays in the next few weeks. That makes the Thanksgiving time especially meaningful. Also, a friend and former boss's birthday is November 27. Jeffrey Thomas, born just 10 days after Gordon Lightfoot in 1938, passed away at only 68. I used to call him on his birthday every year. I miss that--and him.

My most important birthday, I think, so far, was my 50th. That's when I began to take music seriously and got my first bass. I'm hoping -- even planning -- to have many many more.

Kia Forte 5-Door - Mostly Great

2011-11-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

I was looking forward to my week with the Kia Forte 5-door for a while. It seemed like the perfect car for me--compact, reasonably agile and fun to drive, and with a rear door and dropping second-row seats, ideal for bass-hauling. Now that week is ending, and the car mostly met the mark.

The 2.4-liter, 173-horsepower inline four-cylinder engine feels energetic, especially if you turn off the ECO setting. I normally keep cars in any position that helps them achieve maximum fuel economy, but the car felt like it dropped its lead shoes when I removed the ECO. Maybe it's the later upshifts. As it was, the car's EPA ratings are 23 City, 32 Highway, and I averaged about 23 miles per gallon on regular, which is decent if not especially outstanding. A 156-horsepower, 2.o-liter engine is also available in some Forte models that gets 26/36.

The scores in the EPA Green Vehicle Guide, which rates cars on a scale of 1-10 (10 is best) for greenhouse gases and air pollution, gives the car two 6's--just enough to qualify it for "SmartWay" status. One may wonder if the manufacturers build to a "12 total" standard.

Living with this car proved to be as I expected--comfortable and quiet, and the interior feels substantial and looks competitive. The exterior appears well proportioned and even a little elegant in Ebony Black.

A few annoyances, though. The automatic climate control didn't heat that well much of the time. I didn't freeze, but I had to crank the knob to 80 degrees and pray. Also, the CD player skipped. And when I went to use my iPod I needed to use a special cable from Kia (thankfully, supplied) that used both the AUX and the USB ports. My friend Fred describes this as a "cheap" setup. It did work fine, however, although if I wanted a "Random" shuffle setting I had to re-enter it each time I started the car. I've noted this in other Kias. Lastly, when I folded down the second-row seats, it didn't create a flat load floor.

My test car, an SX model, was upgraded with a $1,000 leather package, $750 power sunroof and $1,800 Navigation package, which pushed the bottom line to $23,640. No econobox this. The 2012 EX model 5-door starts at $18,850.

If I had faith that my troubles with the heating system were unique to this car I could see buying one, although there is a pretty nice selection of small wagons out there now.

Photo by Chris Kidwell.

Django Reinhardt - Incredible Guitarist

2011-11-15T06:57:00.001-08:00

I've heard of Django Reinhardt for many years and occasionally enjoyed one of his virtuosic pieces on KCSM - the Jazz Station, but it wasn't until last weekend that I actually acquired a recording of his. I found a Verve compilation in the bargain bin for just $7.99 with 16 tracks on it recorded from the late 1930's to 1953--the year he died.

Reinhardt, of Romany (gypsy) stock, grew up in a caravan, and suffered a tragic but ultimately non-career threatening injury to his left hand in a fire when he was young. Somehow, even with this liability, his guitar work is filled with musicality, energy, well-- verve! His later work on the electric guitar, which I heard yesterday on Night and Day, sounds a lot like later Jazz artists while the earlier stuff has more of an acoustic tone. He's often heard with the equally virtuosic Stephane Grapelli on violin.

It's especially fun to shuffle the iPod and have Django's work pop up between other things. It makes it even more apparent how incredible he was. Many famous guitarists and other instrumentalists claim influence from him.

Slow Internet Drives Me Nuts

2011-11-14T06:58:00.001-08:00

We have certain expectations these 21st-century days of 2011. One of them is instant access to information, and if the Internet drags, for whatever reason, it seems somehow patently unfair.

I remember back when there was no online connection for most of us and we got along fine. We visited libraries, patronized bookstores, and even sent letters. We picked up the phone or went to visit people. But now, if I can't read my emails immediately, it seems somehow like the worst torture devised in the history of the world (see cartoon).

I don't think it's just me, but it feels like being stuck in traffic when you've got to be at an appointment. And that may be the same problem--too many people on the same road. I'm also becoming more and more convinced that AT&T U-Verse is not the best way to access the Internet.

Update: This couldn't be posted at 7 a.m. today because of ... a slow Internet connection. On the drive to work, I heard Gordon Lightfoot's song, Too Late for Praying, and realized that if a slow Internet connection is my worst problem today, I'm one of the luckiest people on earth.

New Cars, Old Salesmen

2011-11-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

My friend spent weeks and months considering which car to buy. As a modern, Internet-savvy consumer, she did her homework and finally, walked into a local dealership to start working on buying her choice. There, she ran into... a car salesman.

Sadly, what happened shows why so many of us hate car dealerships. She was told things that weren't true, such as the availability of a feature with an engine size or model. An inexperienced salesman kept going back to "talk with his manager" and kept arriving with incorrect information (or, "lies" as my friend says). It seemed clear that the dealership wanted to sell my friend something they had in stock and weren't interested in providing her with what she wanted.

At one point, to prove the salesperson was wrong, my friend emailed a car she "built" online using the manufacturer's own website!

As it stands now, she will take her business to a different dealership and try it again. She bought her last three cars there and it's just plain lost business--forever.

This brings to mind an article I just read about Joe Girard, the all-time top-selling car salesman. He moved 13,001 Chevrolets over his 15-year car-selling career. The key? Serving his customers! He actually had to schedule appointments because he was in such demand. He once sold 18 car in one day. He later moved into advice and has an active speaking career today at the age of 83.

Cafe Gratitude - Wholesome and Delicious

2011-11-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

Before attending a concert last week, I had a remarkable meal at Cafe Gratitude, a "health food" restaurant located in the far corner of the largest Whole Foods store I've ever seen. Next to De Anza College in Cupertino, this modest cafe says that it's, quote:

"...our expression of a world of plenty..." and "...a celebration of our aliveness." Yeah, it's a little much, but apparently sincere. They use all organic ingredients and support local farmers, and claim that their "food is prepared with love." Much of the produce comes from the BE LOVE FARM in Vacaville, California. Sounds great to me.

The meals are all named for declarations, such as I Am Adventurous (soup) or I Am Elated (Enchilada). I enjoyed the I Am Transformed, which was two handmade corn tacos with brown rice, black beans, salsa roja, guacamole and cashew nacho cheese. It was incredibly tasty, and even better, it really did feel like it was made with care, and seemed to traverse my system smoothly and happily.

The place also features tea and coffee (organic of course), fresh juice concoctions, smoothies, milkshakes (not cow milk, though), and some delightful desserts.

I've only visited once, but I will definitely return. There are locations in other San Francisco Bay Area locations: Oakland, Berkeley, San Rafael, and San Francisco, and further afield in Santa Cruz and Healdsburg.

Much thanks to my friend, Lowell, who suggested it, persevered when we couldn't find it at first in its "hidden" location, and paid the bill.

Gordon Lightfoot Concert - Generating Energy

2011-11-11T06:33:00.001-08:00

Last night I went to see Gordon Lightfoot perform in Cupertino, California. In his two-hour show, I enjoyed impeccable musical accompanyment by his tight band, most of whose members have toured and recorded with Gordon for decades (42 years for bassist Rick Haynes).

Gordon traversed his career in no particular order, playing some fairly obscure album cuts as well as some major hits, but his fans, who filled every seat of the Flint Center, surely knew them all and sometimes applauded when a special favorite began. I was gratified when he played Song for a Winter's Night--probably my favorite Lightfoot song of all.

The most interesting thing, however, was the transformation that we witnessed in Lightfoot himself over the course of the evening. When he strolled out, he moved well, but his voice, which is not the rich baritone it used to be, was soft and scratchy, and he seemed to have trouble reaching some of the higher notes. Although I sat absorbed, enjoying the arrival of each new song, there was a little sadness in sensing that this man, who turns 73 on November 17, is in his twilight.

Well, so much for that. After a fairly short break, he and the band came back and knocked out a fine Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and it was uphill from there. The gaunt-looking man on stage started to seem younger with time, smiled more, talked more, and he started hitting those notes he couldn't reach before. And that's why, I think, he still tours. He gains energy from his adoring fans and from playing with his band. You could see it happen right before you. As I watched him I could see the younger Gordon come out and suddenly his vocal limitations disappeared and all we heard were his great songs.

There's a movement in Canada to create a Gordon Lightfoot Day for this living musical legend. Yesterday was that day for me and the crowd with whom he shared an evening.

George Harrison's Cloud Nine - Post Beatle High Spot

2011-11-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

Of all the late post-Beatle work by the Fab Four, I'm especially impressed with George Harrison's 1987 album, Cloud Nine. Thanks the production (and, likely, encouragement) from Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra), this disc flows beautifully and captures George in strong voice and big ideas.

This is not like the overwhelming release of All Things Must Pass--in which George gave his fans all the pent-up emotion and material he hadn't been able to squeeze onto Beatles albums. Cloud Nine sounded fresh--and '80s without being trendy. Jeff didn't overdo it.

I especially remember Got My Mind Set On You, because my first son was just five at the time and loved this song. He used to jump up and down and dance to it. I wonder if it helped prepare him for his love of heavy metal music that he acquired in his adolescence.

Jeff Lynne went on to work with George in the Traveling Wilburys and also produce two "new" songs for the Beatles Anthology in 1995. Those songs, Real Love and Free as a Bird, were made from John Lennon tapes, which Lynne carefully mixed with the other three Beatles' new performances. John sounds thin (ghostly?) on these, but it is certainly something I never expected to hear.

Suzuki Kizashi - A Japanese Audi

2011-11-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know what Kizashi means but it certainly conveys "from Japan," and Suzuki's premium sedan is. It's as if a well-known manufacturer of motorcycles and small cars decided to build an Audi A4.

The seats, for example, are not only covered in leather, but are beautifully stitched and proved quite comfortable on the hour-long rides to work and back. I would have gladly sat longer if I had a more exotic destination, but alas, that was not to be this week.

The craftsmanship of the dash was, as far as I could tell, perfect, with padded sections and exquisite matte finishes (Audi again). The instrument panel rises up behind the steering wheel and back down gracefully in a simple, clean curve, much like the Audis of the early to mid 2000's. The effect of it all, including the stitched door panels, is luxury absolutely without ostentation.

And, its very quiet inside the Kizashi (sounds like something to do with Samurai, doesn't it?) Hey, Suzuki sold the Samurai small Jeeplike vehicle years ago! The Samurai was and is known as the Jimny worldwide, where it is still sold. Popular in the 1980's in the U.S., the tiny 4wd trucklet tipped over easily, earning it some notoriety. It was replaced by the larger and presumably more stable Sidekick (Escudo elsewhere) which is now known as the Grand Vitara in the U.S.

The Kizashi provides 180 horsepower from its 2.4-liter four. Through the continuously-variable automatic in my test car it zoomed forward energetically with little fuss. Competitors may have more guts but offer no more satisfaction, to my mind.

Like the Audis they resemble, Kizashis are available in front wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive, with manual or automatic transmission. The FWD, manually equipped car starts at under $20,000, including destination charge.

My test car's Deep Sea Blue Metallic paint was well-applied and lustrous, offering the informal elegance of a nice blue blazer. It's tan interior mimicked the tan slacks that would set that blazer off. All that's missing is the brass buttons, although my car did have glistening 18-inch alloy wheels.

Sadly, most people won't consider this fine car when they go looking because they don't know how good it is and don't think "Suzuki" when they head out to the dealerships. I say, don't miss out on this car!

My Collections

2011-11-08T06:51:00.001-08:00

Do you collect anything (I don't mean Social Security checks or dust). I mean, do you, or have you ever built a collection? I'm thinking stamps, coins, out-of-state license plates, baseball cards, Barbie dolls, knives, state quarters and so on? I either have or know someone who has collected these items. There are lots more, and many being created daily (just look for Franklin Mint).

You can collect first impressions. I think of this here in November because it's about time to play, "find the first license plate sticker from next year." That means I'm looking for a 2013 sticker, since the sticker marks the expiration of your car registration. My cars all wear 2012s now. I'm hoping that someone with a January plate (in California, everyone gets a month sticker too, so the registration process is spread out all year) has already sent their money to the DMV and diligently pasted their new sticker in place. The stickers are different colors each year, so there's a minor wager between me and my older son about what color the new year's sticker will be.

I used to play the "find the sticker" game with my sons when they were kids--attaching a small prize to the first sighting. I've done this game with the first new penny too, but the U.S. Mint has been dragging its feet at the stamping plant the last few years and it can get to mid-year before one shows up. This was especially fascinating and frustrating in 2009 and 2010, when the penny got a new back (reverse) design for the first time in half a century. There were four Lincoln commemorative designs in 2009, one permanent change in 2010.

There's the car-finding game, too, when you try to spot a new model out on the road for the first time. I've played that game since the 1964 models came out, when my dad and I entertained ourselves this way. Yes, I'm still doing it today, and with two hours of commuting a day I have plenty of opportunity.

Daylight Saving Time is Over--For Now

2011-11-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

Every year we go through the same drill--spring forward, fall back, oversleep, undersleep. Is Daylight Saving Time really necessary?

We just experienced the "good" part, where you gain an hour. The problem is, you're getting back the hour you gave up in April, so it's a zero sum deal, and you didn't get any interest on that hour. You also have no choice--unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii, where they don't bother with this foolishness. A nation of farmers may have benefited from this institution but I don't think a nation of office workers and small business employees does.

I will say that I woke up at the usual time today and lay in bed for an hour anticipating the clock to go off any minute. That will take a week or so to resolve itself. But, I was able to walk the dog without a flashlight today and enjoy a clear, cloudless sky with sunlight--but no visible disk--and that was refreshing.

Complaints aside, life goes on, no matter what time it is.

Playing Faure Requiem is Thought Provoking

2011-11-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my increasing skills and interest in playing the bass, I found myself this weekend, by invitation, playing the Faure Requiem at Trinity Church in Menlo Park, California. Gabriel Faure (pictured) wrote it in the late 1880s and it has become very popular. Like many classical works, there are different arrangements.

It was a very satisfying--even moving--experience. Take a listen. And this is from someone who is not a Christian. It did leave me feeling like I don't have much of a spiritual life, though, as church services often do.

I was fortunate to work with some excellent musicians, led by the brilliant Michael Taylor, who has sung professionally for a quarter century yet still looks like a young man. He arranged our parts for this performance.

We were a small group, just flute, violin, viola, cello, bass and harp, but with the strength of the strong mixed choir and Taylor's sublime baritone we "rocked the house." I was a little bugged by my few missed notes and entrances, but I felt a little more nervous than I expected to--especially after making the first goof. I figured I would be forgiven in a church--and nobody seemed to either notice or mind (although I bet Michael heard them).

A requiem is a mass for the dead, and today, in the All Saints mass, many people were remembered, and listed, some with last names and some without. I didn't know any of them personally, but the grand sounds of the organ (which made my bass vibrate) and the fine choral work helped put me in the right frame of mind to think about the departed that I did know, starting with my father.

The senior associate rector, Rev. Frannie Hall Kieschnick, delivered a rousing sermon about the dead being carried with us, she said, in a kind of "balcony," able to give counsel, comfort and guidance. She even quoted a Jewish prayer that in essence said that the dead were not really gone if they lived on in our memories. Makes sense. I was so rapt in thinking about my dad that I missed an entrance--but jumped right in at the right place a couple of measures in--that was a wake-up call!

Despite being brought up as Jews, my parents weren't religious at all, although we did occasionally show up at temple and lit candles on Chanukah. My parents are (and were) good, honest, decent folks and not what I'd call "sinners" although they have surely had their moments, like anyone (and I guess we are all sinners, according to the church).

In any case, I didn't learn at home any reason to go to a house of worship when you wanted a spiritual connection. I think it's entirely possible that most church attendees are just showing up by habit, but something spiritually thought-provoking could seep in while they're sitting there, especially if beautiful music is playing. I don't know--but it would seem to increase the odds.

I'll have to think about it.

Lost in the Produce Aisle

2011-11-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Like many men who had moms who made their dinner (and wives who work and aren't housewives), I am pretty much mystified in the produce aisle at the supermarket. Yeah, I can identify broccoli (and actually like it, steamed) and I know what Brussels sprouts look like (wife's not keen on 'em so they're not a welcome visitor at home). Spinach--fine. Corn--check. Green beans--OK. Corn--of course. I even know what kale is and have eaten it willingly. Then, there's all that other stuff. (bags of mini potatoes pictured)

I know that I need to eat more vegetables, but they just sit there in their neat little trays, sometimes bagged but usually just sprawled out in front of me. What do you do with them? Would you eat them with something else? I'm just not comfortable with that.

Sadly, that leaves resorting to frozen bricks of spinach, which are actually good for you--they freeze it right when it's picked so in a way it may be fresher than what's sitting there at room temperature. We have bags of peas and green beans in the refrigerator, too. I like to cook some up--preferably in the microwave--with a nice juicy Aidell's Chicken & Apple sausage. Mmm.

What will it take to make me more active in the vegetable-eating world? We need to hire ourselves a housewife--or at least a cook. Maybe we can choose one random mystery vegetable at a time and experiment with it. At least that cuts down on the panic of too many choices.

Fruit's easier--I brought home apples, grapes and some cute mini bananas (which probably cost twice as much as regular-sized ones). Now--step 2 is to eat them before they go bad. Sigh.

That Old Car Owning Dream

2011-11-04T06:50:00.001-07:00

I saw a late 1960's BMW Tilux 2000 in the parking lot near work (again) yesterday. Its paint was shot and with its windows open, you could smell the deteriorating upholstery. But I wanted it anyway.

What is it about old cars? They pollute like crazy, can fall victim to any number of mechanical problems and, if collectible, can cost a ton of money to buy and to restore. They aren't safe on the road (no airbags, crush zones, or likely, anti-lock brakes). But they stand out.

I read various collectible car magazines, such as Hemmings Classic Car, appreciating the 12 years some guy spent restoring his 1954 MG or 1967 Chevy, and the "driveable dreams" that seem to keep on going without anything but a tune up and oil change. But I actually have a cute little old collector's car in my garage and won't go near it.

Maybe it's all about the delta between your dreams and reality, or what you'd LIKE to like and what you actually enjoy doing. I appreciate it when those big guys run up and down the basketball court and put the basketball in the hoop but I'd never want to do that myself. When my friend hiked the Pacific Coast Trail last year I was very impressed--but I find it hard to get to my local park on the weekend.

But I still admire those old beasts as they cruise through the sea of Honda Civics, Toyota Camrys and Chevy Malibus. Give me a 1973 Volvo 1800es!

KFOG - Great Radio for Baby Boomers

2011-11-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

You get to a point where you really don't want to just listen to oldies, but you don't want to be blasted with completely unfamiliar music either. Where do you go for a perfect mix, where you hear everything from the Rolling Stones and Dylan to Train and Florence and the Machine? KFOG 104.5 in San Francisco--that's where.

104.5 has been delivering the goods for decades--hitting just the right mix to keep you happy. The on-air personalities have personalities--apparently real ones--and aren't trying to imitate the 1960's DJs. Some have worked there for a long time.

KFOG presents the "10 at 10,"-- "ten great songs from one great year," as DJ Dave Morey always said. And the listeners are known as "fogheads."

The station produces an annual "Live from the Archives" CD (the 18th one is just out -- see photo) that features recordings of current artists that you can't find anywhere else. It's for sale at Peet's Coffee this year (or online if you're not in the area) and is a fundraiser for Bay Area food banks.

Some of us are old enough to remember when KFOG was an easy listening station back in the 1960s. They still play the classic foghorn sound--which dates from that era.

I'm keeping it tuned to 104.5.

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback--Hidden Gem

2011-11-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

When you're retailing, say, Ford F150 pickup trucks or Toyota Camrys, you basically just round 'em up and move 'em out. These models sell in the U.S. in the hundreds of thousands every year. "What color would you like?," is what the salespeople ask their numerous customers.

What if you're Mitsubishi? Things aren't going as well in the U.S. these days, with the sporty Eclipse in decline, the Galant a perennial also-ran and SUV sales stagnant. But there are some bright spots, including the upcoming "i" all-electric models, the brisk-selling compact crossover Outlander Sport--and the Lancer Sportback.

The Lancer is its most ferocious as the Evolution, with its 291-horsepower turbocharged engine, Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, and such, but the Lancer itself, in sedan or Sportback form, is a nice car that is overshadowed by some flashier competition. My Graphite Gray test car looked handsome and had the solid, well put together look of a BMW sedan of a couple of generations ago. The big mouth grille is the new face of Mitsubishi, in the style of Audi, but the general proportions are restrained and handsome.

Inside, the lines are straight, surfaces no-nonsense and hard for the most part, and the chrome and bling are at a minimum. At first glance, this seems a little Spartan, but, frankly, that's the way 3 Series BMWs have looked for years and nobody has complained. In truth, when you're driving you want controls that work the way they're supposed to, information when you need it, and reasonable quiet so you can hear the stereo. These things the Lancer does just fine, and the lack of overtly styled twists and turns and elaborately crafted dash art are pleasantly non-distracting.

The ES model, like mine, has a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a manual or automatic. My tester had the latter, which, as a Continuously Variable Transmission, churned out usable ratios without fuss and never left me sitting there. The manual, which I sampled in a sedan previously, would be a little more fun.

Average fuel economy is rated at 27 and that's about what I got. Not bad.

The GTS moves up to a 2.4-liter four with 168 horsepower and adds 18-inch alloy wheels. The Ralliart uses a 2.0-liter turbo to put out 237 horsepower. See their website for model specs.

The real bonus of the Sportback is its generous hatchback. It lifts up high--above head clunking level--and a quick drop of the seats opens up a surprisingly large and flat carpeted space. When the rear seats are up and the cover's in place, you get the security of a good-sized trunk. It's a best-of-both-worlds deal.

At $20,105, including optional 18-inch alloys from the higher-level models, rear disc brakes and stabilizer bars for higher performance, a sunroof and nice leather-wrapped steering wheel, the car feels like something of a bargain.

You just have to keep an open mind when you're out shopping--and figure out where the nearest Mitsubishi dealer is located.

Oh Wow

2011-11-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Halloween, was a day to think about death. And beyond all the pumpkins and candy and costumes is the more gruesome imagery of worms and skeletons and tombstones.

The reality is known--we all have to go. We may go early by accident, like racecar driver Dan Wheldon, in active old age, like my 90-year-old friend Don, or by tragic lifestyle, like Amy Winehouse. But, as we have some choice in the way we live, we also can choose how we face the inevitability of our death.

Steve Jobs, the genius responsible for so much we know and love in our lives, according to his sister said "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow" as his final words. I find that easy to believe. He looked forward and saw something exciting. He had an attitude of curiosity and discovery even at the very end of his too-short life. The attitude that made those words possible is what made his 56 years worth living.

We can't know what Steve saw or experienced at that moment, but I find it comforting and encouraging that what what he saw couldn't have been a bad thing if he was so excited about it. Perhaps if we lose our fear of death we can lose our fear of life and live it to the fullest. Because a wasted life is more tragic than death, it seems to me.

Jammin' - Music Comes Alive

2011-10-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

When you play with a group of musicians, say, a band or an orchestra, you normally rehearse the material you're working on together. It could be the set of songs that you perform regularly, refining over time, or material for an upcoming concert. This can be fun and it can also be a lot of work--or even become routine.

Then, there's the jam session. Somebody wants to play something, calls out the chords, and you're on your way. From the bass player's perspective, it's great because, along with the drummer, you're carrying the music along, and you have to be on your toes for changes. It's structured, but you can improvise as you go.

Last night I had the chance to play with some people I know and have worked with before. After a Halloween meal, we plugged in, tuned up and were on our way. It's a good thing they invented the blues because if you know the key you can step in pretty easily, and that's what I did. The Hayward Odd Fellows Hall rang out with guitars, piano, drums and vocals, and the fun began.

As we put away our instruments later, I knew a good time was had by all--and I was happy I was able to play this way now. It's exhilarating. (Thanks, Kevin, for putting it together).

Which Car Should I Buy?

2011-10-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

I was sitting with a friend of mine last night talking about the new cars she's considering buying to replace her 10-year-old Toyota Avalon. She's looking at midsized sedans, so she's already considered the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, and a few others. I suggested she add a new Korean products - the Kia Optima -- (pictured) to her list, although she wasn't that impressed with it's cousin, the Hyundai Sonata. She's narrowing it down pretty well, having already weeded out several candidates.

Makes you wonder what people really want in a car and how they decide. Here are some things to consider:

Do you need to carry other people? How many?
Be sure you have enough seats so that everybody has a seatbelt. If you need a minivan, get one. They offer all the style, comfort and features of cars now. SUVs and crossovers (tall station wagons) do too, but they may be less fuel efficient, depending on model.

Do you need to haul a lot of stuff ? Any specific oversized objects?
For seriously heavy and dirty stuff, buy a pickup, but many SUVs can handle loads too. If your cargo is, say a large musical instrument, one of today's hatchbacks may surprisingly do the job. I've fit an upright bass in a MINI Cooper and the Honda CR-Z two-seater.

Do you ski or plan on going off road?
You can get all-wheel-drive (it works automatically) in many cars. I especially recommend Audis (luxury) and Subarus (more modestly priced). For serious rock climbing, the Jeep Wrangler is ideal, but for most of us, traction is what it's about. Don't buy a giant SUV if you can do fine with a four-wheel-drive sedan or wagon.

How much do you have to spend?
You can get a new car for 11 or 12 thousand dollars today, but you want to be sure you have what you need in it. Don't suffer with roll-up windows or a crummy stereo if you can afford it. Also, consider a two- or three-year-old low-mileage used car to save some cash. I've found that $18,000 seems to be the place where some nice features come included in a new car. The current crop of economy hatchbacks and sedans are well made, comfortable and plenty powerful out on the highway, including small cars like the all-new Hyundai Accent and Toyota Yaris.

How long do you plan to keep the car?
If you plan to trade in three years, you want to be sure that the resale value of your car remains as high as possible. That indicates sticking to cars that hold value, including most Toyotas and Hondas, for example. Do some research online to find out. Leasing can save you money and offer a lower initial payment in a three-year period. If you want to keep it a long time, buy the car--don't lease and then buy it. That will cost you more and take forever to pay off. If you plan to keep it a long time, be sure you really like the car and that it will accommodate any changes you may expect (babies?)

New or used?
With a new car, you are not inheriting anyone else's problems and you get that "new car smell." That could enhance your pride and pleasure of ownership, but it will usually mean spending more money. I suggest staying away from any used car over three or four years old or with unusually high mileage (25,000 miles a year). In California, certainly, a used car should look new at two or three years old with no snow or road salt to corrode it. Some cars depreciate so little (example: MINIs) that it's almost not worth buying one that's two years old.

Do you care where your car is made?
This can be tricky. Is it the brand that you're concerned about or the factory location? Toyotas are built in Kentucky and Fords are made in Mexico. The American-built Japanese and Korean brand cars seem to be of high quality and are using 80 percent or higher domestic parts now, so they are essentially American. You can check the label in the car, too. I suggest buying what you like, regardless of brand, but you have a choice, and today's American cars, such as the Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion, are now very nice and reliable.

What features do you want?
Be sure you get those heated seats or satellite radio if you want them. The first time you use them you'll be glad you didn't skimp. But you don't need to have everything on the options list. Don't worry about the cold start package if you live in Los Angeles. You can still order a car exactly the way you want if you're willing to wait.

Manual or automatic transmission?
Most cars sold in the U.S. are automatics--we seem to like them better than the Europeans. Fuel economy is no longer an issue--some automatics are actually better, but they may cost more. If you're looking for a manual transmission you may be in for a long search (BMW and Mazda can help you, and some bottom-of-the-market vehicles still offer it--on the entry model).

How many miles do you drive typically in a day? Do you ever need to travel long distances?
This question is especially important if you're considering one of the new electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf. If you drive 75 or fewer miles a day you may find the limited range of an electric car (for now) to be no problem. But if you finish your daily commute and then want to head from San Francisco to Los Angeles, your electric won't be able to do it yet. Regardless of powertrain, if you drive a lot be sure your car's seats have a wide range of adjustment and are absolutely comfortable from the start (and get a good audio system).

Is the highest possible fuel economy your goal? Do you want the lowest possible emissions?
The two-word answer to this question is either Toyota Prius (hybrid) or Nissan Leaf (electric--see above for a caveat). Because the Prius recharges its battery as you drive it, and can run part of the time in electric-only mode, it beats other types of hybrids, such as Honda's, which use the electric motor to supplement the gas engine, which is always running (except at stops). Priuses (Prii?) have top ratings in the EPA's Green Vehicle Guide. Of course, the Leaf uses zero gas, but the electricity it consumes is generated somewhere, and that could be a coal-powered plant. There's no free lunch.

There are more questions, but that's the heart of it. I always encourage people to be sure their new vehicle can do what they need it to do, but otherwise I recommend getting no more car than what they really need, for economical as well as environmental reason.

There's always the emotional side--you can't ignore it. It may very well motivate many, or even most purchases, but you can't let that be the sole determiner of what you drive home or you could end up with a Corvette in the driveways and three kids. I've actually experienced that and it's no fun (for the kids, certainly!).

Don Mozley - RIP - One of My Heroes

2011-10-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Don Mozley died a couple of days ago, and I am going to miss him. I knew Don over the last couple of decades as a lively and welcome presence at meetings and events with the Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ) --an automotive writers group that he helped found 20 years ago. But he was much more than that.

Don was a broadcaster--one of the great ones, starting out at just 21 years old reporting on early World War II events and the atomic bomb tests at Bikini in the Marshall Islands. He covered presidential campaigns in the 1950's through 1960. He then worked for KCBS in San Francisco for many years, including 15 years as news director. His automotive stories, which ran up to this month, include the long-running California Driver series and Don Mozley's Auto Test.

Don was one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He was also quite funny. I have his last email to me from October 18th. In response to the cancellation of a WAJ meeting, Don replied:

"Gee--you didn’t need to cancel it just because I would be in London. Best--DM"

The sad thing is, that trip to England would be his last. Always active, Don died at Heathrow Airport of an apparent heart attack on his way home.

I have long said that I plan to live actively to 90. Don Mozley did that--and had a full life the whole time. That's why he's one of my heroes, and I can't believe he's gone.

Van Morrison's Moondance - Jazz to Pop World

2011-10-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

I just heard Van Morrison's exquisite Moondance again and this time, as a bass player, I especially savored the walking bass part. It sounds like it's played on an electric guitar bass, but the sound is definitely upright--like a jazz combo would do. He hits four beats to the measure--each quarter note moving the song along--bum bum bum bum.

From Belfast, Northern Ireland, Morrison, now 66, started his solo career with Brown Eyed Girl, in 1967, but he was heard earlier in Gloria, as lead singer with the group Them. Moondance--as an album--established him as a major artist. We can enjoy Domino too, or Blue Money, Into the Mystic, and on and on.

Morrision has won six Grammys and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And he's still touring!

First 2012 Camry Sighting!

2011-10-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Toyota Camry is not an exciting car, however, numerous generations of it have been so successful since 1983 that they are everywhere you look. But the 2012 model is brand new and I just saw my first one "in the flesh" yesterday.

It was in the next lane over to the right, so I saw the new taillamps first, then looked at the shaping of the tail and up the sides.I caught a peek at its face in my right rearview mirror. Shortly after, it took the exit and I saw it roll away into the distance.

Although I knew what the new car looked like from photos, it was different full-size in three dimensions. Cars are real things, and seeing them helps you understand better why they were designed the way they were. They're commercial art, and you know that a bestseller like the Camry gets careful attention in the studio. What it normally doesn't get is anything too advanced or wild--but that's not its job.

I've enjoyed "first sightings" since I learned about cars from my father as a kid. We drove along identifying the cars on the road by make, model and year together. I saw the new cars at the dealership (sometimes in the back lot, before introduction) and spent lots of time studying the drawings enticingly laid out in Motor Trend. Thanks to the Internet and spy photography, there are few secrets anymore, but that first sighting is always a little special--even if it's a Toyota Camry (which is much nicer than the photos would lead you to believe).

Honda CR-Z Hybrid--Shift for Yourself

2011-10-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Honda CR-Z is the first hybrid car with a manual transmission. This makes it more fun to drive, but doesn't improve the fuel economy. Today's automatics are better at driving "green" than we are. I achieved 33.7 mpg, a fine figure for a car, but a number that pales next to the almighty Prius.

The reason is, Hondas use the gas engine/electric motor combination differently from Toyotas. A Prius can run on gas only, electric only, or, normally, a combination. Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system uses the electric motor as a supplement to the gas engine, which runs all the time--except during "Auto Stop," when it shuts off at a traffic light or stop sign. This means the fuel savings come from using a smaller gas engine (a 1.5-liter, 122-horsepower 4 in this case) and from the stops. However, I found that with a clutch, I occasionally ended up shifting into nothingness--outsmarting the automatic-on function of the engine. It was a little disconcerting in traffic.

The CR-Z is the modern successor to the popular two-seat CR-X sold from 1983-91. It was a junior-size Civic. I looked at one in 1986 and ended up buying the Civic Si hatchback instead, because it offered rear seats. The CR-Z, like the CR-X, is strictly a two-seater, with storage behind the seats, but there are rear "panels" that fold down to create a large cargo area--big enough to carry my upright bass. Several people doubted I could do that and were amazed to see the large instrument materialize out of the diminutive vehicle.

My red tester, with a crisp light gray interior, drove smoothly and quietly along all roads and didn't feel as small as it looked from the outside. A few people commented on its cute appearance--it got more comments than most other test cars.

My tester priced out at $23,310 in the EX level with a navigation system. Prices start at $20,295 for the regular model. An automatic transmission is available.

Things My Mom Gave Me

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm using my 300th blog post of 2011 to thank my mother for all the things she has done for me. She was born on this day 81 years ago.

Of course, the first thing she gave me was life itself. And after she did, she breast fed me--the only new mother on the floor in the hospital to do so. She ignored the "modern" method of the day to do what was right. That gave me immunities (and closeness) that have made me a very healthy person my whole life.

Mom gave me time and attention. She stayed home with me, and didn't go off to work until I was a teenager. It was the times, of course, but it was good to have her there. As a teenager, I'd visit with her at night when she was resting from work and we'd talk about things, too.

Mom gave me the gift of music. She played the cello as I was growing up and filled the house with chamber music. I didn't know it then, but it would be something I'd love doing as an adult. For the last five years, I've played in a community orchestra and in chamber music workshops, just like she did--only my instrument is the bass--in the same string family.

Mom also bought a stereo system for our house, and not long afterwards, brought home Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band when it came out. This not only showed how cool she was but also supported and expanded my love of the Beatles and guitar playing. Today, I play bass in a four-piece band, Red Paint, as a direct result.

Mom has shown me how to deal with loss and move on. After my parents' divorce, she found a new person--the love of her life--and even when she lost that person (who died too soon), she went on living a full life full of friends and activities. She has lost much of her hearing--and the music that comes with it--but she studies lipreading and sign language, still actively participating in life.

I treasure the time we spend together, and hope we have lots more.

Thanks, Mom, and happy birthday!

Chevrolet Turns 100

2011-10-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company back in 2003, but now it's that other American icon's turn to hit the century mark. Chevrolet is running fat advertisements in the car magazines (and probably everywhere else) to let us know that the Heartbeat of America is still going strong.

Nowadays, with the enthusiasm for German engineering (BMW, Mercedes, Audi) and respect for quality. economy and reliability (Toyota, Honda) and rise of the Korean brands (Hyundai, Kia) some folks may have never actually driven an American car. This could be when they start, however, with truly worthwhile daily drivers such as the Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu for starters. The quality and desirability has moved into the the compacts how, with Chevy's new Cruze taking honors for top seller in the segment. The Ford Focus is finally more or less the same as the highly prized European model.

Chevy is definitely selling the historical imagery now, with the iconic 1955-7 models, Corvettes (pretty much any), and the beloved Chevy trucks (Like a Rock, remember?). My family had several Chevys when I was growing up, including a 1960 (first year) Corvair four-door sedan, 1961 Brookwood wagon, 1963 Corvair convertible, 1964 Corvette (Dad, after divorce) and 1968 Malibu (Dad, after remarriage). Of course the metallic blue Corvette was the most exciting, but because it was extremely impractical, it wasn't around very long.

There will be a lot of new cars from Chevy in the near future, including the subcompact Sonic (out now--unrelated to the burger chain) and the even smaller Spark, which will have an electric version. The plug-in hybrid Volt is probably the best representative of "today's Chevy," and although it's a niche vehicle for now, the brand will be pushing in every way to stay relevant to today's and tomorrow's car shoppers.

Mozart Rules

2011-10-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the best known and most loved composers in the classical world. He wrote great, accessible music. It's supposed to be good for your kids to listen to it. He started very young and died much too early.

Playing Mozart is an amazing thing. It's an exercise but also a blissful release, when you contribute your part to the orchestra as it moves along through fast and slow passages, the dynamics roar or whisper, the notes pour out or sing solo in delicate beauty. You have 40 people participating with instruments and hundreds listening and it becomes an event--an altered state of mind.

Today, the Castro Valley Chamber Orchestra, of which I am a member, played three Mozart pieces along with two other amazing works. The program went very well, thanks to fine conducting by Josh Cohen, our leader, as well as guest conductors Todd Wetherwax, Sandra Noriega and Tom Baker, who all stepped in and kept us moving and playing the pieces effectively. Mr. Baker had the distinction of composing one of our pieces, conducting it, and also playing viola and piano (not all at once, of course).

Community orchestras bring the pleasures of classical music to the public at very reasonable prices, and give amateur musicians a chance to work on important and valuable works and grow as performers.

Halloween Means Pumpkins!

2011-10-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

The first sign of Halloween is always the arrival of bags of small candy bars in huge piles near the entrance of Safeway (they get an entire aisle at my local Walgreens too). Sadly for my waistline, this year I have been a regular customer of said product for weeks already.

Another sign of Halloween, besides witches and goblins and creepy spiders, is the arrival of pumpkins! I've seen them stacked in front of the aforementioned Safeway, and imagery of them is abundant. There's was even a pumpkin-carving contest announced a couple of days ago at work.

The best way to celebrate pumpkins, though, is to go to drive to Half Moon Bay (California), where many of the large orange vegetables are grown. It's best to go on a weekend that does not contain the annual Pumpkin Festival itself. Traffic is bad in and out of the small coastal town during all of October, but we simply avoid that big weekend.

We went there today, a week after the festival. Years ago, we took our younger son and some friends of ours with similar aged kids, but since my "baby" is 19, that's out. Luckily, the next generation has arrived, so this time my three-year-old granddaughter (with my older son and daughter-in-law) got her first taste of the pony ride, train ride, giant slide, face painting and other activities. We managed to avoid the congested roads and escaped afterwards up Highway 1 for a tasty lunch at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company in Princeton-By-The-Sea. The beer was a perfect accompaniment to the day.

Nothing scary about that at all, but it could be frightening what happens to my girth if they don't get that tempting candy out of the supermarket soon. And I'd better be careful with the pumpkin pie, too.

Barbie Gets Inked--Tattoo Controversy Erupts

2011-10-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

I was fascinated to read yesterday about a new Barbie version (there have been thousands over the last half century). This one has permanent tattoos, pink hair, and a doggy in a cactus suit. The article in the Salon online contains the usual parental outrage and a very nice image (left).

I don't care much about Barbie in general, growing up a straight boy, but my wife enjoys some of the special (gorgeously dressed) Barbies and has dozens of them. There are all kinds of them, so this is just Barbie reflecting her times. Many people are tattooed today, including this writer, so it's no big deal.

The only problem could be if this were to generate thousands of nine-year-old girls seeking out places to get permanently inked. The law in California says you have to be age 18--period. Parental support and approval makes no difference. I know from personal experience that impatient teenagers become impulsive teenagers, so this could be a bad thing. You don't think long term when you're young.

But Barbie's new ink--what they show of it, looks like the fanciful images of Sailor Jerry--mermaids, cherries, hearts, (well, pistols, brass knuckles and knives are part of that aesthetic, too) and all the other images you see in Tattoo magazine every month. Nothing too odd or objectionable there.

Parents will have to deal with this. Images of tattooed movie stars are everywhere, so it's just another place where patience, calm and perspective will counter any ill effects of Barbie's new style.