June 8, 1978
A. David Chan asked about Carol Hallett and by good fortune I had her photo in the “someday soon” stack. Her biography says she was field office representative for Assemblyman, later Congressman, William M. Ketchum. Speak up if you know for sure, my guess is that she was the first woman elected from the area to state assembly.
She later served in President Reagan’s administration as Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. She also headed the Customs Dept. in the George Herbert Walker Bush administration.
When these pictures were made Proposition 13 had just passed attendees at a fund raising luncheon were in a fine mood. About 1,200 people paid $15 each to eat and hear speeches by Carol Hallett and Ronald Reagan.
Quoting Jeanne Huber’s story:

An Atascadero Republican, Mrs. Hallett is seeking election to a second term in the 16th Assembly District.
Thursday’s event turned out to be as much a celebration of the voters decision to limit property taxes through Proposition 13 as it was a campaign rally for Mrs. Hallett, who is considered a shoo-in for re-election by political observers.
***
Reagan got a standing ovation with his response to a question of whether he planned to run for president in 1980: “I haven’t closed the door yet, so stay loose.”

Photos were by Thom Halls

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The best gift of all? A full wallet

Today is Black Friday*.

For most of the nation, the day after Thanksgiving is a chance to hit the mall in search of super-sales, to barge down store aisles stocking carts with the best bargains and sweetest deals. For a smaller segment of the population, however, today is also Buy Nothing Day.

My plan is to buy nothing today.

No gadgets. No toys. Not even a pack of gum.

Not to spite struggling retailers or to skimp on my Christmas list, but to take a stand against the rampant consumerism that has gripped our nation in its vulture-like talons.

That’s not to say that I won’t be getting in a little Christmas shopping this weekend. And I certainly might take advantage of some of those so-called “deals” — without spending more than I planned to, of course.

But the majority of my money will stay where it is. In my wallet.

Recognize our economic crisis. Acknowledge the vicious cycle of credit cards, international profiteering and national debt. Celebrate Buy Nothing Day.

***

If you simply can’t resist the siren song of eager retailers on Saturday and Sunday, there are a few tips that can make your shopping experience more pleasant.

Gizmodo offers “Best of Black Friday Deals” guide for high tech fanatics. Gamers can check out the coolest titles for Wii, XBox 360 and Playstation 3 over at Kotaku.com. And there are bargains aplenty at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and the last stalwart souls at CircuitCity.com.

If you’re looking to improve your DVD collection, here are a handful of recent released titles that caught my eye:

“A Man Named Pearl”: The inspiring story of self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar, this inspiring documentary shows how one man can transform himself and his community.

“Futurama: Bender’s Game”: When “Futurama” — Matt Groening’s hilarious scifi show — kicked the bucket in 2003, fans everywhere breathed a huge sigh of disappointment. Those fans will be happy to hear the direct-to-DVD “Futurama” films (essentially four sequential episodes back-to-back) are just as sharp and funny as the original animated series.

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”: Awesome special effects, wisecracking humor and fantastic new worlds make for an amazing ride. If you liked “Hellboy,” you’ll love the sequel. If you haven’t seen either, you’re in for a major treat.

“Monty Python’s Holy Trinity”: What could be better than one awesome movie starring the British comedy troupe? How ’bout three?! This collection features the films known by fans as “Holy Grail,” “Life of Brian” and “Meaning of Life.”

“Project Runway: The Complete Fourth Season”: I can’t get enough of this reality show about future fashion superstars and their vicious catfights. My only request: More fashion, less Heidi Klum.

“Sukiyaki Western Django”: Spaghetti westerns and samurai epics collide in Takashi Miike’s interesting, if uneven, paean to “Yojimbo.” Although the cast and setting are Japanese, Quentin Tarantino shows up for entirely no reason.

“Tropic Thunder”: Offensive at some points and laugh-out-loud funny at others, “Tropic Thunder” is a ludicrous comedy with serious bite. Five words: “Robert Downey Jr. in blackface.”

“Wall-E”: You’ll be utterly charmed by this sweet, beautifully animated family film about a lonely robot looking for love and friendship. One of Pixar’s best.

My advice? Buy only what you originally wanted, keep track of receipts and put those credit cards AWAY.

***

* There’s a movie called “Black Friday” — but it’s about the series of bombings that rocked Bombay in 1993, not crazed shoppers hunting for holiday scores. For that, you can watch “Jingle All the Way.”

***

Above image courtesy of Adbusters.org.

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I’m not one to brag on myself, but, hey — it’s Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and I’m working. In fact, you’re probably not even reading this because you’re either shopping or watching Christmas specials on TV.

Me?

Working.

Anyway, if you read yesterday’s blog – and I know you didn’t — you’ll remember that I predicted the score of the uber-lame Tigers-Titans match-up.

My prediction: Titans 48, Tigers 9.

I didn’t watch the game because I knew it’d be terrible. But I was elated to see the final score: Titans 47, Tigers 10.

I was off by two points.

So there you go. Congratulate me if you will. 

You know where to reach me.

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With the final regular season games nearly two weeks behind us, I thought it would be fun to briefly stroll down memory lane and look at how the local media members voted in the first and then the final Top 10 polls this season.

Preseason Poll                                          Final Poll
1. Atascadero                                             1. Atascadero
2. Paso Robles                                           2. Paso Robles
3. St. Joseph                                              3. St. Joseph
4. Righetti                                                  4. Righetti
5. San Luis Obispo                                   5. Pioneer Valley
6. Morro Bay                                             6. San Luis Obispo
7. Nipomo                                                  7. Morro Bay
8. Templeton                                            8. Templeton
9. Arroyo Grande                                     9-tie. Arroyo Grande
10. Lompoc                                               9-tie. Cabrillo

Here is how the poll relates to the final standings in the LPL and PAC 7

PAC7
League    Overall
Atascadero                  5-0        8-2
Paso Robles                4-1         8-2
Righetti                       3-2         6-4
San Luis Obispo        2-3         4-6
Arroyo Grande          1-4          4-6
Lompoc                      0-5          4-6
LPL
League    Overall
St. Joseph               7-0          9-1
Pioneer Valley       5-2          8-2
Morro Bay             4-3           6-4
Templeton             4-3           5-5
Cabrillo                  3-4           4-6
Nipomo                  3-4           4-6
Santa Ynez            2-5            2-8
Santa Maria         0-7            0-10

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Okay, I’ll admit, there are more important things in the world than football. But football on Thanksgiving is still pretty important because without it, we might actually have to talk to weird family members we manage to avoid the rest of the year.

But here’s the thing: Every year, we’re forced to watch the crappy Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving. And, frankly, blowouts make it hard to avoid talking to your family.

I suppose it’s tradition that the Lions play on Thanksgiving. But who cares about tradition when a team is 0-11 facing a team (The Titans) that’s 10-1? On what is surely a huge ratings day, you’d think the NFL would end this silly tradition of having the roar-less Lions play on turkey day.

Let’s look at the Lions for a second. First of all, they haven’t had a winning season since 2000, when they were a whopping 9-7. Since then, they’ve amassed a 31-92 record. During the last four seasons, they’ve lost on Thanksgiving by an average margin of 20 points.

This year should be especially good since the Lions are winless in 11 attempts.

These guys would be better off with George Plimpton and Marvin Gaye in uniform. In fact, I submit that the biggest turkey at Ford Stadium will be the person who actually paid money to see the Lions get declawed on national TV.

My prediction: Titans 48, Lions 9.

After that drubbing, it will be a thrill to watch the 2-9 Seahawks play the second game of the day. Good thing the NFL added a third game in 2006. At least one matchup will feature two teams .500 or better.

Snooze. If I were in the Midwest, I’d have my brother whip out his VHS copy of “The Superbowl Shuffle.” Oh well, at least John Madden will entertain us.

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Nine out of 10 times, anyway. According to a BBC article linked on GamePolitics.com, of the people who have sought treatment at the Smith & Jones Center for video game addiction in Amsterdam — a facility set up specifically to treat such addictions — around 90 percent were not addicted at all.

That figure comes from the center’s founder and head, Keith Bakker. GamePolitics quotes Bakker as per the article:

“These kids come in showing some kind of symptoms that are similar to other addictions and chemical dependencies.  But the more we work with these kids the less I believe we can call this addiction. What many of these kids need is their parents and their school teachers — this is a social problem. …

“Eighty per cent of the young people we see have been bullied at school and feel isolated. Many of the symptoms they have can be solved by going back to good old fashioned communication. …

“If I continue to call gaming an addiction it takes away the element of choice these people have.  It’s a complete shift in my thinking and also a shift in the thinking of my clinic and the way it treats these people.”

The full piece goes into greater detail. It’s interesting reading, whether you’re someone who believes game addiction is a real problem, or someone who doesn’t.

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Spend Thanksgiving with Bond and the kids from “Twilight”

Thanksgiving weekend, much like Christmas, is the perfect time to go to the movies.

Family members and friends are gathered ’round the dinner table. Conversation flows. Food and drink abound.

As Thanksgiving leftovers disappear into Tupperware and the whole clan lapses into a tryptophan-fueled coma, why not head for the local movie theater? Here are a few films to make your season bright.

“Twilight”

She’s an ordinary teen trying to make friends in a new town. He’s a devastatingly handsome vampire who feeds on animals instead of humans. Naturally, they fall in love.

Friends tell me that “Twilight” is a faithful adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s books about the eternal love affair between Bella and Edward — perfect for preteens and romance-minded girls but perhaps a bit boring for others.

“Quantum of Solace”

British spy James Bond (Daniel Craig) is back, and he wants blood. This time, Agent 007 is on the trail of a sinister terrorist organization that wants to control the world’s water supply.

“Quantum” isn’t quite as fun as “Casino Royale,” but the movie still delivers plenty of awesome action sequences and exotic locales.

“Role Models”

The latest lightweight “dude” comedy to hit theaters, “Role Models” is rude, crude and surprisingly funny.

Paul Rudd and Sean Williams Scott star as two energy drink spokesman who must participate in a Big Brothers, Big Sisters-style program after a wild bender. They’re paired with Ronnie, a foul-mouthed, dirty-minded enfant terrible, and McLovin from “Superbad.”

Yeah. This is going to be good.

***

Although Christmas, Halloween and Independence Day inspire more than their share of holiday flicks, there are a handful of movies with Thanksgiving Day at their center.

Dig through the video vaults for these Turkey Day treasures.

“Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986): This Woody Allen drama examines the tense relationship between three New York City sisters, played by Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest.

“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987): Advertising exec Steve Martin just wants to spend Thanksgiving with his family. When his flight is delayed due , he makes a wild cross-country trek with jovial salesman John Candy and learns a valuable holiday lesson.

“Home for the Holidays” (1995) : An all-star cast powers this hilarious, heartbreaking movie about family directed by Jodie Foster. The A-List lineup includes Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft and Dylan McDermott.

“The House of Yes” (1997): A woman obsessed with Jackie O (Parker Posey, natch) flies into a murderous rage when her brother brings his fiancee home for Thanksgiving. Twisted siblings? Intimations of incest? Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy? Sounds like a recipe for indie comedy magic.

“The Ice Storm” (1997): Ang Lee shows the twisted side of suburban married life in the 1970s with this disturbing drama. Creepy moments include a key party and a sex scene featuring a Nixon mask. Yuck.

“The Myth of Fingerprints” (1997): Blythe Danner, Julianne Moore and Noah Wyle star in this honest drama about a damaged family. In fact, judging from these other films, is there any other kind?!

“Pieces of April” (2003): Adorable, edgy April (Katie Holmes) has invited her estranged family to her East Village apartment for the holidays. But can she actually pull off Thanksgiving dinner?

***

Above photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.

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Musical Memoirs Visits the Murder Capitol 

When I was an intern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., my primary duty could be described in two words: Gopher Boy.

I’d be at the courthouse and some deputy D.A. would flag me down. Thinking I was being called into some grand mission, I’d stride to the person, only to hear him/her say, “Can you take this file back to the office for me?”

Now that’s invaluable experience!

But even as a lowly intern, I did have some power. The deputy U.S. attorney I was assigned to actually had me go through criminal files and determine which witnesses needed to be subpoena’d.

I was so stoked, I actually typed up the subpoenas myself.

Looking back, maybe it was too much authority for an intern. Because once I accidentaly sent a subpoena to someone not involved in the case.

Boy, was she ever surprised! But, hey — it was D.C. With more than one murder committed every day, odds were everybody in the city knew something about some murder case.

That was one of those years D.C. was labeled the Murder Capitol, and I got to see some pretty interesting things. In fact, one of the cases we were involved with had a big write-up in the Sunday Washington Post, the gist of the story being something like: Where did it all go wrong?

Fortunately, my time in D.C. wasn’t all about murder. When I heard the Who were going to play R.F.K. Stadium, I knew I had to be there. (That Rolling Stone cover above is from that same year.) So I paid a scalper 50 bucks and for the first — and only — time, I went to a concert alone.

The seats were crummy, but the Who were characteristically loud — even without Keith Moon, who had died before he got old. Pete Townsend did his trademark windmill on guitar, Roger Daltry swung his microphone around like a cattle rope and John Entwhistle was just going off on bass.

There’s a point in a show like this where the sounds, the crowd and the spectacle overwhelms you and you think: This is rock and roll, baby.

And it was.

Eventually, I returned from Washington and got rejected by just about every law school I applied to. (I guess you DO have to study for the LSAT –especially during a recession when record numbers of people apply to law school.) But if the internship didn’t get me past the bar, at least it gave me some memories. And nearly 20 years later, my my guitar case proudly boasts a sticker from that Who show at R.F.K.

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This week’s films include “Amazing Grace” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”

High-flying adventure hits the Central Coast this week with two documentaries and a martial arts epic.

Enjoy some “Good Food” tonight with a documentary about creative farmers, gardeners and cattle ranchers in the Pacific Northwest.

The movie screening is sponsored by HopeDance Magazine.

Directed and written by Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young,”Good Food” looks at the sustainable organic farming movement, which encourages healthier food grown with less energy, water and land than industrial “factory farms.”

The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with a potluck featuring locally produced foods. There’s also a talk with Jim Cole, a member of the Transition SLO Steering Group.

HopeDance will screen the movie at 7 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo City-County Library, 995 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. A $5 donation is suggested.

***

Love, revenge and the search for a magical jade sword drive the martial arts epic “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” screening Wednesday in San Luis Obispo.

When a masked thief steals the sword known as the Green Destiny, it’s up to martial arts warriors Li (Chow Yun Fat) and Yu (Michelle Yeoh) to recover it, discover the identity of the mysterious warrior and avenge Li’s murdered master.

Their quest is complicated by feelings of long-buried love. As Li and Yu struggle with their feelings for each other, another love affair is blooming between Jen (Zhang Ziyi), a beautiful girl with hidden talents, and the desert bandit Lo (Chang Chen).

Directed by Ang Lee, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” won an Academy Award for best foreign film and introduced many American filmgoers to wuxia, majestic martial arts epics with sweeping scenery, elaborate costumes and historical settings.

In the film, characters skim across water, dance up walls and battle in bamboo groves. They also engage in some of the most stunning action sequences seen on film.

Only a handful of films — “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers” among them — can compare.

Catch “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at The Palm Theater, 817 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $7.50.

***

Also on Wednesday, moviegoers can learn the inspiring true story behind the song “Amazing Grace.”

Ioan Gruffudd stars in “Amazing Grace” as William Wilberforce, the 19th-century abolitionist and statesman who battled to end the British transatlantic slave trade.

As Wilberforce finds a spouse who shares his conviction, he renews his fight for freedom with the support of Prime Minister William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch of “Atonement”), former slave Olaudah Equiano (Senegal singer Youssou N’Dour) and slave ship captain-turned-priest John Newton (Albert Finney), author of the hymn Amazing Grace.”

“Amazing Grace” will be screened at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Dancing Deer Ranch, 2975 Vineyard Drive in Templeton. A donation of $5 is encouraged.

***

Thanks to LoveHKFilm.com for the image.

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Here’s some video of the Wisconsin fans bouncing around to House of Pain’s “Jump Around” between the third and fourth quarters. It’s a well-known Camp Randall Stadium tradition.

Cal Poly assistant sports information director Eric Burdick appears scared in the video. The press box was actually swaying along with the jumping. I didn’t feel threatened, but then again, I lived in a house on stilts in Cayucos for a year.

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