A multitude of stuff.
There and back again… and without hobbits, too! Did anybody notice it is 2014 yet?
Ah, the Mac turned 30 years old last week. As one can see above, the faithful still believe. Count me as one of them, with my own amusing history with products of the multi-colored or not fruit. From an Apple ][e up to an iPhone and then some, I am not making the transition to Windows 8 any time soon.
And the Super Bowl is this coming Sunday. At least commercials promise some interesting moments.
I started an interesting discussion over on Facebook. Something to excite various Disney dweebs as the rumors of various changes at Disneyland swirl about. With Universal about to launch expansions of Harry Potter on both coasts, it appears the Mouse is putting its efforts behind the Force. At least that’s the rumors on the street. I don’t know which gets more excitement going – rumors of the revival of an old attraction or rumors of the demolition of one. I say, bring back the Viewliner at Disneyland!!!
Hey, what do you know? We might get rain this week here in Northern California. And more than a sprinkle or three. Someone remind folks of those years when we had rain well into May, would you?
Is this year the most bland of award crops or what? So far, nothing worth missing and it sure looks like more of the same.
So, saw Mr. Banks and the latest Hobbit. Entertained but nothing major came from both. Still have no interest in Frozen. Guess I am just not in the demographic for it. Didn’t see the big hair effort or even the Monsters prequel last year either. Or many other movies for that matter. More the pity as I used to fall into local multiplexes once or twice a week way back when. Now, you kids be quiet and stay off my lawn while you’re at it!
In a little more than two weeks, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. Baseball season is just around the corner.
Meanwhile, over at the Presidio… I don’t get it. Establish criteria for potential projects and then reject the one that meets them because it might be too popular? Sure. The City has been attracting folks for almost 250 years and now you’re worried about it?
Speaking of San Francisco, better get those ear plugs ready cause Fleet Week will be back this fall. That means the Blue Angels flying above. Bringing tourists and sailors and dollars to be spent. After the black hole that was the Americas Cup, income is good all around.
A couple of favorite restaurants have closed their doors in the City, with promises to reopen. Good memories of meals at both. And speaking of favorite dining, Fogo de Chao comes to San Jose any time. Meat, meat and more meat. Did I mention meat?
Can you believe it? 36 years of train porn. Mostly in Stockton. Yes, Winterail goes on.
Looking ahead, it is hard not to look back. Good folks, good times, great memories. 2014 promises more of all three. Who knew?
Thoughts on railroads and modelling
So, I’ve been into railroads as a hobby for a long time. Yes, I clearly recall taking a ride in the cab of a General Motors F-series diesel locomotive with my father and great-grandfather (a retired locomotive engineer with a seniority date of December 1906) around the freight yard of the Southern Pacific Railroad at Sparks, Nevada. I was all of 3 years old at the time, but it was memorable enough to have lasted a lifetime.
While I have not taken things to the level shown above – with Diane Disney Miller sharing the interior of the caboose built for her dad’s backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad – I have been a member of a number of model railroad clubs and railway museums. From fantasy to history and back again.
Impressive as they may be, I have less appreciation for the model railroad that fills space with track like spaghetti overflowing from a pasta bowl than I do for the railroad that is simple and functional. Giving thought to what the railroad is to represent gets a better grade from me.
Being clear, railroads were tools of transportation built to make use of the easiest route available to get from point A to point B. They moved people and freight to make money doing so. Following the lay of the land with as little effort as possible was the rule of construction. Cheaper costs meant bigger profits.
So, when you see multiple levels of track crisscrossing canyons of mountain rivers and passes in a model, fantasy is more prevalent than reality. Sure, it looks good. Especially indoors. And yes I know, indoor space may be a premium and layout designers may be trying to take advantage when they can. All very nice, but not very prototypical.
Oh, that word! “Prototypical“.
But what is the hobby again? Model Railroading. Not fantasy railroading. Not playing with toy trains. Save that for Gomez Addams. And yes, I have strong feelings on the subject. Especially when manufacturers of scale railway models produce something decidedly out of scale or not prototypical. Call those toys or fantasy items if you must, but they are not scale models.
One of the best examples of a true scale model railroad is that built by Jack Burgess. He very convincingly modeled the Yosemite Valley Railroad, between Merced and El Portal, CA as it operated in August of 1939. While he does not recreate every inch of the railroad from end to end, he has modeled scenes en route that give visitors the enough of a sense of realism. When you follow a train in operation from Merced to El Portal, you don’t see that spaghetti bowl of track, with trains criss-crossing one another along the way.
A tool used by some in design of their model railroads is that of selective compression. Instead of modelling a full sized structure or facility, the choice is to give the flavor or enough of an appearance to suggest the full item. As an example, I have always thought that I would someday like to model the Virginia & Truckee Railroad’s Carson City Engine House. Following the lines of thinking of Jack Burgess, I would set my modelling efforts between 1946 and 1950. Now at that time, the full engine house may have existed, but the railroad did not use all of it. In fact, they limited the active use for locomotives to a few tracks on the south end of the building. So, perhaps I need only model that particular corner of the the structure. Considering that the full engine house took up the better part of two blocks in Carson City, I would need a big space to fully model the entire structure, to say nothing of the trackage that accompanied it. As you can guess, this is a “someday” project. I have some pieces that may eventually find homes in a scene or two when that model is done.
To me, the suggestion of something can be greater than recreation of an entire item or scene. Take any postcard image of the famed Golden Gate Bridge. Do you need to build it in every detail in miniature, down to the last rivet in International Safety Orange? Or would a smaller model that suggests the scene to the eyes of the viewer be as effective in evoking the greater structure? Yes, debates about the success of Disney Imagineers work for the original California Adventure theme park recreation not withstanding, guests did know what bridge it was supposed to be.
Gone now, but I gave the Disney team that designed the California Zephyr recreation for DCA high marks. It gave enough of the flavor of the real thing to suggest the whole train to guests, without taking up all the space that a real locomotive and passenger cars would have.
Part of the entertainment of this particular hobby can be the recall of things long gone. Travel aboard trains of the past or putting yourself in the role of someone at work, going from point A to point B. Not bad as it goes, especially if you can’t go one better and take on the role at a museum, bringing the past to life.
Another year, more tales
Ah, the turning of the pages of calendars…
So, have you made that first correction of 2014? You know, such as the changing of the date on a check from 2013 to 2014. Yup, been there, done that.
Finally saw “Saving Mr. Banks”. I enjoyed it, despite knowing that much of what the story tells is just that; a fabricated story. But it is a docu-drama, not a documentary. If the project gets folks to learn more about Walt, the truth behind the brand, I am all in favor of it. And while I never had the pleasure of meeting Walt, the time spent with Diane Disney Miller, listening to her share about her dad was something I will always recall with great fondness.
And while on the subject of the Walt Disney Family Museum, if you have not yet seen the Tyrus Wong exhibition, GO! Looking forward to the upcoming Mary Blair exhibition and events along with other great events in 2014. Despite the untimely passing of Diane, the WDFM will continue to offer guests a great look at her father and his legacy.
Private Car Service will be offering a great trip from Los Angeles to Oakland (and back) for an event at the WDFM this fall. Promises to be a wonderful time for those who join us. More details to come.
Sad to hear of the final performances by Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at Disneyland. Live music has always been something special at the Park, despite the costs involved. Here’s hoping the Accountanteers don’t cut the budget for entertainment to the point where it sunsets. Always enjoy taking a few minutes to listen in. Rod Miller, Ernie McLean, the original (and sadly imitated) Royal Street Bachelors, to name a few.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not among those who wail in panic at any change in their personal, beloved Disneyland. It was never meant to be a museum. Never a moment to be captured in amber. Am I sad to see changes such as the impending demolition of the Fantasyland Skyway station or the rennovation/expansion of Club 33? Actually, quite the opposite. In the case of the Skyway, it is long gone, never to return. The station serves no purpose and has become a hazard; home to more termites than anything useful. In the case of Club 33, I am glad to see that funding finally came through to make long needed changes. Looking forward to a renovated location as well as a new menu under Executive Chef Andrew Sutton. It needs to reclaim that spot as the best dining experience in the Park, lost some time ago.
Enjoyed a fun evening at the Oakland Paramount over the holidays, viewing “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Another great series of films to come, including “Dirty Harry”. Can’t go wrong for only $5!
So, more fun in the coming year! Thanks for checking in.
And here we are.
Someone asked why the infrequent posts of late.
Well, it is that time of year when one tends to hibernate. Or there is a lot going on and not enough time to take it all in. You decide.
Between the Dickens Fair, a quick visit to Anaheim and all the festivities of the season, posting here is less of a priority than it used to be. And that is not a bad thing, either…
2013 is on the way out. 2014 promises some interesting things.
On the theme park side of the coin, Disney will have some catching up to do once Universal opens it’s expansion of the World of Harry Potter. And maybe that’s for the good as things at the Mouse seem to have fallen and they can’t get up.
Baseball? Not that far off as pitchers and catchers report as usual in mid February with the 2014 season officially starting March 22nd with a game in Sydney, Australia between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Ah, I can smell BBQ now just waiting at Turkey Mikes in San Jose!
Movies and television? Yes, a bunch of things to watch. Literally. And one has to wonder if 2014 will see creativity break free of the sequel machine Hollywood has become. We can only hope so. And it would be great if so called “reality” programming went the way of the dodo. while we’re at it.
Call me cranky, but would it hurt pop culture if we didn’t get the latest display of pulchritude? Been there and seen that, no matter who shares what. A little intelligence goes a long way. Just ask Pope Francis.
So, safe and sane. An end to the old year. Stay warm and dry, while you’re at it.
The shared experience of Mr. Dickens London
So, been at the Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco the past two weekends. A spirited recreation of the London of 1840’s to 1860’s as depicted in so many versions of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. But the odd thing about it, besides having been around long enough to celebrate 35 years of holiday cheer, is that people pay good money, dress in period costumes (or close enough) and come to share in the festivities.
Yes, I know that these folks really don’t travel back to London of those years. After all, this event takes place in what at times of the year is home to livestock exhibitions. And while that may not provide the smell of feel of what London offered visitors during the winter solstice of those times, you won’t find enthusiasm dimmed in the least.
Quite the contrary! People come to feast, to drink, to shop to dance and in general, just to have a good time. All while sharing the experience with fellow guests and performers. All playing from the lowest of the low of characters to the most noble. You find every bit of society on these streets and lanes set up inside the exhibition halls. Good Queen Victoria is on the throne with Prince Albert at her side, watching over the British Empire. For it is Christmas Eve in London, and few can resist the charms of the day.
Yes, plenty of “nostalgic’s” among the crowd. The folks in search of a simpler time. But you can also see friends together enjoying a seasonal bit of fun. Families all in costume, taking in the shopping, games and entertainments. Folks of all sorts just sharing the good times with each other.
It is a bit more than the usual holiday get together. You usually don’t find such immersive gatherings around the egg nog. Sure, plenty of parties may include Christmas carols being sung or a kiss under the mistletoe, but dressing the part and speaking in your own version of a London accent probably isn’t on the schedule of events.
Call it what you will, but the secret is that deep down, the spirit of play has a large and happy part in this shared experience. That draws people back year after year. Even for only a few hours, the chance to leave the cares of the modern world behind and settle into the holidays as Mr. Dickens brought them to his readers, is a powerful tonic.
Yes, sharing such experiences is a pleasure enjoyed by many. Hence the popularity of places such as the late, lamented Adventurers Club or larger than that, the Disney Theme Parks round the world. Friends and family, all taking in the joys of it all – together.
Works pretty well, doesn’t it?