Joaquin & Craig

My Facebook Birthday Reminder for Week of November 2nd:

Craig Saavedra - Director/Producer

I met Craig and Joaquin in 2008 at Cinequest 18. I wasn’t the only one to fall for this film entry.

“Sherman’s Way“(music plays) was recognized with:
* Audience Award for Best Feature: Cinequest Film Festival 2008
* Audience Award for Best Feature: Newport International Film Festival 2008
* Audience Award for Best Feature: Gaia Film Festival 2008
* Special Jury Award: Jackson Hole Film Festival 2008

“Sherman’s Way” was a delight to view. As a little red MG came into its own with a remodel and a new shine, so did the players of the film. Sherman (Michael Shulman) made the needed changes to help find his way. Palmer (James Le Gros) attempts to reconnect with family.

A good portion of “Sherman’s Way” was filmed around Clear Lake, California. I haven’t been to that region of the state, but Joaquin Sedillo’s gorgeous cinematography put it on my ‘places to visit’ list.

Sherman’s Way: Written by, Tom Nance.

iTunes
$9.99 Buy Movie
$3.99 Rent Movie

NETFLIX
DVD and streaming

Amazon
New and only 6 used

Just for fun: Heinz Midnight Snack

* Morgan Autism Center 40th Anniversary Celebration Starry Starry Night

A Cocktail & Hors d’oeuvre Reception with a special performance by the dynamic band SAGE – (< music will play)
A fun-filled evening of fine wines, champagnes and culinary delicacies.

Event Co-Chairs: Helen Marchese Owen & Angela McConnell
Honorary Co-Chairs:
Mayor Chuck Reed, City of San Jose
Supervisor Elizabeth Kniss, Santa Clara County

$100 per person – Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Cocktail Attire preferred.
Raffle Tickets Available: 1 for $10, 3 for $20, 8 for $50

* Tap To Talk
Cupertino based Assistyx has developed a communication device:

Regardless of cause–autism, developmental disability, mental retardation, down syndrome, apraxia, and many diseases–TapToTalk can help those who are non-verbal or have other speech or learning challenges communicate and learn.

TapToTalk

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The Parade‘s Opening Ceremony begins on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month with a memorial ceremony at Plaza de Cesar Chavez on Market Street.

The Parade begins at noon from Delmas Street (near HP Pavilion) and travels east along Santa Clara to Market Street. The Parade then proceeds south on Market Street and ends at San Carlos Street. The reviewing stand is near Park Street.

Vice Admiral Jody A. Breckenridge, Commander United States Coast Guard Defense Forces West and Pacific Area, is this year’s Grand Marshal.

In addition, entrance fees waived on Veterans Day at public recreation lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Bureau of Land Management. Click on the service’s link for more information (other fees still apply). There are a number of public recreation lands in the Bay Area or head on over to Yosemite.

Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

fun-size bar

The San Jose Tech Museum is looking for yucky leftover Halloween candy. It can be traded for a yummy NESTLÉ CRUNCH fun-size bar, and 10% off admission through November 8.
The collected candy is being transformed into a rocket ship sculpture. What fun!

Whats new at The Tech

Malinda Lo is one of a few local authors at the World Fantasy Convention in San Jose.

The World Fantasy Convention coming to San Jose could have been an opportunity to meet authors from around the world; but since this is the “hyper-local” Metblogs, I used it instead to meet a few local fantasy authors.

San Francisco-based Malinda Lo has just published her first novel, Ash. It’s a lesbian retelling of the Cinderella story, aimed at young adult readers. Malinda told me that having successfully published this novel, she’s been able to quit her day job and make writing her full-time job. She now has a second novel in the works, due out in spring of 2011. Malinda will be back in the South Bay next week for the Friends of the Los Gatos Public Library Friday Forum. The event is Friday, November 6, starting at 6:30 in the Town Council Chambers at 110 E. Main St. in Los Gatos.

North Bay-based Ann Wilkes has published several short stories, and recently released a short novel, Awesome Lavratt, a humorous story of galactic conquest. I also met Healdsburg writer Camille Picott, who just published a story for elementary-school kids, Raggedy Chan, with illustrations by Joey Manfre. The book is published by Picott’s own recently-launced publishing venture, Pixiu Press, and comes with an associated teaching curriculum.

Also from Healdsburg, the writing couple of Michael Shea (a two-time World Fantasy Award winner) and Lynn Cesar were there with a limitted edition of Michael’s anthology, Copping Squid, featuring Lovecraftian fantastic horrors. A “trade” edition is due out shortly. Michael has been writing since the 1970’s, and his stories have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and have bene collected in various “Best of the Year” anthologies. Michael’s next novel, The Extra, set in a horrific near-future Hollywood, is due out in January. Lynn’s novel Apricot Brandy is marketed as romance, but mixes in elements of horror and fantasy, as it brings the Mayan gods to life in Northern California.

The 2009 World Fantasy Convention celebrates Edgar Allen Poe's bicentennial.

The 2009 World Fantasy Convention kicked off today at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose.

This isn’t the kind of fantasy convention where you can dress up like a hobbit or chase your friends around with a styrofoam pole-axe. It’s more a gathering of industry insiders, like authors, artists, and publishers, getting together to talk shop. In fact, if you haven’t already bought a (pricey) membership in the convention, you won’t even get in the door.

For those insiders, though, the convention holds 3 and a half days of panel discussions, presentations, and readings about the craft of making fantasy, as well as an art show and a dealer’s room. On Sunday afternoon, they’ll award the World Fantasy Awards for the best novel, best artist, and so on, in the field of fantastic literature (a list of nominees is found here).

Public events associated with the convention are few, but there will be over a dozen authors will be available for signings at Borderland Books in SF on Monday, November 2, at 6:30 pm.

Frontier Village was a Western themed amusement park at the intersection of Monterey Road and Branham Lane in San Jose that operated in the 60’s and 70’s.

A Campbell resident opens their back yard up for Halloween that has an old western town modeled after buildings that were at Frontier Village. Included are authentic Antique Autos, signage and other memorabilia from the old amusement park. Dressed in western outfits, they will pass out candy to the kids.

You youngins and those wanting to reminisce may want to visit the Remembering Frontier Village website.

After your day of Trick-or-Treating remember to set your clocks back an hour. Yes, we are heading back to standard time.

Halloween Open Yard
871 Virginia Ave. Campbell

Saturday October 31, 2009
6:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Schoolhouse

Main Street

Inside Saloon

Photos: Shaughnessy McGehee

"Luann"

Open the San Jose Mercury News Thursday morning and go straight to the comics.

Greg Evans has created a special “Luann” about “Books For Treats“.

10/29/09
San Jose Mercury New
Comics – “Luann”

Fall is a great time to replant a garden, and, if you’re willing to plant a low-water garden, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is willing to help out with rebates for water-wise landscaping improvements. The rebates are available if you replace at least 100 square feet of high-water landscaping with approved new plants, or replace wasteful irrigations systems with high-efficiency irrigation like drip tube. Low-water landscaping is a great opportunity to plant Californa native plants, which look beautiful, save water, and provide food and habitat for our native critters. Although its not as pretty, the landscaping rebate is also available if you landscape (or maybe replace pavement) with “permeable hardscape”, meaning porous solid surfaces that allow water to drain through into the soil.

There’s quite a few restrictions on the rebate program, and you have to contact SCVWD before starting your project, so check out the details on the website for landscape replacement rebates or irrigation equipment rebates.

(Hat tip to Bonnie on NNASJ for this story)

So, let us take a tour …

When you enter the exhibit, you are greeted with a pillared entry. Do not go racing past them, take the time to notice they have text on them, from the “where no one has gone before” dialogue to a list of episodes.

Pass the pillars and you will be in a large area that includes uniforms and artifacts. There is a display featuring all of the Enterprises beginning with the Enterprise aircraft carrier, followed by the space shuttle, and then the starships. The centerpiece in this room is an immense model of the 1701-A Enterprise.

We exit this area to the right and enter the bridge of the original series. This for me was a disappointment. It is a scaled down bridge with no interactive features; unless sitting in the Captain’s chair or at the helm is being interactive. The consoles have plastic non-push lit up buttons. A few of these could be setup to activate display screens, sound effects, and communications chatter. Having the forward view screen animated would liven up the bridge. Note: no photography allowed throughout the exhibit. A photo of you in the Captain’s chair is available for a fee.

We exit the bridge through the turbolift and proceed down a walkway passing displays of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock’s uniforms.

Proceeding along the walkway, we enter a corridor of the 1701-D Enterprise (Next Gen), this portion of the exhibit being my favorite. First up along the corridor is Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s ready room. This closed-off area includes the Captain’s uniform, various props, and a bottle of Chateau Picard wine. Continue down the corridor to a full-scale Transporter. You can stand on the Transporter and wish photography were allowed. Look up at the monitor to see yourself; will you beam down? Next to the Transporter room is a full-scale model of the Guardian of Forever, the time portal from “The City on the Edge of Forever.” Another lost opportunity for a photo of you going through the portal. These two rooms include Captain chairs, a shooting model of the Borg ship, along with more artifacts and uniforms. Before leaving the corridor, take a close look at the displays on the walls of the corridor.

Leaving the corridor, we enter “The History of The Future.” The History of The Future is a timeline, which goes chronologically from right to left. Not only is it a bit strange that the timeline is right to left, you enter the room to the left of the timeline. This room includes shooting models of the Enterprise and other ships. There are more uniforms on display here including those from the recent Star Trek film.

That’s it. End of the exhibit; however, turn the corner and there are two motion simulators,

The two rides have an extra fee each.

There is an eight-seat ride that I found to be rather tame. There were six aboard, I was in the last row and had an obstructed view of the display screen. You are fighting the Borg as Worf (Michael Dorn) narrates. The ride rocks back and forth enough for you to slide back and forth on the bench seat. You may want to skip this one.

The other simulator is a two-seater. This one is fun. You get strapped in as you will be rolling and looping. The display is right in front of you and again you are fighting the Borg. There is a warning that the ride may be too intense for some; you will be upside-down a few times. If you are going to ride both simulators, do this ride second.

I recommend Star Trek: The Exhibition even though the admission is a bit pricy.

Check the Tech Museum’s Star Trek: The Exhibition website for ticket pricing, hours, costume guidelines, and more.