Sunday, January 14, 2024

Longing for an Old Time S.F. Christmas

For nostalgia buffs like us , We missed this holiday 12/24/23 missive but never too late.
Carl Nolte is sort of the current Herb Caen at the Chronicle , or Comicle if you prefer- the only 'columnist' we read, mainly for the nostalgia. NOLTE is 90 and remembers the 'good old days' much like Caen did when they were still pretty good days by today's standards. We do take exception for Nolte's slam at Musk. Media mavens and their ilk today are 90% Democrat contributors, according to Bulsiness Insider 12/23, and it shows. MUSK is a Democrat ,too , yet is an old fashioned free speech guy who
liberated Twitter. Now, instead of only getting  hate speech from one side We get it from both! Ha!

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Live Bay Area Summer ’23 Musical and More Highlights Part 1. by burtkauf | Sep 8, 2023 |

 

Cory Pesaturo- Cotati Accordian Fest headliner

Maybe not your big name concerts but a lot of good under-the-radar stuff-

Dick Contino accordian prodigy was featured performer at Cotati CA, reputedly the  world’s largest Accordian Festival, 8-20-23.  CORY PESATURO was the late, great Dick Contino’s  ‘pick to click’ as it were and has succeeded, perhaps the world’s no. 1 accordian performer today. (Despite playing the electrified accordian , not what Contino played – a very different sound from the acoustic accordian). in earlier years Conino and Pesaturo performed on the same Cotati stage, though not together to our knowlege

Cotati Accordian Fest sideshow- Cajun Dance concert at Spanky’s bar in downtown Cotati 8-20-23

LONESOME EDDIE -NOT Lafayette, Louisiana, known for its Cajun and country music, but little ol’ Lafayette CA …what more appropriate than a group named Lonesome Eddie and the Saddle Sores performing in the singer’s farm yard not far from where the corn grows high. The talented  , versatile local group made for a delightful August evening neighborhood concert and potluck playing country, rockabilly and pop tunes like this one.

‘Beautiful’ -Carole King stage play tribute at Woodminster Amphitheatre, Oakland, CA

what a setting for some more oldies music, here high in the Oakland hills watching the sunset. listening to ans watching many of Caroke King’s hits sung and performed by a fine local troupe….such as Locomotion, as un this video. the song was originally sung by Little Eva one time baby sitter for King and Husband Gerry Goffins’ children.

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIR, Pleasanton CA , July 2023

Superb July 4 Drone Show at Alameda County Fair

We could see it replacing the old loud fireworks and these being much more pet 

Now that the Real Neil is no longer performing SuPER Diamond may be the next best thing- Alameda County Fair 7-8-23

Drones Delight Alameda Fair July 4 crowd

Terry Hanck rocks Sax and Vocals at Alameda County Fair

Hanck and band are one of the longest running acts at the fair. Nice to hear what with all the changes over the years. Hear Hanck does one of his signature songs in the wine garden. Hancks has gone big time, now touring the U.S. Catch him if you can or next year bCk at the fair

LeAnn Rimes Now One of the ‘Oldies’ Fair Acts

Rimes Tribute to 90 yesr young Willie Nelson

Moraga CA Dog Parade July

Found another short video of my best buddy, Zack, front, who I lost recently I couldn’t resist posting. Here enjoying a sunny day in his favorite catio with friend Pinky

(FAVORITEfurryFriends.info)

More from eclectic Alameda County Fair…’If you listen Closely , You Can Here The Music’

More of the fine Drone Show at fair

The Drifters at Yoshi’s, 6-23

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Sunday, September 3, 2023

My Baptism into Electric Cars and Charging them - Not a Pleasant Task, BUT WAIT...Five days later maybe not so bad???

FUTURECAR: Imagine an entire block of various car charging stations. We're almost there.

8-29-23 A week after my baptism into EVs and a lot of frustrations and wasted hours  and nearly getting stranded the first time in the dark of night I'm now thinking of buying an EV. ..or am I?

Yes , I've met a lot of equally frustrated people. One guy could only charge 50 miles on his Nissan(charge capability diminishes with age, just like people , ha ha)- and if the Whole Foods Lafayette charger was a available. IT WASN'T. The slow charger would have taken until nightfall  to Charge but he did nt have to worry about it because it was broken anyway. Good luck to him, I said on my new search for a charger. I did find multiple charging stations I was told about but they were all slow chargers- and I mean SLOW- like 10 hours to full charge a car. Another nice guy , at whole foods Ygnacio Valley Bl , told me about a Real fast nearby Charge location thst took only  hour for a full  charge -but didn't know exactly where since he was 'from  Brentwood'.


Well, would you believe I found that place, and not far from my home and I'm chargimg there right now as I write this story. Charged 62% in 40 minutes! Hint (Salamon)  But I'm not going to tell you where it is  unless you write me back and share your EV charging sto rie(s) ie(s)...


CRAZY you say? I figure now that I'v e   learned the ropes- and all the 'secret' fast  charging stations around - and met a lot of nice, rich-albeit many frustrated- folks , its not so bad. I've discovered new areas I  ever knew- like on  my Red Bluff adventure , yesterday, when I stopped in 3 small towns to charge and barely got home by midnight . (They werent super fa a t chargers) Yes, it can be an exciting life  style, especially for a backroads kind of guy or gal . 


8-25-23

What a day!  While my new engine is being installed in my old Kia Soul I learned all about Electric vehicles and charging them Thanks to my Hertz Chevy Bolt rental.( No wonder Hertz   couldn't wait to give me their electric car rental.) After unable to find a charging station in Lafayette CA Thursday night And nearly getting stranded at three non-working charging locations, I waited until Friday morning to call Chevy Who had to have my new Rental toad to the Chevy dealer in Concord as that's the only place they were sure they could get The car charged. Had a very interesting ride and conversation back to the dealer with the Towing man, A big Trump fan.

After walking around a couple hours Upon my return to the Conquered Chevy dealer I found only 25 miles  were charged on the car. So much for fast charging. 25 miles would barely get me  back home so I stopped at the new shopping center in Concord at the suggestion of the conquered dealer
where I did find some (Volta) charging stations-and FREE!. I had a nice walk around the new shopping center spending some time in The World Market and getting a bubble tea. But after another two hours I only got another thirty miles charge this time. At least it didn't cost me anything. Apparently, some of these charging companies are working deals with the shopping centers in exchange For customers being able to shop while cars are charging. But to get a full charge I would have to leave my car there till night time. Forget about it.

Which one do I use? Which one will work with my car- or at all? Which one will fast  charge?


Determined to get some more miles charged on my car with hopefully a fast charging Location, I checked out the The Broadway shopping center which said they had a charge location on the map, but no such luck. Then it was off to the old Whole Foods on Newell. Again , not a charging station in sight.
Just about ready to give up I remembered the new Whole Foods on Ygnacio did have some charging stations Which I always questioned taking up space.
But this time, hopefully they would work in my favor. . The EV Go charging station- or at least one of them -was compatible with my car. Unlike the Whole foods of lafayette where the charger worked for a lady's car, but not for mine. In fact, the car was charged and took Only one half hour to charge the full two hundred mile maX. Amazing Now I have finally found a charging location even if it is ten miles from my home.



Remind me never to buy an electric car. Even if there were more stations more  electric cars will just clog them up worse . With only 2% of the population currently owning electric cars we already have a charging crunch-not to mention the unsightly pumps dominating some shopping center landscapes .  Sometimes It's a heck of deal to find an open charging station. And then they're usually filled  with a car for hours.  Unless it's the fast chargers of witch there aren't many- and often the first ones taken.

Are electric cars a scam, Rushed out too soon in too Large numbers,To go along with Bidens' Green scheme? While the electric cars themselves are fine, nice, and quiet Although limited in charging capacity, there will never be enough charging stations and battery life. We must keep fossil fuel vehicles around -we need them both. Byden's politics must remove its ugly head again for the sake of good living and common sense.


Not listed is EVGo, perhaps a CA-only company and with the only fast-charging capability we've found to  date though there certainly must be others


On second thought, Maybe I won't buy an EV after all. A rental from time to time is enough adventure

But wait again! Coming back from the Tic e Valley safeway shopping center is spotted yet another set of super fast 'hyper' chargers from Electrified America!  Sounds exciting! It keeps getting better. I don't know to say now- can't wait to try them out!

Latest and Greateat? AMERICA LECTRIFIED!

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

while waiting for my EV to Charge...in Orland, CA 8-28-23

ORLAND charge to get me home. Also stopped in Williams and Willows on way up for more charging but did NOT stop at my old favorite, The Olive Pit in Corning-insider joke explained at end...
Xas
Talk about little houses.
Hot spot in town following closing of the Hive
Not-so-farel cats like these abandoned by owners. At least these appear well fed.

weeds
old Berry patch aka Blue Plate Specials

 
an hour later. I'm ready to Move on
-hopefully be home by 10 pm, which I was.


Insider: Olive Pit used to be my favorite stop in NorCal but since I bit into a misplaced Olive Pit at whole foods last Wednesday causing great pain to this day I purposely avoided it





Zack gave me an equal reason...keeping him alive and happy and now that's  er-a key purpsose in my life. Will have to find a new one(s)
 after a decade looking after zack





Longing for an Old Time S.F. Christmas

For nostalgia buffs like us , We missed this holiday 12/24/23 missive but never too late. Carl Nolte is sort of the current Herb...