Hello...........I'm a Racist!

I have finally felt the sting of a political slap-in-the-face, even if it did come to me in a round-about way. Through employment and association I have been labeled a racist! OUCH!

Andy Caldwell is the host of a conservative talk radio show, The Andy Caldwell Show and the Executive Director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business, COLAB, for Santa Barbara County and recently San Luis Obispo County to help with their start-up. I am Andy's producer and the publisher of COLAB's news aggregator, CalChronicle.com

San Luis Obispo County government has not taken kindly to Andy and a government watchdog group settling in their county.

How I became a racist:

Each year Andy puts together a dinner for the COLAB membership which is attended by 800 or more members. In April of this year he did just that and hired actor Steve Bridges who impersonates President Barack Obama as the entertainment. Steve also impersonates President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Gore and more. I want to note at this point that Steve has done his President Obama impersonation on The Jay Leno Show, The Today Show and at many corporate events around the country. Oh, and Steve is white.

Andy had been asked to emcee an event for State Senator Sam Blakeslee this week and prior to the event Senator Blakeslee received an email from San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill that read:

“Perhaps you don’t know about the hostile, secretive, and frequently racist activities of COLAB, I wish I could give you the benefit of the doubt on this one, but this is so disappointing and offensive. I only hope you won’t be featuring a black face entertainer impersonating the President as Andy Caldwell featured in COLAB’s recent fundraiser in Santa Maria. Best of luck.”

Then he shipped a copy of the email off to local media. Needless to say, I am miffed. COLAB is comprised of members of organized labor, farmers and ranchers, and members of the business community, such as doctors, lawyers, industrialists, and other family owned businesses, including those owned by Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans; none of whom are racist.

Adam Hill's email has not been received well by the community. Even liberal columnists and a radio talk show host, yes, we have a liberal talk radio show host, have spent a lot of time defending Andy and COLAB. They might not like or agree with Andy but they know dirty, smelly politics.

Now that I am a racist I might as well share another comment from a business leader that was at this dinner:

"One of the things that I noticed about the COLAB wing ding was not so much the multiple racial hues, but that there were far too many guys in Western wear. Some of those guys I know for a fact have never even been on a horse, let alone shoveled horse shit. They certainly can’t claim to be cowboys."

"This mocking of the American cowboy by guys who have never roped a cow is an insidious form of pseudo-cultural hegemony by COLAB that must not be tolerated. I will report this to Adam Hill so that he can expose it to the press with the appropriate sensationalism."

Thank you Mike!

As Andy Caldwell and COLAB continue to grow in San Luis Obispo County, with, I am sure, the unintended help from Adam Hill to watch over our county supervisors I can find comfort in that old saying that has proven true over and over again, "Those who make the most noise have the most to hide!"

C.

Smoke'in Good Time

I have finally found what I think is the world's best fish taco and I don't take fish tacos lightly!!

I was in Cayucos, about 35 miles up the coast from Pismo Beach, very early in the morning a couple of Saturdays back to wait for my wife, Jan, and daughter, Sara, to finish the Rock to Pier 10K they were running in. I was parked at the pier right off D St. in that little ally way and decided to cruise the town. There were no waves to suit-up for so why not?

On the corner a man was working hard measuring and cutting a large piece of wood out side the open door to the Smoke House. He was wearing a cooks apron and my curiosity got the best of me. I introduced myself and asked what he was up to. I did mention my past restaurant endeavors and to my surprise he was very familiar with my now long gone restaurants.

He immediately gave me a tour and showed the warm hospitality you usually get from restaurant owners. Inside was a high glass case counter with all his smoked products, fish, pork and cheese. Behind a partition a 2 man work station to make orders and a double wide, 12 rack smoker. That was about it. Orders are picked up through a small window on the beach side or over the counter. There are no tables inside, however, you can sit outside on the corner, dodge skateboarders and watch the waves.

When my wife and daughter finished the 10K I took them back to meet Jim Ruddell. I am still amazed at his hospitality. He opened the smoker and sampled us on different smoked products and gave us a sample of Salmon to take with us. I also purchased some smoked albacore for a picnic the next day.

The experience was so good and it is so seldom you are treated with genuine warmth (you know what I mean...) I decided to take Jan and the boards and go back up to Cayucas the next Saturday to look for surf and try Jim's fish tacos. We didn't find any waves, again, but we did find THE FISH TACO. I ordered the smoked albacore and it was delivered to the table wrapped in foil looking more like a large burrito. It was the best fish taco I have ever eaten, and I have eaten allot of them!! (The only hint I will give as to why Jim's fish tacos are so good is smoke and apple.)

If you want a nice ocean view drive and the best fish taco ever, and maybe some surfing thrown in stop in and see Jim. Order a fish taco!

You can visit Ruddell's Smoke House web site here, http://www.smokerjim.com/

Back In the Saddle, or in this case, Back On the Surfboard

In September of last year I wrote about my job and the politics I deal with daily. Considering the mess the State of California and its cities are in, things were getting a little depressing. The letter to the editor I posted from Ken Huber explained my mood rather well. However, it is not the general mood I wanted to set in this blog. It stopped me in my tracks and I have been looking for a new direction since September.

The solution to this depressive direction has been right in front of me for a while now and it took getting whacked in the head, (literally), to realize how easy we can get sucked into the very dark toilet place.

After many years of non-participation I began surfing again with a group of friends and spend as much time as I can with them at a place we call "The Wall."  You would think this alone would be a celebration. I was not treating it accordingly and the excitement and beauty of the surf, "The Wall" and participating in the sport with my friends was being lost in that damn toilet. (will not divulge "The Wall" location)

After a while my partner in life for 32 years, my wife Jan, decided she would not watch me head off to the beach alone. She decided to join me and learn to surf. Jan, as she does with everything that has to do with water, embraced surfing and in a very short time has become good at sliding through waves on her 9 Ft. Flecky Long Board. She loves to surf.

My point..............I wasn't paying attention! Our last session together I was doing what I love to do, hang outside waiting for a wave and watch Jan ride anything and everything she can paddle into. I kicked into a wave and got a short ride and at the bottom turned right, directly into the nose of Jan's 9 ft boat. It was a direct hit to the forehead. She laughed at me, said I should pay attention to my surroundings and paddled back out for another wave.

She was right, as usual. There are enough people talking and writing from the very dark toilet place to keep political discussion going for a very long time and there is no sense in letting it consume your thought process any longer than it takes to relieve yourself. I am going to pay attention to my surroundings, enjoy what I have here and not write about anything that might even remotely sound like a political pundit. And hopefully not get hit in the head again.

Thanks Jan, I will be looking for my opportunity for payback......