You may have heard the singular crack of a slapstick at the start of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G. But once begun, the slapstick in “The Barber of Seville” at Opera San Jose goes totally viral. Argentine-born stage director José Maria Condemi left no sight gag or comedic epiphany unflipped.
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Moffett Field was packed yesterday with local officials, military top brass, and the recipients of countless medals. They were there to honor Sergeant James Witkowski, better known as “Ski,” by dedicating a new $83 million Army Reserve Center to his memory.
High speed rail could get a boost now that Florida’s governor has turned down $2.4 billion in federal funding for his own state’s project. The money will be diverted to other states, willing to proceed with their own high speed rail projects. Among the top contenders are New York and California.
President Obama will be coming to Silicon Valley today to meet with local business leaders, including Zuckerberg, Schmidt, and Jobs. It’s a perfect match. Together the companies these three men represent have a market cap of over half a trillion dollars, and together with some of the other attendees at the meeting, there will be fabled amounts of money in the room.
Caltrain’s Lawrence Station in Sunnyvale may be the state’s next transit village, but will Caltrain continue to run there? The main attraction of transit villages is that they combine mass transportation, retail, and residential neighborhoods within a relatively dense area, ensuring that all benefit. But with Caltrain looking to slash services, transportation may be removed from the equation.
The trouble with chicken soup is that it often doesn’t taste very good. The canned stuff is loaded with salt and tastes flat. Making your own is the way to go, but many people are daunted by chicken stock. Chicken broth in boxes doesn’t cut it. It tastes like it’s been seasoned with cardboard. There are countless recipes for homemade chicken stock, and I’ve tried half of them. I’ve settled on a recipe that has several compelling virtues. It’s easy. It’s quick. It’s cheap. And it tastes great.
Micheline Johnson, a 49-year-old woman who worked for American Airlines at the Mineta San Jose International Airport, was named in a 66-count felony complaint by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, which says she stole credit card information to pile up a half-million dollar tab in gift cards and purchases at Safeway.
Enoteca La Storia opened last spring, and the handsome wine bar has good looks to spare. Spindly pendant lights hang above the long bar. Opposite is well-curated selection of wine with a wide-ranging, international list. Between the bar and the wall of wine are tables for two, great seats for watching the action of the always lively bar from a discreet distance.
We are lucky to live in such a bountiful state. Where else can you have a hands on pot sticker making competition, eat brandy-filled chocolates with presidential importance, eat and drink for a good cause and try fried grasshoppers all in one week? Some might say we’re spoiled, but for us it’s just another South Bay week. Feb. 16-23
Computer games are perhaps the greatest escapist medium ever created, and in her new book, “Reality Is Broker,” futurist and author Jane McGonigal makes the case that they satisfy basic emotional needs that reality currently doesn’t.
