Cult classic a reminder of past
On the 45th anniversary of the debut of “Harold and Maude,” the quirky cult movie featuring Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon in the title roles, a thought occurred: Many of the scenes shot on Peninsula highways and byways would be much tougher to record today because of the horrendous traffic that bedevils the area. For one thing, zipping over the Dumbarton Bridge unimpeded would be a major challenge for the two key characters, not to mention finding a handy parking place right in front of the San Mateo County government center in Redwood City during regular workweek hours as they did in the cinematic black comedy that debuted in late 1971.
And, of course, there would be no way to film scenes (including several of the twisted, taboo variety) in the old Southern Pacific Railroad maintenance freight car storage yard in Brisbane. That huge facility is long gone.
Peter Thiel
For those with connections to venerable San Mateo High School, it must have been rather bracing to watch and listen to Peter Thiel at the podium during last week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, no matter what your opinions of Donald Trump and his presidential campaign might be.
Thiel, who grew up in Foster City and graduated from San Mateo in the mid1980s, is now a billionaire venture capitalist and an openly gay Republican who expresses his points of view with succinct clarity and sincerity.
Thiel’s appearance on the GOP’s biggest 2016 pre-election stage received generally positive reviews, one more feather in San Mateo’s storied 114-year-old cap.
Meet a horse
San Mateo County has come a long way from the early days after its founding in the mid-1800s, when it was sparsely populated and dominated by agricultural and ranching pursuits.
That’s one reason why the annual Victorian Days celebration, a production of the County Historical Association, is valuable; it provides perspective for today’s residents.
Most of the association’s offerings this month and next focus on that much simpler era. For example, at 1 p.m. Aug. 6, you can tour the Folger Estate Stable Historic District in Woodside.
Among the throwback activities that day, according to the association, you can actually “meet a horse.” Just be polite. Equine feelings reportedly can be delicate.
Faux cougar
Speaking of our animal co-inhabitants, is there any doubt that most of us have no clue about wildlife native to this area and their habits? Over the past several months, there have been a number of sightings of what were purported to be mountain lions.
Apparently, not all of those observations have been valid. One recent incident in San Mateo said it all when a fretful call went out to authorities regarding such an alleged creature resting in a backyard.
Warnings were issued. Alerts were sounded. On further review, however, the threatening “cougar” turned out to be a very large pussycat whose sheer girth was deceptively disturbing. Time to cut back on the flabby feline’s Fancy Feast.
Event change
The 27th Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet will be held in April 2017, according to officials of the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, which presents the event each year. In the past, the dinner has been held during the summer. Individuals in the Hall of Fame, begun in 1989, now number more than 260.
Bernie Sanders
At a neighborhood weekend garage giveaway (it was not a sale), a wag referred to it as a “Bernie Sanders event.” In other words, everything was free. It’s a brave, new world out there. Or not.