The Dumont Dunes

We just finished up a PSA for The Wounded Warrior Project.

On the last day of the shoot, we found ourselves filming the logo shot at the base of the Dumont Dunes ... a few miles east of Death Valley, CA.




Here are a couple pictures of my camera position.






The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV under my charge was sporting a truly amazing Canon 600mm F/4 IS prime lens (Thanks to Canon USA).

Due to the 112 degree desert heat, the camera body needed to periodically be covered with ice packs to keep it cool.

As we focused our lenses on the two soldiers, nearly a half mile away, both the Director and I were left with an eerie feeling of what it must feel like to be on the battlefield.

I look forward to seeing the final cut.

The Bradley Effect?

The "Bradley effect" is named for Tom Bradley, an African-American candidate who was running for Governor of California in 1982.




Many of the voter polls leading up to the election had Tom Bradley well ahead of the Republican candidate George Deukmejian. In fact, based on the exit polls, a number of media outlets had already projected him as the winner. Bradley ultimately lost the race.

The "Bradley effect" refers to an alleged tendency on the part of some voters to tell pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate, and yet, on election day, vote for his or her white opponent.

An example of this theory was quite possibly seen earlier this year during the New Hampshire Democratic primary.

Take a very close look at this AOL poll (Taken today).



Right now, if you are asking yourself: "what the fuck does someone's skin color have to do with their ability to be President of the United States" ... Congratulations ... you are not a racist.

Sometimes you need to read between the lines to find an answer to a very simple question.

Salute!

Robert Mondavi, the charismatic Napa Valley vintner whose work helped establish California wines as among the world's best, died this morning.

He was 94 years old.




Throughout his lifetime, Robert Mondavi successfully developed a number of premium wines that earned the respect of wine drinkers and fellow vintners around the globe.

In 1966, he founded the Robert Mondavi Winery in the Napa Valley with the goal of producing wines that would rival the finest wines of Europe.

In the 80s he entered into a joint venture the Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild to create Opus One Winery.

I have a modest 35-bottle collection of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noirs. By far, the crown jewel of my collection sits in the middle of my wine fridge for a very special day. It is a bottle of Opus One 1998*




* Supple and lush, the 1998 Opus One shows an opaque purple color and intense aromas of blackberries, vanilla, and roasted espresso.

Can you dig it?

I think that his longevity is proof positive that happiness and red wine consumption (in moderation) can go a long way towards an extended and healthy life.

I raise a glass to you sir.

I am fairly sure you made it to heaven.

We all know how much Jesus loved to get his drink on.

Make a run for the bathroom

Over the past few days, I know you all have been closely following the recent Taco Bell - E. coli panic.




As many of you may know, E. coli is a food borne bacteria that causes some 73,000 infections and 60 deaths in the United States each year.

Now that almost sixty people have become sick, this is the nation's most serious outbreak of E. coli toxins since mid-September. At that time, the scare involved the same strain of the bacteria, but it was linked to packages of contaminated spinach grown in California. It killed three people and infected more than 200 in 26 states.

Taco Bell has removed green onions from all 5,800 of its restaurants across the country Wednesday after tests indicated they could be to blame for an outbreak in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Now … I really do like Taco Bell. After all, what would life be without the occasional Nachos Bel Grande®, Crunchwrap® or Chalupa Supreme®.

On the other hand, what do we really expect from an establishment that has as it’s mascot … a taco wearing a diaper?




Let’s all be really honest with ourselves for a moment. Americans rarely look for the healthy option when it comes to food. We often look for the cheapest thing we can buy that will fill our distended American bellies.

Case in point … The Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.




Call it a hunch, but I am going to guess that this in not a traditional Mexican dish.

We need to take a close look at this combo. First, we take deep fried potato tater tots. Then we drown those in melted processed cheese … and as if that wasn’t bad enough … we top it with a scoop of sour cream.

Frankly, I am surprised that E. coli bacteria are able to survive in the American digestive system.