This weekend (December 7 & 8) the Caltrain Holiday Train, a special non-passenger train decorated with more than 60,000 lights, will be making stops at nine different Peninsula Caltrain stations; four on Saturday four other stations on Sunday, and begins at the San Francisco station on both days.

This free, family event gives you a chance to sing along with live holiday music (various chorus and bands) and the kids get a chance to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus along with other holiday favorites; they will get off the train to greet children. Performances at each station begin about 30 minutes before the train’s arrival.

Visitors are encouraged to bring a new toy or book to drop into toy barrels at the stations for the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program and the Salvation Army’s holiday toy drive.

Visitors are invited to visit the stations and view the Holiday Train show but are not permitted to board or ride on the train.

Always stand well back from the train and behind the yellow line on the platform. Hold onto children’s hands while waiting on the platform. The Holiday Train show will be on the stage car in the middle of the train.

Saturday, December 7 –
San Francisco: 4:00 pm
Burlingame: 5:15 pm
Redwood City: 6:15 pm
Palo Alto (California Ave.): 6:50 pm
Santa Clara: 8:10 pm

Sunday, December 8 –
San Francisco: 4:00 pm
Millbrae: 5:15 pm
San Mateo: 6:20 pm
Menlo Park: 7:45 pm
Sunnyvale: 8:40 pm

In case you haven’t heard, 28 crew and 2 journalists who were attempting to post a banner on an oil rig in the international waters off Russia from the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise were arrested in mid September by the Russian Coast Guard. You can read the full story here. The prisoners have still not been released, even with an international outpouring of support through  social media with the hashtag #FreetheArtic30 as well as media and diplomatic efforts.

Now the Rainbow Warrior 3 is berthed at Pier 15 in San Francisco in part to tell the story of the Arctic 13, but also to tell the story of Greenpeace itself and give people the opportunity to tour the ship in person. You can come down to the ship for a tour Saturday And Sunday 11/16-17 from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Greenpeace will be hosting an art show featuring social justice artists onboard on Nov 11 from 12:30 -5PM, and a  screening of their film Postcards From  Climate Change on Nov 14 from 6-8 PM aboard the ship. RSVP here.

Today at 11:00 AM ~ 4:00 PM

Whole Foods Market Blossom Hill
Stanford Mobile Blood Drive
1146 Blossom Hill Road
1 (408) 266-3700

Read why we should give today August 18, 2012

It is the Friday that the SJBP (San Jose Bike Party) may take its ride through your neighborhood. For non-bikers it is helpful to know their route. The riders have been known to be loud enough to wake sleeping children. Also, when out in a car it is best to avoid the stream of bikes.

Tonight’s ride “The Luau Ride” on August 17, 2012 will hit the streets at 8 p.m. It will start in the SJ County Parking Lot – 1st St. and Hedding.St.

The SJBP site encourages safe, legal and courteous behavior. So, if putting on your Hawaiian style beachwear we are wishing you a fun ride that will be safe for all.

8 p.m. ~ 1st St. & Hedding St.

R The Alameda
At De La Cruz / El Camino fork veer L to go onto El Camino Real R Lafayette St
L Laurelwood Rd
R Thomas Rd – becomes Mission College Blvd – R to stay on MC Blvd

REGROUP 1 – Mission College 7.5 mi

Exit R Mission College Blvd L Burton Dr
L Wyatt Dr
L Bassett St

R Agnew Rd L Lafayette St – becomes Gold St

R Catherine St – becomes State St

R Spreckles Ave
R Grand Blvd

Continue straight onto Disk Dr

REGROUP 2 – L into Jubilee Parking Lot just before Nortech Pkwy

Exit R on Disk Drive – becomes Grand Blvd becomes Los Esteros Rd becomes Zanker Rd becomes Old Bayshore Hwy

Slight right onto N 10th St R San Fernando St
R 5th St

END: SJ City Hall 5th St @ Santa Clara St

I was a taxi driver here in San Jose for many years and that is how I met my husband Ken. He is a very busy taxi driver.

Between his job and his love for playing pool he wouldn’t have the time for another wife… But, then there is a taxi driver named John who is married to two wives!

Read all about it: RUN FOR YOUR WIFE

John, a taxi driver, is married to two wives who live in different parts of London. Things go well until he rescues an elderly woman from three muggers and winds up in the hospital. The ensuing treatment throws his carefully constructed life off kilter. John’s dilemma is not helped when an upstairs neighbor tries to help and only makes things worse. Add two police detectives, one sexually charged wife, one play-by-the-rules wife and a gay dressmaker and you have the elements of chaos and continuous laughter.

Cast:
Mary Smith……………….Lucy Littlewood
Barbara Smith……………Cynthia Branch Lagodzinski
John Smith………………..Jim Woodbury
Det. Sgt. Troughton……Joel Butler
Stanley Gerdner…………C. Conrad Cady
Det. Sgt Porterhouse….Spencer Stevenson
Bobby Franklyn…………Jimmy James Allan

Directed by John Baldwin
Assistat Director Gary Laidlaw

Broadway West Theatre Company
4000 B Bay Street, Fremont, CA

Call for info and tickets ~ 1 (510) 683-9218
Tickets are going fast! Final weekend, last three performances.

facebook: Broadway West Theatre Company

Ken with his other "wife"

"One ring to bind them!" Charles Ross in One-Man Lord of the Rings™

If you’ve ever enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy on film, or watched any of them, or read the books – hopefully all of them – get yourself over to the SJ Repertory ASAP before you miss Charles Ross‘s current show.  Yes, in one hour Ross re-enacts the entire trilogy including opening credits, theme music, and hobbits.

You may remember Ross from last summer when he visited San Jose with his One Man Star Wars show.  I believe I compared it to “when your 8 year old nephew is on a sugar high and decides to act out a film (or 3) for you“.  This summer, once again, the theater was packed with excited audience members of all ages bouncing in their seats and clapping gleefully as they experienced the entire LOTR trilogy in one hour.  My guest is a fan of the films and she thoroughly enjoyed herself.  Any show that leaves you with a huge smile on your face is a good one, I say.

Ross takes a quick water break between each of the 3 film re-enactments, and he questioned the audience regarding how many were actually familiar with the films, and cracked some jokes wondering why anyone would attend the show who had not seen the films.  He makes a valid point because honestly there are two kinds of people in San Jose this weekend: those who have seen the LOTR films and MUST GO SEE THIS SHOW, and those who have not seen the films and should probably not see the show.  There is no in between.

I enjoyed his Star Wars show more, but only because I am more familiar with that trilogy.  I also think that the characters in Star Wars are much easier to differentiate when someone is acting them out: Chewbacca, C3PO, R2D2, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Darth Vader are all very distinct characters in voice and movement.  With LOTR it was a little harder to know what was going on… unless you are quite familiar with the films.  Gandalf and the Gollum are easy to pick out in Ross’s frenetic show, but a hobbit is a hobbit, and I really couldn’t figure much else out.  On the other hand, my guest said she loved his depiction of Legolas (a character I never picked out in the show) so I still think it comes down to whether you’re a fan or not.

But like I said, there is no in between.  If you are a fan of the films you simply MUST see the show, and you will have a fantastic time.  If you’ve seen one or two films and/or read any of the books, you should still see the show and you will still love it.  …if you’ve done neither, you’re just going to watch Charles Ross have a schizophrenic attack on stage for an hour.  However if you fall in that category and your kids want you to take them… Do it.  It’s an hour of hysterical fun for which your kids (or spouse) will love you.

One-Man Lord of the Rings ™
July 24 – 29, 2012
San Jose Repertory Theatre
written and performed by Charles Ross

DARK HORSE at Camera 3

Todd Solondz

THIS SATURDAY! Legendary independent filmmaker Todd Solondz, the acclaimed director of dark comedies such as WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE and HAPPINESS will be at Camera 3 for a Q&A session, following a screening of his new movie DARK HORSE.  The movie will be at 3pm, the Q&A is at 4:30. Tickets are matinee price–$7!

DARK HORSE
Cast: Justin Bartha, Christopher Walken, Selma Blair, Zachary Booth, Mia Farrow, Jordan Gelber and Donna Murphy
Synopsis: Abe is a schlubby 30-something loser who still lives with his parents, half-heartedly working in his father’s office and spending all his time buying Thundercats toys on eBay. Perversely, however, Abe is not without confidence and when he meets heavily-medicated depressive Miranda –- who has also just moved back in with her parents — he thinks he’s found a kindred spirit and proposes on their first date. “Solondz brilliantly — triumphantly — transforms what might have been an exercise in easy satirical cruelty into a tremendously moving argument for the necessity of compassion.”–New York Times

Running Time: 84 Minutes

MPAA Rating: R

The last time I was on a motorcycle was back in my high school days, and that was on my then boyfriends little Honda!

To me motorcycles are a naughty – wicked living on the edge thrill. I love the way they look and sound. I enjoy talking to the riders and snapping a photo… Ms. Valley Vixen on hers and Vince on his big red bike.

The FX hit drama “Sons of Anarchy” is teaming up with Harley-Davidson to make a custom SOA bike.

The award winning (2011 Silver Bar and Shield Award) House of Thunder Harley-Davidson store in Morgan Hill is hosting a BBQ this Saturday.
- talk to them about the SOA bike…

American Daredevil Bubba Blackwell will preform amazing stunts on Harleys! He will do two shows: 12:30 and 3:30 PM.

Also, enjoy the live bands and much more. The show is free but do bring a bit of cash for the BBQ

Where: House of Thunder Harley-Davidson
16175 Condit Road – Hwy101 and Tennant Ave. Morgan Hill.
(408)776-1900

When: Saturday, June 16

House of Thunder

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The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) began a new series of walking tours of San Jose neighborhoods this morning in Alviso.

The Alviso tour, led by Sharon McCauley, highlighted the history of formerly-independent Alviso as the “gateway to San Jose” in the days before the railroad linked Santa Clara Valley communities with San Francisco and points beyond. Highlights included the South Bay Yacht Club (active since 1888) and the Bayside Canning Company, one of the areas first Chinese-American-owned businesses, and one of the largest canneries in the country in its time.

A real treat was a presentation by Claire Britton-Warren (pictured) on the disaster of the steamship Jenny Lind in 1853. A boiler explosion en route from San Francisco killed numerous passengers just as they prepared for dinner. Among the dead Charles White, namesake of today’s White Road, and Jacob Hoppe, an early newspaperman and promoter of Alviso and Santa Clara County.

Two more walking tours are planned. On Saturday, June 16, in the Historic Hensley District, near downtown; and on Saturday, June 23, in Japantown. The tours begin at 10 am and last 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Tickets are $15 per person, or $10 for PAC*SJ members, available from the PAC*SJ website.

idolwatchnews.blogspot.com

DeAndre Brackensick will make an appearance at Eastridge Mall on Sunday, April 29th. He will be there from noon to 3pm.

DeAndre will talk with his fans. (Around 1:10 pm) Also, there will be a free raffle for the opportunity to have a photo taken with him.

American Idol Live – the tour will be at the HP Pavilion San Jose on July 22.