Half Moon Bay Memories & El Granada Observer

ENJOY “BURT BLUMERT TAKES THE GREAT ‘BIG DADDY’ DON GARLITS ON A HARROWING SIGHT-SEEING TOUR OF SAN FRANCISCO”

(Photo: L-R, Burt Blumert and “Big Daddy” Don Garlits.)

Friends of ours hosted a birthday party for Burt Blumert, at a home over the hill, on February 11, 2008. Earlier in the day we met “Big Daddy” Don Garlits in San Francisco where he was at a big car show signing autographs for fans at Moscone Center.

Burt has known Garlits for many years. When he told Don about the birthday party, and invited him to come along. Don Garlits said, “Sure. Pick me up at 5:30.”

Burt went to pick Don up, and while I was waiting for them at the party, I began to worry because they were late–and then they were really late.

Meanwhile they were having a wild ride all over San Francisco.. Don Garlits, the world famous drag racer, who won races right here at Princeton, sat in the passenger seat as Burt got lost, almost hit a pedestrian and ran a red light.

Here’s the true story:

“I picked him up at the Holiday Inn in Chinatown,” Burt says. “Don hadn’t been in the Bay Area for almost 20 years and I decided to give him a little sight-seeing tour before we headed down the Peninsula for the party. The sight-seeing tour didn’t go well. The second time we passed the Palace of Fine Arts, Garlits asked me, ‘Haven’t we seen this before?’

Burt said, “Yes, but that was the other side of it.”

When Burt realized he was about to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, he made a sharp, illegal u-turn and told Garlits, “We don’t want to do that.” Meanwhile he was lost in San Francisco

Poor Garlits, who spent his drag racing career surviving terrorizing moments, never experienced anything worse than Burt Blumert’s sight-seeing tour of San Francisco.

“We were lost for 45 minutes. I didn’t know where I was. I was on the Great Highway, I was in the Avenues, I was at the top of Twin Peaks….”

Finally when they arrived at the party, Burt was exhausted and Don Garlits seemed happy to be alive.

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In the late 1950s & early 1960s “Big Daddy” Garlits and his famous drag-racing rival, Don Prudhomme, drew record crowds, and all the locals, to watch them compete at the Half Moon Bay Airport near Princeton-by-the-Sea.

Be sure to stop by the Annual *Dream Machine event on Sunday, April 27–the drag strip is no more but let your imagination take you back to the 1950s when the great Don Garlits entertained so many.

To get info about June Morrall’s book, “Princeton-by-the-Sea,” which includes a chapter with vintage photos about Big Daddy’s drag-racing exploits at the Half Moon Bay Airport, please click here

If you want to know about Burt Blumert and learn about the precious metal, gold, click for SF Chronicle’s Rob Baedaker’s story here

Grim News: Crab Season NOT Opening: Story by Burt Blumert

Walking on this bright, beautiful Sunday morning on Johnson Pier at Princeton was glorious. The heavy rains yesterday scrubbed everything and the world seemed perfect.

An ideal day to inaugurate the opening of the crab season by buying some succulent crabs from the boats that sell to the public.

Not so. No crabs today. It’s grim for the fishermen who earn their living from harvesting crabs, for the restaurants that feature crab on their menus at this time of year and the poor consumer who will be denied their winter treat.

To walk on Johnson Pier at Princeton is very sad. All the fishing boats are sitting idle and their empty traps are quietly nested.

Not many crab-men were even on their boats or on the pier. I did encounter one or two; they were glum-faced.

There was a meeting of fisherman last night and they voted to cancel the opening of crab season.

The commercial fishermen haven’t had a good time of it; the salmon season was disappointing–and now with this devastating oil spill, things are going from bad to worse.

At the meeting, reported by a couple of locals, the fishermen discussed the fact that the crabs could be contaminated from the spill–and people could get sick consuming them. This factor eliminated any debate about whether to open the crab season or not.

I didn’t have time to get all of the facts. These poor fellows weren’t in a mood for chatty conversation– worse yet, they are concerned that this disastrous oil spill could threaten future crab seasons.

Let’s hope that there is better news ahead.

Thursday night in Palo Alto at the Westin Hotel, Presidential candidate Congressman Ron Paul (at far right, wearing the tie) met and talked with supporters.

Photo below: Kathy McGrade and my longtime companion Burt Blumert discuss the Ron Paul campaign at the Westin Hotel in Palo Alto. Kathy McGrade, who is an engineer and runs her own company, has a strong connection to the Coastside–the La Honda resident once lived on Mirada Road next door to the Bach Society in Miramar. Around that time, the 1970s, she was involved with, what I believe was the very first privately owned rocket-launching company called “Starstruck,” headquartered in Redwood City.

Did you see the Republican Presidential Candidate Debate on MSNBC? With Chris Matthews….Congressman Ron Paul (in photo, center above) stunned everybody by getting higher poll totals on the web than the front-runners.

Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tx) has been an outspoken opponent of the Iraq War since day 1. He’s against most government spending program and is a true American patriot. He actually speaks the truth. And he’s running for President….

If you get a chance, please listen to Ron’s message.

ronpaul2008.com

Oh, by the way, your editor June Morrall is on the left of Cong. Ron Paul and to his right stands longtime friend Burt Blumert. Photo was taken some years ago in San Mateo (by photographer Jerry Koontz).

The commute over Devil’s Slide was uneventful but I still sighed with relief as I pulled into the garage and shut down the engine. The fog was rolling in, Pumpkin days were behind us, and it was good to be home.

But, it was not to be.

“We can just make the 4:20 showing of “The Queen” in Palo Alto if we leave right now,” June said breathlessly. There was no negotiating. She’s all business when she dons those Grand Prix driving gloves.

“Look, isn’t this the movie about Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned in the 16th century?” I whined. “Wasn’t she beheaded, or locked up in the tower? In any case, do we really want to see a period piece movie, where they all talk funny?”

June rolled her eyes once or twice, and I noted that we were already on Highway 280 heading south.

“The Queen,” she sniffed, “is about Queen Elizabeth II, the present monarch, stars the great actor Helen Mirren, and is directed by Stephen Frears, whose 1985 film, “My Beautiful Launderette”, is a cult classic.”

My spirits improved as we exited at Page Mill Road. I was now minutes away from a large- sized popcorn with the hope that they used real butter and, more importantly, I reflected that Helen Mirren is one of the finest actors of our time. She was dazzling as Jane Tennison in PBS’s “Prime Suspect” series, and remarkable as the brilliant but difficult Russian émigré in “The Passion of Ayn Rand”. Helen Mirren does not disappoint as The Queen. She is at the top of her game.

The story line of the film covers those shattering events in the UK during 1997. Tony Blair, amazingly portrayed by Michael Sheen, has become the first Labor Prime Minister in about 20 years. He is young – Blair was born in 1953, the year Elizabeth ascended the throne – and handsome. Although raised in privilege and properly educated, he is a socialist “new man.”

His first official meeting with the Queen sets the tone for the entire film. Elizabeth, reserved, formal, but armed with a rapier wit, duels with Blair. She advises that he is her 14th Prime Minister. He is amused by the monarch, but remains respectful throughout.

Blair’s wife, Cherie, does not share this respect. She is in sympathy with the 25% of the British population who believe the monarchy is an expensive anachronism and should be abolished.
To the tradition- bound Elizabeth, Blair might as well be a rock-star.

And then…the dark event that turns our story from a gentle tale of a collision of manners to a political crisis that could threaten the UK’s constitutional monarchy:

Princess Diana is tragically killed in a motor accident in Paris.

To Elizabeth, this event is the final act of the dismal drama that Diana created for the Royal family. The movie, “The Queen”, does not dwell on the “sordid” events that led to Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles. The audience is reminded, however, that Diana has been “excommunicated” from the royal family.

The only potential problem Elizabeth sees is the need to protect the young princes, Harry and William, from the evil media. In this she is supported by her consort Prince Philip – well portrayed by American actor James Cromwell. Her mother, “the Queen Mum”, is also quick to offer her full support.

The royal family never once considers that the young princes should be mourning the dead mother they dearly loved. Shut off the TV sets, hide the newspapers, this was the royal strategy. Prince Philip decides that fresh air is the best remedy and takes the boys hunting on the 40,000 acres that make up the Balmoral Castle grounds.

As the days pass the outpouring of grief for the dead princess rages like a forest fire. To the royal family this outpouring is incomprehensible.

The headlines begin to turn ugly; why is the flag at Buckingham not flying at half-mast? Why is Princess Diana not being afforded a royal funeral? When will Queen Elizabeth break her silence and acknowledge the tragedy of Diana’s death?

From this point, “The Queen” becomes an elegant nail-biter. On the one hand, we have the intractable Elizabeth and her royal entourage clinging to traditions and views forged through 1,000 years. On the other – the average Brits who revere a different stripe of royalty: Elton John, Madonna, Elizabeth Taylor, the Spice Girls, and even the likes of Tony Blair. To these subjects, Diana was the real princess.

“The Queen” relies heavily on archived tapes and films. It is a sticky matter to successfully weave old images into a screenplay. Director Frears does it artfully.

First, we see old BBC tapes of an ocean of flowers placed by grieving Brits around Buckingham and the other palaces. Then, seamlessly, Mirren’s Elizabeth walking amidst the bouquets. She reads some of the attached messages and is stunned by the anger directed against the Royal family. She is in agony, yet, never buckles, never loses the royal demeanor that defined her life.

There is a sadness as Mirren’s queen grudgingly accedes to the pressures put upon her. She is powerless, yet, never loses her grace.

Finally, Helen Mirren’s Elizabeth realizes what we knew all along. We live in a “Pop Culture” and even tradition is fading fast.

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You can email Burt: burtblumert@comcast.net

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE PRICE OF GOLD?
By Burton S. Blumert*

December 15, 2005

Paul is our regular UPS man and he has been telling his wife that they should own some gold. Finally, with gold in the headlines, they made their decision and bought 5 ounces.

He picked up his order yesterday;

“Sure, the minute I buy something, you can bet the price goes down,� poor Paul mumbled as he wrote his check.

I’d like to have an ounce of gold, or even a gram, for how many times I’ve heard that
wail from clients throughout the decades.

The corollary, that the price immediately spikes higher as soon as we sell something, is the other side of the coin (if you’ll excuse the expression).

Few investors have escaped the agony of these experiences. It’s as if there are little gods
who monitor such matters and they whack us every time we decide to buy or sell something.

The dramatic ups and downs of the price of gold in recent days has tested everybody.

Some new gold buyers are disheartened; others are in a state of shock. Even gold professionals have been emotionally wrung out by the schizophrenic price gyrations of the ancient yellow metal.

In case you missed it, here’s a summary of the gold market over the past 2 weeks using prices from the London Metals Exchange as our source;

On Dec. 2, the price of gold punctured $500 per ounce price for the first time in about 20 years.

For the next 10 days the gold price spiked higher almost every trading day and
the inter-day price edged close to $540 per ounce.

Over the last few days gold has dropped sharply, and tomorrow, Thursday, Dec 15, the price could very well drop below $500. *

*This article was written on Wednesday night, December 14. The price touched $500.80 early Thursday morning in London.

Let’s consider these numbers in some prospective;

From its highs of 2 weeks ago gold plunged about 6½%.

I suspect that when we examine the history of gold prices in the years ahead, this recent spasm will register as a mere blip on the chart.

The following figures tell us the real story. I’m using the price of gold for each January since the year 2000 to make my point:

January, 2000 $310 per ounce
January, 2001 275
January, 2002 295
January, 2003 375
January, 2004 425
January, 2005 431
January, 2006 ?? (I predict the price next month will be $500 +)

If you purchased gold recently and you’re worried, phone me and I’ll hold your hand.

If I’m more worried than you, you can hold mine.

I can assure you of this;

When all other monies crumble into dust, the value of gold will endure.

Burt Blumert is a leading gold dealer (almost 50 years) in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also my longtime companion. You can send him email at burtblumert@comcast.net.

Special to Half Moon Bay Memories and El Granada Observer.

It was a hectic week for Gold.

The yellow metal was the lead story in the NY Times Business Section on Wednesday, November 19 and I was interviewed on the KGO 6 O’Clock News on Thursday.

The reason for all this hoopla?

The price of an ounce of gold went over $500 for the first time in over 20 years. (At the market close on Friday, Dec. 2, gold was trading at $504.50).

People are mystified by gold. They may revere ornaments produced by the Goldsmith (the gold wedding band is one of the most potent symbols in our culture), yet the notion of holding gold as an investment, or as part of one’s savings is clearly out of mainstream thinking.

It has been said that there are only 6 people in the world who understand Gold and that they have 7 different opinions. Well, let me try to “demystify” the subject, and, perhaps, persuade you to consider acquiring some beautiful gold coins.

First: Here are some of the “negatives” concerning gold ownership.

Gold doesn’t bring any return like a bond or stock. Also, storing gold could be dangerous and costly. The “crooks” love it and Safety Deposit Box fees at Banks are on the rise.

The “King” doesn’t like gold; he never has and never will. If you own a share of IBM stock, you are a patriot; own an ounce of gold and there is something wrong with you.

If someone wants to sell gold, it might prove difficult to find a buyer.

The government could confiscate gold as it was in 1933.

Some of the negative statements above are pure propaganda. Here are the immutable truths:

Gold and silver have been “money” in much of the world for almost 3000 years. By its nature, gold prevented the Kings and tyrants from increasing the supply of money whenever they wanted to. (As they do with paper).

It served as money in our own country from the beginning, the (1790s) through 1933 when it was demonetized. FDR’s first Executive Order in 1933 required Americans to bring their gold coins to the bank to exchange them for paper. They called it demonetization of gold, but it was outright theft.

Led by the US, the world has been off the god standard for about 75 years, yet every country retains gold as part of their national wealth.

Restrictions on Americans to hold gold ended in 1974.

If one has gold to sell, Iwould argue that there is nothing else they own that would be more liquid.

“Only Government can take commmodities as valuable as paper and ink and make them worthless.”

“When all the paper money is dust, gold will be of value.”

Yes, those quotes are pretty strong, but a prudent investor should own some gold.

Who knows, the next time KGO wants to interview me, it will be when gold exceeds $1000 per ounce.

Burt Blumert is a leading gold dealer (almost 50 years) in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can send him email at burtblumert@comcast.net.

Gold price breaks $500 per ounce for the first time in 20 years– and this afternoon Ace-KGO-TV reporter David Louie interviewed Burt Blumert (my longtime companion) and gold expert at Camino Company, Burt’s Burlingame headquarters. Show airs during the 6 o’clock news on KGO-TV, an ABC affiliate in San Francisco.

Here’s some of my pix from the shoot:

At left: Burt Blumert (left) with veteran KGO-TV reporter David Louie

Center: KGO cameraman Mark adjusts equipment while Burt sits at the desk)

Below: David Louie poses for me:.