Author Archives: Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker

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About Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker

I’ve been involved with community journalism since 1968 when I wrote for my junior school paper, the "Tumbleweed," through high school and college and then wrote for the "Wyoming State Journal." I put aside my newspaper pen and began Boulder Community Media in 2005. There wasn’t much community journalism opportunity, so I resurrected my writing career as a screenwriter. My first short screenplay, “Stardust”, won an award in the 2005 Denver Screenwriting Center contest. I've made a number of movies over the years. Filmmaking is time-consuming, labor and equipment intensive. I recently changed my workflow to first write a book and make a movie based on that content. - Electric Vehicle Anxiety and Advice - This is a memoir travelogue of three trips covering 2,600 EV miles around Wyoming (2022) - Beyond Heart Mountain - Winter Goose Publishers released my memoir in February (2022) - The Zen of Writing with Confidence and Imperfection - This is a book recounting how luck planed into my signing a book deal after a 15-minute pitch meeting. (2020) - True Stories of an Aging Baby Boomer - War stories about living in a cohousing and lessons others can learn when starting their communities (2021) - Beyond Sand Creek - About Arapaho tribal efforts to repatriate land in Colorado (PBS - TBA) - Beyond Heart Mountain - Based on my memoir about my childhood in Cheyenne facing overt and subtle racism toward the Japanese following World War II (PBS - 2021) - New Deal Artist Public Art Legacy - About artists who created work in Wyoming during the Great Depression (PBS - 2018) - Mahjong and the West - SAG indie feature which premiered at the semi-important Woodstock Film Festival (2014) Over the years, I’ve produced directed, filmed and/or edited several short movies, “Running Horses” (Runner Up – Wyoming Short Film Contest), “On the Trail: Jack Kerouac in Cheyenne” (Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival, Top 10 Wyoming Short Film Contest), “Gold Digger” (Boulder Asian Film Festival), “Adobo” (Boulder International Film Festival), “A Little Bit of Discipline” (Rosebud Film Series), and two feature length documentaries “Your Neighbor’s Child” (Wyoming PBS and Rocky Mountain PBS), and “Serotonin Rising” (American Film Market, Vail Film Festival). He also directed and produced the award winning stage play “Webster Street Blues” by my childhood friend Warren Kubota. Boulder Community Media is a non-profit production company dedicated to democratzing media in all their forms - large and small screens, printed page and stage by providing sustainable and community-based content. I mostly work with community-based media producers, organizations, and socially-responsible businesses to develop their content via – the written word, electronic and new media, the visual and performing arts in a culturally competent manner – I’m what’s commonly called a niche TV and movie producer. Along with all this is plying my forte’ – fund development through grant writing, sponsorship nurturing and event planning.

Quality time?

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“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” – Hunter S. Thompson

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” – Hunter S. Thompson

A friend of mine, well into her 80s, went into the hospital the other day with some blood clots. She decided against further treatment and meeting the local hospice at her home.

She had a good run.

All of a sudden, folks are wanting to share “quality time” with her and her husband.

Another guy I know is soon to be sending his wife in her 70s with advanced dementia into a memory care facility and wants to spend “quality time” with her.

What is “quality time”, anyway?

I was surprised to see that there are definitions for “quality time” mostly having to do with giving undivided and interactive attention to a loved one or kids.

There’s another definition for people at the ends of their lives. The hospice or memory care staff are very intentional about planning “quality time” for the patient such as pain management provided by medical staff and lifestyle stability by hospice staff for family and friends.

I think these two types of quality time get interchanged when it comes to visiting terminally ill people. The doctor who gave pain killers to Michael Jackson was he facilitating quality time?

I think, yes.

Not that it matters, but I don’t prefer the term.

I stopped by and visited. My friend was sedated, but awake and recognized me. Her husband, also rehabbing from a fall was his usual self, but stuck in his chair. He’s the guy I visited at the rehab center and was able to get himself sprung from there.

It was also a time to connect with others I haven’t seen in awhile. A couple of our mutual friends were there, too.

Quality time is all relative. It’s too bad a person has to be on their death bed to get visitors.

I wonder if they thought “Where were you when we were in better shape?”

For starters, I’ll be in touch with friends and family more regularly and I hope others will return the hospitality. I was in Cheyenne the other day and stopped over to see my aunt and 89 year old uncle who just got out of the hospital. He’s not in great physical shape but in good spirits.

He was a World War II vet and a member if the 442nd Regimental Combat Battalion.

wrote the other day about envisioning my future self making it to be 70 or 80. I think I’m more in tune with Hunter Thompson’s approach of skidding through life until all my tires are bald.

I’ll have to be pretty damn chipper if I want to see quality time in 2035!

Meanwhile, I found out today my 90-something year old aunt died in her sleep.

Getting old isn’t for wimps … I’ll have some of my ashes shot out of a cannon, like Hunter Thompson.

Food stylists and a hankering for Italian sandwiches

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Food stylists make dishes for photo shoots look better than real life by painting them with all kinds of photogenic stuff. (photo by fair use)

Food stylists make dishes for photo shoots look better than real life by painting them with all kinds of photogenic stuff. (photo by fair use)

I don’t take pictures of food!

One of the newcomers to the Lyons Photo Jam group organized by Ken Wajda was a photog from Estes Park who specializes in taking pictures of food.

Anyone who wants, can bring 20 digital images to be shown to the group. He showed 20 pictures of finely displayed food from cupcakes to slices of ham.

He said that there are “food stylists” who prepare the set for each shot. I didn’t know there was such a job.

I knew there was a good reason I don’t like to take pictures of food and post it on social media. When I do a review for TripAdvisor, I generally will snap an image of the surroundings or store front, but not the food. – I want people to go there, not be turned off by my unappetizing iPhone pix.

Anyway, I’ve had a hankering for Italian sandwiches lately and have had a few around the county – Boulder, Lyons, Longmont, Lafayette.

Here are my evaluations.

As I mentioned, I don’t like to take pictures of food. Generally, all Italian sandwiches have the same ingredients, salami, various types of pork meat, provolone cheese; and similar mix of toppings – mustard, mayo, lettuce, various pickles. The prices were all around $10 to $11 with a drink and chips.

The Deli Zone in Longmont has TVs for your sports viewing pleasure.

The Deli Zone in Longmont has TVs for your sports viewing pleasure. (photo by fair use)

Deli Zone, Longmont – I was buying cheap gas at the Safeway there and saw the Deli Zone in a strip mall on Ken Pratt near the grocery store. The original Deli Zone opened about when I came to Boulder. I’ve eaten there before on University Hill. The Italian sandwich there was pretty good. They put oil and vinegar on it and the one thing that happens is the vinegar sogs up the bread. There’s a TV there and lots of seating, so it would be a good place to meet a group of people and watch sports.

The Pizza Bar 66 is on the far end of Lyons just before the turn to Estes Park.

The Pizza Bar 66 is on the far end of Lyons just before the turn to Estes Park. (photo by fair use)

Pizza Bar 66, Lyons – The Photo Jam takes place the first Sunday of each month at the Lyons Photography Art Center. I like to meet with others early at the Pizza Bar 66 since it’s a block from the art center. This was the most unique Italian sandwich. It had the usual ingredients, but was served on a homemade toasted ciabatta roll with a choice of either chips or a side salad. It would stand to reason that a pizza place would have the where-with-all to bake their own bread. There are also lots of TVs in this place. It’s also a full bar and a great local crowd. The night I was there, the local fire department showed up with lights and an ambulance to check out a woman who apparently was asphyxiated.

d'Angelos Italian Deli serves great sandwiches including the Philly cheese steak with Cheese Whiz.

d’Angelos Italian Deli serves great sandwiches including the Philly cheese steak with Cheese Whiz. (photo by fair use)

D’Angelos’s Italian Deli, Boulder – This place is fairly new, within the past couple years and located in the strip mall next to the north Boulder Safeway. It’s operated by a mom and her kids who moved here from Philadelphia. What I usually get here is the Philly cheese steak with Cheez Whiz. This time, I tried the 7″ Torresdale, which is their version of the Italian sandwich. Torresdale is a part of Philadelphia where Italians must live. It was very dense and neatly served – nothing leaked out. I was thinking that I didn’t order any toppings and maybe none are included, except upon request. The lettuce has iceberg and some sort of dark lettuce. It was very tasty.

Salvaggio's has three Boulder locations. This is the mother ship on Pearl Street.

Salvaggio’s has three Boulder locations. This is the mother ship on Pearl Street. (photo by fair use)

Salvaggio’s, Boulder – There are three locations in Boulder, I happened to be near the one on Pearl just off 28th Street by the old Olive Garden. This place is a Boulder classic. The sandwiches are made either on a round roll – small; or on a hoagie bun – large. The hoagie is too big for me to eat. I got the Italian on a roll. Unless you’re going to sit there in the shop and eat it, I recommend not getting any oil and vinegar. Those fluids leaked out all over the bread. It was messy and drippy, but still a good sandwich with good ingredient distribution in the bun.

Snarf's has numerous locations, but this is near the original Snarf's shack on Pearl Street.

Snarf’s has numerous locations, but this is near the original Snarf’s shack on Pearl Street. (photo by fair use)

Snarf’s, Boulder – Snarf’s also has multiple locations. This trip, I went to what I consider the “classic” restaurant on Pearl Street – but not on the mall. The sandwich here is toasted all the way through. I generally get the 7″ size. Not much leaked out and it stayed warm through my entire lunch. The other great thing about Snarf’s, they offer Zapp’s potato chips from New Orleans. I’ve ordered them from the Big Easy, now I just have to go down to the Snarf’s and pick up a bag.

I think the Pinocchios in Lafayette is the flagship for this Italian restaurant. The Italian sandwich is called the Sylvester.

I think the Pinocchios in Lafayette is the flagship for this Italian restaurant. The Italian sandwich here is called the Sylvester. (photo by fair use)

Pinnochio’s, Lafayette – I’ve been to the one in Longmont, but came here on my way to the doctor’s office in Lafayette. The Italian sandwich here is called the Sylvester. This is more of a sit down restaurant, compared to the others which provide service over the counter.

This go around, I didn’t bother to try the national chains that offer Italian sandwiches – I’ve had them, but no need to give them any free publicity. I ate at the local joints, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t cover them all. I didn’t get up to the mountain towns or all of them in the cities. I think I’ve had my fill of ham for a while, but regardless of your palate, support local businesses when you can.

Buon Appetito!

Boulder International Film Festival NewsTeam wants YOU!

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BCM crews interviewed Oliver Stone on the BIFF red carpet

BCM reporter Brooke Cummings interviewed Oliver Stone on the BIFF red carpet

When I came out of the non-profit world as a fund raiser and event planner, those skills melded quite well in my new life as a movie maker. When I used to run the local public access TV station, Boulder Community Media (BCM), one of the community outreach activities was to provide video production coverage for the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) starting in 2006.

BCM is currently recruiting news team member for the upcoming BIFF March 5 to 8 in Downtown Boulder.

BIFF and BCM shared space in a Pearl Street Mall building. We both moved around the corner to a place on 13th and Walnut. During those early years of BIFF, it was Tony Perri and myself doing to video news and then it was myself in 2007.

BCM producer and Blythe Danner at a recent BIFF

BCM producer Alan O’Hashi and Blythe Danner at a recent BIFF

BCM has a part of its nonprofit charter to provide community outreach and educational opportunities for students of all ages. In 2008, BCM expanded it’s coverage by partnering with the University of Colorado broadcast journalism school and that at Fairview High School. BCM now runs six or seven, five person crews each day throughout the BIFF. Quite the growth, considering coverage started out with two people.

The BIFF news production team gives real world experience to students about real world news beats and getting news packages pushed out as soon as possible. The BIFF attracts well known celebrities including Shirley MacClain, James Franco, William H. Macy, Martin Sheen and others and the BIFF news coverage is often the only coverage that gets picked up by the various news services.

BIFF host Ron Bostwick talks with James Franco.

BIFF host Ron Bostwick talks with James Franco.

Be a part of the action – If you’d like to be a part of the BIFF that is largely unseen and very interesting, behind the scenes experience inquire within! For the most part, you do need to have particular expertise and experience with news, but we can always use more Production Assistants willing to learn by observation and diving into a project.

Download the BCM volunteer agreement and email it back to BCM.

The schedule won’t be released until later in February, but we’re getting the word out so you can make plans around classes, work, and other commitments.

BCM uses a “transmedia” approach where we produce news in a variety of forms:

  • Editors – copy editors and video editors
  • Writers – news gathers to go along to events
  • Still Photographers – for all activities
  • Video Photographers – for all activities
  • Producers – if you want to produce, you should also have at least one other skill, have at a minimum a still camera and a strong back to schlepp gear.
  • Social media – update facebook pages, tweet pix and experiences
  • Website updates and maintenance
BCM reporter Bonnie Hoffman on the BIFF red carpet in front of the Boulder Theater the

BCM reporter Bonnie Hoffman on the BIFF red carpet in front of the Boulder Theater.

BCM generally runs at least two crews at any given moment, which means each crew has a producer, a video camera operator, a still camera operator a reporter on camera and a reporter off camera. In most cases, our news crews will be the only ones covering these events, many are newsworthy and your stories, images and video will be pushed out to the wire.

Equipment – BCM will provide video cameras and tape for field work. BCM will have a MacBook Pro with Final Cut 7 available. We are inventorying assets and also let me know what kind of equipment you may be able to provide:

* video cameras etc. (they can be solid state and consumer grade, tripods, lights)
* still cameras (pocket cameras to DSLR cameras – do they have video capabilities)
* lap top computers (pc or mac and editing systems – Premiere, iMovie, FCP, movie maker)

Send an email to BCM if you’d like to be a part of the action. You can also join the BIFF News Team Production Call facebook page to keep up with the latest.