Dry Cereal

Summer of Fire

We've been able to keep track of the fire in Big Sur using internet tools we never dreamed of before. Google earth, combined with recreation map overlays, combined with twice-daily infrared satellite data.... wow. The story is horrible, but it is better to know what's happening. This way I don't need to bother my friends for news updates.

Circumperabulation of the Monterey Bay part 2

Previously, I posted about my walk from Capitola to Moss Landing. Last Sunday, the class continued, and we walked from Moss Landing to...well, we were supposed to walk to Monterey, but we only made it as far as Seaside. Why? Because the sand south of Moss Landing is completely different from the sand north of Moss Landing. Since geologist Gary Griggs, was one of the teachers, I know exactly why that is.

How Not to Do Tech Support

I love stories of poor support techs and ridiculous end users. "The Website is down" is a hilarious video that illustrates both.

June

I finally have noticed that June is not a happy month around here and it never has been. For one thing, it is too short. For another, it is a time of leave takings and retirements and moving away. Others, not me of course. And Summer Solstice is a holiday about death and ending and moving on. It is a un-merry as is Winter Solstice 6 months opposite from it on the calendar. This week was one conflagration after another, and not just the fire in Big Sur. Lots of endings and powder-kegs...

A Forest Invitation

Last Saturday, I observed the Solstice in a ritual held in a Redwood grove on the north UCSC campus. I have noticed that more and more of the signage up there is tagged with people's little scribbles. That day, I noticed that some of the tagging was related to the anti-development activitism, but it still looks stupid. Then there was this one:

The Dream Inn returns

Joie de Vivre hotels sent out notices that the Dream Inn of Santa Cruz will open for the Fourth of July weekend. I hope this venture is successful. Here's how it looked last week.

Fire Update

I heard last night that my friends' house is not one of the ones that burned, and that the fire has been turned from the ridge. The CDF had to pull out because the water supply was damaged, so volunteer firefighter residents stayed behind and fought for their homes. And saved them. At great risk to themselves. It is like a war. So many places in Big Sur are still threatened, including many galleries and the Henry Miller library.

Circumperabulation of the Monterey Bay

On Sunday, I attended a Cabrillo Extension class. Two class meetings. On that first Sunday, we walked from New Brighton Beach, just south (actually east) of Capitola all the way to Moss Landing, which included wading across the Pajaro river, waist high. The class was led by Sandy Lydon, a historian who explained to us the history of the last 300 years; and Gary Griggs, a geologist, who explained to...

The Summer of Fire

A few weeks ago I posted about my idyllic two days at Partington Ridge. Beautiful Partington Ridge, that was sometimes called "the Shire," has burned in the Gallery Fire, one of 400 fires that started Saturday afternoon in that thunderstorm. My hosts' home is the command center for the fire, where they are making a last stand.

And the Early Adopters of Publishing Technolgy are....?

Cisco has demonstrated the latest version of "TelePresence" which combines video conferences with holographic representations of the participants. I have two comments. One, John Chambers sounds stupid because of his souther accect. I can't help it. I'm prejudiced. I can get over it, but that is always my first impression. Second, I wonder how internet dating will be changed by this sort of thing?