Ronald Reagan b.Feb 6, 1911

My Birthday is next week

But, of course, you remembered that.
If you still can't find something to give me as a Birthday Anniversary present, consider:

 

Thanks in advance. . . :)

Sometimes, I'm really happy

to live in Northern California.

 

This was Lakeshore Drive in Chicago today. Those cars are stranded, empty, cold inside. 

Brrrr

Asama-yama

Mt. Asama, Japan

Notice the clouds. The ones on the left are cold; it's winter after all. The clouds emanating from the top of Asama are warm; steam, actually.
This is an active volcano (with a golf course at its base.)

For Memory's Sake

Here it is, again! Forever:

Interesting thing is that, as you reduce the image, the spirals disappear and the circles emerge. Try it. :)

Osaka-jo

 

Well, we were younger at the time.

Anyway, it was fun, and the food was good!

Across the Pond

This Hummer H3 was recently spotted, outside an art gallery, in London.

There should be no further discussion of the differences between them and us. :)

For those with Mailbox woes

'Nuff said. :-)

New Years Feast 2011

There were quite a few people, and quite a few dishes. Unfortunately, I didn't count the dishes (but I'm checking with others.)(As always, click to expand)(And, lick your tongue)

 We did a trial run on Anniversary Tuesday, the 28th. That's the suckling pig above. Then, on to New Years Day. First, the table before the guests arrived:

And now, a sampling of the dishes available (including some left-over suckling pig)

 

May 2011 be happy, healthy, and prosperous.

Global (Greenland Glacier) Temperatures

 

Just sayin'

Merry, Merry, Christmas

Comic Sans Serif

 

Some folks are just too self important to make important points.  As for me, I love Comic Sans because it's the way all architects were taught to letter on tracing paper (vellum) back when architects used pencil and paper to design and document buildings.

Lemonade stand indeed! Relax, already.

Two Faces From Space

The first, and most recent, is from Tuesday night's Lunar Eclipse, when the Earth passed between the Sun and our moon:

Nice pic of an inert space sphere. In contrast, seen through a very dark lens, is our Sun:

This was a quiet day, with only a few explosions of energy visible. The Sun could swallow our Earth in a second, with hardly a burp.
And oh, by the way:

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.

More Elephants

 

Just because I happen to be impressed with elephants.

The Corn Is As High...

 

(Notice the lashes. :))

You WILL clap when told!

 

I'm too nervous to comment. So I won't. I promise, Sir!

Two Faces of Tehran

Yes, Tehran Iran is a big, industrialized city, with all the pleasures and agonies that are thereby involved.

 There is also whimsy, probably a bit better than our graffiti.

 

It might be fun to visit, sometime in the future.

I can draw it,

But I sure can't build it!

:-)

No Comment Needed

BBC4

This is rather exciting stuff, life expectancy and wealth. Please watch (4 minutes.) Tks to instapundit.com

Pier 14 (again)

Nightime on Pier 14. Remember now, piers South of the Ferry Building are even numbered, and those North are odd.

Europe's Turmoils

If you have sometimes wondered, as have I, why European history has been so bloody over the years, you may enjoy 5 minutes watching the evolution of their states. I was particularly interested to see the relative stability of France, the steadiness of the U.K., and the quite-recent arrival of Germany on the scene. Italy's turbulence is also of interest.  It's too bad that the running dates are not noted.

Coldest Winter

Summer in San Francisco from Michael Winokur on Vimeo.

Taiko

Just sayin'.

Drawing with Circles

 Some guy by name of Ben Heine does intricate drawings using only circles and vibrant colors. He does a pretty good job.  Below is his rendition of Lady Gaga, of whom I know nothing at all. Click to enlarge:

Hay!

Happy Halloween!

World Series Seen by DFW Television

Stokes for folks, I guess.

Television Towers

Apparently Tokyo depends, a bit more that we are used to, on over-the-air, i.e. rooftop antennae, television signals.
For years, this was handled by the well-known 333 meters tall "Tokyo Tower" downtown.

Now, however, with the increasing number of tall neighboring buildings, and the advent of high-definition digital TV signals, that old tower cannot do the job.
(drumroll. . .)
Now, please meet the Tokyo "Sky Tree", 637 meters tall!

It's soon to open. That should take care of things, at least for a while.

Initial Test

From the Desk of . . .

Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 - Sept. 22, 1989)

Two Ladies, Same Outfit

 

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

(HT: Nina Camic)

My Father Used to Tell Us. . .

that Opera reached its peak in Italy in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries..



Nice call, Dad.

Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore

Below is a YouTube of construction on the East Portal of the 4th bore.  It's startling to believe that I may actually live to see its completion. :-)
(Completion of the new Bay Bridge may be a different matter.)

Happy Birthday, U.S.Navy!

October 13, 1775. The Continental Congress authorized the procurement of two ships to interrupt the shipments of munitions to the British Army. 
That's the new U.S.S.Independence above. Warships ain't what they used to be!

Fleet Week 2010 in the San Francisco Bay

These links should take you to a few minutes of power, skill, and great fun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zJW1YdHMfE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFF9uRdScPM

(You may have to cut & paste)

There's Something To Be Said

for a small vegetable farm in the rear 40:

Eat your heart out. :-)

Tilt Shifting

A tilt-shift lens is one of the newest (to me) fads in photography. It provides a focus on only one part of an image, leading to impressions of miniature models of real life.
It also looks funny when used on a familiar scene, such as the painting by Van Gogh above.
Check wikipedia for "tilt-shift lens."

Old Times, Good Times

Recently, DW#1 and I, with friend, did dinner at Bridges with a quite-old bottle of wine. This Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in 1968, one year before the birth of DS#1, and presented to us as a gift in 1984. It was my 50th, and Joan and Tom Cline (R.I.P.) were the presenters.

The wine was a bit past its prime, but tasty nonetheless. It was a lovely evening full of fond memories.