Sand Dollars

I am often, and always, amazed at the complexities that attuned minds can make the computer accomplish. For instance, just click here

Springtime Cherry Blossom

This is getting to be fun. Our weeping cherry tree started blossoms last Saturday (thanks, HSW II), the 1000-year-old cherries in Tokyo did it last Tuesday, 21 March, and the guys at the Tidal Basin in D.C. are scheduled for Thursday, 30 March. I never became this interested in the cycles of Nature at our former manse. (Is that age or our new location? I'll have to get back to you on that.)

Brazil On Wednesday?

NASA has a full explanation of Wednesday's total solar eclipse. Unfortunately it will be seen only from points in South America, Africa, and then across southwest asia. Ah, well.

French Fries

UPDATE: More here from Power Line Power Line: In France, On the Other Hand...


Even I am a bit boggled. These elite students at the Sorbonne are rioting against a law that would permit an employer, during the first two years after the students' graduation, to fire them. No kidding, just read it here down about 13 paragraphs.

Mon Dieu! At least their cheese is pretty good.

Lat 37*53' Long 122*05'

Today's daylight is 11:58 hours. Friday's daylight is 12:01 hours. At this geographical location, it's already Spring! Official Spring, however, is on Monday, 20 March.

Weather!

Well, we're in our 10th day, or 14th day, whatever, of rain, and I'm somewhat tired of it. It's beginning to feel like Bromsgrove, or Seattle! So, I was really pleased when I read this. Fulghum (try pronouncing that name.) is a delightful writer.

Now I'm ready for California sun.

Pi Day

UPDATE: It's also Al Einstein's birthday anniversary (1879)

RKW reminds us all that today, at least on this side of the Atlantic, is Pi Day, or 3.14 :: ::

Go here:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/pi

(I'm reminded that back when we were designing projects for clients of various nationalities in locations around the Pacific and Middle East, we established an office policy for dating documents to avoid misunderstandings. Day (2 numerals)/Month (3 letters)/Year (4 numerals) Thus, today would be 14 Mar 2006, impossible to confuse with any other date.) (Unless, of course, you're using the Jewish or Muslim calendar, but that's a whole 'nother story.)

Freeway Fibrillations

Interesting contemplation of the uniqueness of the Los Angeles freeway system here. Read especially the high-tech disabling stuff toward the end of the article.

Interesting Newspaper Stuff

Another UPDATE 3/11/06 No NYT Stocks
UPDATE 3/10/06 'Washington Post' To Cut 80 Newsroom Jobs, Sources Say

I'm an old geezer, and I grew up with newspapers. Delivered them, worked at them, etc. But, WoW, do times change.
Last Saturday, on the sidewalk outside Trader Joe's in Lafayette, a card table with a guy offering free S.F.Chronicles. Later that day, a mail from the S.F.Chronicle offering a huge discount for subscribing.
Sunday, on the internet, an anecdote from a guy, fully fed up, calling the NYTimes to unsubscribe, and being offered a 50% off resubscription.
Today, in my email, an astonishing offer from the MercNews offering 2/3ds off for a print subscription.
Do we detect a sea-change?

Just wondering.

Just A Slapback. . .

at TempDisplaced in Bromsgrove UK (nice place.)

If You Can See The Arrow...

in the FedEx logo, then you may enjoy studying the profiles here.

(Someone had way too much time on his hands, I fear.)

Mark Who. . .?

Dinner in Danville II. On the main drag, Hartz Avenue, lies Amber Restaurant a somewhat elegant but casual creation by Chef Mark Dantanavatanawong, who formerly was the Chef across the parking lot at Bridges, (of which more later, I suspect.)

His name betrays his Thai/Chinese heritage, as does his food.

This a small-plates place, with asian-california fusion anything-goes stuff. . .fresh, flavorful, tuna, potsticker, lamb chop, beef satay, whateverturnsyouon. It's fun, it's not too expensive, and it's nouveau designed interiors.

No good for kids; no good for romance; this is for food and enjoyment. Easy parking.

Earthquake Hazards Program

Interesting earthquake stuff from the Gummint for us all. I have linked to the Bay Area here, but you can find links to similar pages for the entire U.S. on the same page. On the Bay Area page, as you scroll down, the collapsed apartment house in San Francisco's Marina District (see above) is the one that MWM designed a replacement for back in the early '90's.

Dinner In Danville

Isn't that a sweet-looking Rolls? One of 90 or more on two floors of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum that hosted our celebratory annual real estate evening on Friday. Good banquet food (roast beef or bird-flu-free roasted chicken) catered by Scotts in the totally-flat-black museum surrounded by these magnificent sparkling paeans to the wonderful pinnacle of automobile design. Compared to today's all-the-same styling, the classic cars made for a truly a wonderful venue. I could comment on the wringing out of excitement from human endeavors as they proceed toward maturity. . .I could, but I won't.:-)

Where In The World . . . ?

With all the brouhaha about this Port Security Deal (and Jonah Goldberg wonders when we will get around to Cognac Security. . .)I thought it might be good to see what we're all talking about. Dubai is an emirate, one of the seven that together form the United Arab Emirates. It is almost crime free, a sophisticated amalgamation of East and West, with Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Farsi, Tagalog, Malayam, and Russian languages being spoken. It is hot, but it is on the Persian/Arabian (your choice)Gulf, so it is somewhat scenic. The amazing thing, as you can see from these pictures, is the modernity of the architecture. It's a wow for any architect!

I'm Okay . . .

but sometimes I find myself wondering about you.

F-14 Is Retired

Don Sensing reminds us all that a famous USAF attack aircraft has been retired. Lots of history here

Mother Nature

Awoke this early morning to a "thump!" Hmmm, that was interesting. Unusual. Oh, well.

On the radio today, "a 3.8 shaker; epicenter 11 miles East of Oakland; 4:39 a.m." Whee! That's just about directly beneath HiltonHouse.

And then, once the sun came out. . .

Behold! Snow on Mt. Diablo!

Oyasumi

Rhapsody has Oyasumi, and I've blogged the tracks here.
Oyasumi: "1. Oborozuki yo (Moonlit Night) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
2. Fursato (My Heart's Home) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
3. Sakura, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
4. Momji (Scarlet Leaves) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
5. Takeda no Komoriuta (Takeda Lullaby) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
6. Aiko's Lullaby - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
7. Aka Tonbo (Red Dragonfly) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
8. Aogeba Totoshi (Song of Gratitude) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
9. Umi (Vast Ocean) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
10. Mimura nu Angwa (Girls from Three Villages) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
11. Hatsu Yuki (First Snow) - Elizabeth Falconer
12. Kirakira Boshi (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
13. Hama Chidori (Plovers on the Shore) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
14. Hagoromo no Komoriuta (Okinawan Lullaby) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
15. Komoriuta (Japanese Lullaby) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer
16. Oyasumi (Goodnight) - Aiko Shimada And Elizabeth Falconer"

I don't know what you can do with this info. Hey, the music is good, however. I like it!
UPDATE: Click on "Oyasumi" link above, and it will take you to Rhapsody, where you can sign up for a free trial, and hear the music for yourself. (I think.)

Springtime in California

Record snow and wind on the East coast, wonderful warm sunshine for Pebble Beach and the West coast. We'll have some more cold and rain, I'm sure, but, in the meantime it's neat to see the new growth outside making itself known.