West Meets East

This is kind of interesting. Photo is taken from Asia looking at Europe, or vice versa. The bridge connects the cultures and the continents.

Yeah, it's the Bosporus, or Bosphorus, whatever, or simply, the Istanbul Straits.

We live in a complicated, but always interesting, world.

Big Brown Eggs

On Hwy 4 heading East from Stockton, between Hwy 99 and Jack Tone Road, stands the Brown Egg stand, a typically 1950's Central Valley food outlet, prior to the advent of Farmers' Markets.

We like the Brown Egg place, because the proprietress goes to the barn, lifts the eggs from beneath the pullets, washes them (without candling, I noticed) and presents them to us. How fresh can you get?

There's also a bunch of in-season fruits and vegetables. If they're not from the owners' fields, then they're from the neighbors'.

Not a bed place to re-provision for a vacation, or for a weekend.

Good California living!

Memories

We enjoyed a sandwich just under the left-most arch pictured. Good food.

This is Cortona, the Hill Town.

(We met no Godfather there, more's the shame. Just a tour guide in a wi-fi-enabled Chrysler van who introduced us to his cousin, the wineseller, who shipped for us a case of chianti, marked (for duty purposes) as library books. We have a few left to read.)

MetroLafayette

Interesting, and needed, venue in Lafayette. The Metro Lafayette is a noisy, trendy, edgy, shopping-center celebrity.

The style is spare, the space is noisy, the service is slow, the only color is brown and black on the servers' outfits, the smiles are genuine, and the food is divine.

(I was in this building about a year ago, when it was a Mexican-Spanish dark doomy failure, with food that fitted that style.)

We dined on the patio, which was only half as noisy, and it was okay. Outdoor space heaters are scheduled for two weeks from now. This place has only been open for a week.

Oyster bar was tasty and very fresh, charcuterie was delicious, and Misoyaki codfish was to die for. These menu items are truly of San Francisco class. (And, the prices are almost so. Oh, well. No Bridge toll.)

I'll be back.

Neighbors

Our neighbors over the backyard lot line have started construction of their new house. Most of it will be behind the oak tree on the right in the view above. That's okay.

However, they've added a property line fence, which closes the patio side of our backyard. We're resigned to, and accepting of, the thing although it certainly changes things spatially. We're thinking either bougainvillea or rose trees to screen the fence.

Opinions are invited. (click to enlarge the photo)

Poignant

Today is Flag Day

British Idol? American Idol?

At least 50% of the populace at HiltonHouse are big fans of the "Idol" TV show. This is 4 minutes of great, classical fun. Please enjoy.

Paris Hilton Rules!

I have checked carefully, and, as far as I can see, her roots are not dark. So, that isn't the medical problem.

If You Want To Tell Someone. . .

that you're truly sorry, try looking like this:

It Seems Like Just Yesterday

But it was 40 years ago today that the world first heard "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Just go here:

http://www.thebeatles.com/sgtpepper/

70 Years Old Today!

We have all traveled it many times, even today at $5 Southbound.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Anniversary, Golden Gate Bridge. Your first traffic was in 1937.

(photo Emeko Alonso, flickr.com)

Memorial Day 2007

It's time for a brief moment of thought.

And thanks.

Norma Egstrom, May 26 1920 - January 21 2002

Happy Birthday, Peggy!

(Who's the guy in the specs playing the clarinet?)

Praise The Lord

That's Oakland's new Roman Catholic Cathedral under construction down by Lake Merritt. The site is a former parking lot where a veterinarian I know first learned to ride a bicycle. That was a few years ago.

The new cathedral is very feminine in form, unlike traditional Gothic or even contemporary cathedrals such as the one across the Bay in San Francisco. It promises to be an impressive edifice.

Thanks to RMW for the photo.

The Emporium Dome

The Emporium opened on Market Street in San Francisco back in 1896. It suffered from, but survived, the 1906 earthquake. Closed finally in 1996, it was finally bought and refurbished and now houses Bloomingdales in the "Westfield San Francisco Centre." (The misspelling is on purpose, I suppose.) Nordstrom is in the same block. It's a neat location to spend a lot of money, if one is so moved.

The point, however, is that the original Emporium Dome has been exquisitely restored. Please gaze in wonder:



(Click to enlarge. I have turned this image into wallpaper for my laptop, and it looks really nice.)

Noe Valley

This is an unusual photo of a much-photographed city. Very residential. Very sunny.



I owe Flickr for the shot.

(Click to enlarge, as always.)

Arthur Jacob Arshawsky

Born 23 May 1910 in New York, New York




God Bless. Those were incredible days, in between the troubles. Happy Birthday, Artie!

Sierra Foothills

Beautiful weather there this week. Highs about 80F (that's more or less 25C)

Here is where we had miso soup last year, in a room full of the Red-Hat Ladies Club of Murphys. Ah, the memories.



This is my favorite tree on Hwy 4 between Copperopolis and Angels. Sorry about the wires in the background, but I couldn't find a spot that ignored them.

Ooops! This Doesn't Sound Good

LONDON (Reuters) - A British judge admitted on Wednesday he was struggling to cope with basic terms like “Web site” in the trial of three men accused of inciting terrorism via the Internet.

Judge Peter Openshaw broke into the questioning of a witness about a Web forum used by alleged Islamist radicals.

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,” he told a London court during the trial of three men charged under anti-terrorism laws.

Prosecutor Mark Ellison briefly set aside his questioning to explain the terms “Web site” and “forum.” An exchange followed in which the 59-year-old judge acknowledged: “I haven’t quite grasped the concepts.”

Violent Islamist material posted on the Internet, including beheadings of Western hostages, is central to the case.

Please note, that is not a portrait of Judge Openshaw. I do admire his hair, however.

Cables, Cords, and Connections

H D T V



Now I appreciate even more what Rudy had to go through up in Copperopolis!