Earthquake Preparedness

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/living/emergency-management/preparedness/earthquakes

With cats:

http://patch.com/california/santacruz/maybe-youre-ready-earthquake-santa-cruz-what-fido

Just a starting draft

Homeless in Sacramento: A death on the streets

http://media.sacbee.com/static/sinclair/Genny/index.html

Recommended by a friend, who knew Genny, as an acquaintance.

"Reporter Cynthia Hubert, who writes about both mental illness and homelessness for The Bee, began piecing together Genevieve Lucchesi’s story in February, after learning that her body lay unclaimed for weeks in the county morgue. She tracked down Genevieve’s relatives, some of whom had not spoken to her in decades, and used public records and family memories to reconstruct her early life. For descriptions of Genevieve’s life on the streets, Hubert interviewed dozens of people who fed, clothed and fought to protect her for the better part of 20 years."

In the same vein as this story, "The Lonely Death of George Bell", featured in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/nyregion/dying-alone-in-new-york-city.html

Zero Motorcycles

Saw a bumper sticker advertising Zero Motorcycles. From Wikipedia:

"Zero Motorcycles Inc. is an American manufacturer of electric motorcycles. Formerly called Electricross, it was started in 2006 by Neal Saiki, a former NASA engineer, in Santa Cruz, California. The company is now located nearby in Scotts Valley."

Kuzanga

Heard musical group Kuzanga on Saturday as they performed near the Octagon, in Santa Cruz:

"Kuzanga Marimba of Santa Cruz, California plays traditional and contemporary music from the Shona culture of Zimbabwe. We play seven marimbas ranging from soprano to bass, along with hosho (gourd shakers). 

Kuzanga has been a favorite of ethnic-music enthusiasts since 1994. Several generations, from young to old, often dance to this exciting music simultaneously. We are all acoustic, so require no amplification."

Sounded great.

The Waffle Roost

What a name. Saw an advertisement for Subject on Monday, while driving through Fremont.
http://thewaffleroost.com/

License Plate Personalization (Special Interest)

Starting a page to catalog what I see:

• YOMAMA3
• PEACHY
• (?)

WIRED magazine - Colophon, October 2015

Noting a number of new items, to me, per Subject:

• Tamarindo Beach (Costa Rica): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarindo,_Costa_Rica#Beaches
• Miegakure (Japanese video game, in 4D)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miegakure
• XKCD: http://xkcd.com/721/
• The Astronaut Wives Club (television drama, canceled after one season): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Astronaut_Wives_Club
• Floras Lake (Oregon): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floras_Lake
• Catalano-Chase Youth Hostel: ??? Spain???
• Panticapaeum Institute: a fictional place, via True Detective, "...Panticapaeum is the name of an ancient Greek city. It was destroyed by the Huns around 370 AD."
• The Cow Palace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_Palace
• "The space between the wicked lies we tell": Dave Matthews Band song lyrics, "The Space Between"

Radio Songs

Heard on KRBQ 102.1 FM out of San Francisco (note: until 2011, this was classical KDFC--"Classical, and then some"):

• Slough, Buckinghamshire, UK-native Tracy Ullman's "They Don't Know", from her 1983 album "You Broke My Heart in 17 Places", on the Stiff Records and MCA Records labels. Video.

Heard on ???:

• Venice Baroque Orchestra's "Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons", Andrea Marcon conducting, with violinist Giuliano Carmignola, from their 2000 album "Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / 3 Violin Concertos - Giuliano Carmignola / Venice Baroque Orchestra / Andrea Marcon", on the Sony label. Audio.

Heard on KPIG 107.5 FM out of Freedom, California:

• Pleasanton, California-native Tony Furtado's "Deep Water" from his 2009 album "Deep Water", on the Funzalo Records label. Audio.

Wheego Electric Cars

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheego_Electric_Cars

Saw one of these in Sacramento, charging, via an extension cord running from the car, parked curbside, up the side of an apartment complex, and in through a second-story window. The following image shows the extension cable, sans car:

Brooks England Bike Saddle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_England

Saw this last weekend

The Art Museum - Phaidon Press

Saw the masterly book "The Art Museum" by Phaidon Press, at the Santa Cruz Book Shop:

SPECIFICATIONS

Hardback

420 x 320 mm (16 1/2 x 12 5/8 in)

992 pp

2700 colour illustrations

9780714856520 | 0714856525 

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Art Museum is the finest art collection ever assembled between two covers. This revolutionary and unprecedented virtual art museum in a book, features 992 oversized pages of nearly 2,700 works of art. It is the most comprehensive and visually spectacular history of world art ever published. Ten years in the making, this unique book was created with a global team of specialists in all fields of art, including museum curators and educators, who have collected together important works as they might be displayed in the ideal museum for the art lover.

Unrestricted by the constraints of physical space, this luxurious book is organized by innovative color-coded "galleries," "rooms," "corridors" and "special exhibitions" which display hundreds of paintings, sculptures, frescos, photographs, tapestries, friezes, installations, performances, videos, woodblock prints, folding screens, ceramics and manuscripts that tell the history of world art. This is the only museum to house Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, a collection of Rembrandt’s finest self portraits, Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Picasso’s Guernica, as well as ceramics from China, Hokusai’s woodblock prints, gold artefacts from Peru, and works by Jackson Pollock in one place.

With intelligent in-depth text throughout, explanatory labels for each artwork, a comprehensive glossary and detailed location maps, The Art Museum, is accessible for everyone from casual art fans to experts in the field.

IN THE PRESS

'What is a great work of art? The question asks itself when you leaf through The Art Museum, a colossal new book that gathers together an ideal collection of superlative sculptures, paintings, vases, embroideries and installations.' The Guardian

'The 2,500 works that really matter in 1,000 stunning pages.' Readers Digest

'Unprecedented, unique, and vast in scope, this visually spectacular survey of world art belongs in large public, academic, and special libraries. Destined to delight, inspire, and educate, as well as become an invaluable, classic, art reference resource, it is very highly recommended.' Library Journal.com

Frozen Fever

Saw a plush Olaf the snowman advertising the 2015 short film Frozen Fever:

.

What Would Atticus Do?

Saw this bumper sticker on Saturday. From the Santa Cruz Book Shop web site:

We were so inspired by our Community Book Group celebration of the 50th Anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird that we created bumper stickers to carry the spirit of the book’s beloved characters year round. As Public Defender Larry Biggam said, he always asks himself, “What would Atticus do?” before talking to his teenage son. We hope you enjoy this sticker along with our other version, “What would Scout do?” available now.

HOH Rainforest

Seen on a bumper sticker:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoh_Rainforest

Monarch Butterflies at Natural Bridges State Beach

Walked to the Westside Farmers’ Market, got coffee, then walked to Natural Bridges State Beach. At the Visitor Center, we met a female State Park employee named Jean.

Jean asked where we hailed from, then shared she grew up in upstate New York. In the natural history section of the Visitor Center, she shared several anecdotes:

• Monkeyface prickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus) - it's 19 years old, currently, and near the end of its life. It lives in a large aquarium tank with other tidepool creatures. She shared an unnamed individual had illegally removed it from a tidepool, in a pail, when it was only an inch or two in length. The person then donated it to the Visitor Center, where it has lived since.
• She usually work at Seacliff SB
• All mounted animals at the Visitor Center met their end naturally
• The mounted bobcat represents the actual size, and it will attack deer
• Owls will eat cats and other small animals; she had a personal experience while walking her small dogs...one, Mr. Wilkerson, was passed over by an owl looking at it for dinner
• Owls have great hearing and vision but below average smell-bad for skunks
• The Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) will nest in trees...seeing them out in the daytime looking for food represents an indication of their hunger
• Jean had to transport the stuffed animals in her car, at one point, for cleaning (they got buggy)...she felt weird, driving to Watsonville, wondering what others might think if they saw them in her back seat
• The monkeyface prickleback had a name, something like Ms. C?
• She shared Wilder Ranch has their annual Heritage Harvest Festival today...from the web site: "Celebrate harvest time the old-fashioned way at Wilder Ranch State Park.  Choose and decorate a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, take a draft horse wagon ride, see antique tractors, and living history demonstrations, try your hand at some old-time harvest activities, listen to live bluegrass and western music, learn to square dance, play the snap-apple game, make corn husk dolls and other crafts, taste hand-cranked pumpkin ice cream, hand pressed apple cider, apple and pumpkin pie for sale.  The California Rare Fruit growers will sponsor apple tasting for a small fee.  You’ll get to taste over 40 varieties from light and crispy to super sweet to tangy; Sample and then vote for your favorite! Food concessionaire available or pack a picnic lunch.  Admission to the event is free; parking is $10.00 per car."
• Jean recommended fish tacos at Kelly's French Bakery, with coleslaw--will have to try it
• She said near Thanksgiving represents the best time to see Monarch Butterflies
• Sunny days represent the best times, as Monarch Butterflies move about, in general, above 55 degrees Fahrenheit
• She brings treats to the understaffed maintenance crews around Halloween, on a courier for the "good witch" ; o )

Overall, a really easy person to talk to.

At 11:00 a.m., we went on a free guided tour. The guide looked and sounded like Andy Richter. Very articulate, well paced speaker. We learned about the migration cycle and milkweed. At the bottom of the nearby canyon, we saw the clusters of butterflies on the eucalyptus trees.

We walked to the beach, then home.

Bob Ross Sunset

Driving past the Ghirardelhi Chocolate Factory Outlet, this afternoon, and noticed the sunset looked just like a Bob Ross skyscape.

Majestic Tee

What do you think?

Available from PacSun.
On The Byas x The Mountain Animal Crew T-Shirt

Description:

"On The Byas and The Mountain call on man's best friend to complete this men's tee. The Animal Crew T-Shirt features an animal look throughout.
Multi color print tee
Crew neck
Short sleeves
Machine washable
90% polyester, 10% cotton"

Note: Man's best friend refers to a different tee pattern.

SFO to ORD

Planning a trip to the American upper-Midwest.

Friday, November 13

• 07:15: Depart from home (~1:15 hour commute, Santa Cruz to SFO)
• 08:30: Arrive at airport extended stay parking lot
• 08:45: Arrive at terminal/ticketing desk
• 09:30: Plane begins boarding
• 09:45: Plane departs
• 16:09: Plane lands
• 17:00: Vehicle rental from ORD (Budget Rental)
• 17:15-17:30, to 18:45-???: Commute to Milwaukee/Colgate, WI area (1.5, to 2-2.5 hours)
• 19:00-19:30: Arrive at lodging (Renee?)
• Supper

Saturday, November 14

• Breakfast (?)
• 10:15 a.m.: Depart Colgate, WI
• 45-60 minute drive, Colgate > Port Washington
• Arrive 11:00-11:15 a.m.
• 11:30: Funeral, Port Washington, at The Port Hotel (includes lunch)
• Supper (?)
• Lodging (Renee?)

Sunday, November 15

• Breakfast (?)
• Lunch (?)
• 13:00: Depart from lodging (2-2.5 hours, Colgate to ORD)
• 15:30: Arrive at ORD vehicle rental return
• 16:00: Arrive at ORD terminal/ticketing desk
• 16:45: Plane begins boarding
• 17:00: Plane departs
• 19:49: Plane lands, SFO

Flight of the Conchords

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_the_Conchords

Inner Tube Water Polo

Via: https://www.tubeproinc.com/m/content/article.php?content_id=63

• NO handles to interfere with game mobility
• 37" deflated outer diameter
• 33" inflated outer diameter
• 16" inner diameter hole
• Made with heavy-duty 30 gauge PVC vinyl 
• Doubled welded, smooth inner seams
• Single main air chamber with small push in valve
• 2 self -adhesive repair patches per unit
• Available in BLUE and YELLOW

Classical Music Comparisons: Holst Vs. Lord of The Rings

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England-born Gustav Holst's "Jupiter" from his seven-movement The Planets, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle conducting, on the EMI label (#69690). Audio.

This is another from my "Lord of the Rings or some-other-composer" series; jump to about the three-minute mark of the audio to see what I am reacting to.

Gustav Holst:
https://youtu.be/Nz0b4STz1lo?t=173

Howard Shore

Note: noting just for future reference...not sure if really Lord of the Rings or some other movie, but it sounds so familiar.

Radio Songs

Heard at Peet's Coffee, via satellite radio, in Sacramento:

Belfast, Northern Ireland-native Bap Kennedy's "The Right Stuff", from his 2012 album "The Sailor's Revenge", on the Proper Records label. Channeling Bob Dylan.

The Age of Adaline

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Adaline

Saw this as an option, at the supermarket RedBox today.

Wiper Blades

http://priuschat.com/threads/wiper-blade-refills.37939/

PIAA Super Silicone blades

• DS: 95065 (adapter: C1/C11)
• PS: 95045 (adapter: C1/C11)

Bosch constant pressure design

• DS? Front Left - 26A
• PS? Front Right - 18A

Erik Hosino Art

http://erikhosino.com/

One of my favorites.

Headphones and Behind-the-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids

I have a hard of hearing (HoH) friend with a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid, who requested info about headphones. Keeping notes, as I go along.

CONSTRAINTS

• Corded (no BlueTooth, as the iPod Shuffle does not support it)
• Over-the-ear (not on-the-ear); that is, circumaural
• Noise-canceling 
• Prefer simplicity (for example, no headphones amp needed, minimal buttons, so not accidentally pressed)

STYLES

• Headphones
• Telecoil (also known as T-coils)
• Bone Conduction
• Phonak ComPilot (?)

POSSIBILITIES

• Sennheiser
• RS 165 Wireless RF TV Listening System
• RS 170 Wireless RF TV Listening System
• HD 380 PRO
• Koss
• UR-20 Home Headphones
• SteelSeries
• SteelSeries Diablo III Gaming Headset
• Beyer Dynamic
• Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO

OUTSIDE-THE-BOX IDEAS

• Upgrade hearing aids to make/model supporting Bluetooth
• Pros:
• Stream audio directly to the hearing aid
• Works with many devices
• Cons:
• Cost...$800-$2,000
• Time
• Bone conduction headphones
• Pros:
• Conducts audio directly, so no feedback
• Cons:
• May interfere with glasses and/or BTE hearing aid
• Telecoil option (for example, under-chin receiver, neck-worn receiver)
• Pros:
•  No feedback from headphones
• Cons:
• Complicated setup (?)
• Pandora internet radio, and so forth

RESOURCES
https://www.reddit.com/r/deaf/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wireless-home-theater-headphones/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid

GENERAL NOTES

• TV wireless amplifier: two birds with one stone (?)
• Headphone's music must reach the hearing aid's microphone; therefore, for BTE hearing aids, the headphone's ear cup must open up, at the top, and cover the top of the hearing aid
• Noise canceling option a big plus
• Take hearing aids out, during use (?)
• A caution, on feedback: "If the headphones push on the hearing aid or sit too closely to the hearing aid, you may experience feedback, a whistling noise coming from the hearing aid. This is an indicator that you either need to re-position the headphones or are unable to wear those headphones with your hearing aids."
• Hearing aid adjustment may minimize or eliminate feedback. 
• (?)

Tangerine Dream

Via:
https://echoesblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/ten-tangerine-dream-albums-to-blow-your-mind/