Axel von dem Bussche

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

A friend heard this person lecturing in the US, as a child.

Japanese cherry blossom festival San Francisco

http://www.nesiamarcely.com/ - good vibe from vendor table
Http://beefyco.com - cute unicorns Dawn liked

Arguing

R.I.P Bob Taylor:

In the 1970s at Xerox PARC, regularly scheduled arguments were routine. The company that gave birth to the personal computer staged formal discussions designed to train their people on how to fight properly over ideas and not egos. PARC held weekly meetings they called "Dealer" (from a popular book of the time titled Beat the Dealer). Before each meeting, one person, known as "the dealer," was selected as the speaker. The speaker would present his idea and then try to defend it against a room of engineers and scientists determined to prove him wrong. Such debates helped improve products under development and sometimes resulted in wholly new ideas for future pursuit. The facilitators of the Dealer meetings were careful to make sure that only intellectual criticism of the merit of an idea received attention and consideration. Those in the audience or at the podium were never allowed to personally criticize their colleagues or bring their colleagues' character or personality into play. Bob Taylor, a former manager at PARC, said of their meetings, "If someone tried to push their personality rather than their argument, they'd find that it wouldn't work." Inside these debates, Taylor taught his people the difference between what he called Class 1 disagreements, in which neither party understood the other party's true position, and Class 2 disagreements, in which each side could articulate the other's stance. Class 1 disagreements were always discouraged, but Class 2 disagreements were allowed, as they often resulted in a higher quality of ideas. Taylor's model removed the personal friction from debates and taught individuals to use conflict as a means to find common, often higher, ground.
The Myths of Creativity, David Burkus

Via

The New York Review of Books

http://www.nybooks.com/


With a worldwide circulation of over 135,000, The New York Review of Books has established itself, in Esquire‘s words, as “the premier literary-intellectual magazine in the English language.” The New York Review began during the New York publishing strike of 1963, when its founding editors, Robert Silvers and Barbara Epstein, and their friends, decided to create a new kind of magazine—one in which the most interesting and qualified minds of our time would discuss current books and issues in depth. Just as importantly, it was determined that the Review should be an independent publication; it began life as an independent editorial voice and it remains independent today.

The New York Review’s early issues included articles by such writers as W.H. Auden, Elizabeth Hardwick, Hannah Arendt, Edmund Wilson, Susan Sontag, Robert Penn Warren, Lilian Hellman, Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal, Saul Bellow, Robert Lowell, Truman Capote, William Styron, and Mary McCarthy. The public responded by buying up practically all the copies printed and writing thousands of letters to demand that The New York Review continue publication. And Robert Silvers and Barbara Epstein continued as co-editors of the Review until Barbara’s death in 2006; Robert Silvers continues as editor.

Within a short time, The New York Times was writing that The New York Review “has succeeded brilliantly,” The New Statesman hailed its founding as “of more cultural import than the opening of Lincoln Center,” and the great English art historian Kenneth Clark observed, “I have never known such a high standard of reviewing.” The unprecedented and enthusiastic response was indicative of how badly America needed a literary and critical journal based on the assumption that the discussion of important books was itself an indispensable literary activity.

From the 1960s into the 21st Century, The New York Review of Books has posed the questions in the debate on American life, culture, and politics. It is the journal where Mary McCarthy reported on the Vietnam War from Saigon and Hanoi; Edmund Wilson challenged Vladimir Nabokov’s translations; Hannah Arendt published her reflections on violence; Ralph Nader published his “manifesto” for consumer justice; I.F. Stone investigated the lies of Watergate; Susan Sontag challenged the claims of modern photography; Jean-Paul Sartre, at 70, described his writing and politics, and how he felt about his blindness; Elizabeth Hardwick addressed the issues of women and writing; Gore Vidal hilariously lampooned bestsellers, Howard Hughes, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Reagans; Felix Rohatyn made the case for a national industrial policy in an influential series of articles; Peter G. Peterson showed why the present Social Security program can’t last; Joan Didion described, in a firsthand account, the situation in El Salvador; McGeorge Bundy, George Kennan, and Lewis Thomas outlined the nuclear threat; Nadine Gordimer and Bishop Desmond Tutu wrote from South Africa on the conflict over apartheid; Vaclav Havel published his reflections from the Czech underground; Timothy Garton Ash reported on the new Eastern Europe; Mark Danner reported on torture from the CIA black sites; Ronald Dworkin wrote of how George W. Bush’s two Supreme Court appointees have created an unbreakable phalanx bent on remaking constitutional law; Freeman Dyson described the scientist as rebel; David Cole revealed how the Bush Justice Department allowed America to become a nation that disappeared and tortured suspects; articles by Paul Krugman, George Soros, Joseph Stiglitz, and Jeff Madrick explained America’s failing economy; Tom Powers described the George W. Bush administration’s fundamental shift from diplomacy to military action; Martin Filler wrote on the many makers of modern architecture; and where Bill Moyers described the threat to the environment presented by Evangelical Christians. It is the journal where the most important issues are discussed by writers who are themselves a major force in world literature and thought.

Every two weeks, these and other writers publish essays and reviews of books and the arts, including music, theater, dance, and film—from Woody Allen’s Manhattan to Kurosawa’s version of King Lear. What has made The New York Review successful, according to The New York Times, is its “stubborn refusal to treat books, or the theatre and movies, for that matter, as categories of entertainment to be indulged in when the working day is done.”

The New York Times further described the Review as “one of the most influential and admired journals of its kind, attracting a high-powered roster of writers” and The Chicago Tribune said the Review is “one of the few venues in American life that takes ideas seriously. And it pays readers the ultimate compliment of assuming that we do too.” Look inside and see for yourself.

Take the Current When It Serves, Or Lose Our Ventures

Brutus: "There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures."

Julius Caesar Act 4, scene 3, 218–224

Books List - 2017

Ordered by most recently listened to, first.

Audiobooks 

1. F*ck Feelings (2015) - Michael Bennett
2. Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (2016) - Jane Mayer
3. When Breath Becomes Air (2016) - Paul Kalanithi
4. The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time (2016) - Arianna Huffington
5. Bossypants (2011) - Tina Fey
6. In Search of Lost Time (Remembrances of Things Past) - Within a Budding Grove (1913-1927) - Marcel Proust 
7. The Princess Diarist (2016) - Carrie Fisher
1. We miss you Carrie
8. Yes Please (2015) - Amy Poehler
9. Night (1960) - Elie Wiesel
10. Just Getting Started (2016) - Tony Bennett
11. In Search of Lost Time (Remembrances of Things Past) - Swann's Way (1913-1927) - Marcel Proust 
12. Gravity's Rainbow (1973) - Thomas Pynchon
1. Much respect for this work--sublime, vulgar...
13. Kabloona (1941) -  Gontran de Poncins
14. What Happened (2017) - Hillary Rodham Clinton
15. Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart (2016) - James Doty
1. Liked this book
16. Are You Anybody? A Memoir (2017) - Jeffrey Tambor
17. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (2011) - Marie Kondo
1. Started putting a few things into practice immediately
18. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) - Roxane Gay
19. So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley (2017) - Roger Steffens
20. Boys in the Trees – A Memoir (2015) - Carly Simon
21. All the Light We Cannot See (2014) - Anthony Doerr
1. Ate a jar of peaches
22. Minecraft: The Island (2017) - Max Brooks
23. Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking (2013) - Douglas R. Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander
24. The Divine Comedy (1320) - Dante Alighieri
1. "...[H]e followed false images of goodness, which never pay their promises in full." - Purgatorio 30 (note: President Trump's pattern of behavior came to mind)
25. Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928) - D. H. Lawrence
26. Anna Karenina (1878) - Leo Tolstoy
27. Ulysses (1922) - James Joyce
1. Utterly baffled and amazed
28. My Life on the Road (2015) - Gloria Steinem
29. No Dream Is Too High (2016) - Buzz Aldrin
1. You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with...Show me your friends, and I will show you your future
30. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2006) - Haruki Murakami
1. Let the exhilaration...at the end of each run carry over to the next day
2. Nothing in the real world is as beautiful as the illusions of a person about to lose consciousness (note: on completion of personal run to Marathon)
3. Local sake, especially Shimehari Tsuru is outstanding
31. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) (2015) - Felicia Day 
32. The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life (2016) - John le Carré
33. Born on a Blue Day (2006) - Daniel Tammet
34. Jane Eyre (1847) - Charlotte Brontë
35. Based on a True Story: Not A Memoir (2016) - Norm Macdonald
36. Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens (2017) - Eddie Izzard
37. My Own Words (2016) - Ruth Bader Ginsburg
38. Confessions of an Economic Hitman (2004) - John Perkins
39. Wishful Drinking (2008) - Carrie Fisher
40. Dust Tracks On A Road (1942) - Zora Neal Hurston 
41. Between the World and Me (2015) - Ta-Nehisi Coates
42. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike (2017) - Phil Knight 
43. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter (1996) - Robert K. Massie
44. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo (2016) -  Amy Schumer
1. "...like an annoying human zamboni..."
45. The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee (2014) - Marja Mills
46. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future (2015) - Ashlee Vance 
47. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman (2011) - Robert K. Massie
1. Empress Elizabeth's sunburn rinse: lemon juice, egg white, and French Brandy
2. 34 hours labor for first son Paul: 2:00 a.m. through noon the following day
3. The Annals of Tacitus: caused a singular revolution in her brain
48. Peter the Great: His Life and World (1980) - Robert K. Massie
49. Born To Run (2016) - Bruce Springsteen
50. Shocked (2014) - Carrie Fisher
51. Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2013) - Cheryl Strayed
52. No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks (2006) - Edmund Viesturs
53. Twelve Years a Slave (1853) - Solomon Northup
54. The Greatest: My Own Story (1975) - Muhammad Ali
55. Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road (2012) - Willie Nelson
56. Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly (1852) - Harriet Beecher Stowe
57. Just Mercy (2014) - Bryan Stevenson
58. The 250 Job Interview Questions You'll Most Likely Be Asked (1999) - Peter Veruki
59. Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010) - Piper Kerman
60. Chronicles, Volume One (2004) - Bob Dylan (note: abridged, at 4 hours, vs. 10 hours, unabridged)
61. A Burglar's Guide to the City (2016) - Geoff Manaugh
62. Clapton: The Autobiography (2007) - Eric Clapton
• Big fan of The Baby Whisperer books
• Visvim, his favorite shoe
63. Walk Through Walls: A Memoir (2016) - Marina Abramović
64. In Other Words (2016) - Jhumpa Lahiri
65. Girl Undressed (2008) - Ruth Fowler
66. Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (1885) - Ulysses S. Grant
67. Bonobo Handshake: A Memoir of Love and Adventure in the Congo (2010) - Vanessa Woods
68. Life (2011) - Keith Richards

Using the Overdrive app.

Print

1. The Colour of Magic (1983) - Terry Pratchett *

* Purchased from Bookshop Santa Cruz.

Sea foam to the face

Driving along Westside Drive, in Santa Cruz, during a very windy Monday afternoon, we noticed chunks of sea foam blowing inland.

We rolled down my window, to see if we could get one in the car. I saw it coming--splash! Right on my face.

I laughed. Good times. : )

Keith Richards' Cooking Tips: Bangers and Mash, Shepherd's Pie

My Recipe for Bangers and Mash

1. First off, find a butcher who makes his sausages fresh.
2. Fry up a mixture of onions and bacon and seasoning.
3. Get the spuds on the boil with a dash of vinegar, some chopped onions and salt (seasoning to taste). Chuck in some peas with the spuds. (Throw in some chopped carrots too, if you like.) Now we're talking.
4. Now, you have a choice of grilling or broiling your bangers or frying. Throw them on low heat with the simmering bacon and onions (or in the cold pan, as the TV lady said, and add the onions and bacon in a bit) and let the fuckers rock gently, turning every few minutes.
5. Mash yer spuds and whatever.
6. Bangers are now fat free (as possible!).
7. Gravy if desired.
8. HP sauce, every man to his own.

My granddad Gus made the best egg and chips you'd ever believe in the world. I'm still trying to get up to the mark on that, and shepherd's pie, which is an ongoing art. Nobody's actually made the quintessential, absolute shepherd's pie; they all come out different.

My way of doing it has evolved over the years. The basic thing is just great ground meat and throw in some peas, some carrots, but the trick I was taught by, bless his soul, he's gone now, Big Joe Seabrook, who was my minder, is before you spread the spuds on the top, you chop up some more onions, because the onions you've used to cook with the meat have been reduced, and he was damn right--it just gives you that extra je ne sais quoi....Just a tip, folks.

UPDATE:
2018-01-27 Made Shepherd's Pie using this recipe:

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 large white onions, chopped
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 24 oz. beef broth
• 5 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.: "A Strong Smell of Turpentine Prevails Throughout"

Noting this story only because I always seem to attribute it falsely, to Carl Sagan, and also for humor value.

From an 1870 lecture of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (note: the physician, not his son, who served on the Supreme Court of the United States) which was published in 1879:

I once inhaled a pretty full dose of ether, with the determination to put on record, at the earliest moment of regaining consciousness, the thought I should find uppermost in my mind. The mighty music of the triumphal march into nothingness reverberated through my brain, and filled me with a sense of infinite possibilities, which made me an archangel for the moment. The veil of eternity was lifted. The one great truth which underlies all human experience, and is the key to all the mysteries that philosophy has sought in vain to solve, flashed upon me in a sudden revelation. Henceforth all was clear: a few words had lifted my intelligence to the level of the knowledge of the cherubim. As my natural condition returned, I remembered my resolution; and, staggering to my desk, I wrote, in ill-shaped, straggling characters, the all-embracing truth still glimmering in my consciousness. The words were these (children may smile; the wise will ponder): “A strong smell of turpentine prevails throughout.”

Sources:
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/03/31/turpentine-prevails/
http://books.google.com/books?id=xZs9AAAAYAAJ&q=inhaled#v=snippet&

EcoSeb DD122EA-SIMPLE Desiccant Dehumidifier Maintenance

To my knowledge, no public service manual exists, for our EcoSeb DD122EA-SIMPLE Desiccant Dehumidifier, 15-Pint, White, 120V. EcoSeb has a 2-year warranty, and you can initiate warranty service here:
http://ecoseb.com/warranty-service.html

After ~18 months of use, it made a intermittent, high-pitched, rubbing/squeaking noise. Maintenance below resolved the issue.

If new to this, you'll probably want to start by oiling the small motor which turns the zeolite collector wheel. I think that did it, for me. You can also maintain the other things, as well, as below, but I'm guessing that's secondary.

TOOLS USED

• Phillips screwdriver...removes most screws
• 3-In-1 8oz Household Oil...got mine from local Ace Hardware
• Pliers/wrench/spanner...to remove a hex nut
• Vacuum cleaner and dusting brush attachment...cleans zeolite concentrator wheel, and so forth
• Cotton swabs...apply oil, clean ports, and so forth
• Old toothbrush...cleans smaller parts
• Soft surface...I used bath mats

PARTS MAINTAINED

1. Motor powering fan over the zeolite concentrator wheel - opened, oiled
2. Motor turning zeolite concentrator wheel - oil applied to gear with cotton swab (note: couldn't see easy way to remove, without first removing large plastic cover, wiring bundles, and so forth)
3. Zeolite concentrator wheel
1. Vacuumed with dusting brush, removing heavy dust buildup (both sides)
2. Be gentle, can dent/scratch zeolite material, if not careful
4. Motor powering condenser fan - cleaned fan blades with toothbrush and casing with cotton swab, oiled motor shaft
5. Condenser ports - cleaned with cotton swab
6. Spot dusting, cleaning, as seemed reasonable

Most of the parts above need no detailed explanation...some additional notes on the following, for future reference.

REMOVING TOP COVER 

• Unplug unit
• At the top, gently remove plastic airflow director, by bending slightly, in the middle, then removing each side from hole
• Lift the carrying handle, then, using a screwdriver, gently press on the carrying handle retaining tabs, on each side, to release each side of the carrying handle...pull to remove
• Remove seven Phillips screws:
• 2x - behind carrying handle
• 3x - sides of unit, in plastic wells
• 2x - bottom of unit
• Remove water tank, from bottom of the unit
• Remove dust filter, from rear of unit
• Place unit with top-side facing up, then gently separate the top cover and set aside

REMOVING BOTTOM COVER

• Remove screws attaching interior to back cover (2x-3x ???)
• Remove top dial and switch:
• Remove humidistat dial gently by using small flat-blade screwdriver...pull up off shaft
• Remove Economy/Turbo switch gently, by using small flat-blade screwdriver...gently push in plastic tabs on each side and lift out
• Gently (note: a bit sketchy, but it works...) pull up top control panel plastic and slide humidistat shaft under...now you can pull out the entire control panel module
• Remove bottom cover

OIL MOTOR POWERING FAN OVER ZEOLITE CONCENTRATOR WHEEL

• Remove hex nut
• Pull up on black plastic fan cover, to remove
• Vacuum fan cover
• Note: not sure if needed...might just oil motor shaft (?)
• When cool, oil motor:
• Remove four Phillips screws holding motor to plastic cover
• Remove two Phillips screws holding motor case together
• Gently remove metal retaining clip--I used screwdriver
• Pry open motor
• Oil bushings, motor shaft, and so forth
• Re-assemble

OIL MOTOR POWERING CONDENSER FAN

• Remove back cover (??x Phillips screws...I think 2 or 3? Do not force)
• Remove plastic condenser (4x Phillips screws)
• Remove small motor and black plastic fan assembly
• Remove 2-3 Phillips screws holding black fan assembly to case 
• Gently bend back power cord mount and remove fan assembly...a bit tricky, but it does come out
• Remove screws holding silver plate on back of black fan assembly
• Remove silver backing plate (note: some adhesive)
• Clean exposed condenser fan with toothbrush and cotton swab
• Oil motor shaft
• Re-assemble

TESTING

I loosely re-assembled the core into either front/back case, then put in the water tank, then plugged-in and tested, to see if rubbing/squeaking noise resumed.

RESOLUTION

I suspect the small motor turning the zeolite collector wheel represented the source of the rubbing/squeaking noise. After oiling both the motor shaft and the gear, as well as parts of the zeolite collector wheel's gear teeth (note: not the zeolite itself), no more noise. It's great.

Chilean economist Manfred Max-Neef's Nine Basic Needs

Noting, for future reference only:

1. Sustenance
2. Safety
3. Love
4. Understanding
5. Community
6. Recreation
7. Autonomy
8. Creativity
9. Meaning

An elaboration:

ROSENBERG: Let me give you all nine of them, because, according to the Chilean economist, Manfred Max-Neef, we only have about nine needs. Needs are very important to Max-Neef, because his whole, economic system is based on human needs. How do we measure them, so we really gauge our economy, its success, on the meeting of human needs - and not the tragic way we have been measuring it? 

The first one he calls, "sustenance:" food, shelter, and water - the basic, physical needs. Next, "safety:" protection. Next, "love." Next, "understanding." Next, "community." Next, "recreation:" play, rest; he lumps those as one. Then, one of the most important needs of all, "autonomy." Look in the newspaper on any, given day and see how many wars are going on over that need. Human beings have a strong need to be in charge of their own lives, to not have somebody claiming to know what they have to do or should do. Anybody who says that to them, it threatens his or her autonomy. You see all the wars going on between nations. Listen in on any family with children. You will hear autonomy wars. "It's time to go wash up for bed." "No, I don't wanna." "Did you hear me?" "No!" See? An autonomy war. Another need, "creativity." Then, according to Victor Frankl, probably the most important need of all, a need for "meaning:" purpose in life. How sad, how few people on the planet are getting that need met. They are educated to misrepresent needs, according to Michael Lerner. We have been educated to misrepresent our needs. We have been educated to think we have a need to consume, a need for money, a need for status - not realizing those are not needs.

Via:
http://www.goodradioshows.org/peaceTalksL36.html

More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_human_needs

Emily Chaffee

Recommended by a friend:
http://www.empathicspace.com/

South Korea 2016

Seoul


Daejeon

Gyeongju (night of 10/14/2016)

• Hotel: 141 Mini Hotel
• Food:
• 10/14 lunch: Singyeongju KTX station restaurant (bibimbap)
• 10/14 dinner: A Twosome Place (sandwich, cake)
• 10/15 breakfast: hotel (hardboiled egg, fruit, corn flakes, yogurt, espresso)
• 10/15 lunch: street vendor fare outside Bulgaksa (corndog looking thing with seafood)
• 10/15 dinner: Seoul KTX station restaurant "Korean Traditional Restaurant) (bibimbap)
• Seokguram grotto 
• Bulguksa temple
• Central Gyeongju:
• Daereungwon Park Silla burial mounds, including Cheonmachong (heavenly horse tomb)
• Gyerim forest ("rooster forest")
• Banwolseong (半月城, literally “Half Moon Fortress”; a.k.a Wolseong) ruins
• Gyeongju Seokbinggo (ice storage house, 1742)
• Anapji pond
• Cheomseongdae observatory
• Gyeongju National Museum
• Divine Bell of King Seongdeok

Vacation apparel

Saw interesting backpacks:

Off Toco backpack
Schöffel
Nava

Kevin Voted Today

President and Vice President
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine

United States Senator
Kamala Harris

United States Representative
Jimmy Panetta

State Senator
Bill Monning

Member of the State Assembly
Mark Stone

NONPARTISAN OFFICES

City of Santa Cruz - Member of City Council
J.M. Brown
Cynthia Mathews
Robert Singleton
Martine Watkins

MEASURES SUBMITTED TO VOTERS

Proposition 51
School Bonds. Funding for K–12 School and Community College Facilities. Initiative Statute.
Yes

Proposition 52
Medi-Cal Hospital Fee Program. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Yes

Proposition 53
Revenue Bonds. Statewide Voter Approval. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
No

Proposition 54
Legislature. Legislation and Proceedings. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Yes

Proposition 55
Tax Extension to Fund Education and Healthcare. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Yes

Proposition 56
Cigarette Tax to Fund Healthcare, Tobacco Use Prevention, Research, and Law Enforcement. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Yes

Proposition 57
Criminal Sentences. Parole. Juvenile Criminal Proceedings and Sentencing. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Yes

Proposition 58
English Proficiency. Multilingual Education. Initiative Statute.
SB 1174 (Chapter 753, Statutes of 2014), Lara.
Yes

Proposition 59
Corporations. Political Spending. Federal Constitutional Protections. Legislative Advisory Question.
SB 254 (Chapter 20, Statutes of 2016), Allen.
Yes

Proposition 60
Adult Films. Condoms. Health Requirements. Initiative Statute.
No

Proposition 61
State Prescription Drug Purchases. Pricing Standards. Initiative Statute.
Yes

Proposition 62
Death Penalty. Initiative Statute.
Yes

Proposition 63
Firearms. Ammunition Sales. Initiative Statute.
Yes

Proposition 64
Marijuana Legalization. Initiative Statute.
Yes

Proposition 65
Carryout Bags. Charges. Initiative Statute.
No

Proposition 66
Death Penalty. Procedures. Initiative Statute.
No

Proposition 67
Ban on Single-Use Plastic Bags. Referendum.
Yes

SCHOOL
Santa Cruz City High School District

Measure A: Santa Cruz High School District Bond Measure
Yes

Measure B: Santa Cruz Elementary School District Bond Measure
Yes

Measure D: County Transportation Tax Measure
Yes

Measure E: County Cannabis Business Tax Amendment
Yes

CITY
Measure G: Santa Cruz City Timing of Selecting Mayor/Vice Mayor
Yes

Measure H: Santa Cruz City Water System
Yes

Measure I: Santa Cruz City Cannabis Business Tax
Yes

Dolphins

While waiting in line, for coffee, I noticed the person in front of us had a backpack with a button, which read, "I'm sick of these dolphins and their shit"

This appartently references the 2004 film "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". Video. The quote said, "Son of a bitch, I'm sick of these dolphins."

Exploratorium 08/27/2016

Dawn and I visited the Exploratorium's new location, for the first time, on Saturday. Dawn wanted to see the Strandbeest exhibit before it closed.

Overview:

"This summer, experience Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen at the Exploratorium from May 27 to September 5, 2016. This special exhibition features enormous kinetic sculptures called strandbeests—“beach animals” in Dutch—that mesmerize with their eerily lifelike motion. Constructed largely of PVC tubing and equipped with sensory organs and ever-evolving survival strategies, these amazing beests walk a wandering, wind-blown line between art and engineering, mechanics and biology.

Physicist-turned-artist Jansen has been creating strandbeests since 1990. Iteratively designed and intricately assembled, Jansen’s self-propelled creatures have evolved over the years, becoming increasingly complex and lifelike, with specialized adaptations to help them survive in their seaside environment.

On tour for the first time in North America, the exhibition is illuminated by artist sketches, immersive video, live beest demonstrations, and the lyrical photography of Lena Herzog, who spent more than seven years documenting the strandbeests’ evolution."

We watched one strandbeest move, then watched a 30-minute documentary, "Strandbeesten", which featured music by Marcio Doctor.

Afterward, we drove down Highway 1 and ate, at Cameron's Restaurant & Inn, for the first time. I went with the "King's Draught", which turned out to represent Hop Dogma's "Pyros Prost":

"Pyros Prost - In the mood for something unique? This chili beer has an American rye as its base but then has habanero and jalapeño peppers added post fermentation.  It’s hot, but not overwhelming. The nose is of freshly cut peppers and it pairs quite well with many foods.  6% ABV (Honorable mention for specialty beer of the year at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition)"

Dawn had a can of Murphy's Irish Stout , and we split an "English Pastie: 'Pasty stuffed with beef, potatoes, peas, carrots, and smothered in rich gravy'" and a Chocolate Brownie Sundae. Dawn had wanted to go to Tartine Bakery, but we decided to postpone.

The pub had a book on the shelf, "Folklore of the Australian pub", by Bill Wannan (1972), ISBN 0333139062.

Links:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/strandbeest
https://www.jwz.org/blog/2016/06/backstage-at-the-exploratorium-heat-exchanger-is-a-truly-epic-series-of-tubes/

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

• LIFE MAGAZINE - Negative Asset Manager, 16 years. Reference: Sean O'Connell (address upon request)
• One of 3 known non-Navy SEALs to helicopter “free release” in gale-force waters (North Sea).
• In a single day: Biked, ran, and long-boarded over 17 kilometers to Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption.
• Scaled highest peak of Noshaq Mountain (northwestern Afghanistan face)
• On Icelandic fishing trawler, earned keep as boatswain (unpaid deckhand) for one day

Shrimp Boil

Peeled about 50 shrimp and boiled:
http://spanishsabores.com/2015/03/12/perfect-boiled-shrimp-recipe-gambas-cocidas/

Radio Song

Iron & Wine (Sam Beam) and Jesca Hoop's, "Every Songbird Says", from their 2016 album, "Love Letter for Fire", on the Sub Pop label. Audio. Lyric: "I'm a mountain side, I can wash away."

Santa Cruz Apartments

Surveying the area

• Capitola Cove Apartments
• URL: http://capitolacoveapartments.com/
• Pets:
• Cats OK
• Pet deposit: 
• Pet rent: 
• Floorplans:
• Floor Plan A (850-950 Square Feet): Same as B, but no balcony
• Floor Plan B (850-950 Square Feet): Balcony
• Floor Plan C (1000-1300 Square Feet): Same as C, but no pantry
• Floor Plan D (1000-1300 Square Feet): Pantry
• Floor Plan E  (1300-1650 Square Feet): No balcony
• Note: all 2 bed, 1 bath
• Utilities:
• Water and Garbage included
• Corporate: Elizabeth/Liz Hirata (and Mel); E&M Properties, PO Box 2869, Santa Clara, CA 95055 Santa Clara, CA 95055 
• Property Management:
• Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 9am-12pm 1pm-5pm Saturday: 10am-2pm Sunday-Monday: Closed
• Resident Manager: Jennie Machado
• Contacted: 
• Thursday, August 11 (a.m.), via web site contact form, requesting info
• Site visit: Saturday, August 13, around noon
• Small complex
• Met Jennie Machado, resident manager (1905 Wharf Road, Unit A, Capitola, CA; 831-475-6342; fax: 831-475-8054)
• Met resident, lived there a number of years, suggested rent keeps going up; most expensive: $2,600; least expensive: $2,100
• Capitola Gardens
• URL: http://www.capitolagardensapts.com/
• Pets:
• Cats OK (max 2)
• Pet deposit: $500
• Pet rent: $50
• Floorplans:
• 1 bed, 1 bath
• 589 square feet: 
• Rent: 
• ??
• Utilities: 
• Note: only seems to show available floorplans (?)
• Corporate: Goldrich & Kest Industries
• Property management
• Hours: Mon: Closed Tue - Sat: 9:00AM to 6:00PM Sun: Closed
• Resident manager: Tiffinie
• Contacted: 
• Thursday, August 11 (a.m.), via web site contact form, requesting info
• Breakwater Apartments
• URL: http://www.breakwaterapartmenthomes.com/
• Cats OK
• Floorplans:
• Corporate: GreyStar
• Hours: 

RESOURCES

https://localwiki.org/santacruz/Apartment_Complexes

Outside Lands 2016 - Recommendations

Via: https://www.jwz.org/blog/2016/08/outside-lands/

Låpsley
LCD Soundsystem
Peaches
Halsey
Diiv
Hælos

GOES - Global Online Enrollment System

KEVIN

Jul 30 - Submitted form
Aug 4 - Conditionally approved for interview
Aug 24, 2016 - Interview
Aug 24, 2016 - Full Approval with number.
Aug 30, 2016 - Receive card in mail.

DAWN

Jul 30 - Submitted form
Aug 8 - Conditionally approved for interview
Aug 24, 2016 - Interview
Aug 24, 2016 - Full Approval with number.
Aug 30, 2016 - Receive card in mail.

PARKING

• When on 101, remain on the road towards International departures. You will come across a fork in the road as you drive up, stick to the left of the fork (do not go up the ramp) and once you take the left, stick to the right to get to the hourly parking A section of the garage (this will turn into G after a bit of navigating through the garage). Once in, make your way to the "G" section of the garage (follow the green lines on the road). At one point, you will completely exit out of the garage in order to reach the G section. 
• Enter international departures, park in garage g. Go to the third floor of the parking garage. Keeping following signs for arrival. You'll see the signs for the office and a bunch of people waiting in line. (costing $38 for the entire time)
• Anza park & fly and took the shuttle over as the Anza daily parking is $14, far less than the airport. 
• Long Term parking and took the Bus to the international Terminal. It spits you out and just take the doors closest to you and go down to the staircase on the left. Tahdah.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/global-entry-office-san-francisco?sort_by=date_desc

24/7 Pilot ends Aug 10

INTERVIEW STEPS

• Room can hold four appointments at a time, but dependent on staffing levels (that is, may only have three workers)
• questions: 
• have you ever committed a crime, where did you travel to, do you travel for leisure/business, etc. 
• what countries did I visit, was I dual nationality, did I have my other passport (no), have I been arrested, have I had issues with customs or immigration?
• fingerprinting
• picture using a webcam

TIPS - WAITLIST

• Arrive around 8 or 8:30pm--longer wait, but go home earlier
• Put time on the waitlist, to avoid mixups
• Get a seat very close to the office door or even just sitting on the floor near the office door, that way you don't have to get up and stress every time they come out and start calling names.
• Charge devices
• Water bottle, light snacks
• Smile at staff--they're human too
• slow or no work btw shift changes
• "We were told 2 to 4 am is a good time to come for an interview. " on a weekday.
• print out my letter and suggest you do to make things easier.
• bring your passport and drivers license (with current address; if not up to date bring a utility bill with a current address. ) to the interview.if not up to date bring a utility bill with a current address. 
• Each appointment lasts approximately 10 mins.
• 
  

Oversized book display

Want to display the Phaidon book "The Art Museum", at 420 x 320 mm (16 1/2 x 12 5/8 in) and ~8kg/18lbs, on a coffee table.

I bought a $40 Taschen acrylic book stand but it broke under the weight.

SEARCH TERMS

book cradle extra large
book mount
book display stand
folio large book stand
dictionary stand
book blanket (blankies)
acrylic book cradle

More:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/205762


RESULTS

So far, lots of expensive options.

I like the idea of Mindell Dubansky's book blankie:

Acrylic costs much less, but I'd prefer wood/metal.

Laughing at Google returning "Cradle of Filth", in search results.

Update: We went with a rolled up bath towel. Works great.

Newman's Own Cat Food - Liver

https://www.amazon.com/Newmans-Own-Organics-Organic-Grain-Free/dp/B001PMC3O8

Build Your Dream House for a Song

http://www.buildyourdreamhouse.com/index.htm

Saw David Cook's class at Cabrillo College, this fall, about how to build a home yourself.

Radio Songs

Heard on KPFA 94.1 FM out of Berkeley, California, on Friday, July 22:

Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeño Band's "Migra", from their 1992 album "Movimiento Music", on the Flying Fish label. Audio snippet

Plesiosauria Columba domestica: “The Monster of Monterey”

Dawn and I saw this artwork, on Monday:

Plesiosauria Columba domestica
“The Monster of Monterey” is inspired by the history, places and myths of Monterey Bay. Its humorous construction is taken from the 20th century stories of sea monsters found washed ashore. Its body is a larger than life pigeon skeleton combined with the tail, flippers and skull of a Plesiosaur suspended from the long boom of a luffing crane common to docks and ports. The sculpture is a hybrid built from disparate pieces just as myths are constructed from memories of everyday and unexplained experiences, fishing stories, and tall tales.
The Monster is currently installed in Santa Cruz, CA at the intersection of Pacific Ave. and Front St.

http://arnoldmartin.com/art-works/construct/the-monster-of-monterey-bay-santa-cruz-ca/

It's between Lulu Carpenter's and the post office.

Hair: Fashion and Fantasy by Laurent Philippon

Hair: Fashion and Fantasy
by Laurent Philippon

http://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/hair-fashion-and-fantasy-softcover

Coffee table book I read, while waiting for Dawn's Sunday morning hair blowout, at salon Ginger Stylebar.

South Korea

PHONE

• http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Korea,_Republic_of_(South)

UCSC

• TODO:
• Before travel:
• Complete form "Payee Setup 204"
• Request CruzID Gold, if not yet obtained (for Connexxus access, and so forth)
• Travel Advance Request (?): Complete for conference fees, etc.
• Get Departmental Pre-Approval for Your Trip
• Make Sure Your Payment Information is Up to Date
• Pick a Way to Pay for Your Trip
• Book Your Travel Through Connexxus or Another Means
• Prepare an airfare cost analysis, comparing the cost of direct travel to the business destination, to the cost of mixed personal and business travel (an example, via Mixing Business with Pleasure? > Example of a Cost Comparison, and/or Getting "There" > How to Prepare a Cost Comparison)
• Generally, airfare from point A to B (and B to A for return) is used as the baseline reimbursement for most business travel. Alternate modes of transportation will be compared to the cost of a round trip flight and its associated costs (e.g. shuttle, airport parking). You will be reimbursed the lesser of the two costs. 
• Details:
• Using Connexxus or another internet booking tool, print an estimate of a round trip coach flight to your business location using the business travel dates. Include cost of transportation to and from the airport--from your home or headquarters, whichever is closer
• Attach the printed estimate to your Travel Advance Request, or Post Travel Expense form
• In the form you submit, record the lesser of the two costs and include a comment that you elected to take an alternate mode of transportation that was more expensive
• Basics:
• Direct Travel Route to the Business Destination
• Actual Travel Route to the Business Destination
• Before Booking: 
• Review the travel package with the appropriate travel expense approver or departmental/divisional office to determine which costs will be reimbursed.
• Confirm with the package vendor that the receipt for the package will contain an itemized breakdown of component costs, including airfare, car rental, hotel, meals, etc.
• Travel Process: https://financial.ucsc.edu/Pages/Travel_Process.aspx
• Travel "Keys": https://financial.ucsc.edu/Pages/Travel_Keys.aspx
• Travel Forms: https://financial.ucsc.edu/Pages/Travel_Forms.aspx
• Travel Training: 
• https://financial.ucsc.edu/Pages/TrainingTravel.aspx
• As of 2016-07-12, no pending classes (?)
• FAST/AP Team Member
• For assistance, locate your team from the listings below. If your unit / division is not listed, contact any FAST/AP Team Supervisor or call the FAST Help line at 459-4488.
• Ostermeier, Karen - CE (Computer Engineering)
• kloster@ucsc.edu
• 459-1094
• Travel Guide (that is, all the details):
•  https://financial.ucsc.edu/Pages/travel_guide.aspx
• Before you start:
• before receiving a UCSC non-payroll payment.
• Allowable expenses:
• Baggage, checking and storage fees
• Business office expenses:
• Equipment rentals
• Purchase of materials and supplies
• Laundering, cleaning, or pressing of clothing if a trip is longer than six days
• Meals and incidentals:
• US Department of State Federal Maximum Travel Per Diem Allowance for Foreign Areas
• Travel is less than 30 days in one location: Reimbursement is based on US Department of State Federal Maximum Travel Per Diem Allowance for Foreign Areas
• Direct links:
• Above links to Taejon, an alias for Daejeon
• Per Diem Rates, effective 2016-09-01:
• Maximum Lodging Rate: $USD 124
• M & IE Rate: $USD 82
• Maximum Per Diem Rate: $USD 206
• Breakdown of Meals/Incidentals Meal & Incidental Expenses (M&IE):
• Get Per Diem rate, via above link
• Calculate M&IE breakdown, by table
• M & IE rate of 82 = 
• Breakfast: $USD 12
• Lunch: $USD 21
• Dinner: $USD 33
• Incidentals: $USD 16
• Rail or bus travel: Rail or bus transportation may be used when required by the destination or by business necessity.
• Special fees for foreign travel: passport photographs
• Obtaining a passport, visa, tourist card, and necessary photographs
• Certificates of birth, health, identity, and related affidavits
• Currency conversion and check cashing fees
• Traveler’s checks
• Hiring guides, translators, and local labor
• Telephone calls
• Local and long distance telephone business calls are reimbursable
• In addition, one reasonably brief, non-emergency, personal call home per day is reimbursable
• Ways to Process
• Overview
• International travel:
• International trip booking is available through Connexxus providers BCD or UC Travel Center, accessible through Connexxus' Premier Gateway website
• Option 1: Search for the best deal and reserve the itinerary for 24 hours. Call BCD or UC Travel Center for an agent to book the reserved itinerary.
• Option 2: Have an agent search for the best deal. Search fee: $0 (BCD & UC Travel) Agent calls BCD or UC Travel Center Agency booking fees are contingent on the airline and complexity of the itinerary
• Travel insurance:
• Connexxus users: Travelers are automatically signed up for UC Risk Insurance for intra U.S. travel and International travel through BCD and UC Travel
• Non-Connexxus users: If you are traveling to an out-of-state or foreign destination, it is required that you register for UC-provided travel insurance through the UC Risk Services website to ensure coverage protection
• Types of Travel
• Mixed Business and Personal Travel
• should be approved in advance
• Spouse / Domestic Partner of Traveler: not allowable, as I'm not contributing significantly to the business events
• Direct Billing Process and Direct Billable Vendors
• Using Connexxus to direct bill your department for airfare can be completed by selecting "Book Now" located next to BCD Travel
• Airport shuttles
• Group travel: ???
• Air travel
• Connexxus is the preferred choice when booking air travel
• “bundled” airfare and lodging packages obtained through an Internet travel agency will only be reimbursed if the agency provides a detailed receipt or invoice that separately identifies the costs of airfare, hotel, and incidentals
• book coach or economy class airfare
• Airport parking: For travel exceeding 24 hours, lower-cost, longer-term parking options should be used
• Airport Shuttle Service
• Discounted prices are only available to UCSC employee business travelers
• See Group Travel
• Receipt and Documentation Requirements
• Note: Photocopies of receipts are not an acceptable substitute for original receipts.
• Electronic receipts are acceptable as long as the detail provided is sufficient to substantiate the expense
• Ways to Pay
• Overview
• Paying expenses for another traveler is not allowed unless it is for a shared hotel room
• Airfare Op​​tions
• ​​​Direct Billing - Select BCD in Connexxus: No
• ​​Pay out of pocket: Yes
• Pay With UC Travel Card Via Connexxus: No
• Conference Registration
• ​​​Pay Directly By UCSC:  Yes
• ​​Pay out of pocket: Yes
• Pay With UC Travel Card​​: No
• ​​​Shuttle Service Options
• ​​Direct Bill UCSC Via Specific Providers: Yes
• ​Pay Out of Pocket: Yes
• Pay With UC Travel Card​​: No
• Hotel Options
• Book Via Connexxus - Out of Pocket: No
• Book Via Connexxus - Use UC Travel Card: No
• Cash Advance for Hotel Costs​​: Yes
• ​Pay Out of Pocket: Yes
• Rental Car Options
• ​Book Via Connexxus - Out of Pocket: No
• Book Via Connexxus - Use UC Travel Card​​: No ​
• Cash Advance for Rental Car Costs: No
• Fleet Services Reservations: No
• ​Pay Out of Pocket​: Yes
• Non-employees
• Post Travel Expense: Obtain reimbursement after travel concludes by completing and submitting a Post_Travel_Expense form within 45 days of trip completion.
• Travel Advance Request: For incoming travelers, payment may be made directly for lodging by submitting a Travel Advance Request form.
• Authorization​​ and Approvals
• UC Travel Center Booking: Obtain a trip number by completing a Travel Advance Request prior to purchasing airfare from UC Travel Center
• Travel Advance Request: Submit a Travel Advance Request if requesting a travel cash advance or prepayment of an expense
• Post Travel Requirements: Report expenses after travel concludes using the Post_Travel_Expense within 45 days of trip completion.
• Post Travel Expense Report Form
• Original itemized receipts for each of the following types of expenses must accompany the Post_Travel_Expense to substantiate each expense’s necessity, appropriateness, and reasonableness
• Divisional Funding Authorizer
• responsible for reviewing and approving the report
• supervisor, department chair, or senior campus official, who has been officially delegated authority to approve the funding for the payment of your travel expenses
• Avoid these common Post Travel Expense oversights
• Not including a written business purpose for travel
• Forgetting to submit original, itemized receipts supporting each travel expense requiring substantiation
• Forgetting to forward the Post_Travel_Expense to the Divisional Funding Authorizer for review and approval
• Forgetting to reference trip number, if applicable.
• Forgetting to provide departmental account code (FOAPAL) information
• A non-resident alien forgetting to submit visa documentation, including a copy of the traveler’s visa, a Form I-94 Arrival Departure Record, or a Certification of Academic Activity Form.
• Forgetting to sign the forms
• First-time traveler forgetting to submit a Payee_Setup_204
• Other:
• CBSE: https://cbse.soe.ucsc.edu/travel
• Humanities Travel FAQ: http://humanities.ucsc.edu/about/divisional-services/financial-services/Travel/travel-FAQ.html
• August 17, 2016

travel.state.gov > Passports & International Travel > Country Information > Korea, South
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/korea-south.html

• Vaccinations: None
• Passport pages: one page per entry stamp
• Tourist visa: None required for stays under 90 days or less
• 
  

Embasssy of the United States > Seoul, Korea > U.S. Citizen Services >
Travel Announcements and Security
http://seoul.usembassy.gov/acs_american_citizen_services.html

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
https://step.state.gov/step/

Prescription drugs:

Pet boarding:

• Bed & Biscuits Cat Boarding: http://www.bedandbiscuits.com/cat-boarding/
• Cats must be current with FVRCP and Rabies vaccinations
• Rates:
• ???
• Contact:
• Call us at (831) 475-1580, to make a reservation for your cat
• 2625 Chanticleer Avenue, Santa Cruz 95065
• Peace of Mind Pet Sitting: http://peaceofmindpet.com/PetSittingservices.html
• Includes mail pick-up, water plants, etc.
• Rates for Vacation Visits for homes with Cats, Birds, or Pocket Pets *Only*: 
• 20 Minute Visit - $20.00 & up per visit
• 30 Minute Visit - $25.00 & up per visit
• Keys:
• We do collect 2 keys at the Free Consultation, one for sitter use and one for back-up. 
• We do not allow keys to be left under mats, in mail boxes or anywhere else unsecured. We want your home and pets safe
• Key Pick up - $10 If you need us to pick up your key for scheduled services and not at the Free Consultation. We will schedule a sitter to meet you at your convenience. 
• Key Drop off - $10 If you would like your key back, we will schedule a sitter to meet you at your convenience. We do not mail keys as keys have gotten lost that way. 
• Lock box - $20 This is a lock box that is secured to your front door and is yours to keep, you can leave your key in there and will never leave your property. We can give this to you at the Free Consultation or Deliver one at a time good for you.
• Contact
• Phone: 831.392.8020
•  Other: ???

Passports:

• 2016-07-11 Passport applications submitted: 
• Kevin in person, at the Santa Cruz County Clerk's Office (more than 15 years since last issuance)
• Dawn mailed, via USPS (less than 15 years since last issuance)
• ???

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TRAVEL CHECKLIST

• Carry-on:
• Eye-mask
• Travel-sized toiletries:
• Hair brush
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Mini deodorant
• Dry shampoo (recommended: Oscar Blandi)
• Linen face blotters
• Refreshing face spray
• Electronics:
• Laptop
• Laptop Charger
• International power adapters
• Mini power strip
• Cell phone
• Cell phone charger
• Flashdrive
• Dongles which use regularly
• Any adapters needed to connect your computer to a projector
• Extra:
• Kindle
• Noise-canceling headphones
• Traveling
• Printouts 
• Condense to one page; keep in wallet/passport bag:
• Flight information
• Hotel reservation (with address)
• Maps
• Location of the conference center
• Travel reason proof, for border crossing:
• Conference registration
• Talk/poster acceptance letter
• Water bottle
• Guides
• TripAdvisor
• US Department of State
• Identification
• Passport bag around neck
• Passport
• Printed copy of passport
• Boarding passes
• Conference essentials
• Business cards
• Color copies of poster (if presenting one)
• Note-taking:
• Writing utensils
• Notebook (for example, Moleskin)
• Water bottle
• Reusable travel mug
• Umbrella
• Small purse or bag (note: so don't have to lug laptop bag to dinner)
• Snacks (granola bars, fruit, nuts)
• Travel baby wipes, hand sanitizer (note: when bathroom essentials lacking)
• List of people to introduce yourself to (note: search the program online in advance, workshop, lunch, or field trip)
• Packing
• Outfits for each day, plus backup (in case of wardrobe malfunction)
• Underwear
• Socks
• Accessories: belts/leggings, jewelry
• Outdoor wear
• Coat
• Jacket
• Raincoat
• Umbrella
• Hat
• Mittens
• Shoes: comfortable, weather appropriate
• Toiletries:
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Soap
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Hair products/hair dryer
• Nail clippers
• Shaving needs
• contact lenses/solution
• feminine hygiene products
• bite splints/retainers
• makeup
• medication
• ID:
• Passport
• Travel visa (if needed)
• Wallet
• Debit/credit cards
• Talk:
• Backup (!)
• Poster (with print-outs, in a poster tube with your contact info)
• Good to have:
• Mini sewing kit (for lost buttons, etc.)
• Travel laundry bag (these are great)
• Books, papers, or files you need to work while you travel (or finish your talk)
• Location of lodging, conference center, flight information, transportation itineraries, etc.
• Before you leave:
• Notify credit card companies of where and when will travel
• 
  
• Resources:
• https://contemplativemammoth.com/2011/07/21/inqua-2011-part-1-packing-for-a-conference/
• http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/travel-guide/
• http://www.onebag.com/

Resources

• Wikitravel: http://wikitravel.org/en/Daejeon
• 
  
• 
  

Have you ever seen the rain?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_You_Ever_Seen_the_Rain%3F

Heard this Creedence Clearwater Revival song, from from 1970 album "Pendulum", on the Fantasy label, in two different formats, simultaneously, last weekend:

1. Album version, playing over speakers, at Marini’s Westside, 332 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz
2. Acoustic guitarist, playing an amplified cover version, on the outdoor patio of MJA Vineyards Westside Tasting Room & Cellar, 328-A Ingalls Street Santa Cruz

Coincidence : ) Different tempo, key, and so forth.

Dawn dress colors

We purchased this candle:
Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple Soy Candle

The packaging has these colors, which Dawn would like in a dress:

Orange:

#fc7600

RGB: 250, 117, 0

Hue/Saturation/Lightness: 28, 100, 98

Light blue:

#bce0e0

RGB: 186, 222, 222

HSL: 180, 16, 87

Blue-grey:

#dce3e1

RGB: 220, 227, 225

HSL: 163, 3, 89

Yellow:

#fae370

RGB: 250, 227, 112

HSL: 50, 55, 98

Pink:

#fcab9d

RGB: 250, 170, 157

HSL: 8, 37, 98

Red:

#b8311f

RGB: 184, 49, 31

HSL: 7, 83, 72

Gold:

#a17822

RGB: 161, 119, 35

HSL: 40, 78, 63

San Francisco Opera: Opera at the Ballpark: Bizet’s "Carmen":

San Francisco Opera: Opera at the Ballpark presents Bizet’s "Carmen":

Where: AT&T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza,
              San Francisco, CA 94107 

When: Saturday, July 2 at 7:30pm

Details:
http://sfopera.com/discover-opera/free-events/san-francisco-opera-at-att-park/

Parking spot:
Spothero, 120 Hawthorne St. - Lot

What we consumed:

• Colossal Dog with sauerkraut
• Root beer
• Bavarian Jumbo Pretzel, salted
• Blue Moon beer
• Regular fries
• Guinness beer

We purchased a SF Opera fleece blanket. It helped, but we ended up leaving during the intermission, due to cool weather and wind.

Thoughts, for next time:

• Windy, so bundle up even more so
• Blanket
• Food

We last saw Verdi's "Rigoletto", on Saturday, September 15, 2012. At that time, we had brats and beer, sitting in the bleachers. We parked and walked to the event, but took the shuttle back, I think. After the performance, we walked around the infield a bit.

Stanford University's R. Buckminster Fuller Digital Collection:

Stanford University Library's R. Buckminster Fuller Digital Collection:
https://collections.stanford.edu/bucky/bin/page?forward=home

The R. Buckminster Fuller Digital Collection consists of audio and video materials culled and digitally reformatted from the R. Buckminster Fuller Collection at Stanford. This project is supported in part by a grant from the federal Save America's Treasures Program, a joint program of the National Parks Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Free registration required.

KDFC Coming to Monterey Bay

Excited--KDFC coming to the Monterey Bay:

Predicted Coverage Area for 103.9 FM, Seaside, CA

https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/106846/mount-wilson-divests-two-monterey-signals-to-usc/
http://universityofsoutherncalifornia.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/j/6F2BE3A1CE91F93F/4FD4882CCFD369A6A10BC276F201ED4B

USC Radio Group, which operates KDFC, gets the 95.9FM and 103.9FM frequency spectrum, which they will get new call numbers for.

Saul Levine represents the current owner of the two stations, via Mt. Wilson Broadcasters, Inc., of Los Angeles. It seems he supports classical music and this may represent his way of passing the torch. Saul will retain the existing call numbers and convert them to non-commercial status.

Predicted Coverage Area for KMZT 95.9 FM, Big Sur, CA

We occasionally listen to KMZT 95.9FM, at our Santa Cruz apartment, which comes through, but a bit fuzzily. This may give us a clearer signal. : )

Pogonip hike

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6894506

Sights:
The San Lorenzo River Trail Run - 50 Km Marathon 30 Km Half Marathon 10 Km
Mass of One stickers...seems like their web site no longer exists (?) for example
GetAround.com - car sharing...the car we saw drove away with a drink on the top, which promptly fell off : (

Cat weight loss

Cat weight loss:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/03/03/weight-loss-for-fat-cats.aspx

Hill's Prescription Diet
t/d Feline
Dry 3498 kcal/kg (268 kcal/cup†)

c/d Multicare Feline Stress

Dry 3871 kcal/kg (351 kcal/cup†)

Google's Project Aristotle

Empathy:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html

Wear Navy

I disagree:

"Why you should wear black"
http://om.co/2016/06/15/why-you-should-wear-black/

My pale skin looks like a ghost, in black, but, for different people, it looks amazing. On the other hand, navy works, for me.

Also, too: the dress is blue and gold.

Radio Songs

Heard on 94.1 FM KPFA out of Berkeley, California:

Brazil-native Teresa Cristina's "Pranto de Poeta", from her 2016 album "Canta Cartola (Ao Vivo)", on the Uns Produções e Filmes label. Audio.

Maravilha!

Myopia, Astigmatism - 2016

Results of my Saturday test, from the CostCo Santa Cruz Optomotrist:

Eyeglass Prescription
O.D. (Oculus Dexter, my right eye):

• SPH: plano (no refractive error)
• CYL: -1.00
• AXIS: 070
• PRISM/BASE: n/a
• ADD: n/a

O.S. (Oculus Sinister, my left eye):

• SPH: -1.00
• CYL: -0.75
• AXIS: 089
• PRISM/BASE: n/a
• ADD: n/a

RESULTS, TRENDS OVER EIGHT YEARS

First eye exam, in about five years--well overdue...surprised how fast time has gone by.

Overall, my new optometrist did not seem concerned. After obtaining my current prescription (by measuring my current eyeglasses), she noted my left eye had a small astigmatism increase, but remains low.

Nearsightedness seems flat, to me, since 2011. Each eye has changed astigmatism direction, by ten degrees, in opposite directions.

Refractive Power - Nearsightedness (Myopia), 2008-2016

Astigmatism - Amount, 2008-2016

Astigmatism - Direction, 2008-2016

BACKGROUND

All measurements represented in units of dioptres, a unit that represents focusing power. More dioptres mean more focusing power--so if the numbers get big, that means you need a "stronger" prescription to see clearly.

SPH means sphere--a positive number represents farsightedness and a negative number represents nearsightedness. Why? In a farsighted eye, the curve of the cornea is flatter than the curve of a normal cornea, so the correction involves "adding" to the farsighted eye to get it back to normal. In a nearsighted eye, the curve of the cornea extends farther than the curve of the normal cornea, so the correction involves "subtracting" from that curve to bring it back to a normal curvature. The point being to get the cornea back to focusing light on the retina like a normally curved cornea does. The larger the number (positive or negative) the larger the deviation from the normal curvature of the cornea, and the blurrier the vision.

CYL means cylinder, and represents the amount of power needed to correct a cornea with astigmatism (a cornea that's oval-shaped, which causes blurring (see the picture at the top), as opposed to a normal cornea that's symmetrically round like a basketball)--DS means no astigmatism.

AXIS, for astigmatic eyes, represents a line passing through the middle of the oval-shaped cornea--in my case through the longer side. In my right eye, I need minus-one dioptre of correction along the axis specified (see the Wikipedia article for an explanation of why it's not "078" like the prescription says). I believe reducing the focusing power of the longer part of the oval-shaped cornea helps the cornea focus in a more spherical manner.

20/20 vision means the ability to read a character 8.84 mm high at a distance of 20 feet.

Lanna's suggestions on glasses frame colors: navy, light blue, plum.

Pupillary Distance:

I don't think this changes, over time: In 2011, CostCo staff measured my PD for me: 32.5 for each eye, for a total of 65.

Previously:

2011

2009

2008