Star Sonata

My local Safeway's public restroom had the words starsonata.com written on the toilet-paper dispenser. Figures it's a MMORPG. x_x

People to People Lending

Prosper.com enables people to lend money to each other directly regardless of geography. The business provides details about all the normal concerns like credit history so individuals can make their own decisions on how much to loan.

Our Daily Bread

"Our Daily Bread is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn’t always easy to digest - and in which we all take part. A pure, meticulous and high-end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas."

Bullroarers

I love the sound bullroarers produce. Like most Americans my first experience was Crocodile Dundee.

"Thank You Ocean" Campaign

Dawn and I saw a billboard advertising the "Thank You Ocean" campaign on Saturday on Fulton near Auburn. From the About section of the web site:

ThankYouOcean.Org is the website for the California Public Ocean Awareness Campaign, “Thank You Ocean”, a statewide campaign organized by NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program and the State of California Resources Agency and implemented by the California Ocean Communicators Alliance. The campaign was made possible in part by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, NOAA, the California Ocean Protection Council and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Contributors to the “Thank You Ocean Campaign” include the Hive Advertising Agency, The Ocean Channel, Uncle Productions, Jim Toomey and the Blue Frontier Campaign, and many others who have volunteered their time, expertise and passion.

The “Thank You Ocean” campaign was designed to instill in Californians a sense of personal connection and responsibility to our ocean and coast. ThankYouOcean.Org provides access to everything ocean in California including how to learn about and where to experience the ocean, the impacts of daily decisions on ocean life, ocean conservation issues, and what to do to help the ocean.

Jim Toomey pens the syndicated comic strip Sherman's Lagoon.

What is the difference between Family Practice and Internal Medicine?

Dawn and I wondered about this the other day. Apparently definitions vary geographically and historically; family practice deals with all ages of patients while internal medicine focuses on ages 13 and up. Link.

American River Parkway PASSPORT

A way to support the American River Parkway. Planning to pick up ours the next time we visit REI.

Flushed Away

Dawn and I noticed this 2006 movie by David Bowers and Sam Fell. Recording so I don't forget.

UPDATE: Watched it last week at the Sunrise Theatre and we both enjoyed it. The character Sid (fun-loving, loves soccer, slightly larger than average) reminded me of Kurt, a friend from HP.

KYDS Songs

Heard these over the past few days:

Huntington Beach-based The Aquabats!' "Chemical Bomb!" from their 1999 album "The Aquabats! vs. the Floating Eye of Death!" on the Goldenvoice Recordings/Time Bomb label.

Anahiem-based No Doubt's "Just A Girl" from their 1995 album "Tragic Kingdom" on the Interscope label. Video.

Henderson, North Carolina-native Ben E. King's (with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) "Stand By Me" released as a 1961 single on the Atco Records label. Video. I thought of Dawn when I heard this on Sunday. ^__^

I'd Rather Be Sailing My Swan 48

Saw this license plate frame text mentioning the Finnish-based Nautor's sailing boat on Sunday. My experiences with sailing are limited to helping my friend Jared Heuschele one day on a lake back in 2000.

Yosemite Vacation

Dawn and I vacationed at Yosemite National Park Mon-Fri, Dec 11-15.

Monday

Left Sacramento around 08:30 after nabbing six liters of water and six bagels from Safeway. We anticipated using the water on hikes but ended up leaving the water in the car. After sitting in traffic for about 45 minutes on south-bound Sunrise Avenue, we escaped across US 50 and headed east on Hwy 16 toward Jackson. We passed Sloughhouse and the Davis Ranch Produce Stand, leaving Sacramento County behind for Amador County and ascending slowly into the foothills. Turning south-east onto Hwy 49 we began driving through former mining camps: Drytown, Amador City, Sutter Creek, and Jackson. One of the historical markers we viewed mentioned the tong wars, battles between various Chinese-American tongs for control of profits, territory, and women. As we passed Mokelumne Hill, we entered Calaveras County, home to Mark Twain's famous yarn. We passed the towns of San Andreas and Angels Camp, where signs swinging from Victorian-style buildings welcome visitors into local businesses. Continuing southeast we entered Tuolumne County, crossing the artificial New Melones Lake via the Stevenot Stanislaus River Bridge. Passing Jamestown we turned east onto Hwy 120/49 before reaching Chinese Camp and the bridge over the artificial Lake Don Pedro. Leaving Hwy 49 at Moccasin, we continued east on Hwy 120. Dawn and I noticed the Moccasin Creek Trout Hatchery. From this point we also became aware of the Hetch Hetchy Resevoir's aqueduct draining water down the hill. Seeing the size of the aqueduct, I felt appreciation for the engineering required to transport the water 167 miles to San Francisco. Between Moccasin and Priest Station, Hwy 120 climbs ~2,000 feet via six miles of switchbacks. Continuing our ascent the towns of Big Oak Flat and Groveland welcomed us. I noticed a sign or two during the trip reading I.O.O.F, which turned out to be a fraternal organization called the International Order of Odd Fellows. Fun. Between Groveland and Yosemite National Park we continued to ascend to about 6,000 feet. It was during this point that we encountered our first sight of snow from the previous weekend's snowstorm. Melting snow fell from tree branches, striking our car's windshield with loud cracking noises, startling us three times. We reached the Park entrance around 13:00, presented our National Parks Pass, and entered. The entrance attendant cautioned us to drive 25 mph due to snow and ice on the road. We traveled this way without use of tire chains until we reached Northside Drive in Yosemite Valley. We stopped for a bathroom break and then proceeded to navigate the construction to the Village Store parking lot, which doubled as a day-use parking lot. Finally, we had arrived!

Melting snow and ice covered the lot. The temperature I guessed was about 10 C (50 F). Dawn and I walked into the Village Store looking for a patch. We noticed YakTrax for sale as well as vinyl rain panchos. Dawn fell in love with a plush bear, found a cute purple hat in the kids' section, and found a Bear Crossing patch for her canvas shoulderbag. Exiting the store we visited the Sport Shop, then walked north on Tecoya Road to Degnan's Deli. I had a "Tuolumne Meadow" veggie sandwich and Dawn had a turkey sandwich. The woman we met shared with us her country-of-origin was South Africa, and she loved African-American actors, especially Cuba Gooding Jr., Denzel Washington, and Lawrence Fishburn. She recommended I watch the South African films Mama Jack and There's a Zulu on My Stoep (aka Yankee Zulu in the USA).

Lodge hot tub
Dinner mac & cheese in room

Tuesday

Ate breakfast at Yosemite View Lodge Restaurant
Purchased ponchos
Mirror Lake
Warm feet by fire
Feeding Deer
Lower Yosemite Falls
Decorated Charlie the snowman
Yosemite Lodge at the Falls Cafeteria
Attempted to register for classes but Degnan's closed at 17:00
Room hot tub

Wednesday

New Yosemite Today newsletter
Purchased patch from Visitor Center store
Computer game playing in Visitor Center store
Questions of Visitor Center staff
trode
Ranger tour Geology
Skywalk boots
Georgia granite for bridge
Moonbow
49 Sequoia trees in the Valley
wind knocked down pine trees
Indian Museum
Mountain Room Restaurant x_x
Registered for classes

Thursday

Ahwahnee breakfast
Mailed postcards
Vernal Falls footbridge
Concert rehearsal
American Dipper birds
Yosemite Cafeteria supper
Concert
Leanna from Andrea Fulton Productions
Stars


Friday

Bridalveil Falls
Wawona
Rainy
Mount Sugar Pine Railroad
Modesto -- search for Peach Tree Diner x_x
Cheesecake Factory

KYDS Songs

Heard this song today:

UK-based Frou Frou's "Let Go" from their 2002 album "Details" on the MCA/Island Records label. Video. 'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown....

KYDS Songs

Heard this song yesterday:

Essex, England-based Gorillaz' "All Alone" from the album "Demon Days" on the Parlophone/EMI/Virgin label. Video.

The Tofurky Song

To the tune of "Deck the Halls":

In the ov-en's a To-fur-ky
In-gre-dients are somewhat murky
Stuf-fing's lo-ca-ted inside it
It's all fake so why not hide it?

Yes, tonight Dawn and I are cooking our first Tofurky from Trader Joes. I vowed to never buy fake meat but it looked so good why not try it once? And Dawn (a non-vegetarian) wanted to try it. We both felt very hungry.

UPDATE: We both enjoyed it. We used the soy-sauce and olive oil baste. It struck me as an upscale TV dinner.

Countries

Create your own list at http://www.travbuddy.com/widget_map.php

Five Pennies

The eponymous song from the 1959 movie The Five Pennies, we heard a snippet of it while watching a short film about women in Hollywood while at the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts. I thought it sounded nice enough to pass on. Imagine Danny Kaye singing this song to his daughter who has contracted polio:

This little penny is to wish on
And make your wishes come true
This little penny is to dream on
Dream of all you can do
This little penny is a dancing penny
See how it glitters and it glows
Bright as a whistle
Light as a thistle
Quick, quick as a wink
Up on it's twinkling toes
This little penny is to laugh on
To see that tears never fall
This this little penny
Is the last little penny
And the most important of all
For this penny is to love on
And where love is, heaven is there
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
You'll be a millionaire
For this penny is to love on
And where love is, heaven is there
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
You'll be a millionaire

Here's a happier part later in the movie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=j_r-Q1u6PDk

Julia Morgan

Also while at the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts, I learned about one of the first female architects, Julia Morgan. They had several tiles on display (including the rabbit, above) that she created for the Hearst Castle down by San Luis Obispo. The Deer Creek Pottery company out of Grass Valley, CA created the replicas. I'm not sure where I want them but I thought someday they might look nice in a future home.

Chez Panisse

While at the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts today I read about Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse, the "first California cuisine restaurant, a style credited to restaurant founder Alice Waters." Yum yum. I want to visit now.

Link: http://www.chezpanisse.com/

David Lance Goines creates the fantastic poster artwork.

Eliza Farnham on San Francisco (1850)

"San Francisco, I believe, has the most disagreeable climate and locality of any city on the globe. If the winter be not unusually wet, there is some delightful weather to be enjoyed. If it be, you are flooded, and the rainy season closes to give place to what is miscalled summer—-a season so cold that you require more clothing than you did in January; so damp with fogs and mists that you are penetrated to the very marrow; so windy that if you are abroad in the afternoon it is a continual struggle. Your eyes are blinded, your teeth set on edge, and your whole person made so uncomfortable by the sand that has insinuated itself through your clothing, that you could not conceive it possible to feel a sensation of comfort short of a warm bath and shower. . . . What sort of end the unfortunates, who spend their lives there, can expect under such circumstances, one does not easily foresee."

Noticed Wikipedia lacked Eliza Farnham's entry so I created it (my first). Created her Wikiquote article as well. I've installed MediaWiki (the software running Wikipedia) and created some home brew documentation for clients in the past so this article creation went relatively smoothly.

Dawn and I visited the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts this afternoon, where I found this quotation. An excellent museum and I want to visit it again to read more about the Japanese internment.

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2006-11-22

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2006-11-22
Resting heart rate: forgot (60 second test)
Weather: overcast, calm
Temp: 15 C (59 F)
Time: 13:45-16:30
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I spent the afternoon at the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts after eating at the Fox and Goose Public House.
Time: 165 minutes (2:45)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance n/a
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run):
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: vegetarian pasty, crumpet with marmalade, espresso cheesecake, mushroom risotto, tostadas, fig newtons, cottage cheese, bread