Kevin Voted Today

VOTER-NOMINATED OFFICES

STATE

Governor

Gavin Newsom

Lieutenant Governor

Eleni Kounalakis

Secretary of State

Shirley N. Weber

Controller

Malia M. Cohen

Treasurer

Fiona Ma

Attorney General

Rob Bonta

Insurance Commissioner

Ricardo Lira

Member, State Board of Equalization, District 2

Sally J. Lieber

United States Senator (Full term & Partial/Unexpired term)

Alex Padilla

United States Representative

Anna G. Eshoo

Member of the State Assembly, District 23

Marc Berman

NONPARTISAN OFFICES

JUDICIAL

Chief Justice: Patricia Guerrero

Yes

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Goodwin Liu

Yes

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Martin J. Jenkins

Yes

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Joshua P. Groban

Yes

Administrative Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Sixth District: Mary J. Greenwood

Yes

Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Sixth District: Charles E. Wilson II

Yes

Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Sixth District: Cynthia C. Lie

Yes

SCHOOL

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Tony K. Thurmond

Fremont Union High School District: Governing Board Member

Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto

Rosa Kim

Stanley Kou

Cupertino Union School District: Governing Board Member

Ava Chiao

Satheesh Madhathil

Jerry Liu

COUNTY

Sheriff

Kevin Jensen

CITY

City of Los Altos: Member, City Council

Pete Dailey

Neysa Fligor

DISTRICT

Santa Clara Valley Water District: Director, District 7

Rebecca Eisenberg

MEASURES SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS

STATE

PROP 1: REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM

Yes

PROP 26: IN-PERSON SPORTS BETTING IN TRIBAL CASINOS

Yes

PROP 27: ONLINE SPORTS BETTING

No

PROP 28: FUNDING ARTS AND MUSIC EDUCATION

Yes

PROP 29: KIDNEY DIALYSIS CLINICS REQUIREMENTS

Yes

PROP 30: INCOME TAX ON MILLIONAIRES FOR ELECTRIC CARS

Yes

PROP 31: YES OR NO TO BANNING FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS

Yes

REFERENCES

Los Alto City Council:

https://www.losaltosonline.com/elections/trio-of-candidates-seek-two-spots-on-la-council-in-november-election/article_4f23b7a0-441b-11ed-a5cb-bf57c0dda6ef.html

Cupertino USD:

https://www.losaltosonline.com/opinion/editorial-chiao-liu-madhathil-for-cusd-board/article_50fb6b7a-2e06-11ed-98a6-0b9427350145.html

Fremont UHSD:

https://web.archive.org/web/20221027201916/http://www.sunnyvaledems.org/

Santa Clara Valley Water District
https://www.mv-voice.com/news/2022/10/13/santa-clara-valley-water-district-candidates-focus-on-a-sustainable-water-future

https://brokeassstuart.com/2022/10/13/the-november-2022-bas-voter-guide/

Books List - 2022

Ordered by most recently listened to, first.

Audiobooks 

1. iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It (2006) - Steve Wozniak with Gina Smith
2. The Art of Making Memories (2019) - Meik Wiking
3. The Little Book of Lykke (2017) - Meik Wiking
4. The Little Book of Hygge (2017) - Meik Wiking
5. Educated (2018) - Tara Westover 
6. Allow Me to Retort (2022) - Elie Mystal
7. Ghost in the Wires (2011) - Kevin Mitnick
8. A Promised Land (2020) - Barack Obama
1. "The thing about getting old, Bar,” Toot had told me, “is that you’re the same person inside.” I remember her eyes studying me.... “You’re trapped in this doggone contraption that starts falling apart. But it’s still you. You understand?” I did now.
2. Struck me how he described life at the White House vs. what his successor chose
3. Fired up, ready to go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AhRqg0ADbk 
9. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life (2016) - Mark Manson 
10. How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing (2022) - KC Davis
1. This House is a Safe House and I Am Safe In It - poster
2. Inner bullies

Using the Libby app (via Overdrive).

E-Books

1. None

Print

1. 
   

Suggestions

Previously

Note: No books list 2021

Previously (2020), Previously (2019), Previously (2018), Previously (2017)

Local hauler

Dig it Hauling

889 3549

Just noting for my own future reference.

Kevin Voted Today

VOTER-NOMINATED OFFICES

STATE

Governor

Gavin Newsom

Lieutenant Governor

Eleni Kounalakis

Secretary of State

Shirley N. Weber

Controller

Ron Galperin

Treasurer

Fiona Ma

Attorney General

Rob Bonta

Insurance Commissioner

Nathalie Hrizi

Member, State Board of Equalization, District 2

Sally J. Lieber

United States Senator

Alex Padilla

United States Representative

Jimmy Panetta

NONPARTISAN OFFICES

SCHOOL

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Tony K. Thurmond

County Superintendent of Schools

Faris M. Sabbah

COUNTY

Supervisor, 3rd District

Justin Cummings

Assessor-Recorder

Sheri Thomas

Auditor-Controller -Treasurer-Tax Collector

Edith Driscoll

County Clerk

Tricia Webber

District Attorney-Public Administrator

Jeff Rosell

Sheriff-Coroner

Jim Hart

MEASURES SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS

COUNTY

Measure B — Transient Occupancy Tax

Yes

Measure C — County Disposable Cup Tax

Yes

Measure D — General Plan Amendment - Greenway Initiative

No

CITY

Measure E — At-Large Directly Elected Mayor, Six Council Districts, and Nominating Elections

No

Measure F — Half-Cent Sales Tax Increase

Yes

04/23/2022 San Francisco Golden Gate Park Day Trip

Celebrated Dawn's birthday Saturday. Left home around 10:00 a.m. Stopped for to-go coffee, scone, and morning bun at Companion Bakeshop Westside Santa Cruz. Weather: sunny, blue skies, comfortably warm. Dressed in light sweaters and tee shirt and pants. Drove up Highway 1. Cut across at Half Moon Bay to 280 North--was distracted a bit by music and had a few hiccups getting to the northbound onramp.

Saw the Flintstone House. Reconnected with Highway 1 near Daly City. Waze directed us away from congested traffic, so we tracked Highway 1 in parallel on 15th/16th/17th for a stretch, passing Stern Grove. Reconnected to 19th/Highway 1 at some point and entered Golden Gate Park. Dropped off the car at the Music Concourse Parking Garage (Underground). 

Emerged by the de Young Museum. Walked short distance to the Japanese Tea Garden. Purchased tickets via the mobile app. Waited in line with others. At the ticketing window, the attendant looked up our tickets digitally using our name and waved us through. 

We've visited once before. The pagoda was enclosed in a white, opaque protective plastic barrier. Originally "constructed for the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915 and brought to the Garden at the fair’s conclusion. Built as an indoor structure, it has not fared well outdoors."

Koi fish kept to the shadows of bridges and overhanging grasses. The atmosphere was relatively calm but touristy.  At the tea house, we ordered matcha with a wagashi (traditional Japanese confection) of mochi and red bean paste, as well as an order of dango which came with two types: 1) Goma (black sesame); and 2) Anko (red bean). The tea house also sells mitarashi dango (sweet soy sauce syrup). We also bought warabimochi, another wagashi confection, "made from warabiko (bracken starch) and covered or dipped in kinako (sweet toasted soybean flour). It differs from true mochi made from glutinous rice."

Mochinut SF location was next--"a donut that originated from Hawaii which is a combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi." We ordered five types of donuts--one of every type they had available in the display case: 1) Churro; 2) Smore (with graham cracker and marshmallow on top); 3) Strawberry Cheesecake (with three popped popcorn kernels on top); 4) Strawberry Funnel; and 5) Ube. We also ordered a Potato Half & Half hot dog (half mozzarella stick, half hot dog, with French fry bits on the outside), and a mango Izzy drink. The Mochinut location looked a bit tired. Food was decent. Donuts were the best; don't think we'd order the hot dog again.

Across the street, we noticed a block-long wait to get into Pineapple King Bakery.

We spent the rest of our afternoon walking back across Golden Gate Park. Decided to skip the San Francisco Botanical Garden due to time. Other sights: 6th Avenue Skate Park, Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park Tennis Courts (playing pickle ball, looked like), San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club, Sharon Art Studio, Koret Playground, Carousel, Big Rec baseball fields--where we watched drunk teams playing kickball with red cups in hand, and a small dog chase crows. We stopped at the SkyStar Wheel and got a frozen fruit bar and strawberry mint tea while Dawn's knee took a rest. 

That was it--12,000 steps roughly. Uneventful drive home--did note driving over the SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). 

The Book of Boba Fett Run

 Watched The Book of Boba Fett:

• 2021-12-29: Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land
• 2022-01-05: Chapter 2: The Tribes of Tatooine
• 2022-01-12: Chapter 3: The Streets of Mos Espa
• 2022-01-19: Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm
• 2022-01-26: Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian
• 2022-02-02: Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger
• 2022-02-09: Chapter 7: In The Name of Honor

Peacemaker Run

Started a run of Peacemaker (TV series).

Season One (2022)

1. 2022-01-19: A Whole New Whirled
2. 2022-01-19: Best Friends, For Never
3. 2022-01-19: Better Goff Dead
4. 2022-01-20: The Choad Less Traveled
5. 2022-01-27: Monkey Dory
6. 2022-02-04: Murn After Reading
7. 2022-02-10: Stop Dragon My Heart Around
8. 2022-02-17: It's Cow or Never

Hawkeye (2021 TV series) Run

Watching Hawkeye (2021 TV series):

1. 2021-11-24: Never Meet Your Heroes
2. 2021-11-24: Hide and Seek
3. 2021-12-01: Echoes
4. 2021-12-08: Partners, Am I Right?
5. 2021-12-15: Ronin
6. 2021-12-22: So This Is Christmas?

Cowboy Bebop (2021 TV series) Run

 Watched Cowboy Bebop (2021 TV series):

1. 2021-11-19: Cowboy Gospel
2. 2021-11-19: Venus Pop
3. 2021-11-19: Dog Star Swing
4. 2021-11-19: Callisto Soul
5. 2021-11-19: Darkside Tango
6. 2021-11-19: Binary Two-Step
7. 2021-11-20: Galileo Hustle
8. 2021-11-20: Sad Clown A-Go-Go
9. 2021-11-20: Blue Crow Waltz
10. 2021-11-20: Supernova Symphony

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045

Watching Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: 

Season 1 (2020):

1. 2021-11-14: NO NOISE NO LIFE - Sustainable War
2. 2021-11-14: AT YOUR OWN RISK - Divided by a Wall
3. 2021-11-15: MAVERICK - Missing In Action
4. 2021-11-15: SACRIFICIAL PAWN - Emissary from the Divide
5. 2021-11-15: PATRICK HUGE - Gift from God
6. 2021-11-15: DISCLOSURE - Quantized Gospel
7. 2021-11-16: PIE IN THE SKY - First Bank Robbery
8. 2021-11-18: ASSEMBLE - What Came About as a Result of Togusa's Death
9. 2021-11-21: IDENTITY THEFT - The Lonely Struggle
10. 2021-11-22: NET PEOPLE - What Led to the Hate Mob
11. 2021-11-23: EDGELORD - Revolution of the 14-Year-Olds
12. 2021-11-23: NOSTALGIA - All Will Become N.

Dental Procedure (Gum Graft)

Thursday, 11/5, I had a dental gum graft procedure on the anterior part of my lower front four teeth.

Arrived and was immediately scanned for temperature check and taken to a room. Associate doctor (AD) had full sleeve tattoos on both arms (Dawn mentioned one was a Sesame Street theme). She took my blood pressure with a cuff attached to a new piece of machinery. All was well. They have a new doctor at this practice who preferred to use the modern equipment, and the AD had to remember how to turn the cuff from automatic to manual, so it wouldn't beep throughout the entire procedure. The other doctor apparently leaves it on automatic mode. 

The AD asked how my day was going and I mentioned my struggles with getting a Lyft rideshare to the office--I had a ride scheduled, but something was inexplicably wrong with the app-based payment process, and so my appointment was canceled with no warning and I ended up driving myself. The original plan was for Dawn to come with and we'd both take a rideshare roundtrip. What actually happened: I drove there and Dawn volunteered to drive back. Dr. Browning came in and said he had tweaked his back. They attached the IV drop to my right arm and started the twilight anesthesia drip. 

The procedure lasted about 45 minutes, I think. During this time my consciousness was like waking up in the middle of the night and falling back asleep. I briefly recall lightly snoring, and was alert enough to realize it was inappropriate and checked it. That's all I recall vividly.

The AD had described the aftereffects as feeling drunk, and that's not too far off, but not quite right. For me, drunkenness feels much worse. I felt mentally ~80% and physically ~90%--just mildly uncoordinated and unfocused. It was a bit of a struggle to guide myself--I was aware I knew enough to get into the passenger seat, but my brain was not quite prepared for dealing with the rest of my body reacting somewhat clumsily. The AD carefully guided me to the waiting car, and explicitly told me to duck my head while getting in, which I was grateful for--I might not have remembered to duck. 🙂

Dawn drove us home successfully 💜 

Since Thursday, I've rested and eaten carefully. This is my third dental gum graft, but the first under twilight sedation. The first two were with a different doctor, under local anesthetic. I chose to go with a new doctor as the old doctor no longer accepted my insurance. And the new doctor turned out to also do cosmetic touchups as well, which was great. 

Compared to earlier gum grafts, this one uses a custom upper palette shield to protect the source of the graft tissue, which is wonderful. Pain seems quite minimal. I took ibuprofen and acetaminophen a few times as instructed, but could have done without. Also taking amoxicillin three times daily. Eating all sorts of soft foods guilt-free 😇 Cozy Shack: chocolate pudding, rice pudding, tapioca. 

Cowboy Bebop Run

Re-watching Cowboy Bebop (1998):

1. 2021-10-27: Asteroid Blues
2. 2021-10-30: Stray Dog Strut
3. 2021-10-31: Honky Tonk Women
4. 2021-10-31: Gateway Shuffle
5. 2021-10-31: Ballad of Fallen Angels
6. 2021-10-31: Sympathy for the Devil
7. 2021-10-31: Heavy Metal Queen
8. 2021-10-31: Waltz for Venus
9. 2021-10-31: Jamming with Edward
10. 2021-10-31: Ganymede Elegy
11. 2021-11-08: Toys in the Attic (Heavy Rock of the Dark Night)
12. 2021-11-08: Jupiter Jazz (Part 1)
13. 2021-11-09: Jupiter Jazz (Part 2)
14. 2021-11-10: Bohemian Rhapsody
15. 2021-11-10: My Funny Valentine
16. 2021-11-11: Black Dog Serenade
17. 2021-11-11: Mushroom Samba
18. 2021-11-12: Speak Like a Child
19. 2021-11-12: Wild Horses
20. 2021-11-12: Pierrot le Fou (Requiem for a Clown)
21. 2021-11-12: Boogie Woogie Feng Shui
22. 2021-11-12: Cowboy Funk
23. 2021-11-12: Brain Scratch
24. 2021-11-12: Hard Luck Woman
25. 2021-11-12: The Real Folk Blues (Part 1)
26. 2021-11-12: The Real Folk Blues (Part 2)

Ted Lasso Run

 Watching Ted Lasso

Season 1 (2020)

1. #1 2021-10-15: Pilot
2. #2 2021-10-15: Biscuits
3. #3 2021-10-15: Trent Crimm: The Independent
4. #4 2021-10-15: For the Children
5. #5 2021-10-15: Tan Lines
6. #6 2021-10-15: Two Aces
7. #7 2021-10-16: Make Rebecca Great Again
8. #8 2021-10-16: The Diamond Dogs
9. #9 2021-10-16: All Apologies
10. #10 2021-10-16: The Hope that Kills You

Season 2 (2021)

1. #11 2021-10-16: Goodbye Earl
2. #12 2021-10-18: Lavender
3. #13 2021-10-20: Do the Right-est Thing
4. #14 2021-10-20: Carol of the Bells
5. #15 2021-10-20: Rainbow
6. #16 2021-10-24: The Signal
7. #17 2021-10-24: Headspace
8. #18 2021-10-24: Man City
9. #19 2021-10-24: Beard After Hours
10. #20 2021-10-24: No Weddings and a Funeral
11. #21 2021-10-24: Midnight Train to Royston
12. #22 2021-10-24: Inverting the Pyramid of Success

Yoshi's Chair

 

The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire displaced us from Santa Cruz temporarily. For a few weeks, we stayed at the San Jose Marriott with two cats.

Our orange cat Yoshi seemed to enjoy sunbathing on a particular orange chair (see photo).

We recently identified the chair as an Allermuir product:

Open - Open is an elegant and relatively compact contemporary range of soft seating, comprising of a lounge chair with or without a headrest, footstool and a large two seat sofa. The Molded seat shells and cushions with bull nosed edge profile and tailored upholstery, provide great comfort, precise shape and visual slenderness.

#A642 

Lounge chair on a wire frame 

• Standard Features 
• Molded foam construction 
• Fully upholstered 
• Wire frame finished in Polished Chrome 
• Plastic glides 
• Optional Features 
• Wire frame available in a selection of powder coat finishes 
• Decorative railroad stitch detail to perimeter seam 
• Two-tone upholstery 
• Open Performance Standards 
• Indoor Air Quality Certified to SCS-EC10.3-2014 v4.0

Not sure what specific color or fabric--fading from exposure to the sun also possible.

Retail cost ("Lounge Chair Wireframe"):

$2,677.00  💰

https://www.allermuir.com/us/products/soft-seating/open-us

It appears the San Jose Marriott selected the Allermuir chairs as part of a 2015 remodel, in partnership with Looney & Associates.

Schmigadoon! Run

 Started a Schmigadoon! run.

1. 2021-10-04: Schmigadoon!
2. 2021-10-04: Lovers' Spat
3. 2021-10-04: Cross That Bridge
4. 2021-10-04: Suddenly
5. 2021-10-04: Tribulation
6. 2021-10-04: How We Change

Foundation Run

Started a run of Foundation (TV Series):

1. 2021-09-26: The Emperor's Peace
2. 2021-09-26: Preparing to Live
3. 2021-10-01: The Mathematician's Ghost
4. 2021-10-08: Barbarians at the Gate
5. 2021-10-15: Upon Awakening
6. 2021-10-22: Death and the Maiden
7. 2021-10-29: Mysteries and Martyrs
8. 2021-11-05: The Missing Piece
9. 2021-11-12: The First Crisis
10. 2021-: The Leap

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Started a run of Neon Genesis Evangelion:

1. 2021-08-24: Angel Attack
2. 2021-08-29: Unfamiliar Ceilings
3. 2021-09-10: The Silent Phone
4. 2021-09-10: Rain, After Running Away
5. 2021-09-11: Rei, Beyond the Heart
6. 2021-09-11: Showdown in Tokyo-3
7. 2021-09-11: The Works of Man
8. 2021-09-11: Asuka Arrives in Japan
9. 2021-09-11: Mind, Matching, Moment
10. 2021-09-11: The Magma Diver
11. 2021-09-12: In the Still Darkness
12. 2021-09-12: A Miracle's Worth
13. 2021-09-12: Angel Infiltration
14. 2021-09-12: Seele, the Seat of the Soul
15. 2021-09-12: Lies and Silence
16. 2021-09-12: The sickness unto death, and then...
17. 2021-09-12: The Fourth to be Qualified
18. 2021-09-12: Life and Death Decisions
19. 2021-09-12: A Man's Battle
20. 2021-09-12: Of the Shape of Hearts and Humans
21. 2021-09-12: The Birth of NERV
22. 2021-09-12: Staying Human
23. 2021-09-12: Tears
24. 2021-09-12: The Last Cometh
25. 2021-09-12: The Ending World
26. 2021-09-12: The Beast that Shouted 'I' at the Heart of the World

What If...? Run

Watching What If...? TV series

Season One (2021)

1. 2021-08-12: What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?
2. 2021-08-18: What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?
3. 2021-08-25: What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?
4. 2021-09-01: What If... Dr. Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?
5. 2021-09-08: What If... Zombies?
6. 2021-09-15: What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?
7. 2021-09-22: What If... Thor Was An Only Child?
8. 2021-09-29: What If... Ultron Won?
9. 2021-10-06: What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?

Wellington Paranormal Run

Started a Wellington Paranormal run.

Series 2 (2019)

1. 2021-08-16: # 7 Taniwha[d] 
2. 2021-08-23: # 8 Fear the Briannas 
3. 2021-08-30: # 9 Mt Vic Hooters 
4. 2021-09-06: #10 Copy Cops 
5. 2021-09-13: #11 Haunted Nissan 
6. 2021-09-27: #12 Mobots
7. 2021-11-30: #13 Twas the Patrol Before Christmas 

Series 1 (2018)

1. 2021-07-29: Demon Girl
2. 2021-07-31: Cop Circles
3. 2021-08-01: Things That Do the Bump in the Night
4. 2021-08-01: The She Wolf of Kurimarama Street
5. 2021-08-02: A Normal Night
6. 2021-08-08: Zombie Cops

Yasuke (TV series) Run

Watching Yasuke:

Season 1 (2021)

1. 2021-06-27: Ronin
2. 2021-06-27: The Old Way
3. 2021-06-27: Mortal Sins
4. 2021-06-27: The Long Road
5. 2021-06-27: Pain & Blood
6. 2021-06-27: Balance