A small dose of cuteness out of the terrible Australian wildfires.
Also, I have been hearing about this topic a lot recently: Is Australia the canary in the coal mine for climate change?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
50,000 Drinks
You know those stupid things that make you type in letters to prevent you from spamming or scamming (like the one I have enabled on my comments)?
Today I happened across one that made me type:
50,000 drinks
Seriously? I think someone was drunk when they created that.
Today I happened across one that made me type:
50,000 drinks
Seriously? I think someone was drunk when they created that.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Transit Adventures V
Saturday evening around 6, we took a fairly crowded bus up the hill. I started standing but turned around to look at the back to see if there were any seats available, as this bus ride is rather crazy and takes some arm strength just to keep upright. There was just one seat open, the middle of the 5-seat row in back. One guy on the side saw me glance over and immediately adjusted his bag and jacket to allow me to sit down. Later on during the ride we shared a laugh out of our leg contortions trying to allow the people at the ends of the row to get past us and out the bus.
As he finally headed for the door, we noticed that the tattoos on his uncovered bicep were, in fact, sperm. Several sperm, swimming upstream toward his shoulder.
That, along with the women making out at a bar, and the chocolate penis that a nice young man let J.S. pick out at Hot Cookie ($1 per inch), are just some of the liberal reasons that San Francisco is awesome and hilarious.
As he finally headed for the door, we noticed that the tattoos on his uncovered bicep were, in fact, sperm. Several sperm, swimming upstream toward his shoulder.
That, along with the women making out at a bar, and the chocolate penis that a nice young man let J.S. pick out at Hot Cookie ($1 per inch), are just some of the liberal reasons that San Francisco is awesome and hilarious.
City Walks SF #12: Alcatraz
(This picture is blurry because Matt took it. I swear.)
I love Alcatraz! I hadn't been there for 8 years, and Matt had never been there, and a friend who was in town had never been there, and, well, it was our next walk, so yesterday we decided to head out into the bay.
Although this card and pretty much everything else about Alcatraz tells you to buy boat tickets in advance, we figured it was not peak season and it wasn't supposed to be a very nice day and we checked online Friday night and none of the boats were sold out and I was too tired to make a decision, so we figured we'd just wing it the next day. When we showed up to the boat dock at about 12:40, the line was horrendous and not moving. There were only two boats left for the day. So our friend tried to get online with her phone to purchase tickets. It was not working. Meanwhile, the group in front of us succeeded in getting through on the phone and were nice enough to provide us with the phone number.
I scored the last 3 tickets of the day.
They immediately announced that the tours were sold out. Too bad for the people at the front of the line! Matt and Jackie were so excited you would have thought we'd won the lottery.
Anyway, Alcatraz is cool. Military prison; federal penitentiery featuring Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and the Birdman; fun escape attempt stories; Indian occupation; future replacement site for Gitmo...
(I must give props to Matt for this awesome picture.)
Pictures on the inside available on Picasa.
The boat ride and visit is a bit pricey at $26, but I think it's worth checking out at least once. If not for the history, then for the spectacular views of the city, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Marin.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
City Walks SF Update
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| City Walks SF |
I have added a new feature to City Walks SF. More pictures! Of course I have 100 for about 1/5 of the walks, so I will have to pare down sometime when I have more computer energy.
Transit Adventures IV
This afternoon I ventured into the city to meet up with Matt for the missing City Walks SF #9 (now updated). I hopped on the bus, grabbed a transfer, and headed into the subway. When I got off the train, police were checking transfers and passes.
As Matt can tell you, I am notorious (amongst the immediate family) for never being able to find my transfer. I never remember which pocket I put it in or, heaven forbid, which part of my gigantic bag it might be hiding in. I recently started trying to put my transfers in the same purse pocket every time. (I have to have transfers because Matt thinks I don't ride the bus enough to pay for a transit pass. I think it would be paid for with my peace of mind...) So, when stopped by the police, I pulled the entire contents of the pocket out. After a moment of shuffling papers, I produced a transfer.
Unfortunately the transfer was from February 1st, which I realized as soon as I held it up because it was too long for the one I got today (the length of transfers depends on how long it is good until). So I immediately shuffled around for the real transfer, during which the police lady said, "What date is that?" I suddenly found the correct transfer, mistakenly said, "Oh there it is," and then showed the correct transfer to the police officer.
You would have thought I was trying to skip town, or even trying to not pay a lousy $1.50 transit fare. She gave me a lecture on how next time I better show her the correct transfer the first time, and not try to pass one off with the wrong date.
Good grief! It's not like I didn't have the correct transfer. That would be a different story. I obviously wasn't trying to evade the system. And yet I nearly got slapped with a multi-hundred dollar fine.
Matt may have to buy me a bus pass.
As Matt can tell you, I am notorious (amongst the immediate family) for never being able to find my transfer. I never remember which pocket I put it in or, heaven forbid, which part of my gigantic bag it might be hiding in. I recently started trying to put my transfers in the same purse pocket every time. (I have to have transfers because Matt thinks I don't ride the bus enough to pay for a transit pass. I think it would be paid for with my peace of mind...) So, when stopped by the police, I pulled the entire contents of the pocket out. After a moment of shuffling papers, I produced a transfer.
Unfortunately the transfer was from February 1st, which I realized as soon as I held it up because it was too long for the one I got today (the length of transfers depends on how long it is good until). So I immediately shuffled around for the real transfer, during which the police lady said, "What date is that?" I suddenly found the correct transfer, mistakenly said, "Oh there it is," and then showed the correct transfer to the police officer.
You would have thought I was trying to skip town, or even trying to not pay a lousy $1.50 transit fare. She gave me a lecture on how next time I better show her the correct transfer the first time, and not try to pass one off with the wrong date.
Good grief! It's not like I didn't have the correct transfer. That would be a different story. I obviously wasn't trying to evade the system. And yet I nearly got slapped with a multi-hundred dollar fine.
Matt may have to buy me a bus pass.
The California Water Crisis
And now, a break from the lighter side. Don't stop reading if you don't live in California - your turn will come!
The news has been bleak. A biological opinion by the Fish and Wildlife Service requires water pumped from the San Francisco San Joaquin Delta to be reduced by 20 to 30 percent. This water serves about 25 million Californians in the southern part of the state. The initial allocations for the State Water Project are at about 15 percent. San Diego expects mandatory water rationing by July 1st. Even the Bay Area is starting to freak out!
It hasn't rained more than about 2 days the whole time I've lived here. Here in California, when we don't get rain, we don't fill our reservoirs, and we start running out of water to drink. It seems to me that people don't realize this. Until less than a week ago, I imagine that the average citizen had no idea that we were running into a water crisis.
Now, the Chronicle is running stories, the local news stations discuss it, KQED held a forum, and apparently even lawyers care (this last link is a really good commentary; I highly recommend it).
Apparently last year the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission requested 10% voluntary cuts in water use. I had no idea! I just looked at their website, and I had to dig pretty deep to find anything recommending water conservation. This should be the first thing anybody sees.
Folks, I may be a pessimist and a doom predictor by nature, but I firmly believe there will be mandatory water rationing in this state this year (and nobody wants that) unless we all get our acts together.
Tear up your lawn and replace it with pretty, water efficient plants. Take a cowboy shower. (My sister and I did this religiously for two weeks in Ecuador without complaint, but I admit to only taking part a handful of times since I've been back in the states.) Educate yourselves.
I kid you not: water is the next oil.
I know ya'll never click on my links (because I have ways), but check these ones out! I know these things because it's my job, but I guess I better start preaching (likely to the choir)...
The news has been bleak. A biological opinion by the Fish and Wildlife Service requires water pumped from the San Francisco San Joaquin Delta to be reduced by 20 to 30 percent. This water serves about 25 million Californians in the southern part of the state. The initial allocations for the State Water Project are at about 15 percent. San Diego expects mandatory water rationing by July 1st. Even the Bay Area is starting to freak out!
It hasn't rained more than about 2 days the whole time I've lived here. Here in California, when we don't get rain, we don't fill our reservoirs, and we start running out of water to drink. It seems to me that people don't realize this. Until less than a week ago, I imagine that the average citizen had no idea that we were running into a water crisis.
Now, the Chronicle is running stories, the local news stations discuss it, KQED held a forum, and apparently even lawyers care (this last link is a really good commentary; I highly recommend it).
Apparently last year the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission requested 10% voluntary cuts in water use. I had no idea! I just looked at their website, and I had to dig pretty deep to find anything recommending water conservation. This should be the first thing anybody sees.
Folks, I may be a pessimist and a doom predictor by nature, but I firmly believe there will be mandatory water rationing in this state this year (and nobody wants that) unless we all get our acts together.
Tear up your lawn and replace it with pretty, water efficient plants. Take a cowboy shower. (My sister and I did this religiously for two weeks in Ecuador without complaint, but I admit to only taking part a handful of times since I've been back in the states.) Educate yourselves.
I kid you not: water is the next oil.
I know ya'll never click on my links (because I have ways), but check these ones out! I know these things because it's my job, but I guess I better start preaching (likely to the choir)...
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