The Life
May 2006
05/31/06Deserts of the world: AtacamaThe Atacama Desert of Chile is a sparsely-populated, virtually rainless plateau running from the Pacific Ocean to the Andes Mountains. The average width is less than 100 miles but it extends 600 miles south from the Peruvian border. The Atacama is made up of salt basins, sand and lava flows. The landscape is so desolate ("world's driest desert"), it has been chosen as a test site for Zoe, the prototype of a future Mars rover.[Image courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University - click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] |
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05/31/06Calif. to bypass Electoral College?Hm. Not a bad idea:"There are 36 states like California that are non-battleground states. So in those states, your vote for president doesn't count."Uh-huh. Let's not allow the Election 2000 debacle to happen again... |
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05/31/06Pop Quiz: SpellingCan you spell... haggle, banally, apparel, inaccurate, allege, culottes, derogatory, precedent, immolate, basmati, lycanthropy, succussatory, fete, olio, nullipara, melee, scopolamine, Erewhonian, zemi, Pierian, cembalo, perciatelli, Capharnaum, oeillade, sprachgefuhl? The 25 words above were given to the record-breaking total of 275 contestants this morning in Round 1 (the Written Round) of the National Spelling Bee. ESPN does a live feed of the Preliminary Championship Rounds tomorrow morning from 9am to noon (PDT), and ABC will broadcast the finale tomorrow night from 8pm-10pm. But if you want some real insight into this competition, check out the Spellbound DVD. Gosh, it seems like a million years since my NSB meltdown... ;-) |
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05/31/06Blöki pooper-scooperHave you ever admired a simple object like, oh say, a paper clip (invented in 1899 by Johan Vaaler [1866-1910]), or a milk carton (invented in 1932 by Victor Wallace Farris [1909-1985]), or a pop-top can (invented in 1959 by Ermal Cleon Fraze [1913-1989])?During my recent visit to Budapest, I had the opportunity to marvel at such an item.It was an object so elegant in design that I was blown away by its brilliance. If I knew who created this wonderful device, I would instantly demand that s/he be added to the list of Famous Hungarians.Jenc and I had just crossed the street outside the New York Café when we saw an unprepossessing little curbside dispenser which contained this cardboard packet (blöki=doggie):Since Anikó and Anita had become temporarily hypnotized by the shiny things on... |
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05/31/06Hey, who turned up the heat?Today's high=101°F (38.3°C), Thursday=105°F, Friday=107°F, Saturday=111°F, Sunday=110°F, Monday=109°F, Tuesday=108°F.Man-oh-man, it wasn't half this hot when I left.But you know what? In Budapest, we were sweating to death on days that were twenty degrees cooler. It's the humidity.Have I mentioned lately that I love the desert? I really missed Palm Springs. There's nothing like walking out into the palpable embrace of the summer warmth at lunchtime.What a great place to live. This area is sooooo special... |
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05/30/06Monaco's prince fathered PD teen?According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, Prince Albert II of Monaco is preparing to announce he's the father of a Palm Desert resident.The translated web page describes Jazmin Grace Rotolo, age 14, as "a girl ripe, sympathetic nerve and intelligent..."June updates: [1] Linda from Montpellier, France writes: Your translation of the article from Le Figaro is wrong. The girl is described as "mature, nice, and intelligent" not "a girl ripe, sympathetic nerve, and intelligent." Exactly, Linda. Why link to an automatic translator, if it doesn't have a sense of humor?! [2] For more fun, here's a translated version of the official announcement from a Grimaldi lawyer: "It goes without saying the dynastic question does not arise." I love French... |
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05/30/06Deserts of the world: PatagonianThe Patagonian Desert is situated between the Andes and the Atlantic Ocean in southern Argentina. It is made up of gravel plains and plateaus, covering approximately 260,000 square miles. This is a cold desert (average temperature of 44°F) and there is often frost. Before the Andes mountains were formed from the earth's crust, this area was covered in rainforest... which is why you can see petrified trees in the middle of the desert.[Image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC - click thumbnail photo for larger version.][more deserts] |
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05/30/06Bloggers = Journalists?The Sixth District Court of Appeals in California has ruled that online journalists and bloggers have the same right to protect their sources as newspaper journalists.In Apple v. Does, the court found that both print and web journalists are covered by the First Amendment, and rejected Apple's attempt to draw a distinction between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" news.R-E-S-P-E-C-TFind out what it means to meR-E-S-P-E-C-TTake care of TCB...—by Otis Redding, covered by 'retha |
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05/30/06How I spent my spring vacationWhen Anikó and I visit Budapest, it's mostly to spend time with her family. However, my adult stepkids, Anita and Jenc, always work hard to make sure we also see some interesting new sights: Last week, one of our stops was the New York Café, an early-20th-century literary hangout. Starting in the fifties, it was known as the Café Hungária, and then fell into disrepair for several years. The building recently underwent a painstaking restoration/renovation, and reopened in early May. A century ago, this amazing concoction of marble, bronze, silk and velvet became famous as the "most beautiful café in the world." In my opinion, they've recaptured that early grandeur in one fell swoop. On another day, we had lunch in the colorful town of Kecskemét (live webcam). Jenc and I... |
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05/30/06I'm baaaaaaaaack...It's safe to wear white now.Not because I'm back in the ol' blogsaddle.But because Memorial Day was yesterday.Or was it the day before?I might be just a tad jet-lagged.Our flight arrived at LAX from Heathrow last night.And no, it wasn't anything like Arlo's... unfortunately:Coming in from LondonFrom over the poleFlying in a big airlinerChickens flying everywhere around the planeCould we ever feel much finer?Coming into Los AngelesBringing in a couple of keysDon't touch my bags if you pleaseMister Customs Man [...] |
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05/26/06How I Blog"I blog, therefore I am." —what René Descartes (1596-1650) might've said if he'd lived to the age of 410 Did you end up on this page after clicking a link over at The Blog Herald ("more blog news more often")? If so, welcome! Please feel free to take a look around, make yourself comfortable, put up those tired feet. Not on the coffee table. On the ottoman. Mi casa es mi casa. ;-) If you want direct links to the material mentioned in that essay, we'll serve 'em up, steamin' hot: historical plaques, public artworks, celebrity gravesites, the country's first black/gay mayor, the leader of America's second-richest Indian tribe, the guys who stand on corners and twirl arrow-signs, UC blogging course, baiting the alpha bloggers. And if you'd like to experience TDQ's... |
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05/19/06Hasta la vista, bay-beeTonight, I'm jumping on one o' them newfangled flying machines to go visit my in-laws in Budapest for a week.Leavin' on a jet plane,Don't know when I'll be back again...[Did you realize that John Denver wrote this song, the biggest hit that Peter, Paul & Mary ever had?]Actually, I *do* know when I'll be back - so look for fresh postings on Tuesday, May 30! |
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05/19/06Deserts of the world: GobiThe Gobi (meaning "very large and dry" in Mongolian) Desert is a 500,000-square-mile region extending through northern China and southern Mongolia.In some parts of this desert, the sand dunes are in constant movement, traveling up to 150 feet per year.The Gobi is the source of some of the most incredible fossil finds in history, including the first dinosaur eggs.[Image by Junming - click thumbnail photo for larger version.][more deserts] |
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05/19/06Aux armes citoyens[Reference] It seems like we were fighting these same battles back when I started blogging, over ten years ago. Click the badges for more information: |
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05/19/06Armed Forces DayArmed Forces Day (AFD) is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May, which is tomorrow. Armed Forces Week begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May, the day after AFD.On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of AFD to replace the separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The unification of the Armed Forces under one department led to this single-day celebration. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate AFD. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly-announced day, but the Marine Corps League declined to stop supporting Marine Corps Day.Jarheads. Whatcha gonna do? |
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05/18/06Desert flora: rolling out the purple carpetYou see them on the sidewalk:And you see them on the grass:Then you look up:Yes, it's Purple Time in Palm Springs. Our many jacaranda trees have been blooming wildly during the past few weeks, and now they're beginning to spread soft, vivid flower carpets underneath their branches. Gorgeous.The jacaranda comes from South America, but it grows well in most sub-tropical regions. For example, Pretoria, South Africa calls itself The Jacaranda City because of the enormous number of trees planted beside streets, and in parks and gardens.There are lots of jacarandas near the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia. Due to the impressive display of purple flowers in mid-spring, which wind up covering vast sections of the area, local folklore claims that "you can't study for exams... |
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05/18/06Hot enough for ya?Moving into the Coachella (ko-CHELL-a) Valley is not like relocating to other places. If you arrive here in the fall, winter or spring, you might not receive the wholehearted welcome that you've come to expect from friendly neighbors in other climes. Out here, we'll want to see how you react to our summer, before we accept you as one of us.As the temperature begins to crank up during the month of May, you'll quickly notice a tacit agreement among most desert broadcasters: they avoid editorial comments about the blazing climate while on the air.For example, when a weatherman reports that today's high was a hundred and sixty-two degrees, you'd normally expect him to add something like: "Holy crap, what a scorcher!"Instead, he moves smoothly along—without skipping a beat—to... |
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05/18/06Whatchawannadothisweekend? (18May06)Tonight: don't forget Villagefest, 6-10pm... and the Palm Springs Art Museum offers free admission from 4-8pm. Such a deal!Friday: At 7pm, it's the world premiere of Thank You for the Flowers, a romantic comedy that won the 2005 Palm Springs International Playwriting Festival. Can one wear a tux-print teeshirt and huaraches to a world premiere?Saturday morning: The CoD Street Fair runs from 7am-2pm. I'm looking for a new pair of formal huaraches.Saturday afternoon: From 5-7pm, Dezart Studio holds an open forum poetry reading. "If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry." —Emily DickinsonSaturday evening: Catch the Palm Springs Smooth Jazz Festival at 6:15pm. Come to think of it, I've never been to a ROUGH jazz festival...Sunday: At... |
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05/18/06Deserts of the world: TaklamakanGeographers and ecologists prefer to regard the western area of the Gobi Desert region--the basin of the Tarim in Xinjiang and the desert basin of Lop Nor and Hami (Kumul)--as forming a separate and independent desert called the Taklamakan ("Place of No Return"), which covers 105,000 square miles of China.[Image of International Space Station over the Taklamakan courtesy of NASA - click thumbnail photo for larger version.][more deserts] |
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05/17/06Greetings from Locus Novus"Astound me!" [said Serge Diaghilev, to Jean Cocteau] The eMail below appeared in my Inbox this morning. It's always a red-letter day when Faruk posts new collaborations. Do yourself a favor - crank up your speakers, click the links, and prepare to be astounded... --- Original Message --- Just a quick message to let you know that the site has been updated with three new works: -- Another Person by Peter Clarke -- The Secret Historian of Red Herrings by Steve Finbow -- Znos by Joseph Zozaya Regards, Faruk Ulay :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: http://www.locusnovus.com A Synthesis of Text, Image, Motion and Sound :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
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05/17/06Pre-flight buzzSo... in preparation for my Friday-night voyage to Budapest, I've been getting excited, checking the local weather and news headlines, and poring over some maps (yep, that's the Green Danube - our apartment is on the east side of the river, in the IX kerület - 9th district). |
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05/17/06Deserts of the world: Kyzyl-KumThe Kyzyl-Kum ("Red Sand") Desert lies just to the east of the Kara-Kum ("Black Sand") desert. It covers about 115,000 square miles of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and lies between the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya Rivers, southeast of the Aral Sea.Precipitation reaches 4-8 inches annually, and occurs mainly in winter and spring. The area is primarily made up of sand ridges upon which desert plants grow.[Image courtesy of Dmitriy A. Pitirimov - click thumbnail photo for larger version.][more deserts] |
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05/17/06Mr. MayorMayor Ronald Oden [click thumbnail photo for larger image] recently took some time out of his busy schedule for this chat: In Norse mythology, Odin (spelled differently) was the King of Asgard, Father of the Gods, and the Lord of War, Death and Knowledge. Do you have anything in common with him? Well, it seems like I'm in battle a lot! War and...? ...Death and Knowledge. [Laughs.] I guess Death could be the traditional spiritual concept of "dying to self." And Knowledge... luckily, I have been blessed with a modicum of wisdom. Knowledge without wisdom can be very, very dangerous. And I think I gained some wisdom from my grandparents. You were the first openly gay African-American man directly elected as the mayor of an American city. You've said that some people will... |
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05/16/06Pushcart + Caine PrizeThree of my colleagues at Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope Virtual Studio have received amazing news during the past few days:On Saturday, blogger Kim Chinquee (who teaches creative writing at Central Michigan University) found out that she had won a coveted Pushcart Prize.Yesterday, the UK's Guardian announced that Muthoni Garland and blogger Laila Lalami have been shortlisted for the prestigious Caine Prize in African Writing, an award won in 2002 by another of our ZVS colleagues, Binyavanga Wainaina.Congratulations to all you wildly talented Zoetroupers! |
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05/16/06The Daily Show EffectFrom the Department Of Duh:According to a study published in the May issue of American Politics Research magazine, researchers conclude that "young Americans' political views are negatively impacted" by watching The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.The results showed that study participants "tended to rate both candidates more negatively when exposed to The Daily Show. In addition, their views of the political system as a whole were more cynical."It's nice to see the policy wonks have finally stumbled upon The Daily Show's raison d'être. But it cost my friend Sparky a bunch of money - he bet me they'd never figure it out.So you ride yourselves over the fieldsand you make all your animal dealsand your wise men don't know how it feelsto be thick as a brick.—Ian Anderson... |
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05/16/06Deserts of the world: Kara-KumThe Kara-Kum ("Black Sand") Desert occupies about 135,000 square miles of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It is separated from the Kyzyl-Kum Desert by the Amu Darya River.The Murghab and Tejen rivers flow out of the Hindu Kush Mountains to the south and empty into the desert, providing water for irrigation.This desert is crossed by the largest irrigation canal in the world, the Qaraqum Canal.It's also crossed by the Trans-Caspian railway, which follows the path of the Silk Road through much of west-central Asia.[Image courtesy of NASA - click thumbnail photo for larger version.][more deserts] |
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05/15/06Did Lyman Gilmore beat the Wright brothers?Lyman Wiswell Gilmore, Jr. built a steam-powered airplane in Grass Valley (near Sacramento, CA) and claimed that he flew it on this date in 1902, nineteen months before the Wright's flight at Kitty Hawk. Lyman was an eccentric man who avoided bathing, shaving and cutting his hair. He believed that if he did so, it would diminish his strength and vitality. People who remember him say that he stank to high heaven. He wore a trench coat, even in the middle of summer, which contained all of his papers. At one point, he was forcefully deprived of the coat for a delousing, and it was later burned, along with all the records he carried in it. Any proof that Lyman beat Wilbur and Orville Wright was lost with the smelly coat. |
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05/15/06Dinah Shore Lesbians v. Mayor OdenLet's see... Did I read about this hot-button topic in The Desert Sun or The Desert Pun? I just can't seem to keep these things straight. |
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05/15/06Deserts of the world: TharThe Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is located in western India and southeastern Pakistan. In Pakistan's Punjab province it is known as the Cholistan Desert. It covers approximately 175,000 square miles, depending on which areas are included.4,000 to 5,000 years ago, this area supported what is considered to be one of the world's oldest civilizations, the Mohenjo Daro and Harappa.All rainfall is associated with the short July-September southwest monsoon that brings less than 10 inches of precipitation.Within the desert itself, there are eleven protected areas that cover nearly 17,000 square miles, the largest (at 4,068 square miles) is the Rann of Kutch.[Image courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team - click thumbnail photo for... |
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05/12/06Deserts of the world: IranianThe Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert) in north-central Iran is about 500 miles long and 200 miles wide wide. Named after the kavirs (salt marshes) located there, its nearly rainless climate with high surface evaporation has created a crust of salt over the marsh and mud lands. The kavirs act like quicksand, so travel in this desert is extremely dangerous. It is almost uninhabited and only partly explored. [Image courtesy of USGS EROS Data Center - click thumbnail photo for larger version.] Extending south from the Dasht-e Kavir is the Dasht-e Lut, a sand and stone desert, 300 miles long and 200 miles wide. It consists of dried-out kavirs and contains a large salt marsh. These desert areas occupy most of the central Iranian plateau. [more deserts] |
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05/12/0628 years ago today...the Commerce Department said hurricane names would stop being just female.For several hundred years, many hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. Examples: Hurricane Santa Ana (26 July 1825) and Hurricane San Felipe (the first, 13 Sept. 1876; the second, 13 Sept. 1928).Before the end of the 19th century, Australian meteorologist Clement Wragge began giving women's names to tropical storms.In 1953, the United States abandoned a plan to name storms by a phonetic alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie) when a new international phonetic alphabet was introduced. That year, America's weather services began using female names for storms.But the practice of naming hurricanes solely after women came to an end on May 12, 1978, when... |
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05/12/06Mother's Day...is the day after tomorrow. In 1907, Philadelphia resident Anna Jarvis began campaigning to establish a national Mother's Day. She persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the second Sunday of May. By 1911, Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state, thanks to Ms. Jarvis. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the official announcement proclaiming the second Sunday of May as a national holiday: Mother's Day.In Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, South Africa and Spain, Mothers' Day takes place on the first Sunday in May, so I wished Anyuka (my wife's mother) Happy Mother's Day last week! |
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05/11/06Deserts of the world: ArabianThe Arabian Desert is an extreme environment, featuring everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand.This vast wilderness (1 million square miles) occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula, stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq.Much of its area consists of gravel plains and rocky highlands, but ¼ is the Rub al-Khali ("Empty Quarter"), the world's largest unbroken expanse of sand.[more deserts] |
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05/11/06Whatchawannadothisweekend? (11May06)Today: Bonnie Adkins, public information specialist for the BLM, presents There's a Monument in your Backyard, starting at 10am. Why do we have a monument in our backyard? Because getting somebody to cart it away would be MUCH too expensive.Friday: At 7pm, the Old Schoolhouse Lecture Series presents "Ice Age Extinctions" with Eric Scott, paleontologist. Cool. A real-life version of Ross Geller...Saturday morning: Palm Desert Public Art Tours are conducted on the second Saturday of the month through June 10. Meet your docent at 10am sharp, near the Palm Desert Public Library entrance. Afterwards, you can work on your swing at the driving range right next door.Saturday evening: Caballeros, The Gay Men's Chorus of Palm Springs with special guest Tango Naçional Argentina present... |
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05/11/06UFO@Integratron: Giant RockSo I left the Retro UFO Space Convention to drive through several miles of sandy dirt roads, hoping to find the Giant Rock under which George Van Tassel had lived, before he was instructed by space aliens to build the Integratron. On the way, I passed an encampment of rowdy-looking dirt bikers and ATV enthusiasts. The rock itself (supposedly the largest single boulder in the world) lived up to its name - compare it to those trucks on the right:But it's difficult to really appreciate the rock's looming emotional impact from these photos. I thought I'd try for a different angle, by climbing up the rocky hill next to it (note the guy standing in its shadow):After putting the lens cap on my camera, I noticed a weird-looking pink snake slithering nearby and figured it was time to get the... |
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05/10/06Deserts of the world: NamibThe parched Namib Desert (less than 0.4 inches of rain annually) is home to the highest sand dunes in the world, blown into razor-sharp ridges by the wind. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.]Namib means "enormous" in the Nama language: this desert stretches 1,200 miles along the Atlantic coast of Namibia, extending into Angola and South Africa. It is considered to be the oldest desert in the world, having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for at least 80 million years.[more deserts] |
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05/10/06Let the sweating beginUnmistakable Harbinger of Summer: the mist-cooling systems have been activated on the patios of many local eateries. If you're from a northern climate—like me—you look at these outdoor nozzles, spewing forth huge white clouds of what looks like steam, and wonder: "Why is this restaurant parboiling its customers? Is it some sort of desert fetish behavior that wasn't mentioned in the guidebooks?" |
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05/10/06UFO@Integratron: Orion StarseedYou're bound to meet some interesting people at a Retro UFO Space Convention. Sure enough... [click thumbnail photo to enlarge] What's your name? Okay, my name is Michael, my last name's Barr. I go by "Orion Starseed." That is basically my heritage. When did you have your first encounter? In 1978, at the Ontario Airport, of all places, in the middle of the day. In the middle of the day? Yes! We had come up for my grandfather's funeral in Redlands, and we had taken my sister to the airport to fly back to Las Vegas. We were standing outside, waiting for her plane to taxi and take off. Out of nowhere, this huge silver disk, about a hundred feet in diameter, just kind of floated down over the runway. For about fifteen seconds, it bobbed up and down, without making a sound.... |
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05/09/06Deserts of the world: KalahariThe Kalahari Desert is a large arid-to-semi-arid sandy area in southern Africa extending over 220,000 square miles and covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. Ancient dry riverbeds traverse the northern reaches of the Kalahari and provide standing pools of water during the rainy season. Previously havens for elephants, giraffes, lions and cheetahs, the riverbeds are now mostly grazing spots, though cheetahs can still be found. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.]Derived from the Tswana word "Kgalagadi" ("the great thirst"), the Kalahari has vast areas covered by red-brown sands without any permanent surface water. However, the Kalahari is not a true desert. Some regions receive over 10 inches of rainfall annually and are quite well vegetated.... |
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05/09/06UFO@Integratron: InsideThe Retro UFO Space Convention offered tours inside the Integratron, so I signed up, of course. That was a must-see. On the ground floor, they showed us a grainy video presentation which explained these wires wrapped around the underside of the second-floor support beams. Unfortunately, your intrepid reporter was not paying attention. He was too busy watching his aura shrink into the white dot that appears in the upper-right corner of this photo:Afterwards, there was a Q&A with a guy who claimed to be George Van Tassel, the Integratron builder who supposedly entered another dimension (i.e., died) in 1978. This guy said he was just visiting from the other dimension. I couldn't get a picture of him, and had to settle for this image of the no-expense-spared special effects (blinking... |
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05/09/062006 Webby winnersThe Webby Award winners were announced this morning by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The NetArt category was won by the PostSecret blog, Business Blog - 5 Blogs Before Lunch, Culture/Personal Blog - we make money not art, Political Blog - The Huffington Post and Copy/Writing - NewYorker.com. |
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05/08/06The Lost BlogsToday is the official publication date for a book entitled The Lost Blogs: From Jesus to Jim Morrison--The Historically Inaccurate and Totally Fictitious Cyber Diaries of Everyone Worth Knowing.The book has a website. Quite predictable, really.The author, Paul Davidson, also has a blog. You'd expect nothing less.Actually, Paul has a second blog, too. A blog that can be added to one's Amazon Plog, whatever THAT is.Okay, now I'm getting really confused... |
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05/08/06UFO@Integratron: ScrapbookCalling this gathering a Retro UFO Space Convention was a very clever idea. By positioning it as a nostalgia event, they allowed everyone to remain one step removed from the actual concept of a hard-core UFO convention: "Oh, I'm just here to see how these things used to operate back in the Fifties. I'm not really a UFO nut."Here's a scrapbook of random impressions - starting with Kiriel, playing her didgeridoo in front of the Integratron:A small observatory stands a short distance off in the desert:I guess this sign is supposed to orient new visitors to our solar system:I'm not sure how a car bedecked with tiny mirror squares could fit into the festivities, but what the heck:Even the trash cans were a bit spacey:[more UFO@Integratron] |
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05/08/06Deserts of the world: SaharaThe world's largest nonpolar desert (3.5 million square miles, almost as large as the U.S.) gets its name from the Arabic word meaning, oddly enough, "desert." It extends through Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. The Sahara divides the continent of Africa into North and Sub-Saharan Africa. The southern boundary of this desert is marked by a band of semiarid savanna called the Sahel; south of the Sahel lies the Congo River Basin.Contrary to popular belief, the Sahara is only 30% sand. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.]2.5 million people live here. The largest city is Cairo, in the Nile Valley of Egypt. Timbuktu, a World Heritage site, also lies in the Sahara.[more deserts] |
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05/07/06How Anndee got her starAnndee Laskoe [click thumbnail photos to enlarge], who received the 272nd star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars at 3pm today, coanchors the 5 and 6pm television news broadcasts at CBS 2. Last year, she was coanchoring the 5, 6 and 11pm newcasts at Channel 3... but then something happened: You've had a stressful year. [Laughs.] I don't know if stressful is the way I view it. There were definitely a lot of changes. Some I took in stride. Some were thrown at me. But I have to tell you I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I was happy where I was, but I'm so much happier where I am now. If I'm reading the situation correctly, you chose your infant child over your career. Absolutely. It seems like a woman in your position, someone who has your looks, your youth,... Posted at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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05/05/06Deserts of the world: ChihuahuanAt 200,000 square miles, the Chihuahuan Desert is the largest in North America. It covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, but mostly lies south of the Mexican border. Elevations range from 1,000 to 5,000 feet, with the vast majority of its land area above 3,500 feet.Winter temperatures are cool, but summer temperatures are extremely hot. Generally, the land receives less than 10 inches of annual rainfall, with most precipitation occurring in the summer months.Like the Great Basin, this is a shrub desert. Tarbrush, creosote, mesquite, grasses, yuccas, agaves, prickly pears and ocotillos predominate. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] |
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05/05/06Recipe: Mint Julep4 mint sprigs3 ounces bourbon2 teaspoons water1 teaspoon powdered sugar· Muddle the mint leaves, water and powdered sugar in a tall glass.· Fill with crushed ice, then add bourbon.· Top off with more ice, add a mint sprig for garnish, and serve with a straw.[Post time for the 132nd Kentucky Derby is 6:04pm EDT, tomorrow.] |
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05/05/06Boldog Anyák napját![Translation: Happy Mother's Day!] This Sunday is Mother's Day in Magyarország (Hungary celebrates the holiday one week earlier than America), and my Hungarian wife is visiting her family in Budapest. I'll join them for a week later this month, but I thought it might be fun to send my greetings to Erzsébet—the sweetest mother-in-law a guy could could ever hope for—through the Internet now: "Sok-sok puszi, Anyuka!" [Many, many kisses, Mom!] |
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05/05/06TitanicThere are many stories related to the sinking of the Titanic, and some have only recently come to light, due to the overwhelming success of Cameron's film. For example, most people are unaware that back in 1912, Hellmann's (Best Foods) Mayonnaise was manufactured in England, and the Titanic was carrying 15,000 cases of this condiment. The shipment was scheduled for delivery in Veracruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ocean liner, after leaving New York City. The Mexican people, eagerly awaiting delivery, were disconsolate at the loss - so much so that they declared a national day of mourning which is still observed today. It's known, of course, as... ...Sinko de Mayo. [I heartily apologize to the great country of Mexico, and to any Mexican citizens who... |
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05/04/06UFO@Integratron: Synapse Activation Chair(After seeing this convention exhibit, I experienced some intense flashbacks from my last spin in a Spiro Gyro Orbitron.) The yellow sign reads: New psychic abilities may be activated and existing ones amplified after sitting in this chair for just a short time. Many have reported that time has "stopped" (and also their watches) upon passing through the chair entrance. The brilliant scientist who made this chair passed away recently.Aren't those Jetson gals cute?![Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more UFO@Integratron] |
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05/04/06Whatchawannadothisweekend? (4May06)Tonight: From 5-9pm, it's the El Paseo Art Walk. I love to walk in a very artistic way. I imagine John Cleese does, too.Friday: At 7pm, the Joslyn Players present An Evening with Groucho, a two-act comedy that consists of the best Groucho Marx one-liners, anecdotes and songs. Tonight's secret word is cigar.Saturday morning: Birds of Joshua Tree National Park starts its second session at 7:30am. They hope to see an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Black-headed Grosbeak, and an Ash-throated Flycatcher. But I'd be just as happy to find a Purple-striped Seersucker.Saturday afternoon: Elvis Honeymoon Weekend is the annual celebration at the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway, featuring tours of the house from 9am-2:30pm and a poolside concert at 4pm. Ya gotta wonder if The King would be happy about what's... |
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05/04/06Deserts of the world: Colorado PlateauThe Colorado Plateau is centered in northeastern Arizona, near the adjacent Four Corners region of New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and extending into Wyoming. Its 130,000 square miles are sometimes included in the Great Basin Desert, sometimes considered a separate desert (the Navajoan, or "Painted" Desert) and sometimes not considered a true desert at all.The Plateau contains juniper and pinyon trees, but also includes large barren areas, with spectacularly colorful geological formations: mesas (broad, flat-topped steep hills), buttes (narrow, flat-topped steep hills) and water-carved sedimentary rock, including the Grand Canyon. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] |
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05/03/06UFO@Integratron: BoothsIn every succeeding generation, it seems like the same types of people are drawn to these memes: UFOs, the Occult and "New Age." Now that we've come back around to "Retro UFO," will the next cycle keep rolling into "Retro Occult" and "Retro New Age"? These convention booths tended to support this progression, starting with Reverend Bob:Something told me there were fortunes to be told inside this tent......maybe with an invisible fortune teller. Cool."What Color is your Aura & Chakras?" An age-old question asked by the Aura Video Station:I must confess that the Colour Sound Tubes looked like oversized wind chimes to me:And the performance stage appeared to be the love child of a pyramid and a geodesic dome:[more UFO@Integratron] |
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05/03/06Deserts of the world: Great BasinThe Great Basin Desert is the largest in America, covering about 190,000 square miles between the Sierra Nevadas and the Rockies. It's a "cold desert," due to its relatively northern latitude and high elevations (usually 4,000 to 6,500 feet). Precipitation generally measures 7-12 inches annually, and often falls as snow in the winter.It has only occasional yuccas and very few cacti. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] |
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05/03/06Chairman MilanovichRichard M. Milanovich [click thumbnail photo to enlarge] has been the Tribal Council Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians since 1984. I was really looking forward to meeting him, but the experience didn't turn out to be quite what I had expected. He showed me, among other things, how much he loves to bring out the humor in everyday life. Before our conversation began, he closed the office door. Unbeknownst to me, the doorknob was locked. After a few seconds, Nancy Conrad, the tribe's Public Relations Manager, knocked and tried to open the door. [click to hear what happened] Do you act differently here at the office, or during your official duties, than you do around your family? How do you change when you get home? [long, pensive silence] What a lovely question!... |
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05/02/06Deserts of the world: MojaveBetween the hot Sonoran Desert and the cooler, higher Great Basin is the Mojave Desert. If you drive up Route 62 from Desert Hot Springs to Morongo Valley, you'll be in the Mojave at the top of the hill. This arid region occupies more than 25,000 square miles in southeastern California and portions of Nevada, Arizona and Utah.The Mojave's climate has extreme variations in daily temperature and an average annual precipitation (almost all of which arrives during the winter) of less than 5 inches. Freezing temperatures occur in winter, while summers are hot and windy.The Joshua Tree yucca plant (immortalized by U2) occurs only in this desert. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] |
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05/02/06Blogosphere: wassup? (II)State of the Blogosphere, part 2: · English isn't the biggest language of the blogosphere. · Japanese bloggers appear to write shorter posts more often. · Male Italian bloggers are a lot more popular with women. (Okay, I made up that last one.) |
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05/02/06UFO@Integratron: Plaque/MediaThis plaque reads: The Integratron is the creation of George Van Tassel, and is based on the design of Moses' Tabernacle, the writings of Nikola Tesla, and telepathic directions from extraterrestrials. The domed structure 35 feet high [sic] and 55 feet in diameter, was originally constructed of wood and fiberglass without the aid of metal fastners [sic]. In 1947 Van Tassel began operating the Giant Rock airport a short distance northeast of here, and in 1953 initiated communications with extra terrestrials [sic]. He subsequently hosted 17 spacecraft conventions for UFO enthusiasts. The purpose of the Integratron is the rejuvenation of the human body, similar to recharging a battery, and basic research in time travel. According to Van Tassel, the Integratron is located on the... |
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05/01/06UFO@Integratron: LandersWhen you think about it, our vast open spaces here in the southwest are the last frontiers for real Desert Rats, people who like to escape from "civilized society" so they can be just as weird as they wanna be. That's why it makes perfect sense to hold a Retro UFO Space Convention at the Integratron. Landers, California (epicenter of 1992's 7.3 quake) is only 44 miles from downtown Palm Springs, but it's several galaxies away from our Starbucks-and-manicured-ocotillos-on-every-corner lifestyle. You just keep driving north on Route 247 out of Yucca Valley until the side streets off Old Woman Springs Road turn into dusty dirt trails. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.] As you enter the Mojave Desert's desiccated heart, the street signs become hand-lettered, with names that... |
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05/01/06Celebrity encounter: Jack NicklausGolf legend Jack Nicklaus gave a clinic for invited guests when he opened a new course this morning. I wrote down some quotes, below.Upon noticing the scruffy beard and earring worn by his caddy: "You can rebel when you're young, but when you grow up, you've got to fit in." [Click photo to enlarge.]On the squeaking noise made by his artificial hip: "Can you hear that? I think it needs some BVD-40."On inserting the tee only to a shallow depth: "I like the driver to make contact WAY above the ground. I figure the resistance of air is a lot less than dirt."[more encounters] |
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05/01/06BeltaneLast night was Beltane, a celebration symbolizing the return of vitality, passion and hopes consummated. If you weren't able to assemble a last-minute group of folks to celebrate in the traditional manner (rutting in oak groves was customary), don't worry... there's always next year. <wink> |
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05/01/06Deserts of the world: SonoranPalm Springs is tucked into the northwest corner of the Sonoran Desert, an arid region covering 120,000 square miles in southeastern California, southwestern Arizona and portions of Mexico (extending across the western half of Sonora and throughout most of Baja California). The Colorado and Yuma deserts are subdivisions of this hot, dry area.It boasts the highest average temperature of all the North American deserts, but irrigation has produced many fertile agricultural areas, including our own Coachella Valley. [Click thumbnail photo to enlarge.][more deserts] |
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05/01/06Five canyons, no waiting: take a hike!The Indian Canyons (Palm, Murray [click thumbnail photo to enlarge], Andreas, and the previously-mentioned Tahquitz) are tribal lands, operated as public parks by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.The tribe's fifth canyon (Chino) is visible from the aerial tram on the north side of Palm Springs.Andreas Canyon is proably the most accessible and easiest to negotiate. If you've never experienced these beautiful wilderness areas, just a short distance from downtown PS, it's high time to get off that couch and take a hike!To identify other hiking areas, get an overview here, or maybe you'll want to hike with a well-established club, like Desert Trails or CV. |