New Polo Frontier

Polo is becoming popular in China. What could be more indicative of the rise of capitalism in China than this kind of sentiment:

"For a certain type of person, who has bought the big house, the fast cars, the designer labels, who has the mistresses, there is a point when you think, what else can I spend my money on?"

There must be a Marco Polo joke in here somewhere.

Web Site Story

For geeky fans of musicals.

Homeless Physicist Skaters

Surely on its way to the weird news columns worldwide, this breaking verdict from a South San Francisco courtroom:

A homeless man was acquitted of charges that he smacked a fellow transient in the face with a skateboard as the victim was engaged in a conversation about quantum physics in South San Francisco

My advice: Stick to the safe subjects, like religion and politics.

Shaky Theories

Living in California, it's strange to have to read the NYTimes to learn about a geothermal project up north of San Francisco that has the distinct possibility of unleashing earthquakes. At first I thought this was just going to be another amateur scientist alarm fest, like how CERN was going to produce a black hole that would consume the earth. But, it seems not. A geothermal project in Basel, Switzerland, using exactly the same technique of drilling miles deep below the bedrock, unleashed earthquakes on the town only two months before the environmental review on this project.

By the time people were getting off work amid rain squalls in Basel on Dec. 8, 2006, Mr. Häring’s problems had already begun. His incision into the ground was setting off small earthquakes that people were starting to feel around the city.

Mr. Häring knew that by its very nature, the technique created earthquakes because it requires injecting water at great pressure down drilled holes to fracture the deep bedrock. The opening of each fracture is, literally, a tiny earthquake in which subterranean stresses rip apart a weak vein, crack or fault in the rock. The high-pressure water can be thought of loosely as a lubricant that makes it easier for those forces to slide the earth along the weak points, creating a web or network of fractures.

Mr. Häring planned to use that network as the ultimate teapot, circulating water through the fractures and hoping it emerged as steam. But what surprised him that afternoon was the intensity of the quakes because advocates of the method believe they can pull off a delicate balancing act, tearing the rock without creating larger earthquakes.

Alarmed, Mr. Häring and other company officials decided to release all pressure in the well to try to halt the fracturing. But as they stood a few miles from the drill site, giving the orders by speakerphone to workers atop the hole, a much bigger jolt shook the room.

“I think that was us,” said one stunned official.

Perhaps surprisingly, there isn't even any dispute about the cause. Because it happened so close to the review of this project, there really wasn't time to take it into account. But, it would seem like a good time to do so now, wouldn't it?

Annals of Strange Hobbies

It's good to have a dream.

Thirty-four years ago, the Rohnert Park resident began gluing the tiny sticks together to form abstract structures. Then he started rolling pingpong balls around them. Soon he built a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, then Lombard Street.

Three thousand hours and 100,000 toothpicks later, Weaver's whim has spiraled into a massive piece-de-resistance that includes every major landmark of the city that inspired it - and then some.

"I always had a dream that I would build the world's largest toothpick sculpture," Weaver says as he climbs a step ladder and plunks a ball into Coit Tower. "It's not, but none of them have a pingpong ball that rolls through it."

I am thinking: People would probably pay money to see the world's largest ball of twine crush this thing.

More Than Just "Rail Meat"

In our quest for social involvement around here (make that my social involvement), Mike & I joined the NERYC across the river from us. We know enough people to have attended enough events that we could no longer feel comfortable hanging out without joining. Mike's favorite thing is he can wear jeans and the burgers are good. Personally, I'm excited about sailboat racing.

It turns out I've watched the regattas there for years while working in my garden. When we joined we were told the boats are always looking for crew. Races run on Saturday in Spring & Fall. There's a J-Boat that without fail comes in first by 20-30-40 minutes each time. There's not much competition for him but he gets out there and whips everyone just for the record I guess.

I managed to crew for 2 separate boats (Catalina 34 & Pearson 31) before the end of spring season. Both came in 2nd to the J-Boat when I was aboard, that's the equivalent of winning. Though I'm certain I had nothing to do with the wins, I've been credited with the glory and have moved up a notch about the "Rail Meat" into the, "Hey, she really can sail," category.

Sailboat racing is kind of like the Tour de France when you learn something about it. Who knew there were so many tactical things happening out there? It looks so beautiful you don't realize all that "Strategery" is going on behind the sceens, expecially at that starting line.

For the record, Mike's working when all this happens but he's been enjoying the post-race burgers & beer. We're both looking forward to Fall series now.

Girdletree to Bra Shift...

I had lunch in Annapolis with a friend today and afterward, I drove the longer, more scenic route; over the Bay Bridge up 301 through Chestertown, then Galena, Chesapeake City and home.

Though I didn't make it all the way to Chincoteague, here are a couple of quick updates for those who remember our annual pilgramages aboard the USS Smokes A Lot Where we never wore seatbelts, and sat in the back of the stationwagon hanging out the window spitting at 55 mph or more and watching it roll (thanks for that one Keith). And always trying to hold out another mile before I called out, "Dad, could you please pull over?" Remember seeing the little burg of Girdletree on the map and Dad would always sing out, "Girldetree to Bra Shift." AJ & I would giggle every time. Heck - I still giggle.

Kent Narrows used to be a sleeply little marsh town with a bridge just east of the Bay Bridge... Well, that sleepy town is Graysonville/Centerville/Kent Narrows and several others all together. It's now home to many a millionaire, endless townhouses, LOTS of ocean racers and the annual testosterone laden event "Thunder on the Narrows."

We ALWAYS left for vacation at O-Dark-Thirty. Mom & Dad always made us wait until we got over the bridge to get breakfast and every year we ate at Holly's Restaurant. I was just there this winter and it was still Holly's. I'm sorry to report but today it's now "Mr B's."

Awwww... ;o( I wonder if Reeds Cottages are still there?

The Missing Picture

We didn't take any pictures, but Dara scanned this oldie but goodie of Kyla from 1988. Note the carefully braided mane and white hooves. Dara shared this with the cool kidz on Facebook, but I thought maybe the Facebook impaired blogging set would enjoy it.

Picture-less Visit

I usually have a picture or two to commemorate a visit, but Kyla managed to make it in and out of town without a single one. Still, we had a very nice visit. She and Dara managed to make it to Berkeley one day and get in a mother-daughter pedicure. On Friday night we went to see Spamalot in the city. It was good, but the highlight for the evening was a terrific dinner with both of our terrific kids.

Guarding the Coast Gets Harder

Mom and her coastie friends now have to keep an eye out for drug running submarines.

Now U.S. law enforcement officials say that more than a third of the cocaine smuggled into the United States from Colombia travels in submersibles.

An experimental oddity just two years ago, these strange semi-submarines are the cutting edge of drug trafficking today. They ferry hundreds of tons of cocaine for powerful Mexican cartels that are taking over the Pacific Ocean route for most northbound shipments, according to the Colombian navy.

That's not going to make things any easier.

Garrett's new fashion statement

A Fagus for Father / The NE Garden Tour

About 8 months ago we agreed to let our home and gardens be on the NE Garden Tour. It's a local fund raiser and we figured we'd would have the place up to snuff by then anyway... That was BEFORE I ripped up my rotator cuff body surfing in Aruba like I was 12 years old. I still managed to do quite a bit of yard work around here, but Mike - Bless his heart - spread 18 yards of mulch for me. I think in total there were over 100 people that gawked at the gardens throughout the day. Fortunately, we didn't hang around to see them all.

Since Steve & Dara always blog the LOVELY Iris photos, I thought I'd include some photos of our gardens in their prime. Fortunately, we have so much to look at, including the river, that it distracts all but the most discerning gardner from the weeds I'm certain I missed. I don't know how to make them show up on the side so here's the link to my Picasa Album.

So - about that Fagus... After Dad died, Mike's brothers & sisters sent me a gift certificate to a local nursury to plant a tree in Dad's honor. Late last month Mike & I went to Kroh's nursery and stumbled upon this little European Fern Leaf Beech . When I came around the corner of that aisle, it was like sunbeams were shining down right on this one little tree.

The son of the owner, Mark Kroh was thrilled with my choice. He had to carefully lift it... prepped it for a week... pruned it so wouldn't go into shock... Then we came to get it. Mr. Kroh was there when we came to pick it up. He said, "You found that here? You're lucky I didn't see it first. That's a beauty!" Michael Dirr - the King of all things woody says of the Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia' , " There's no finer speciman tree; so beautiful it overwhelms at first sight." I think our little 6 footer's going to grow into a true 60-100 foot stately beauty. With all those nice things said, the irony of us planting a Fagus in Dad's honor would not have escaped him.

Great Moments in Predictions

I see that the musical Billy Elliot cleaned up at the Tony Awards. Thanks to Dara's foresight, we saw it at the West End in London when we were there two years ago, and I blogged about it at the time. My prophetic words:

It was very good, but I suspect it won't translate well to American tastes

Right on the money with that one!

Healthcare Reform for Beginners

Is it crossing the boundaries of the no-politics zone to point to a blog that explains the options likely to be weighed in the upcoming healthcare reform legislation? Maybe, but read it anyway so as the become better informed on the topic. If you pass the beginner level and are up for the advanced debating class in new media land, check out the blog of our new OMB director.

I love my job

This past weekend I got to attend my first family update for work. Family updates are where various government officials travel to different regions of the country to speak to people who lost a family member in WWII, Korea, Vietnam or the Cold War. They're put on by the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (aka the DPMO). The government officials who attend the briefings include people who work on archives and research, a few people from AFDIL, the head of JPAC/CIL (the anthropologists and archeologists who go out in the field), and various casualty officers from the different services who are the people who deal with the individual families and cases. During the updates someone from each of the major branches (Archives and Research, AFDIL and JPAC) speaks on what the role their organization plays in the search, recovery and identification process. For each update AFDIL sends our Deputy Director (Mr. Canik) and a few of the scientists to collect reference samples from the family members, and this past weekend it was my turn to go!
Mr. Canik, my friends and coworkers Kristina and Megan, and myself all boarded a plane in DC early Friday morning to set off on our adventure. We arrived in Richland, WA around 12:30 and after we got to our hotel Mr. Canik sent us girls off to find something for us all to do while he had a bite to eat. As my dad can tell you, there just isn't a whole lot to do in Richland (it's in the South-West corner of the state for geographical reference), but we did read something about a dam nearby and decided that was our best bet. Turned out that was a good choice. The McNary Dam is situated on the Columbia River which is the border of Oregon and Washington, and about a half hour south of Richland. The drive down gave us a good look at the high plains and topography. At the dam itself we got to read about Lewis and Clark's adventures down the Columbia River, check out the salmon swimming up the dam's fish ladder and learn all about the fish sorting center they have there. Totally dorky and we all loved it. For our drive back we took a different route and drove up the Columbia River which was just amazing.
Saturday was the update which took up most of our day. We got to see a little bit of the presentations, but mostly sat at our table and swabbed the insides of people's cheeks (though we did get our pictures taken and a news story written about AFDIL). High excitement for the full-time lab rats. After the update was over (and we got stuck between floors in an elevator briefly), we got to hang out with the casualty officers and people from the DPMO who told us all kinds of crazy stories about the families they deal with and the regular crank calls they get from people in mental institutions. All in all it was incredibly fascinating and really wonderful to see the role we play in these people's lives, and has given me a new appreciation for what we do at AFDIL.