tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35642420159903974672024-03-15T18:11:00.152-07:00Cultivating OutrageAre you angry yet? I'm doing all I can....Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.comBlogger372125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-36148812922204006292024-03-01T20:02:00.000-08:002024-03-01T20:03:39.948-08:00Autographs — Justin Torres<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSAcpU1I7q4tCXvAsqD8QeU9If7rTVbEDZ8PA3sLGJWRwCI0-MOdeUrBVELW3n0OoEu9lfgE3l3I-jSQCweQPs1cRj7otl_i7Ghd7I8dHrJMXrqVzvEfzrQWTmZA_4KscbIhiuvSFTgS69NP6IynG5A2N48W8ZogWeVDvYupjGe2rhqryrLpjqnOlglA/s929/Torres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="929" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSAcpU1I7q4tCXvAsqD8QeU9If7rTVbEDZ8PA3sLGJWRwCI0-MOdeUrBVELW3n0OoEu9lfgE3l3I-jSQCweQPs1cRj7otl_i7Ghd7I8dHrJMXrqVzvEfzrQWTmZA_4KscbIhiuvSFTgS69NP6IynG5A2N48W8ZogWeVDvYupjGe2rhqryrLpjqnOlglA/s320/Torres.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Justin Torres spoke at Occidental this evening. I haven't read the book yet, but given the subject matter and the appearance of many of the pages (see below), I'm surprised and impressed that it won the <a href="https://www.nationalbook.org/books/blackouts/">2023 National Book Award for Fiction</a>. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsKtlk9xTKRH0fbaThBoJSZSs6SpOxx0zrMmvpdIlgUa9KzInIYQzhLamB_waRaRLY5NcpplEXvYba4Q1AnLk7Ojl0gPbHyqXv9yEo2l34Vr_m6Mt1t9SbxdYp0Tak1zdYhkNXNZs8hFRD6m1TwNNOBNUHWV_8vCq4R8BfpDcD4tdUHEbP77kWXDcqGo/s1889/PXL_20240302_035648683.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="1889" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsKtlk9xTKRH0fbaThBoJSZSs6SpOxx0zrMmvpdIlgUa9KzInIYQzhLamB_waRaRLY5NcpplEXvYba4Q1AnLk7Ojl0gPbHyqXv9yEo2l34Vr_m6Mt1t9SbxdYp0Tak1zdYhkNXNZs8hFRD6m1TwNNOBNUHWV_8vCq4R8BfpDcD4tdUHEbP77kWXDcqGo/s320/PXL_20240302_035648683.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>(</span><a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/03/index-to-autographs.html">Index to autographs</a><span>)</span><span> </span></span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-63174117986993184942024-02-26T07:57:00.000-08:002024-02-26T08:19:38.373-08:00Mérida — Jan/Feb 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS1dXkuYHAvlzCQP99592sr3b4qKEVVtUoMGS6oVwiMVL7UKIm4e75zIISdrPAXydPOYwCy09Ylk0DYz3DPnn1a7djYnj5Dnkfw4NE3eQtzhp9Q_sqgHF2q0c6RqFoek42OOEZKUWkoBddQlJSjPDOaW1HsmkZSzQzqgWqq1exyog_MCXHBFASEitAi0/s3106/IMG_20240202_123641.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3106" data-original-width="2886" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS1dXkuYHAvlzCQP99592sr3b4qKEVVtUoMGS6oVwiMVL7UKIm4e75zIISdrPAXydPOYwCy09Ylk0DYz3DPnn1a7djYnj5Dnkfw4NE3eQtzhp9Q_sqgHF2q0c6RqFoek42OOEZKUWkoBddQlJSjPDOaW1HsmkZSzQzqgWqq1exyog_MCXHBFASEitAi0/s320/IMG_20240202_123641.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Victor with his mother</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbj1ERU7kov_OviGPX7KyjOPLjhHZYgUy6KD3cG0sFLOtMwBsdnIR7hSwbhD4ogUi7fpF8Fblbbs2tg8GYFmN-BIQv15nAWL35JWOoqJmGJcsXwBX_VSHGWqAxwZ3HV1f2HwPSqrtMi-uS0Yk2DvSGA2tlLpoOi892JK2wVZ0efUUhOdON_lu8CY47zQ/s2280/PXL_20240202_183526440.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2280" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbj1ERU7kov_OviGPX7KyjOPLjhHZYgUy6KD3cG0sFLOtMwBsdnIR7hSwbhD4ogUi7fpF8Fblbbs2tg8GYFmN-BIQv15nAWL35JWOoqJmGJcsXwBX_VSHGWqAxwZ3HV1f2HwPSqrtMi-uS0Yk2DvSGA2tlLpoOi892JK2wVZ0efUUhOdON_lu8CY47zQ/s320/PXL_20240202_183526440.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Queso Relleno Yucateco made by Victor's sister</div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>We go to Mérida so often that I </span>don't usually blog about it, but here are a few photos from our recent visit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>One of the highlights was <a href="https://yucatantoday.com/en/parque-de-la-plancha-meridas-central-park/">Parque De La Plancha</a>, </span>opened in November 2023, built at a what used to be a railway station. Over fifty acres, it includes covered walkways, bicycle paths, a large amphitheater, an auditorium, a wading pool, a lake, an outdoor gym, a multipurpose sports field, a large food court, the Railway Museum, children's play areas, a skating rink. Click <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/RvQ5HdZEXDaorJBj6">here</a> for a photo album.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A few photos in Progreso:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje86jjLEQ1xRFYOYjYIA6DezNdJfbNR5FUjHQBmytHhMZQpVoQVkVYkxa-hPnlbq1Zle4THedlHViiKHP_xSXe-X16e6t7dmFn1Nf4r_p_7NEhDQbxBPRd9lhRj8fwOrFx2CahtCz0Ts4Y6U2bbk_AZmFzAVAIcrDa5jH316X30VCD07cD1XF3Ttx2bAE/s1419/IMG_20240130_100237.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1419" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje86jjLEQ1xRFYOYjYIA6DezNdJfbNR5FUjHQBmytHhMZQpVoQVkVYkxa-hPnlbq1Zle4THedlHViiKHP_xSXe-X16e6t7dmFn1Nf4r_p_7NEhDQbxBPRd9lhRj8fwOrFx2CahtCz0Ts4Y6U2bbk_AZmFzAVAIcrDa5jH316X30VCD07cD1XF3Ttx2bAE/s320/IMG_20240130_100237.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xJNl0YhZNRJ6g5MgWQrcpxFZfr9RzUMxhb1LSCu4Q8NPFrCPsX982DR6uF5WHx71XK1NjPUy-iO7zXMArksuxHNwPxhzKBSM6QA6-ip_MOEMGrGUAm9cqH9YlV1DXFL56HLF4mVXFav-h1ctk14vXrNPi_hJQGhRyvim5nxEFkdz6d9nmBCA8nEI8e4/s2897/IMG_20240130_100503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2682" data-original-width="2897" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xJNl0YhZNRJ6g5MgWQrcpxFZfr9RzUMxhb1LSCu4Q8NPFrCPsX982DR6uF5WHx71XK1NjPUy-iO7zXMArksuxHNwPxhzKBSM6QA6-ip_MOEMGrGUAm9cqH9YlV1DXFL56HLF4mVXFav-h1ctk14vXrNPi_hJQGhRyvim5nxEFkdz6d9nmBCA8nEI8e4/s320/IMG_20240130_100503.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJA6fnYIB45ePrZYtNnFkoQwRp7UG_UxmFStFypXrpzNhChNLqlaX7AOyzfmlv25lHdY41fWJkGiFUBocP2dtzFWkUW8QoCXqHfJ16uEApzMDUFECEQrd_oMjILMoIoIXy73p-Bjg0G49cHqxUhMOJ7cOPO7JWU7G83pIP3-XHHOpEGA50Dz9KqiUq78/s2581/IMG_20240130_101156.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1951" data-original-width="2581" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJA6fnYIB45ePrZYtNnFkoQwRp7UG_UxmFStFypXrpzNhChNLqlaX7AOyzfmlv25lHdY41fWJkGiFUBocP2dtzFWkUW8QoCXqHfJ16uEApzMDUFECEQrd_oMjILMoIoIXy73p-Bjg0G49cHqxUhMOJ7cOPO7JWU7G83pIP3-XHHOpEGA50Dz9KqiUq78/s320/IMG_20240130_101156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><p><span style="font-size: large;">And two more photos:</span></p></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYF5nB-KOkLYih0nE9w3dxO-xMVQ2oMA0TBbPexuqCCOvMk9cw9wGGNXrpE9DoWLgpn8BGkxM884CsU89ZIkcPXWjwo0ElBfTJLK8UuyFrt8aNyIsypFVsqLHYJYW9qhANjVqJk_bDJdGJSOBHoI02c-dzim3L5V8urYy8gr1Q14jOwuExAFANobudSY/s1493/Skeletons.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="1493" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYF5nB-KOkLYih0nE9w3dxO-xMVQ2oMA0TBbPexuqCCOvMk9cw9wGGNXrpE9DoWLgpn8BGkxM884CsU89ZIkcPXWjwo0ElBfTJLK8UuyFrt8aNyIsypFVsqLHYJYW9qhANjVqJk_bDJdGJSOBHoI02c-dzim3L5V8urYy8gr1Q14jOwuExAFANobudSY/s320/Skeletons.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In one store in downtown Mérida </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRx_v-tiU7zd_BJBaGiqgTBVJS3RHREjif9H-OMPsoL0B_YF2OUQJyVDjKHNmzgTCfbWIQiYhiaqwIxg1BA4JCZu5XzB9YjNu7qm_mBZdC3jmO9FWxT7ipYYuZdEXdaMgpryo4qsCvhQqA03VevAAHPkB9m3ZmnmAr2roi5DY1PrJjOAuvkHg3MWDXfE/s3900/IMG_20240128_143222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3900" data-original-width="2361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRx_v-tiU7zd_BJBaGiqgTBVJS3RHREjif9H-OMPsoL0B_YF2OUQJyVDjKHNmzgTCfbWIQiYhiaqwIxg1BA4JCZu5XzB9YjNu7qm_mBZdC3jmO9FWxT7ipYYuZdEXdaMgpryo4qsCvhQqA03VevAAHPkB9m3ZmnmAr2roi5DY1PrJjOAuvkHg3MWDXfE/s320/IMG_20240128_143222.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At a Miró exhibit in downtown Mérida</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-63216657503567469532023-12-27T12:23:00.000-08:002023-12-28T21:39:01.908-08:00Fortune<p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpc1RJhgGdxd66NR_L64wOVLb1c5T-BG4oJtBaHy1Tx7w6uuzvZ8YUB8wYqHPFS6hzr9sB9VDmgvX2865TxJt3d1LCcJ8CptgKu1F6v9hof2Lkj3EFJ9eiDIJzrrbRZWvwYA5I0FkCVptptcMPQMjd1YO92jnOwZ1bpIkHZj49nnPWmNEMXxh7ertseo/s521/Page86g.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpc1RJhgGdxd66NR_L64wOVLb1c5T-BG4oJtBaHy1Tx7w6uuzvZ8YUB8wYqHPFS6hzr9sB9VDmgvX2865TxJt3d1LCcJ8CptgKu1F6v9hof2Lkj3EFJ9eiDIJzrrbRZWvwYA5I0FkCVptptcMPQMjd1YO92jnOwZ1bpIkHZj49nnPWmNEMXxh7ertseo/s320/Page86g.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></div><span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Very young Rodney</span></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>I've been meaning to write about this for a very long time. T</span>he final impetus was Fiona Hill's <i>There Is Nothing For You Here</i>. In particular, her descriptions of what Thatcherism and Reaganism wrought. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In short: I think the long-lived idea that your children will live better than you did is dead. I am part of the luckiest demographic, and now things are getting worse.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sure, old-timers often complain the current generation is going to hell, but that's not what I'm talking about. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>I think it's the world, not the people, that's going to hell. There are many serious issues that were not a concern when I was growing up. Global issues such as c</span><span>limate change, overpopulation, </span>energy crises, plus U.S. economic issues such as <span>drastic inequality, housing costs, cost of living, </span><span> lifelong student debt</span>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>For a </span><span>white middle class</span><span> kid, g</span><span>rowing up in the 1950s and 1960s was the best. </span><span>World wars and polio were behind us. </span><span>The biggest life-threatening external event for a boy born in 1950 would be the Vietnam War, and I dodged that with a sufficiently high draft lottery number. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>In addition to my lucky demographic, </span>I had a fortunate personal upbringing. A classic idyllic childhood. An intact family, a stay-at-home mom, a perfectly normal education, the usual family vacations and childhood activities such as scouting. As a first child, my parents gave me more opportunities than even my brothers, such as music lessons, symphony subscriptions, and summer camp.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-67076282796063675652023-12-17T10:25:00.000-08:002024-03-07T13:30:59.580-08:00SLO and Hearst Castle — December 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdydmp90kCEJu03-pIiwGDqBEgjE7-QpVMdlfQS2cztzfIFS8chhuIv96PHJ3yGIPFmGFBkoX0hd-GYGISJZYzaY2GcgTQNjc6e_IWz1DtI3JdSzjJlvGCrrmZNFePDSRgskhnL-CzyStqC6GseU9-cKfiLDBDdR3Py6EnOyFea19fn-YqHNwSRuflIw4/s2890/PXL_20231215_162427798.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="2084" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdydmp90kCEJu03-pIiwGDqBEgjE7-QpVMdlfQS2cztzfIFS8chhuIv96PHJ3yGIPFmGFBkoX0hd-GYGISJZYzaY2GcgTQNjc6e_IWz1DtI3JdSzjJlvGCrrmZNFePDSRgskhnL-CzyStqC6GseU9-cKfiLDBDdR3Py6EnOyFea19fn-YqHNwSRuflIw4/s320/PXL_20231215_162427798.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">At Apple Farm Inn</div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/QRZvQHhgaeLn6YrZ7">Link to more photos</a>. As always, view the photos individually to see the captions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We went on <a href="https://goodtimestravel.com/GTT/PagePkg/Pkg.aspx?pid=1790&sid=8802&oid=96">this short 3-day tour</a> of San Luis Obispo and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_Castle">Hearst Castle</a>. I was worried about the December weather, but it was fine — mild temperatures and no rain! I had visited Hearst Castle once before, in 1975, but Victor had never been there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our first group meal was lunch at <a href="https://www.peasoupandersens.net/">Pea Soup Andersen's</a> in Buellton. I love pea soup, and hadn't been there in decades. We next visited the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_Inn">Madonna Inn</a>, with its over-the-top pink decor and stone sinks in the men's restroom (see the <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/QRZvQHhgaeLn6YrZ7">photos</a>).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After checking in at our SLO inn, we stopped at the weekly evening downtown farmers' market, including the large Tom's Toys store and nearby <a href="https://downtownslo.com/events/holidays/holidayplaza">holiday lights in Mission Plaza</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next day began with animal viewing at <a href="https://www.givingtreefamilyfarm.com/">Giving Tree Family Farm</a> and then on to the <a href="https://www.pointsanluislighthouse.org/">Point San Luis Lighthouse</a>. The lighthouse tour was fine, but Victor had an unfortunate incident with Pam, the woman who runs the tours and the volunteer docents. As we were all returning to the bus before lunch, I went to the bus while Victor stopped at the men's room, so he was then approaching the bus alone. Pam stood in his way, and as he tried to go around her, she moved to block him. He said he was on the tour, and she didn't believe him. He pointed to his tour name badge, but she was unimpressed. She even made a cutthroat gesture. The bus driver saw all this, and came out of the bus and vouched for Victor being a member of the tour group. (And even then, when the bus driver was approaching, Pam made another assumption and asked him, "Is he a friend of yours?")</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After a brief afternoon rest at the inn, we went on a <a href="https://hearstcastle.org/tour-hearst-castle/daily-tours/holiday-twilight-tour/">Holiday Twilight Tour</a> of Hearst Castle. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The last day was our return trip. In Lompoc, the group had a tour of <a href="https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=598">La Purísima Mission State Historic Park</a>, but I'm not interested in missions, so Victor and I skipped the tour and stayed in the Visitor Center. Afterwards, we saw more animals and had lunch with wine tasting at <a href="https://www.vegavineyardandfarm.com/">Vega Vineyard</a>. </span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-54688840886279505832023-12-08T07:10:00.000-08:002023-12-08T07:10:08.150-08:00Thoughts I dare not ponder<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyHW9eslfuWGzbdX6TmnGYZ00rjwD0xCvg-oaa2z_Yds6VHRj83Xda7W0ZGtLAvGLrKvwbo6wLKeUKdbksADRs35oWTternFbII-92ACzNB-I2Dsk6ibjQcTpPH5PnLbYmm6MxRm8Pt9FusjqhAvzGMi2ply0l-c5BiHOVLI7ijAshZwYK-J5jt4bTo8/s1600/Purpose_Why.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyHW9eslfuWGzbdX6TmnGYZ00rjwD0xCvg-oaa2z_Yds6VHRj83Xda7W0ZGtLAvGLrKvwbo6wLKeUKdbksADRs35oWTternFbII-92ACzNB-I2Dsk6ibjQcTpPH5PnLbYmm6MxRm8Pt9FusjqhAvzGMi2ply0l-c5BiHOVLI7ijAshZwYK-J5jt4bTo8/s320/Purpose_Why.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As I've always said, I decided in high school that my goal in life was to retire. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">And in retirement I wanted to read, write, and travel. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">After I retired, that shifted to read, travel, and exercise.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">But lately, I've begun to think that the "why" is no longer self-evident. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">To what end? To what purpose? What's the point?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Yes, of course, increasing thoughts of mortality are part of this. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">So I quickly labeled these "thoughts I dare not ponder".</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">About those retirement activities:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> - Reading </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have always been a print media junkie (including online print). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I love news, information, learning. I'm even rather competive about it. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">(See <a href="https://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2011/10/on-competition-re-purposed-genes.html">here</a>.) </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">There are still tons of books on my reading list, and I still add more, but now I sometimes wonder why.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It's no longer self-evident. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Similarly, I check the news repeatedly. But what if I stopped?</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> - Travel</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are tons of places I've never been, but I've hit the top places on my list. (See </span><a href="https://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2019/06/index-to-travels.html" style="font-family: georgia;">here</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">.)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">TSA, airlines, and my aging body make the journeys (not the destinations) increasingly unpleasant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And to what end?</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> - Exercise</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In my first year of retirement, I lost more than 50 pounds, and I kept it off for years, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">but lately, I've began to put some back on. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2020/07/aging.html">Arthritis slows me down</a> and makes hills and long walks ever more difficult. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Diabetes is ever-present. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Dietary self-restraint in the face of mortality: Why?</span></p></blockquote>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-18249444795621146552023-12-06T05:03:00.000-08:002023-12-06T05:03:56.615-08:00Just what are homophobes afraid of?<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN6qE1j3c_lNwfhriC5CbBnS0ftyxp36EInUNvicWEJ7taEgXTrdtURKJEuA02gybc1tRsTZk3-2bBZ3wO9aL8G06OTvdO_G-jGkjc81oKymAogIL2MJDcqlkN1Wn14-nivjkWLr429LOYCnwuuj3e8xmgMJWefJYsaznqLM9OntYgflnE_o_eOpLHXQQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN6qE1j3c_lNwfhriC5CbBnS0ftyxp36EInUNvicWEJ7taEgXTrdtURKJEuA02gybc1tRsTZk3-2bBZ3wO9aL8G06OTvdO_G-jGkjc81oKymAogIL2MJDcqlkN1Wn14-nivjkWLr429LOYCnwuuj3e8xmgMJWefJYsaznqLM9OntYgflnE_o_eOpLHXQQ" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The <i>LATimes </i>ran a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-27/sonja-shaw-the-soccer-mom-leading-california-parental-rights-movement">lengthy profile</a> of school board book banning activist Sonja Shaw. I dashed off a quick letter about what it seems such folks are afraid of, and why that's pretty stupid. I wrote:</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">Sonja Shaw says she is fighting policies that "pervert children." She should think back to her own teenage years. If she had been taught that gay people exist, would that have made her a lesbian?</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For my first sentence, I quoted a phrase about what's she's afraid of, but I should have left that out, because in context, it sounds like I agree that being lesbian is a perversion. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I usually wait at least a couple of hours after drafting a letter to re-read it later and maybe revise it. I did not do that this time, but I should have. Shortly after I sent it, I wished I could re-write it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The <i>Times </i>printed no letters about the article. </span></p><div><br /></div>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-30240718548922420862023-11-24T05:12:00.000-08:002023-11-24T05:12:04.519-08:00My favorite place<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbvEGq_DVzCtxuE5LMQ_x8UruVofYaJtZg6qIONZcOlnn6jaCTb01LG8q3Iot7NxdyMPJs5tLB-NyL5id021Q6AyP0BT1f1HscRHYKMFpcDgNVBUdP9t6vyYVwWRckKcHkqk0scgqMFGc8eBNTKuJji3d1pXQAlZJhDUpvxUzIbFwLGtaIZaLBXBGHYs/s959/WorldTravel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="959" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbvEGq_DVzCtxuE5LMQ_x8UruVofYaJtZg6qIONZcOlnn6jaCTb01LG8q3Iot7NxdyMPJs5tLB-NyL5id021Q6AyP0BT1f1HscRHYKMFpcDgNVBUdP9t6vyYVwWRckKcHkqk0scgqMFGc8eBNTKuJji3d1pXQAlZJhDUpvxUzIbFwLGtaIZaLBXBGHYs/s320/WorldTravel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">When discussing travels recently, someone asked what was my favorite place. I said, "It depends."</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For nature, <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2010/05/trip-to-costa-rica-99.html">Costa Rica</a>. For wildlife, <a href="https://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2019/07/katmai-national-park-summer-2019.html">Katmai</a>. For history, <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2011/05/western-europe-trip-75.html">London</a>. For communism, the <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2010/05/trip-to-soviet-union-spring-84.html">Soviet Union</a>. Etc.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-1130735518697831302023-11-05T21:37:00.001-08:002023-11-06T04:47:36.219-08:00Spain — Oct/Nov 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-lP96TvF_3f4LoQlNtELgBh6M575aCyzsXtQed0sC_mvZYvLn4bywsToouEbyOuW5F6sxFCtYTsmD13kGmI9hXv_Xa02O1M9xx7gYx2U4FThEUNk0Bymx-egxIOHS8J0rZtADtuHIoFKy1SjGRsGpBtKxfzd52JoSxVnpz6AzYXw_PPM9F6QTxy_QYg/s2226/IMG_20231028_022855.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="2226" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-lP96TvF_3f4LoQlNtELgBh6M575aCyzsXtQed0sC_mvZYvLn4bywsToouEbyOuW5F6sxFCtYTsmD13kGmI9hXv_Xa02O1M9xx7gYx2U4FThEUNk0Bymx-egxIOHS8J0rZtADtuHIoFKy1SjGRsGpBtKxfzd52JoSxVnpz6AzYXw_PPM9F6QTxy_QYg/s320/IMG_20231028_022855.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Victor and Rodney with the royal palace of Madrid in the background</div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/QH33MYoh3e1XuT618">Link to more photos</a>. There are three photo albums in all: Below are links to separate photo albums for the Alhambra and the Picasso Museum. As always, view the photos individually to see the captions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We took <a href="https://www.gate1travel.com/europe/spain/2023/escorted/spain-escorted-10daffes24.aspx">this tour of Spain</a>. It went well, although it was colder than I expected, and we could not visit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD">Gaudi</a>'s <a href="https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gaudi/park-guell.html">Parc Güell</a> which was high on my wishlist (see below).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In Madrid, I was impressed by the underground highway that goes for miles. I was surprised by graffiti worse than L.A. I was somewhat disappointed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_del_Prado">Prado Museum</a>, since I'm not much into classical paintings. It also remains behind the times with a "no photos" policy, and I found no water, and you couldn't leave and re-enter.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We toured the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque%E2%80%93Cathedral_of_C%C3%B3rdoba">mosque-turned-cathedral</a> of Cordoba, and the huge <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville_Cathedral">cathedral</a> of Seville. By this time, I was no longer surprised by the new-to-me urinals we were seeing in every hotel. (See the <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/QH33MYoh3e1XuT618">photos</a>.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In Grenada, the highlight was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra">Alhambra</a>, of course. As expected, I loved all the elaborate geometric decoration. <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/JJvcK31gdBL4GMcH6">Link to a photo album</a> solely of the Alhambra. Similarly, in Valencia, I liked the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Arts_and_Sciences">City of Arts and Sciences</a> designed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_Calatrava">Santiago Calatrava</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our last stop was Barcelona. We began with a city tour, including some architecture by Gaudi and others. With free time the next day, I wanted to visit Parc Güell, but I discovered that you need reservations and purchased tickets and it was all sold out for the day. I never thought that a public park would need tickets. If only I had known, I could easily have bought the tickets long ahead of time. <i>Sigh</i>. The other major sight I wanted to see that day was the Picasso Museum. That went well. <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/ygWNGsKDCsb71RAf6">Link to a photo album</a> solely of the Picasso Museum.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Long flights, even in cramped economy seats, never used to bother me much, but now they are not very enjoyable. Our return flight from Paris to L.A. was more than eleven and a half hours. I got up and walked and stretched a bit three times, but it was increasingly uncomfortable.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-83728542562123153232023-09-26T18:51:00.000-07:002023-09-26T18:51:44.579-07:00Putting it all together: Visa for Victor<p><span style="font-size: large;">The longest story in this blog is about getting a visa for Victor to come to the U.S. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But when I want to send the story to someone, by clicking on the "Visa for Victor" label, the posts are in reverse chronological order.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So I have now put them in proper order in a <a href="https://visaforvictor.blogspot.com/">new blog</a>. Much better.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-7451749588537722802023-09-15T13:46:00.000-07:002023-09-15T13:46:23.846-07:00Scared little boy Donnie Trump<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclJt5cBFqOn5L1oABwAANbSCbhkRmZhj8UwvviIjpNmBbiV5BGSNqbO12HVIEQS-mM5EfQlPOE-KH3OeBFoCU87qd-bEotmRewohMYcB_qi6927XeX_zzSAb2HLTZDCLH8FcMGYduApMuluCnmCGy9_apP5tDkZO4IRzfgzufATxUaDawbCmfExyqkB0/s732/BabyTrump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclJt5cBFqOn5L1oABwAANbSCbhkRmZhj8UwvviIjpNmBbiV5BGSNqbO12HVIEQS-mM5EfQlPOE-KH3OeBFoCU87qd-bEotmRewohMYcB_qi6927XeX_zzSAb2HLTZDCLH8FcMGYduApMuluCnmCGy9_apP5tDkZO4IRzfgzufATxUaDawbCmfExyqkB0/s320/BabyTrump.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br /><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have a nickname for Donald Trump like the ones he pins on others, one he's guaranteed to hate: </span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scared little boy Donnie Trump</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He's scared of the truth, so he lies all the time. And now he's desperately scared of getting caught, too.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He boasts about being a great leader, but when he leaves the room, many consider him a dangerous buffoon and simply ignore his commands.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He acts like a little boy, including the name-calling. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last month, his niece said, “Donald is and always has been a frightened little boy deep down.” I completely agree.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scared little boy Donnie Trump</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I sent a shorter version of this to the <i>LATimes </i>early this week. They did not publish it. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I was revising it, I thought I might send it to another paper and maybe also to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_L._Trump">Mary Trump</a>. (I did neither.) It was only when I was looking for how to contact her that I came across <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/donald-trump-niece-says-frightened-211556706.html">her recent quote</a>. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">And only while looking for a cartoon of Trump as a little boy to put at the top of this post did I come across <a href="https://lizadonnelly.medium.com/drawing-trump-in-shorts-9adc1965924c">this quote from Liza Donelly</a>: "</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times new roman, serif;">I began to draw Donald Trump in shorts. Simply </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times new roman, serif;">because he acts like a schoolyard bully.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">"</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">And then <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/08/22/is-it-time-for-cartoonists-to-stop-portraying-trump-as-a-baby/">this</a> (from 2017!): "</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times new roman, serif;">Is it time for cartoonists to stop portraying Trump as a baby?" Oh, dear, I guess I'm really way behind the times.</span></span></span></div>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-71975434056109784852023-09-07T14:51:00.001-07:002023-09-07T16:39:02.854-07:00Autographs - Cory Doctorow<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yHrGO1Pf6BJPxkrDB9-u5l3Dsw4GrQPxwRL-vFJ30R51yNpV8zI5Iw2ZpCmZtZ79V_9k_ncKuGr7z62HnCzbzVdEt16lrPMcmzEiRNX2fdHRCpJk0JFfRvDAfx27NbUyMCmBf1G7TSFwYEL92-lqgIuCMnSdz_6R7zFxRyD1u2qXPU0KOViGwREcjBk/s953/Doctorow2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="953" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yHrGO1Pf6BJPxkrDB9-u5l3Dsw4GrQPxwRL-vFJ30R51yNpV8zI5Iw2ZpCmZtZ79V_9k_ncKuGr7z62HnCzbzVdEt16lrPMcmzEiRNX2fdHRCpJk0JFfRvDAfx27NbUyMCmBf1G7TSFwYEL92-lqgIuCMnSdz_6R7zFxRyD1u2qXPU0KOViGwREcjBk/s320/Doctorow2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I have <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2014/10/autographs-cory-doctorow-and-jen-wang.html">written before</a> about being a Doctorow fan. He was at the L.A. central library last night, and I bought his latest book and got his signature.</span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">(</span><a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/03/index-to-autographs.html" style="font-size: large;">Index to autographs</a><span style="font-size: large;">)</span></span></div>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-38638480970496521272023-08-28T16:58:00.001-07:002023-08-28T16:58:26.961-07:00Buddha's "Five Remembrances"<p><span style="font-size: large;">I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way I can escape growing old.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I am of the nature to get sick. There is no way I can escape getting sick.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I am of the nature to die. There is no way I can escape death.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All that is dear to me and everyone I love will change. There is no way I can escape being separated from them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My actions are the ground upon which I stand.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div>[Seen in Katy Butler's <i>The Art of Dying Well</i>. </div><div>Also all over the net; see <a href="https://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries.com/showthread.php?5150-The-Five-Remembrances">here</a>, for example.]</div>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-12168651125884366812023-08-22T21:58:00.006-07:002023-09-02T17:34:50.157-07:00Autographs — Bernath, Divya, Doyle, Kuintzle, Mahabal, Moran, Sivaramakrishnan<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgY8QFn3XMP9W-T2SZjxBUxXfqHORC4WJiOdw7fFBzvEQMCS2Kmx7MHLC0edc9kdqBo1gOMhuAPkwZVcTcT1FjjJjFQHi6xWaHksSpChAMA2jpUX3tX5QSmWxT_oaN_2GhXnH82Ics4FhWoSQ6IuuwvsBN3oYaPADOawJmrWRrWqzmhFt1hUqEWEvQzk/s2932/PXL_20230822_224442661.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2932" data-original-width="1961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgY8QFn3XMP9W-T2SZjxBUxXfqHORC4WJiOdw7fFBzvEQMCS2Kmx7MHLC0edc9kdqBo1gOMhuAPkwZVcTcT1FjjJjFQHi6xWaHksSpChAMA2jpUX3tX5QSmWxT_oaN_2GhXnH82Ics4FhWoSQ6IuuwvsBN3oYaPADOawJmrWRrWqzmhFt1hUqEWEvQzk/s320/PXL_20230822_224442661.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8d74vW7sFzN-3fnpqBZV8-kn_C1LTAQ95VFK3wwWKOgB_xG5gBWQ1QRZC1BF7z4t4hQ6-aHnxdTJ086edJS3JNIKaNOpT6LUffXzSYWnIu3c_Xs0HX3KalpCwf0xiklSC_C4cGcEcxukOq2miZUclLTZacGd6lzPyGrz8R60eD12nlACfNbzNsw4Wbns/s1731/Together.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1731" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8d74vW7sFzN-3fnpqBZV8-kn_C1LTAQ95VFK3wwWKOgB_xG5gBWQ1QRZC1BF7z4t4hQ6-aHnxdTJ086edJS3JNIKaNOpT6LUffXzSYWnIu3c_Xs0HX3KalpCwf0xiklSC_C4cGcEcxukOq2miZUclLTZacGd6lzPyGrz8R60eD12nlACfNbzNsw4Wbns/s320/Together.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ann Bernath, <a href="https://twitter.com/cosmotat">S.B. Divya</a>, <a href="https://heritageproject.caltech.edu/interviews-updates/richard-doyle">Richard J. Doyle</a>, <a href="http://rachaelkuintzle.com">Rachael Kuintzle</a>, <a href="https://ashishmahabal.net/">Ashish Mahabal</a>, <a href="https://christinecorbettmoran.com/">Christine Corbett Moran</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Caltech's <a href="https://twitter.com/TechLitClub">TechLit Club</a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As an SF fan <i>and </i>JPL alum, obviously I had to buy this book. Happily, <a href="https://www.vromansbookstore.com/">Vroman's</a> held an event tonight with six of the authors:</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqtEdm0RSex89ysAYJf_vv-OkQBM5LfpFI3GLFWRZeIUBH6LlcM6tBVCZpg7NjRn1NnwIAYyVpcpIoRc1Iim1Czln9w3AkXDOe4f6EHafgyWIPZi94ooM6WxgtRh9oShKXrdZinF8P0SoIFxJi1JXPkHPRfIUbZoDnWkAXSJN-tgTxvnvivAMzSkahdw/s1294/Event.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1294" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqtEdm0RSex89ysAYJf_vv-OkQBM5LfpFI3GLFWRZeIUBH6LlcM6tBVCZpg7NjRn1NnwIAYyVpcpIoRc1Iim1Czln9w3AkXDOe4f6EHafgyWIPZi94ooM6WxgtRh9oShKXrdZinF8P0SoIFxJi1JXPkHPRfIUbZoDnWkAXSJN-tgTxvnvivAMzSkahdw/s320/Event.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Each read a portion of a story, and all signed books afterwards.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">But when I got home, I find a seventh story autographed:</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUotC8hqhuxozHdUpWeL7W49q_JgdXQbWLRYjynIKy3UZJJT_lO53CmlS2gnxXBqcurVwE8mLUH4K4sCw_tsnZWd--raL7s-lCPbsBhdm5VwyEtCAbNVa4z5d2XXy_UUfyQB_qmA5vF1yZCnupfHGNhovZpclSYSYrcRtogkYQywk3QOr0cpPfLmCQtjo/s2239/PXL_20230823_025823722.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1958" data-original-width="2239" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUotC8hqhuxozHdUpWeL7W49q_JgdXQbWLRYjynIKy3UZJJT_lO53CmlS2gnxXBqcurVwE8mLUH4K4sCw_tsnZWd--raL7s-lCPbsBhdm5VwyEtCAbNVa4z5d2XXy_UUfyQB_qmA5vF1yZCnupfHGNhovZpclSYSYrcRtogkYQywk3QOr0cpPfLmCQtjo/s320/PXL_20230823_025823722.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">This is puzzling, because there were only six authors on stage,</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kcRrZSpgYGkuBuKDmHh-KgCFBYrYjyvVuPV4E1JHVCwKzpg4j69-gz3d2bEGS75xQB5gnWaeJTWGYNeNdu0Ke3UWDj01awVmoT13wLDpCV_8xWwTABNcYVRixHdNCjqXDrc4NvdgfvG-_tE4f6PzTKeD5x8nfrQAqaVeQBJbasGIJi6hnL_3pM-ytyo/s3467/PXL_20230823_005550679.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="3467" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kcRrZSpgYGkuBuKDmHh-KgCFBYrYjyvVuPV4E1JHVCwKzpg4j69-gz3d2bEGS75xQB5gnWaeJTWGYNeNdu0Ke3UWDj01awVmoT13wLDpCV_8xWwTABNcYVRixHdNCjqXDrc4NvdgfvG-_tE4f6PzTKeD5x8nfrQAqaVeQBJbasGIJi6hnL_3pM-ytyo/s320/PXL_20230823_005550679.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">and the six passed my book along and signed as I walked by. I did not carefully watch each one sign, but I didn't take my eyes off them much as they did. And I don't <i>think </i>there was a signature already in the book when I bought it twenty days ago!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Two or three of the authors said they had more than one story in the book, but Sivaramakrishnan's <a href="https://www.theory.caltech.edu/people-listing/allic-sivaramakrishnan">web photo</a> doesn't match anyone on stage. The closest match would be Mahabal, but neither in person nor on his <a href="https://ashishmahabal.net/">web photo</a> does he look much like Allic Sivaramakrishnan. Nor do they do the same work, according to those two web pages.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>P.S. Mystery solved: I asked the editor (and sort-of ringleader of the night's event) </span><span>Rachael Kuintzle,</span><span> </span><span>and she replied, "</span><span>Allic was present for the book signing; in fact, he was the first person you handed the book to, as the first person in the lineup. He just didn't participate in the main presentation."</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>(</span><a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/03/index-to-autographs.html">Index to autographs</a><span>)</span></span></div>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-43238430837298808932023-06-17T12:39:00.001-07:002023-06-18T04:03:46.507-07:00A Father's Day Memory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkUxNfKGTD1LetViqOnYgi8lsaCxcyarLtvFIEWLKsmCBo4pLXXdb_ZABe_PTOcDxzguH1TlX_peWMsiUBljOEkbpqKDwP3vOwpxbd0lE2_soe3s9qWAoj1OBoiunfjLi1sbpq96Nj3iSA7EkxMZY5tQaSsD5faVRsS7r1MAUx3xmadmbwVnDCF0C/s2256/PXL_20230617_174727935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="2256" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkUxNfKGTD1LetViqOnYgi8lsaCxcyarLtvFIEWLKsmCBo4pLXXdb_ZABe_PTOcDxzguH1TlX_peWMsiUBljOEkbpqKDwP3vOwpxbd0lE2_soe3s9qWAoj1OBoiunfjLi1sbpq96Nj3iSA7EkxMZY5tQaSsD5faVRsS7r1MAUx3xmadmbwVnDCF0C/s320/PXL_20230617_174727935.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">My father built this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_tube">vacuum tube</a> radio when he was a young man. It's one foot wide. Later, he incorporated it into the upper left corner of a large wooden bookcase he built, about four feet by four feet. By the time I remember it, the radio was empty and no longer worked. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When I first moved to an unfurnished apartment in 1985, the bookcase was one piece I brought from San Antonio to Los Angeles, and I still have it, including the empty shell of the old radio.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Loosely related: When I was a boy, my father came home one day and asked, "Where is that music coming from?" I pointed to his shirt pocket, and he pulled out a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor_radio">transistor radio</a>. I could tell he was disappointed that I wasn't more surprised, but how was I to know that a pocket-sized radio was something brand new?</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-16788094035593040502023-04-30T16:13:00.002-07:002023-06-03T17:43:44.372-07:00Istanbul to Athens — April 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDdL7UjsI3dJXYVccyxPkHmR4TzFXuJBtwm8KWrVntW2TeeAspVT6e0Q9Es-6Nqtwp5dQG2qoQMdXRr1kOW37lNOkHGrI0vPn2aQzadTZvbEcLKyhK4zpSeKHHeix2oIcpzcbzVNYBTn_B71kS-cJE2RaqpZVjgZLrwsIFpsUMTuR57ycnr8g5XsZ/s1977/00_IMG_20230427_011713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1865" data-original-width="1977" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDdL7UjsI3dJXYVccyxPkHmR4TzFXuJBtwm8KWrVntW2TeeAspVT6e0Q9Es-6Nqtwp5dQG2qoQMdXRr1kOW37lNOkHGrI0vPn2aQzadTZvbEcLKyhK4zpSeKHHeix2oIcpzcbzVNYBTn_B71kS-cJE2RaqpZVjgZLrwsIFpsUMTuR57ycnr8g5XsZ/s320/00_IMG_20230427_011713.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At the Parthenon</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/cZtaMD9H4GkfR8ii7">Link to more photos.</a> As always, view the photos individually to see the captions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After Victor expressed interest in seeing Greece, I looked to combine it with a bit more, and signed up for <a href="https://www.gate1travel.com/mediterranean/greece/2023/escorted/turkey-greece-12dhtrgr23.aspx">this 12-day tour</a>. It went well. The temperatures were a bit cool, and there was some rain on several days. Getting there and back required very long flights, of course, and ten hours time change.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>In Istanbul, we began with a visit to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkap%C4%B1_Palace">Topkapi Palace</a>, center of the Ottoman Empire and home to the sultans. We then got in line early for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia">Hagia Sophia</a> mosque, the first of several mosques we visited during this trip. We were supposed to next visit the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_and_Islamic_Arts_Museum">Turkish and Islamic Art Museum</a>, but it was closed due to </span><span>an electrical outage. Fortunately, it re-opened the next day and we went then. That busy day also included the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Bazaar">Istanbul Spice Market</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar,_Istanbul">Grand Bazaar</a>, a carpet-weaving demonstration (including carpets that change color depending on which direction you view them from!), and a Bosphorus cruise. We passed by Turkey's brand new <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/re6TF9BDFppfH2iY6">first aircraft carrier</a>, and saw a <i>very</i> long line of people waiting to see it.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We left Istanbul for Edirne, where we stopped at several mosques and a historic health museum. (I had no idea that <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/fyrxwqMwVLDq5b1X7">the first smallpox vaccinations</a> were in Turkey.) The traffic lights at busy intersections include the entire stanchion. (See the 9-second video included in <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/cZtaMD9H4GkfR8ii7">the photo album</a>.) This deserves to spread widely.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next day we entered Greece. We spent the night in Kavala. The well-preserved <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqueduct_of_Kavala">aqueduct</a> impressed me. We had <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/GTBhjCoA737J1W7C9">great views</a> from our hotel.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We had the archaeological site of <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1517/">Philippi</a> almost to ourselves. In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki">Thessaloniki</a>, we ate all meals together and had a short cruise in the gulf. We were gifted with bags of mountain tea, oregano, and thyme.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>At the Royal Tombs in Vergina, we viewed the <a href="http://hellonet.teithe.gr/EN/aboutgreece/macedonia/vergina_en.htm">Vergina Treasures</a>. On our way to Meteora, I asked if we could stop for photos of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olympus">Mount Olympus</a>. We did, but it was somewhat obscured by clouds. We went to several monasteries in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora">Meteora</a> precipitously </span><span>perched</span><span> </span><span>on massive pillars. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Before reaching Athens, we stopped at the </span><span><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189412-d282022-Reviews-Leonidas_Monument-Thermopylae_Phthiotis_Region_Central_Greece.html">Leonidas Monument</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae">Thermopylae</a>. Leonidas, King of Sparta, led the famous 300 Spartan soldiers and other Greek soldiers who fought to the death and held off a vastly larger Persian army for three days in 480 BCE.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In Athens, we got to the <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/404/">Acropolis</a> early. By the time we left, the crowds were huge. There's quite a bit more than the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon">Parthenon</a>. I particularly liked the caryatids of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erechtheion">Erechtheion</a>, but it was only later at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropolis_Museum">Acropolis Museum</a> that I learned that they were <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/oenLgJ9bYrRqr4dBA">replicas</a>, with the originals only in the museum. Also at the museum was this model of the complete Parthenon:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlDM0VIWwyNarl_y6eYRa2jb0poVSD6GIsg8cr1S-ZY31uwRXlEMqsdR8i7sGGDiKSqpLS18CIDbWlsGXJxWnxsSDKb0s__7BySWQKtqKgnkyrwO1izvLYniWLwKBVbLS2Q6YFm0cQlcQzHjKICJ52Xf6F5oQ6FHMP6RMFQ4CypAW4_GIJvz6pdhS/s2542/PXL_20230427_091847147.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1803" data-original-width="2542" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlDM0VIWwyNarl_y6eYRa2jb0poVSD6GIsg8cr1S-ZY31uwRXlEMqsdR8i7sGGDiKSqpLS18CIDbWlsGXJxWnxsSDKb0s__7BySWQKtqKgnkyrwO1izvLYniWLwKBVbLS2Q6YFm0cQlcQzHjKICJ52Xf6F5oQ6FHMP6RMFQ4CypAW4_GIJvz6pdhS/s320/PXL_20230427_091847147.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">When I saw the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles">Elgin Marbles</a> in the British Museum in 1975 I wrote, </span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"... half the Parthenon...! With all that ... right here [in London], why does anyone go to Athens...? I really never knew so much of the Parthenon was in London. Only the skeleton remains on the Acropolis, I suppose." </blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Now, at the Acropolis Museum, many items are marked "(BM)" indicating that the originals are in the British Museum, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles#Return_controversy">they want them back</a>, of course.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Later, we briefly viewed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Hadrian_(Athens)">Hadrian's Arch</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panathenaic_Stadium">Panathenaic Stadium</a>, the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.</span></p></div>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-82567638679668699832023-04-04T21:10:00.003-07:002023-04-05T07:30:26.319-07:00Autographs — Emily St. John Mandel<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlNvwFeSCht95Gu5Cq2C6HzcwGvmeB-mtbsBJ_MBQMgxHQP6bkJ97PvVsC8N4Zgz5MPqSiRCDpEBGPqc6mKQbHN6kGpYcTGOfORfEs2qXf2HiaRzVz06wMq4ptMK_xd2ZzLWVRPz8rzL0zDh6YqHAOkuZSM7eH6W7obcx18DZDcz29runaHxl-F7X/s939/Mandel4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="939" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlNvwFeSCht95Gu5Cq2C6HzcwGvmeB-mtbsBJ_MBQMgxHQP6bkJ97PvVsC8N4Zgz5MPqSiRCDpEBGPqc6mKQbHN6kGpYcTGOfORfEs2qXf2HiaRzVz06wMq4ptMK_xd2ZzLWVRPz8rzL0zDh6YqHAOkuZSM7eH6W7obcx18DZDcz29runaHxl-F7X/s320/Mandel4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My book group discussed this author's <i>Station Eleven</i> in January 2019. I enjoyed it. This book, her newest, looks even more interesting. She spoke and signed books at the Los Angeles Central Library this evening.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">(</span><a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/03/index-to-autographs.html" style="font-size: large;">Index to autographs</a><span style="font-size: large;">)</span> </span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-82168479020408646822023-03-19T18:08:00.001-07:002023-04-18T19:32:34.933-07:00Orlando — March 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP6-MMpSSdjwrp94Svek8HP0mKEvhFwRC05QSjZd-KQbSZNRqaOZuxBWos7VtwdoNW_EcQwKMKrMPrpb-YrIw_v9KzDZ3xZtd3ok5mH2GJrb5j5K_fkyrKv4SIcHadPSgjScv6m8NHVAszdKObaQbhKt-oT6LfNS66PluBkkUCXtyANNCrdD0Z14o/s2401/PXL_20230315_164904527.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2401" data-original-width="1975" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP6-MMpSSdjwrp94Svek8HP0mKEvhFwRC05QSjZd-KQbSZNRqaOZuxBWos7VtwdoNW_EcQwKMKrMPrpb-YrIw_v9KzDZ3xZtd3ok5mH2GJrb5j5K_fkyrKv4SIcHadPSgjScv6m8NHVAszdKObaQbhKt-oT6LfNS66PluBkkUCXtyANNCrdD0Z14o/s320/PXL_20230315_164904527.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/S62B9asDzpVZPqJA8">Link to more photos</a>. View the photos individually to see the captions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I had heard that the <i>Star Wars</i> area at <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/hollywood-studios/">Disney World</a> was bigger than the one at <a href="https://disneyland.disney.go.com/">Disneyland</a> (which we have not yet seen), and the Harry Potter area at <a href="https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/theme-parks/universal-studios-florida">Universal Studios Florida</a> was more extensive than <a href="https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us">the one here in L.A.</a> (which we have seen). So when I saw a cheap flights + hotel package for Orlando in March when there's usually not too much rain, I grabbed it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Not everything worked out. First I found that the added parts at Universal were mainly roller coasters, which Victor would never do, so we dropped that. Once we arrived, we found that Uber was quite expensive, so we did use a rental car one day. Our cheap motel had mandatory resort fees, undisclosed until you checked in, of course. <b>GRRR!! </b>I hope the government <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/01/fact-sheet-president-biden-highlights-new-progress-on-his-competition-agenda/">succeeds in banning these</a>! And finally, with every passing week, Florida governor De Santis angers me more, so I was unhappy spending money there. At least I did often wear these:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OkMmBheeT3GXFaLalCkdFbTRYibb4juPVI_sOvwx8k7VBKDz6s6Pv2InKl1yz_t7ClHnSVnAOyshrZ0KYojQKdV1qbqQ4LDhbSdb23LD4WecB_0VH6532smTsMLrapD6ah0LFC5iJaUdrnEVQAh55rBGguf16KMnO4ZXnGz4h961QRNNXh3nzAgw/s2881/PXL_20230319_165410833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2881" data-original-width="2094" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OkMmBheeT3GXFaLalCkdFbTRYibb4juPVI_sOvwx8k7VBKDz6s6Pv2InKl1yz_t7ClHnSVnAOyshrZ0KYojQKdV1qbqQ4LDhbSdb23LD4WecB_0VH6532smTsMLrapD6ah0LFC5iJaUdrnEVQAh55rBGguf16KMnO4ZXnGz4h961QRNNXh3nzAgw/w122-h168/PXL_20230319_165410833.jpg" width="122" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkK5p7qw64c6XQAd7AdVjyWjadJnB0_68Cupm_m5NN4gtqUSt0YMeB5G4VyF0c3pHL1ZgwY2uKwBoV2gsRHdhUUKVdTxrif29ZFoXpKFaIVFCz2pVXP-Wh8XPjEvChaYrQ_cgNTPANNTntrPHDM5g3PBA4jIwLdvuz9jK2pQoi0KeN4CPKOi9Qb-d/s372/ProudToSayGay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="372" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkK5p7qw64c6XQAd7AdVjyWjadJnB0_68Cupm_m5NN4gtqUSt0YMeB5G4VyF0c3pHL1ZgwY2uKwBoV2gsRHdhUUKVdTxrif29ZFoXpKFaIVFCz2pVXP-Wh8XPjEvChaYrQ_cgNTPANNTntrPHDM5g3PBA4jIwLdvuz9jK2pQoi0KeN4CPKOi9Qb-d/w155-h150/ProudToSayGay.jpg" width="155" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I also had, but never wore this more explicit pin:</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjA_qVBA80FYPf-XS9LcD5IUBZ8aupZpOz5hqfyxZeL36YFJPsAHGPHONNuPR54qajdqycz_auO3jFUkcC3X-q1-ELiqRr6eu9UTtzv28HGrafUNjPLM4K-tV4rbKWfXI8j9LZbotB5up5Y9ewSHK2-H3kxnTJ4o3n4YCZk9wvxi7tu70mk62ypv0/s375/F_ckDeSantis.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="374" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjA_qVBA80FYPf-XS9LcD5IUBZ8aupZpOz5hqfyxZeL36YFJPsAHGPHONNuPR54qajdqycz_auO3jFUkcC3X-q1-ELiqRr6eu9UTtzv28HGrafUNjPLM4K-tV4rbKWfXI8j9LZbotB5up5Y9ewSHK2-H3kxnTJ4o3n4YCZk9wvxi7tu70mk62ypv0/w132-h133/F_ckDeSantis.png" width="132" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">As an Internet addict, I got online as soon as we were at the motel, but after about twenty minutes, my (rather old) Chromebook died! I was offline until we got back home! I only use my phone for phone calls and photography; I dislike doing Internet work on the phone.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our Disney day began quite cool and a bit rainy, though it warmed up later. We didn't pay for Lightning Lanes, so we waited in long lines, but we did get to all of our desired attractions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The weather improved after that first morning. Instead of Universal, we visited several other sites (see <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/S62B9asDzpVZPqJA8">the photos</a>): </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="https://www.lakenonawavehotel.com/things-to-do-lake-nona/sculpture-garden">Lake Nona Sculpture Garden</a> has quite a few good pieces, including the charging bull famously on Wall Street and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Moore">Henry Moore</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="https://morsemuseum.org/">Morse Museum</a> has the world’s most comprehensive collection of Tiffany works.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="https://www.leugardens.org/">Harry P. Leu Gardens</a> is about fifty acres, including a large lake and multiple gardens. Many flowers were not in bloom this time of year, but at least there were butterflies in the Butterfly Garden.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I definitely wanted to see the <a href="https://www.orlandoescape.com/pulse-memorial/">Pulse interim memorial</a>. I explained <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_nightclub_shooting">the event</a> to Victor.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-44676224984340073492023-01-04T18:42:00.002-08:002023-07-30T19:36:05.688-07:00Misinformation<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBEE212O1gETYmDi5JA69fnsJPToWBxFUv0fJyG6SkiQkidg5UhQUGO6vCgj96uY4mMBiAzVwstGIolQGC7ASZXPwv0NGtbbUpOapB4fzT8z6b0ToipMO2SBhedWhWF-BHhFsvVRWSdH2g2893Mq3ZQLlq-R6ybxkn9chI96GdNoXMsmtNDgYN5Zv/s780/infodemic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="780" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBEE212O1gETYmDi5JA69fnsJPToWBxFUv0fJyG6SkiQkidg5UhQUGO6vCgj96uY4mMBiAzVwstGIolQGC7ASZXPwv0NGtbbUpOapB4fzT8z6b0ToipMO2SBhedWhWF-BHhFsvVRWSdH2g2893Mq3ZQLlq-R6ybxkn9chI96GdNoXMsmtNDgYN5Zv/s320/infodemic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I am not plagued by misinformation, despite spending hours every day online and on social media. It's not that difficult. You can do it, too. Here are some tips:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Don't believe anything liar-in-chief Trump says.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Stay well-informed. (I rely mainly on <i>LATimes</i>, news.google.com, MSNBC, and CNN).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Only pay attention to news from legitimate sources.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That means don't click on any "news" items in social media, instead google the topic to see what trusted sources say about it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And that means that social media won't feed you a lot of news or fake news items, because you don't click on them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Be very skeptical of suspicious stories; check google and <a href="https://www.snopes.com/">snopes</a>. (I'm often the one debunking such items. It feels great.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Added later: <a href="https://www.protruthpledge.org/">The Pro-Truth Pledge</a> is worth reviewing.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-72267080535391960612022-10-31T12:42:00.003-07:002022-12-04T12:58:20.962-08:00Autographs — Wil Wheaton<p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWeQBvX4sgOTo6nWw19QQh5-yB7wNURKp-G9wXPVJe9I_ldT-QuOulIVNbhnaUI4IMjnLZvlfVi9G2Io_zA_glbsU06nwfxEq8BaKTwdAsAOoeHyq-xSv9Yd-qjcW8bdx-b7bzSa2IWuBVph7Itg6pxmyTOSxS7VXTrsGevMVLZHTTzUXNb2fMlID/s1233/Wheaton.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1233" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWeQBvX4sgOTo6nWw19QQh5-yB7wNURKp-G9wXPVJe9I_ldT-QuOulIVNbhnaUI4IMjnLZvlfVi9G2Io_zA_glbsU06nwfxEq8BaKTwdAsAOoeHyq-xSv9Yd-qjcW8bdx-b7bzSa2IWuBVph7Itg6pxmyTOSxS7VXTrsGevMVLZHTTzUXNb2fMlID/s320/Wheaton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wil_Wheaton">Wil Wheaton</a> was scheduled to sign his new book at <a href="https://www.vromansbookstore.com/">Vroman's</a> on August 31<sup>st</sup>:</span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FaRycFLNoKvwFuvulX6RRD4q2-oqC_jQ9bC-oME8loSGjK3J2Zpw8iwIPTNredqEQGzcr3GRjP02cnUNTM3ub7nlCsLFUdrdwcDRCZt9qJ_Pb5ZLprAOEJGGQDCwQsV0BmaFdWTnY3fmwHI5UWXNaEVdDM9IONusNU898j9wgEwZn3fGfCSDm4Xo/s1166/Wheaton_NoShow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1166" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FaRycFLNoKvwFuvulX6RRD4q2-oqC_jQ9bC-oME8loSGjK3J2Zpw8iwIPTNredqEQGzcr3GRjP02cnUNTM3ub7nlCsLFUdrdwcDRCZt9qJ_Pb5ZLprAOEJGGQDCwQsV0BmaFdWTnY3fmwHI5UWXNaEVdDM9IONusNU898j9wgEwZn3fGfCSDm4Xo/s320/Wheaton_NoShow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">I was there early. Quite a few folks came. Shortly after 7 pm, they apologized and said they were trying to contact him. After 7:30, they said they had no news. Just before 8, they said it wasn't going to happen. They also said they would try again, and they took our names, promising to notify us as soon as they knew more. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rodney.hoffman1/posts/pfbid02r1896JTwPL4t1rcoJ3qzVEJsmyCAmRkPgsEiGUVrcSmDsPuyiNdzc8Whdg6mCh9ol">As I wrote at the time</a>, everyone hoped he was OK. The next day, he was posting on Facebook, with no mention of the book signing he had skipped.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On September 23<sup>rd</sup>, I received an email saying that he would be at Vroman's on October 26<sup>th</sup> “for real this time”. I would be out of town (<a href="https://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2022/10/houston-oct-2022.html">Houston trip</a>). I asked if I could drop off my book ahead of time and pick it up when I returned. I had to write three times before they answered, but they said OK, and that's what I did.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">(<a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/03/index-to-autographs.html">Index to autographs</a>)</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-91267915321840963642022-10-30T14:35:00.001-07:002022-10-30T14:44:20.002-07:00Houston — Oct. 2022<p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/eABLPLk4aRDUx3j7A">Link to more photos</a>. (View the photos individually to see the captions.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In February 2020, I booked flights for a trip to Houston a few months later. When </span><span style="font-size: medium;">COVID </span><span style="font-size: large;">shut things down, that was the first of five trips I had to cancel. Now it's the last of them to finally happen. Rice's "Golden Reunion" weekend, my 50-year reunion, was the obvious time to go.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The trip included family, Rice, and several Houston sights, some new to me. We stayed with cousins Joel and Joan in Fulshear, 35 miles west of Houston. Victor particularly loved taking their dogs for walks.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOqSML8ax2i5NauLJSZ008BLQ6_jRP3ikAl_9attSP6eOwzZpgAEKZPMK5qDz-z8RKGDvEdE6SOrFwJ_k2MvTA6TN7GPAFuGqpj8LhMd9KsEv2cLJQjyLxHD-Taz6oo-Iozom_Pe_8DS8baDZsVOiXkm80qQqBeTjFB_67k7KUehqPImTZ29dGoEm/s2812/PXL_20221026_191957448.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2460" data-original-width="2812" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOqSML8ax2i5NauLJSZ008BLQ6_jRP3ikAl_9attSP6eOwzZpgAEKZPMK5qDz-z8RKGDvEdE6SOrFwJ_k2MvTA6TN7GPAFuGqpj8LhMd9KsEv2cLJQjyLxHD-Taz6oo-Iozom_Pe_8DS8baDZsVOiXkm80qQqBeTjFB_67k7KUehqPImTZ29dGoEm/s320/PXL_20221026_191957448.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">We had dinner one night with more family: Warren, Lisa, Lauryn, Jason, Spencer and Ryan.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbhXhEFOL4WBA3DmGYv_ypRQbN2hf2OL9bBvIISjOE6BqX_pQaLCbxtBm0L9Z3RfIlSSBAtYWtTCNn2MMao4zALlqACWlkdV4KKl5iXQqgd3kpSEPRT-U9dUOTvYEOFMW4HgdXFRtFYC7UP4bDIVMdkJGKYqAfGeZ3l94f04uxqm2EU03rkhXeM5p/s1821/WarrenLaurynEtAl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1821" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbhXhEFOL4WBA3DmGYv_ypRQbN2hf2OL9bBvIISjOE6BqX_pQaLCbxtBm0L9Z3RfIlSSBAtYWtTCNn2MMao4zALlqACWlkdV4KKl5iXQqgd3kpSEPRT-U9dUOTvYEOFMW4HgdXFRtFYC7UP4bDIVMdkJGKYqAfGeZ3l94f04uxqm2EU03rkhXeM5p/s320/WarrenLaurynEtAl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Around Houston, I first showed Victor the <a href="https://www.rothkochapel.org/">Rothko Chapel</a> and Barnett Newman's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Obelisk">Broken Obelisk</a> sculpture in front, which I've always liked. We continued to the <a href="https://www.menil.org/">Menil Collection</a>. I was surprised by how much they continue to acquire. I had not previously seen their <a href="https://www.menil.org/visit/campus/dan-flavin-installation">Flavin Installation</a>. (See the <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/eABLPLk4aRDUx3j7A">photos</a>.)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Because we had <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2022/10/new-zealand-septoct-2022.html">recently been to Hobbiton</a> in New Zealand, we had to stop at the <a href="https://hobbitcafehtx.com/">Hobbit Cafe</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The rest of the day was at Rice. I particularly wanted to see <a href="http://www.johnoutram.com/rice.html">Duncan Hall</a> and the <a href="https://moody.rice.edu/art/james-turrell">Turrell Skyspace</a>. Duncan Hall did not disappoint, but there's really not much to see at the Turrell work unless you're there at dawn or dusk, which we did not manage to do.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next day, we started at the <a href="https://www.visithoustontexas.com/listings/water-wall/20713/">WaterWall</a>. I showed Victor the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Galleria">Galleria</a>, including the ice rink. The mall has expanded over the years; it is much larger than I remembered. After lunch, there was heavy rain, so I abandoned plans for other sights, and we went directly to the Rice reunion dinner location. As the rain let up, we saw large rainbows over downtown Houston. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the weeks before the reunion, I asked several of my classmates whether they were going, and all but one said no. So I only knew a handful of the reunion attendees, but the reception and dinner were fine.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All around the region, when you tell someone that you go to Rice, the most common response is, "You go to Rice? You must be smart!" While I was attending Rice, someone made this T-shirt, which I still have, and which I brought to the reunion:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTw1NVYD34JZvh2Y7XuJyutTP4Pxe4xWnZ_F8V38CwY1q4okOBJc__qr7z-k6RVDT4dV09LZs-UoMvujSMSRiSSmeLujsA4ngYu3lEm9-XL11H9TwhM53SR55PlOFl5c8HeElG3c82r-bXPzFYTVFD4gircnVlE_uwdy6qjju98v3PS2vYeEwsIeK/s3176/PXL_20221023_200616842.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3176" data-original-width="2525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTw1NVYD34JZvh2Y7XuJyutTP4Pxe4xWnZ_F8V38CwY1q4okOBJc__qr7z-k6RVDT4dV09LZs-UoMvujSMSRiSSmeLujsA4ngYu3lEm9-XL11H9TwhM53SR55PlOFl5c8HeElG3c82r-bXPzFYTVFD4gircnVlE_uwdy6qjju98v3PS2vYeEwsIeK/s320/PXL_20221023_200616842.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">(I read that someone later made a bumpersticker of that, and Rice students often put it on their cars upside-down!)</span><p></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-35565660591187607702022-10-06T17:44:00.000-07:002022-10-06T17:44:59.115-07:00New Zealand — Sept/Oct 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DSYb5q6rUxKQfn3coZHvPmoVW4y-xtyu44BvLUnKAqMvneFC1Q_UiLXjSH7alygUIqoQsXt8x0hs2KwAFv3QX-lxGsTL6HyeR5A48SgUTx-bkf67KQ9kF-CxpA3XLMUkIIixVY-q5s9lQPAC4BGCkna6hpfex9s4i3CaU0NxviDRduP9ESHTqyo2/s2870/PXL_20221003_010347669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2613" data-original-width="2870" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DSYb5q6rUxKQfn3coZHvPmoVW4y-xtyu44BvLUnKAqMvneFC1Q_UiLXjSH7alygUIqoQsXt8x0hs2KwAFv3QX-lxGsTL6HyeR5A48SgUTx-bkf67KQ9kF-CxpA3XLMUkIIixVY-q5s9lQPAC4BGCkna6hpfex9s4i3CaU0NxviDRduP9ESHTqyo2/s320/PXL_20221003_010347669.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Milford Sound</div><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/sAbNecL35B2Zo1ky6">Link to more photos</a> (As always, click any photo to enlarge it, and view the photos individually to see the captions.)<br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(And don't miss the link to a second album of Hobbiton photos below!)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have long wanted to visit New Zealand. When I saw a sale price for <a href="https://www.goway.com/trip/australia-and-south-pacific/essential-new-zealand-coach-economy/">this short tour</a>, I signed up. Plus, I had sufficient airline miles for our round-trip flights. But in the following weeks, there were changes. Certain activities were not going to re-open before we were there, and we made substitutions. In the end, we even cut Christchurch entirely and made the already short trip a full day shorter. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I was not surprised that it rained at least a little almost every day, but it was also colder than I expected. I never wore any of the short-sleeve T-shirts I brought.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We started in Auckland. We walked around a bit, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Park,_Auckland">Albert Park</a>. Few people wore masks. Although we were in downtown, it was difficult to find a restaurant open for early breakfast. We then had a day-long tour of the city and surroundings, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Victoria_(Auckland)">Mount Victoria</a>, both the Pacific and Tasman Sea coasts, the <a href="https://www.newzealand.com/uk/feature/waitakere-ranges/">Waitakere Ranges Regional Park</a>, and <a href="https://www.albomadventures.com/arataki/">Arataki Centre</a>. We walked a tiny bit of the [Edmund] <a href="https://www.experienceaotearoa.com/hikingtrails/hiking-trails/hillary-trail-auckland">Hillary Trail</a> in the rain forest, saw giant ferns, large <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathis_australis">kauri trees</a>, and <a href="https://www.newzealand.com/us/piha/">Piha Beach</a> with gray magnetic sand. (See <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/sAbNecL35B2Zo1ky6">the photos</a>.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">From Auckland, we went by car to <a href="https://www.rotoruanz.com/">Rotorua</a> via <a href="https://www.hobbitontours.com/">Hobbiton</a>. Despite the drizzle, it was fun visiting Hobbiton. See my <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/Du3jdkdCpE1prECi9">separate photo album</a> there. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6g10WsP4XLsZ2PUhVDSVt24jU3cO5AiteNqVoLNl-l8Pim1v0vKLCsYtFzKNbqdPZS664GDaLkBYVndxaH4_S-V5aHAGdSK-N7H8QlwjVCG_MgJcHq6Vpt8Y7srQRZBnP_GVNSoTD3G28uIOQcxwYJZEtlRfDC0u4Edids-UL3JxlLhT0FFEPfCd/s2724/PXL_20220929_212635487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2650" data-original-width="2724" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6g10WsP4XLsZ2PUhVDSVt24jU3cO5AiteNqVoLNl-l8Pim1v0vKLCsYtFzKNbqdPZS664GDaLkBYVndxaH4_S-V5aHAGdSK-N7H8QlwjVCG_MgJcHq6Vpt8Y7srQRZBnP_GVNSoTD3G28uIOQcxwYJZEtlRfDC0u4Edids-UL3JxlLhT0FFEPfCd/s320/PXL_20220929_212635487.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Victor and Rodney at Bilbo's house in Hobbiton</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In Rotorua, we went on a <a href="https://rotoruaducktours.co.nz/">Duck Tours</a> ride in an amphibious WW2 "duck" landing craft able to drive on city streets and become a motor boat in water. We did both. That evening, we saw the Maori presentation and had an indigenous dinner at <a href="https://www.newzealand.com/us/plan/business/tamaki-maori-village-3967280/">Tamaki Village</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">From Rotorua, we flew to <a href="https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/">Queenstown</a> on the South Island. The Rotorua Airport is a welcome throw-back: no security check, no metal detector, no ID check, and family and friends welcome at the gate. But our flight was canceled due to fog, and we were booked for a flight more than 7 hours later! We spent all day at the airport.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next day, despite great weather in town, the morning <a href="https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/">Milford Sound</a> flight/cruise was canceled! When I called, they set us up for a later time, and that worked. The flight was a bit bumpy, but beautiful; lots of snow-capped mountains. (See <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/sAbNecL35B2Zo1ky6">the photos</a>, of course.) On the cruise, there was more beautiful scenery, a dolphin, and seals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The following day, we walked a bit, including <a href="https://www.myguidequeenstown.com/things-to-do/queenstown-gardens">Queenstown Gardens</a>, a bookstore, and an art gallery.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A cold front came through on the day we departed, so Victor saw snow falling for the first time, even though it was only a few flakes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Crossing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Date_Line">International Date Line</a> cost us a day when we flew from Los Angeles to New Zealand, but the return was weirder: We left NZ 8 pm one evening, and after a 12-hour flight, arrived in LA at noon the same day!</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-39922038982912439402022-09-22T05:55:00.000-07:002022-09-22T05:55:43.215-07:00Autographs — Sandra Cisneros<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHUFHvePOe7HjTCkvHrXkWfnlosrKhJAX9JOZ44_tUAcpSYvpy0yjhcj66kj5KJKFnkIGfs7iCdcEzUBafqABY0_J9cRV-3p-3h2BtE88SVIHcQFL03g86lefe6vjo_yORxNHW_Y70MMbyNaFf5-MRDAXtM7vAPabgv_tL8CHItVGvfcqSWvfYAoP/s927/Cisneros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="927" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHUFHvePOe7HjTCkvHrXkWfnlosrKhJAX9JOZ44_tUAcpSYvpy0yjhcj66kj5KJKFnkIGfs7iCdcEzUBafqABY0_J9cRV-3p-3h2BtE88SVIHcQFL03g86lefe6vjo_yORxNHW_Y70MMbyNaFf5-MRDAXtM7vAPabgv_tL8CHItVGvfcqSWvfYAoP/s320/Cisneros.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She was at Vromans, promoting her new poetry book. There was an overflow crowd, many with multiple books for her to sign.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">(</span><a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/03/index-to-autographs.html" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0066; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;">Index to autographs</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-26875631838414986962022-09-21T20:39:00.001-07:002022-09-21T20:59:01.901-07:00Mérida - Sept. 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2esIrheGa6-LWGY69z9Y7pGTfCPhPS51RJQ33WGYBG7B8_bVDPptEjOj6axJ6xJmWDtdWWfvxiEXmutmkBA2gWeuwpz_RhRhNgylodSc6jvdi2tV2pAHf_yROq_McnedH-81HzgNt4ewShyIQMmzJ7_6ZAXtEIfNNvd7yhkkBIbz8ZuWvRTQdLSf/s4002/PXL_20220917_171650811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2555" data-original-width="4002" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2esIrheGa6-LWGY69z9Y7pGTfCPhPS51RJQ33WGYBG7B8_bVDPptEjOj6axJ6xJmWDtdWWfvxiEXmutmkBA2gWeuwpz_RhRhNgylodSc6jvdi2tV2pAHf_yROq_McnedH-81HzgNt4ewShyIQMmzJ7_6ZAXtEIfNNvd7yhkkBIbz8ZuWvRTQdLSf/s320/PXL_20220917_171650811.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2O54NzRgOFVABAMUh3dtouvuotHLcJKFhAmwHerudWjlOyAdyPiLg7hbAro4WGxfRYKVnrBDR3KUE8zFBkJsLhgamvQrqIPJfii9EWxQTfwjCXQg4CYSgOh-98mdMQE7Zk3udAygni8NZXE01ewfuYHyzUfGa0VipXjgkCV9qNGznVhzIzMNCc0JE/s3335/PXL_20220916_183035382.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3335" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2O54NzRgOFVABAMUh3dtouvuotHLcJKFhAmwHerudWjlOyAdyPiLg7hbAro4WGxfRYKVnrBDR3KUE8zFBkJsLhgamvQrqIPJfii9EWxQTfwjCXQg4CYSgOh-98mdMQE7Zk3udAygni8NZXE01ewfuYHyzUfGa0VipXjgkCV9qNGznVhzIzMNCc0JE/s320/PXL_20220916_183035382.MP.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>Due to </span><span>COVID</span><span>, we had not been back to M</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">é</span><span>rida since Victor came to Los Angeles in May 2019. He had not seen his mother or any of the rest of his family in more than three years!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We were there</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">for two weeks. We will probably return again this coming winter.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There was frequent rain, especially in the afternoons. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I was pleasantly surprised by how many people on the street wore masks; </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">many more than in L.A.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">As always, we spent a lot of time on and waiting for buses, both to the downtown and to Progreso. Because Victor's house is now mostly unoccupied, there is no longer Internet service, so I used Internet cafes in the downtown or I used Internet at his sister's home in Progreso. </span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-52141037928537162892022-08-18T18:33:00.000-07:002022-08-18T18:33:32.551-07:00Manitoba - August 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgri665Pvh-3kFASjQDT3yo8G-gnMUhS7mq_o2WaAk3rBtHyXAzmHyYyS2iAo8nST5hvg2fkf5oakRZnoXCQ5aNp7bfJT5jKC-BP5Ix_ytXbvwqu9G8cQlj230mg0d_OnzLw_SQmxzsaJTrHZkGjDQPPcbCcPtiq2OApbtoozfGnFwUN9dCQ_y2Hzc7/s1452/10_SwimmingBear1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="1452" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgri665Pvh-3kFASjQDT3yo8G-gnMUhS7mq_o2WaAk3rBtHyXAzmHyYyS2iAo8nST5hvg2fkf5oakRZnoXCQ5aNp7bfJT5jKC-BP5Ix_ytXbvwqu9G8cQlj230mg0d_OnzLw_SQmxzsaJTrHZkGjDQPPcbCcPtiq2OApbtoozfGnFwUN9dCQ_y2Hzc7/s320/10_SwimmingBear1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hgj3bsSaPk5PgMuw7">Link to more photos</a> (and one video). View the photos individually to see the captions.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Polar bears, beluga whales, and aurora borealis!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With Victor's love of bears (see <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/04/katmai-national-park-summer-2000.html">here</a> and <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2010/04/trip-to-british-columbia-summer-2006.html">here</a> and <a href="https://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2019/07/katmai-national-park-summer-2019.html">here</a>), we certainly had to go to <a href="https://www.travelmanitoba.com/churchill/experiences/polar-bears/">Churchill, Manitoba</a> to see polar bears some day. When I found <a href="https://www.lazybearlodge.com/expeditions/ultimate-bears-and-belugas-summer-adventure">this warm weather tour</a>, I signed up. And despite some rain in the forecast ahead of time, the weather was very good.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First, we flew to Winnipeg. I was annoyed that they booked us at a hotel away from the airport that didn't offer airport pick-up.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At breakfast the next day, we met two people going on our tour. I figured there would be a handful of people joining us, but when we first gathered together, I was surprised to find more than fifty people in our tour group!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We had a charter flight just for our group (!) from Winnipeg to Churchill <span style="background-color: white; color: #70757a; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #70757a; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"> </span>no security checks! <span style="background-color: white; color: #70757a; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #70757a; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"> </span>followed by a tour of the area.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next day, we went on a boat tour to see beluga whales. They were easy to find.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcZh3oOMuDCND534wz-6OwlE8wnrE86GN1seozNuZXuLBUO5VvZvEyj38-WEPCGS89hpcSoK4MKakBDInemzVjIMFb2S7GghhaBq4YdBt93h-odEZEWVpoyUUIpBkaPlXTAjCpmXSpB56SdYEd5orkhRe4Q98x9FuEdCJ87ut5RhKzcGzb1QOUpqu/s4032/PXL_20220815_205200947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcZh3oOMuDCND534wz-6OwlE8wnrE86GN1seozNuZXuLBUO5VvZvEyj38-WEPCGS89hpcSoK4MKakBDInemzVjIMFb2S7GghhaBq4YdBt93h-odEZEWVpoyUUIpBkaPlXTAjCpmXSpB56SdYEd5orkhRe4Q98x9FuEdCJ87ut5RhKzcGzb1QOUpqu/s320/PXL_20220815_205200947.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The following day was open for pricey extras (kayaking, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYsadVtKLuc">aqua-gliding</a>) which we didn't buy. So we wandered the town, although it's not very big and there's not a lot to do or see.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next came polar bears! We did get good views of swimming polar bears and more distant views of them on land. Here's a 13-second video of one coming ashore and shaking off water:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzERlc3rDMlI9OYTq758MReF0iMqWcoKx6J_AzWQomt7yO4--VceTSFM_9aZbmU6IeVftPx661qL2BQrMUgkw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-size: large;">We saw <a href="https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/northern-lights/what-are-northern-lights.asp">aurora borealis</a> briefly one night (see <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hgj3bsSaPk5PgMuw7">the photos</a>). On a tundra tour the next morning, we saw a distant caribou, one even more distant pair of polar bears, and birds including a golden eagle.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We left Churchill on another charter flight to Winnipeg, this time staying at an airport hotel. But the next day, our first flight to return home left too early to use the included breakfast.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3564242015990397467.post-14027265640179344702022-08-02T17:51:00.002-07:002022-08-13T15:59:13.412-07:00Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Dignity - July 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLeqfXowyVkyBibpkbZBdBonufHszKlKbnxBDp4fRm3qTZvR33sf8omWD5Ew8z7ZPJTvC2C7rmXC1PfiHmwRkYPGT7EhsU37uDEVaK1QOW8Cbw2KAeCduluoIaFP1_syQcwphlgHJqK1r70pdc5tfTHMx_21lghL0aPM2am8iv3s2OqEzpvjyLkLf/s2643/PXL_20220726_190744885.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2028" data-original-width="2643" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLeqfXowyVkyBibpkbZBdBonufHszKlKbnxBDp4fRm3qTZvR33sf8omWD5Ew8z7ZPJTvC2C7rmXC1PfiHmwRkYPGT7EhsU37uDEVaK1QOW8Cbw2KAeCduluoIaFP1_syQcwphlgHJqK1r70pdc5tfTHMx_21lghL0aPM2am8iv3s2OqEzpvjyLkLf/s320/PXL_20220726_190744885.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/zNsfwH8fcnHKvznz7"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link to more photos</span></a>. View the photos individually to see the captions, several of which have more information than usual.</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have had my eye on <a href="https://www.caravan.com/tour/usa-mount-rushmore">this tour</a> for years. In the Spring of 2019, even with the tour running almost every day during the summer, all dates were sold out. Then </span><span style="font-size: medium;">COVID </span><span style="font-size: large;">hit, and the tour didn't run in 2020 or 2021. I was on the wait list. When it became available, I grabbed the earliest 2022 date.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Despite rain when we arrived in Rapid City, some intermittent light rain on the first full tour day, and excessive heat on the last, the weather was mostly good, and the trip went very well. We had a great time and visited many wonderful sites. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our initial day of travel had some problems. Flying to Rapid City, we had a connection in Las Vegas. First, we sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes in L.A. because Las Vegas was too busy. Then we left Las Vegas more than an hour late because we had a change of gate and plane. Once in Rapid City, I almost got lost <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">trying to drive in the rain at night in a strange city</span>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After I saw <a href="https://www.kuriositas.com/2017/08/dignity-statue-america-needs-right-now.html">this article</a>, I knew I wanted to go a day early just to see the Dignity statue:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZygHnd7zPFZ05wBihn1xq-bgLy23HGRMNM5mENfThE-H5AW7qW_Pm1e4jSx0w5EUOlzVm3n6GNUN948gDK1M179nKd7oqjrhY38-WIYu9iRIQZRFAyKGtoP2kuNumiu7LsqyaQDZsns0twGRZBxMkNoMv5MdvtYQqtftkC5jhtQKhc1VCFA5qpNo0/s2646/PXL_20220725_170013747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2646" data-original-width="2205" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZygHnd7zPFZ05wBihn1xq-bgLy23HGRMNM5mENfThE-H5AW7qW_Pm1e4jSx0w5EUOlzVm3n6GNUN948gDK1M179nKd7oqjrhY38-WIYu9iRIQZRFAyKGtoP2kuNumiu7LsqyaQDZsns0twGRZBxMkNoMv5MdvtYQqtftkC5jhtQKhc1VCFA5qpNo0/s320/PXL_20220725_170013747.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Despite having to drive most of the day to go there and back, it was worth it. Most people outside of South Dakota have still never heard of it. No one in our tour group, including the leader, knew of it. Oh, and it was the first time I've seen a highway speed limit sign saying 80 mph!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The first tour day was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rushmore">Mt. Rushmore</a> and the <a href="https://crazyhorsememorial.org/">Crazy Horse Memorial</a>. The next day, we had breakfast in South Dakota, lunch in Wyoming, and dinner in Montana. We stopped at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Tower">Devils Tower</a> (the first U.S. National Monument), at the <a href="https://centerofthewest.org/our-museums/">Buffalo Bill Center of the West</a> (five museums) in Cody, and at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Bighorn_Battlefield_National_Monument">Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument</a>. Somewhere along the way, I saw a variable speed limit sign (showing 75 mph) for the first time. I didn't get a photo, but here's one from the internet:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipblV1zP1mutCIfinylbMsxfEB7lzfd4IMs50JmI_IR3njB-Ou3i2OgNABhbG8Yw7aFMiYRPWwogDe_E1roSCga5nhqPxtdWoBQ7wRExfPBG99ozi2KW4fV4GiPVJYPN8UmPgcICcOS0ChWvgEmNxI052qJEfcsiG1q3mIu1dDd1YzFzeNxbUqa2ZW/s248/VariableSpeedLimitSign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="188" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipblV1zP1mutCIfinylbMsxfEB7lzfd4IMs50JmI_IR3njB-Ou3i2OgNABhbG8Yw7aFMiYRPWwogDe_E1roSCga5nhqPxtdWoBQ7wRExfPBG99ozi2KW4fV4GiPVJYPN8UmPgcICcOS0ChWvgEmNxI052qJEfcsiG1q3mIu1dDd1YzFzeNxbUqa2ZW/s1600/VariableSpeedLimitSign.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We spent the next two days in <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm">Yellowstone National Park</a>, the world's first national park. I had <a href="http://cultivatingoutrage.blogspot.com/2012/08/yellowstone-july-2012.html">visited in 2012</a>, and was eager to return. <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/zNsfwH8fcnHKvznz7">The photos</a> show the highlights, including a 16-second video of <a href="https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/geysers-hot-springs/about-old-faithful/">Old Faithful</a> erupting (but other than that, my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rodneyhoffman/sets/72157630809753830/">Yellowstone photos from 2012</a> are even better). The only real disappointment was that we didn't see very many animals. In 2012, I had seen large herds of bison and quite a few other animals. This time, only a handful of bison and little else. But one, walking right down the road, did cause a bison jam of scores of cars (not on our side of the road, happily). See <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/zNsfwH8fcnHKvznz7">the photos</a>.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Leaving Yellowstone, we cruised through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Teton_National_Park">Grand Teton National Park</a> and then had lunch in Jackson, Wyoming. After a night in Pocatello, Idaho, the tour ended in Salt Lake City, including a stop at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_the_Place_Heritage_Park">This Is the Place Heritage Park</a>.</span></p>Rodneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301777595404508495noreply@blogger.com0