tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145708312011-11-23T09:14:00.564-08:00Savor the feeling of sun-warmed shoes.Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-24988238597379805152011-02-07T00:50:00.000-08:002011-02-08T23:24:41.867-08:00

"Well, at least we don't need to smuggle him into Hawaii now," I said. Or tried to say, as my voice cracked and a lump wedged itself in my throat.See, I want to live in Hawaii. As an island, Hawaii does not suffer the scourge of rabies, and they believe their strict import regulations — requiring all incoming dogs be quarantined for a month — help protect them from the virus. A perfectly

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-57030567203323889072010-12-02T21:36:00.000-08:002010-12-19T11:29:46.799-08:00

For two years now, the minority party has been able to constrain, curtail, and downright block numerous pieces of legislation in the Senate by using procedural tricks and manipulation of existing conventions like the filibuster. The result has been a shocking and astounding amount of unnecessary governmental gridlock, and the ability to leverage said gridlock to stoke uninformed populism.In the

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-71647590073729733122010-06-13T21:01:00.000-07:002010-12-02T23:08:58.545-08:00

On 8 June 2010, the voters of the great state of California approved Proposition 14, 54.1% to 45.9%. This was billed as a proposition to allow more and varied input to the primary process, primarily to help circumvent the perceived partisan roadblocks presumed to be hobbling California.The improved input approved by voters is the open primary — also called a jungle primary. Rather than the

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-34706423951359419212010-03-20T23:34:00.000-07:002010-12-02T23:11:06.376-08:00

Last year the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race ran through Santa Cruz for the first time. As luck would have it, the race route ran right in front of my house. It was so cool!Well, the route for the finish of Stage III has been announced for this year, and while the racers will still ride through Santa Cruz they will unfortunately skip Downtown — and thus my house — altogether.Naturally this

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-83261273803937794682010-03-19T23:59:00.000-07:002010-12-02T23:19:14.748-08:00

A few days ago, the folks at Zogby International released the results of a survey conducted in February 2010. In this survey, Zogby asked Americans what percentage of the Federal budget they believed specific categories represented. For example, they asked questions like what percentage of the Federal budget was comprised of defense spending, or Medicare. Then they contrasted the perception of

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-32654726409772548712010-03-17T23:16:00.000-07:002010-03-18T21:55:37.180-07:00

Why am I so sad about the death of Alex Chilton? I'd only first heard of him when he was name-checked by The Replacements in 1987. And it was only after his death that I learned that September Gurls wasn't actually an original Bangles tune but rather a cover of the song from Chilton's band Big Star.Yet despite having only a peripheral knowledge of Alex Chilton and his oeuvre, the fact that he's

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-79181981824823798972010-02-24T23:51:00.000-08:002010-03-07T13:50:16.029-08:00

Back in 2005, the Republican majority in the Senate was frustrated that the Democrats were filibustering judicial nominees. Democrats, recognizing the long-ranging impact of conservative judges seeded throughout the system, were using one of the few options they had to stop Bush II from enrobing right-wing reactionaries. To stop this, the Republicans threatened to change the rules of the

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-90589189731067941492010-01-03T16:57:00.000-08:002010-03-05T22:12:57.440-08:00

Personally, I'm livid about the airliner bombing attempt on Christmas Day, 25 December 2009. Specifically I'm angry that more than eight years after the attacks on 11 September 2001 we still don't have security measures in place that perform whole-body scans or ambient chemical analysis.But the former administration — on whose watch occurred 9/11 and the shoe bombing incident which parallels

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-69149890281032093642010-01-03T10:59:00.000-08:002010-03-05T22:05:15.877-08:00

Looking back on the decade past is a common activity 'round about New Year's Day. I was marshaling my thoughts and thinking about how to best characterize my feelings when I found the always-enchanting Devilstower over at The Daily Kos posted precisely the political retrospective I wish I could have written.It's really worth reading from the top, and you should do so now. But if you don't, here's

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-36236654129103218292009-12-12T12:24:00.000-08:002010-03-05T21:54:58.425-08:00

So, it turns out that faux populist Glenn Beck is really just a war profiteer. Nice. The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cBeck - Not So Mellow Goldwww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care CrisisAll his schtick about the downfall of America isn't actually based on personal philosophies or political views or even racist tendencies, it's all just good

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-12274518331677867922009-12-06T22:48:00.000-08:002010-03-05T22:43:56.752-08:00

People, when you're stopped at a light, your primary obligation is to be prepared to move as soon as the light is in your favor. A red light is not the time to check your messages, text a friend, apply more makeup, or tuck into a breakfast burrito.I'm unbelievably tired of seeing the light turn green then waiting for half a minute before being able to proceed forward.Green=go.PostReferenceMore

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-86572588502149217392009-09-01T22:14:00.000-07:002010-03-05T22:47:03.772-08:00

After months of cataloging all my song references, months of tweeting with embedded affiliate links, and months of running a banner ad, I finally see the fruits of my labor: I got my first check as an iTunes Affiliate…a whopping $5.74.Now I just need to add some Amway on the side and I'll be ready to retire...in about 300 years.So, if I want to shorten that timeframe a bit, then y'all need to be

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-39228237598576182072009-08-30T22:40:00.000-07:002010-03-05T22:50:21.275-08:00

Yesterday I was walking Jake along Beach Street, which goes right by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. We passed a gentleman who remarked "now there's an old friend" as he looked at Jake.Sure, Jake's getting a lot of grey these days. He's just turned ten, which is purportedly 70 in human years, and he's looking a bit, well, distinguished. And while I don't want to focus on him getting old, I

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-89700466326178046492009-08-25T21:16:00.000-07:002010-03-05T22:53:27.481-08:00

Today was Jake's tenth birthday! We celebrated by going to dinner at Café Limelight here in Downtown Santa Cruz, as we've done for many of his prior birthdays. For a dog, Jake's eaten at restaurants a lot. I'd reckon he goes out to eat at least five times a year, so he's had at least 50 dining-out experiences.Yet for all that, he's still not comfortable just waiting to be served. Rather, he knows

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-63771512634916222662009-08-23T23:45:00.000-07:002010-03-05T22:57:05.348-08:00

Two decades ago I worked in Century City, a rather highbrow section of Los Angeles. Specifically, I worked in the Century Plaza Towers, two triangular skyscrapers that were, at the time, the focal point of Century City, and all the entertainment and investment firms based there.One could imagine there were a number of upscale restaurants around the Plaza Towers, and often my colleagues would

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-56304644196359077842009-07-30T21:34:00.000-07:002010-03-05T22:59:19.463-08:00

Even as a child I was a voracious reader, in fact some of my earliest memories are of reading books. This deep and prolonged exposure to the written word, to literature, has given me an almost innate sense of grammar. (Though anyone who's read Chomsky's non-political oeuvre is aware there's a school of thought that says grammar by its very existance is innate.)And so while I may not know how to

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-88985934783699818772009-07-29T22:07:00.000-07:002011-08-27T00:00:05.245-07:00

Earlier today, Ana Marie Cox re-tweeted from Maud Newton a link to a video of bartender Del Pedro making Gin Gimlets, inspired by a passage in the Raymond Chandler classic, The Long Goodbye. The recipe is simple: 2 oz. Gin ¾ oz. fresh lime juice ¼ oz. Rose's Lime Juice Shake ingredients with ice, strain into glass. Oddly enough, I had all the necessary ingredients. So I thought it might be

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-66823156495745399022009-07-29T21:03:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:12:57.890-08:00

It feels like everything is moving much too fast these days. Either I've become the world's most stereotypical grouchy old man, or life is moving at an unacceptably fast clip. For example, the July 4th holiday weekend was less than a month ago, yet it feels like three months ago. I do not like this feeling.PostReferenceMore InfoSimmer DownSong by Bob Marley and The Wailers

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-9664155544472259052009-07-21T23:22:00.001-07:002010-03-05T23:15:18.108-08:00

This month marks the fourth year that I've been blogging. Interesting.If anyone out there is following along, even periodically, I hope they're enjoying themselves. I know I am.PostReferenceMore InfoIt Keeps You Runnin'Song by The Doobie Brothers

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-35938817204438914442009-07-05T19:03:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:16:47.415-08:00

The morning of the Fourth of July, I attached a steel flagpole bracket to the front porch of my house, so I could fly the American flag proudly on our Day of Independence.Afterward, I looked up and down my block, but mine was the only flag I could see. I knew that two blocks down in front of Fire Station #1 there was a flag flying, and two block in the other direction there'd be a flag in front

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-8881294898317700482009-07-03T14:31:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:21:17.363-08:00

Yeah, mid-afternoon on the first day of a three-day weekend is not a good time to drive to Santa Cruz.Took a look at the map while eating lunch, and the traffic on southbound 17 is backed up all the way 'till it ends at the 280! And once you plod your way through the mountains, it gets really bad again in Scotts Valley, all the way into Santa Cruz. Yuck.Glad I'm already here, and won't be moving

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-22579946784751068182009-06-21T22:59:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:25:24.468-08:00

Ku and I saw Star Trek tonight; I would have thought we were the last ones in the country to do so, but the packed theater told me otherwise. (On a side note: Santa Cruz moviegoers, please put down the bong and get your butts in gear, so you can get to the theater before the feature starts and not ruin the first ten minutes of the movie by walking in front of me.)I thought the movie was fantastic

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-19142779615417813532009-06-19T16:48:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:26:10.647-08:00

Since 2006 I've been titling posts with either lyrics from a song or an actual song title. I thought it'd be nice to document these choices; I'll keep this entry updated with info from new posts going forward. Update: Starting with posts in 2010, I'm now listing the song reference at the bottom of the post, instead of updating a huge table. I've gone back and appended song reference information

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-48293431855562236762009-06-18T22:54:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:34:05.306-08:00

On 16 June 2009, the United States Global Change Research Program released a comprehensive report entitled Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. The USGCRP integrates input from 13 different federal government departments and agencies in an effort to help the US cope with global climate change. I downloaded the full PDF copy and was looking it over when I was struck by a particular

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-79467838705829312542009-06-15T21:55:00.001-07:002010-03-05T23:38:12.514-08:00

(Tip o'the hat to Daring Fireball)Now this is a proper product review...Top Gear ‘Throughly Tests’ a Ford FiestaThat is all.PostReferenceMore InfoDriving in My CarSong by Madness

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-10652715625123093792009-05-06T22:30:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:39:52.613-08:00

On personal matters, it can take me a while to formulate plans of action. I need goals, however I'm not a goal-driven person. I'm more a goal-meandering person. I need an idea of where to go, then a plan, then a revised plan, and then I can start heading in the right direction.Right now, I'm in the doldrums because I've achieved, for the most part, the last set of goals I'd set three years ago

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-76117362476717724812009-04-16T22:08:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:44:16.733-08:00

In the darkest days of the Bush II regime, I investigated the possibility of California seceding from the United States. I found organizations like Free the Bear that posit our state — the seventh largest economy in the world — would be able to leave the Union of the United States of America and survive as an independent republic. But these groups never accurately characterize the likely

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-68322331874166555472009-04-16T21:06:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:45:42.196-08:00

As Spring continues to unfold, the native plants and wildflowers in the front yard have begun to burst forth in bloom. The California Poppies have spread throughout the yard and are blooming profusely, their golden orange color a nice counterpart to the purples, reds, and blues of the other plants.And today appeared the first bloom on the Wind Poppy plant, a rare California native cultivated by

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1672711265962873492009-03-29T15:21:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:48:08.903-08:00

Yesterday I thought I'd have one bloom today, but two proud orange flowers greeted me this morning! Spurned on, perhaps, by its neighbor, a second California Poppy plant burst forth with a colorful Springtime flower, marking a bright advent to the season.To further celebrate Spring, I planted some other native poppy varieties in the pots on the porch, and a dozen different heirloom tomato plants

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-70898502222125437132009-03-28T18:46:00.000-07:002010-03-05T23:49:38.360-08:00

The first California poppy bloom of the season began to unfurl today!I'd noticed that the poppies were especially prolific this year, inhabiting the whole front yard, but wasn't sure how many of the new plants would actually flower. Well, one's taken up the challenge, at least. It's got one bloom unfurling now with at least two more to follow. And the plant behind it looks like it's not far

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-30616598773354459822009-03-02T19:33:00.000-08:002010-03-05T23:51:54.209-08:00

Ezra Klein at The American Prospect made a fantastic observation today regarding the Dow Jones Industrial Average:Anyone else noticed that the Dow Jones Average now serves the same purpose on cable news shows that the terrorism alert level served between 2001 and 2004?"I really wish the mass media could do a better job of framing economic (or political) issues instead of falling back on simple,

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-44627685677809394392009-02-27T16:06:00.000-08:002010-03-05T23:58:54.904-08:00

Recently while fiddling with my iPhone I discovered a cool feature: region formats.Sure, the iPhone supports dozens of languages, and if you set a language then the whole iPhone OS as well as any localized third-party apps will display in the specified language. But if you're not fluent in that language, you'll be lost on your own phone.Region formats are different; they specify the preferred

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-79233013518817372452009-02-22T15:15:00.000-08:002010-03-07T12:12:20.968-08:00

That jackass Phil Gramm is at it again. He gutted the regulations that kept economic disasters like our current predicament from happening, but that wasn't enough. Now he's responsible for Swiss bank UBS becoming a haven for tax evaders.Daily Kos contributor Devilstower has the full scoop, complete with references and citations. It's not pretty, but it's an important read. Check it

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-20526770165572693872009-02-16T19:11:00.000-08:002010-03-07T12:14:12.196-08:00

For the first time I can recall, a professional bicycle race came through Santa Cruz. Specifically, Stage Two of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California race ended here in Downtown Santa Cruz, after starting in Sausalito this morning.Even more exciting, not only did the race come through Downtown, it went right down my street! That's right, I hung out in my front yard today and watched bike racing

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-25825970842933788552009-01-06T11:26:00.000-08:002010-03-07T12:23:44.618-08:00

Apple announced today that all 10 million songs available in the iTunes Store will be in the iTunes Plus format; eight million available immediately with the other two million later this month by the end of this quarter. This means the tracks are encoded in higher quality and are not governed by the FairPlay system that restricted use of the music to certain methods and numbers of computers.This

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-62720379415413589932008-11-08T14:32:00.000-08:002010-03-07T12:27:45.538-08:00

Lyin', cheatin', hurtin, that's all you seem to do Messin' around, every guy in townPuttin' me down for thinkin' of someone newAlways the same, playin' your gameDrive me insane, trouble's gonna come to you."The leadership of the Mormon church strongly urged members to donate millions of dollars — some estimates reach $20 million — to pass Proposition 8, according to the Los Angeles Times.This is

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-22358659007033998172008-11-05T00:45:00.000-08:002010-03-07T12:30:38.957-08:00

From my house I can hear the people gathered in downtown Santa Cruz, cheering for President-elect Barack Obama. Horns are honking, passers by are whooping, and someone out by the high school is setting off actual, professional-quality fireworks.And I'm glad, too. Glad for the country and glad for my neighbors who helped change the course of this great nation.But while the thought of Obama as

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-36890092208886139572008-10-31T11:18:00.000-07:002010-03-07T12:34:40.355-08:00

Yes, I had an earlier post about the discriminatory nature of Proposition 8. But it was long and somewhat obtuse. Here's the gist, short and sweet:At one time California had laws that discriminated based on race and ethnicity. We've moved beyond that, as you'd expect from the greatest, most diverse and accepting state in the Union. There's no reason to backtrack.PostReferenceMore Info"Would you

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-50960016061051196232008-10-29T23:32:00.000-07:002010-03-07T12:39:46.988-08:00

There's a new day dawning that belongs to you and me. There's a new voice humming; you can hear it if you try."Coming in peace. Coming in joy."Not sure what you want for the future of this great nation, but I know what I want. It's specified in the clip above and I'll be voting appropriately on 4 Nov 2008.PostReferenceMore InfoNew World ComingSong written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil,

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1370454027840952892008-10-29T22:31:00.000-07:002010-03-07T12:45:10.142-08:00

Now because he knows that his economic theories don't work, he's been spending these last few days calling me every name in the book. Lately he's called me a socialist, for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class." — Senator Barack ObamaPersonally, I believe sharing your PB&J makes you a good American, not a bad

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-57985648887838335772008-10-29T20:59:00.000-07:002010-03-07T12:46:50.350-08:00

Please vote.It's the only legal way to cancel out (or support) your neighbors.(Anyone notice Neighbor John in the video? Or was it Neighbor Gary?)PostReferenceMore InfoGet Up Stand UpSong by Bob Marley

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-19054956672301699882008-10-29T19:33:00.000-07:002010-03-07T12:51:33.959-08:00

There are a lot of claims and counter-claims circulating about California Proposition 8.Sometimes — as when determining grammatical structure or mathematical function — a helpful technique is to substitute a different value for one of the primary variables in the matter at hand, be it a sentence or equation. This can remove, for example, a semantically loaded element and replace it with

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-48637515458769108932008-10-25T11:21:00.000-07:002010-03-07T12:53:11.310-08:00

Just yesterday I heard someone say of Barack Obama, "there's nothing there." This is a persistent charge against Senator Obama, frustrating not just because it's false but because there's abundant information available to refute it.So it got me thinking I could gather Obama's most recent and relevant policy positions into a blog post, only to find the hyper-efficient Obama/Biden campaign had

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-32512782537036418032008-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:002010-03-07T13:26:28.569-08:00

Much is being said about the specific failings of the Republican candidate for Vice President. However what's really at issue is not the parentage of her alleged offspring, or the offspring of her offspring, or her documented abuses of power (which pale in comparison to the abuses wrought by the Bush administration).And it's not her lack of experience; recent history has seen many dubiously

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-65115372929174259212008-08-19T20:33:00.000-07:002010-03-07T13:36:20.608-08:00

Yes, it's too long to be a sound bite, but this exchange between Barack Obama and a Democratic party operative in Albuquerque is worthy of greater exposure because it demonstrates the evaluation and nuance that should go into positions regarding our Middle East conflicts, and it's a great example of acknowledging the views and concerns of our base while setting expectations on how to meet those

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-69913558622927879362008-03-12T12:48:00.000-07:002010-03-07T13:38:20.251-08:00

Looks like sea creatures have determined they can't count on human assistance. In New Zealand, two pygmy sperm whales were stranded despite hours of assistance from humans, reports AP via CNN. The mother whale and her calf had been coaxed off the beach by rescuers but were then repeatedly stranded on a nearby sandbar, despite all human intervention.But then to the rescue came Moko, a female

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-74732701826701414282008-03-08T16:42:00.000-08:002010-03-07T13:40:21.836-08:00

Photographic evidence of my lax housekeeping skills; here's what was on my living room table this afternoon, right next to the preamp remote that I'd been using all day and the stack of mail from the week.I've been getting home so late for the last couple of weeks there's no way of knowing how long the web had been there.Guess I need to start a weekend routine of some basic cleaning lest Nature

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-23243049924911728082007-07-23T12:47:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:20:22.425-08:00

Despite having access to some way-cool, still under development, task-management software, and even though I'd set aside the whole morning, I'm still dragging my feet when it comes to listing and prioritizing all the things I need to do.So as part of my procrastinating, I started pondering why I was procrastinating. Yep, it's that bad. And while the answer is probably blindingly obvious to, well,

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-16671314868421319082007-07-10T20:59:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:18:38.254-08:00

Had a beach picnic on the Fourth and the fridge is filled with leftovers that are going to go bad if I don't use them soon. There's half a red onion, half a lime, and some vegetable stock all left for dead unless I do something.So, let's make some bean soup! I start by simmering the chopped red onion in olive oil until it begins to caramelize. I salt and pepper the onions generously, both to

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-10185113344075060042007-05-26T16:29:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:16:45.929-08:00

This was one of those slow Santa Cruz days; the overcast didn't burn off until almost three in the afternoon. For some reason, as long as it's overcast out I'm fine just puttering around the house, picking up stuff and doing laundry. But once the sun comes out I start feeling guilty about staying at home. It's like the marine layer keeps my thoughts trapped at home, but once it evaporates I

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-4879441734752058302007-05-16T20:13:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:14:35.096-08:00

A month ago I potted some plants, including cilantro. Normally I don't do well with plants, but I've been making an effort to keep these watered.Well tonight I made a batch of salsa and thus had occasion to harvest some of my flourishing herb. I'm amazed at how much the cilantro has grown in just a month; here's a shot of the plant after I cut about a half-a-bunch's worth off the bottom. It's

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-90106318711257246792007-04-17T13:49:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:12:45.265-08:00

We got our trees today!A week ago I noticed that squares had been spray-painted on the sidewalk in front of the parking lot next to my house. Inside the squares was the notation "tree." I was quite excited by the notion we might be getting some new trees on our block; sure enough, this morning three trees arrived on a flat-bed truck, along with a crane to lift them into place.A crew cut away the

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-83375678176793464512007-04-15T17:58:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:10:35.971-08:00

Potted the remaining California Poppy plant today. I also picked up some cilantro and rosemary that were on sale and potted those, too. I'm hoping they all will be easy to grow, given my indifference to rigorous gardening methods (read: inability to water regularly).I put the pots up on the back steps so they will get more sun. I'm hoping this placement also makes it difficult for Jake to pee on

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-82080829098361478412007-04-08T22:55:00.001-07:002010-03-11T00:08:37.605-08:00

I've always admired our state flower, the California Poppy. I like the golden orange color and the way it suddenly appears in Spring, all bright and proud. It's hardy, as a good wildflower should be, and since it's a native it tolerates poor soils and sparse water.Early Spanish settlers called this plant Dormidera, or the drowsy one, because the petals curl up at night. When I bought my house it

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-10563134864095815062007-04-05T20:57:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:07:13.225-08:00

The blog has a new look, as I've moved it to the spiffy TicTac theme from Dan Cederholm (of SimpleBits fame). It's a very nice template available to all on Blogger.Most importantly, this new design clearly separates the posts from the sidebar, so the site should be easier to navigate.Thanks for the great template, Dan!PostReferenceMore Info"I'm romancin' in my thirty dollar suit."Lyric from the

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-87655387900159852402007-04-03T21:45:00.000-07:002010-03-11T00:04:55.567-08:00

One of my best friends in Santa Cruz is about to take a gig aboard a cruise ship (the Grand Princess) as part of the orchestra. As I hadn't seen Rob for a long time I wanted to be sure we got together before he shipped out, so I invited him and his boyfriend Stuart over for dinner. Plus, I've been eager to make some real food in my new kitchen.We had quite the feast: Caesar Salad with Baked Tofu,

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-50186892034840462002007-03-01T19:48:00.000-08:002010-03-11T00:02:24.346-08:00

My telephone is on TV! Well, a cousin of my telephone is on TV, featured in the new iPhone ad. The ad starts with a ringing telephone circa the mid-40s; I've a refurbished model of the same phone in my bedroom.PostReferenceMore InfoThe Telephone Always RingsSong by Fun Boy Three

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1158119329313172802006-09-12T20:42:00.000-07:002010-03-10T23:59:49.179-08:00

The new iPods? Fantastic! The new features in iTunes? Stupendous.But WTF is up with the interface in iTunes v7? Seriously, the non-standard scroll bars, the atypical checkboxes, the abnormally dark selection bars...fugly. Just f-ing ugly.For why hath these abominations been wrought upon us? What's wrong with the scroll bars in Mac OS X? Or the checkboxes? Nothing. Use them.The new Cover Flow view

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1157519656493271762006-09-05T22:08:00.000-07:002010-03-10T23:56:32.963-08:00

So now 54% of Americans think things in the United States are going either "pretty badly" or "very badly," according to a CNN poll conducted the last week of August 2006.It's taken this long for a majority of Americans to realize things are going badly? Well, at least they've finally started paying attention.The good news, though, is that they understand how to turn things around. According to

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1157336980851004932006-09-03T19:22:00.000-07:002007-04-06T10:01:19.262-07:00

Even iTunes is prodding me into action, at least judging by how Party Shuffle put these two songs together.With Gwen urging me on and Terry assuring me it's not "what" but "how," it certainly felt like a message. Guess one can find messages anywhere, should one look.

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1157329056258859782006-09-03T17:07:00.000-07:002010-03-10T23:53:37.062-08:00

Wow. It's been a long time since I've posted here. If I thought there were any regular readers, I'd apologize.I've been distracted remodeling my house, which is weird since I'm not doing any of the work.But while I've been without TV (as I didn't bother to try moving the satellite dish to the apartment in which I'm staying) I've been reading more, and getting more fired up about the many things

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1142650168518630282006-04-09T13:17:00.000-07:002007-03-01T21:16:25.014-08:00

While I have been miserable at my current job for almost three years now, I have made faint effort to pursue other opportunities. A half-dozen inquiries about various positions, three actual interviews, but certainly not the significant effort you'd expect from someone so dispirited and bereft.Similarly I'm not satisfied with several aspects of my personal life, including but not limited to, my

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1143936682464645132006-04-01T19:04:00.000-08:002010-03-10T23:51:03.436-08:00

As of 00:01 this morning, I've officially broken my streak. That's right, for the entire month of March I did not receive a moving violation! Since November of last year I have received a moving violation each month, every month. A ticket a month for four months running, but March ended the madness.However with the California Highway Patrol clearly now a revenue generation program for the

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1140999338614522642006-02-26T15:58:00.000-08:002007-03-01T21:20:56.356-08:00

So now I've a new reason to hate Southwest Airlines.Sure there's the usual litany: their steadfast refusal to assign seats, the cattle-drive loading process, a haphazard approach to cabin cleaning, the constant rough landings (which I've christened "The Southwest Slam"), et cetera, et cetera.But on yesterday's flight I clearly saw their rabid anti-vegan streak. It starts with the seats,

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1138644350780385642006-01-30T10:07:00.000-08:002007-04-08T11:15:57.766-07:00

As always a bit behind, I've been working on resolutions for 2006. First you need a theme for the year, then the resolutions follow. Thanks, then, to the folks at Google for helping me find the theme for 2006!The company that says their motto is "do no evil" has found a way to support the wanton repression of the Chinese government. Leave it to the Googleplex geniuses to figure out how to

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1134145295552346212005-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:002007-03-01T21:20:01.395-08:00

Deliberately misguided by reactionary political organizations, some Christians are demanding retailers post and sell signs proclaiming "Merry Christmas" and compel their staff to offer the same salutation, or suffer economic retaliation in the form of a boycott.I say to you such demands are blasphemous based on the recorded tenets of the Christian religion. Christians, recall the actions of your

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1126302023678815332005-09-09T16:20:00.000-07:002007-03-01T21:21:11.687-08:00

As a vegan, naturally I've found there are some food items I've had to willfully shun. But there are many, many more that I have been able to reject without much of a second thought. As a hardcore fan of rich, dark chocolate, I can't say I've ever really missed milk chocolate since becoming vegan.Last time I was at Trader Joe's, however, I noticed a new product: a vegan "milk" chocolate bar (or "

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1122760974505143312005-07-30T14:12:00.000-07:002009-07-05T13:53:02.101-07:00

Driving home from work last night I was listening to my iPod shuffle. Jake was sleeping; despite all his attributes he's rather indifferent to music it seems.The shuffle is currently holding 280 ska songs. I leave it set on shuffle mode and let it wander through the range of first-, second-, and third-wave ska on-board. Sometimes it plays successive songs from the same artist or group, but last

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1122611873602454932005-07-28T21:24:00.000-07:002007-03-01T21:13:39.564-08:00

If you're at Trader Joe's or New Leaf and you see the Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard's 2000 Syrah, get a bottle. You won't regret it.Made from Livermore Valley grapes, this isn't one of the more popular or well-known products of SCMV. They seem to prefer promoting their wines made from grapes grown within our Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, and I can't blame them, but the 2000 Livermore Valley

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1122433393044641512005-07-26T20:14:00.000-07:002007-03-01T21:13:03.691-08:00

So, I arrive home from work feeling a bit peckish. The house is hot and stuffy from being closed up all day in the Summer heat.First, open up the windows to let in the breeze; the fog will roll in shortly and cool down the place. Next, pour a nice cold glass of Big House Pink. Finally, tuck into my newest favorite snack: organic baby carrots generously slathered in Miya's Green Goddess tofu

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1121698100995597522005-07-25T23:54:00.000-07:002008-08-19T21:06:24.124-07:00

The house rebelled recently.I came home after a not-so-great day at work, and while I was changing I noticed the sound of running water in the bathroom, which was odd as I don't normally just leave water running all day. Investigating revealed the toilet was no longer shutting off when the tank filled, and the excess water was pouring out the overflow valve. The shut-off mechanism appeared to

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1121701047180550732005-07-18T08:34:00.000-07:002007-03-01T21:19:10.985-08:00

Listening to Bloomberg TV this morning, I heard some talking head say Treasury yields are at four-twenty. And that he expected them to be higher. No doubt. Sounds like a classic case of Chronic Underachievement to me.

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14570831.post-1121629158917820632005-07-17T12:36:00.000-07:002009-02-16T20:29:50.137-08:00

Watered the plants this morning. The tomato plants need daily watering; I guess I used too small a pot. I pulled on the pair of worn, black, classic Vans that were sitting on the back step so I could traverse the patch of overgrown grass and dog poop to get to the spigot.The insteps of the shoes had long ago conformed to my feet, the foam rubber compressed by pressure at ball and heel, the canvas

Tylerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12308715688825029562noreply@blogger.com3