Aerial Shots - Las Vegas To Phoenix

Northern Las Vegas.

Northern Las Vegas.

Boundary between Las Vegas and Frenchman Mountain area, east of Las Vegas.

Frenchman Mountain area east of Las Vegas.

Frenchman Mountain area east of Las Vegas.

Frenchman Mountain area east of Las Vegas.

Lake Mead.

North of Phoenix.

North of Phoenix.

Approaching landing at Sky Harbor Airport.

Hurricane Jova Aims For Mexico

It'll come in hard!:

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Jova strengthened to a major, Category 3 hurricane Monday as it marched toward Mexico’s Pacific coast, threatening the idyllic beach resort of Barra de Navidad and one of the nation’s biggest cargo ports.

Jova’s maximum sustained winds built to near 125 mph (201 kph) by Monday morning, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said it could reach Category 4 strength, with winds of greater than 131 mph (210 kph) on Tuesday before hitting land.

The forecast track would carry its center near Barra de Navidad, south of the larger resort of Puerto Vallarta, late Tuesday.

...The Mexican government declared a hurricane warning for a 100-mile (160-kilometer) stretch of coast form just south of Puerto Vallarta to a point south of Manzanillo, one of Mexico’s chief cargo ports. A tropical storm warning was in effect further south, to the port of Lazaro Cardenas.

...“The rainfall will be absolutely torrential,” Garcia said.

The Logical Thing To Do

M.: Now, according to the radar display on my iPhone, there is a line of thunderstorms east of Phoenix. The logical thing to do, in order to fly to Albuquerque while minimizing the sort of turbulence we had flying into Phoenix, is to take off from Sky Harbor Airport going west, then bank to the left, circle to the south and go completely around the line of thunderstorms and thus minimize the turbulence, before heading northeast. And, sure enough, here we are, taking off to the west!

S.: Oh, did you hear the announcement on the PA system? Our pilot is a woman! I'm so excited!

M.: Right.

S.: And look, here we are, banking to the right!

M.: Like I was saying....

Returned From New Mexico

Some nice time with the family (and as Tio Salamanca says, 'la familia es todo')!

Saw the 'Glowdeo' at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. I hope to put together a YouTube pastiche of that experience.

Also visited Santa Fe.

Also visited a few more "Breaking Bad" filming location sites, but not as many as I would have wanted, leaving out large swathes of the southern tier of the city. But it wasn't all bad. No, not at all! Check the Breaking Bad links in the sidebar for progress there!

Albuquerque Hiatus

Image from Breaking Bad is a sitcom - only darker than most.

I will be traveling to Albuquerque for the International Balloon Fiesta this week, so blogging per usual may be sporadic and haphazard!

First As Tragedy; Then As Farce

In trouble with the law:

Now Davis -- who was freed in March after two months in Pakistani custody only after a deal was reached to pay $2.34 million in 'blood money' to the victims' families -- on Saturday was arrested after a scuffle outside an Einstein Bagels south of Denver, the Associated Press reports.

According to a local ABC affiliate, Davis and another man got in an argument over a parking space, and things allegedly got physical. Davis was allegedly the aggressor, according to the report.

Protester Talks To FOX News

What are the odds they'll never air it?

$2 Million Grant To Measure Snowpack

Roger Bales was in the news today. He was one of my Ph.D. advisors, and it's good to see him bringing in the big grants. And Martha Conklin's there too!:

Researchers with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California, Merced, have received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to expand on a prototype system that uses a network of wireless sensors to track snowpack depth, water storage in soil, stream flow, and water use by vegetation in the Sierra — information that is key to efficient water usage.

The research team, led by SNRI Director and UC Merced Professor Roger Bales and UC Berkeley Professor Steven Glaser, will develop and implement a network of sensors throughout the 2,000-square-mile American River Basin of the Sierra Nevada, serving as the largest prototype yet of a system that could ultimately provide water managers in California the ability to better predict snowmelt runoff, the source of much of the state’s water supply.

...The $2 million grant will last for four years. The senior research team is rounded out by UC Merced Professor Martha Conklin and Danny Marks of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

"Thank You!" From The State Of California

On Saturday, I was sweeping the leaves from the parking lot behind my house. I do that periodically, even though it's the DMV parking lot, belonging to the State of California, and not my parking lot at all.

I tend to view the tree as mine, since it hangs over a portion of my yard. I keep after it for its leaf-dropping tendencies, but I suppose it's a complicated matter, since it also hangs over the neighbor's yard, as well as the DMV parking lot. The tree trunk is rooted just behind my fence, so I suppose it's an even more complicated matter, since it is rooted in the right of way of the alley and the sewage line, so it may technically belong to the City of Sacramento. In any event, for leaf-sweeping purposes, I treat the tree as mine.

A woman driving down the alley stopped and rolled down her window. "As a state employee, I just wanted to say 'thank you, thank you, thank you!' for what you're doing!" I replied: "Your welcome! My pleasure!"

We're neighbors, after all, and we have to watch out for each other.

Question Whose Answer I Might Not Like

Why does my garage and basement smell like a skunk?

"The King And I" - DMTC - Final Weekend

Arcade Fire - "Rebellion (Lies)/Month Of May"

Best band going!

The Phantom Menagerie Emerges From The Mist

M: EEEERRRRLLLLYYYYNNNNDDDDAAAA! I saw it! I saw a possum go into the garage and then into the basement! Ugly! UUUUGGGGLLLLYYY!

Corderoy Feat Yyvonne John- Lewis - Safe From Harm (Vocal Mix)

Shield The Chihuahua At All Costs

Dramas can crystallize on the streets of Sacramento in a heartbeat, and vanish just as fast.

This evening, in the 7:30 p.m. gloaming of a typical Sacramento evening, I was driving north on Franklin Blvd. Approaching approximately Donner Way, I suddenly saw a man running in circles in the middle of the street. He was desperately chasing and trying to catch a loose white Chihuahua. For some reason, the Chihuahua wasn't obeying his commands. I quickly slowed as the man quickly dove to the east side of the street, out of the traveled way, in order to save his own life.

Coming quickly from the other direction was a white sedan. Quickly assessing the situation, I could see two things:

• The southbound driver was moving rapidly and probably couldn't even see the Chihuahua in the poor lighting;
• Standing stock-still in the southbound lane, the Chihuahua was doomed.

So, I made a snap decision. Still moving northwards, I steered my car across the centerline of the street and aimed my car directly at the fast-approaching white sedan.

Suddenly faced with an imminent head-on collision, the approaching driver abruptly stopped.

We stayed stopped for a few seconds. The dog handler prudently remained on the east side of the street. Confused but alert, the Chihuahua drifted west down the side street, and out of the southbound lane. Cars were quickly approaching, so I resumed driving north: the other driver resumed driving south. At this point, it was better to just keep moving.

Hopefully it all worked out OK. I can only imagine what sort of lecture the Chihuahua had to listen to this evening.

Priorities

(At start of TV commercial)

E.: MMMMMMAAAARRRRRRCCCCC! Did I tell you what happened last Friday when I was driving to work?

M.: No, what happened?

E.: You would not believe it! I was at 21st Street and Broadway, getting ready to turn left onto Broadway, and I was sitting at the red traffic light in the left hand lane. I was first in the line there; all the other cars were behind me. The light was about to turn green and I was getting ready to go, but there was a car driving south and getting ready to go through the intersection. You know how they changed 21st Street? It used to be one-way, which I really liked because it was easier to turn onto the street. Now that it's two-way, I have the hardest time turning onto the street when I'm trying to drive to work in the morning, because of all the traffic. There's so much traffic! No one will let me in.....

(TV commercial ends. Fifteen minutes pass by before the next commercial starts.)

E.: So, anyway, the driver behind me was honking at me. They were like short little honks. It wasn't like he was mad, or anything, but he was signaling me because I wouldn't pull over after the big accident! I just kept going down Broadway; going to work. MMMMMAAAARRRRCCCC! I think somebody got killed in the big crash, and I saw the whole thing, but I was late to work, and I couldn't just stop just because someone got killed going through the intersection.

M.: Right. Hold that thought; the show is coming on again....

I'm OK; You're OK

E.: You must accept me for who I am, and I will accept you for who do you think you are.

Rick Perry Owes Ben Bernanke A Beer

This post appropriately notes just how much Rick Perry owes Ben Bernanke:

The Dallas Fed economists, David Luttrell and Harvey Rosenblum, observe that the Fed’s monetary stimulus appears to have packed a bigger wallop in Texas than in other regions of the country. But why should that be? One theory is that Texas’ banking system was in better shape because of regulations put in place after the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s. Regulations on mortgage finance and lack of zoning restrictions also meant Texas didn’t really suffer through a housing bubble.

...The authors also note that the Fed’s moves to weaken the dollar disproportionately benefited Texas. “A weaker dollar spurs exports, and Texas is the country’s largest exporter, comprising almost one-sixth of the nation’s total by origin of movement,” they wrote.

What People Post On Facebook

Today's a good day....


Via Ray Fisher


Via Michelle S.


Via John E.

Whither Philippe?

Florida’s been lucky so far this year, but I’m getting worried about Tropical Storm Philippe. Tropical Storm Ophelia will miss the East Coast altogether, and Tropical Storm Philippe, next in the pipeline, appears poised to follow. Nevertheless, there will be a moment when Tropical Storm Philippe has got decide whether to follow Ophelia north and east, or not. My worry is that it will not, and instead will proceed west, towards Florida, but we’re still a few days away from that decision point.

And, as always, it’s important to keep watching the Caribbean.

Indiana Rains

Jerry writes:

Look at what that cut-off low did! The heaviest rain was to our south, in the Logansport-Rochester-Peru area. (St. Joseph County, the one I live in, is the one with "3.2" in the middle.)

I reply:

That’s pretty amazing! All that rain! It’s too bad we can’t redistribute the wet stuff around to where it might be of better service.

Jerry replies:

Yeah, the recent rains have really come too late to do any good. June, July, and August were dry, but local farmers appear to have had a bumper corn crop. All this rain will probably just hamper the harvest.

The Milk Crate Full Of Sensitive Documents

Why is this milk crate sitting outside my employer's back door? Looks like tax records for numerous people, among other things. Is this evidence of a crime?

I've sometimes thought it might be useful to have several alternate identities, in case the Mafia, or the government, or the narcotraficantes, or the GOP came after me. Maybe I can realize these multiple identities now?

Or maybe I should just call the postal inspectors?

[UPDATE: It looks like there might be a little bit of stolen mail there, but mostly it's records for one person who moved multiple times. I have everything I need to adopt the persona of "Desiree". The plan is foolproof in every respect - except for one minor detail.....

I'd better call the postal inspectors instead....]

For The Record

For the record it's important to remember exactly what happened with Jetta's audition at X-Factor (audition May 8th - televised on X-Factor's premiere show on September 21st). Fortunately blogger Brittany Keener was there to record what was edited out of the televised video:

JETTA (LINDA) - 2 Nos, 2 Yeses
A 61 year old, young spirited rocker. No joke. Retired State worker in the department of rehabilitation. Sang "I Touch Myself." Though her first choice was "Piece of My Heart" because she is often told she sounds like Janis Joplin. Simon wanted ITM. This was my face the whole time --> \O/.

"I'm hard rock. I could really rock the place." And no doubt she did. it was actually pretty incredible considering it was coming from a 61 year old woman!

Simon: "You are a little tiger aren't you?"
Cheryl: "I'd love to have you as an aunt at my party!"

Both LA & Cheryl wanted to see her through to the next round, but Simon & Paula said no. Of course, right after Simon said no (and the audience booed this decision) he got up and walked away. Jetta just stood their confused. The camera guy had to motion her off the stage.

"The King And I" - DMTC - Third Weekend

Images from "Western People Funny".


Apologies for not many pictures this weekend. I try staying absolutely wide awake during this show, because as any Stage Manager knows, anything can happen at any time.

Also, I try to create a baleful, almost intimidating atmosphere back stage, in order to keep noise to a minimum (stately Rodgers & Hammerstein shows are particularly susceptible to back stage noise, particularly with kids in the cast). And my efforts seem to be working. The baleful atmosphere doesn't seem to affect the kids much, but I'm scared witless!

Final tableaux.

Preparing For The Trip To ABQ Next Week

Image from Breaking Bad is a sitcom - only darker than most.

Albuquerque Murals Project

Here's one great Web Site for Albuquerque murals. And another!

I particularly like "Getting Jiggy Wit It" Kevin Eddy, with dancer Nadya.

Kelly Rowland 'Love Takes Over' David Guetta

On The Down Low With The Canadian Pharmaceuticals

It's a convoluted process: the order is placed to Canada, but the order is filled in India. The process takes weeks, but if you want the low-cost drugs, that's what you have to do. But at last the message arrived that the package was at the Post Office. So, off to the Post Office I went.

From her accent and look, I could tell the postal clerk was of Indian extraction. She said: "Oh, your packet is from India!" I could tell she wanted to strike up a conversation - about the packet, about India, about any number of things - but she remained quiet. I was on the down low, so I kept quiet too.

She finished with: "Enjoy your merchandise!"

Early Winter Onset?

Jerry writes from Indiana:

Here's a classic cold-core low. This thing has been spinning its wheels for the past 4-5 days, giving us gloomy skies and about 2 inches of rain.

I reply:

We need some of that cold-core low action in the West. Specifically Texas, of course.

The cold front that passed through on Sunday was strong enough to give us sprinkles in the Davis/Sacramento area. It takes a HUGE meteorological production to make it sprinkle on September 25th of any year in the Davis/Sacramento area!

The forecasts show signs of an early winter onset in California. Which is just plain weird!

David Guetta feat Kid Cudi - Memories

We Are Family

E.: MMMMMMMAAAAAAARRRRRRCCCCC! We should get married!

M.: No, I don't think so. It would just confuse your boyfriend.

E.: (Laughing) You're right! He would just look at us and say: 'What kind of brother and sister are you?' And we would say: 'We are the inbred family! We are the family inbred!'

M.: That's right! We are just one big happy family!

Geoffrey Paris feat. Julissa Veloz - Drop Dead Gorgeous

Two extreme talents meet.