"We assure you that all the revenues will be spent on salaries, daily life and infrastructure," he said at a news conference, addressing international concerns that aid would be used to fund violence. Link.

They assure us.

We have their assurances.

A January walk...

on San Bruno Mountain--a "mountain" in name only. Unofficial site & official site.

The view north toward San Francisco.



A little farther along, using the zoom.



The dark skyscraper in the middle is the Bank of America building; it obscures the more well known Transamerica Pyramid behind it in this shot. That bald patch of hill in front of the BofA building is Bernal Hill, the neighborhood where I live.

The growing season begins in a few weeks, but some irises are getting an early start.

This is Iris douglasiana, an iris native to coastal northern California and in to Oregon. I planted some in my backyard under a couple flowering maple bushes.



Farther along, a January inflorescence.



And a dried inflorescence of something whose name escapes me right now.

"Regarding gay men hugging prior to deployment, who cares. We let ugly people kiss, so if you don't like it don't watch it."

Link.

"Frey's story about undergoing two root canals without drugs was obviously false. Not because such pain cannot be endured but because no dentist is going to risk his fingers in the mouth of someone who hasn't had an anesthetic."

Link.

Must. Have. The. Slanket.

Link.

"If you're worried about the Federal government getting your search-history out of Google, Yahoo and other search-engines, there are steps you can take to keep your personal search-history private."

Link.

What is wrong with people?

"A mysterious man appears at Edgar Allan Poe's grave every year on his birthday, January 19, and leaves flowers and cognac as a memorial. It's not known who he is, nor how he gets in, and every year his ceremony gets more difficult as crowds of gawkers crowd around the cemetary, hoping to catch and unmask him."

Link.

Leave the secret alone!

Araucaria araucana

Also at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, January 10, 2006.

Garrya elliptica

The coast silktassel bush, a California native renowned for the male plant's dangling winter catkins, as seen today at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. I planted a small one of these in a sorta shady front yard container. I hope it grows.

Email from a friend

From an elementary school vice principal, with the subject line "Best Day Ever!!!":

Today a child wrote "I Love You" on a bathroom stall wall...in doo-doo. I have already begun to collect handwriting samples and interview the usual suspects.

As I have been saying for the last few hours: I love you was the message; crap was the medium. How powerfully the statement has resonated with me all afternoon!

"This is cool: Italy is planning to put a telescope on the moon."

Link from Dean Esmay.

"If our passive trust was a benefit you wanted to enjoy, that's all the more reason we should be suspicious of you."

Link.

"The most dangerous idea is the only dangerous idea: The idea that ideas can be dangerous."

Link.


Other "dangerous ideas" here.

"Investment bank Piper Jaffray & Co. predicted in a Jan. 3 research note that the [Google]'s stock would climb to $600 before yearend."

Link.

As my boyfriend put it, it's like the dot-com boom all over again, but this time with just one company.

After breaking up with [Harvey] Keitel, [Lorraine] Bracco married the actor Edward James Olmos in 1994 but handled her own finances. "With Eddie it was separate" because his business interests were in California, she said.

She and Olmos were divorced several years ago in the wake of the court battle with Keitel for custody of Stella. It ended with Stella in Bracco's custody, and with Olmos banned from seeing Stella alone, Bracco said. An assistant said that Olmos was traveling and could not be reached for comment.

Link.

Sooo...like what happened between Eddie and Stella? Yikes.

"As I mentioned a while back, I'm in Mexico now with Michelle's family.

The views are nice.

And the house is absurdly opulent.

I do have one complaint, however.

Our bedroom decorations include the following... "

LINK.

"Yahoo is moving toward people and community, while Google is focused on science and machines."

Link.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to my random visitors.

I took these pictures on a walk Christmas Eve day at Allied Arts in Palo Alto.





And this one heading south on Hwy 280.

"One in 10 Europeans is allegedly conceived in an Ikea bed." Link. (See "No. 11")

Also:

"More than food-scroungers, though, [German] IKEA workers fear lazy parents. Around 150 three- to 10-year-olds are deposited daily at the Hamburg-Schnelsen store's play area -- a complimentary offer to allow mom and dad to wander in peace through the showrooms. But many people misuse the service as a free babysitting service." Link.

Fifteen months after Mount St. Helens reawakened, the volcano is continuing to release massive amounts of lava in an unusual geologic display that in some respects confounds scientists.

Roughly every three seconds, a large dump truck load's worth of lava — 10 cubic yards — oozes into the mountain's crater. And with the sticky molten rock comes a steady drumfire of small earthquakes.

The unremitting, monthslong pace is not common, said U.S. Geological Survey geologist Dave Sherrod. Experts say it is unclear what the activity signifies or how long it will continue.

Link.