This big flock of beautiful wild pigeons inhabits a few square miles in my neighborhood. They, along with blue herons, are the most wary of local birds. When they come in like this, the slightest bit of motion, even when we're inside looking through windows, will set them off in a flurry of wings and noise. (Also, I'm convinced animals feel it when you look at them.) We were having tea this morning when they helicoptored in. I crept over to the window with my Canon 20D. Look at the bird coming in for a landing on the right. — poetry of motion.
Flock of Band-tailed Pigeons in Garden
This big flock of beautiful wild pigeons inhabits a few square miles in my neighborhood. They, along with blue herons, are the most wary of local birds. When they come in like this, the slightest bit of motion, even when we're inside looking through windows, will set them off in a flurry of wings and noise. (Also, I'm convinced animals feel it when you look at them.) We were having tea this morning when they helicoptored in. I crept over to the window with my Canon 20D. Look at the bird coming in for a landing on the right. — poetry of motion.
Posted at
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
9:30 AM
The Coolest Apartment Block on Earth
"Viennese artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, has designed what has become one of the more unique and visually stimulating buildings in the world. With over 1000 unique windows, individualized handles on windows and doors, a living roof, café, parking garage, restaurant, bar, playground, and a running stream, the Waldspirale in Darmstadt, Germany is an architectural wonder. Upon first glance, second and third, one is simply enchanted and astonished." http://bit.ly/WyCvj
Posted at
Monday, July 06, 2009
1:31 PM
Amazon Taps Its Inner Apple
In a long article about the possibility that Apple will come up with a beautifully designed and crafted, wow-inspiring device that'll knock somewhat-dowdy Kindle for a loop:
"Nonetheless, this is how Steve Jobs could perform a jujitsu move on Jeff Bezos. After Amazon went through the trouble and expense of seeding the landscape, implanting the concept of the e-book in people's minds, creating a market where there wasn't one before, and moving to control the distribution system, Apple could muscle its way in with a full-color multitouch-screen media tablet that not only reads books but also offers video, music, Web surfing, email, and the combined power of the iTunes and Apple App Store. The device might even load into a desktop dock that accommodates a full-size keyboard. Books would only be a small part of what it offers, making it appeal to a vastly larger audience than the Kindle's…."
Hmm…
From "Amazon Taps Its Inner Apple" by Adam L. Penenberg; fastcompany.com, Wed Jul 1, 2009
Posted at
10:21 AM
Mud Bath Au Local/Fresh Halibut
Friday I worked on my (irregular) email newsletter GIMME SHELTER most of the day (slow writer) and around 6 took my paddleboard down to the lagoon. Incoming tide, headed into one of the secret side channels, maybe 25' wide' winding thru mudflats and pickleweeed. No soul in sight. Gliding along prone, @water level, get v. close to birds. Elegant egrets, wary blue herons, cloud of red-wing blackbirds at one point. Water warm from day's sunshine, headed into small side channel, gliding thru cordgrass. Pulled board up on mudflats, stripped and coated every part of my body I could reach with gooey black mud that was pungent with ocean & sea minerals. Dried a bit in wind, then jumped in deeper channel to wash mud off. paddled back to dock and here was fisherman Andrew, pulling in with 4 fresh halibut. I bought a 7-pounder, brought home and filleted. Great evening at seashore.
Posted at
9:03 AM
California Sea Otters Engangered
An article in the SF Chronicle yesterday stated that "Sea otters along the California coast are dying off faster than at any time since the late 1990s, a disturbing trend that experts say is partially due to human-caused water pollution, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Tuesday."
Vital Stats: Average 4 feet long; males weigh about 65 pounds, females 45 pounds. They have webbed hind feet, strong canine teeth, retractable forepaw claws, closable ears and nostrils for swimming, and dense, waterproof fur.
Habitat: Found near shore in shallow waters, generally 115 feet deep or less. Kelp beds are the ideal environment.
Diet: Carnivorous. They eat 20-25 percent of their body weight each day of invertebrates such as abalone, clams, sea urchins, crabs, barnacles, snails, squid, chitons, worms and sea stars.
Photo by Eliya on Flicker
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Thursday, July 02, 2009
10:28 AM
Discovering Timber-framed Buildings by Richard Harris
This is a gem of a little book, by Richard Harris, with handsome drawings of timber-framed buildings in England. It's of interest not only to lovers of these structures, but valuable for architects who may be designing a new building, or restoring an old one. There's a Google preview of the entire book here: http://bit.ly/bSR1Y
Posted at
9:11 AM
Joe Bark Paddleboards
"Joe Bark does not have down time. The Palos Verdes shaper/ /firefighter/freediver/spearfisher/father/surfer/paddler/boardbuilder/husband/harbor patrolman doesn't get much time to sit back and relax. Not that he'd want to. No, Joe is a study in constant motion, in fusing work and life and passion into one all-day marathon of doing what you love. And what Joe Bark loves is the ocean. Everything flows from there."
Posted at
8:11 AM
Short Intense Exercise Produces Surprising Benefits
A study done in 2007 (that I belatedly discovered) showed that "…alternating short bursts of high-intensity exercise with easy-does-it recovery…dramatically improved endurance capabilities. "
"…new evidence suggests that a workout with steep peaks and valleys can dramatically improve cardiovascular fitness and raise the body’s potential to burn fat….best of all, the benefits become evident in a matter of weeks." See: http://bit.ly/Kkr7J
NYTimes drawing by Chris Sharp
Posted at
9:32 AM
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