Informational | ReallyRedding

June 8, 2009

A tale of two empires.

I’m not a doomer. Well, not exactly. But I occasionally read some of the doomer stuff, and one of the more interesting authors I have come across online is Dimitry Orlov. He was a citizen of both the US and the former Soviet Union during the period of the old USSR’s collapse, and traveled between the two. He has a really unique perspective. He sees parallels between our two empires that citizens of only the US might not have considered. In his opinion, we have much more in common with the old Soviet Union than we usually think. And because of our relative wealth, a greater distance to fall….

Anyway this video goes on for quite a while, but I found it worth a watch. Dimitry has that dry Russian style that can be so endearing and so disturbing all at once. His ideas are quite thought provoking. Whether or not you agree with his conclusions, you can learn from his experience. It’s hosted by Stewart Brand, who is a very interesting character himself. If you have the time, take a look:

May 8, 2009

Mr. and Mrs. Black Phoebe eat flies and have babies

An outdoor speaker under the pool shed eaves in our backyard has proven to be suitable housing for a family of Black Phoebes.
Nest
I put a small videocamera on a stick and gently shoved it in the eaves to see if I could see what was happening in the nest, a la Turtle Bay eagle cam. Last week there were a few eggs, and yesterday there were a couple of pink blurs with yellow beaks. It’s too close for my cheapo videocamera to really make much out, but in any event, there’s obviously a family here.

The Black Phoebes are a species in the family “Tyrant Flycatcher.” That’s something they do well.

Every so often, they fly off in a loop, to catch flying bugs I can’t even see. I tried to get an action shot, but good luck on that. They’re fast! These still shots will have to do.

Apparently, they like streams and ponds, but evidently they think our swimming pool is just fine too. Thanks to Karry for identifying the species for me.
Black Phoebe

May 1, 2009

H1N1 Flu coming soon to a neighborhood near you (probably)

Old photo of flu patients
I don’t have any better insight into this subject than you do, but I have been watching the CDC website. The numbers make it look pretty inevitable that flu is headed our way. At this point there are no reported cases in Shasta County. I wonder how long that will last? When it does hit I imagine there may be a bit of a panic. I hope everyone stays safe in these upcoming, potentially trying times.

The chart above was much shorter just yesterday. So. I need a plan. I figure I’m going to get it. Probably you are too. I’ve had the flu before, and lived to tell the tale. And I expect to do so again this time. Bravado perhaps. Not looking forward to it though. From reading the information available online, the flu virus has a nasty habit of mutating rapidly and into things we cannot predict. Obviously, some preparation is in order. You may want to get some Hand Sanitizer ready for the season, and stock up on other supplies as well in case anything happens. It could also be worthwhile wearing things like face masks in order to limit the spread of germs and viruses to those around us, check them out here – https://stringking.com/ppe/face-masks/3-layer-kids-face-mask/. I think I’m going to make some chicken soup. Enough to freeze until we need it, and I won’t feel like cooking much. In addition, it would be a good idea to think about the symptoms that come along with the flu and make sure that you are stocked up on the relevant pain relief treatments. For example, I will be making sure I have plenty of lozenges from places like Quantum Health (https://quantumhealth.com/shop/product/cough-relief-bagged-lozenges) for more natural remedies to treat a sore throat. The key is preparedness for this flu season. What are you doing? The CDC site has some suggestions:

Pandemic. That sounds serious. When we feel like these things are serious hopefully that means our community can come back together and work to help us through it all and keep healthy. I hope the chicken soup helps! Best wishes to all.

April 17, 2009

Where the rubber meets the track on Kool April Nites

Jet car
Hope to see you at Kool April Drags this evening, and over the rest of the weekend. The weather is supposed to be perfect.

I’m only a casual fan, but I run their website. This event is their biggest of the year, and with dueling jet cars after dark, no less. Definitely worth coming out. They’ve made a lot of track improvements.

This is oldest continuously operating dragstrip in the US. A longtime Redding tradition.

April 16, 2009

Where our taxes go

Yesterday was painful, but not as painful as it would be to live ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET. Still, this chart is worthy of your consideration. Be patient after clicking on it. It took a while to come up.

April 10, 2009

We took the Bullet Train to San Diego

We spent a few days in San Diego after taking the Bullet Train out of Redding. It just took a few hours. I remember when it took all day on I-5 back in the bad old days. What a great trip. The train was really nice, and we met some cool people. San Diego has a terrific Light Rail system. Look at what they’ve done to their cityscape HERE. We even took the Red Car to Tijuana for an afternoon of fun.
Bullet train

The Red Car is quaint and fun, but not as nice as our Green Car system that stretches from Shingletown to Whiskeytown. Of course, the best part of any trip is coming home to Redding. Our NicholsMelburg&Rossetto designed train station is one of the nicest in the world.
Bullet train

Of course I’m making all this up. I was thinking about this as we started getting so many e-mails this week about trying to beat down the proposed SCRIP (formerly Fix 5) building fees that are ostensibly meant to pay for widening I-5. Widening I-5? Are we maybe preparing for the wrong scenario here? They have “freeways” ten lanes wide in the Bay Area and they are still jammed. What if we had a decent rail system like they have in Europe? Why is that Europe has a better transportation system than we do? We are spending trillions of stimulus dollars and all we get is widened roads? I’m feeling really gyped. Where is the vision that built Shasta Dam? Our leaders today spend big, but think small.

February 25, 2009September 18, 2014

Variety City offers alternative shopping and fun

The appropriately named Variety City at 1281 Lake Boulevard carries grocery items that may have been slightly damaged, or are blemished in some way. Dented cans are a good example. They also have regular grocery items along with various and sundry hardware and gift items. The store has been owned and operated by Joyce and Gene for 9 years, in a property that had started out as a hardware/lumber yard. Over the years, I’ve always enjoyed shopping there for the interesting and unusual food items you can randomly find. There’s always something to be found you might never buy at a big box store, like some odd soup or sauce, but which you can find here priced attractively enough that you end up taking it home. You can find brand names you won’t see in the chain stores around here. Joyce works to keep the atmosphere really friendly and fun. I still remember the first time I walked in there 9 years ago, and Joyce saw me walking around looking at items, and said with her big smile, “Hey you, get a cart. You’re going to need it.” I did, She was right.

Of course, in these economic times, access to these bargains is more than just a a luxury indulgence. Highly recommended.

February 9, 2009

How we didn't win $76m in the Lottery

By now you may have heard the news. We’ve been getting lots of calls.

A group of teachers and staff at the school district where my wife has worked for nearly 30 years in Shasta Lake City won the lottery prize of 76 million dollars. My wife chose not to play, although it was offered to her. The callers are all wondering if she was one of the winners. Nope.

It’s a weird feeling. Lots of “what ifs,” and not a just a little irony.

But first, its great to think that these educators won. It will be interesting to see the stories that come out of this. We probably know all the winners, some very well. Shasta Lake School and the Gateway District in general is not an affluent area. Many of the teaching and admin staff are not primarily motivated by big money, or they would be somewhere else, doing something more lucrative. But who wouldn’t like to win the lottery?

More to follow….

February 3, 2009

State of the City, our Mayor speaks at the Cascade

The Mayor speaks
We attended the free version of the State of the City address at the Cascade yesterday evening. Mayor Rick Bosetti made references to Yogi Berra and Ronald Reagan. Ok, that was weird, but he did touch on some good points. We have many great things happening here, despite the tough times. New bridges, boulevards, and trails. A spectacular library. A new business park. I felt proud of my city, as I watched the presentation.
The Mayor speaks
Our city is well run, with a bright future. The event was sparsely attended, but I’m glad we went. I took several shots of local civic celebrities, but nothing came out worth posting.

The same presentation was made earlier with lunch included for $30 per seat. Oddly, it appeared that the earlier version was much more well attended than this free version, despite the cost. In these economic times, I find that surprising.

January 29, 2009

Imagining 10 dimensions in 11 minutes

This was an interesting and fun video about how to conceptualize 10 dimensions, although we beings only seem to occupy 3 or 4 of them. At least, so it seems. Well worth your 11 minutes.

Watch Imagining the ten dimensions in How to Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
After watching this, I lay in bed the next morning wondering if time, the 4th dimension, was actually arranged on a Möbius path. We might find ourselves at the start of our path when we reach the end, like the Flatlander in the video. That would be odd. Anyway, thanks to my brother Ron for sending this one.