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Monthly Archives: March 2009

The Ascent of Man

The same design is available on all sorts of other things from the seller at CafePress. I think I still like these “53 miles per burrito” shirts even more.

In Which We Update You on the Adventures of a Young Pirate

When we last heard from our diminutive pirate friend, he had set a northerly course and promised to stay in touch. True to his word, a bottle washed up on the shores of San Francisco Bay a few days ago, with some tidings of his exploits. He hung out in Portland, Oregon for a while […]

Man and His Symbols

A storefront on East 14th Street in Oakland.

The Texture of an Economic Downturn

The evidence of tough economic times is abundant, and most of us could probably cite numerous statistics or events as examples: An official unemployment rate that is over 8 percent (double digits here in California—we’ve always been trendsetters!); enormous companies entering bankruptcy or limping along with subsidies (sorry, make that “capital injections”) from taxpayers; tent […]

Two Ships Passing in the Day

Looking toward the Port of Oakland from across the estuary in Alameda: Now will somebody take this damn camera away from me, so I can get back to writing my blog? Thanks in advance!

Back on Base

I had to go back to NAS Alameda unexpectedly today, but thankfully I had my camera with me, so I took some new pictures. I added about a dozen of the new batch to the same Flickr set that has the shots from my visit last week. If you liked some of the other ones, […]

Bird hunting in Oakland

Yesterday I “shot” another “bird” that I pass on my ride home: I might as well take a picture of every bird between work and home, until I can’t find any more. Hunting for birds will make the ride home a bit less monotonous.

“Now Open,” Now Closed

This billboard near my home has outlived the business whose opening it was advertising. (The dealership only lasted for two months and closed a few weeks ago. We’ll see how long the billboad lasts.)

Decommissioned

I had to go to the Alameda Naval Air Station (more landfill!) for work yesterday, so I brought my camera and used the opportunity to bike around taking some photos before I left the base: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Many more are available at […]

Smart Chimpanzees, Stupid Human Beings

An Associated Press dispatch from Sweden: STOCKHOLM – A canny chimpanzee who calmly collected a stash of rocks and then hurled them at zoo visitors in fits of rage has confirmed that apes can plan ahead just like humans, a Swedish study said Monday. Santino the chimpanzee’s anti-social behavior stunned both visitors and keepers at […]

Bird of Prey

I shot this near the Oakland waterfront on my way home from work today. You can click the image for a larger version.

Do It Yourself Crimefighting

I finally got around to reading this Boston Globe article about the selective implementation of the “broken windows” theory of crime in Lowell, Mass. A partnership between some academics and the police department identified 34 crime “hot spots,” then in half of the places they took proactive steps to clean up blight, provide social services, […]