tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224018942012-01-23T21:42:21.185-08:00Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.comBlogger1831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-83116657886715902842012-01-10T11:33:00.000-08:002012-01-10T12:00:31.394-08:00

In the time since New York police evicted the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park--formerly known as Liberty Park Plaza--metal barricades have been erected around the site, restricting access and forcing entrants to pass through checkpoints. I don't know about you, but I just love passing through "checkpoints" to get to a public space. That makes me feel relaxed and happy;

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-4749163715206820252012-01-05T10:32:00.000-08:002012-01-05T11:09:47.206-08:00

I do love making checklists. For someone who is as disorganized as I tend to be--I have a "nest" of books next to the bed--I get a strange thrill from checking things off a list. I'm so entranced by the process that I will make up tasks for the sole reason of adding them to my iPhone Reminders, and then checking them off when done. I'll even set a reminder to go grocery shopping WHILE IN THE

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-45606195749148566872012-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:002012-01-04T11:36:57.918-08:00

I'm a relaxed person, as a general rule, except in those situations that demand urgent action, like screaming at the TV to help my team win a crucial game. New Year's Resolutions are not such a situation. Hey, most resolutions are not something that will be satisfied in a day, so why rush to craft resolutions on one particular day that just happens to be used--by general consensus--to denote

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-91131277567323210322011-12-20T17:55:00.000-08:002011-12-20T22:16:38.777-08:00

I was standing on West Cliff Drive the other day, watching the sunset sink into the ocean as the waves pounded the shore in great booming breaks. Always dramatic and beautiful.And this dramatic setting was the backdrop for a human drama in miniature. Or so I would like to think. As with most epic stories, it started with a body-board.No, not a body bag, a body board. You know, like a

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-75032643276050391422011-12-18T22:11:00.000-08:002011-12-18T22:33:28.518-08:00

When I was in first grade, I assumed I was a Christian, because I lived in the United States. You can understand my confusion. This was before I really knew what being a Christian meant. My parents took me to church for a few weeks, presumably to humor me. Of course, then I got my first loose tooth after one of the services and lost all interest in church.Nevertheless, around this time of

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-80062656185643656252011-12-14T10:08:00.001-08:002011-12-14T10:37:32.172-08:00

Canada must be concerned that the previous Administration had tilted so far to the left that the country was in danger of tumbling off the continental shelf. That's the only explanation for the sudden extreme surge to the right, with the withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol and the banning of veils at the oath of citizenship ceremonies.Of course, one might ask if I can criticize them over Kyoto

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-63230830493728722832011-12-10T21:57:00.001-08:002011-12-10T22:07:19.259-08:00

Santa Cruz is surfing. And I never realized until I moved here exactly why people love to surf. Not that I surf or will surf--I'm too afraid that that water will swallow me forever--but the spectacle is amazing.There seems to be an art, a subtle interpretation of where the wave is going so you know how to prolong the ride. And there are the nuances by which people swimming out and surfers rolling

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-73058583788048741312011-12-07T22:47:00.000-08:002011-12-07T23:25:48.640-08:00

As Decembers go, mine has been quite emblematic. We watched A Charlie Brown Christmas last night, while I drank egg nog. We've decorated a tree, and enjoyed a fire in the fireplace--albeit gas-powered--while I drank egg nog. We have drunk a lot of egg nog, while I drank egg nog.This has always been one of my favorite times of year. Not because I'm religious, mind you: religion and I mix about

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-80348411109630152882011-12-04T11:11:00.000-08:002011-12-04T13:25:45.865-08:00

I've often wondered about the sort of people who write letters to the editor, myself being one of them from time to time. There is a spectrum, of course, from liberal to conservative, articulate to incoherent, thoughtful to screeching. In today's Santa Cruz Sentinel, however, the four letters seem to come from the same cross-section of humanity, all with the same target, the Occupy Santa Cruz

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-67928163558125327462011-11-29T11:11:00.000-08:002011-11-29T11:44:36.970-08:00

Canada: The New United States, And Not In A Good WayA climate meeting opened in South Africa on Monday, in the face of the upcoming expiration of the environmental commitments from the Kyoto Protocol. Against this backdrop, it is reported that Canada will announce a formal withdrawal from the accord next month. Really, Canada? What happened? I used to look up to you, both literally and

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-55842412140227418422011-11-19T22:05:00.000-08:002011-11-19T22:50:17.112-08:00

I had a bit of a shock last night, thanks to Google. I was working on my NaNoWriMo novella, and my protagonist was about to do some late-night webstalking. For verisimilitude, I decided to see what it was like, to pay attention to the process. I typed in the name of my closest friend from when I lived in Santa Rosa, a boy I was friends with from kindergarten through third grade, when we moved

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-79833765279390854222011-11-14T18:10:00.000-08:002011-11-14T19:44:59.411-08:00

As I walk near the ocean on West Cliff Drive, the college kid strolling with his girlfriend asks me if I have a cigarette to trade him in exchange for some weed, as if cigarettes were harder to obtain. The ocean. The ocean is our god, a vast and measureless presence, measureless to our eyes if not to our science. At twilight, you see fifteen or twenty surfers, just waiting, just floating

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-50212919507638062052011-11-08T17:11:00.000-08:002011-11-08T17:21:03.060-08:00

So it is National Novel Writing Month. I chickened out of it last year, rationalizing that I wanted to focus on writing short stories that I could try to submit for publication. All well and good, but I still haven't submitted, although I have a couple pieces just about ready to go. This year, then, I decided to do it. But then I forgot all about it until November 1st, so I went into the

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-88712755620492020762011-11-01T20:16:00.000-07:002011-11-01T20:17:51.571-07:00

A call for feedback from my readers. In this age of digital publication, it seems to make sense to allow ads on my blogs--not on LiveJournal, but on Blogger. It would potentially allow me to actually earn a little money from my online writing, which would be nice. The trouble is, I've always felt uncomfortable with that notion, because it seems like a passive mode of getting money, almost

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-56613650144556115732011-11-01T18:57:00.001-07:002011-11-01T19:03:09.158-07:00

Santa Cruz is life. Seriously, it is a garden of light and water and sun, a creche for relaxation. Despite an intensity at work that's rather brutal, I'm feeling liberated and free of late. In part, this is because I've completed a trifecta of whale sightings: this year I have seen a blue whale, hundreds of grey whales, and now in Santa Cruz, multiple humpback whales. These are the three

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-24824380762443975062011-10-28T22:31:00.001-07:002011-10-28T22:31:46.266-07:00

It wasn't the strands of bright silver hair that did the trick, startling as they were to see in the mirror the other morning. No, what did the trick was a three year old boy with a handful of pebbles.I've known for a while that I'm technically a grown-up. I'm 31, living in a different time zone from my parents, and engaged. I work full time and pay taxes. Now in Santa Cruz, I even pay for

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-70811283620946698232011-10-27T22:11:00.000-07:002011-10-27T22:26:43.489-07:00

Surfing is big in Santa Cruz. I mean, really big. I'm talking cetacean big. That's right, even whales and dolphins come out for the Santa Cruz surfing. Here's another example of the ridiculousness with which this new home keeps setting the bar high for idyllic moments, only to raise it still higher: on our daily stroll after work, we walked along West Cliff Drive towards the lighthouse where

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-3357585160675561852011-10-20T17:44:00.001-07:002011-10-20T17:44:08.297-07:00

Sitting here on a bench on the wharf, eating take out fish and chips, drinking a canned Corona and listening to the sea lions, I realize I was born in the wrong time and place. I would have been a great sailor on a trading ship across the ocean . . .if only I weren't so afraid of drowning.

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-20666815486657469492011-10-16T16:28:00.001-07:002011-10-16T16:28:49.607-07:00

House Republicans, in continuing to defend the Defense Of Marriage Act after the Obama Administration announced it would no longer do so, is citing a recent poll that found that more than half of all Americans accept same-sex marriage. That's right; they say that because a majority accepts gay rights to marriage, gays are no longer entitled to safeguards against laws that would deny them those

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-53597254737207039292011-10-08T09:57:00.001-07:002011-10-08T09:57:01.147-07:00

It is a moment of solitude. Marina and I are sitting in a cabin in the mountains as snow falls steadily. We are drinking coffee before a fire, listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and eating cinnamon rolls. This afternoon we attending the mountainside wedding of a long time friend-no word yet if "White Wedding" will be played. One week from today, we will be settling in to our new life in Santa

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-56026373079487750862011-09-10T17:08:00.000-07:002011-09-10T17:09:42.433-07:00

I am tipsy on brandy at the house my uncle designed and my father built. I can feel every inch of my body from the inside out. I know that my generation, my sister, cousins, and I, must preserve this place, no matter what. It surveys the sea and redwoods and is a monument to many lives, rich and vibrant.

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-20514499679960208182011-08-08T15:17:00.000-07:002011-08-08T17:36:14.546-07:00

Some of you might know that I have been undergoing several major bits of dental work lately: root canal, cavities, crown, and today an extraction. Essentially, I am paying the cost for my dissipated youth in terms of dental care. I am more machine now, than man, twisted and dental. Etc., etc. Here I am on the other side . . . of the extraction. As you can see by the subject line, I'm feeling

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-28765778822286039242011-08-08T08:21:00.000-07:002011-08-08T08:50:48.441-07:00

So, the Chronicle this morning carried an article stating that interim Mayor Ed Lee is most likely going to announce that he will, in fact, run for a full term. This comes on the heels of a very visible 'Run, Ed, Run' campaign--think 'Run Lola Run' but without the funky German techno-soundtrack, although both Lola and Ed have distinctive hair, Lola on top of her head, and Ed on his upper lip.

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-7119230866306706222011-08-07T12:09:00.000-07:002011-08-07T12:35:12.788-07:00

Debt limit crisis, more casualties in Afghanistan, economic worries, China criticizing our economic sensibilities. There's a lot to feel unsettled about today. None of which I can solve by snapping my fingers, so instead, I'll write some things that make me happy today:1) Getting up early on a foggy Sunday. In particular, a Sunday when I don't have to work on Monday. Sometimes I enjoy

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-20249991175832448962011-08-07T08:52:00.001-07:002011-08-07T09:33:42.997-07:00

Freedom of Information: free access to it, the ability to disseminate it for free. It's a basic concept, sometimes irregularly applied, sometimes controversial, but at the heart of what makes this country, and democracy in all forms, worth appreciating despite myriad blemishes. This question is complicated in the Internet Age, with the rise to prominence of organizations like Wikileaks, LulzSec

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-9337853965495904092011-07-11T22:35:00.000-07:002011-07-11T22:37:28.058-07:00

Apparently some people thought it was a good idea. A gang of protesters disrupted BART service in San Francisco. They chose to do this at rush hour, disrupting the commute for ordinary citizens. They are morons. Is it troubling that the BART police shot another person at a BART station recently? Yes.Are there problems with the BART police? Obviously, ever since the Oscar Grant shooting,

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-60523447815161419842011-06-08T09:22:00.000-07:002011-06-08T10:34:42.615-07:00

Last Saturday, winging in to Kalispell from Seattle, I remembered why I miss Montana: the glassy mountain lakes that look deceptively shallow; the verdant hillsides and the vast swaths of pine trees; the big blue sky with the rare tufts of clouds. And then there was the magical tour of Glacier, with the majestic, snow-cloaked peaks, unblemished and rugged, rising above Lake McDonald with the

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-3533817846224685202011-06-07T11:09:00.000-07:002011-06-07T11:42:10.532-07:00

I admit it; I'm infatuated with my new iPhone. It lets me post to LiveJournal online, it lets me write and dispose of shopping lists without wasting paper, it lets me download my favorite podcasts, and it lets me make phone calls--not an advantage to be taken lightly, as my girlfriend with her AT & T version of the iPhone will tell you. The iPhone also lets me log in to Facebook on the go--and

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-14097043863818598782011-05-30T12:42:00.000-07:002011-05-30T12:59:22.872-07:00

The back of the 38 Muni line can be a lively place. I've seen two undercover policewomen handcuff a disruptive, bald woman and escort her off the bus. I've heard scruffy men muttering to themselves, but it could be they were faking it in order to get people to leave them alone, because that is really all anyone wants on the bus: to be left alone. The other day, I sat down on a bench next to a

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-2109980285977214352011-05-14T20:36:00.000-07:002011-05-15T18:20:17.987-07:00

At the Academy Awards, Justin Timberlake told us he had a confession to make: "I'm Banksy." This tells us two things:1) People these days want to be secret criminals, not secret crimefighters. Remember when people used to say, "I'm Batman"? I guess being a millionaire playboy with a secret alter ego who fights crime is no longer as cool as being a mysterious criminal--since technically,

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-9889315127502240182011-05-07T22:15:00.000-07:002011-05-07T22:47:37.370-07:00

"What are your plans on Saturday?" Her sister asked Marina this question last week, as casually as if they were arranging a coffee date, and not discussing the arrival of Nephew: The Sequel. But they were, in fact, discussing the birth of Ryker West Keylock, Marina's second nephew, which is how we ended up driving along I-80 and up the 505 to I-5 on the day before Mother's Day, heading for Chico

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-37775640463263781982011-05-05T21:07:00.000-07:002011-05-07T18:43:45.461-07:00

Here's another reason to love the city. Leaving work, if I walk north on Presidio Avenue, I pass the mammoth palaces of the Pac Heights riche, both nouveau and vieux, I suppose, and reach the gates of the Presidio, the giant green and colonial creche of history and silence in the corner of the city. From the gate, instead of following the road, I can turn at an angle and follow Lover's Lane

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-6313256178109650402011-04-26T18:49:00.000-07:002011-04-27T19:07:13.965-07:00

Our last big expedition in Mexico was a trek to the cave paintings at La Trinidad. We rose early from the bed and breakfast in San Ignacio where we spent the first post-whale camp night, leaving even before the chance for the breakfast side of bed-and-breakfast, and drove through the rising dawn and the purple haze of early morning to get to Mulege by 9 a.m. We had reservations with a licensed

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-41102383963168810732011-04-24T16:17:00.000-07:002011-04-24T17:16:39.929-07:00

In case you thought all there was to do in Laguna San Ignacio was whale-frolicking, let me assure you that you are quite wrong. For part of our morning boat trip on Wednesday, we crossed the lagoon and entered an area of mangroves. This was fascinating to me, not only because it was so beautiful, but also because a lot of the environmental projects Marina has worked on in Mexico have involved

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-9452973469771050302011-04-17T22:01:00.000-07:002011-04-21T22:52:41.193-07:00

Tuesday morning, March 8th, 2011. We drove out of the town of San Ignacio, heading for the San Ignacio Lagoon, on the shores of which we would stay the next two days at a Baja Adventures camp.In other words, we were going to see whales.To set the stage, a brief anecdote from my childhood: when I was six or seven, I stood on a bluff at Fort Ross, on the Sonoma Coast, and saw a pod of migrating

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-40578628210603212352011-04-12T18:49:00.000-07:002011-04-12T19:28:34.303-07:00

Now that I've been co-opted by the iPhone Army, I've decided to post a list of reasons why this decision was the best decision I've ever made.*1) I now know what a receiving blanket is. We were in Babies "R" Us--utilizing a gift registry, not creating one--and we wondered, "What the hell is a receiving blanket and why do you need it?" The thought I spoke aloud was, "Maybe it's a ceremonial

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-13044662818792591182011-03-30T19:45:00.000-07:002011-03-31T21:16:12.711-07:00

Monday dawned, and Mexican Highway 1 beckoned us out of Loreto, heading to Laguna San Ignacio and a date with destiny, or at least 300 grey whales, which I would call as good a stand-in for destiny as anything. But first, we were driving to the town of San Ignacio for the night, before heading to the whale camp on Tuesday.That was assuming we could survive the Mexican speed bumps. Let's just say

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-73045088805629227322011-03-19T10:25:00.000-07:002011-03-19T14:26:13.639-07:00

Sunday morning, we rose early, walked through the quiet, sunlit streets of Loreto to a small cafe on Avenida de Salvatierra, where we had a delightful breakfast and ordered two sandwiches for our adventure for the day: a tour of the National Marine Reserve park of Bahia de Loreto, or Loreto Bay. Birds were chirping, we had sunblock and hats and water, I successfully asked for the location of el

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-87713387091754157932011-03-13T15:03:00.000-07:002011-03-13T17:42:44.133-07:00

One reason why I moved to California from Montana was for the chance to see whales again. That dream has now been fulfilled, although it required a trip to Baja California Sur and Laguna San Ignacio. In and of itself, that would be a milestone in my life, but the trip to Mexico was so much more. For one thing, I now have completed the trifecta in my passport, with a stamp from each signatory

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-84796570924304093532011-02-05T16:08:00.000-08:002011-02-05T17:29:42.966-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I set a stretch goal for my writing, in the sense that it was a stretch to think that I could keep up with the routine's requirements for more than three days in a row, but also because the more I stretched for it, the more poetically limber I felt. And yes, I haven't successfully followed that plan to the letter, but I have written about six drafts of poems since I made that

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-41876068247681436812011-01-26T20:18:00.000-08:002011-01-29T15:05:44.658-08:00

I was in the same room as Barney Stinson on Sunday. I'll let you soak that in for a moment. I'm still trying to soak it in myself.Okay, technically it wasn't Barney; it was Neil Patrick Harris, who plays Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. But still, Neil Patrick Harris was not only in the same zip code as me, he was in the same building, as part of Comedy Sketchfest. He was interviewing

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-11568300074318879732011-01-17T15:43:00.000-08:002011-01-17T16:03:39.293-08:00

I used to write poetry in large quantities. Some I liked; a lot hurt my sensibilities, like falling headfirst off a bicycle into some gravel. For some reason, though, I've fallen out of the poetry habit in the pursuit of projects such as this blog and others that seem more 'marketable.' That hasn't exactly proven to be a gold mine, or even a pyrite mine. I think that my nature is not

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-16846581383401616892011-01-01T22:11:00.000-08:002011-01-01T23:14:00.521-08:00

2011 is off to a great start. So far, I am undefeated on the following Wii games for the year: Just Dance 2, Jeopardy, and Wii Sports Bowling. So while I am riding high on a wave of accomplishments, let's see how I lived up to my last year's resolutions.Last April, I wrote a list of belated resolutions for writing and travel goals and posted it as a blog in order to hold myself to their pursuit

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-8104357913475100382010-12-20T22:00:00.001-08:002010-12-26T18:29:03.718-08:00

The first thing you hear in the Albuquerque airport is the silence, the loud, noisy, implacable silence which persists everywhere you go in New Mexico, in restaurants, galleries, the open road through desert vegetation, tribal dances. The silence clings to everything like the Christmas wreaths that wrap around every tree and post and wall, the Christmas lights that fill the plazas, a festive

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-59427616282667031542010-12-04T09:12:00.000-08:002010-12-04T10:31:56.010-08:00

In living up to the random nature of the title, a collection of loosely-connected thoughts, connected by the fact that I thought them.1) For a surprising kick to a cup of coffee, open the fridge, look at the creamer, grab it, pour some in to your coffee, then realize you grabbed a bottle of picante sauce instead. You don't even have to be drunk to do this, regardless of the quantity of egg nog

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-53105046117876878952010-10-23T16:24:00.000-07:002010-10-24T13:21:02.594-07:00

You know those promises you always make with full sincerity while secretly hoping the lip service is enough? I made such a promise recently to Marina, when she wanted me to get a manicure/pedicure with her. Yesterday, she collected on the promise."But," I pointed out,"it's raining out. We can't get manicures/pedicures while it's raining, right?" I was incorrect on this point. It isn't that I

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-28869254433878653772010-10-16T15:53:00.000-07:002010-10-16T16:31:09.205-07:00

I made an appointment with a dentist yesterday. This is much more interesting than it sounds. It is the culmination of a long period of evasion and denial. The last time I went to a dentist was in Montana before I moved, when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. It isn't as though I haven't had dental insurance. My job provides good benefits. For some reason, I've never actually called a dentist to

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-52510780898272026892010-10-02T11:18:00.001-07:002010-10-02T11:18:22.669-07:00

If I have not written in this forum of late, it is because I've been channeling my writing into an Introduction to Creative Writing class through SF State's Continuing Education Program. In other words, I'm trying to learn to write a short story. I know the general idea, of course, but I never seem to do so. I always get stuck. The neat thing about this class is the focus on the basics,

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-10541073656994705132010-09-01T22:48:00.000-07:002010-09-01T23:30:07.044-07:00

Living in the city, you get up each morning and walk down the same street, past the same boarded-up video stores and Chinese donut shops to the same BART station, where you board the same metal tube filled with the same commuters wearing the same expressionless expressions, to be whisked away to another familiar group of buildings you've seen before, maybe in a different city. It's something

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-27237343977050350292010-08-21T13:50:00.000-07:002010-08-21T15:52:40.208-07:00

Our Saturday morning in Toronto offered us two choices--breakfast followed by a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum, or a sojourn to the harbor front, which was reported to offer various beautiful vistas and interesting markets. We decided to go north to the Museum, because we were told there were better brunch options available in that area, which is a serious consideration in Toronto, apparently:

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-73393593336087065442010-08-15T22:04:00.000-07:002010-08-15T23:28:55.975-07:00

Cities are defined by the experiences they offer, the people they contain, but just as much are they defined by their skylines and architecture. For me, Chicago is the cavernous hall at Union Station, the skyscrapers and towers forming canyon walls on the walk from the station to Michigan Avenue and the Art Institute. San Francisco is defined by the two bridges, the Transamerica Pyramid,

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-76978373744373244862010-08-01T18:34:00.000-07:002010-08-01T18:39:50.710-07:00

I'm glad to see that America is not the only country where people speak without thinking, especially when it comes to politics and religion. A Catholic Archbishop expressed worry about Australia electing the first atheist prime minister, Julia Gillard. He worries that churches will lose special privileges--which is fine; no one wants to pay taxes if they don't have to. That's just how we are

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-14859469093274743582010-07-21T20:59:00.000-07:002010-07-21T21:02:44.612-07:00

The Second Amendment reads: "A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not beinfringed." I think it is telling about our country that this Amendment has sparked almost as much controversy as the First Amendment. I guess the Founders wanted to get the tricky ones out of the way upfront.But the truth is, this one

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-50529159770135797852010-07-10T15:58:00.000-07:002010-07-10T15:59:15.008-07:00

Don't tell me there is no magic in the world.We went to Santa Cruz a few weeks ago for our anniversary, and we stayed in a compact vacation cottage literally around the corner from the ocean: a small road led out to a promontory where three solid, narrow fingers of rock formed two mini-coves between two beaches.Our first night there, we arrived at the cottage in time to witness the sunset turning

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-80609153460543023172010-06-12T11:03:00.000-07:002010-06-12T11:18:57.028-07:00

There are many reasons to take the United States versus England way too seriously, but I am not taking it WAY too seriously. I'm only taking it TOO seriously. I don't have a soccer jersey, so I'm wearing a Montana State Cup T-shirt from 1998, and my boxers featuring Snoopy and Woodstock, because who or what is more American than Snoopy and Woodstock? I'm also wearing shorts and socks, so don't

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-32558353778264338712010-06-05T15:13:00.000-07:002010-06-05T15:33:55.215-07:00

When you look at the choppy expanse of the ocean, stretching past the horizon, undulations of blue and white and shifting shades of color, breakers crashing over rocks, a peregrine falcon circling and swooping along the face of the cliff, it is to be in touch with a sense of the sublime, regardless of your views on the existence of god or the marvels of a self-generated and self-sustaining

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-26320145353584525202010-06-03T20:46:00.000-07:002010-06-03T21:52:45.111-07:00

The motto of the crew at the lifeboat station at Point Reyes was "Ye have to go out, but ye don't have to come in." It's an appropriately wry outlook for a life spent rescuing those caught by disaster where the land ends and the sea begins. A majority of the people who go to Point Reyes Seashore and crowd the parking lot for the lighthouse probably aren't thinking about that sort of encounter.

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-15550094447835715402010-05-19T19:25:00.000-07:002010-05-19T19:35:06.767-07:00

The joy of working at 7:30 in the morning is you are done by 4:15. It is now 7:30, and I have come home, played with the cat, changed out of work clothes, started laundry, eaten dinner, put on the Giants game, chatted online with my mom, and now I am sitting at the kitchen island, sipping a small glass of brandy while I watch the water droplets accumulate on the window, from the rain that is

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-4132362626699341332010-05-01T21:55:00.000-07:002010-05-01T22:11:01.563-07:00

"This is what makes working all week worth it," I commented. "No, it doesn't." Then we got into an debate as to whether the absolute brilliance of the day, the Giants' victory over Colorado, the sun, the water--rolling and rippling below the Embarcadero--and the overall Saturdayness of this great Saturday in San Francisco was irrelevant with regards to whether work was worth it or not, or

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-85111445843465301302010-04-30T21:24:00.000-07:002010-05-01T08:52:55.615-07:00

A text message from a friend of mine today at lunch: "Here's awesome: campus just got off lock down cause there's an armed somebody. Now just one dorm is in lockdown." Yeah, that's always good for the mood, someone walking around a college campus with a firearm, who clearly should not have had access to said firearm. I don't care what tragedies the gunman may have borne, if it was in fact

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-86830527237701291162010-04-28T19:10:00.000-07:002010-04-28T19:13:33.373-07:00

1) The sky is that odd mix of sun and rain, where you think you should be able to see a rainbow somewhere, but it must be blocked by the towering blocks of concrete and glass. The sidewalks are damp, the tiles of Powell Street seeming to float. The line for the cable cars is empty this evening. 2) A bundle of human desolation sits on the sidewalk, asks, "Does anyone have any change?" He says

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-42759381628132462882010-04-18T18:21:00.000-07:002010-04-18T18:52:00.381-07:00

I bought new glasses last week and picked them up on Saturday. I had to take advantage of my vision benefits, because the new coverage year begins in June, and who knows if the benefits will be as strong? Also, Marina no longer was buying my claim that my old glasses were designed to protect my eyes from the sun with a protective layer of dirt and scratches. We picked out a nice and dignified

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-70166319083159429522010-04-15T00:06:00.000-07:002010-04-15T00:08:58.405-07:00

We all drank gin and tonics in a jazz club on Ellis, listening to the piano player, talking about Jack Kerouac, the brilliance of On The Road, which I haven't finished, and The Dharma Bums, which I have, ignoring the elephant in the room. I was thinking today about how we can be so convinced that we are right about something that we can't even conceive of how someone might think differently.

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-70847449444601127162010-04-10T23:40:00.000-07:002010-04-10T23:44:08.245-07:00

In an ongoing effort to practice focused writing, I've set up a third blog about cooking and eating in San Francisco without knowing anything about food. It's called, appropriately enough, Writing About Food, Knowing Nothing About It, and can be found at www.amateurfoodlover.blogspot.com.

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-34063256131233813752010-04-08T21:36:00.000-07:002010-04-08T21:37:21.076-07:00

We headed west last Friday night, out to the far reaches of Balboa, to the Balboa Theater to watch the Swedish film based on Stieg Larsson's novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. You would think that being that close to the Pacific, and planning on watching a movie like this, the weather would have given us fog, a brooding noir atmosphere, even though I didn't have my fedora with me. But

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-86242798261436317982010-03-30T00:04:00.000-07:002010-03-30T00:06:19.196-07:00

They announced today the arrest of a man in connection with threats against Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va). That's always scary stuff--along with the arrest of members of a Michigan militia who think the Antichrist serves on the local police force--but the point that caught my attention was the following passage:[the man] also seemed to refer to a bullet found in Cantor’s office last week and

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-14173603275073588362010-03-28T13:11:00.001-07:002010-03-28T13:11:22.642-07:00

I have seen some people on Facebook deny it, but the evidence is clear that "Tea Party" protesters used racial and anti-gay epithets, targeting Barney Frank and the civil rights movement figure John Lewis, among others. That doesn't exactly help them avoid looking like a party of crazy jerks. Nor does strolling around in public packing guns. Nor does the recruitment of Sarah Palin, for that

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-88081788447955284452010-03-23T22:14:00.001-07:002010-03-23T22:14:37.291-07:00

The people conducting the census are clearly go-getters, sticklers for details. A couple weeks ago, we got a postcard advising us we would be receiving our census form in the mail shortly. Then we got the form. Then a few days after that, we got another notice reminding us that we just received the census form and that we are required by law to complete it. We began to get the idea that maybe

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-35317726837002708382010-01-23T10:02:00.000-08:002010-01-23T10:03:05.398-08:00

Apparently, turning 30 means something, or so they say. Although, technically, I am just finishing up my 30th year, so my 30th birthday will actually mark the beginning of my 31st year, which sounds much less symbolic and profound, doesn't it? I've been waiting all week for it to start snowing; last night after dinner, a light snowfall began, and it has continued through the night, leaving a

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-6893385863838578582010-01-22T09:19:00.000-08:002010-01-22T09:24:54.822-08:00

The Supreme Court reversed restrictions on corporate campaign finance reform, ignoring judicial precedent, striking down federal statute, one that had been based on honest-to-goodness bipartisanship, the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act. Corporations can now spend as much as they want to influence elections. So much for conservatives' disdain for 'judicial activism.' The five justices in the

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-31394091866954972532010-01-20T09:52:00.000-08:002010-01-20T10:07:15.177-08:00

I woke up slowly this morning, hearing the stirrings from downstairs where Dad was building a fire. It was foggy outside the window--Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley had a fog advisory in place until 10 a.m., with the possibility of icy roads. I turned on the radio to Montana Public Radio for a dose of Morning Edition."An earthquake struck Haiti today--yes, we said today."Another one, a 6.1 '

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-88407342395022966802010-01-18T11:55:00.001-08:002010-01-18T11:55:56.033-08:00

I left San Francisco at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, the plane breaking through tendrils of fog. As we climbed, I could see out the window the fog flowing through the valleys and streets of the city, and the entire city meeting the bay in the early morning light. As we broke through the clouds, the sun from the east turned the clouds salmon-pink. And thankfully, the two year old in the seat

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-33274847612750615252009-10-28T23:23:00.000-07:002009-10-28T23:24:31.911-07:00

First, can I just say to all the Firefly fans out there that I hope you got to see this week's episode of Castle? The rumors were true. So gloriously true. Castle is a fun show anyway. Yes, I said it. Get in there and watch it so it will stay on the air so I can keep watching it. It's brilliant. Imagine Nathan Fillion saying lines such as "He didn't just murder [so and so], he also

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-43089401193869246022009-10-25T21:28:00.000-07:002009-10-25T22:32:21.702-07:00

Last night we went to Bimbo's, the North Beach club from the 30's that I have written about before. You know, the one with the bathroom attendants that make you confront the specter of the past and serving classes and slavery, etc. I made sure to use the restroom at home, because I like my live music without a garnish of middle-class guilt. We were there to listen to a new project by Ben

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-24047991725306321072009-10-12T23:23:00.000-07:002009-10-12T23:25:44.287-07:00

It was a cold and foggy holiday afternoon, a sharp wind from off-shore nudging Vaughn and me bit by bit, over and over, up the side of the dunes as we walked along Ocean Beach, white mocha and pumpkin spice latte in hands, gusts of sand sweeping over and into our shoes, waiting to be deposited in large mounds on the floor of the N Judah, much as the seeds of flowers propagate themselves by

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-53224281763803466982009-10-06T15:46:00.000-07:002009-10-06T15:47:24.903-07:00

I'm home sick from work today, itchy eyes, congestion, a symphony of sneezes, a stiff back. Maybe I have a cold; maybe I'm just allergic to people. After waking up from a doze, I thought to stimulate my brain by venturing into the intellectual discourse, the respectful give-and-take of differing opinions to be found on the comment forums on the San Francisco Chronicle's website. Now I feel

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-71482377471914721072009-09-30T21:04:00.000-07:002009-09-30T21:07:35.907-07:00

It may not be Milton, but I am channeling Voltaire these days. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." In my case, it is more a matter of "I don't subscribe to the beliefs you celebrate, but I will defend to the death my right to get paid days off on those holidays." Okay, so maybe it doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Still, coming up on the

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-11992433591530136442009-09-23T23:24:00.001-07:002009-09-23T23:24:36.652-07:00

1) I went back to Ninth and Irving last night. Drew and I met after work for a few beers at Yancy's, and then went to Milano Pizzeria for a pitcher of Sierra Nevada and slices of True Greek--by slices, I am referring to the vast swaths of pizza that Milano defines as a slice, approximately 25% of an entire pizza. Milano is this local, cash-only pizzeria on Ninth between Irving and Judah, walls

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-15460116917598848342009-09-17T22:33:00.000-07:002009-09-17T22:56:58.998-07:00

The other morning, I was rattling along McAllister on the #5 line, heading to work. Yes, rattling along, as that early in the morning I am nothing more than a hyper-intelligent bag of potatoes, bouncing and jostling along the road, not talking to people on the bus (hyper-intelligent for a bag of potatoes, I mean). I usually wake up after visiting a market to get a bagel and an orange juice and

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-39267801672043218702009-09-03T21:46:00.000-07:002009-09-03T21:54:05.882-07:00

The Western Snowy Plover is a threatened species, with only a few thousand remaining on the west coast, and with an average of forty who over-winter on Ocean Beach and Crissy Field in San Francisco. It is, of course, quite possible that there are more, and that we just can't see them, because they blend in to the sand so well, like camouflaged golf balls (the link above takes you to an HTML

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-34060434671088416302009-08-31T20:52:00.000-07:002009-08-31T20:54:37.798-07:00

Well, I used to feel fairly good, or at least okay, about having worked for Verizon Wireless. I had even been in the habit, up until now, of telling my girlfriend she should switch to Verizon, iPhone be damned. Then I read this:http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27824

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-86996472440827633432009-08-23T17:07:00.000-07:002009-08-23T17:09:04.827-07:00

1) For all the talk of a public plan for health care, the myriad lies and distortions that have been brought to bear against health care reform, and the talk of health co-ops, I have to say that co-ops are not without merit as a system of administering needs and utilities and services. Co-ops can take many forms, such as utility co-ops and credit unions. Working for a credit union, I can say

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-42883480152089102152009-08-14T19:47:00.001-07:002009-08-14T19:47:42.151-07:00

Ah, Labor: the virtue of the working class; the sufferings of a mother bringing another future worker into the world to compete for resources; the source of hundreds of thousands of sports fanatics around the world. And typically, the side I would choose in any dispute. A Bay Area Rapid Transit Union is calling a strike as of the end of service on Sunday night, which would shut down the central

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-47621978409670079372009-08-04T23:52:00.000-07:002009-08-04T23:54:27.588-07:00

Watching Mad Men is to watch a world of illusion and images, pretense and affectation, a polished surface above . . . what? They are constantly looking for ways to sell things: cigarettes, lipstick, Nixon, themselves. The irony is delicious, seeing the characters dismiss John F. Kennedy as a threat to Nixon; as a modern audience, we know of the effect that the camera and television had on that

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-72052420747808029972009-08-02T14:23:00.000-07:002009-08-02T15:01:01.515-07:00

I.In the news yesterday, it was reported that Iran detained three American citizens that crossed into Iran from Iraq, ostensibly as a result of getting lost while hiking.I'm sure there is no way this could be anything but exactly what it was reported to be; I mean, the border region between Iraq and Iran is such a well-known vacation hot spot.Although it begs the question, what sort of tourist

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-42678615657780020332009-07-29T21:39:00.000-07:002009-07-29T22:24:28.371-07:00

Twice in recent nights, I have bought a coffee or a latte, a scone or a doughnut, and sat on a bench by Lloyd Lake, watching the water, the lowering fog precipitating into water droplets, and the street lamps just turning on. It is close to major roads, but very still. It's the sort of place to take stock of things, to question your assumptions, to take a breath between work and going home for

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-46329801635960170472009-07-25T16:40:00.000-07:002009-07-25T18:03:43.139-07:00

One of the best qualities about Hawaii is that it is so tangibly there. This is a deceptively difficult task. A strip mall, for instance, is not really anywhere in particular, so you can't say you are somewhere. The same is true of a suburb, Danville or San Ramon, for instance. Lots of nice houses, well-kept lawns, expensive cement fountains and colorful flower beds, but no sense of place.

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-243905710602719922009-07-22T21:59:00.000-07:002009-07-22T22:03:42.572-07:00

Ironically, the random element discussed in this composition is the elimination of one random topic from the pages of this blog. As a general rule, you will find my discussion of sports topics confined from now on to my new blog. I feel like this is a chance to practice refining my voice for particular settings with particular requirements. I hope it will also make it easier for people to

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-29301615086584947532009-07-22T21:00:00.000-07:002009-07-25T16:19:39.573-07:00

While I sit here, busily not doing the laundry I planned to do tonight, the following random thoughts occur to me.1) An upside-down laundry tub makes for a fine computer table. It's deep blue, plastic, opaque, and it is the perfect size to support my laptop while I eat a peanut butter sandwich. 2) Oh, baseball. I was so excited there before the All-Star break. Then Pablo Sandoval is not

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-35917155120276209002009-07-20T23:40:00.000-07:002009-07-20T23:41:34.150-07:00

Tonight I finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman, another novel in the recent string of novels I've polished off, a sudden resurgence of reading productivity of late that has swallowed up a bit of Star Wars brain candy, You Suck! by Christopher Moore, Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Murakami, and The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night Time by Mark Haddon. Something has rekindled the love of

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-85317632522616992722009-07-16T22:45:00.000-07:002009-07-16T22:46:35.886-07:00

The last live game I attended, back in June, I accidentally noted that Barry Zito was throwing a no-hitter through six innings, which of course ruined the whole thing. Tim Lincecum has come close in a couple of starts this year, including a no-hit-through-seven-innings effort on Thursday, July 9th. There is something magical about no-hitters. That notion of mastery, defense over offense, one

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-53918880393786437602009-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:002009-07-16T21:46:16.807-07:00

In old Hawaiian culture, there were certain laws, or kapu, that governed the functioning of society, the violation of which was a capital offense. Condemned Hawaiians had one chance: escape to a place of refuge, such as Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, south of Kona. If they made it, they could be absolved and re-enter society. Imagine that sort of dash for survival, pursued by the people who, stories

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-56630933768244608522009-07-13T22:05:00.000-07:002009-07-25T16:20:44.957-07:00

The last ten days, Marina and I were circumnavigating the Big Island of Hawaii, conquering my fear of the dark ocean, snorkeling with yellow tangs, eels, and barracudas; overlooking a strange and alien plane, the caldera at the peak of Kilauea, with steam hissing from myriad vents around the vast crater, the source of sulfuric vapors or 'vog', volcanic smog; crossing a lava field on a dark and

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-2195651879218205882009-06-23T22:27:00.000-07:002009-07-16T22:28:13.828-07:00

Ball one, the first pitch of the game, and the world collapses in ruin, 42,000 fans raining down hatred and despair on the shoulders of Barry Zito, the $126 million dollar man, who at times has given the impression that he thinks he is being paid per run and walk surrendered. For the non-baseball fans out there, he isn't. It has reached the point, fairly or unfairly--okay, mostly unfairly--that

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-44296693507354985942009-06-23T21:31:00.000-07:002009-06-23T21:32:17.520-07:00

I'm going to assume that with Transformers 2: Even More Robotic Action--not the real title--premiering tomorrow, it is fairly safe to write about Michael Bay's first movie without spoiling too much, but just in case, you have been warned.Where did the impulse to watch the movie come from? Presumably from my childhood, when I was absolutely fascinated with the Transformers, and to a lesser extent

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-70670946347034591462009-06-21T19:23:00.000-07:002009-06-21T19:26:05.778-07:00

TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH: Giants versus Diamondbacks. KNBR AM Radio."Oh no, here we go again," is a phrase I've said too often over the years when following the Giants, partly because I'm a melodramatic pessimist when it comes to sports, but also because the Giants, time and time again, have "oh no, there they've gone again."In the second inning of the Giants-Diamondbacks game, after Juan Uribe--nephew

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-42331542222560364482009-06-18T21:22:00.000-07:002009-06-18T21:23:18.167-07:00

The season continues, another live game racked up in Oakland, TV and radio filling in the gaps in the jigsaw puzzle. The borders have been established; you know how the teams have begun, you know how'll they'll finish--not in the World Series, I can tell you that--and all that remains is to fill in the middle. Last week was a media historian's delight, as in the span (Denard Span of the Twins"?

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-80674297050171208742009-06-18T19:57:00.001-07:002009-06-18T19:57:37.199-07:00

So before the baseball season started, I set in motion a plan to watch one baseball game live, every month of the season, April through September, with October an afterthought, as the regular season barely touches that month and the playoffs seeming a dim possibility, not only in terms of Oakland or San Francisco's chances of qualifying, but also in terms of my chances of affording a playoff

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-89626020396392879852009-06-17T23:32:00.000-07:002009-06-17T23:34:53.156-07:00

1931, San Francisco at the end of the Prohibition Era. Agostino Giuntoli looks around, and decides what the city needs is a naked woman on top of a muscular fish. Thus was born Bimbo's 365 Club, complete with white porcelain statue of Dolfina. It's nestled at the edge of North Beach, near the confluence of Chestnut and Columbus and Jones Streets, among the hills and valleys of the steep

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22401894.post-28143833191862865092009-06-13T14:09:00.000-07:002009-06-13T14:11:37.095-07:00

Saturday mornings, over lattes and bagels and cinnamon buns and the newspaper, we like to listen to "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me", the NPR news-quiz show which frequently reports anecdotes that highlight people being entertainingly weird, which is a nicer way of calling them bats**t crazy.Perhaps I'm not being fair. Bats**t is not crazy, but a natural product of a normal bodily function to expel

Devinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04035503745053436012noreply@blogger.com0