ART LINKLETTER / GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

ART LINKLETTER. Yesterday the genial and creative radio and TV host Art Linkletter died, at age 97. I was most familiar with him from his radio days in the 1950s -- back then my family had no TV yet, so radio was our staple form of home entertainment. Those old programs -- dramas, westerns, mysteries, variety shows -- remain vivid in my memory. Linkletter led a varied and colorful life before he settled into broadcast entertainment. The link above provides highlights. He was best known for his humorous impromptu exchanges with those in the studio audience, and for his easy connection with children.

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE. On this day in 1937 one of the world's most recognizable works of art and architecture was dedicated -- San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. It provides a vital traffic link between the San Francisco peninsula and Marin County to the north, spanning the channel where San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific Ocean. The signature orange vermillion color was chosen both to complement the natural surroundings, and also to make the bridge more visible to air and sea traffic in frequently foggy conditions.

The bridge is also the most popular spot for suicide attempts, not only in the US but in the world. Anyone who jumps from the deck, 245 feet above the water, takes about four seconds to fall. Speed upon impact is roughly 75 miles per hour, a velocity at which water takes on the properties of concrete. Those who survive the concussion usually drown or die of hypothermia.

Visually the Golden Gate Bridge is never boring to watch -- ships may be passing beneath, or the bridge may serve as a colorful backdrop to displays by the Navy's Blue Angels during San Francisco's Fleet Week. Here are a few sample images.

Safari Mod Nursery

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It's hard not to be impressed by the creativity, colors and attention to detail Crystal Peterson has put into creating her son's nursery. Isn't this the cutest nursery??? The quote on the wall above the crib "a bundle of joy is our little boy" was made with vinyl decal lettering. The letter "N" centered between the quote is a clever way to use a large monogram letter. Crystal painted the animal boards green, applied vinyl decals and attached ribbon - creative way to make art for a nursery. Love the bold stripe that is centered on the wall and goes around the entire room. The paint colors: Respite (blue), Leapfrog (green) both from Sherwin Williams. The brown paint is Dark Granite by Olympic. To view more photos of the Safari Mod Nursery click here.

Pinkapple Boutique is the place to purchase the vinyl lettering and animal decals. This fun site has an assortment of projects and wallboards you can personalize. If you want to make some fun crafts, check them out.

The Million Dollar Question..

Back at university, whenever I was asked the question "Mau, are you free? Want to hang out?" from my friend, it was always easy to give the green light and the definite "Yes". The only thing to consider was whether I was free or not. And transportation was the least to worry about back in university - firstly, because there was always another option like buses and secondly, there are places to hang out near our campus.

But here in my hometown, what was like a walk in the park back in campus was turning into a million dollar question. The question "Are you free?" and "When can we go out?" are the hardest questions ever - the million dollar questions which I had to get myself to think twice, if not thrice, just to come up with an answer. The first obstacle would be the transportation. Pa had to use the Myvi for work and Pa did not only work during office hours, but by shifts. And with my shitty driving skill, I had no guts to go behind the wheels again - unless it was for a very short distance. It had been a reaallly long time since I last touched the Myvi's stereng. (-_-")

So I guess the easiest answer to this million dollar question would be "NO, I can't come. I have no transport and even if I have, I had no guts to drive." Felt like a loser to utter those words out. I mean, who on earth kept a driving license and renewed them anually but do no drive? Oops, I know who, but my mom is an exception cause she did not have the opportunity to drive an auto car the first time she got her license.

So sorry guys. I can't go out tomorrow night. That's my answer to the million dollar question.

The Million Dollar Question..

Back at university, whenever I was asked the question "Mau, are you free? Want to hang out?" from my friend, it was always easy to give the green light and the definite "Yes". The only thing to consider was whether I was free or not. And transportation was the least to worry about back in university - firstly, because there was always another option like buses and secondly, there are places to hang out near our campus.

But here in my hometown, what was like a walk in the park back in campus was turning into a million dollar question. The question "Are you free?" and "When can we go out?" are the hardest questions ever - the million dollar questions which I had to get myself to think twice, if not thrice, just to come up with an answer. The first obstacle would be the transportation. Pa had to use the Myvi for work and Pa did not only work during office hours, but by shifts. And with my shitty driving skill, I had no guts to go behind the wheels again - unless it was for a very short distance. It had been a reaallly long time since I last touched the Myvi's stereng. (-_-")

So I guess the easiest answer to this million dollar question would be "NO, I can't come. I have no transport and even if I have, I had no guts to drive." Felt like a loser to utter those words out. I mean, who on earth kept a driving license and renewed them anually but do no drive? Oops, I know who, but my mom is an exception cause she did not have the opportunity to drive an auto car the first time she got her license.

So sorry guys. I can't go out tomorrow night. That's my answer to the million dollar question.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD / THE USUAL SUSPECTS

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Race, class, courage, compassion, the loss of innocence. These themes and more appear in Harper Lee's seminal novel To Kill A Mockingbird, which was published fifty years ago. Considered by many to be the finest American novel to emerge from the twentieth century, it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961, and was made into a movie which ranks 25th on the list of 100 greatest American films of all time. TKAM remains a standard in American Lit classes. It is also the only book which the reclusive Lee ever wrote.

Lee's narrative has touched so many lives that this year the novel is being honored at events around the country. Atticus Finch lives.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS. In The Idiots Responsible for the BP Oil Leak Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, there appears a rogue's gallery containing nine entries, with mug shots and brief bios. The list is well worth memorizing -- it contains well-known names and one or two surprises.

Now also comes the realization that BP was a major player in the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound. BP had a controlling interest in Alyeska, the oil consortium which owns and operates the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and was responsible for cleanup. Then, as now, planning was shoddy to non-existent when it came to operational safety and accident cleanup. (At least they're consistent.) The estimated 10.8 million gallons of crude oil which despoiled Alaskan waters and shorelines, has already been dwarfed by the Gulf of Mexico debacle, which is ongoing. Oil continues to gush from the wellhead, offshore waters continue to accumulate oil and toxic dispersants, beaches and coastal wetlands continue to be fouled, and the decimation of marine life, the coastal fishery and wetlands wildlife has only begun. This, not even counting the eighteen human lives lost during the initial well rig explosions.

Civil and criminal charges must be filed and aggressively prosecuted, against both corporate entities and against individuals (both within corporations and within federal regulatory agencies). In addition, monumental fines must be imposed on BP (operator and principal developer of the oil field), Transocean (the drilling contractor and rig owner), and Halliburton (the energy conglomerate which was supposed to cement the drill hole at the Deepwater Horizon rig), and a complete overhaul of oil industry operations and oversight must be initiated -- including an indefinite moratorium on all offshore oil drilling. The environmental, economic and human costs of systemic criminal negligence and malfeasance are too great to ignore. The satellite image below, taken yesterday, shows the current extent of the ever-expanding oil spill. (Click on image to enlarge.)