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November 27, 2007
One More Benefit From Baking Soda
A process that can capture the carbon dioxide coming out of industrial smokestacks and, using the factory's waste heat as the energy source, mix it with sodium hydroxide to produce sodium bicarbonate - baking soda. The resulting product is cleaner than food-grade baking soda. The baking soda can then be used for all the things baking soda is used for. Although, obviously, if use of the baking soda results in a classic bubbling reaction, then you're releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But, ultimately, the process should produce more baking powder than anyone needs. The excess could be buried ("sequestered" is the cool word), thereby storing the carbon in the ground.
All will be well, until a million years from now some unanticipated change in the climate causes tremendous vinegar floods all over the world. Some webloggers say that up to 90% of the world's species could be wiped out in the global equivalent of a 4th-grade science fair exhibit.
| permalink | November 27, 2007 at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)
Mission Santa Clara de Asís
My friends Bill & Emrys are on a mission to visit every California mission. Last Friday I went with them to visit the Mission Santa Clara de Asís, better known as Mission Santa Clara on the campus of Santa Clara University in (you guessed it!) Santa Clara. You can see the set of photos here, and these are some samples:
Filed under California,Photography | permalink | November 27, 2007 at 08:10 PM | Comments (0)
Brooklyn Mine Area
Sunday last week I rode along on a Great Outdoors jeep trip to some mines around the Brooklyn Mine, which is just outside the boundaries of Joshua Tree National Park. The area had more wildflowers than I'd seen in quite awhile thanks to that rain that came through in mid-September. The complete photo set can be seen here, and these are a few highlights:
Filed under Photography | permalink | November 27, 2007 at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)
Mitt Romney Admits Religious Bigotry
From an opinion piece by Mansoor Ijaz in the Christian Science Monitor:
I asked Mr. Romney whether he would consider including qualified Americans of the Islamic faith in his cabinet as advisers on national security matters, given his position that "jihadism" is the principal foreign policy threat facing America today. He answered, "…based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration."
Filed under Religion | permalink | November 27, 2007 at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)
Looking For A Video Camera?
How about this one, the Sanyo Xacti DMX-HD1000, which some say is the smallest high-def video camera. It weighs 268 grams and comes in silver or black.
I haven't found a review at any of the camera review sites that I really rely on, but you can use this Google search to find a lot of brief, positive reviews.
Here's the camera at Amazon where it will cost you $710.31. The page also has a few user reviews.
B & H will sell it to you for $694.95. They also have a few user reviews there.
The camera has image stabilization and records on SD cards. It can fit 85 minutes of video on an 8 Gb card. An 8 Gb card at B & H costs $100.
Still photos on this camera are only 4 megapixels. Before you poo-poo that, I ask you to recall all the good photos you took with your old 3 or 4 megapixel camera before you upgraded to the monster you have now.
Filed under Photography | permalink | November 27, 2007 at 07:10 AM | Comments (2)
November 26, 2007
Trent Lott Rumor
This is Benjamin Nicholas, gay escort, who is currently denying he has had a relationship with Senator Trent Lott. Big Head DC intially floated the rumor, and at first Mr. Nicholas just said "No comment."
Filed under Gay Issues | permalink | November 26, 2007 at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)
The Founding Of Desert Hot Springs
I recently picked up a copy of The Waters of Comfort by John J. Hunt. It's the history of the founding and development of Desert Hot Springs. When I finish it, I may post a list of historical highlights here, since the list I got from the DHS Historical Society seemed to imply that nothing happened between 1964 and 1987. But until then, I want to share with you a passage from the book, which may give you an idea why we're here where we are.
The time is November 1932. L.W. Coffee, the real estate developer who actually created Desert Hot Springs, had just arrived at Garnet Station with his wife Lillian. He had already met Cabot Yerxa in Moorpark who had told him of the hot and cold waters he had found and provided the Coffees with a map. Hiking across the desert on foot, they spotted the oasis at Two Bunch Palms. They stopped at what had been the holdings of Cabot Yerxa, before hiking on to the homestead of Bill Anderson at what is now 8th and Palm Drive. He was one of only two permanent residents in the area. Anderson welcomed Coffee, even though all he could offer them was hotcakes and coffee, and he had only half a bag of water because his pump was broken...
Coffee's eyes scanned the valley below them in the rich, fading twilight. Ten miles away the splendid spike of granite called Mount San Jacinto stood majestic and proud. From her peak and descending gently over her escarpments was a skimpy mantilla of snow, now glowing in the orangey light. Below this the slopes were delicate shades of lilac and purple and black. The air was keen on the back of the throat and there was a great silence flung over this magnificent desertscape. In his mind, Coffee's dream was already materializing.Following dinner that evening, Anderson related to his guests how difficult it had been to improve his quarter section and that there were no tangible returns of any kind from the homestead.
"Then how do you make ends meet, Bill?" Coffee asked him.
"Well, times I get over to Indio and do buildin', paintin', you know, odd jobs. Then I'll stock up on basics and head back over here, to the old place."
He drifted to a stop, as the trio became aware of the fading light shooting up behind San Jacinto projecting high over the mountains and the pass into a pale golden, red and purple fan of magnificent beauty.
It was Anderson who broke their reverie. "Like this every night, just about."
Up behind them in a canyon came the short sharp calls of a lone coyote, signaling the beginning of night on the desert.
They kept listening, but there was only the slight rustling of the creosote bushes. "Times it's lonely out here, but it's sure beautiful. I always thought this area would naturally attract more homesteaders like myself. Why, look at this view, and it's far better than you get over there at Palm Springs."
This book should be required reading for any resident of DHS. You can pick it up for $20 at the Sidewinder Cafe, the Paradise Cafe, the Chamber of Commerce or, of course, the Cabot Pueblo Museum. Those from outside the area can mail order it from the author. Just send $25.99 to
John J. Hunt
P.O. Box 156
Desert Hot Springs 92240
Filed under Books,Coachella Valley,Desert Hot Springs | permalink | November 26, 2007 at 09:23 PM | Comments (0)
Emma Clarke
Emma Clarke is the voice of "mind the gap" on three lines of the London Underground. Her story here. Her own website which is down at the moment. She has created some spoofs of her own announcements:
| permalink | November 26, 2007 at 08:38 PM | Comments (1)
Blockbuster Stores Closing
The Desert Sun reports that five of the Blockbuster video stores in the Coachella Valley are closing. The Yellow Pages lists seven stores, and the article says the locations in Bermuda Dunes and Desert Hot Springs will stay open. Competition from Netflix is doubtless part of the reason for these closings, but there's also competiton from DVRs, the internet, and just plain life.
Filed under Coachella Valley,Shopping | permalink | November 26, 2007 at 08:05 PM | Comments (6)
Astronomy At Tecopa
These guys organize a star show at Tecopa Hot Springs on the weekend closest to the new moon during the winter months. They set up on the hill behind the Tecopa Hot Springs Resort (very close to the county baths) and project their images on a screen, so anyone can watch comfortably. Tecopa gets noticeable light pollution from Las Vegas, but you'd have to go deep, deep inside Death Valley to get a better location - and then there wouldn't be the hot springs.
More info on the organizers is available at Astrochannels.com.
Filed under Science | permalink | November 26, 2007 at 03:42 PM | Comments (0)
72-Pound Turkey
A record breaking turkey weighed 85 pounds before slaughtering. Rich Portnoy cooked it for 15 hours.
Filed under Food and Drink | permalink | November 26, 2007 at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2007
Double Jeopardy
The Desert Sun describes a rare sequence of mishaps: "Brian Grant Wright, 28, of Los Angeles, suffered major injuries at Desert Regional Medical Center Saturday after he collided with another vehicle on SR-247 in Morongo Basin."
Next time he'll ask to be transported to Eisenhower.
Filed under Coachella Valley | permalink | November 25, 2007 at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)
Bob & Me
Sometime in the early 1980s, I would guess. Photo by Kendall's Fotos.
Filed under Photography | permalink | November 25, 2007 at 07:37 PM | Comments (0)
Young Visitor
Olivialo has visited our Desert Hot Springs this weekend and has this advice to share:
Werdd. Also I've never been approached by so many crackheads in my life. It's sad, almost every person who walks the street in Desert Hot Springs is a crackhead Just a little warning for anyone who goes just a bit farther out in Palm Springs...Other than that, I've gotta nice tan out of trip, and I'm freeee next friday
Filed under Coachella Valley | permalink | November 25, 2007 at 07:59 AM | Comments (2)
November 24, 2007
Interfaith
The Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, owns a place called The Quarries which is a recreational facility with a gym and fields 'n stuff.
The Austin Area Interreligious Ministries organizes an interfaith Thanksgiving celebration every year with each different "faith group" taking turns hosting the event. This year it was the Muslims' turn. They rented space at The Quarries for the event, which usually includes food, prayer, song and dance.
About eight days before Thanksgiving the Hyde Park Baptist folks read the postcard announcing the interfaith Thanksgiving and must have smacked themselves in the forehead when they realized that "interfaith" actually meant "inter faith." Somebody shoulda told 'em! Because they thought interfaith meant there might be some Methodists and Episcopals, and perhaps a handful of fallen away Catholics. Good lord, who would imagine such godless people as Jews, Muslims and Buddhists might join in.
Naturally, the H.P. Baptists did the only thing that Jesus could've done: told those interfaithers to go to hell. So Austin's largest synagogue, Beth Israel, offered to provide the needed space. "Hyde Park Baptist Church hopes that the AAIM and the community of faith will understand and be tolerant of our church's beliefs that have resulted in this decision."
Filed under Religion | permalink | November 24, 2007 at 03:18 PM | Comments (3)
November 23, 2007
Dickipedia
No penises involved. So it must be those other dicks.
| permalink | November 23, 2007 at 09:48 PM | Comments (0)
Another Green Energy Conflict
The Coso Operating Co. has run a geothermal plant near Inyokern for 20 years and now their well is beginning to run dry. So they want to pump water from a hot aquifer nine miles away. Unfortunately, that aquifer feeds Little Lake via hot springs. Little Lake is one of the few bodies of real water you can see as you drive along 395, and is owned by a hunting club that actively protects the environment. They say Little Lake is only 3 feet deep, so if you start draining the aquifer for electricity, the lake may dry up. Little Lake is not far from Owens Valley, which has been pumped dry by the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which carries water to (where else?) L.A.
Filed under California | permalink | November 23, 2007 at 08:15 AM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2007
It's The Pedestrians
In three of the four recent car-pedestrian accidents in Desert Hot Springs, it was the pedestrian who was at fault. Police Chief Williams says the department will begin more traffic law enforcement on pedestrians as well as drivers.
Filed under Coachella Valley | permalink | November 22, 2007 at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
Naked Bike Ride in Kansas City
Instead of doing their naked bike ride in June at the same time it happens in many cities around the world, some people did one on November 2 in Kansas City. One 19-year old male student was arrested. It sounds like the cops were willing to tolerate the nude cyclists, but the one arrested just didn't get out of traffic fast enough for them.
Filed under Cycling,Naturism-Nudism | permalink | November 22, 2007 at 11:17 AM | Comments (1)
November 21, 2007
Jesus, Mary, But No Joseph Pancake
Dana O'Kane says this pancake bears the "unmistakable" images of Jesus and Mary. If it's so unmistakable, I wish she'd tell me which was which. Her mother, a sensible woman, says it's a Bedouin and Santa Claus. I'm inclined to see Ma & Pa Kettle.
Filed under Religion | permalink | November 21, 2007 at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)
