The Oak Project

This little fellow is a brand-new baby valley oak, Quercus lobata, which I started from an acorn. The valley oak is the largest North American oak, and in my opinion overall the most beautiful, with its vertically striated bark, broad twisting and gnarled branch architecture, and pleasingly rounded lobed leaves. Unlike our other mighty California oak, the live oak, lobata is deciduous, and every spring even the most massive giant is covered in the glowing new greenery of this photo. This particular acorn spent several months mulling it over before deciding to hoist its shoot and make a go of it. My success rate with home-grown oaks is poor, but I sure like the looks of this one.

Can Music Be Perfect? Vol. 59

As we contemplate being sucked back into the Iraq quagmire...


PARTYUP LIVE ON SNL from VD Party Films on Vimeo.

So far, the race between really stupid automobile technology and the self-driving car...

... is being won by the stupid, such as windshield displays...

Charles McNeal

He was playing some tunes from Miles's Kind of Blue at Cafe Stritch in San Jose last night with a local all-star band. A fast, fluid, and creative soloist, he also has performed the public service to jazz saxophonists everywhere of transcribing a large number of great sax solos.

Now residing in Vegas, he gets to sit in. The fun starts at 2:30. I always loved this tune.

Happy Birthday Gladys!

This one sends a chill down my spine every time.

Public service reminder: College pays!

The NYT publishes yet another annoying commentary about the lousy career prospects of college grads. Professor Bronson's heart is in the right place, and clearly she believes she is doing her students a service in her composition courses. But then we have the following:

Over all, their goals are fairly reasonable for anyone investing money and time at the university level. 

But are they realistic? 

Probably not, according to Richard Vedder, the director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. “There are too many college graduates for the kinds of jobs they expect to hold,” he said.

Vedder can say what he likes, and realistic expectations are a good thing, but the bottom line is that the college premium in both pay and employment prospects is now as high as it has ever been. On top of that as a bonus you get to learn cool stuff that might make you a happier, more interesting, and more well-rounded person. Stay in school and get that degree! Does it seem like I am repeating myself? I am! See here, and here.

Steph

Not much of a sports fan, am I. No home-town loyalty either. But hoops is my favorite sport, and I gotta say I like these Warriors. I hope Curry is OK. Bad fall, gutsy game. The Rockets are doomed. Looking forward to watching Steph go up against LeBron.

Destroying California on Screen

Bring it on. Hollywood knows we can cash in on your envy of our great state. While y'all are sitting in the theater rocking your schadenfreude, just remember that heat waves, floods, and tornadoes are going to carry you away in vastly greater numbers than our measly little earthquakes. Not to mention the earthquakes you are inflicting on yourselves with your fracking. And sure, our drought will be unpleasant, but we'll get by, and then we'll charge you an arm and a leg for our wine and tomato paste.