Joe Matos closing... sigh....

It's been some years since I last visited the Matos cheese factory in Santa Rosa... I'd been meaning to return, but it's too late now. It remains one of my favorite experiences in California. The last time I was there, Santa Rosa's sprawl was already encroaching on their farm. It's hard to begrudge people the desire to live in beautiful Sonoma County, notwithstanding some concerns about wildfires, and if the Matos family sells off the land, I hope they get a good price and enjoy a well deserved respite from the hard work of dairying and cheesemaking. They were damn good at both.

Sam Moore, RIP

Sam & Dave were awesome. They were best known for their funky up-tempo numbers like "Soul Man," but I like the ballads. Maybe this one is my favorite. It starts out with a weird little piece of "Chinese" music, and then ascends into soul heaven.

David Lodge, RIP

I have read a number of the well-known academic satires, including Lucky Jim, Moo, and Wonder Boys. Lodge's – especially his trilogy Changing Places, Small World, and Nice Work – probably gave me the most pleasure: funny, smart, well-written; biting, but ultimately humane. He couldn't help loving the characters he ridiculed.