A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green speaks with some members of Alcorn State University’s marching band "Sounds of Dynomite."
Yes, I'm sharing the bands in alphabetical order as listed on Macy's website with the last two swapped for a narrative. I'm glad it resulted in an HBCU band first. Also, I'm glad I got a non-NBC affiliate because of what I wrote last year.
This video earned the featured position because it had the best combination of preview image, location reporting, and studio shenanigans. The next video, CBS 8 San Diego reporting Millions around the world prepare to celebrate Persian New Year as spring begins had an even clearer explanation with less silly studio interactions.
Families celebrate Nowruz by gathering around a Haftseen table to mark the start of Spring and the Persian New Year.
The presenter should look familiar; she's Neda Iranpour, who I featured in 2022 and 2023. Welcome back to the blog!
Bita Milanian, Iranian American community organizer, joins KCAL News anchors to share some ways to celebrate Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year. Milanian explains how the new year is a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings.
CBS 8's Neda Iranpour explains how Persians celebrate Nowruz also known as the New Year. The celebration involves gathering around a table known as a Haftseen an elaborate sight, prepared several days in advance with "Haft" or seven items that start with "Seen" or the letter "S."
Foozool Khan left a comment reminding the station and its viewers that other people outside of Iran celebrate Nowruz.
I am an Iranian-American, thanks for celebrating Norooz and educating your audience. However, please be mindful that Norooz is not just celebrated by Iranians. Kurds in Turkey, Iraq and all around the world, people of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and many more, all are celebrating Norooz. Let's not exclude them from these great traditions.
Thanks for the reminder! Also, the Wikipedia entry for Nowruz lists even more countries that celebrate today.
Astrology is a system of beliefs and practices that seeks to interpret and influence the positions and movements of celestial bodies in relation to human affairs and natural phenomena. It is based on the idea that the positions of the planets, the sun, and the moon at the time of a person's birth can have a significant influence on their personality, character traits, and life events.
Astrology has been practiced for thousands of years in many different cultures around the world. It is often used as a tool for understanding oneself, relationships, and the world around us. Astrology can be used to gain insight into various aspects of life, such as career, love and relationships, finances, health, and spirituality.
There are many different types of astrology, each with its own unique traditions, techniques, and beliefs. Some of the most commonly practiced forms of astrology include Western astrology, Vedic astrology, Chinese astrology, and Mayan astrology.
The narrator shows less respect for astrology in the video, calling it a pseudoscience. That fits with my official positions on astrology, "astrology is bunk, but it's fun bunk" and "harmless but fun nonsense that I'm presenting for entertainment purposes only."
I'm surprised it took me this long to find and use this. It's been up for almost five years. I might also re-use this for MLK Day next year.
I'll continue my celebration of completing another year of blogging and starting another with statistics followed by retrospectives on (Wayback) Wednesdays, (Throwback) Thursdays, (Flashback) Fridays and selected Sundays through the rest of this month and probably all of April. Those will start after I observe WorldWaterDay tomorrow. Stay tuned.
*This is not a coincidence. From the Wikipedia entry for the Solar Hijri calendar: "Each of the twelve months corresponds with a zodiac sign; their names are the same as ancient Zoroastrian names from the Zoroastrian calendar – in Afghanistan on the other hand, the names of the zodiacal signs are used instead."
On the first day of spring Persians celebrate Nowruz, also known as the New Year. On Sunday at 8:33 a.m. it will be celebration time among thousands of families across San Diego and millions across the world.
Before the New Year, Neda wanted to share some of the rich traditions and meanings behind them. So as a Persian herself, she says “khosh omadeen” which means thanks for being here. We hope you enjoy a little taste of Iran.
“Har Roozetan Nowruz, Nowruzetan Pirooz.” That’s the wish for a happy new year from the Persian Cultural Center of San Diego. The Persian Cultural Center of San Diego (PCC) is dedicated to sharing the rich history and culture of Iran with San Diegans.
Shahla Salah, President of the Persian Cultural Center says, “Persian culture is such an ancient culture and it has really influenced culture around the world.”
I've watched a lot of explanations of the holiday over the years and I can say that I really enjoyed this one. Good work, Neda Iranpour!
It's about time I featured a Farsi happy birthday song for my blog's birthday.
I'm not through celebrating the eleventh anniversary of my posting First post: Why this blog? I'll continue with statistics followed by retrospectives on (Throwback) Thursdays and (Flashback) Fridays all the way through April. Those will start after I observe WorldWaterDay tomorrow. Stay tuned.
National Bike Month includes an ever-expanding diversity of events in communities nationwide — but the biggest day of the month is Bike to Work Day. In 2015, Bike to Work Week will be May 11-15, with Bike to Work Day on May 15.
More than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, making bicycling a feasible and fun way to get to work. With increased interest in healthy, sustainable and economic transportation options, it’s not surprising that, from 2000 to 2013, the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. grew by more than 62 percent.
Hundreds of American communities have been successful in increasing bicycle commuting by providing Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day events.
In fact, among the 51 largest U.S. cities, 43 hosted Bike to Work Day events in 2010. The City of Denver reported the highest rate of participation with one out of every 28 adults participating in its 2010 Bike to Work event. That effort makes a difference: Many people who participate in their Bike to Work Day promotion as first-time commuters become regular bike commuters.
But Bike Month is more than one day — or week! From fashion shows to group rides, local groups find unique ways to celebrate their diverse bike cultures and community pride.
I didn't find out about Bike to Work Day until I was already on the road yesterday, so I didn't participate, but it looks like it's a growing event. Follow over the jump for how San Diego and Detroit have observed it, along with coverage of Detroit's own cycling event, Slow Roll.
Attorney General Kamala Harris has said Bollaert’s case is the first prosecution in the country for an operator of this type of website.
“Sitting behind a computer, committing what is essentially a cowardly and criminal act will not shield predators from the law or jail,” Harris said in a news release. “We will continue to be vigilant and investigate and prosecute those who commit these deplorable acts.”
Because he is a nonviolent offender, Bollaert will be allowed to serve his prison term in county jail, which is allowed for certain offenders under California’s public safety realignment law. He will have to serve half that time before he is eligible for release.
Bollaert was convicted of identity theft and extortion. I had my doubts about the identity theft, but hoped the extortion counts would stick. Obviously, both did. He could be out in 10 years after time off for good behavior.
I will be on the lookout for more examples of SciFi is Now and 21st Century crime. Stay tuned.
When Kevin Muno wanted to be the best baseball player he possibly could be during championship seasons at the University of San Diego, it wasn’t enough to simply hit, throw and catch a ball. The Torero outfielder (2007-11) knew proper nutrition was essential.
“As an athlete, I was looking to fuel my performance with some of the best nutrition possible,” Muno recalled. “Coach (Rich) Hill did a great job of instilling in us that it wasn’t just about working out, but the nutrition you put into your body made a big impact on how you played on the field.”
He researched different diets, worked with USD’s strength and conditioning staff and learned about the Paleo movement. Muno was educated on grass-fed beef, vegetables, perennial food sources and highly nutritious foods. But what he also gained through this research was a career path for his post-baseball life — farming.
“While I was learning about where the food was coming from, I began to realize that a lot of our food comes from farms very detrimental to our environment,” Muno said. “That’s what led me to farming. This way, I’m combining my passion for nutrition and my longtime love of nature and the outdoors. It just felt right.”
Much to my surprise, I've only mentioned permaculture in this blog twice before, once in 2011 and again in 2012. It's about time I mentioned it again.
Just as it did before I wrote Fukushima radiation being monitored in U.S. kelp beds, the universe is sending me signals again. Today, two news items appeared on my feed that tie into my series of conversations with John Michael Greer the Archdruid. That reminded me that I had another tab open that also tied into that series as well as a link and excerpt that I had included in an Overnight News Digest on Daily Kos. Since listening to what the universe is trying to tell me is often inspiring, I decided to go along.
When I chose my long floral skirt and the matching puff sleeved Victorian top, and put the green feather in my hair, I didn't realize I would be seen as a threatening figure. I just chose the outfit because I thought it was pretty. With my husband, in his brand new top hat, and the rest of my family, I was looking forward to a fun and slightly whimsical day, with a short ride on a carousel and what I hoped would be some flattering photos. It didn't have to turn into a run-in with police.
A group of people in Steampunk clothes gathered to ride the carousel at the Westfield Plaza Camino Real...
Before 1pm, as a few of the Steampunk fans were walking the mall to shop and eat lunch before the carousel ride, security stopped them and insisted that they leave because of their “costumes.” They also called the Oceanside Police, who sent two cars.
Follow over the jump for more from this article, which is currently among the most shared and commented among at KPBS’s site.
Zero Waste San Diego is hosting its first symposium Tuesday in Kearny Mesa, bringing together business leaders, nonprofits and local governments for a discussion on reusing or recycling all materials.
The accompanying article by Dwane Brown and Susan Murphy, Originally published February 4, 2014 at 6:50 a.m. and updated February 4, 2014 at 5:05 p.m. has more fun facts.
The average person throws away 4.5 pounds of trash every day, including recyclable items like aluminum cans, newspaper, plastic cups and styrofoam food containers. ... In San Diego last year, nearly 70 percent of the city's waste stream was diverted through recycling and other means. That figure has remained unchanged over the past three years, according to city documents.
California set a goal in 2011 of 75 percent recycling, composting or source reduction of solid waste by 2020.
According to the video, the goal state’s goal is 100% recycling by 2040. Can it be done? Yes, as the City of Oceanside has already achieved it.
"Actually what I've really found trying to work with the community going on the road to zero waste its always a process. Its about behavior change," said Colleen Foster, a solid waste and recycling management analyst with Oceanside.
Foster helped 1,000 city employees in Oceanside reduce their waste to zero by simply removing their plastic trash cans and replacing them with much smaller ones. That forced everyone to think twice about what to do with their trash.
While I missed my opportunity to show this video in lecture this semester, I haven’t missed it in lab. Next month, the students will be working on a double assignment on recycling and the life cycles of consumer products. That should be a perfect opportunity to watch this video.
This morning, I wrote about Fukushima radiation being monitored in U.S. kelp beds. Tonight, I’m presenting the news from the past few months about a much less dangerous closed nuclear power plant, San Onofre. I first mentioned the plant’s closing in Energy news from California, when I quoted a LiveScience story about the plant being permanently shut down last June after a leak was discovered last January. Since then, I’ve been following the story through KPBS’s coverage that I’ve been quoting for Overnight News Digest on Daily Kos.
Without a national repository for nuclear waste, plants scattered throughout the country will have to keep waste on site for decades, possibly even centuries. Elected officials in San Clemente are expressing concern about how long waste will be stored in their own backyard.
With San Onofre Nuclear Generating System just a few miles down the coast, nuclear waste sits close to home. The San Clemente City Council voted Tuesday to take a stronger stance on waste storage at the plant, which was permanently shut down earlier this year.
As I point out to my students, the worst aspect of nuclear power isn’t the risk of meltdown, as in Fukushima. Very few plants melt down. All of them, however, produce radioactive waste, which is dangerous for thousands of years. Dealing with that is the big issue.
SAN DIEGO — A UC San Diego professor will help keep the public informed about the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. David Victor was picked for the job by Southern California Edison, the plant's majority owner.
Victor is an international relations professor and the director of the UCSD Laboratory on International Law and Regulation.
He is seen widely as an authority on energy markets.
Interesting choice. Looks like he’s highly qualified both in understanding energy and regulatory issues and communicating them to the public. I wish him luck; he’ll need it.
Carlsbad has fought for years to get a massive power plant off its coastline. The Encina power station will be put into mothballs in 2018 because its sea-water cooling system no longer meets state environmental regulations.
But under previous proposals, there was no guarantee the 400-foot smokestack would be removed. And until now SDG&E had not signed any contract to use power from a replacement plant, so any energy produced might have gone out of the region.
Now, because the San Onofre nuclear power plant has shut down, the energy landscape in San Diego has changed. SDG&E is interested in contracting with the owner of the Carlsbad power plant, NRG, for electricity to use at times of peak consumer demand. The new plant would be gas powered like the old one, but it would be air cooled, rather than using ocean water, to meet new state mandates.
It’s not as clean as I would like, as it’s still a fossil-fuel-powered plant, but of all the fossil fuel choices, it’s the cleanest.
One technology that I’ve been telling my students is coming is LED, which will replace fluorescent bulbs, which have themselves been taking over from incandescent lights for most of this century. The technology’s acceptance in one application shows my prediction is already becoming reality. As KPBS reported on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 3,000 San Diego Streetlamps Getting LED Upgrade.
The city of San Diego and General Electric announced Tuesday that a program to replace 3,000 streetlamps around the downtown area with energy-efficient LED lighting is underway.
The new lights are expected to shine brighter while saving the city $254,000 annually in utility costs.
A digital system will provide status updates on the condition of the lights, and allow the Environmental Services Department to adjust the brightness of individual lamps.
The decision by the city of Los Angeles last year to replace its high-pressure sodium streetlights—known for their distinctive yellow hue—with new, blue-tinted LEDs might have a profound effect on at least one local industry. All of those LEDs, with their new urban color scheme, will dramatically change how the city appears on camera, thus giving Los Angeles a brand new look in the age of digital filmmaking. As Dave Kendricken writes for No Film School, "Hollywood will never look the same."
Here’s one of the images he used making his point.
His essay also makes two points of mine: Everything is connected to everything else and there is no free lunch.
I concluded The last election report from San Diego by noting that it would “not the last entry that will feature the station’s stories. I have a whole bunch saved up, including the bulk of the next drought update.” On that note, here are the stories from the L.A. Times and KPBS on the drought since NASA on California drought and other drought and water stories. I’m going to violate the “if it moves it leads” policy by succumbing to celebrity first instead.
Lady Gaga has a new message for all of her “little monsters”: Save water.
The five-time Grammy Award winner will soon be on the air with a public service announcement urging Californians to do their part to help with the state’s drought.
So how did Lady Gaga become the new face of drought awareness? It started when the “Poker Face” singer wanted to use Hearst Castle for what the Hearst Castle Foundation is calling "a special creative project."
For her trouble, Lady Gaga got a thank you note from Governor Brown (reproduced at Buzzfeed).
As I’ve written before, Americans demand their entertainment. At least Lady Gaga and the State of California figured out a way to deliver it to them sustainably.
Follow over the jump for the drought news from KPBS.
Overnight, Republican Kevin Faulconer went from city councilman to mayor-elect. For insight into how he defeated Democrat David Alvarez, KPBS Morning Edition Anchor Deb Welsh spoke with San Diego Mesa College political science Professor Carl Luna.
San Diego Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer, a Republican, defeated fellow Councilman David Alvarez by a wide margin on Tuesday. He vows to be an independent leader for all San Diegans.
Democrat Alvarez, 33, conceded the race via Twitter shortly before midnight. Faulconer said the two men had an amiable conversation and that he looks forward to working with his former opponent, who returns now to City Council.
San Diego Mesa College political science professor Carl Luna said Alvarez's inexperience contributed to his loss.
"I think...what you've got is something of a perfect storm for Democrats: the triple 'w,' " he said. "They had a weak candidate, a weak message and a weak turnout."
After watching this contest closely for the past few months, I’m disappointed but not surprised.
San Diego mayoral candidates David Alvarez and Kevin Faulconer are both city councilmen, and so they both get paid about $75,000 a year. KPBS reporter Claire Trageser talks to Evening Edition about where the similarities between the two men's finances end.
Faulconer owns a more expensive home and has a bigger mortgage than Alvarez; Faulconer’s wife earns a lot more money than Alvarez's wife; and Faulconer’s pre-City Council salary was bigger than Alvarez's. Kevin Faulconer is 47, 14 years older than David Alvarez, so he's also had more time to make more money.
The next mayor will be in charge of the city’s $2.7 billion budget, and will make money-related decisions for the city constantly. Each candidate emphasizes his financial acumen, saying he’s the right fiscal leader for the city. And each candidate uses his own background and life story as campaign material. For all of these reasons, KPBS and inewsource dug into the two men's financial backgrounds.
Nine more people died from influenza-related causes in San Diego County last week, including a 27-year-old woman, bringing the number of "flu season" fatalities in the region to 29, the county Health and Human Services Agency reported Wednesday.
Last year, 65 people died during the entire season, according to the HHSA.
The 27-year-old, whose named was not released, was the youngest to die so far this year. She had already been battling a medical condition, the nature of which was not disclosed. The others were either elderly or had pre-existing medical conditions.
Not as bad as the rest of the state, but still not good.
February is traditionally one of the most active flu months in Ohio and Michigan, but Lucas County already has experienced a harsh flu season this fall and winter compared with recent years.
Toledo-Lucas County Health Commissioner David Grossman said it’s difficult to know if the flu season has peaked.
“I don’t think anybody can say definitively where we are at but we haven’t had any more deaths and the number of hospitalizations has slowed down. I would like to think we have reached the zenith and that it is leveling off but it could pick up again like crazy next week,” Dr. Grossman said.
The election is exactly one week from today, although early voting has been taking place for two weeks and mail-in ballots have to be ordered today. With that in mind, it's time to post the latest news from KPBS. "If it moves, it leads," so I begin with this video: Separating Alvarez From Faulconer: The Political Issues.
Just months ago San Diego Democratic mayoral candidate David Alvarez was little known outside his city council district. Now, the city is familiar with his story of growing up poor in Barrio Logan, the youngest child of a fast food worker and a janitor. KPBS' metro reporter Sandhya Dirks looks past the personal to the policy issues defining the race between Alvarez and his opponent, republican Kevin Faulconer.
I realized that I had two election stories from Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (California Drought Emergency) on Daily Kos that didn't make it into Debate, endorsements, and a poll from KPBS in San Diego because they weren't about the current San Diego Mayoral election. However, one of the stories involves one of the candidates for Mayor, David Alvarez, and the other mentions a candidate for mayor of another city, Imperial Beach. They aren't big stories, but in the interest of completeness, here they are.
The city's Committee on Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations voted unanimously to forward the ballot measure to the full council. The council will have to decide by the end of January whether to put the measure on the June 3 ballot.
Former City Councilwoman Donna Frye, now president of open government advocacy organization Californians Aware, is sponsoring the measure and spoke in support of it at the committee meeting. She was joined by other open government advocates.
City Councilman and mayoral candidate David Alvarez brought the ballot measure, which would change language in the City Charter to require more public access to government records, to the committee.
I'm all in favor of more open government, so I hope this ballot measure succeeds.
Serge Dedina, an environmentalist, of Imperial Beach announced plans to run for Mayor of Imperial Beach Wednesday.
A Candidate Intention Statement was submitted to City Clerk Jacqueline Hald last week. No other candidates have filed paperwork to state their intention to run for mayor, Hald said.
The 49-year-old former lifeguard grew up surfing in Imperial Beach. In 2000 he co-founded conservation and environmental group WILDCOAST. As a teenager he was appointed to the Youth Advisory Committee by then Mayor Brian Bilbray.
"This is the city I grew up in and where I hope to retire and die someday," he said.
Good luck, Serge. I hope you succeed, too. I think there need to be more environmentalists in government, too.
Congressman Juan Vargas said he'll return any money his campaign might have received from a Mexican businessman at the center of a federal campaign finance probe.
Vargas did not confirm that his campaign had in fact received the funds, but a source told KPBS that Vargas is "Candidate 2" listed in a federal complaint unsealed this week.
The complaint said retired San Diego police Detective Ernesto Encinas approached Candidate 2's campaign for federal office in 2012 to offer a contribution on behalf of a foreign national, now confirmed to be Mexican billionaire Jose Susomo Azano Matsura.
Follow over the jump for more on the scandal, other campaign finance news, and the latest in endorsements and polls.
Gov. Jerry Brown has delivered a dual message in his annual address to the Legislature - that a California resurgence is well underway but also is threatened by economic and environmental uncertainties.
After declaring a drought last week, California Governor Jerry Brown only briefly mentioned the drought during his state of the state speech. But several Central Valley Congressmen are calling for more action through federal legislation.
The Republican-backed legislation would allow Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumps to continue to send water to the Central Valley as long as water is available.
Those pumps are sending minimal water to the valley now because of low reservoir levels and river flows, not environmental regulations that protect endangered fish.
The bill would also stop the restoration of the San Joaquin River until 2015.
This is not really helpful, but it does serve the representatives' constituents--at the expense of the environment and other water users. Stay tuned. I don't know if this will get past the Senate, let alone President Obama.
Follow over the jump for more news about the drought and people's responses to it.
A San Diego man accused of posting thousands of explicit photos of women on a so-called "revenge porn" website without their consent, then extorting money from those who wanted the images removed, pleaded not guilty Friday to 31 felony charges of conspiracy, identity theft and extortion.
Kevin Christopher Bollaert, 27, -- who is out of custody on $50,000 bail -- was charged last month by the state Attorney General's Office. Judge David Szumowski scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 17.
In December 2012, Bollaert created a website called "ugotposted.com," which allows people to create anonymous, public posts of private explicit photographs without their subjects' permission, according to court documents.
None of this surprises me. I'll keep my readers posted on this continuing story.
In the first traffic case of its kind, a Temecula woman was found not guilty Thursday of watching television via a pair of computerized Google glasses while driving on a San Diego freeway.
Commissioner John Blair found at a hearing in San Diego that Cecilia Abadie was not actively using the Google Glass device when she was stopped.
A speeding ticket also was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
Score one for Google Glass wearers, although I expect to read more articles like the above in the future.
