tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36421672010-03-22T13:20:55.874-07:00Imbrium's Virtual JournalThis being a journal of my random thoughts and musings.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-13939253520051723852010-03-22T13:20:00.001-07:002010-03-22T13:20:55.985-07:00This blog has moved This blog is now located at http://imbriumvirtualjournal.blogspot.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://imbriumvirtualjournal.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default. Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-45065864454472224452010-01-09T19:05:00.000-08:002010-01-09T19:43:05.262-08:00I just bought a book I�d been wanting for a while. It�s about the West Coast during the Civil War � how often do you hear _anything_ about that?! More specifically, the book focuses on the Russian fleet sent to San Francisco Bay during the Civil War and stayed there for a year, implicitly to support the Union. The Russian fleet was incredibly popular in San Francisco, and parades, dinners, etc. Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-25297236451246732522009-09-08T23:35:00.000-07:002009-10-25T16:21:26.918-07:00Okay, I finally got around to getting my blog up and running again...It's been over a year since I've posted any of my thoughts and musings, or even a nice, long rant. I've been putting more things on Facebook, but still not quite the same. So, here is a random musing on a Russian movie, _The Captivating Star of Happiness_, about the Decembrist revolt of 1825-1826.I love that the Russians are Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-2565249343294255372008-03-26T12:44:00.000-07:002009-10-25T16:24:05.468-07:00Tipping points reach a tipping point.I was just reading an article about the current financial woes. The article mentioned that things have reached a tipping point, and it occurred to me that the phrase "tipping point" has reached a tipping point. It's become a buzzword for any sort of major change. I see it in articles all the time, but didn't really think about it until a few weeks back whenDeborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-91526593027665153052007-09-21T01:32:00.000-07:002007-09-21T01:39:19.457-07:00A new odd insect today. The name that springs to mind is leaf bug, but I'm sure that's entirely descriptive. Any idea what it is? I still get stick insects - the little cat went crazy over one last night as the insect ambled its way along the patio screen door - but this type of bug is new. I find its red fringe especially stylish. It was standing in the kitchen in a bit of water (perhaps the Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1578357072908823152007-07-19T17:23:00.000-07:002007-07-19T17:40:23.093-07:00My grunion greeter appreciation certificate. I'm quite taken with it. Check out the fine print. Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-29247547521605186132007-04-05T11:04:00.000-07:002007-04-05T11:25:21.718-07:00Went grunion greeting last night. I posted several pictures on a separate webpage - http://www.twilight-storm.com/Grunion.html - but here is one of my favorites:Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-30306320084961228122007-03-14T22:13:00.000-07:002007-03-14T22:15:40.590-07:00Flower-eating cat.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-17087539194635369862007-02-12T15:58:00.000-08:002009-10-25T16:40:20.005-07:00Global warming has been receiving an incredible amount of press coverage here the last year. That's encouraging, I suppose. It gets much more in some countries like the Netherlands that are already directly feeling the negative impacts... Like most things in business and in politics, problems tend to get ignored until they become an immediate crisis. Which always struck me as ironic given how Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1169284545305393482007-01-20T01:13:00.000-08:002009-10-25T16:46:47.006-07:00Saw a neat lecture on Afghan archaeology last night, had all sorts of neat tidbits and some pics. Turns out that there are ruins of several Buddhist monasteries in Bamiyan, right near where those big Buddhas used to be. The lecturer, Dr. Tarzai (three Ph.D.s from the University of Strasbourg; he gave his lecture in French, and his adult daughter translated), has been working in the area for Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1168127336178835092007-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:002007-01-06T15:51:34.243-08:00Finally managed to get a shot of the highlight of the baby cat's day, a hummingbird. Mally comes running when she hears the whirr of hummingbird wings. Occasionally, I'll her crouched in front of the patio door, waiting hopefully for a hummingbird to come. Sometimes I see her there at midnight, eagerly awaiting the next flyby (one never knows, after all). Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1166770274881682642006-12-21T22:48:00.000-08:002006-12-21T22:51:14.896-08:00The baby cat on her Christmas present:Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1163929429557657152006-11-19T01:42:00.000-08:002006-11-19T01:45:35.076-08:00Just went to try to pick up a Nintendo Wii for a little cousin. Her mom is kicking herself for not pre-ordering from Amazon, but who knew to expect this artificially-induced Wii insanity, inanity. I drove by several local retail stores, and you can imagine what the scene was like: gamer upon gamer in camp chairs and tents. Gamers were camped outside Target and playing baseball in the parking Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1163069849172500732006-11-09T02:51:00.000-08:002006-11-09T02:57:29.183-08:00Some days, it seems that my inbox fills itself...Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1162523843884471902006-11-02T19:02:00.000-08:002006-11-09T02:57:45.966-08:00Have been doing some hiking and walking, quite often with Gosia, we went to law school together. Today, we went to Mission trails, and I took a photo of the Mission Dam:The Mission dam is California historical landmark #52, see http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21478 for details.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1162452862344857122006-11-01T23:20:00.000-08:002006-11-01T23:34:22.356-08:00Found some Halloween merchandise on sale today. Ended up getting a foam pumpkin, so that I could finally use a pumpkin carving design I found last year. I'm pleased with the result, although it needs some smoothing work on the edges (the foam crumbles a bit).Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1158580296098537322006-09-18T04:46:00.000-07:002006-09-18T04:51:36.156-07:00A few weeks back, I received a postcard from a very old and dear friend. We knew each other when I lived in Mastershausen, Germany. He sent me a postcard celebrating the town's 950th Anniversary. I used to live very close to the church shown on the right. What memories it brings back! Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1155851621042550182006-08-17T14:33:00.000-07:002006-08-17T15:35:57.330-07:00Visited the Stephen Birch Aquarium. Ended up becoming a member. Here are some pics.Leafy SeadragonWeedy SeadragonMisc FishDeborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1150281814343212722006-06-14T03:40:00.000-07:002006-06-14T03:43:34.366-07:00Inspired by an online contest to "interpret" the name of an epiphyllum hybrid, I used Djali as a model...his entry is going to represent either "Buccaneer," "Pirate" or "Ostrich Feather."Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1149935512644629612006-06-10T03:30:00.000-07:002006-06-10T03:31:52.653-07:00Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1148120045233310132006-05-20T02:56:00.000-07:002006-05-20T03:14:05.603-07:00Just saw the Da Vinci Code. Cheesy, but enjoyable on a very basic level. This is a movie that will make you feel really smart, as the movie presupposes the audience has the knowledge of a bunch of inbred three year olds raised by gazelles. The characters� amazement when these puzzles are figured out is pretty entertaining. It seems I�m smarter than a cryptologist, a British scholar, a HarvardDeborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1147938206910063592006-05-18T00:41:00.000-07:002006-05-18T00:57:42.330-07:00What do you mean, it's not a punch card ballot?Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1147402180069762252006-05-11T19:48:00.000-07:002006-05-11T19:49:40.080-07:00Ladybug baby.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1147401113662462362006-05-11T19:28:00.000-07:002006-05-11T19:31:53.673-07:00One of my flowers bloomed yesterday, an epiphyllum hybrid named Fruehling's Gold.The bud right before it opened.And the flower. Very fragrant, the scent filled my entire balcony.Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642167.post-1147251687373495472006-05-10T01:54:00.000-07:002006-05-10T02:25:15.016-07:00Went to the Wild Animal Park to look at the epiphyllums, which are now starting to bloom. Here are a few of my favorite shots: I like the flower, and I like how the sparse stamens emphasize the shape of the flower. I like the play of light through the white petals. Interesting color combination. Beautiful color. Don't the stamens look like a fountain, or fireworks?Deborahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05748366066727955005noreply@blogger.com