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The making of Inside the Meltdown by Frontline Producer, Michael Kirk of WGBH, Boston.
Sample Postings: 6 of the most recent entries ordered by date
[ Monday, August 29, 2005 14:06 PDT ]
Lake Tahoe: Trails and Tales for Active Seniors
Section:
Parks & Recreation
Summary:
Spring and Fall at mid-week is a great time for active Senior Adults to enjoy the high Sierra, Desolation Wilderness and Lake Tahoe. Camp Sacramento at Twin Bridges is but one base location for hiking, fishing, boating, rafting and kayaking.
Main:
* MT. Ralston, Horsetail Falls, the Pyramid Trail and the trout filled South Fork of the American River are at the front door of Camp Sacramento.
* Echo Summit is just 4 miles east and 1000 vertical feet up on Hiway 50.
* The trail head to Lovers Leap and the old Pony Express Trail starts at on the western edge of Camp Sac.
* Tony Loftin, Outings Chair of the Mother Lode Chapter of the Sierra Club, led many of the hikers and produced each evening’s group photo sharing Power Point presentation program.
* Kitty Esposto, Director of The City of Sacramento’s 50+ Wellness Program, was the resident camp cheerleader and activities coordinator. Volunteers and camp staff were both activities planners and participants.
* The 7 members of the group from the Davis Senior Center were the only non- individual campers enrolled. Many thanks to DSC staffer, Chris and Jan
* Upper Echo Lake is inhabited by Bears—- multi-generational Golden Bear alumni from Berkeley with long-term leases on their enclave sites and homes detached from power and telephone lines. Light is by kerosene lamps. Fresh produce comes from the Lower Lake Chalet 3 trail miles or 15 minutes away by power boat. Some sail: others canoe. Some politically correct types may be able to abide llamas. Real packers still prefer mules. Here abouts, a quiet and pristine High Sierra environment is tightly controlled and perserved.
* Upper Echo Lake is a good spot to access the Desolation Wilderness, Tamarack Lake, Lake of the Woods, the Pacific Coast Trail and the Pine Crest Ridge Trail to the 9235 ft. summit of MT Ralston.
* Kayaking on Emerald Bay from Bliss or Eagle Point State Park Campgrounds is also a great mid_week Spring or Fall activity.
* A Tahoe outfitter supplied both equipment, instruction and safety support.
Meanwhile, back at the Ranch, err basecamp, the campfire gathering included a performance featuring the Yukon poetry of Robert Service and traditional guitar songs. Now there is an idea for a birthday book gift for a young lady who is about ready for a Canadian trip to work on a homestead in the Kooteny region.
More:
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[ Monday, August 15, 2005 13:19 PDT ]
California, the Sierra and Water: The Dreams and the Schemers
Section:
Nature
Summary:
Indian names like Hetch Hetchy and Walla Walla have a way of lighting a smile and a long memory. When water is involved deep passions are provoked.
Nothing fires the passions of people more than what they take for granted in their daily routines is chanlleged or threatened by change. Water is one of the givens of physical and economic well being that is frequently assumed to be a public right that flows freely and purely from the tap . A monthly review of the metered water bill is a commonly shared bit of reality testing. And we once thought that people respond with alarm only from sticker shock at the gas pump.
Main:
PBS and the News Hour recently aired a balanced, on the scene, Spence Michaels report on the most recent Hetch Hetchy Valley Restoration and DAM removal proposal . The segment can be reviewed as a streamed videocast. The text with photos is also available.
* Many of Californias heavy hitters and major stakeholders have weighed in for yet another round in the ongoing water fight over who represents the most legitimate and political correct view of the future of California liquid gold. At issue: “the public interest” vs the public purse.
* John Garamendi, Sr. is an enviromentalist running for Lieutenant Governor in 2006. Barbara Boxer’s colors are well known. Dianne Feinstein is an ex SF Supervisor and Major and she knows the depth of the DNA around the water issue for the long term Health and Safety her City.
* The thesis for the opening round of this Million Dollar Baby campaign is an Environment Defense Fund study using a computer model of “alternatives” by academics Lund and Null at UCDavis. The source code, algorithms, assumptions and limitations behind that model have yet to be tested under the bright microscope light of an open public forum.
* Those who are of the view that Yosemite is the last best place on the Planet, or the Sierra, we suggest an alternative. Take a trek in the Desolation Wilderness during a full moon. The white granite and cobalt sky light up like a cool 4th of July sparkler without the sound. It is true that the Desolation Wilderness does not have bus tours, goumet dining at the Ahwahnee Inn and convenient comfort stations.
* However, it does offer some spectacular views from alone the Pacific Coast Trail of Lake Tahoe and Fall Leaf Lakes, some rapid flowing streams and falls feeding the American and other rivers.
* Desolation is a true test of Alpine camping and trekking . Meanwhile, the SF Public Utilities Commission is selling Hetch Hetchy water by the bottle. It is microfiltered and giardia free.
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[ Tuesday, August 09, 2005 13:06 PDT ]
The Discovery Space Shuttle and a local UCDavis Hero
Section:
Campus
Summary:
By all reports one of the crewmen specialists or Astronauts aboard the Challenger, 1978 UCDavis graduate Stephen Robinson, is a regular kind of guy who just happens to be a handiman at doing space walks and repairs.
Main:
He is space veteran with an authentic musical talent. A college radio DJ. he plays a folk guitar, and was a member of the UCDavis Mariching Band-uh. It is not surprise that he has his own Davis webpedia writeup/linkup.
* The local Explorit Museum for kids has downloaded his podcast from space,
* Local UCD staff and managers recall his nonacademic conversation with them on one of his visits home.
* A pre dawn 0500 PDT observation of the southern skies from atop the W. Covell overpass in north Davis was however disappointing . There as not clear view of the shuttle’s glowing reentry and glide path to Edwards AFB in the Southern Calilfornia Mojove Desert.
Oh well, it was still a great start for a 0545 DAM swim and welcoming of the dawn at the nearby Community Park Pool.
More:
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[ Sunday, August 07, 2005 15:12 PDT ]
August beats from the Heartland
Section:
Travel
Summary:
If is August it is time to take a vacation and get out of town. We note that many from the East are heading for the Heartland. Kristof of the nytimes reports on bigtime WiFi deployment in the wide open spaces of Hermiston Oregon. His colleague, Tierney travelling north of the Arctic Circle, reports that the natives would not mind more global warming in their corner of the world. In addition, fellow columnist Brooks writes about what is working well in Portland Oregon and most of the rest of the country.
Main:
Optimism and good news seems be popping up everywhere one goes these days:
* Crime is down; test scores are up.
* Divorce rates and unwanted pregnacies continue to decline.
* People are healthier living longer and better.
* Interest rates are low, inflation is under control, wages are up, emploment is growing.
There are even soon folks in Davis, including some frequently sour Seniors who are smelling the roses, rooting for the Giants, travelling to the Sierra and think kindly of their local dentist and even some from among the local political class. They may even approve the hot button fall issue, the conversion of adjacent farm land to an open space planned community.
More:
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[ Friday, August 05, 2005 08:27 PDT ]
Where is the perfect place to live?
Section:
Travel
Summary:
Some places we read about, others we dream about, others we visit, but home is where you live, work and play.
So, what makes for a desirable community and a health culture?
Main:
David Brooks in his nytimes column of 2005-08-11 makes the following poin: the study of cultural geography is meat for those with a mind for science and stuff that is measurable and matters. His colleague at the nytimes, Paul Krugman, has published on the economic determinism of place is the grand scheme of economic history. Brooks also illustrates the fact of choice and mobility in modern America. Communities tend to recruit, attract, retain and reproduce like minded folks.
The demographic trends are reflected in the local public and private high schools. Davis is a one high school town. The Blue Devils tend to excel… in academics, in sports, in music and ART performance, in public service and in behavior.
Excellent sources of community demographic information often comes from local Realtors and local college Fact Books published by the staff of the Institutional Research Department.
Here is a critera list for beginning a score card.
* weather, air, and water quality.
* mix of the economic infrastructure with supporting transportation and communication resources.
* locality, transportation and geography.
* accountability, management ability of local govenment units.
* job market stability, wages and salaries.
* visible evidence of civic pride.
* quality of the school system.
* housing availability and affordability.
* cost of living and services.
* quality of parks and recreation.
* low crime and good public health and safety system.
* country esthetics and accessibility to public lands.
* respect and attention to the needs of the retired, senior and disabled citizens.
* accountablity of and planning by local government.
* quality of local and referral medical facilities.
* cultural diversity and tolerance
* Arts support.
* Public performance and community assembly focal points.
* A history of community volunteerism.
And the candidates are .....?
More:
[ Thursday, August 04, 2005 13:41 PDT ]
Exercise, Fitness, Aging and Survival
Section:
Science and Technology
Summary:
Today, the NEJM published a study on the correlation between age, exercise capacity and survival.
Main:
The result is a graph called a nomogram.
* One MET is a measurement called a metabolic equivalent. It is standardized at 30 ml of O 2per kilogram of body wt. per minute at rest or basline conditions. METS are commonly derived and reported on health club exercise machines digital readouts. Oxygen consumption can be measure directly on Laboratory treadmills tests.
* Heredity is thought to contriubute 50% of the baseline. Age,sex, conditioning, and chronic disease all contibute to the maximum MET value of a monitored “stress exercise test”
* An ECG for heart monitoring is part of a maximal exercise capacity test.
* Note that regular USMS DAM fitness swimmer in their 60s regularly do continuous activity lap swimming daily for an hour at 80% of the calculated maximum heart rate capacity. Kcal consumption would average 300. Yardage would average 2400. This is a true test of aerobic cardiovacular and muscular fitness.
* Note that the study references stardard and reliable resources like the President’s Counsil on Physical Fitness and Sports, the CDC, and the American Academy of Sport’s Medicine.
* In addition, it should be noted the President Bush has recently completed his annual physical exam an is reported to be in excellent health. His restiing pulse rate is 48. He is the first president to follow the exercise recommendations of the Surgeon General.
More:
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