The Known Universe

Here's a truly awesome video clip. Produced by the American Museum of Natural History, it takes viewers from earth through our solar system, galaxy, and ever expanding dimensions of outer space. (Notice the occasional notes in bottom of the screen about distance in light years). It finally reaches the limit of the observable universe, the afterglow of the Big Bang. This light has taken more than 13.7 billion years to reach our planet. (Light travels at the speed of 186,272 miles per second.)

After watching this video, it brought to mind two favorite quotes:

The miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence. It is our daily bread. Whoever really has considered the lilies of the field or the birds of the air and pondered the improbability of their existence in this warm world within the cold and empty stellar distances will hardly balk at the turning of water into wine - which was, after all, a very small miracle. We forget the greater and still continuing miracle by which water (with soil and sunlight) is turned into grapes.
- Wendell Berry

There’s two ways to live.
One is as if nothing is a miracle,
and the other is that everything is.
- Albert Einstein

If you want more, the AMNH museum and the Hayden Planetarium have developed the Digital Universe Atlas. You can view the atlas after you download their free software which allows you to explore the atlas by “flying” through it on your computer.
Download at this link: http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/universe/about/

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010

Dear friends and family,


Wow, I can't believe a whole year has passed. 2009 was a very busy year. Can't remember what all I did, but it sure was busy.


Well, for one thing, I resolved I was going to get back into hiking and more outdoor activity, and I did do that. I reconnected with my Benicia hiking group and did a lot of walking, hiking, biking, and snow trips (x-c ski, snowshoe). I set up a blog for them, so if you go to this link you can see pictures and reports of some of our trips (you'll see some pics of me if you scroll down to last Feb-April). http://www.beniciadayhikers.blogspot.com/


I'm still doing the website for the Unity church in Walnut Creek, as well as the blog, e-newsletter, etc. It has gotten to be a very time consuming task because it is such a huge website, and I'm still continuing to expand it. I'm trying to train a couple people as assistants, but that is very time consuming too.


I got very busy for about four months this year on our local Benicia election campaign, trying to get Dan Smith elected to our city council. Unfortunately he didn't win. Too bad, he's worked on community projects for years and would really go to bat to defend our community interests. One thing I did for him was set up this blog. Also this one for our mayor. I've also been keeping a Benicia News blog for some time.

We finally got a campaign finance ordinance passed this year, the culmination of an effort that a group of us started clamoring for in 2005 after the outrageous spending and campaign tactics in that election. I set up this website to document the spending and provide research info about campaign finance reform.

I was also very active in Benicia’s 2007 election, letter writing, calling, and so forth, but especially tracking and publicizing the 2007 campaign spending on this blog. We were successful in electing Mayor Patterson and council member Tom Campbell who are very committed to environmental protection and community preservation and sustainability.

In 2008 many of us started pushing for city programs aimed at environmental protection and conservation and I set up this blog to document some environmental issues. This year I was on a Sustainability Task Force which culminated in the establishment of a Sustainable Community Commission at City Hall.

The big monster issue in town since early 2007 has been the “Seeno Project”, a proposed 527-acre business park on the edge of town (near my house). Mr. Seeno’s plan would have been a disaster for our air, traffic, and the landscape. A group of us formed an opposition group, and I set up this website to document the issues. I also participated in the creation of this report in which we proposed an alternative plan for the site that would have been a vast improvement.

After endless meetings, events, hearings, EIRs, and twists and turns through City Hall, finally in Feb. 2009 it looked like we might be on the verge of forcing Mr. Seeno to work with the City and the community in a design and plan for the project that would meet community needs and not ruin our health. But then in March 2009 he put the whole project on hold, citing the downturn in the economy. I’m sure he was also hoping his two solid votes on the city council would be re-elected in 2009 (and they were; if Dan Smith had won election, one of those incumbents would have been booted). Now he’ll probably be back in 2010 or 11 with more tricks up his sleeve, and I’m sure he’ll try to get Mayor Patterson and Tom Campbell defeated in 2011.

So as you can see, I’ve been kind of busy and overcommitted the last few years. I hope to start backing off a bit from so much community activism in the year ahead. I know it’s really important stuff, but I need to get my life in balance.

Some of my other activities include a Womansong Circle singing group in Berkeley that I occasionally participate with (rounds, chants, peace songs), and a monthly Gandhi nonviolence study group in Walnut Creek.

Matt and Ari are still putting in a lot of time working on their house and yard. It has come a long way since last December when the moved in, but there is still lots to do. They had a great garden last summer.

So now onward into 2010. May it be a great year for everyone, full of health and happiness.

New Year Reflections

Dear friends and family,

Here's hoping that we may all have a "happy new year" in 2009!
May we all learn to appreciate and cultivate the simple joys of life, in spite of the economic hard times.

I hope your Christmas holiday was pleasant. I had a particularly lovely time on Christmas day. First, on Christmas morning, I joined a group of folks from my Unity church and we went to the County hospital and a convalescent home where we strolled the halls singing Christmas carols and handing out small wrapped teddy bears to the patients. It was a sweet and poignant experience.

After that, I drove in to Oakland to spend the afternoon with Matt and Ari at their new house. After exchanging gifts, we decided to go for a one-hour walk in the wooded hills near their home. We hiked up a ravine shaded by redwood trees with Leona creek splashing down into many waterfalls along the trail. Then we looped back down on a broad fire road with spectacular views of the Bay and San Francisco. The air was crisp and cool and very clear. What a treat that was! They are so lucky to have View Larger Map'> <"street view"> such a beautiful nature area within easy walking distance to their home.

The house they bought is definitely a fixer upper, so they got a VERY good deal on it. (The address is View Larger Map'> <"street view"> 4732 Cunningham St., Oakland, CA if you want to check out the "street view" on http://maps.google.com/ .)

But now they really have their hands full will major remodeling. They closed the deal November and immediately started ripping out carpets and linoleum and refinishing the hardwood floors. Then they ripped out the bathroom fixtures and kitchen, and did some work on the plumbing and wiring, and put up a fence. They had to move in on December 1, even though all of this is still "in process". So they are currently cooking with a hot plate, toaster oven, and crock pot until the new kitchen cabinets and stove are installed, and showering at a friend's house until they finish tiling the new shower. There's quite a bit of land on their sloping lot, and they've already done a little bit of terracing, in preparation for future gardens. It's hard right now, but the place is going to look wonderful as it gradually evolves into what they envision. For them, 2009 is definitely going to be "the year of the House!"

As for me, 2009 is going to be the year of finding a job (or jobs) to cover my income shortfall since my share-renter moved out in November. Wish me luck on that!! I don't have much time. As a last resort, I suppose I could try rent out the room again (master bedroom & bath), but I'd rather not. I thought I could fall back on substitute teaching in the local schools, but I've discovered none of the school districts in the county are hiring subs. They've all withdrawn their job listings, probably because they've already got loads of applicants already from the many newly unemployed. So starting in January, I'll start beating the bushes for computer-related work (me and thousands of others). I did apply for several administrative/office jobs this past year, but didn't get them. I don't think my age is any help.

On the bright side, I also plan to make 2009 the year I reconnect with my Benicia hiking group, and do a few weekend hikes and maybe one or two snowshoe or cross-country ski trips to the Lake Tahoe area. Unfortunately for the last three years or so, I've really dropped the active outdoor lifestyle I had in the past, and my fitness level has suffered. But for the last two or three months now, I've resumed my daily walks down to Lake Herman (see photo), and I'm starting to get my old vigor back. I can walk from my house down to the far side of Lake Herman and back in about one hour. So my resolution is to keep up those daily walks for all of 2009 (plus exercises, yoga, regular sleep, and healthy food).

Family News

Dear family and friends,

I'm very sorry I'm so negligent about keeping in touch. I'm going to try to turn a new leaf by posting periodic updates on this blog. (Please bookmark the URL, and check back from time to time. And leave a comment under the posts if you care to.)

So here's my first post. Here's a couple photos of me taken just the other day at Muir beach. (It was my birthday so I pried myself loose for a day of fun.)

As for all the other stuff I'm up to, that will have to wait for a later post.

THE BIG NEWS FOR TODAY IS ABOUT A VERY SPECIAL EVENT THAT HAPPENED ON JULY 21, 2008.

That is the day that Matt got married to the love of his life, Ariana Katovich.

They met in college at UC Santa Barbara and have been living together for about 8 years. They've been wanting to get married for a long time, but the logistics of arranging a big wedding has always been an obstacle. So they finally decided to just write up their own personal vows and elope. Maybe someday they will have a big event to reaffirm their vows, but July 21 is their marriage date.

They drove to Santa Barbara and took a boat to Catalina Island where they stood on a rock overlooking the ocean to read their solemn vows of marriage and exchange rings.

Here are some pictures of these two sweet tender souls taken after their marriage ceremony.