California Dreamin'

All the leaves are brown
and the sky is grey...

The lyrics may talk about winter, but California Dreamin' always makes me think of summer...the summer of '66, to be exact. I grew up on the East Coast, not the West. I remember standing in the kitchen on a summer morning, washing dishes and singing along with the Mamas and the Papas as California Dreamin' played on the radio. I was 13, and I hated doing the dishes. (Still do.) But the singing helped.

God, how my brother and I bickered. We fought so much that my mother made us do the dishes in shifts. One would wash and stack clean dishes on the drainer, then it was the dryer's turn. It seems stupid now, but we managed not to kill each other that way.

I've been for a walk
On a winter's day.

The Mamas and the Papas had problems with bickering too. It probably didn't help that both the men in the group, John Phillips and Denny Doherty, were enamored of the willowy Michelle, who married John and had an affair with Denny. And then there was Cass Eliott, the big woman with the big voice, who also loved Denny. She died of a heart attack in 1974.

I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.

I read in the newspaper this morning that Doherty had died. He was 66. John died in 2001, so Michelle is now the only one left of the original foursome. I don't think she sings anymore. But sometimes I do, and I still remember most of the words to...

California dreamin'
On such a winter's day.

I never could have guessed, in 1966, that I'd end up living in California. But I do. And I'm still California Dreamin'.

SF reflections

Here's my favorite photo from my meanderings in San Francisco last week.


Buildings near Moscone Convention Center are reflected in a water feature at Yerba Buena Gardens.

I particularly like the angles, the random glitter of coins in the water, and the two people walking by.

Macolytes worship at iPhone plinth

It took me a while to figure out what the crowds were gawking at...but there it was, slowly rotating in a plexiglass case atop a tall black plinth...the iPhone, spotlighted in all its glory.

Two iPhones were on display on either side of the main Mac stage; Macolytes gathered around the two pillars, gawking reverently and taking photos and videos.

"It's so slim, so stylish," cooed one Asian teen to her friend. "I think I want one."

Me too.

I watched the demo, and it looks like the iPhone is everything my current cell phone is not...sleek, logical and user-friendly. No more tapping the "2" key three times to type a "C" into my address book, no more having to remember "*86" is the code to access my messages.

Plus it's an iPod, a PDA and a web browser. Oh, how I covet it!

The next most crowded spot at MacWorld was the Supacam booth. This tiny digital video recorder, not much bigger than my little Olympus digital recorder, got a lot of attention. On both Wednesday and Friday, it was hard to make your way past the crowd.

The Supacam, priced at just $299, is so small that you have to be extra careful not to stick your fingers over the lens, which is located on the main body/stick/handle. The flip-out video display looked great, as did the projected images.

If I didn't have access to a video camera at school, I'd be wanting one of these too.

MacWorld!

Here are some highlights of my recent MacWorld foray...

Surge...schmerge!

I spent the morning after Bush's speech calling my elected representatives to tell them I oppose the president's plan to send more troops to Iraq. As far as I can see, the only result of a surge in soldiers will be a surge in casualties.

I also told my reps that a non-binding resolution against the troop increase is not enough...it's too little, too late. It's time to stop funding this war. (You know the old saying...when you know you're in a hole, first stop digging.)

Before the fall elections, I thought Bush might listen if it was clear that most Americans no longer support his war. I thought talk of impeachment was a waste of time and energy. But no more. I think it's time to remove Bush from office. That's what he does to people who don't agree with him, so maybe it's the only language he understands.

Want to take action too? Here are three toll-free numbers you can use to call your members of Congress: 800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 and 800-614-2803.