Thanks to Laurie’s exceptional shopping skills, I already got one. It is very nice.

Mirlitons, 8 X 10, oil on canvas in progress.

.. cutting back the grape vine. Here is a before picture.

The Onion says, for a majority of likely voters, meaningless bullshit will be the most important factor in deciding who they will vote for in 2008. See the video report here. Reason Magazine online asks: Is the Onion our most intelligent newspaper?

It’s the very cool spimerch from spiseattle — the very cool and just-launched real newspaper site of friend Michelle and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. (Hey, it’s in my elsewhere. Is it in yours?) Get your spi-goods at cafe press, like me!

For the rest of you readers, this should not be construed as an indication that I have too much time on my hands. Just because I have a migraine hangover and I am hermetically sealed inside my house hiding from soot and waiting for the tree-trimming guys, that doesn’t mean I can’t accomplish something […]

… no posts today.

After this segment earlier today, the news anchor Marc Brown said “That was comforting. To see Lambchop.” In a way perhaps it was — for some of us, and you know who you are.

California wildfire smoke as viewed from NASA satellites. Read more about this image at nasa.gov. Image credit: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response

The Night Note has been getting a lot of searches for a current map of the Southern California Fires, so just to help get people where they want to go, I am recommending two often updated maps:
1) The Los Angeles Times: authoritative coverage, updated often. Click here.
2) ABC7.com: TV station’s map with pictures and links […]

First a disclaimer: the fires are a major disaster for Southern California — 350,000 homes evacuated, more than 1000 homes are lost. And, though the winds are predicted to drop by Wednesday, things are far from over. But, for me personally — the fires have been just an irritant and an inconvenience. I am not […]

… I’m just reporting: It is actually hard to breathe in my house right now. Nose, throat and eyes are burning. Ajax just had a snorting fit. The Cohens are going to dinner at Laurie’s — she’s got AC. The photo below is a grab from the ABC weather cam in Long Beach. Click […]

Click play on the little slideshow below to see Laurie and Val go to work at the stove Saturday night.

And the Los Angeles Times gets a double plus good for their great use of often updated Google Maps to give us an answer to the crucial question of the moment: am I surrounded in a burning ring of fire? They are actually delivering updates via the map — click one of the fire markers […]

Our beautiful Sunday lunch: Val’s special Chickpea Salad with Serrano Peppers, Red Oinion and Olive Oil, Leftover Crabcake (Val had falafel instead, with a little tahini sauce), Sliced Persian Cucumbers with Olive Oil and Black Pepper, fresh figs, fresh melon, brie and toast with a light Cote du Rhone. Yum.

A-1 on today’s Press-Telegram: Val’s buds at Air Combat USA made a little unscheduled stop on the sand at Seal Beach yesterday. The 1996 Extra 300L (yup Val has flown in this very aircraft) lost power 3 or 4 miles out over the Pacific. KABC-TV news said the Air Combat Pilot Michael “Baron” Veitinghoff […]

1) I did not win a date with Bill Clinton. Boo. But Hillary’s Campaign Manager, Patti Solis Doyle writes to say she’ll send me an e-mail reminder of the debate and that I can console myself with a live blog from the debate watching party. Sigh. [original post]
2) I am getting less junk mail. It […]