In a major study released today by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, scientists identify a climactic mechanism that increasingly appears to be blocking the kinds of storms that carry the most rain and snow from reaching California and the Southwest. From NCAR’s press release: “For the study, the researchers analyzed 35 years of dataContinue reading ““Ominous” news: CA faces megadrought”
Author Archives: Kit Stolz
“The forks in the road”: Park Williams
Happy to say I found a way to profile the adventurous young forest ecologist Park Williams for the Santa Barbara Independent. The on-line version is the complete version of what I wrote; the print version is somewhat shorter. But let me add a couple of images and notes, because this story has a lot ofContinue reading ““The forks in the road”: Park Williams”
Have you seen the stars tonight? (paul kantner)
Rock star Paul Kantner died yesterday, news that made the front page of the New York Times,. Over the course of a career nearly fifty years long, Kantner came up with a ton of dazzling songs, many of which became 60’s classics (Wooden Ships, Today). At the same time he wasn’t a star likely toContinue reading “Have you seen the stars tonight? (paul kantner)”
Buzzfeed takes on Trump
The most successful of the so-called “new media” is probably Buzzfeed, but the truth is, they have more to offer than cute cat antics. This week in two separate stories they called out Donald Trump for hypocrisy. In Florida, in a story called Donald Trump vs Sea Level Rise, reporter Peter Aldous points out thatContinue reading “Buzzfeed takes on Trump”
Woody Guthrie on Trump: “Racial Hate”
Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and excellent Facebooker, quotes the fierce American folk singer, poet, and labor activist Woody Guthrie on an important man from the past who is still with us today. Donald Trump and his father Fred. Quote of the day: “I suppose Old Man Trump knows Just how much… Racial Hate heContinue reading “Woody Guthrie on Trump: “Racial Hate””
The birds of the Americas, passing thru
From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a map of the migration of 118 species of birds in the Western hemisphere: [On this map none of these species have reached Southern California yet; actually, a few have reached Ventura County, I think. Saw some chickadee like birds on a walk. Though I read that this hasContinue reading “The birds of the Americas, passing thru”
David Foster Wallace, loneliness, and the confusions of Eros
A poet named Nate Klug strikes to the heart in a recent Poetry Daily entry called Aporia: Aporia Not little by little, as concerto strings or doctrines like to disappear, leaving time to think. No—skin pulled taut around jaw and fierce cheek, seen from the side in the sea of the bed: none now thatContinue reading “David Foster Wallace, loneliness, and the confusions of Eros”
painting the desert at night: Eric Merrell
The Los Angeles Review of Books has been an absolute cornucopia of good essay writing as of late: so much so I can’t keep up. But still they outdid themselves last week with a gorgeous portriat of a young artist who likes to paint the desert at night, named Eric Merrell. Great stuff. Picture qualityContinue reading “painting the desert at night: Eric Merrell”
Waiting for El Nino in SoCal in January 2015
Although we have had a reported 69% of normal rainfall in Los Angeles, to date in this year of an alleged El Nino has been on the dry side in Ventura County: with a modest 4.74 inches to date in Upper Ojai area. But not to worry, say the experts, speaking in this case aboutContinue reading “Waiting for El Nino in SoCal in January 2015”
Obama: Hated by the GOP, taken for granted by Dems
On the eve of the last State of the Union address to be delivered by President Obama, Jonathan Chait of New York magazine points out how little love he gets from those who elected him. Here is one of the oddities of the last seven years. Barack Obama won a clear majority in both hisContinue reading “Obama: Hated by the GOP, taken for granted by Dems”
Kit Stolz 