Monthly Archives: February 2011

From the Field to the Table: Meet Your Producers

Four farmers sat at my table during the Food Forum.  Eleanor and Balyn run Wild Rose Farm, and I frequently buy vegetables from them.  Across the table, a young woman whose name I never got said she farms about an … Continue reading

Posted in Around Town, View from the Road | 1 Comment

From the Field to the Table: Sonoma County Food Forum

Last week in my home county, people got together to address food, not as a luxury item or a culinary exercise, but as a nexus of economics, ecological improvements and public health. It’s surprising that only in the past few … Continue reading

Posted in Around Town, View from the Road | Leave a comment

Interiors: The Private Patient

The Private Patient/P.D. James Vintage, 2010 Whether it’s describing a publishing house along the river, a small local museum or a religious community, PD James is adept at setting her mysteries in interesting spaces.  Invariably, the fate of the place … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Not Even Queen Could Save This

Syfy movies:  Highlander; the Source; Incomprehensible and incoherent.  There Can Be Only One—And There Should Have Been  For those of you who don’t watch fantasy movies or TV shows, here is enough to get you started.  In the original movie, … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | 3 Comments

Cleopatra, a Life

 Cleopatra, a Life Stacy Schiff Little, Brown, 2010  Stacy Schiff’s thoroughly documented biography of Egypt’s best-known queen throws open a window on a time and place that is mysterious and exotic; Egypt in the four decades BCE.   Schiff is, if … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fibonacci Broccoli

I drove to the Santa Rosa farmers’ market because my local one doesn’t open for another month.  Our newly formed group, Savor, meets this Wednesday and I have to come up with a potluck dish (featuring kale, of course!) so … Continue reading

Posted in View from the Road | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Anonymous vs. Barr; Pick Your Villain

“You just need to program as good as I analyze.”—Aaron Barr to a programmer.  The Anonymous versus Aaron Barr story reads like a high-tech thriller—in fact, a little too high-tech for me.  I understand none of the mechanics, but I … Continue reading

Posted in Ruminations | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

And a Side of Flash Gordon Fries

Posted in Photo album | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“You got Steampunk on my Palin!” “Well, you got Palin on my Steampunk!”

Oh, brave new world, that has such creatures (or wonders) in it!  Was I supposed to be giving up SP for Lent or something?  This tempting morsel is just too good to ignore.  Thanks to Thomas Dewar on Facebook, for … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | 2 Comments

Notes From the Time Capsule: A Glimpse of the 1930s

The other week one of my direct reports found a cache of old papers in a file cabinet in the electrical room.  Finding papers in a government building is not news.  Finding old papers is kind of cool, though.  He … Continue reading

Posted in View from the Road | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments