Is it possible that there is a lost civilization in the mountains above Malibu? Robert Stanley seems to think so. In 1985 he discovered evidence that convinced him that a pre-Chumash civilization once inhabited the region. The book Weird California fleshes out some of Stanley’s observations, noting that he discovered walls, ramparts and foundations that…
Whether you’re coming from out of town or just need a quick overnight outdoors break, there are more places to camp around Ventura than you might imagine. The Real Cheap Sports blog has a comprehensive list of campsites in Ventura county. They list phone numbers, locations, amenities and fees. By the way, Real Cheap Sports…
The first time I had sashimi, on our honeymoon, I was afraid I would commit some terrible culinary faux pas. Turns out I was right…I’ve been a sushi blunderer all my life. Via Swiss Miss (view their comments for more etiquette tips!)
This clever ad plays on the abilities of herding dogs. Pretty cute. Via Sectionhiker
I had the pleasure of meeting Art Cloakey quite a few years ago. He denied that Gumby advocated LSD and he seemed genuinely hurt by Eddie Murphy’s Saturday Night Live portrayal of the little clayboy. “Gumby is an ambassador for all that is good and innocent in the world,” Cloakey said. While Gumby himself brims…
I’m hoping Moose will be a good trail dog someday. But first I have to figure out how to take him for a walk, without him walking me. Here’s what happens: Moose is pretty dialed in with having me as his pack leader. But on walks he becomes very focused on what’s ahead. He starts…
Yesterday I said Moose had a good temperament. Well, the fangs started flashing when I took him for a walk with our resident dog. Lilli is a cocker spaniel and is used to having the run of the house. Moose is a monster, mixed breed but he looks for all the world like a Dutch…
Suddenly all my plans for 2010 have changed. I’ve been gifted a monstrous dog, that I’m calling Moose, a one year old puppy. the dog is a mix of German Shepherd and we’re not sure what…something that was brindle in color and rather big. Possibly greyhound, possibly Great Dane. We’ll see. Moose has a good…
Usually I don’t like to use the words “darn” and “socks” together in a sentence, but “Darn Tough” is how Ric Cabot describes the socks his family has been making for over 30 years. Outside Blog has just endorsed Darn Tough in their Gear Army section. I like the fact that these socks are made…
Could you go for 130 days without soap…washing your body with just water? Richard Nikoley gave up soap and shampoo about six months ago and reports that the results are amazing. His skin and hair are soft and silky. His wife comments that he smells good! Nikoley’s post begs some questions. 1. What is Soap…
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. That’s how Hunter Thompson put it. My plan for 2010 is to see how many destinations I can reach that are listed in Weird California: Your Travel Guide to California’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets
Not everyone has lights. Or an outlet. Or empowerment. But pretty much anyone can find a can of paint. Web Urbanist passes along 40 Fantastic-to-Freaky Christmas Greetings in Graffiti.
If I’ve harped on this before, someone should hit me over the head with a sack of oranges. I continue to have the feeling that there should be some kind of way to organize my life so that it wouldn’t be such a horrorshow. One central focus that brings everything together. You know what I’m…
As of 11 PM last night I became the proud owner of a 50,123 word steaming slag heap of a first draft novel. Yipee. So ends my NaNoWriMo adventure. What am I left with? Let’s call it the Winchester Mystery House of bad literature…hundreds of passages leading nowhere. I do have to say that this…
I’m on the road again. The road to hell, good intentions to blog my NaNoWriMo novel-writing experiment are lying like dead soldiers on the roadway. Early on I was going to post about Banging vs. Swooping. Kurt Vonnegut once said (and I swear I heard this on a public radio interview, though I can’t find…
