3D Winter

On the eve of Super Tuesday, here's a bunch of non-political 3D photos to enjoy.
A few days ago we got about a foot of wet, heavy snow.

Last week, Mighty Mo happened to notice these sparkling ruby red slippers dangling from a tree near the Great Salt lake.
I drove the pickup truck over the old Lincoln Highway recently, and found dinner on the side of the road. Glad I took my saw.
I noticed this broken backboard here in Tooele and couldn't resist the 3D photo opportunity.
The field betwixt Wallmart and Deseret Industries is littered with hundreds of baggies that have escaped from inattentive shoppers, only to be trapped by the barren brush that no bag can escape. Way too go Tooele! Lookin good!

A snowy field of hay bails in Idaho was too wonderful to pass without stopping for a photo.

Friendly Atom Coming to Utah?

Like ignorant children tugging at a loose thread on daddy's favorite sweater, atomic profiteers are recklessly forging forward with plans to build yet another nuclear power plant, this time in what is quickly becoming known as America's radioactive garbage dump, Utah.

This is the Place?

The persuasive PR and marketing campaigns of the powerful nuclear industry have been effective at convincing politician$ and a naive public that Utah needs a nuclear power plant. Even after the overwhelming evidence from epic events in Chernobyl and most recently Fukkashima, the industry continues to push it's product on unsuspecting citizens.

Safe Clean and Inexpensive?

The Chernobyl disaster can be blamed on outdated technology, but what happened in Fukkashima proved that engineers can't plan for an incredible event. The Fukkashima nuclear power plant was designed to withstand a, so called, credible event. Well, we know what happened there. So much for credible event credibility. Ask the folks in the Ukraine and Japan about the safety of the friendly atom.
Nuclear energy promised to be clean. The fact is, thanks to nuclear disasters in the past, life on Earth has been permanently downgraded everywhere on the planet because radiation does not discriminate or respect national and state boundaries.

Nuclear power promised to be inexpensive. The fact is, no nuclear power project has ever been completed on budget, and this has resulted in citizens paying much higher taxes than promised in order to fund the building and operation of these facilities. Even if nuclear energy could be delivered more inexpensively, the true cost of the industry's permanent impact on the planet is incalculable. And as more accidents occur, radiation levels will increase and our quality of life in Utah and and the rest of the world will decrease.

Is it worth the price?

Have a nice meltdown!

My World in 3D

Here are a few more 3D photos to enjoy.

The above photo features four Norma Forsberg originals from the popular "Pear Collection" currently on display in my living room.

Above is a nice scene from inside the historic Mormon Tabernacle, looking outward through a beautiful old-glass window that provides an interesting refracted view of some buildings.

Nothing says "Welcome to Tooele" better than an operative military tank.

Above - Mason standing in front of the infamous Bldg. 649 on the Tooele Army Depot.

Above - Mason at old dilapidated barracks.

New Years Eve 2011

Already the last day of 2011. As I write this post, the sun is setting behind the Stansbury Mountain Range for the final time this year.

2011 has been the year of change for me in almost every way. We left our beautiful Santa Cruz, CA to move to Tooele, Ut. Our kids stayed in Santa Cruz, so all of us are out of the nest doing our respective things.

Tooele couldn't be more different from Santa Cruz. Climate, culture, air quality... everything. Not necessarily bad, just different.

Earlier today, I drove out to the old, once forbidden, Tooele Army Depot to take some 3D photos of the last day of the year.

The base is now closed to military operations, but the buildings are all still standing... a ghostly reminder of the past and the reality of the war machine.



Private enterprise has taken advantage of this space and now, numerous manufacturing and other businesses occupy some of the warehouses that remind one of a scene from the X Files.



It was especially quiet on the old military base today. Even the recycling center, where we take all our glass paper and aluminum, was closed.



Happy New Year!

Are Mitt Romney's Policies Contrary to the Mormon Concept of Free-Agency?

I've lived in Utah for five months now and I have discovered that there is a lot of support among Latter-day Saints, (Mormons), for Mitt Romney here in the Beehive State. The local news stations regularly feature a story on Mr. Romney, even on no-Romney news days. He has the inter-mountain area media in his pocket, so there's no wonder the people here are so pro-Romney. They, for the most part, don't know any better.

I thought it would be a good idea to examine Mr. Romney's positions in light of Mormon theology, as well as some political positions of the first Mormon Prophet, and church founder, Joseph Smith Jr., who ran for president in the nineteenth century.

In the Beginning - Mormon Cosmology 101 - WAR in Heaven

To Latter-day Saints, everyone who has the opportunity to live on Earth, existed previously with God as His spirit-children.

God created the Earth to provide physical bodies for His spirit children to inhabit and exercise free-agency, and experience the cause and effect of mortal conditions... all part of the eternal progression of God's children, who can ultimately return to live in His presence.

To Mormons, free-agency is God's plan that allows man to chose his own destiny, learning from his mistakes, and hopefully, progressing toward perfection.

Some mortals however, will inevitably make decisions that result in their deviation from their path toward perfection, and being forever separated from God.

In Mormon theology, Lucifer is one of God's spirit children, who presented a plan by which ALL of God's children would be saved. Lucifer's plan would have done away with free-agency, and forced mankind to adhere to his commandments. Lucifer's plan that promised a 100 percent return rate was so popular among God's spirit children, that 1/3 of them sided with him on the matter.

A war in Heaven ensued. Lucifer and his hosts, attempted an overthrow of the heavenly kingdom, as God and His hosts fought for humanity's free-agency. The war resulted in 1/3 of Heaven's population being cast out, never to receive a physical body, thus thwarting their eternal progression. Lucifer became the Devil, and those who followed him are now demonic beings.

Mormon leaders have indicated that the war on free-agency continues, and that, in part, the earthly wars that we experience are a perpetuation or extension of the war in heaven.

Where does Mitt Fit?

Mitt Romney has taken the position that he will do anything, (crippling sanctions, espionage, preemptive strikes, war), to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power in the Middle East. In terms of Mormon theology, by preventing the sovereign nation of Iran from pursuing it's own interests, Mitt Romney is siding with Lucifer and those who would diminish free-agency in this world.

International sovereignty was a topic of major concern to the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith Jr. who, while running for President of the United States said:

“I will adopt in part the language of Mr. Madison’s inaugural address, ‘To cherish peace and friendly intercourse with all nations, having correspondent dispositions; to maintain sincere neutrality towards belligerent nations; to prefer in all cases amicable discussion and reasonable accommodation of intrigues and foreign partialities, so degrading to all countries, and so baneful to free ones; to foster a spirit of independence too just to invade the rights of others, too proud to surrender their own, too liberal to indulge unworthy prejudices ourselves, and too elevated not to look down upon them in others.’”

Romney's position couldn't be more in opposition to that of his church's founder, whom Latter-day Saints revere as a Prophet, Seer and Revelator.

Mitt Romney is also in favor of the intrusive bureaucratic leverage imposed by the Patriot Act, and it's policies that strip away more of American's free-agency than any previous legislation.

You don't have to be a Mormon to know that it is wrong to arrest people and detain them indefinitely, without charging them of a crime. Any moral person recognizes that unlawful imprisonment robs a person of his/her freedom, and is an affront to the Judeo/Christian principle of treating others in a way that will reciprocate like behavior...

Nevertheless, Mitt Romney is in favor of detaining uncharged individuals indefinitely, in prisons maintained and paid for with American tax dollars. He's also in favor of doing "whatever it takes" to extract information from these detainees that will help us to win the war on terror. So, to Mr. Romney, torture is just another tool in the war on terror. Never mind that torture is immoral, in addition to being illegal according to United States and international law. It's also downright un-American.

Unfortunately, most Mormons are satisfied with the quick soundbites they are fed, and are not interested in actually knowing anything substantive about Mr. Romney, other than he's a good family man and a snappy dresser.

Fall 2011 - Time Traveling

Mighty Mo and I have been having a great time enjoying the latest season... FALL.

We spent a couple of days in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, soaking in the lovely 112 Fahrenheit mineral pool in the middle of town.
We also went to another planet called Soda Springs, Idaho, where we enjoyed a wonderful timed carbonated water geyser, and some of the most unfriendly folks we've come across since before the war.
On the way home, we drove a few miles out of our way to the Rocket Display at the old Thiokol headquarters near Promontory Point, Utah.
I didn't count them, but there must have been close to a hundred rockets on display.
Then we traveled a few more miles, (and back in time to the nineteenth century), to the Golden Spike National Monument, the site where the first coast to coast national rail system was completed. The above photo is of the old original rail, and telegraph lines at Promontory Point, Utah. Communications and travel have come a long way, baby!

What do all these things have in common?

Summer Fun in Utah 2011

What a fun and interesting summer it has been. While Mason was hanging out with King Crimson, getting trapped in New York with Mighto Mo when Hurricane Irene caused such a fuss, Kirt and I were hanging out here in the Great Basin of the United States of America. Here's a small sample... in 3D.

The Tooele Train Museum has an outstanding collection of rail vehicles, including this old locomotive that used to be located near the town swimming pool. The old retired iron horse was later moved to its permanent location at the Train Museum on Vine and Broadway in Tooele, Utah.

Small scale train enthusiasts would love the elaborate working display at the museum.
The above car served as a dining coach for the mobile minuteman missile project in the 1970's. A nuclear missile could be launched from an adjacent boxcar anywhere in America if we had gotten to a "shootin' war with the Ruskies."

Steam Punk... old school

This is likely the bike my dad told me about a long long time ago. According to him, back in the late fifties - early sixties, he had to travel on snowshoe to the mine in Middle Canyon, then open the big metal door to the mine, hop on a rail bike, and ride all the way through the mountain. Once he arrived at the end of the tunnel, he'd open another big metal door, then hike on snowshoes to a rain gauge to record a precipitation reading for Uncle Sam.
This is a 3D photo of the inside of Saltair Resort on the shore of the Great Salt Lake.
Campfire.
Summer is over ;-( but I have some great rememorieZ, and photos to prove it :-)

BIRDHAND Live in Utah

Last week, I had the opportunity to hang out with the band, Birdhand, for a couple of days as they make their way across the country to tour with Bad Brains on the east coast of the US.

They finished up their recording set in LA at about 3:00 AM, then hit the road to Utah for a grueling eleven hour drive through the darkness.

After a four hour sleep in the tents that I set up in the back yard, the boys woke up to dinner and fun with smoke balls and sparklers... and 3D photography.

Before long, twas time to head to the big city, and prepare for their performance at the Bar DeluXe, who, unfortunately for the folks in Salt Lake City, did nothing to promote Birdhand, therefore, Utahn's missed out on a great show by one of California's best bands.

On Birdhand's first show of their post-studio, cross-country tour, a handful of lucky people caught the show, and were treated to the first live performance of three new songs.



Video to follow!!!

Been Messin' With the BeeZ

Welcome to the Beehive State

I've been battling the wild bees since we moved earlier this month. They seem to love the north shed and the south side of the house. I've already destroyed five nests but suspect that there are more. I use gum remover to freeze them, then remove the nest and as many of the bees as I can. The nests make a wonderful maison guepe soupe, and the crispy bees are a great addition to any stir fry. Bon appetit!

Farewell to Santa Cruz and Welcome to Psychotropia

Wow, I'm a Tooelian now... again.

A week has passed since we moved away from our little city on the bay. I already miss Santa Cruz SO much. Not just the obvious stuff either. Things like recycling, and bicycling are alien to this twilight zone town. A high school age kid actually made fun of us for riding bikes a couple of evenings ago. Apparently no one rides bikes in Tooele, and as I think about it... I haven't seen anyone else riding bikes here. Lots of big ol' trucks, and muscle cars though. Good thing gas is cheap. Welcome to the world behind the zion curtain.

Last Saturday and again today, we drove to the farmers market in Salt Lake to get some fresh produce. We also stopped at the Food Whole and stocked up for the week. It was reassuring to see that there's real food and some normal people out there. I even saw humans riding bikes.

Here are a few yummy treats we obtained at the farmers market in Salt Lake last week. We've been eating well all week, and have decided to swear off eating out in Tooele because all of the restaurants are substandard according to my requirements.
The sunsets here are unmatched anywhere I've been. I have to keep looking up at the beautiful sky, and majestic mountains that surround Tooele, otherwise, I'd probably go crazy watching the excesses of lawns growing, gas guzzling, and mega super Big Gulp slurping that is going on all around me.
Have a nice sunset

Solstice Schmalstice

Mighty Mo and I have a wonderfully eclectic* group of friends, and last night, we had the opportunity to bid farewell to 25 of them. Strange, I probably won't see many of them ever again. Those friends that were able to attend were treated to a trendy Utah themed going away party that featured stereotypical food favorites ranging from funeral potatoes to green jello. There was also a salt flats tasting bar, and authentic orange slush... just add 7Up. Unfortunately, some of our friends were unable to make it to our mid-week extravaganza, but I hope to see them sometime over my last two, (and very busy), weeks in Santa Cruz.

Leaving (too) soon

I realize that after our soon approaching long-term departure to Utah, I'm going to miss seeing the seductively beautiful Monterey Bay... a regular and everyday scene for me. The Great Salt Lake has beautiful sunsets, but will never replace the magnificence of this region. In an effort to deal with my separation issues, I purchased a wonderful, (and very large), ocean scene painting by my favorite artist, and close friend, Richard Bennett.

Pictured above is the southeast corner of our living room in Santa Cruz, where my new painting, South Coast, by Richard Bennett, temporally resides. Also pictured in the picture is my authentic Tom DeLong Fender Stratocaster, Dean 12 string electric guitar, a skim board, and three Talking Heads records in frames. I can't wait to see how the new painting looks in my home in Tooele, but I'm in no hurry to leave either.

Since I may never see many of our friends again, I thought it would be a good idea to get photos of the attendees to our Utah themed party, so after signing in, each guest was photographed in front of the new painting.
Kirsten Atemecia - Multi Talented quadruple threat who recently graduated from high school with a straight A report card. Smart, beautiful, talented with a great sense of humor... she's got the world by the tail.
Greg - One of the best drummers I've had the pleasure to watch perform. Greg has drummed for numerous bands, including A Quantum Visionary, and these days plays for Isolation Factor, who it is rumored will be releasing a new CD soon.

Mason - Another local rock star, Mason is a founding member of the Vox Jaguars, and AQV. He's performed with, and contributed to ensembles too numerous to mention, and recently had the opportunity to perform with the Santa Cruz County Symphony who performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Ode for Joy. One of my favorite pieces of all time.

Skippy - If you look up Frisbee in the dictionary, Skippy's picture should be there next to the definition. A master of disc golf and Freestyle pioneer, he can do things with a plastic disc that astonishes the masses.
Oliver aka Kryph aka Tree - Dubstep officianado racking up the hits, and stretching the genre beyond traditional limitations, took time out to drop in and hang out for a couple of hours.
Shawna, Erin and Ryan - Whether you are a pet, or a human being in need of emergency care... you're in good hands with these gals, and Ryan, the million dollar baby, knows it.
Aaron - The master of presentation of everything from metallurgy to hollandaise is beloved by all who know him. Together, Aaron and I have attended dozens of Bay Area performances ranging from Adrian Belew to the Vox Jaguars and played numerous rounds of disc golf at the De Laveaga, Black Mouse and Aptos courses. He's going to miss me.
Emily - Even though it was her nineteenth birthday, she stopped by to say goodbye.
Kallista, Olin and June - I've known Olin for many years and was so happy to meet his new little family. It seems like Olin and I have been everywhere in this region; surveying areas in the mountains to beach properties, in addition to playing lots of rounds of disc golf.
Richard - The artist himself graced us with his presence. In addition to being a master of every artistic discipline, Dicky B speaks numerous languages and dialects and has scoured the globe in search of artistic inspiration. He's been a wonderful friend and inspiring associate. I'm going to miss Dicky B's stories, and endearing demeanor.

Ann - She's seen it all and done it all. Everything from being a military pilot, land surveyor, theater reviewer and world traveler to hanging out with Elvis. Also a mother, she always raves about her two sons. She is a fascinating woman and we love the amazing stories of her adventurous life.
Reid - Snappy dresser, and performance specialist. He not only attended the party, but came to our yard sale too.
Kevin, Graham and Karissa - Pulling strings behind the scenes, Kevin and Graham are PR wizards extrordinaire and great urban homesteaders and home brewers. Karissa a new friend we met at the party.
Seana - Another amazing PR professional, who brought along a little bump and a big announcement to the party. : )
Katie - Another stellar public relations pro who was Mighty Mo's right hand account manager for years.
Cassie - Another birthday girl. Despite the fact that it was her 21st birthday, Cassie stopped by for the party.
Eileen - Brilliant artist, and winner of Catalyst's best Halloween costume contest. She was Mona Lisa, and even had her own frame. Eileen was one of the first people we met when we moved to Happy Valley in Santa Cruz all those years ago, and she's been a great friend to the entire family.
Claire - A former PR pro who escaped with her soul intact. Now pursuing environmental work, Claire has actually walked on the Great Salt Lake.
Ronaldo Antonio - Former NASA astronaut who has spacewalked more times than Michael Jackson has moon-walked (in 2011). A sparkling personality, and one of the funniest if not the funniest persons I know. He's one of the few people who actually understands my twisted comique.
Alexandra - Believe it or not, another PR industry pro, Sheesh! How many PR people are out there anyway? She speaks numerous languages fluently, including Russian, German and English. A Romanian native, she lives here in Santa Cruz with her family.

* Attendees included artists, musicians, propagandists, pre-borns, a baby, a toddler, teens, twenty somethings, thirty somethings, forty somethings, fifty somethings, sixty somethings, seventy somethings, eighty somethings, vegans, vegetarians, veterinarians, a nurse, a pilot, a teacher, an astronaut, professional athletes, rock stars, Jews, Mormons, Wiccans, and etc. I had planned to make the party as eclectic as possible, and for the most part, that goal was accomplished, but unfortunately, none of my illegal alien friends showed up. Camera shy, I guess.