Monthly Archives: June 2009

My California – Seacliff State Beach

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A little over a week ago, I went to Seacliff State Beach.   I’m taking time out from packing to visit the a few favorite places.   This is my favorite beach in the Capitola/Santa Cruz area.   It has the stone ship – see http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=543  for a description and the history.  There are cliffs in the background.  It’s lovely and a lovely walking beach.   If you go during the week in summer, or anytime in winter you can park in the lots right next to beach, instead of having to park in the lot at the top of the cliff and walk a zillion steps down.
                                                                                                       
                                                                                   
Around here I don’t go to the beach that much in summer.  The water in this part of California is very cold.  Most adults don’t get in without a wetsuit, though you see a few braving the surf and the cold water.  I had to learn that you go to a beach for reasons other than getting in the water.  It’s still wonderful.    During winter it was easy to make a quick trip down Highway 17 to catch the sunset.
                                              
I’m going to miss the place.
Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, The Stone Ship

Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, The Stone Ship

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, Cliffs in the Distance

Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, Cliffs in the Distance

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, Goodbye

Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, Goodbye

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Second Life, The Silk Road, a Virtual Journey

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In an online world people have concerts or parties in a virtual space.  Your character, your avatar, sits or stands in the space, walks around, dances.  People text chat, which is much less intrusive than talking during a concert!
 
On Saturday I went to a music show described as a virtual journey, in Second Life.   I’ve listed selections from a post on the Myst Online forum , describing the event – http://mystonline.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17608

 

The (travelling) Guild of Healers invites you on a metaphorical caravan………..

through desert and mountain, climbing and descending, to the Mediterranean Sea following the interwoven complexities of the Silk Road. We’ve chosen to meet in Second Life in new facilities provided by the kind folks there, but the music can be heard anywhere people want to meet.

We met in Second Life, an online world where the members design and create the places in the world.  We met in an Uru themed location. Uru is a multiplayer game that was cancelled but still has a fan following.   We sat around a fountain. There was a map of our route on the wall. 

What followed could best be described as a virtual journey in a virtual space.  The creator of the event played music and talked to us as if we were on a journey – “the day is getting warmer”, “the camels are tired”.  The music had an evocative theme – think of a combination of a Hearts of Space radio show (http://www.hos.com) and the music of  Loreena McKennitt. The event creator text chatted, moving us along the route.  The participants also text chatted.  Sometimes the participants text chatted as if they were on the journey.  Sometimes they texted as if they were sitting around the fountain.  Sometimes they texted as if they were in front of their computer.  People welcomed other people, asked about something, made a comment on the journey, said they had to leave to do something in the real world, made a joke, talked about technical problems in Second Life (“sorry, I crashed”).  This is my favorite way to act in a virtual space, a way that seems most natural.  You act as if you are in a virtual space, but you also act as if you aren’t.

This type of event is very difficult to do well.  Aside from it being a pretend journey in a pretend space, the event was designed to be serious, which is hard to do well. It could have been a pretentious disaster.  It could have been boring.  It wasn’t either – it was spectacular!  In some way it felt like you were both sitting around a fountain and on a magical journey in a caravan on the Silk Route.

Here are some pictures.

Second Life - The Silk Route Musical Journey, June 2009

Second Life - The Silk Route Musical Journey, June 2009

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Second Life - event view from further away, June 2009

Second Life - event view from further away, June 2009

 
 

Recycling and Best Buy

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I hate recyling. Let me explain. While I like the part about keeping our stuff out of landfills, I hate everything that goes along with those “green” recyling companies. I hate the snobbishness, the “holier than thou” attitude. I hate how if it’s inconvenient, it’s supposed to be OK because it’s good for the planet. I hate the “for the price of a latte” advertising slogan. I hate the extra fees, which tempt me to throw the thing in the trash. I hate to have to go to a place that only does recyling. I don’t even like those green “eco-friendly” bags that look like they use natural dyes, even though they don’t.
                                              
I do like one location that does recyling all by itself, the Palo Alto Recycling Drop-off Center. I like it because it’s located in the Palo Alto Baylands. The place is pretty and I can go for a walk in the Baylands after I drop off my stuff.
Palo Alto Recycling Drop-off Center, June 2009

Palo Alto Recycling Drop-off Center, June 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I  like – recyling done well by companies that sell you stuff, companies I might go to anyway. I just had a very positive experience at my local Best Buy. I was recyling a old desktop computer. The pleasant person at the front kiosk told me where to take my desktop and pointed me in the direction of the flatbed carts, conveniently located in the front of the store. I took a cart to my car (parking lot with plenty of parking, trees and flowers too), loaded the desktop on the cart, wheeled it back into the store and stopped at customer service, also located in the front of the store. The equally pleasant person at customer service asked me to fill out some minimal information and told me I could leave the cart right there – they’d take care of it. I had such a good experience that I did what Best Buy hoped I would do – I looked around the store. In the mobile electronics section I chatted with another pleasant, knowledgeable person about GPS. I might even come backlater to, you know, shop.

Best Buy, Ravenswood 101 Shopping Center, June 2009

Best Buy, Ravenswood 101 Shopping Center, June 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                              

My current MBA program has a concentration in sustainability. Assuming that recyling is part of sustainability, I hope my school talks about recyling in a world where it’s simply recycling, something that’s convenient, something that we do. Best Buy is making it work by including recyling as part of what they do. I like that.